The wind howled incessantly in my ears as I shifted positions midair under Yuna Ji's command.
"Ethan, slow down. I can't sense him anymore—whatever he's up to, it's strange."
At Yuna Ji's words, I slowed my pace and flew low over the rubble below.
"Stop for now, Ethan. Don't wander off."
I landed directly on a tall, black stone and sat down.
"What's going on?"
Tan Tian's voice sounded, tinged with confusion. Yuna Ji didn't respond, still probing for something.
"Did he slip into another world?"
Tan Tian immediately asked, puzzled. Yuna Ji replied.
"It's very possible. You know as well as I do—when we're in the same world, I can sense him. You should remember how I found him before."
Tan Tian said nothing more, waiting patiently as Yuna Ji searched for any trace of Wraithshade—a sinister and cunning supernatural antagonist, leader of the Ghost Syndicate.
"Hold on, let's wait a bit. Tan Tian, old man, since no one's around, why don't we discuss what comes next?"
My heart skipped a beat. Yuna Ji let out a soft, playful laugh.
"Ethan, could you just pretend you didn't hear that?"
"Not a chance."
I muttered. Yuna Ji giggled.
"Honestly, there's nothing else to discuss. Tan Tian, once we're back in the Living World, I need powerful allies. I think we can go back to how things were—my Nether Shadow Realm (a spectral domain controlled by Yuna Ji, filled with chilling energies and undead minions) and your Nether Syndicate (the domain of the undead, formerly ruled by Tan Tian), mutual benefit for both."
"Forget it, Yuna Ji. Did you forget why you ended up locked in Abyssal Hell back then?"
That caught my curiosity as well. Yuna Ji had worked with the underworld, and by rights, after capturing Wraithshade and his emerging power, she should have been rewarded by Hell, not imprisoned.
"Hmph, Ethan Zhang, do you know what I told her back then? You still don't understand what kind of woman Yuna Ji truly is."
My eyes widened.
"Oh, let's not bring up the past. You're always so hung up on old grudges. Besides, I barely knew you back then, or any of the other Ghost Sovereigns, so..."
"So you sold out the entrance to the Nether Syndicate to the underworld, and to the Arcane Society. Then, while I was gone, those Arcane Society scum rushed in—hunting revenants for their rituals, using Golden Soulstones to craft artifacts, using Corpse Flesh to absorb foul energy. The casualties in the Nether Syndicate were disastrous. I wiped them out when I returned, but you know what became of the Nether Syndicate after that, don't you?"
Yuna Ji gave an awkward smile.
"It's all ancient history. You're so petty, Tan Tian. Didn't you still work with me after all that? I was naive—I thought the underworld would let me off, but instead, I ended up suffering in Abyssal Hell too. Not worth it at all."
I sighed helplessly. Tan Tian continued.
"You brought this on yourself, Yuna Ji. I thought you'd learn your lesson and behave, but then you vanished. In the end, I had to send out my people to look for you in the Living World. Most of the revenants never returned, and the Nether Syndicate began to fall apart."
"That's not my fault. At the time, all six Ghost Sovereigns like John Chou were missing. I felt invincible and wanted to roam the Living World for fun. Then I ran into that damned monk."
"You started it."
Tan Tian said, and Yuna Ji coughed.
"Alright, alright, I admit it. Tan Tian, how about we visit Netherhell when we get back?"
"No."
Tan Tian refused Yuna Ji with just that single word. Yuna Ji seemed to get anxious.
"Don't be so petty—come on, Netherhell isn't what it used to be."
"Tell me what you really want, Yuna Ji. I'm done listening to your nonsense."
Silence fell. The two of them said nothing as they stood in my Shadow Realm. I quietly watched the darkness around us. After a long while, Yuna Ji finally spoke, her voice timid.
"It's James Grant. He wants to see you."
"James Grant?"
Yuna Ji hummed in affirmation and continued.
"You raised him yourself, taught him everything. Even after he died, you gave him immortality—made him a revenant with feelings. But now, he's in bad shape. He might have no choice but to return to the Shadow Realm, so he wants to see you one last time."