Lan Yin didn’t go far. He found a spot by the river, sat down, and quietly watched the flowing water. With his back to us, he seemed lost in thought.
I understood exactly what Despair Origin meant. In my understanding of the Four Sacred Powers, faith in their Saints is a crucial component of their strength. Without it, one cannot receive the Saints’ immense support. I’ve always believed in the Saints, but Vermilion Bird’s Power is the strongest, because my old friend Zhu Tang has been with me for so long. I don’t want him to disappear.
Back in the Forest of Desire, I said it myself—I would be the one to believe in him, to trust in his existence, to have faith in everything about him.
Lan Yin was missing this most vital component—faith. I couldn’t see clearly, but in the end, Lan Yin’s power suddenly vanished, and his connection to the Saints was severed.
Under the moonlight, someone approached from afar. It was the Earthly Soul. I immediately floated up.
“Roxie, Rachel, you two rest for now. I’ll go check it out.”
Rachel Lan nodded.
“Ethan, do you think all of this is ridiculous?”
I let out a noise of surprise, then tilted my head back and laughed.
“That bastard never believed in the Saints, yet he stubbornly survived until now. He’ll be fine, he always is. And...”“
I turned my head to look at Qi.
"I get it. You don’t need to say anything more, and don’t bother with thanks. If you understand, just go."
Rachel Lan looked at me with confusion, then glanced at Sylvia Blue.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Come on, let’s go to sleep."
Without another word, Sylvia Blue grabbed Rachel Lan’s hand and led her into a house that hadn’t been destroyed yet.
"Hahaha, what exactly are you here for?"
A burst of laughter came from the Earthly Soul. Lan Yin hung his head, smiling awkwardly. His face looked relaxed, as if he hadn’t fallen into despair from what just happened.
"It’s not like it’s the first or second time I’ve failed. I’m used to it, numb to it. There’s nothing to be upset about."
I walked over slowly, glaring angrily at Lan Yin. Suddenly, I grabbed him and stared him down fiercely.
"Hey, hey, Ethan, what are you doing? I don’t have any feelings for Rachel—she’s my granddaughter. Don’t get the wrong idea..."
"Is it really that easy to become numb? It’s because you can’t numb yourself that it hurts. It’s because you can’t forget that you drown yourself in alcohol every day."
Lan Yin didn’t say anything. The smile faded from his face as he grabbed my hand.
"I get it, Ethan. Calm down first."
With a bang, I punched Lan Yin in the cheek, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Hey, hey, Ethan Zhang, what’s your problem?"
Earthly Soul grumbled in dissatisfaction. I was really pissed off. It felt like I was about to cross the mountains, only to suddenly turn around and walk downhill, ending up right back at the starting point.
"If you can’t do it yourself, don’t fill Rachel’s head with those ideas—about believing in everything, about being the head of the Lan Family? Don’t make me laugh, Lan Yin."
I turned and looked into the distance.
"I’ll find a way to stop all of this."
"You’re even more stubborn than anyone from the Lan Family, Ethan..."
Lan Yin said, and I shook my head.
"Because Rachel is here, I’ll be the one to protect this faith—not you..."
I turned and glared at Lan Yin, then continued.
"Not someone like you, who lost his faith long ago. I always found it strange—even though you’re strong, back at the Ghost Burial Squad headquarters, you didn’t beat Lu Lingming, but I saw everything. I envied you. If one day I could have your strength, maybe I could protect the people I love. But I was wrong—so wrong. The things that should have been believed in mean nothing to you."
"Ethan Zhang."
Earthly Soul shouted, striding over and putting a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah, you’re right, Ethan. I never wanted to believe in those things, never thought they were worth it. It’s only because they brought me pain once. So I ran away, refused to believe, and that’s why my life is a failure."
I turned and pushed Earthly Soul’s hand away, staring blankly at Lan Yin.
"And what can you do, Ethan Zhang? Even if you have the power of ghosts, when you face Forsaken 000 and the will of this world, you’re still powerless."
I let out a sound of surprise and smiled, memories flashing through my mind.
"But I did it. I made it this far, crossing barrier after barrier, because deep down I never backed down. That’s why I’m here, why I found Rachel again. Last time, Rachel saved my life; this time, I’ll protect her faith—no matter how many years it takes. I’ll show you, Lan Yin."
Back on the city wall, I cleared my mind of distractions and began to think carefully about what to do next. After all this time, I finally understood what Ghost Ancestor meant—curse power isn’t the same as ghost power.
My mind was filled with fragments of thoughts, still incomplete. I could only piece them together bit by bit.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind me, followed by a voice.
"Ethan..."
"What?"
I replied irritably. Lan Yin came over and sat down beside me.
"Actually, the things I told Rachel, I’ve said to many people before. And many of them believed those lies. But they’re all dead now."
I let out a sound and looked at Lan Yin. He took a deep breath, exhaled with his head raised, then looked at me.
"I know very well what it means to lack absolute faith in the Saints in Hades. That night when Martin Lane took his daughter away, I actually said a lot to him."
Lan Yin grimaced, then closed his mouth and continued.
"Let this child believe in everything. We carry so much, and even if you take her away so she can freely choose her life, you must teach her faith—to believe in all that exists. After I said that, Martin Lane asked me: if faith in all this means accepting Hades’ cruel fate, why should we believe in it? My answer was: defying fate isn’t a matter of a day or a single act. Even if we must bear this heavy destiny and wear the shackles of Hades, just because we couldn’t do it doesn’t mean the next generation can’t. Didn’t you name the girl Rachel for this very reason? To challenge fate, to fight against all this injustice. I’ll quietly watch over my granddaughter, and all you need to do is teach her faith—to believe in it all."
I swallowed, looking at Lan Yin in surprise. He turned calmly to look at the distant house.
"Because I saw it. Do you remember the Trial Marriage Stone?"
I made a sound of agreement. There was a time when Hades' Will surged from it, but Earthly Soul and I shattered it together.
"The reason I believe these things—even think Rachel might be able to change Hades and do what we always longed for but couldn’t reach—is because I sensed hostility. The night Rachel was born, I was on watch nearby. Even before she was born, I felt Hades’ Will was hostile to something. Only after she was born did I confirm it."
"You mean Hades’ Will held hostility toward Rachel? So she was forced back to Hades Village and everything since was because of that influence?"
Lan Yin nodded, then looked at me.
"Especially after you appeared, Ethan. I knew from the first time I saw you that you were a crucial piece in John Chou’s hand. Back then, I thought you were too immature and might die young. Maybe only John Chou believed in you, believed you could do it. And you did—even the other Ten Guides were surprised. That’s when I felt Rachel could truly be entrusted to you, because finally, someone had appeared who might be able to change everything."
I made a sound and lowered my head, blushing a little before quickly looking into the distance.
"You know the fate of those born in Hades as well as I do. Not even Yan Luo can touch it. We can only faithfully carry out our soul-collecting destiny, and only when we complete our tasks can we be freed. If we fail, we must continue to accept our fate."
I nodded.
"Something incredible is happening in Rachel’s body right now."
Lan Yin looked at me in surprise, then asked a question. I shook my head and explained a bit. He was still puzzled.
"Let’s not talk about this now, Ethan. I once asked that old guy Lan Miu what Hades’ Will really is, and why people of Hades bear such a cruel fate. He only said one thing: I’ll know when I die."
I laughed. I’d met Lan Miu once—at the Dark Banquet, where he was called the Silent One.
Lan Yin stood up, looked into the distance, then smiled at me.
"You just asked me what happened afterward, right? Want to hear it?"
I nodded. Lan Yin chuckled, then began to tell that long-buried story.
"I didn’t expect your place to be so luxurious."
Lan Yin looked around in surprise at the lavish furnishings. Servants stood everywhere, and Lan Miu, dressed in splendid robes, stood on the colorful patterned carpet in the center, clapping his hands.
"Pass down the order—tonight we’ll hold a grand banquet. Tell the girls from Drunken Spring Pavilion to come over."