In the distance, clouds of dust still billowed across the landscape. I sat atop a mountain peak, perched at the crown of a tree, quietly watching.
Far away, the last rays of the sun were fading. Night was falling. Tonight, the clouds were especially beautiful—golden, clustered together like a magnificent painting. A gentle breeze kept brushing through my hair.
"Ethan Zhang, what do you plan to do next?"
Sylvester appeared beside me and asked.
"I'll take it one step at a time. They're not hiding underground—and even if they were, eventually they'd have to come to light. No matter how well they conceal themselves."
I smiled, looking at Spirit Snake's serious face, and thanked him. I could feel that the beings within me were all worried about me.
"When we get back, let's keep pushing the Ghost Soul training."
Spirit Snake spoke, then with a whoosh, dove into my body. I smiled and nodded, then stood up. To the north, wisps of black smoke still drifted. I had no idea how many such facilities remained, but I knew now—the Immortality Society's numbers were vast.
And with their overwhelming numbers, there were also failures—like the ones in this facility. Although I hadn't uncovered much this time, there was one thing that caught my attention.
Thousand Hands once said, before he came to the Immortality Society, those people, after being baptized by Deathbane Aura, couldn't physically withstand it and turned into monsters—losing all human consciousness.
"Let's head back and ask Samuel Young."
I said, then quickly flew south. On the way, I saw several helicopters heading north. Most likely, they'd call this a forest fire.
As dusk fell and the sky turned gray, I arrived in the city and quickly made my way to the center. I weaved through the skyscrapers, heading straight for Samuel Young's home.
When the city lights began to glow, I arrived at Samuel Young's residence. Only a few dim lanterns lit the night. On the second floor, Samuel Young was reading, deeply focused on the Dao De Jing. With a whoosh, I drifted inside and watched him, utterly absorbed in his book.
"Oh, sorry, Ethan Zhang. It seems you didn't find much, did you?"
Samuel Young smiled, set down his book, and stood up.
"Not exactly, Samuel Young. Where did you get this kind of intel?"
I asked, and Samuel Young stared at me for a long time before answering.
"Your Ghost Soul is missing a piece. It's recovering, but slowly. Let me teach you a method: go to a Buddhist altar or temple, find some offerings, and eat them. This will greatly help your Ghost Soul recover."
I thanked him, and then Samuel Young told me that the intelligence about the facility in the northern forest, 300 kilometers away, came from a reporter named Li Ting. She is the lead investigator at Windward Network and often covers social and supernatural events.
It sounded familiar. Previously, when Samuel Young was strolling through the night market, he happened upon a TV crew filming a supernatural episode. That place did have a powerful vengeful ghost. In desperation, Samuel Young had to help the crew when the ghost tried to attack them.
I remembered that Mao Wang had also participated, setting up a formation at a crossroads. Back then, Lin Rui drove me, and I used a net to trap Mao Wang. Lin Rui then opened his Ghost Domain, scaring Mao Wang so much that he never joined such shows again.
Gradually, I recalled meeting Li Ting before. She had even followed me—last time at the Soul Inn in the plaza, where a serious stampede occurred.
Jing Le's misfortune began from that incident, falling from the top tier to the third. To fulfill Yunmei's request, we had to help the ghosts in the plaza—those unaware of their own deaths—by organizing a concert for them.
That night, I summoned a horde of ghosts to block the area. I called Ber Cumin, but Li Ting tracked me. Fortunately, Ma Yongjie had the quick wit to collapse the ground, ruining Li Ting's plan. I met her again while preparing for the concert.
"Planning to go? Ethan Zhang is probably still filming, right?"
I nodded. The Fengxiang TV station isn't far from the city center, so I decided to head straight there.
"Alright, I'll be leaving in a few days. We'll meet again soon, and when we do, I hope to have a talk with you, Ethan Zhang."
I responded, and Samuel Young fell silent, sat down, and continued reading, gesturing for me to leave. I left his home and went straight to Fengxiang TV station downtown.
Arriving at a skyscraper over eighty stories tall, I looked inside—filled with busy people. As the city's largest TV station, Fengxiang TV held national influence and controlled the country's top news.
Whether online or on television, Li Ting was a reporter here. I checked—she joined at 21 and is now 31, a decade later, a top-tier reporter.
I released a swarm of ghost webs and soon located Li Ting. She was filming a show, dressed in a pale blue suit, hair tied back. Though 31, she looked much younger and strikingly beautiful.
I waited quietly for Li Ting to finish filming. At 10 p.m., she wrapped up and left work, looking tired. She headed to the parking lot and drove off.
I followed Li Ting to a noodle shop, where she ordered noodles and side dishes. The owner seemed to know her well, and they chatted about interesting things while eating.
After eating, Li Ting went to a joss paper shop, bought some gold ingot candles, then bought a roast chicken and some wine. She returned to an apartment five kilometers from the TV station, took the elevator to the 27th floor, and entered room 27356. I followed, but sensed something unusual—a faint but persistent Yin energy in the room.
I didn't enter immediately. Instead, I released ghost webs to sense the area. Li Ting went to shower, and I slipped in. The room was simply furnished: a sofa set, coffee table, small round table, and a TV cabinet with a large television.
Then I noticed red light seeping from the bedroom. As I drifted over, a noise came from behind—it was Li Ting.
With a swish and a ripping sound, then a bang, I turned and saw Li Ting holding a yellow cloth bag with a bagua symbol. She sat on the floor, terrified.
With a whoosh, a female ghost flew out, howling. She lunged at me, and I grabbed her throat with one hand.
"Back off, or I'll end you."
I spoke, releasing my grip. The white-clad female ghost retreated, and Li Ting's fear faded, replaced by excitement.
"Isn't this Officer Zhang? What brings you here?"
"Xiao Ting, be careful. This one is a ghost—and not just any ghost, but a powerful one. Though she hides her ghostly aura, I can still sense it."
I turned to look. The ghost appeared to be a woman in her forties, dressed in white, and looked somewhat like Li Ting.
"Raising ghosts?"
I muttered, while Li Ting busied herself with tea and questions. I made excuses, and she seemed very excited.
"Officer Zhang, are you investigating a major case?"
Then I learned the female ghost was Li Xue, Li Ting's older sister, who died in an accident over a decade ago.
"The facility 300 kilometers north of the city—where did you get your information?"
I asked immediately. Li Ting paused, then smiled brightly.
"Oh, that? Some friends in outdoor adventure sports told me."
"Where are they?"
I asked right away.
"They went to City A for some activities—probably mountain climbing. They've been gone for months."
I responded. City A is only one-fifth the size of our district, but nearly 2,000 kilometers away. I felt a vague unease.
Li Ting explained that after her sister died, her soul never dispersed but stayed with her. Li Ting had always been sickly and unlucky, so her sister couldn't leave. Over time, Li Ting's health worsened, and Li Xue heard other ghosts mention Ghost Mound.
Eventually, Li Ting found people from Ghost Mound, paid them a lot, and had them help make her sister into a ghost who could stay with her.
"That place is called Ghost Mound Mountain. Do you know it, Officer Zhang?"
I nodded silently, then stood up.
"If anything comes up, contact me right away. Here's my phone number."
I wrote my number for Li Ting, then snapped a ghost web onto her. Li Xue looked at me curiously.
"Are you Ethan Zhang?"
I nodded, then with a whoosh, left.