"Hey, John Chou, look at what you've done. Couldn't you go a little easier? You've almost beaten him into a pulp."
I leaned against Yuna Ji's thigh, my head buzzing, my body covered in bruises, completely drained of strength.
"Shut up, bitch. My affairs are none of your business."
"Can you be a little more polite?"
I muttered under my breath. Honestly, I couldn't stand John Chou; his attitude toward women was always so arrogant.
"Heh, buddy, you probably don't know yet, this bitch Yuna Ji, she..."
"John Chou, stop spewing garbage. If I lose my temper, do you think I'm some harmless kitten?"
Yuna Ji suddenly grew agitated, her face darkening. She looked to be in her thirties, with a striking figure and soft curves, dressed in a white floral dress, tending to my wounds.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping you undress. I need to see where you're hurt!"
I let out a cry, feeling awkward.
"It's not proper out here. Let's go to the bedroom."
With that, she picked me up.
"Wait, bitch!" John Chou shouted. Yuna Ji fetched a sofa and laid me down on it.
John Chou stepped forward, reaching out his hand as a trace of Deathbane Aura seeped out.
"Brother, Deathbane Aura is something that can change freely, however you wish."
As he spoke, the misty Deathbane Aura in his hand thickened, slowly condensing. Suddenly, a Deathbane Blade appeared in his grip.
"This is something ghosts need to survive, so it can hurt ghosts—but it doesn't work on humans."
I listened intently as John Chou flicked his wrist and the Deathbane Blade instantly turned to mist and vanished.
"Any weapon you can imagine can basically be formed this way. The stronger the weapon, the more Deathbane Aura it consumes. The higher the quality of the aura, the deadlier it is to ghosts."
The more I listened, the more excited I became, a smile spreading across my face. It seemed that from now on, I wouldn't have to worry about being afraid of ghosts—at least, I had something that could hurt them.
"Don't get too happy yet, brother. In your current state, you couldn't even conjure a weapon."
I looked at John Chou, puzzled. Tonight, I managed to form a blade, a sword, and even a shield.
Yuna Ji gave a mysterious smile and patted my head.
"Ethan, you were able to do all that tonight—even beat John Chou—because this place is a gathering spot for Deathbane Aura. The amount and quality of aura here is different from outside."
I nodded, only half understanding.
Then John Chou slowly rose and sat suspended in midair. Strands of Deathbane Aura seeped out, forming a chair beneath him, and he sat down.
"Brother, when you have time, go learn from that old couple. Have them teach you a bit. In your current state, even Yellow Ghosts could give you trouble. Pick up some skills from the Nether Syndicate, and as for that woman from Hades Circle—the people from Hades may be weaker, but they have some very useful spells."
I nodded in agreement. Thinking about it, Rachel Lan isn't bad either, and that night, the three members of the Ghost Burial Squad were pretty decent. But unfortunately, the ghost we ran into was a Blue Wraith.
Even that old couple said that they'd almost lost their lives the last time they encountered a Blue Wraith.
"That ghost elder from that night was actually a very low-ranking Blue Wraith."
My jaw dropped. If there were stronger ones...
"Brother, in this world of ghosts, you can't just do things your old way. Think carefully—trust me, it won't hurt."
I pursed my lips and sighed.
"Deathbane Aura has another use. Let me show you."
I stared wide-eyed as John Chou stood up, and the chair formed by Deathbane Aura vanished.
"I, living in the mortal world, now enter the ghostly path..."
John Chou knelt half to the ground, chanting. Yuna Ji smiled and instantly moved me far away.
"What's going on?"
"You'll see soon. This move is really powerful—I’ve experienced it before."
As we spoke, John Chou suddenly opened his eyes and stood up abruptly.
"Let's leave it here for today." With that, John Chou glanced nervously toward the courtyard gate. I was about to ask something when Yuna Ji also looked over, her expression grave.
I looked over and saw a foot step inside—it was Basil Bertram, dressed in a red-and-black long robe, fanning himself with a paper fan as he entered.
"Long time no see, Brother Chou, Miss Ji."
Suddenly, I noticed the whole apartment building felt heavy, and in the sky near the red moon, cracks began to appear.
"Wow, Basil Bertram, you're still alive!" Yuna Ji exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she floated over.
John Chou descended.
"Tone it down, Basil Bertram, or my ghost domain might collapse."
Basil Bertram sidestepped Yuna Ji and bowed to John Chou.
The cracks in the sky disappeared.
I turned my head, looking around. So this was the ghost domain created by John Chou—no wonder. But then I thought, wasn’t I already deep inside a ghost domain?
"Friend, you look pretty banged up." At that moment, Basil Bertram noticed me and walked over.
"Servants!" With a wave, Basil Bertram summoned two attendants out of thin air—one carrying a small jar, the other holding a large platter of roasted bird meat.
"Morning Dew Wine." Instantly, Yuna Ji appeared beside Basil Bertram, reaching to snatch it, while John Chou licked his lips and drew closer.
"Hey, you two, calm down."
Then Basil Bertram took some Morning Dew Wine, dabbed a little on his hand, and rubbed it on my swollen cheek. Suddenly, my skin felt cool, and the burning pain disappeared.
In no time, Basil Bertram spread Morning Dew Wine over my injuries. After ten minutes, my wounds miraculously healed.
By now, Yuna Ji had already moved a square table and several chairs into the courtyard.
The four of us sat down together.
"Bertram, I can't believe you're still alive."
"Heh, Brother Chou, I don't care about making a name for myself in this ghostly world anymore. Now I just brew a little Morning Dew Wine each year, enjoy the flowers, listen to music, and write poetry from time to time."
Yuna Ji sighed and shook her head.
"Bertram, your laid-back nature is much better than those other five guys."
John Chou shot Yuna Ji a glance.
The three of them seemed to be old acquaintances. And come to think of it, all three were top-tier Blue Wraiths.
"Thank you for the kind words, Miss Ji. But you don't look too well—you're still tainted by Buddhist energy, and your ghostly essence is nearly gone."
"Sigh, it's all because of those Brahma Order bastards. They took my Netherstone and locked me in the Brahma Tower when I was at my weakest—almost erased me."
I remembered that white jade, feather-light stone. I think it's still on the table in my room.
"Brother Chou, you were suppressed by the Sanzu Force, but you recovered pretty quickly."
"Hmph, what about you, Bertram? Things haven't been easy for you either, right?"
"Brother Chou, I don't concern myself with ghostly affairs anymore. I almost died before, but now I'm quite at ease."
I drank more Morning Dew Wine, growing fond of its flavor.
"Delicious, so delicious! Haha, I haven't tasted this in years." Yuna Ji said, satisfied, sipping slowly.
"By the way, how do you brew this wine?"
"Oh, interested, are you? Heh, this wine must be made on Ghost Festival day, between 4 and 6 a.m. The dew must come from pure yang flowers, picked at that time, then mixed with my secret recipe. On a full moon night, you brew it where the moonlight is brightest for eighty-one days. Only once a year, haha."
I had another small cup, ate some bird meat, and planned to sleep. It was almost 4 a.m., and I had to work early tomorrow.
"Friend, come by anytime for a drink."
Basil Bertram called out as I was leaving.
I nodded and went upstairs. With Basil Bertram's arrival, the relationship between John Chou and Yuna Ji seemed to ease up a bit. I wanted to ask about their past, but decided against it.
The next morning, awakened by my alarm, I struggled out of bed and checked the mirror. My face was still bruised, but the swelling was gone.
At 7:50, I arrived at the company. Brother Wu was already waiting for me. With ten minutes to spare, I rushed to the cafeteria, grabbed a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun, finished quickly, and went out with Brother Wu.
"Ethan, today I'll take you around to get familiar with our company's business."
Just then, a black sedan pulled into the courtyard. Out stepped a stylish young man in his twenties, looking arrogant. Seeing the chatting employees, he started yelling.
"Work starts at eight! It's already 8:05—if you don't want to work, get out!"
"That's the boss's son, Quentin Wang. Best not to cross him."
I looked over. Hadn't Uncle Wu mentioned this before? Rachel Lan once said Quentin Wang was haunted and sick, but he looked lively enough. She also said he wouldn't live past twenty-seven.
Then Uncle Wu had me get on the motorcycle, planning to leave. Quentin Wang walked over.
"Wu Youwei, what are you doing? Why aren't you bringing anything on the bike?"
"Oh, Mr. Wang, Manager Lan told me to show the new guy around."
Quentin Wang walked over and looked me up and down. At that moment, I sensed something odd—Quentin Wang was faintly emitting black energy.
"Hey, Mr. Wang, your twenty-seventh birthday is coming up soon. How are you going to celebrate?" At that moment, a supervisor walked over, smiling awkwardly.
"Of course I'll celebrate. Hmph, I want to see if Miss Lan is right about me not living past twenty-seven. Heh."