"What exactly did you do?" I snarled, my teeth clenched. At this moment, my entire body was pressed against the edge of the cage by the tiger that Claire Zhang had become. I knew clearly that I couldn't hurt her—otherwise, she would die. All I could do was release my Deathbane Aura, trying to entangle her, but suddenly, I withdrew it completely.
"That's more like it, Ethan Zhang. So, are you going to deal with this little girl yourself, or will you wait for her to tear you apart completely? Sure, you can keep recovering, relying on the power within you, but one day, even that will run out. Ethan Zhang, come on, let me see everything inside you—the darkness within your heart."
Cao Wanzhi’s voice drifted in from outside. I stared wide-eyed at him, noticing the two photographs in his hand.
"Tell me, what exactly did you do to Claire Zhang?"
Cao Wanzhi burst out laughing, then raised the photo of the newborn. It looked oddly familiar—judging by the picture, the baby seemed to be seven or eight months old.
"Did you forget? That little girl's father just reincarnated, didn't he?"
In an instant, my eyes widened as I stared at the vacant-eyed baby in the photo. Boss Chang had only just reincarnated a few days ago—how could he already look seven or eight months old?
"It was you, it was you..."
I pointed my finger at Cao Wanzhi outside, as he waved the photos in his hand.
"This life-borrowing method, once combined with my ghost soul, doesn’t just borrow a lifetime—it borrows all lifespans. So, after reincarnation, that little girl's father will grow up quickly in just a few months, then die again, and repeat, until all the lifespans of his soul have been transferred. Only then will it end. I simply told the girl all this, and she turned into a tiger. Heh, I’ve already captured the image of her heart with my camera. Come on, Ethan Zhang, let me see the image inside your heart."
I was so furious I could barely think. Right now, I couldn't release my Deathbane Aura—the quality of my aura had increased too much, and it would cause serious harm to Claire Zhang in her current state. I absolutely couldn't do that. Cao Wanzhi's intentions were clear; I couldn't go along with his plan.
I released my Ghost Web, probing everything around me. The surroundings were mostly hard and unyielding. I recalled that last time, I managed to escape from the photo thanks to Cao Wanzhi—he burned it with fire, then soaked it in water, allowing my power to seep through and injure him outside. But now, he seemed eager to see me deal with Claire Zhang quickly.
"What, you're not planning to torment me anymore?"
I immediately asked with a smile. Cao Wanzhi put the photo down and picked up the photo space I was trapped in.
"Wishful thinking, Ethan Zhang. With your current strength, you can't break out of my photo. So you'd better give up. When your power is almost depleted, I don't believe you'll just sit there and wait to die, watching that little girl eat you alive. You'll die then. Only at the brink of life and death do people reveal what's truly inside. Heh, I'm looking forward to it."
As Cao Wanzhi spoke, the images and sounds before me vanished. Darkness swallowed everything again.
I kept talking to Claire Zhang, but it seemed completely useless.
"Forget it, Ethan Zhang. She's pure beast now—she can't understand anything you're saying. Lost in rage and sorrow, she's beyond saving. You'd better make up your mind, and soon."
At that moment, a snake formed of Deathbane Aura appeared on my shoulder. It was the Spirit Snake, flicking its tongue, its golden eyes gleaming with vicious intent, as if ready to swallow Claire Zhang whole.
"Shut up."
I endured the constant pain of my energy draining away. The agony wouldn't stop, and just as Cao Wanzhi said, the power in my body was being depleted rapidly. I couldn't hold out for long—at most, I had one day left.
"Come in for a meeting, Ethan Zhang. This isn't just your problem—your ghost spirits are all anxious. They asked me to notify you."
I nodded, forcing myself to calm down. A patch of darkness appeared before my eyes, and I slowly began to lose consciousness.
"Damn it, Ethan Zhang, hurry up and decide!"
"Yeah, if you don't act soon, people are going to die."
As soon as I entered, I heard the wailing of the Grievance Ghost and the Wailing Ghost. The two circled around my shadow, clutching their heads like ants on a hot pan.
"Stop making a fuss, you two. What do you look like right now?"
The Spirit Snake immediately roared, while the Vermilion Bird looked utterly indifferent, lying sideways on the ground, its body engulfed in blazing flames.
"It's none of my business anyway. Same for you, little snake. Even if we die as Ethan Zhang's ghost spirits, we won't truly die—just return to where we came from. But those three are different."
As the Vermilion Bird spoke, my shadow came over and grabbed me by the collar.
"Ethan Zhang, how long are you going to stay naive? A few days ago you had some backbone, but now you're back to this? Once you're out, deal with that girl. If you really want to be a king, you don't need these pointless attachments. If you understand, make your choice quickly."
My shadow spoke angrily. I shoved him away, then stared at him in a daze. The Grievance Ghost and Wailing Ghost immediately crowded around.
"I can't do it."
I said each word slowly and firmly. My shadow twisted his lips into a strange smile.
"Did you hear that, you two? He can't do it. Hahaha! Our king wants to take us down with him. If you get it, stop making a fuss."
My shadow said this, then plopped down on the ground, clearly not planning to pay me any attention. He lay flat on the floor.
"What are you doing? Get up, let's try to convince Ethan Zhang together."
The Wailing Ghost crouched down and spoke to my shadow.
"No need. Just wait for death, you two. With Ethan Zhang's original strength, he can't break this binding. After all, this photo can even capture the Green Shade Ghost and withstand powerful ghost energy without damage. It must be extremely strong. Now, Ethan Zhang's power is draining away, so all we can do is wait for death."
At that moment, the Grievance Ghost and Wailing Ghost lay down on the ground, looking gloomy. I stared at them awkwardly, then turned away. Suddenly, a thought struck me.
"It's useless, Ethan Zhang. No matter how pure my power was before, now I'm just your ghost spirit. I can't help you much. If your power tries to bind or suppress that girl, with her fragile soul, you might accidentally kill her."
I squatted down, feeling powerless in the face of it all. The Spirit Snake crouched beside me and patted my shoulder.
"Let me put it this way, Ethan Zhang. The moment you were locked in here, the outcome was set. Even with your great power, if you break out, that girl will likely die instantly. Now, not only can't you break out, but you're also draining her strength. Eventually, you'll both be spent."
I kept searching for solutions, but I couldn't think of anything. My mind was a mess.
"Either you die, or that girl dies. Now it's time to truly make a choice. Take a good look, Ethan Zhang."
The Spirit Snake spoke, pointing toward the Grievance Ghost and Wailing Ghost. I looked over; the two had started to whimper softly. I could feel my power fading away, bit by bit.
"With your current strength, you can only hold out for another twelve hours at best, Ethan Zhang. Decide for yourself. They can't defy your will, and neither can we. Otherwise, those three would have already leapt out and torn that girl apart."
I quietly watched the Vermilion Bird, then sat down heavily on the ground, tilting my head up to stare at the swirling black and white above.
"Nothing in this world ever goes as we wish, Ethan Zhang. Even if you refuse to choose, one day the world itself will force you. It's time."
The Spirit Snake kept talking. Suddenly, I sprang to my feet.
"A choice? Heh..."
I laughed and shook my head, feeling a surge of fighting spirit rise within me. At that moment, only one solution came to mind. I looked at the Vermilion Bird.
"Lend me your power—the power of a human."
I walked toward the Vermilion Bird step by step. He seemed to understand immediately what I wanted and shook his head.
"Your body won't withstand it. You could die. Your body is far too weak. Ji Yuner gave you all kinds of things to strengthen you, but against such power, your body will collapse."
"How will I know unless I try?"
"Great, great!"
In an instant, I saw the Grievance Ghost and Wailing Ghost leap up in excitement, dancing around me.
"Better if you die."
"Yeah, if you die, we'll be free. Then Ethan Zhang can't mess things up anymore."
"Are you sure about this, Ethan Zhang? The second Nirvana—I can lend you my power. As a human, the fire of yang energy you possess, the power of the second Nirvana, will be several times greater than last time. You barely survived the first one. If it hadn't been for Red Hair, you'd already be dead."
I nodded, lowering my head and looking at the Vermilion Bird.
"Lend me your power. This is the only way. I won't stand by and do nothing again."