The barrier built from resentful energy vanished. Only then did Faceflayer and Li Di dare to approach, and Lady Bone Wraith spoke in a low, ethereal voice.
"Go ahead and tell this young man."
Faceflayer nodded immediately, and then Lady Bone Wraith turned into a mass of black resentful energy, sinking beneath the withered tree. Around us, the trees I had destroyed began to grow again, but this time, they were all black.
"Consider yourself lucky. Lady Bone Wraith didn’t lose her temper. Whenever she emerges, it causes quite a stir. Now, her Burial Day will be postponed by more than a month."
Faceflayer said this, and I asked a question.
"Wasn’t there a Qing-capturing ghost from Frank Wu here before?"
"That kid’s not worth mentioning. He strongly opposed our cooperation with the Immortality Society, so he left in a huff. Anyway, let’s find somewhere to sit and talk."
Afterward, I sat down with them somewhere nearby. As I suspected, these face skins are indeed connected to the Immortality Society.
"Let me put it this way: I trade these special face skins with the Immortality Society, and in return, they give me something. As for what, you don’t need to know."
While speaking, Faceflayer took out a fresh-looking face skin and placed it in his hand. It was the face of a middle-aged woman. I released my ghost threads and sensed an unbelievable power within it, something that faintly stung my ghostly soul.
"Is this Curse Killing?"
I asked, and Faceflayer just smiled, offering no answer. But I was certain—the power he wielded was the Curse Killing type. I’d felt that same stabbing pain before, when Helen Chen possessed my body and transformed into the Blue Wraith.
"These Faceflays, once worn, can completely change your appearance. And, well, no one can ever tell who you really are."
In an instant, I understood. The Immortality Society’s people had no faces. All they needed was to wear these Faceflays, and they could become someone else, hiding among the living.
"How many did you sell them?"
I asked. Faceflayer smiled and held up five fingers.
"Five hundred?"
Faceflayer just smiled.
"A total of five thousand Faceflays. That’s how many I sold them. Now I’m running out of materials to make Ghost Souls."
Faceflayer said, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of disgust toward someone like him.
"After all, you’re a ghost—and so am I. That’s just what ghosts do. If you don’t want to hurt people, that’s your business. Staring at me won’t change anything."
I smiled, saying nothing more, just quietly watching Faceflayer.
"Is there a way to find those who’ve switched faces?"
I asked again. Faceflayer neither nodded nor shook his head.
"Here’s the deal, brother. You bring me a hundred Faceflays, and I’ll tell you how to find those guys."
"Just now..."
Before I could finish, Faceflayer interrupted me, then laughed.
"Hey, brother, Lady Bone Wraith only promised you that much. I agreed to her terms, so I’ll tell you about the transaction. But as for client info—that’s not free, you know."
Suddenly, anger flared inside me. I couldn’t do something like that.
"Whether you do it or not is up to you, brother. With your skills, getting a hundred Faceflays shouldn’t be hard. There are plenty of beggars and drifters in this city—nobody cares about them. Just kill them, flay their faces, and bring them to me. Simple..."
Suddenly, I shot to my feet.
"Hey, brother, don’t leave yet. Think it over. Just a hundred Faceflays and I’ll give you all the client info. Then you can hunt down every last one of them if you want."
I clenched my fists, staring at Faceflayer.
"You have your way, and I have mine. But if we ever cross paths again, next time, it won’t be a conversation."
As I spoke, I slowly floated upward. Faceflayer started laughing.
"Alright, alright, I get it, brother. You walk the sunny road, I cross my narrow bridge. I’ll try to steer clear of you in the future. Heh, never seen a ghost like you before."
I ignored him and headed straight back to the city, planning to check with David Chow to see if he’d found any sign of Gregory Wu.
After descending the mountain, I found Sonny Four still wandering in the woods, clearly waiting for me. I drifted over and landed right in front of him.
"Hey, boss, you’re back! Heh, so, where to next?"
I just looked at him in silence.