"We already know about the Immortality Society, Ethan. Tammy Blade and Mr. Blackmask have gone out to investigate for you—Little Hu asked us for this favor."
As Old Eccentric spoke, I tried to sit up to thank them sincerely, but Vincent Swallow pressed me back onto the bed.
"Just lie down, Ethan. Matters with the Immortality Society and you aren't settled yet, but if they really try anything..."
"Us old men will help you."
Old Eccentric said this, and I looked at them gratefully. Vincent Swallow shot Old Eccentric a look.
"After all, my grandson is in the Ghost Burial Squad too."
Mentioning Ken Wang, I asked about him.
"You haven't reunited with him yet?"
"It's not the right time yet, Ethan."
I nodded, looking at Vincent Swallow. He took a sip of wine, then looked at me.
"Since the Immortality Society has already warned you, I suspect that next time, if you interfere with their plans again, they'll come after you. Mr. Blackmask said that if the Immortality Society really wants to eliminate someone, they'll stop at nothing. Their influence runs deep in the modern world."
I knew clearly this was a problem I had to face. I had already ruined the Immortality Society's plans more than once.
"My parents."
As soon as I finished, Old Eccentric laughed.
"Rose Harper and Lantern have already gone near your home, to see the Taoist Elder. If those Immortality Society bastards want to make a move, those two are tough enough—unless the old Immortality Society members act themselves, they won't be able to handle them."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I was truly grateful for these friends, whether human or ghost.
"As for that ghost that absorbs people's vital energy, it's probably reached the level of a Blue Wraith. In front of us, that's nothing special, but Ethan, you need to be careful—the enemy hides in the shadows."
Old Eccentric reminded me. I nodded.
"Normally, if you want to take someone's lifespan, you can't just grab it—you have to borrow it," Vincent Swallow said. I immediately asked him about it.
So-called 'borrowing life' requires a person's birth date and time. The person whose life is borrowed must have 'three generations of blessed fate.' Simply put, this means that in their past life, present life, and future life, they've accumulated enough blessings. Only such people—usually the kindest souls—can have their lives borrowed.
As I thought about it, Boss Chang and Roger Lee really were the kindest people I knew.
"What exactly is going on?"
"Borrowing life requires not just ghosts, but also certain rituals. Ethan, you should know that the Mount Mason Order was once considered heretical among Taoists, looked down upon by the spiritual world."
I nodded, and suddenly remembered the ghost of Zhang Jizheng, the Taoist elder I met in Gourd Village. He had mentioned this before.
"And the most important step in borrowing life is the medium—most likely that photo is the medium. When the photo was taken, some rituals were performed, so the person's health declined day by day, eventually dying of old age. This method is hard to trace. Simply put, it's tampering with someone's lifespan, and no one in the underworld would suspect a thing."
Vincent Swallow explained, and Old Eccentric added a comment.
"Your Renegade Monks should know this borrowing life technique quite well."
Vincent Swallow nodded, took a sip of wine, and looked a bit melancholic.
"That's true. In our Renegade Monks, many have used this technique to extend their lives. It's considered a crooked method. I tried to persuade my master against it before."
I stared at Vincent Swallow in a daze. He smiled.
"I never learned that ritual. Alright, Ethan, just focus on recovering. These past few days, the ghosts in your house have set up all sorts of protections outside, and Old Eccentric and I have made some arrangements around the area too."
I watched them leave gratefully. Then I noticed the Blood Jade sitting quietly on my nightstand. As I looked at it, I felt something strange I couldn't describe.
I picked up the Blood Jade. I hadn't worn it for a long time. Old Eccentric said it was unlucky, but he warned me not to throw it away—if I did, I'd be asking for trouble.
I held the Blood Jade, rubbing it gently. It wasn't cold at all, but warm to the touch.
"What exactly are you?"
I still remembered, back in the Ghostrealm, when I went to save Rachel Lan, it was this thing that saved our lives.
"Kid, you've forgotten your debt already? Who do you think saved you back then?"
Suddenly, that raspy, duck-like voice came from the Blood Jade.
"Sorry, sorry. What are you, really?"
"Doesn't matter what I am. Just keep me with you—it's good for you."