Ghost Painting Book Immortal moved closer, reaching out to touch one of the red fruits.
We wove our way through the forest. Isabelle Frost rode atop the Tri-tailed Lynx. I glared at the beast, but it looked back at me with utter disdain, eyes narrowed in contempt, acting as if it were above everyone else. My anger simmered—I was still bleeding from my nose, having just been slapped straight into a tree without warning.
Ghost Painting Book Immortal twisted a fruit off the branch, held it to his nose, and sniffed. He looked at us, puzzled.
Especially Ghost Painting Book Immortal, who kept recording the surrounding plants with his brush and the Yellow Ledger.
Ghost Painting Book Immortal handed the fruit to us, and we each took a turn holding it. Meanwhile, Tri-tailed Lynx lay down and closed its eyes. Isabelle Frost sat quietly on its back, gazing at the red fruit in her hands.
Felix Zhou couldn’t help but mutter. Deep in the towering woods, the treehouse-like structures and bridges were now out of sight, and the scenery had grown dull—aside from the occasional strange shrub or flower, there was nothing remarkable here.
"Are we close, Little Yellow?"
Isabelle Frost asked. The Tri-tailed Lynx stopped, then let out a low, rumbling growl, lifting its head repeatedly as if to say, "Just ahead."
We quickened our pace. The Tri-tailed Lynx dashed ahead with Isabelle Frost on its back, and we hurried after them. In the distance, we saw a streak of red light filtering through the trees—something strange. The Lynx vanished from sight, but as I rounded a thick trunk, I saw Isabelle Frost, her head raised, and we all saw it too.
Before us stood a tree shaped like a pine, its branches wild and tangled. The whole tree was red. Hanging from it were round, fist-sized fruits—crystal clear and glistening. Unlike the deep red bark, these fruits glowed with a translucent brilliance, as if something shone from within.
We walked over and stared at the fruits on the tree. This tree, glowing with an eerie red light, stood about three or four meters tall, in a clearing where several trees clustered together. There was nothing else of note. After Isabelle Frost dismounted from the Tri-tailed Lynx, we all watched closely.
"Pick one and try it."
Felix Zhou muttered, and instantly, everyone turned to look at him.
"Don’t look at me—I was joking. There’s no way I’d eat something that weird."
This thing was strange—there was no aura at all, even though it was right in front of us. Normally, we could sense the presence of trees in the forest, especially those on Ethereal Isle, special plants born from ghostly energy. But this fruit felt just like what I’d sensed before: from the Tri-tailed Lynx, from Lily Wu, from Nathan Li. Every time, it was the same feeling—these things didn’t belong to this world.
"Is this tree the secret of this place?"
Isabelle Frost asked. The Tri-tailed Lynx nodded, then she pointed at the tree.
"If it’s a secret, that means it’s the most important thing on the island."
The Tri-tailed Lynx nodded again.
"Hey, what does this have to do with what happens after a ghost dies? This is so confusing, and that thing can’t even speak human language."
The Ghost Painting Book Immortal moved closer, reaching out to touch one of the red fruits.
"It’s a little cold, but nothing else stands out."
With that, the Ghost Painting Book Immortal twisted a fruit off the branch and held it up to his nose, sniffing it. He looked at us, puzzled.
"It doesn’t smell sweet, or sour, or fragrant, or foul. It’s... complicated."
The Ghost Painting Book Immortal handed the fruit to us, and we each took a turn holding it. Meanwhile, the Tri-tailed Lynx lay down and closed its eyes. Isabelle Frost sat quietly on its back, gazing at the red fruit in her hands.
"Could that strange red sun in the sky be connected to this tree?"
At Black Moon’s words, we all looked at the Tri-tailed Lynx. It opened its eyes, stared at us in confusion, then tilted its head to one side. Its large, folded ears twitched and swung back and forth.
"He doesn’t know either."
Isabelle Frost said, digging her fingers into the red fruit. Suddenly, red juice sprayed out like soda, fizzing and splattering across her white dress, staining it with red blotches.
Instantly, Isabelle Frost grew angry and threw the fruit to the ground. With a splat, it burst like a rotten tomato, red juice spilling everywhere.
"That’s strange. This thing doesn’t sink into the soil."
Victor Duan said, walking over. I followed and squatted down to take a look.
"Tastes good."
Isabelle Frost muttered. We looked over—she was licking the red juice from her finger, her face lit with excitement.
Curious, Victor Duan dabbed a bit of the juice with his finger and tasted it.
"Ugh, disgusting. It’s awful."
I grew even more confused, but Isabelle Frost seemed to enjoy it, humming as she licked her fingers. She went back to the tree, picked another fruit, and this time, more cautious, poked a small hole and sucked on it, her face showing utter satisfaction.
Everyone crowded around. Victor Duan kept spitting out the juice, his tongue now completely red.
"So bitter! How can anything taste so bad?"
Victor Duan shuddered. At that moment, the Wraith Enforcer dipped his finger in the juice on the ground and tasted it.
"So bitter."
Cao Wanzhi tried it too, immediately sticking out his tongue.
"So salty."
Only the Ghost Painting Book Immortal, after tasting it, clapped his hands and exclaimed how delicious it was. He’d never eaten anything so good. He rushed to the tree, picked another fruit, and popped it whole into his mouth. His old face brimmed with happiness—tears even welled up in his eyes.
Deathcurse and Felix Zhou both tried it—one found it sour, the other spicy. Black Moon, though, said it was flavorless, even worse than the others.
Everyone tried it once, except the Ghost Painting Book Immortal and Isabelle Frost, who stayed by the tree eating. I swallowed hard, eyed the red juice on the ground, dipped my finger in, and stuck out my tongue.
As soon as the juice touched my tongue, my eyes widened and I started coughing violently—even blood came up. Bitter, spicy, astringent, numbing—every possible flavor flooded my mouth. I cried out, clutching my throat, unable to breathe, my head buzzing.
"What’s wrong, Fang?"
The Ghost Painting Book Immortal rushed over to check on me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, only able to gasp, unable to speak.
"His Ghost Soul is drying up."
Deathcurse spoke. They all crowded around me—I was out of breath, lying on the ground, unable to move. The ghost energy in my body was fading away. I could barely hear anything, only seeing their mouths move as everyone tried to help.
At that moment, Isabelle Frost rushed over and woke the Tri-tailed Lynx, talking to it urgently. The Lynx came running, sniffed my body, and then bared its icy teeth at me, opening and closing its mouth as if trying to tell me something.
But I still didn’t understand. Everyone looked at me anxiously; Isabelle Frost was deep in thought, and the Ghost Painting Book Immortal seemed to be searching for a solution.
The Lynx kept making gestures, as if trying to communicate, but I could barely hear anything now—my mind was growing dim.
"Smile. You need to smile."
Isabelle Frost leaned close to my ear, urging me to smile—but I couldn’t manage even a hint of one.
"That’s it—think of something happy. Think about hope, Fang. Remember the happiest thing you can, even if it’s fake. Hurry, think!"
Isabelle Frost’s voice reached my ears, clear as day. Suddenly, an image surfaced in my mind.
"Ethan Zhang."
Rachel Lan stood before me, smiling gently, her voice tender as she called my name in that memory.
Suddenly, a warm current surged through my body. I’d never felt such pure happiness before. I snapped back to awareness and could hear again.
"The ghost energy stopped draining—and instantly recovered. How odd."
The Ghost Painting Book Immortal spoke, looking at Isabelle Frost. We all watched her, as if waiting for her explanation.
Isabelle Frost walked slowly to the tree and pointed at its fruits.
"The fruit reflects your emotions—whether bitter, sweet, sour, or spicy. If you’re happy, eating it will be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted. But if you’re filled with negativity, it’ll taste bitter, sour, salty, or astringent."
I swallowed, and the others ran over, picked a fruit, and began experimenting.
"It’s true!"
Felix Zhou looked utterly pleased.
"I’ve never tasted anything so delicious."
At that moment, everyone turned to look at me. Their gazes pressed in, heavy as the gloom that clung to the forest. I forced a bitter smile and shook my head, feeling the chill seep deeper into my bones.
"There's no need for me. No matter how much I wish, I can't reclaim what I've lost."
Isabelle Frost walked up to me and pulled me to my feet with one hand.
"Come with me."
Isabelle and I walked a little farther away, with Tri-tailed Lynx slinking behind us. We slipped behind a gnarled, ancient tree; the Lynx sprawled on the damp earth, its fur bristling in the unnatural light. Isabelle settled on its back, her silhouette stark against the blood-red glow.
"That thing is like a true mirror, Qingyuan—a reflection that cuts deeper than any blade. Don't dwell on those shadows. Now that you're here, the weight in your chest must be even heavier, mustn't it?"
I let out a soft sound and nodded.
"Maybe all this heaviness erupted that day when I saw Wu Xiaoli and Li Nan."
Isabelle looked at me in surprise, and I nodded again.
"How am I supposed to tell everyone about this? After all, I'm Blackfang now, and I can't really say much to them."