"He would say something like that?"
As for Redmond, my impression of him is neither good nor bad. In a word: self-serving. Hearing such words from his mouth, I find it hard to believe, but Noah Grimm doesn’t seem to be joking.
"Speak, Ethan Zhang. Why did you come back here? What are you after?"
Even now, I still can’t believe how easily they trusted me.
"Aren’t you suspicious of me? What if everything I’ve done is against your interests..."
Noah Grimm burst out laughing.
"The boss is a good judge of character. He wanted you to join us at first, but because of the feud with Yin Chou, he gave up. When we were alive, we came from different classes, different backgrounds, even stood on opposite sides. But the boss managed to bring us together, made us his men."
The murderous aura slowly faded from my body, and my true self emerged.
"Your presence here is proof enough. You’ve got a great look in your eyes, Ethan Zhang. You’ve grown a lot."
I stared at Vivian Maple in surprise. Though she wore a veil, she was smiling now.
After briefly explaining things, an hour had passed. Noah Grimm and Vivian Maple’s expressions were serious.
"Thought Ghost, huh..."
My heart skipped a beat. Judging by Noah Grimm’s expression, he seemed to know something.
"Mr. Grimm, can you tell me? Do you know something about this?"
Noah Grimm nodded, while Vivian Maple watched him suspiciously.
"Vivian, you might not know this. After we died, everyone scattered, but I found the boss and stayed with him, searching for you all for a while. The strange thing we encountered was ‘thought’. The birth of the Thought Ghost can be traced back to the boss. I can’t say more; it’s a promise between me and him."
Since Noah Grimm said that, I didn’t press further.
"There’s one more thing, Ethan Zhang. Vivian Maple and I trust you for a reason."
I looked at Noah Grimm intently.
"Let me explain."
Zifeng spoke, then released a vivid green strand of ghost thread.
"This memory—Boss once said, if something like this ever happens again, it will be crucial. That's why he told us not to erase it."
Similar? The word echoed in my mind, and I was instantly puzzled. At that moment, Wuming floated up.
"I'll head to the edge of Evilshade Mountain and make sure not a single soul gets in."
A black ghost thread slowly entwined with the green one, and a flood of memories began to pour in. My consciousness started to blur.
Images flickered before me. I saw Redmane, dressed in a lavish red robe, swaggering down the main road. To his left, Zifeng wore tight black attire with a sword strapped to his back, much as he does now, face veiled. On his right, Wuming looked casual in a white robe, the picture of a scholar.
"Hmph, that bastard Lord Shenyan thinks I have no one under me—he dares to cause trouble on my turf."
"Boss, we're here to negotiate today. Lady Yvonne May reminded me—when we arrive, don't lose your cool. In the Ghostrealm, you seven Ghost Sovereigns—if you start a fight, it'll turn into a war, and only the Underworld will benefit."
"I know, Little Ming, you don't have to say it. That bastard—Lord Shenyan's territory is just ahead. The town up front should be his domain, right?"
Zifeng stopped, then whooshed upward, glancing around.
"Boss, we're close—it's Shenwood Town."
Zifeng was about to descend but froze midair.
"What's wrong, Zifeng?"
Just as Redmane spoke, Wuming's expression changed abruptly.
"Boss, something's off."
With that, all three shot toward Exile Town.
A gale swept through, shrieking like wailing ghosts and howling wolves, echoing across the vast town. The festive, lantern-lit street was eerily empty, while white sand whirled in the air, glittering with crystalline light.
Redmane reached out and grabbed a handful of sand.
"I remember this place used to be crawling with ghosts."
"They're all dead, Boss. It looks like it happened in an instant."