"Damn, can't you knock before coming in?" I cursed loudly. Evan Zhao just laughed and walked in, dripping wet.
"Come on, Ethan, I came all the way here just to bring you something."
"Wait a minute, I'll get you a towel."
I brought over a towel and wiped the water off Evan Zhao. He sat down, looking completely at ease.
"Ethan, pour me a cup of hot tea."
I shot him a glare but soon brought him a cup of hot tea.
"Alright, what did you bring me?"
"This thing, here." Evan Zhao took a sip of tea and opened his bundle. Inside was Hell's Sentinel. A sharp aura radiated from it, even fiercer than when I saw it a few days ago.
I let out a surprised sound and stared at him.
"Boss Yin said to bring this for you to use."
I looked at Hell's Sentinel, smiled, and shook my head.
"Hey, Ethan, be careful. Where you're going, there are three tough characters—none of them are easy to handle."
I made a sound of surprise and looked at Evan Zhao. When he says someone is 'tough,' it's usually only about John Chou or Yuna Ji, the Blue Wraith Lords. I've never heard him call anyone else that.
"Are there three Blue Wraiths in that courtyard?"
I asked.
"Yeah, you didn't know? The moment I got here, I could feel it—three massive ghostly forces. Only Blue Wraiths have that kind of power. If you want, I can deal with your problem right now. One finger and it's done."
I packed up the bundle, took Hell's Sentinel, and handed it to Evan Zhao.
"Go back and tell John Chou I'll handle my own affairs. I don't need your help."
Evan Zhao sighed.
"You're a real man, Ethan. I'll head back, then. Be careful." I nodded, and as Evan Zhao was about to leave, I called out to him.
Then I found an umbrella and handed it to him.
"Hey, Ethan, I'm a ghost. This thing's useless—getting wet doesn't bother me."
"Just take it." I shoved the umbrella into Evan Zhao's hands. He smiled, opened it, and with a whoosh, turned into a streak of green light, flying off into the distance.
After Evan Zhao left, I felt a bit lost for a moment, but quickly shook it off.
"No matter what, I have to settle this myself."
At that moment, I had only one thought: even if there are three Blue Wraiths, I won't back down. Especially when I think about that woman running the small shop outside Wisteria Estates, the sadness on her face when she talked about her missing son.
A short while after Evan Zhao left, the rain stopped and the sun peeked through the clouds. I opened the window and looked at the clear sky, taking a deep breath.
That night, I went to Father Mason's house to ask about the night patrol.
"They've already moved to another district, Ethan. If you're going to act, do it in the next few days. Otherwise, it'll be the Day of Calamity soon."
I nodded.
"Where's that ghost?"
"Building 8. Be careful. He usually doesn't show up during the day, so if you want to do something, do it soon."
"By the way, Master, take a look at this."
I said as I took out the Blood Jade. Father Mason took one look and gave a thumbs up.
"Fine jade, truly fine jade. Ethan, with this quality, you should have no problem dealing with that ghost."
"Master, what color is your jade?" I asked.
"Emerald green. Haven't seen such a vivid green in ages. Why?"
I let out a surprised sound, staring at Father Mason.
"But I see red—a red piece of jade, almost like blood."
Father Mason then took the jade, weighed it in his hand for a moment, and shook his head.
"Ethan, this jade is fine. As a Taoist, I can't see any problem with it. Sorry. Of course, I believe what you said about Blood Jade. There's only one possibility: since you say it's a ghost's pawn, maybe you have a connection with that ghost. You see what he sees, while those without that connection can't see it at all."
Before leaving, Father Mason gave me a parting remark.
"If you have it, accept it. Fortune and misfortune are yours to decide."
The next day, I got up at 3 a.m. Father Mason had told me that, except for Blue Wraiths and ghost souls, other ghosts hide away after 4 a.m.—like people sleeping. From 4 to 6, they're basically inactive.
I quickly washed up, grabbed my prepared things, and headed out.
I arrived outside Wisteria Estates. It was pitch-black inside—just past 4:11 a.m. I ran over, chilled by the wind, and walked in.
I made my way to the bottom of Building 8. Rufina Howard taught me a formation—it's a trigger type. Once a ghost enters, it activates. All I need to do is lure the ghost into the formation, then use the Deathbane Sword to finish him off.
I just need to be careful not to get confused. I asked around and found that the three Blue Wraiths live in Building 6. They usually go out during the day looking for enemies, and sometimes don't come back for days. Right now, they're all away.
Father Mason said the three Blue Wraiths are: The Hanged Man, who's a bit simple-minded; the Red-Clad Ghost Woman; and the Blind Sage. But they're all pretty easygoing, and don't bully other ghosts just because they're Blue Wraiths. They seem to be focused on finding their enemies.
Still, something feels off. These three ghosts seem oddly familiar, but I can't quite remember why.
No time to think about it. I pulled a small jar of soil from my backpack—Rufina Howard said that soil exposed to sunlight for years makes a good formation core. I poured it out, piling it in the center.
Next came various juices made from yang trees. I'm not great at drawing, but I used the juice to sketch a crooked pentagram on the ground as the formation's head.
For the tail of the formation, I used some pig, cow, and sheep bones—just grabbed a few and placed them inside. Now all that's missing is the body, which needs the Blood Jade to soak for three days and nights.
The final step is my own blood. Rufina Howard explained—though I didn't catch everything—that using my blood as the soul of the formation lets me control it, making it more powerful. But it's closely tied to myself.
It's strange, but worth a try.
After preparing everything, dawn broke. Looking at the ground, aside from some dirt and bones, you couldn't tell much. Rufina Howard said that after these steps, ghosts can't see the formation—even if they walk over it, they won't notice. Only when it's finished does it work.
It was just 5:40.
"What kind of formation is this? So weird." I nearly jumped in fright—it was Father Mason, who walked over and examined it closely.
"Seems useless, but the design keeps yang energy circulating—might be good for people."
"Master, it's not finished yet. A Yin-Yang Master girl taught me."
"Oh." Father Mason gave me a meaningful look, then smiled and handed me a Purple Talisman.
"Ethan, you're neither a Taoist nor a Buddhist. You might have trouble keeping your mind clear. If things get critical, stick this on your forehead, and you'll snap out of it."
I looked at it, a bit embarrassed, but I really had no sure way to resist ghostly confusion.
"Th-thank you, Master."
With everything ready, all I had to do was go home, collect enough dew, soak the Blood Jade in it for three days and nights, and once the formation was finished, I could go after that ghost.
"Ethan, where have you been?" I ran home, out of breath. It was just 8 a.m. after collecting the dew. My dad looked at me, puzzled.
"Nothing, Dad. Just out for a morning run. I'm going back to sleep." I hurried into my room.
I quickly took out the Blood Jade and a small bottle, then dropped the jade into the water with a plop. Instantly, the water turned completely red—this time even redder than before, like a bottle of blood.
The next three days felt like torture. On the fourth morning, I took out the Blood Jade and carried it with me.
"Tonight's the night," I said.
"What are you up to tonight, Ethan?" I jumped—turns out I was talking to myself while eating breakfast.
"N-nothing, just meeting up with a friend."
My dad looked puzzled, but didn't ask more. Seeing his expression made me feel awful.
"Ethan, whatever happens, hang in there. Life's tough enough—rest when you're tired, and talk to friends when you're down. I'm off to play cards."
I took out my phone, scrolled through the contacts, and finally dialed Rachel Lan.
"Ethan, are you okay?"
Rachel Lan asked, her voice full of concern.
"It's nothing. I might be heading back in a few days."
"It's getting cold—make sure to dress warmly."
"Got it." I didn't say much else. I just wanted Rachel Lan to know I'd be back in a few days, and that I could handle this.
Around 8 p.m., I headed out. After walking for nearly forty minutes, I reached the entrance to Wisteria Estates. My heart was pounding, almost about to leap out of my throat.
I kept telling myself to stay calm. Waves of excitement, fear, and sadness washed over me as I stepped into Wisteria Estates.