The blare of car horns, the bustling street, the endless flow of pedestrians—I stand quietly among the crowd, as people pass through me one by one. Everything around me feels both familiar and strange.
This is the commercial district north of downtown. There are many people here. Even with eight lanes, the cars have to stop and go. Pedestrians on the sidewalk weave back and forth. I stand by the street, watching it all, my heart surging with emotion.
It's been two and a half years since I entered the Forest of Desire. Now, what I want most is to see my parents and my friends. I pull out my phone—all the numbers are still there. When I reach Rachel Lan's page, I pause for several seconds before moving on and seeing Hugh Thompson's number—my mentor and a special investigator in the Ghost Burial Squad—with over a hundred missed calls.
I want to press the button, but I hesitate. Suddenly, I find myself atop a building across the street, quietly sitting at the edge of the rooftop. The wind tugs at my black cloak. I lower my hood and glance at the sun in the sky—a sun I haven't seen in so long, dazzling and harsh.
"Brother, so you made it out. What's that thing behind you? It looks dangerous."
A voice I know all too well calls out. I smile and turn my head.
"You took your time getting here, John Chou—my old friend and fellow ghost companion."
Behind me, John Chou approaches, dressed in a deep blue suit. He walks over, his gaze never leaving my back—where Hell's Sentinel and another long, black, smoky object, over a meter long, are crossed over my cloak.
"Consider it my trump card," I say with a laugh. "After all, I'm up against monsters—creatures even more terrifying than ghosts."
As I speak, I focus on the street below. John Chou comes to my side and sits down.
"Brother..."
I nod. I know exactly what John Chou wants to say.
"Since you've made up your mind, I won't say more. Brother, two years is a long time for humans, but for ghosts, it's gone in a flash."
I smile.
"Yeah, two years passed quickly. Thank you, John Chou."
I speak, and John Chou looks at me with a half-smile.
"Your parents—well, that guy from your apartment building was worried about you. So, he took your form and went to visit every now and then."
I stand up, smiling at John Chou, nodding, then bow deeply to him.
"Are you leaving, brother?"
I nod.
"Things need to be handled step by step, one at a time."
John Chou stands up. I nod, and together, we drift toward the city center. The manager of the mall, named Guo Weiming, is a Red Mask Agent of the Immortality Society. Luo Yang is with him.
This is what I need to do first—heal the broken darkness inside Luo Yang. Next comes Boss Chang's situation. Though he's already reincarnated, his vitality is still being drained. This is something I must resolve, a task left unfinished from more than two years ago.
We arrive at Dragon Plaza, where an event is underway. The place is packed, and the mall is open as usual. John Chou and I slowly descend.
"Why not go straight in, brother?"
I shake my head.
"That's right, brother. You've learned to think. You used to just react. Let me see for myself, brother—everything you've been through these past two and a half years."
I nod, glance around, and spot a bespectacled, well-dressed man heading for the mall. In a flash, I enter his body. John Chou walks over and studies me closely.
"Spirit Snake Shedding Skin, right? Not a trace of ghost aura—nicely done, brother."
I nod, controlling the man as I walk into the mall and begin wandering aimlessly.
It's a pretty big mall. John Chou told me that after the events in Ghost Tomb Forest, the Immortality Society made no moves, and the human world has been calm ever since.
Thanks to Redmond, Yuna Ji, and John Chou holding things back, both sides have remained peaceful for two and a half years. I look around, planning to find out where Luo Yang is. For now, I stay in this guy's body, using his eyes to scout.
I don't want my appearance to cause a huge commotion. That would do me no good.
The man I'm possessing is named Qiu Lin, a middle school teacher. Today, he came to buy some daily necessities for his girlfriend. He's a clever guy—he pushed out his rivals several times to win her over, and succeeded. The details make me smile.
Right then, several pairs of eyes are watching me. I quickly hide my smile, knowing it looks a bit sinister. I keep wandering the mall.
When I reach the electronics department on the second floor, I look around and spot the supervisor for this level, arranging the staff. I walk over and smile.
"Excuse me, is Gregory Wu—Manager Wu—here?"
The supervisor gives me a sour look, puzzled.
"We don't have anyone by that name here."
"Sorry, then who's the manager now?"