"Who are you, really?"
I roared, glaring at the man before me, his back to me, wearing a black robe with gold trim and short hair. As he slowly turned, I was stunned—it was me, exactly the same, except for the color of our clothes.
"Are you awake now? Who am I? I'm Ethan Zhang."
The man spoke, then laughed. His voice, his expression—everything was identical to mine. Panic surged in me; I tried to move, but found I couldn’t.
Heh, you really are ruthless, planning to force a breakthrough with this method.
This mission is only to take Hugh Thompson away. There's no need to confront Lan Yin directly—we're no match for him.
I stared at the man who had become my exact double, his face cold and detached. He began to speak coldly.
"Oh, right—the clothes are different. And the power."
Just then, the black watery mass wrapped around me began to press in, bit by bit. That guy flew over, raising a hand. I stared in shock as a small flame inside my body seemed to be drawn out. Then his clothes changed, becoming identical to mine. Now, there was no way to tell us apart—he was completely me.
With a cry from the Vermilion Bird, flames identical to mine erupted from his back.
"Keep an eye on Ethan Zhang."
That guy spoke, and in an instant, he shot out from the Corpse Barrier. Then something strange happened—I suddenly shared his vision. Outside, the swarm of walking corpses surged forward, attacking him.
"Lan Yin, no response over here."
The fake me shouted, breathless and urgent, his expression so convincing there wasn’t a hint of deception.
With a thunderous boom, a burst of flames erupted beside him.
"Ethan, this can’t be happening. How could this be? But let’s head back first."
Lan Yin spoke, and the fake me nodded, following him. As Lan Yin carved a path forward, the impostor flashed a sly, sinister smile, then slipped into the prison behind him.
Everyone was present. I kept shouting, but my voice couldn’t reach them. I watched as the impostor entered and immediately embraced the worried Lan Ruoxi.
"It’s okay, Ruoxi."
"Ethan, are you alright?"
Lan Ruoxi asked, and anxiety surged within me.
Heh, Ethan Zhang—that guy is the most treacherous one among the Nine Extremes. They call him the Traitor. He used to be a free-roaming revenant, but was controlled by the three great families. Now he’s completely unshackled. Heh, you should be able to see it, right? Ha! Through his eyes, use your own to watch closely. See how he destroys the Ghost Burial Squad right under your nose.
"Ethan, is there still no response from the main gate?"
"Yeah, Hugh, that guy is hiding deep. What do we do now?"
Just then, Mao Xiaoyu rushed over, his face full of urgency.
"The people downstairs—things are bad. They could turn into revenants at any moment. We can’t hold them back anymore."
Everyone’s expressions were grim. Lan Yin clenched his fists, furious, then strode toward Old Stone.
"What’s wrong, Mr. Lan Yin?"
Old Stone asked, and Lan Yin flashed a smile.
"If that guy won’t come out, I’ll destroy everything outside the prison. Is that alright?"
Old Stone stared at Lan Yin in astonishment, resigned but decisive, he nodded.
"Either way, I guess when this is over, we’ll all be out of a job. Nobody’s had a bite to eat in ages, not even a drop of water."