More and more living dead gathered, coming from all directions out of the woods. But now, the forest had transformed into a sea of red spider lilies, with winding stone paths weaving through it. The whole island, under the lingering glow of sunset, exuded an indescribable atmosphere. Yet I could tell—the living dead seemed to see something, all slightly raising their heads. Though unable to show expression, I knew they must have glimpsed some kind of hope in this scene.
In the distance, halfway up the mountain from the village, stood an octagonal building. Before it lay a small lake, with a wooden bridge leading to a pavilion at its center.
Petals of red spider lilies danced in the wind, a stark contrast to the island’s darkness just days before. Isabelle Frost stood in the middle of Henderson Town. Jerry Li hoisted Ding Dacheng, glanced around, and shoved open a house door, tossing him inside roughly.
I was still somewhat surprised by Ding Dacheng—the fact that he was born of a ghost shocked me. Rachel Lan, sitting beside me, smiled.
"The ghost realm is vast—not just the Eight Provinces of the Ghostrealm. Beyond those provinces is an even greater world. I’ve been there before. Ding Dacheng was born in the ghost realm outside the Eight Provinces."
"So that’s why—no wonder his body feels so solid, almost like a living person. There’s no trace of a ghost’s soul, only the sensation of it."
Zhang Xiaochun raised his wine bowl, and I clinked glasses with him. He was already a bit drunk, his face showing a rare contentment—it was clear he was genuinely happy.
"After all these years, it’s no small thing to be able to gather together again."
I smiled, but Zhang Xiaochun quickly clarified.
"I meant Soren Black and that kid, Yu Mingxuan."
I swallowed hard, nearly spitting out the wine I’d just sipped.
Zhang Xiaochun smiled and rose to his feet. We walked slowly toward the center of Henderson Town. All the Undying on Crescent Isle gathered, while Isabelle Frost sat poised in midair, her long red dress billowing in the breeze.
"Miss."
Village Chief Uncle Lee, trembling, stepped forward and knelt. The Undying behind him also knelt in succession, his voice tinged with sorrow.
"Uncle Lee, after all these years, I never thought I’d see you again."
A trace of emotion flickered in Isabelle Frost’s eyes, though her tone remained cold.
"Miss, please save us!"
As Uncle Lee spoke, the Undying around him began to kowtow, as if they saw hope in Isabelle Frost.
I knew well that since Isabelle Frost returned from the Illusory Realm, the nature of her power had changed. It wasn’t obvious, but it was different than before. Most important, this time when Isabelle Frost arrived, she radiated a presence similar to Lady Meng’s—a presence I’d felt by the Bridge of Remorse.
"I cannot save anyone, nor can I save you."
Yixue Han’s face was cold, her voice chilling as she spoke. The living dead lifted their heads, staring at her in shock.
"We know we were wrong, Miss. We hope you’ll remember the kindness from the past and save us. Back then, most of us treated you well, Miss..."
Yixue Han raised a hand, pointing at Li Bo, then swept her gaze around.
"The only ones who can save you are yourselves. What happened isn’t a matter of grudges—it’s about you. Think carefully: why are you trapped here?"
With that, Yixue Han floated away again, entered Lan Ruoxi’s room, carried out the sleeping Lan Ruoxi, and headed toward the distant octagonal building. The living dead rose and began to leave.
Soon, the living dead had dispersed. Many seemed deeply disappointed, some returning directly to their homes. I sat back at the table with the two Sheqing ghosts, ready to resume drinking.
"Where exactly did Yin Choujian go?"
I asked, but Li Jiayuan and Zhang Xiaochun both shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know. They’d both been staying in the courtyard where 001 used to live, and Yixue Han had personally come to fetch them.
"And what about Ma Yongjie? Has he come back?"
I asked.
"He hasn’t come back since he left. As for the Earth Soul, forget about it—you’ll never figure out what Yin Choujian is thinking. We used to gather and speculate about his motives, but we never got it right. If we truly understood him, he wouldn’t be the master of the Blood Fiend Hall."
Li Jiayuan muttered, glancing around, then sighed and continued.
"If we had a few beauties to keep us company, this place wouldn’t be so bad."
I chuckled. At that moment, Li Jiayuan gave me a mysterious smile and leaned in.
"That girl 001 seems to really like you. So, what about you two...?"
Zhang Xiaochun placed a hand firmly on Li Jiayuan’s shoulder. I looked at Li Jiayuan in confusion, then started to laugh.
"So what if she likes me? Even if we could be together, what then? Human life lasts only a few decades—after that, we’re nothing but bones. I know all too well what lies at the heart of things. If I really took that step, what would I do after she died?"
I spoke my mind directly. Back in that big courtyard, Li Jiayuan used to tease me about 001, but I’d always just laugh it off.
"That’s a heavy thought. But, Earth Soul, whatever it is, maybe you only meet your other half in a certain period of your life. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. We can live for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, but at the end of time, there’s nothing at all."
I smiled bitterly, raising my glass as I spoke.
"Drink."
With these two, I felt at ease. They’d often share little stories with me. We’d lived together in that big courtyard for months—every day was like this: drinking, chatting, then heading out for a stroll. Looking back, those days were actually quite happy.
I had no idea how long we’d been drinking. We were all a bit drunk. I wandered alone to the seaside, sat down cross-legged, and watched the waves rolling in, smiling faintly as I lay back on the sand.
Aside from the drunkenness, there was no sleepiness at all. In my boredom, I sensed a slight disturbance outside the Ghost Domain. Something was approaching—it was Yin Choujian. I shot to my feet and shouted.
"Wu Rong, open your Ghost Domain."
With a crack, a fissure appeared before my eyes. I darted out, and in the distance, a speedboat was heading our way across the sea.
In a flash, I drew my sword, Ender, and instantly pierced through the shore, teleporting right to the boat.
"It’s been a few days, Earth Soul."
I stared in disbelief at Yin Choujian and the others on the boat—Xu Fu and the Sheqing ghost named Qianshou.
"What’s the meaning of this, Yin Choujian?"
I asked coldly. Yin Choujian said nothing for a long moment, then finally tilted his head and spoke.
"Time is running out."
A crisp, sinister voice rang out. Qianshou burst into laughter.
"Don’t be so impulsive, Earth Soul. We’re here to save that girl—unless you want to watch Lan Ruoxi die?"
Qianshou adjusted his glasses with a smile in his eyes. I released my grip on Ender, and the speedboat slowly docked. Xu Fu stepped onto the island.
"Consider it repaying Zhang Qingyuan a favor. This time, our help is free—you don’t have to give anything. Earth Soul, maybe you don’t quite understand what I mean."
As Xu Fu spoke, he raised his hand and a streak of orange light flared. My eyes widened in surprise—another Ghost Blood Jade, orange this time, was in Xu Fu’s hand.
"Where did you get that?"
Xu Fu turned back, grinning wickedly.
"Such an obvious thing, you don’t need to ask me, Earth Soul. Don’t you know whose aura this is?"
With that, Xu Fu put away the Ghost Blood Jade. I could sense clearly—the aura on it was undoubtedly Zhang Qingyuan’s, infused with a powerful blend of Buddhist and Daoist energy, as if it had been sealed.
"Yin Choujian, what are you playing at?"
The moment we entered the Ghost Domain, sharp ghostly energy swept around us. Xu Fu and Qianshou raised their hands with smiles, while Yixue Han glared angrily at Yin Choujian.
"Qianshou, you’d better not make any unnecessary moves, or else..."
Suyuan spoke coldly, and Qianshou immediately shook his head.
"Of course, we’re only here to help—no funny business. If we meant trouble, it wouldn’t be just the two of us here. Against all you fierce Sheqing ghosts, our chances are zero."
Qianshou spoke as Xu Fu glanced around.
"Hey, hey, Yin Choujian, where’s the promised courtesy? Can you have your men remove the ghost formation on the ground? And get the weapon away from my neck?"
I immediately used my power and saw a green blade pressed to Xu Fu’s neck. Wu Rong stepped out of the shadows, grinned wickedly, and with a wave, the blade vanished. The tension between both sides was palpable. Yin Choujian walked silently to Yixue Han and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sister, could you please let us pass? Time... is running out."
"Don’t be so unfeeling, Miss Yi. Back in the Six Paths, I helped you a lot. These are no longer times of war—only cooperation can ensure survival. Our Immortality Society is well-behaved now, even helping maintain peace between the worlds of yin and yang. We’ve reformed."