"It really is the same as before. Nothing’s changed. I used to sneak here for a look, but now, everyone’s gone."
I hummed in response. Vivian Ouyang did come here quite a few times in the past, always accompanying Rachel Lan. Back then, the apartment building was lively, but now all the ghosts have moved to Redmond’s Shadow Realm.
So now the apartment building is empty, not a soul left. Vivian kept weaving through the cherry blossom grove, and I followed her.
"Do you know where Roxie is now?"
Vivian asked. I wanted to tell her, but in the end I just shook my head. Vivian seemed to realize something, turned and looked at me with confusion, then gave a helpless, slightly bitter smile.
"I don’t know why so many people are avoiding me lately, either on purpose or not. And more importantly, I’m not even sure why—Heavenly Soul, you called me here, what for? I’ve got nothing going on lately, and I haven’t been to the Ghost Burial Squad either. It’s complicated there now."
I hummed again, noticing the stiffness in Vivian’s smile, but I didn’t press further. Then I asked,
"Do you know anything about the other self inside your body?"
As soon as I spoke, Vivian made a sound of acknowledgment, but quickly shook her head.
"I don’t even remember when it started. I keep losing consciousness for no reason, and when I wake up, a long time has passed. Sometimes it’s just a few minutes, sometimes hours, and the longest was two or three days."
We arrived at the small pavilion. At that moment, 001 and 007 came down as well, and Vivian Ouyang looked at them with a hint of confusion.
"Who are these two?"
"001 and 007."
Just as I spoke, Vivian Ouyang seemed to lose consciousness for a moment, staring blankly for a few seconds, but soon she gave a polite smile.
I briefly explained the situation with the Forsaken—the emergence of another self in the Living World caused by the collapse of strong faith. Vivian listened in disbelief, but soon accepted it; after all, there are too many strange things in this world.
"So, is all of this connected to the other self inside me that's taken over my consciousness?"
Vivian asked. I nodded, and she continued.
"After I learned about the Nightmare Ghost Sovereign, I always thought it was him occupying my body. But gradually I realized it wasn't, and Roxie told me the same thing. That guy isn't Mona Ouyang, but someone else."
"Miss Ouyang, you might be like them—a Forsaken. I invited you here today hoping you might know a way to bring out the other self inside you."
Vivian thought carefully, but after a long while, she shook her head.
"Probably not possible. Why don’t you ask Mona Ouyang?"
I hummed in response. Vivian Ouyang closed her eyes, and 001 and 007 looked on in surprise. Within a few minutes, Vivian opened her eyes again, but her expression and demeanor seemed to have completely changed.
"Heavenly Soul, you really do like meddling, don’t you? Weren’t you always just a bystander? So why now do you want to help Earthly Soul train these people, and even help Ethan Zhang perfect the Ghost Domain?"
I stared at Mona Ouyang in surprise.
"What’s going on? You’re acting strange—it’s unsettling. Who are you, really?"
001 muttered, but 007 gestured for her to stay quiet. Then he led 001 away, saying they were going shopping. I agreed, but reminded them to be careful and to contact me immediately if anything happened.
"If you’re asking whether I know anything, don’t worry—there are some things I do know. About the Forsaken: it was another Vivian Ouyang, the Forsaken version, who told me. About everything in the Living World—she just doesn’t want to come out anymore, lost in the dream I wove for her."
I quietly stared at Mona Ouyang and nodded. He smiled.
"I can help you wake her up, and let you hear some things from her, but you need to do me a small favor."
"Go ahead."
It was obvious Meng Ouyang was scheming something lately. I had a good idea it was related to his hundred ghosts. The Ghost Sovereigns’ power seemed diminished on the surface, but that wasn’t the real issue—their strength depended on the support of the hundred ghosts. I saw this clearly, but I’d never told Ethan Zhang or Earthly Soul about it.
Meng Ouyang looked at me strangely, a faint smile curling at his lips.
"I get it, it’s about your hundred ghosts, isn’t it?"
Meng Ouyang nodded happily.
"As you know, my hundred ghosts still survive in my dreams, though their bodies have long vanished. But recently, I’ve discovered some clues. Soon, I’ll know where their bodies are, and I’ll need your help—only then can my hundred ghosts truly awaken from the dream."
I hummed in response. Meng Ouyang’s hundred ghosts had been locked in dreams long ago. I never understood why, but this guy always had grand designs.
"Can you take me to see the other Meng Ouyang?"
I asked eagerly. Meng Ouyang shook his head and pointed to the sky.
"It’s daytime. Who dreams in broad daylight?"
After a while, Vivian regained consciousness, looking visibly disturbed.
One day I’ll drive that Mona Ouyang out of my body. Just thinking about it makes me sick—having my body occupied by someone whose gender I can’t even tell.
I gave a helpless smile. As night fell, the four of us chose to eat outside before returning to the apartment building. I arranged a room for Vivian, and at midnight, she followed me into the courtyard.
"Mona Ouyang is really annoying."
Vivian said, then quickly fell into a trance. Soon, Meng Ouyang appeared, yawning, raising a hand. A streak of purple light appeared at his side, forming a passage to the dream. Meng Ouyang held a dazzling Nightmare Stone, smiling as he motioned for me to enter.
I don’t dream—or rather, I lost the ability long ago. The only way in is to forcibly open a passage to the dream.
"Use your own power. It’s better that way, or you’ll experience rejection."
I hummed in response. White tendrils spilled from my skin as I stepped into the dream passage.
In an instant, I began to fall. Meng Ouyang was right in front of me, upside down, smiling. I was still falling, and just as I tried to control my body, Meng Ouyang stopped me.
"To find where she is, it’ll take some time. When she chose to sleep, she picked the place herself."
I nodded, continuing to sink. Looking at the reddish walls of the dream passage, something came to mind.
"Is Zhang Qingyuan’s core dream still there?"
Meng Ouyang shook his head.
"He’s already dead, so of course there’s no core dream left. When Zhang Qingyuan died, his core dream vanished too. I tried to stop it with my own power, but it disappeared anyway."
Now, the color of the passage walls was turning pale, almost blue. I’d never seen a dream passage like this before.
I’d seen Meng Ouyang use this kind of dream power before. Gradually, I felt myself slowing down, and it seemed Meng Ouyang had found where the other Vivian was.
With a whoosh, we stopped. Meng Ouyang smiled and went to the wall of the dream passage, knocking gently. A gap appeared, growing larger, and a beam of strong light shot through.
"Let’s go."
I nodded and followed Meng Ouyang in. Instantly, I saw a vast, pure white world, spotless like a giant indoor white space. Soon, I noticed a patch of black in the distance.
I kept following Meng Ouyang. It was a black coffin, which surprised me. Meng Ouyang pointed at the coffin and said:
"She’s sleeping here. After all, her presence has seriously affected Vivian’s life, and unlike me, she doesn’t want to take over everything about Vivian. Or rather, she’s a being born from Vivian’s past, carrying all her past memories—her other half."
I nodded. Meng Ouyang crouched in front of the coffin and pushed it open with a creak.
A burst of purple mist erupted, and sure enough, lying in the coffin was the seductive-looking Vivian. I watched her quietly. Soon, Vivian reacted, trying to open her eyes, but she was still asleep.
Suddenly, Vivian’s eyes snapped open, her face contorting with a grimace. She seemed uncomfortable, but soon she gave a seductive smile.
"Long time no see, Zhang Qingyuan."
I shook my head.
"I’m not Zhang Qingyuan, Vivian. Or should I call you 003?"
Gradually, Vivian regained consciousness and crawled out of the coffin, finally taking a good look at me.
"You’re not Zhang Qingyuan, Heavenly Soul. But since you know I’m a Forsaken, your purpose here is obvious."
I hummed in response. Vivian yawned as she climbed out of the coffin, and Meng Ouyang slowly floated up.
"Let’s go somewhere else. This place is too gloomy."
Meng Ouyang opened another dream passage, and Vivian and I entered. A vast sea of flowers, blue sky, wide earth, a small bridge over flowing water, and under a big tree, a table and chairs with food already set out.