"Master Ethan, Young Master Hu asked me to tell you, when you wake up, give him a call."
I responded with a faint 'okay.' At that moment, Samantha Simons drifted in, her form barely more than a shadow against the gloom. Under Old Tom's feet, a cold, pale blue light flickered, lifting him slowly into the air. The silence was broken by a brittle crackling—like bones snapping—as a jagged rift tore open in the ghost domain. Old Tom turned to me, his eyes hollow, and waved a silent farewell before vanishing into the darkness.
"Ethan, it's about time for me to leave."
I murmured my thanks, feeling a chill seep into my bones as the Spirit Snake slithered back into my body. Samantha Simons led me to a small, shadowed pavilion. We sat. She brewed a cup of tea, its steam curling like ghostly fingers in the gloom. I drank, the taste bitter and cold, echoing the unease gnawing at my heart.
"Master Ethan, over the past two years, everyone has been investigating the Immortality Society from time to time, but we've found almost nothing. They probably prepared everything two years ago—once things happened, they changed identities and appearances, hiding themselves away. The only clue we've found is that, in the past two years, many companies and government departments have seen massive personnel changes, and all those transfers are shrouded in mystery."
I replied with another 'okay.' It's true—the dealings between the Immortality Society and Faceflayer probably began before anything happened. They had prepared everything in advance, and when the chaos erupted, they disappeared without a trace.
Samantha Simons told me that all of this was discovered by Hugh Thompson.
After that, I called Hugh Thompson and told him about Sonny Four's situation. Over the years, they've been moving people—actual humans. I planned to go find Sonny Four next, to thoroughly investigate where those people sent to the outskirts had actually ended up. The thought gnawed at me, a cold dread settling in my chest, as if the city itself was hiding something unspeakable.
After saying goodbye to Samantha Simons, I stepped out of the ghost domain. Dusk pressed down, heavy and suffocating. I headed for North City, letting my ghost network—still clinging to Sonny Four's soul—guide me. His presence tugged at me like a cold current, and I slipped through the city’s shadows, unseen.
As the sun was about to set, I arrived at a district near the outskirts of North City. This area was built by my cousin's family. Just a bit further north was their villa community. I hadn't seen my cousin in ages, so I planned to ask Sonny Four and then head over for a visit.
The sun still clung to the horizon, casting long, distorted shadows. Sonny Four was hiding in a high-rise. I drifted to the building's top floor, settling in the gloom. The city below flickered with artificial light, but the encroaching night felt alive, breathing down my neck as I waited—alone, surrounded by silence and the dying sun.
Gradually, the sky grew dim and heavy.
I kept watching the street below. Sonny Four had come up behind me.
"Ah, Boss, I tried sending a dream to my old boss, but it seems he doesn’t know anything."
Sonny Four explained that his old boss received cryptic calls every month, summoning him to some forgotten place to collect money. But every time, by the next day, the number was dead—erased, as if it never existed. The routine was unsettling, a pattern that gnawed at the edges of reality.
As for the transport jobs, Sonny Four’s old boss had no idea what they were about. For years, he couldn’t figure it out. It all started four years ago—one morning, he woke up and found the instructions suddenly planted in his mind: go to a certain place, collect the money, and the rest of the tasks were crystal clear in his head.
"Was his memory implanted?"
Seeing my cousin’s eyes rimmed red, his voice trembling with grief, I forced a smile and laid a cold hand on his shoulder. The air between us was thick with memories and regret.
"Boss, I really don’t know. Ever since that incident, my old boss’s life has been miserable. The gang fell apart, he spent all his savings just to avoid prison, and now he rents in some cheap place."
Sonny Four spoke, and I nodded, planning to use the ghost network and take a look myself.
My cousin sighed—a sound heavy with exhaustion—and led me toward the villa. In the fading light, I saw how much he’d changed. His aura pulsed stronger now, unmistakably human, but tinged with something restless, haunted. I wondered, had my carefree cousin truly surrendered to discipline, or was something darker driving him?
I walked up to Sonny Four’s old boss, extended the ghost network, and probed for a while. There was nothing unusual—just as Sonny Four had said.
He had no idea why he’d started transporting things for others. It was as if he’d known about it for ages. Each month, he only had to make ten or so deliveries to earn a large sum, so he ordered his men to start the transport work.
But after Sonny Four’s incident, investigations began. Someone anonymously sent evidence to the police, and that material made Sonny Four’s old boss miserable. Most of the gang ended up in prison, and the group fell apart.
"Boss, when we were alive, sure, we were in the underworld, but we never did anything truly bad. At most, we ran nightclubs and casinos, got into fights sometimes, but nothing too serious."
I already understood everything Sonny Four said. His old boss was forced into it—when he was young, loan sharks drove him to desperation, so he started a gang. That’s how he ended up on this path.
Sonny Four looked genuinely worried about his old boss.
"Keep following him. If anything happens, I’ll be back immediately."
As I spoke, Sonny Four nodded, his eyes shadowed. I drifted upward, leaving the broken streets behind, and glided north—toward the villa district nestled between brooding mountains and dark water. Hugh Thompson had told me Justin Huang was there, apprenticed to Ma Yongjie. Two years had passed since I’d seen Justin; I wondered what darkness had shaped him in my absence.
I stared at my cousin in shock. The guy who used to drift from woman to woman—how did he suddenly get married? Did he really change, or was something else at play beneath the surface? Even now, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything here was just a little too quiet, too normal.
As usual, the security guards stopped me. I said I was here to see relatives, but they didn’t believe me at all. After they called my cousin’s house, they let me in right away.
I walked slowly through the streets of the villa district. Just as I was about to turn a corner, I heard footsteps, then someone called out.
"Cousin."
"Ethan, damn, you showed up and didn’t even tell me."
My cousin spoke, walking over quickly. In an instant, his expression changed as he looked me over repeatedly.
"I still can’t believe it, little brother..."
Seeing my cousin’s eyes rimmed red, his voice trembling with grief, I forced a smile and laid a cold hand on his shoulder. The air between us was thick with memories and regret.
"Cousin, see? I’m perfectly fine."
As for the two infant spirits—Mark Zhang and Diana Zhang—they remained at Universal Temple. Master Richard Ming had nearly purged the evil energy from their souls. Now, all that remained was to wait for my cousin and Susan Li to wed, so the twins could finally be reborn. The air seemed to thicken with the promise of redemption, but shadows lingered. Even in hope, I could feel the chill of the unknown pressing at the edges of my senses.
My cousin sighed—a sound heavy with exhaustion—and led me toward the villa. In the fading light, I saw how much he’d changed. His aura pulsed stronger now, unmistakably human, but tinged with something restless, haunted. I wondered, had my carefree cousin truly surrendered to discipline, or was something darker driving him?
"I heard about Lana Lin’s ordeal too, Ethan..."
"As long as it’s in my heart, cousin, it’s fine. Come on, it’s been ages since I saw Uncle and Aunt."
I said this as we reached the villa. My cousin explained that Uncle and Aunt weren’t living with them. I was a bit puzzled—us?
A chill crept down my spine. Those two should have contacted Hugh Thompson, no matter what. But a month had passed—no word, only silence, heavy and suffocating, pressing in from the darkness beyond.
I looked at Susan Li standing at the door, smiling. I turned to my cousin, then back to Susan Li, stunned.
"You two..."
My cousin gave a stiff smile and nodded.
"We’re married."
I stared at my cousin in shock. The guy who used to drift from woman to woman—how did he suddenly get married? Did he really change?
"No need, Susan... Sister-in-law..."
I forced out the words and we went inside. I glanced at my cousin, nudged him with my elbow.
"Cousin, down there..."
My cousin nodded.
"Master Jianyun said if I practiced diligently and recited Buddhist scriptures, he’d help me lift the curse. I did it, and when I came back... well..."
"Any complaints?"
Susan Li muttered, and my cousin quickly shook his head, grinning.
Their wedding was blessed by friends and family. Zhao Yuyang even took my form to attend, but both my cousin and Susan Li knew it wasn’t me—so did Uncle and Aunt.
It was already past nine. My cousin and I drank and chatted. He’d spent a year and a half at Universal Temple before Master Jianyun lifted the Masculinity Seal. He’s much better now.
As for the two infant spirits—Mark Zhang and Diana Zhang—they remained at Universal Temple. Master Richard Ming had nearly purged the evil energy from their souls. Now, all that remained was to wait for my cousin and Susan Li to wed, so the twins could finally be reborn. The air seemed to thicken with the promise of redemption, but shadows lingered.
"Honestly, little brother, my feelings are complicated. I know we’ll have boy-girl twins."
Susan Li was busy, planning to cook for us. She was a full-fledged wife now. My cousin said she was wonderful—after a year of marriage, they were very happy.
"By the way, didn’t Ma Yongjie and Justin Huang stay at your place for a while?" I asked. My cousin pointed upstairs.
"Yeah, they stayed here for a while. Since the mountains and woods are nearby, they’d go out to train every day. I went with them a few times. About a month ago, they said they were leaving to investigate something, and then left."
A chill crept down my spine. Those two should have contacted Hugh Thompson, no matter what. But a month had passed—no word, only silence, heavy and suffocating, pressing in from the darkness beyond.