Everyone stared at me in terror. Members of the Ghost Syndicate had already surrounded this place. Inside, apart from Rachel Lan's Fourfold Beast Array barely holding on, there was no other way to resist.
There were still quite a few wraiths outside. Most had already entered the main building, but a few remained on the perimeter, watching closely.
Although each floor of the main building had protective barriers, with so many wraiths, they wouldn’t last long. Especially on the fourth basement level, where the Blue Wraith was sealed—if it got out, everyone would be in grave danger.
“Ethan Zhang, what exactly are you planning to do? There are so many wraiths inside, and right now, all six teams are outside. With the strength of our teachers and students, it’s impossible to deal with so many wraiths.”
“We can only take a gamble.” The man with the square face stepped forward, clearly anxious.
“Howard Lee, although you’re one of the standouts in the Ghost Burial Squad, how do you expect to handle so many wraiths?”
The square-faced man was Howard Lee, true to his name. He could already use blue talismans; in the current, declining Mount Mason Order, that was quite impressive.
“I have a Heaven-Earth Spirit Talisman Bag in my dorm, left to me by my master before he died. I still can’t use it properly, but there’s no other choice now. Later, I’ll invite a deity to possess me and hope I can summon a powerful spirit. So, we’re betting everything on this.”
Howard Lee then looked at me.
“Those wraiths may be numerous, but if the Heaven-Earth Spirit Talisman Bag is used correctly, there’s a chance we can handle them.”
I nodded.
"It’s up to you now."
At that moment, Rachel Lan stood up, intending to join us.
"Miss Lan, it may be tough, but if the three of us work together, we can definitely take care of those things inside."
The three of us rested for half an hour, drank some water, then began planning our move. This operation was extremely risky—without Rachel Lan inside the Fourfold Beast Array, she couldn’t control the array to repel the wraiths. If those ghosts charged in, they’d easily destroy the formation.
"Go ahead, don’t worry. Even though the students just enrolled this year, at least they know the basics," Detective Stone said as the three of us approached the edge of the array.
Outside, there were three ghosts: one Yellowpage Wraith and two shadowy figures. The two shadows looked fierce, shrouded in black mist.
"Those two wraiths have probably gone through plenty of substitutes already—they’re formidable."
I nodded. By now, the Deathbane Aura was too unstable to condense. I found a box cutter and extended my left hand.
"The moment we step out, we have to take them down. We can’t let them run inside and tip off the others."
Rachel Lan spoke, and then Howard Lee took out a small dish of cinnabar and several blue papers, beginning to draw talismans.
The three wraiths outside floated in the air, waiting. After Howard Lee finished drawing several blue talismans, he immediately pressed one in each hand.
I gritted my teeth and sliced open my palm—blood flowed out. I pressed my left hand to the ground; a cool sensation surged into my body, and soon, Deathbane Aura began to condense in my right hand.
"Ethan Zhang, be careful. The souls of those two shadow wraiths—one's at the chest, one's at the head. As for the Yellowpage Wraith, if you can hit it, it's dead for sure."
I nodded.
Rachel Lan was ready. She released three strips of white gauze. The three of us steadied our breath, focusing on the three wraiths hovering seven or eight meters away, watching us.
"Go!"
Howard Lee shouted, and suddenly, with a swish, three strips of white gauze shot out. I followed the gauze, charging ahead, a plain sword already condensed in my grip.
Howard Lee was chanting under his breath. Behind me, blue light flared—two blue talismans flew toward the shadow wraiths.
"Earth shakes, mountains move, all things in harmony, celestial power descends... Water meets gold, nothing remains..."
With a sharp clap, Howard Lee brought his palms together.
"Water Lock Spell..."
With a hiss, the three wraiths, already entangled in gauze, tried to escape, but blue light sealed them in on both sides—they couldn’t break free.
Suddenly, the two shadow wraiths tore through the gauze. One stretched out ten sharp fingers, lunging at us. The other crashed into the blue talisman, shrieked, and part of its body disintegrated before it fled toward the main building.
In a flash, I felt my footing slip—a strip of white gauze lifted me, sending me straight after the shadow wraith trying to raise the alarm.
The Wraithblade in my hand was ready. As I closed in behind the shadow wraith, I raised the blade and thrust it at its neck.
Sparks crackled and a current surged—the shadow wraith shrieked, turning to ash before my eyes. I landed and spun around to see the other shadow wraith gripping Howard Lee’s throat. I rushed over.
"Thunder in my hands, roaring as it falls..." Howard Lee kept forming hand seals, and a burst of purple light flickered, crackling in the air.
"Break—Heaven's Thunder!"
Howard Lee thrust both hands forward, two fingers extended, a blue talisman pinched between them. He stabbed at the shadow wraith’s chest—thunderous cracks rang out as the wraith screamed.
I reached the struggling Yellowpage Wraith, raised my sword, and with a swift motion—along with the white gauze—split it in two.
"Howard Lee!" Rachel Lan cried out. The shadow wraith’s chest was blown open, but it wasn’t dead—its ten sharp fingers stabbed straight into Howard Lee’s arm.
Rachel Lan manipulated the white gauze, wrapping it around Howard Lee and yanking him back. Just then, a violent gust swept toward me.
"Ethan Zhang, keep your mind clear..."
"Ethan Zhang, to your right—strike down!" Rachel Lan’s voice reached me.
"Don’t hesitate, brother." At that moment, Vincent Yin’s voice rang out.
"I don’t need you to tell me!" I shouted, slashing at Lily Wu’s face with the knife.
"Who do you think I am?" A voice came from the side. I turned, and a ghostly glow flashed—my scream echoed. It was Lily Wu, her face half-shredded, one eyeball missing, blood streaming from the other as she stared at me.
"You..." I froze in panic.
"Who did this to me?" Lily Wu whimpered. I hesitated, gripping the knife.
"Ethan Zhang—it was you..." Suddenly, Lily Wu lunged, her hands wrapping around my throat.
"Don’t hesitate, brother." Vincent Yin’s voice echoed.
With a slash, green blood splattered across my face—Lily Wu’s features twisted, transforming into the female ghost I’d seen disguised as a girl before.
"Mercy, mercy..." The female ghost’s face streamed with green blood as she clutched it in agony.
I raised the knife and slashed—her head tumbled off, her body dissolved into ash. The room returned to normal. By the light outside, I searched the bedside cabinet and found a cloth bag inside.
I opened the door and hurried downstairs. Rachel Lan had finished bandaging Howard Lee. I handed the heavy, blue-and-yellow bag to Howard.
"Eat something and get ready to fight back," Howard Lee said, standing up.