The roar of an engine echoed as a medium-sized yacht slowly docked. John Chou and I quietly observed from within the trees.
"Are those Ghost Burial Squad people?"
I stared in surprise. The people disembarking from the boat were Miles Mao and Vivian Ouyang, followed by more than ten others—definitely members of the Ghost Burial Squad.
"Why are they here?"
I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth and widening my eyes. Vivian Ouyang should be in the Underworld right now. What on earth is Mona Ouyang up to?
"He's already gone—Mona Ouyang."
I looked at John Chou in surprise, then tried sensing again, but still couldn't feel any trace of Mona Ouyang. As expected, he had vanished from Vivian Ouyang's body.
"Though I feel a bit guilty, I should be the one to act. After all, if the situation here gets exposed..."
John Chou pressed down on me and shook his head. We could only keep watching. There were some new faces among the Ghost Burial Squad, but the only ones I could name were Miles Mao and Vivian Ouyang. The others looked familiar, but I didn't know their names.
"How could Roxie Lane be in a dump like this? Miles Mao, are you messing with me?"
Vivian Ouyang looked quite displeased as she watched Miles Mao investigate.
"I'm not entirely sure, but this should be the right place. We have to hurry—there are things I need to tell Roxie as soon as possible."
I looked at Miles Mao in confusion. He was already rushing toward the Outcast Village by the sea, his face anxious. He took the bundle off his back and began setting up a shrine. I didn't know why they came here, but it seemed like they'd received some kind of message. Roxie was here. I glanced at John Chou beside me; he shook his head.
"You few, go check the surroundings."
Vivian Ouyang spoke, and the other Ghost Burial Squad members immediately started walking along the island. I knew there were people from the Immortality Society here, but what puzzled me was how they knew about this place. Judging by Miles Mao's expression, he was certain Roxie was here.
"Hey, are you really sure about this place? It's so deserted even birds won't come here."
Vivian Ouyang complained again. Miles Mao turned and shot her a glare.
"Get the floodlight down. It's too dark here to see anything."
Soon, a high-intensity floodlight lit up the beach, turning a wide area as bright as day.
"No mistake—this is where Roxie's phone signal was last lost."
My heart skipped a beat. John Chou beside me broke into a smile.
Soon, Miles Mao finished setting up the shrine, lit three sticks of incense, and began chanting. Vivian Ouyang walked over, holding a piece of clothing—it belonged to Roxie.
I was itching to rush out and restrain them, but John Chou kept a firm hand on my shoulder, signaling me to stay put.
"Just thinking about Roxie being taken away by that Born Evil Ghost unsettles me."
Vivian Ouyang said as she sat behind Miles Mao. Miles Mao was fully focused, waving a Peachwood Blade, using a detection spell to try and find Roxie's whereabouts.
I grew more confused. The evil ghost Vivian Ouyang mentioned should be John Chou. John Chou sneered beside me.
"Something feels off about all this."
I muttered to myself. Miles Mao was still investigating, sweat covering his forehead.
"How is it? Did you find anything?"
Miles Mao nodded.
"Roxie was indeed here, but her aura disappears after that. She might not be on this island—let's move to the next location."
Miles Mao stood up as he spoke, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But just then, the medium-sized yacht by the shore suddenly groaned loudly. Instantly, Miles Mao and Vivian Ouyang turned alertly toward it—it was Ronan Wu. I looked over anxiously as the yacht began to deform and twist, turning into a lump of scrap metal within seconds.
Miles Mao pulled out a purple talisman and started chanting, ready to rush over. In that instant, Ronan Wu appeared between them, his entire body wrapped in green currents—his face completely obscured.
"It's the Green Wraith. Be careful, Vivi!"
Miles Mao shouted, but his Peachwood Blade and talisman quickly turned to ash. Vivian Ouyang fell to the ground in terror, but was still doing something with one hand.
"Miss, if you move again, I'll kill you on the spot."
I watched in confusion as Ronan Wu crouched in front of Vivian Ouyang and grabbed her left hand. Vivian Ouyang was holding a phone; Ronan Wu looked at it for a while, then pocketed it. He turned to the furious Miles Mao, reached out, and Miles Mao handed over his phone as well. I noticed that the other Ghost Burial Squad members nearby weren't reacting at all, just wandering aimlessly—they must have been completely mesmerized.
"Something's wrong, John Chou."
It only now occurred to me—when Hugh Thompson talked to me earlier, he didn't mention Roxie or John Chou. Logically, if they wanted to find John Chou and Roxie, they'd have asked me directly, but Hugh said nothing. I looked at John Chou in surprise.
"Tell me, what's your real reason for coming here?"
Ronan Wu asked coldly, but Vivian Ouyang and Miles Mao both looked like they had no intention of answering.
"Personally, I don't like using force. But if you won't talk, don't blame me for what happens next."
As Ronan Wu spoke, green spectral threads began to unfurl from his hand. Vivian Ouyang immediately stood up.
"Where did Roxie take John Chou? You're one of John Chou's followers, aren't you!"
Vivian Ouyang looked thoroughly upset.
"Of course—to train Roxie."
Ronan Wu replied leisurely, a hint of amusement in his voice. But before he finished, Miles Mao shouted from behind.
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"You Born Evil Ghosts—wasn't exploiting Ethan Zhang enough? Now you want to use Roxie too. John Chou has regained all his power, hasn't he? Isn't that enough? He's achieved his goal, and Ethan Zhang is dead. Yet you still want to use Roxie. Why do such Born Evil Ghosts exist? Even if I die here today, I will..."
A hand grabbed Miles Mao's cheek.
"I don't like talking to people who are overly emotional."
With a buzz, Miles Mao spat blood, his body swaying before collapsing to the ground. Vivian Ouyang gasped, covering her mouth.
I glanced at John Chou beside me. In that instant, I seemed to understand what Miles Mao had meant.
"If I hadn't gone through all that in the Six Paths, maybe I'd think you just used Ethan Zhang to regain all your power and the Bloodbane Power. The Underworld folks also used Ethan Zhang to restore the Six Paths. Ha, what a heavy load of blame. With your reputation and everything you've done since, using Ethan Zhang for all sorts of things—no wonder people see it that way. John Chou, what should we do now?"
John Chou said nothing, his smile tinged with bitterness.
"Should we call Roxie out and let her explain things to these two herself?"
"Who do you think would believe me now?"
I sighed helplessly and nodded.
The fact that John Chou had been using Ethan Zhang for various things was clear to many, even before the Ghost Burial Squad encountered that incident. Many in the supernatural world probably think so too, especially after learning Ethan Zhang possessed the Coexistence Instinct. Most people know John Chou was always involved in Ethan Zhang's affairs, and many later events were tied to him as well.
And most importantly, Ethan Zhang died in the Six Paths while John Chou escaped unscathed and regained all his power. That's enough to make John Chou's reputation impossible to clear, no matter what he does. Now, most people in the supernatural world, and even many in the ghost world, probably think so—except for the Ghost Lords who know the truth. But in the end, they're just a bunch of Born Evil Ghosts; no one trusts or believes anything they say.
It seemed the Underworld was implicated this time too. I finally understood why Lao Chongyuan once told me that people need to control their own life and death, instead of being at the mercy of the Underworld.
Everything Ethan Zhang did may seem minor, but it had a profound impact on both the living and the dead. Those in the supernatural world who witnessed his actions might feel a twinge of guilt for merely observing and not helping. With what happened to Zachary Justice before, I can imagine how the supernatural community now views the Ghost Lords.
Once again, the Ghost Lords exploited a mortal for their own gain. The conflict is likely beyond reconciliation now. Meanwhile, the Immortality Society, having witnessed what happened in the Six Paths, only needs to embellish the story a bit, letting the supernatural world and Ghost Burial Squad see part of the truth. The Ghost Lords will never recover, their old reputation sealing their fate.
"Those bastards."
Furious, I clenched my fists and glared at the enraged Mona Ouyang. I had no idea what Martin Lane and Helen Lane were going through, but in this storm of public condemnation, there was nothing they could do.
"Forget it, it's just the Earth Soul. If you want to know the truth, yes—I did use Ethan Zhang. That's how I regained all my power and the Bloodbane Power. There's nothing wrong with saying that."
I looked at John Chou. His eyes were cold, as if he'd grown numb to all this. But then I shook my head.
"I can't speak for Ethan Zhang, but John Chou, that guy considered you a friend for a long time. Everything he did for friends and loved ones has been twisted into claims of being used by Born Evil Ghosts. I can't stand it. I'm going to make trouble for the Immortality Society, no matter what."