I kept silent throughout the journey, and Ghost Fiend Star asked nothing either. It was as if the very mention of Ethan Zhang was forbidden, a shadow neither of us wished to disturb. Yet every time Ghost Fiend Star spoke of Ethan Zhang, I caught a fleeting trace of regret that seemed to haunt her words.
Minutes later, Ghost Fiend Star and I descended upon the forsaken ruins of Ghost Tomb City. The remnants of ancient battles lay buried beneath thick layers of dust, the scars of violence now barely visible. I remembered vividly the night when Yin Ghost first emerged—a savage clash with John Chou that echoed through these crumbling walls.
I moved with deliberate slowness, my gaze sweeping over houses so fragile that a single touch would reduce them to ash. Many had already collapsed, swallowed by time. Apart from the suffocating Yin energy that lingered, there was not even the faintest trace of Yin Ghost's presence left in this desolate place.
"Yin Ghost, are you here? I need to speak with you."
I called out, my voice swallowed whole by the vast emptiness of Ghost Tomb City's ruins. I sat cross-legged on the cold earth, silent, watching Ghost Fiend Star approach a collapsed house. The stone had long since crumbled to dust—one tremor and it would rise in choking clouds. The wood was so rotten, it barely clung to its form, the air thick with the scent of decay.
Ghost Fiend Star stepped into the shattered remains, and the house dissolved into a storm of dust. She coughed, her breath harsh in the stagnant air, then retrieved a small metal trinket—a miniature horse, tarnished and forlorn. She stared at it, nostalgia and sorrow flickering across her face, fingers clutching it tight.
"I owe so much to the boss. He raised me alone, shaped who I am... but in the end, even he succumbed to fate."
There was a mournful edge to Ghost Fiend Star's voice as she slipped the metal horse into her pocket and dropped heavily onto a rotting beam. The wood, miraculously, held her weight, though it looked ready to splinter into oblivion at any moment.
"When Yuna Ji and the boss faced off... I wanted to go to them, to do something, but for reasons I can't explain, I never did. And I've regretted it ever since."
Watching Ghost Fiend Star, I sensed her sorrow weighing heavy in the stale air. I said nothing—just listened, letting the silence settle between us like a shroud.
"Back then, Poison Aunt didn't go either. Maybe she knew that even if she did, nothing would change. After all, Yuna Ji and the boss were sworn enemies—we'd heard about this hatred long ago. The boss destroyed Yuna Ji's country and changed history with his own hands. Many years ago, this place was ruined because Yuna Ji came seeking vengeance. We didn't know much about that history until the boss faked his death and vanished into the darkness. Only then did Poison Aunt tell me about it. I knew clearly that the boss really wasn't Yuna Ji's match back then, and even now, the boss can't defeat the ever-strengthening Yuna Ji. He can't admit it, so all he can do is run away."
"Maybe death was a kind of release for him."
I muttered. Ghost Fiend Star nodded, exhaled heavily, and stood up.
"Let me help you look."
As she spoke, accompanied by a series of wailing sounds, black ghosts poured out from Ghost Fiend Star's body and flew off in all directions. It was as if they had returned home, their cries growing strangely cheerful.
Indeed, for ghosts, this place is a perfect natural source of Yin energy. The ghosts here never need to eat, as they can endlessly absorb Yin energy. The remarkable thing about this place is that it continually produces Yin energy—even in the world of the living.
One by one, the ghosts began searching for Yin Ghost, guided by Ghost Fiend Star's will. I shouted again, but the result was the same. Still, if Yin Ghost had returned, this was the only place she would come to.
I kept waiting quietly. At this moment, Poison Dreadstar approached.
"The war is about to begin. Heavenly Soul, what do you plan to do?"
I shook my head.
"I won't take either side."
Ghost Fiend Star nodded.
"Me neither. The Underworld has sent people to contact me many times, but frankly, I don't want to deal with any of it anymore. Even though the world of the living will be affected, I plan to tell Tingting everything before the war starts. I want to bring her here for safety."
This war is no ordinary conflict—it will drag everything in, leaving nothing behind. In the worst case, Hell will collapse and chaos will reign between the worlds of yin and yang.
Suddenly, I sensed a strange presence and instantly flew toward the bottom of the city. I was stunned to see a black, humanoid figure with golden-red eyes staring at me.
The feminine figure before me was indeed Yin Ghost.
"It's been a long time."
Yin Ghost nodded, and I was relieved she was conscious.
"After all this time, why have you come looking for me, Heavenly Soul?"
"Ah, I sensed something strange, and I thought you all had already left Earth Soul behind."
Yin Ghost nodded, her smile tinged with helplessness.
"We really have left Earth Soul behind. You don't have to bear all our burdens anymore, isn't that enough?"
I made a sound of acknowledgment.
"I wanted to learn about Earth Soul's situation, so that's why I came to find you."
Yin Ghost nodded.
"He's with the Wraithlord, and they've found something else. As for the details, only Deathbane Ghost and Spirit Snake know, but the two of them should have returned to their original places by now."
I looked at Yin Ghost in surprise. Earth Soul and the Wraithlord together? The Wraithlord should be the Human Soul trapped in the Forest of Desire, but that soul, like the other Earth and Heaven Souls, should be in a state of madness.
"Why not go find Rachel Lan?"
Yin Ghost shook her head.
"It's true that Rachel Lan's body could bear us, but none of us want to trouble her anymore. It's meaningless now. There's no one left in this world who can save us, you know, Heavenly Soul? When Ethan Zhang died, what we saw was a bright, white beach and a blue sea. Ethan Zhang was standing there, but sadly, we couldn't pull him back."
I made a sound of acknowledgment.
"Sorry I couldn't help much back then."
Yin Ghost smiled with a hint of sorrow.
"It felt like a beautiful dream. Go back, Heavenly Soul. If you want to know what really happened, find Deathbane Ghost. He knows best what happened to Earth Soul, and what he sensed. It was on his suggestion that we left Earth Soul behind."
(This chapter is not finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting story!)
I made a sound of acknowledgment. Just as I was about to say thank you, Yin Ghost had already turned into a wisp of black wind and disappeared.
I floated up and quickly returned to Ghost Fiend Star's side. Yin Ghost seemed to know why I didn't use my power to search for her—because my power would touch the essence of Yin Ghost, and I didn't intend to probe her essence, nor the essence of this place. Yin Ghost didn't want anyone to know about these things either.
"How did it go?"
Ghost Fiend Star asked. I shook my head.
"I need to make a trip to Universal Temple."