John Chou had already left, and the atmosphere in the room once again returned to an awkward state. Leah King sat on the sofa, staring at the glass of water in front of her, but didn't dare to drink. Basil Bertram simply stayed by her side.
At this moment, the smile on Leah King's face had disappeared. In just a few hours here, the upheavals seemed to have stirred waves in her heart.
She was just an ordinary person, and with John Chou gone, we had no idea how to strip away the dark power from the food and drink.
Rachel Lan's condition was still poor. She had already gone to lie down on the bed in the room. Deathcurse, Lord Shenyan, and Redmond had all gone out, planning to continue observing the situation around us.
Only Yvonne May remained, quietly sitting in the corner. Yuna Ji had also gone in to take care of Rachel Lan.
'Leah, why don't you go in and rest as well?'
Basil Bertram said, just as Leah King's stomach growled. She glanced at the half piece of pancake on the table, swallowing repeatedly, exhausted, hungry, and thirsty.
Basil Bertram paced impatiently around the room.
'Yvonne May, do you have any ideas? Didn't you attend the Dark Banquet before?'
Yvonne May shook her head.
'By the way, Mona Ouyang, you just ate—why didn't anything happen to you?'
Basil Bertram's question made me puzzled as well. I picked up another small piece of pancake and ate it. Although it was cold and a bit hard, the taste was still good. After eating, I actually felt my body much more comfortable.
It was very strange. Suddenly, Leah King stood up, quickly walked over, grabbed the remaining pancake, and wolfed it down, shouting how delicious it was as she ate. Basil Bertram's face changed abruptly.
'Leah, are you okay?'
Basil Bertram hurried over, patting Leah King's back. She was choking a bit, but without hesitation, picked up the water on the table and gulped it down.
'I feel alive again. Haven't been this hungry in ages.'
But as time passed, we all grew surprised. At this moment, Mona Ouyang walked out of the room, steaming with heat, looking at us.
'What's wrong? Did something happen?'
'Leah, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?'
Basil Bertram asked, and Leah King shook her head.
'I feel really comfortable—maybe it's just a difference in constitution.'
Rachel Lan had a problem after eating, but Leah King had no issues at all. Leah King walked over and picked up the phone.
'Send me some tasty barbecue, and bring beer too.'
Mona Ouyang and Basil Bertram were both checking Leah King's body.
'Her physical condition has changed a bit, but the fluctuations aren't major.'
I glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already 4 a.m. Yet in less than ten minutes, everything Jing Le ordered was delivered.
Leah King immediately started eating and drinking heartily, completely unconcerned. There was plenty of barbecue and beer, so I grabbed some and joined in. Basil Bertram and Mona Ouyang did the same, even Yvonne May came over to eat. With a click, the door opened—Yuna Ji helped Rachel Lan out, and Isabelle Frost followed closely behind.
'It's best not to eat too well, or next time it might cost you your life.'
Everyone in the room had eaten barbecue and drunk beer, with no issues at all—except Rachel Lan. After just a little, she started reacting, her organs inexplicably beginning to proliferate.
I couldn't figure out the reason. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't use coexistence to enter Rachel Lan's instinctual space.
Jing Le, now full, went to sleep. Lan Ruoxi was still struggling, and it was almost six o'clock. Yin Choujian hadn't come yet, and I was getting anxious, constantly glancing outside.
Leah King, now full, went to sleep. Rachel Lan was still struggling, and it was almost six o'clock. John Chou hadn't come yet, and I was getting anxious, constantly glancing outside.
'Ruoxi, listen to me quietly. This is what I felt long ago when the dark power surged.'
'Rachel, listen to me quietly. This is what I felt long ago when the dark power surged.'
I explained my feelings to Rachel Lan bit by bit, not sure if it would help. At this moment, Basil Bertram's expression changed and she immediately went to the window to check the situation below.
Immediately, my ghost network sensed it—a familiar yet hard-to-place feeling. Whoever was coming was strong and clearly targeting us.
Suddenly, a pair of golden-red eyes full of laughter appeared in my mind.
'It's Wraithshade.'
As soon as I finished speaking, Yuna Ji had already drawn her emerald-green spear, ghostly energy surging fiercely from her body.
"Don't get worked up yet, Yuna Ji..."
A gloomy, drawn-out voice drifted in, and with a whoosh, a flash of green light flickered. In an instant, Ji Yuner raised her spear and thrust it toward the doorway.
With a bang, I saw a shadowy figure. A green beam formed by ghostly energy instantly blasted a hole in the wall behind the door. Wraithshade was already standing right in front of us.
A gloomy, drawn-out voice drifted in, and with a whoosh, a flash of green light flickered. In an instant, Yuna Ji raised her spear and thrust it toward the doorway.
With a bang, I saw a shadowy figure. A green beam formed by ghostly energy instantly blasted a hole in the wall behind the door. Wraithshade was already standing right in front of us.
Yuna Ji quickly reacted, raising her spear again to strike. All of us prepared to fight.
'Please, everyone, stay calm. I'm here to return something to Miss Yi.'
Yuna Ji paused for a moment. Wraithshade held a beautiful golden box, about the size of a soccer ball, exquisitely crafted with elegant patterns.
Wraithshade glanced at Yun Mei, whose face was slightly angry in the corner, then swept his gaze around the room.
'Yuna Ji, there's no need for us to start fighting over old grudges now. This is just the beginning—the real show comes later.'
Wraithshade glanced at Yvonne May, whose face was slightly angry in the corner, then swept his gaze around the room.
Ouyang Meng muttered coldly, then Wraithshade spoke, his eyes full of amusement.
Hmph, Wraithshade, you're truly devious.
Mona Ouyang muttered coldly, then Wraithshade spoke, his eyes full of amusement.
'No matter how devious, I can't compare to John Chou. If I hadn't kept Miss Yi's eyes, we wouldn't have known John Chou had secretly slipped in here.'
Ji Yuner's expression changed, revealing a strange smile like that of a monster.
'Yuna Ji, while you were alive, I destroyed your country, but later you destroyed Ghost Mound. The things I built up with great effort were wiped out overnight by you and John Chou working together.'
Yuna Ji's expression changed, revealing a strange smile like that of a monster.
'Besides returning the item, I hope you can tell Yin Choujian there's no need for him to hide anymore. He's also invited—we'll treat him with respect.'
Wraithshade nodded, then glanced around the room.
'Besides returning the item, I hope you can tell John Chou there's no need for him to hide anymore. He's also invited—we'll treat him with respect.'
Yuna Ji replied coldly.
'Anytime.'
The room's door closed. Yuna Ji angrily stabbed her spear into the floor.
'There's no need to rush—don't forget why we're here. If we start fighting now, we won't learn anything.'
Basil Bertram said calmly. Yuna Ji, still angry, put away her spear and flopped onto the sofa.
Suddenly, there was a commotion on the street. We looked outside—people were gradually dispersing, while those dressed in black swirled everywhere as if searching for something.
'Looks like the situation's changed. I bet Yin Choujian's been exposed.'
'Looks like the situation's changed. I bet John Chou's been exposed.'
Mona Ouyang spoke as I shot into the air. Basil Bertram and Lord Shenyan also floated up.
I muttered and flew straight out. Once outside, the three of us headed in different directions.
I'm counting on you, Yuna Ji, Miss Yvonne May, and Miss Yi.
I spread my ghost network wide. After reaching a crowded area, my network kept expanding in all directions. I didn't know what was happening, but I was sure something big was wrong.
'Brother, this way.'
Suddenly, blood-red particles drifted past my ear. I turned my head, looking toward the ring-shaped city with thirteen huge pillars. On the outskirts, the vast mountains stretched out endlessly. I immediately floated in that direction.
The red particles ahead kept guiding me.
It was definitely John Chou—I could clearly sense his aura. The black-clad people behind me kept flying in the opposite direction.
Soon, I crossed the city like a glowing ribbon and arrived above a vast, pitch-black rocky plain, with mountains in the distance. The blood-red particles began to descend, so I withdrew my ghost network and concealed my aura, landing among some piles of rocks.
'Hey, brother, you finally made it. Looks like you've wised up a bit—know how to hide your aura now.'
'Are you alright?'
I looked at John Chou in surprise. He staggered, blood dripping from one hand.
'Open your ghost domain, brother. I need to go in and retrieve my Deathstone.'