Basil Bertram spent the whole day sitting alone in the small courtyard where Leah King used to live. His men had gone out to gather information, leaving only his niece Serena Jing with him.
"Uncle, let's stop searching and go home. You're the head of a respected family. If word gets out about this, the Bertram Family's reputation will be destroyed. You're the patriarch now—shouldn't you learn from past mistakes? Years ago, Grandpa followed your wishes. Now, do you really want to go against them again?"
"That's enough, Serena. Go home and tell your aunt I'm injured and can't travel. Say I need six months to recover."
"No, Uncle. I can't go. You know we have to stay loyal since our family split. I won't leave you. I can't bear to watch our patriarch lose hope."
"You..." Basil Bertram stood up. Serena Jing bowed her head respectfully. Basil's hand, which had been raised, slowly fell.
Cold moonlight spilled down, the wind brushing by. Serena Jing stayed busy, respectfully setting a steaming bowl of food before Basil Bertram. He glanced at it, then shook his head.
"Uncle, you haven't eaten all day."
"I'm too upset to eat."
Serena Jing set the bowl down with a bang beside Basil Bertram.
"Uncle, do you remember? You once broke the rules for our family. Hundreds of my relatives were killed in one night. You pulled me from the corpses. That's why I decided to follow you for life. I can't watch you fall apart, especially now, with that event coming..."
"Enough, Serena. Let the past stay buried." As Basil spoke, the sound of hoofbeats approached. He stood up quickly.
"Sir Bertram, we've found the bandits—they're hiding in Mistvale Mountain."
"Let's go..." Basil Bertram grabbed his sword, forced down the cold food, and followed his men to Mistvale Mountain.
The bandits in Mistvale Mountain numbered just over forty. With a dozen men, Basil Bertram wiped out most of them in one day.
A handful of bandits escaped into caves, barricading themselves in wooden huts, using the captive women as hostages.
The standoff lasted a day and night. Seven or eight desperate bandits tried to break out but failed. Basil Bertram rushed in. The stench was overpowering—women, barely clothed, stared blankly. At last, Basil saw his daughter.
Leah King was gaunt and barely alive, lying on a small bed. A year of suffering had left her covered in wounds. Basil Bertram, hands trembling, picked her up and managed only a foolish smile.
For a moment, Basil Bertram's eyes brimmed with sorrow. Then the bandits set the hut on fire, and Basil carried Leah King out.
"Uncle, she's probably lost her mind. Are you really taking her home?"
Serena Jing whispered nearby as Basil Bertram held Leah King. I could see the deep conflict in his eyes.
"Heh, you’re here…"
Suddenly, Leah King spoke. Then she broke free from Basil Bertram and stood up, looking wild and deranged.
"I’m your father, your real father…" Basil Bertram’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears, as he slowly approached Leah. In that instant, her smile vanished and she clutched her head, screaming.
"You’re not. You’re not… heh…" Leah suddenly dashed toward the burning house. Basil chased after her and grabbed her hand tightly.
"You gave birth to me, then abandoned me… heh, I always knew. But you’re not… ah!" Leah screamed and, with a burst of strength, rushed into the burning hut.
Flames and thick smoke surrounded them. Basil Bertram’s grip never loosened. With a crash, a wooden beam fell. Basil stared in shock, trying to pull Leah back.
"I have no father…"
In her final moment, I saw tears in Leah King’s eyes. Basil reached for her, but Serena Jing and the others dragged him out.
The burning house collapsed completely. Basil Bertram roared, pinned down by seven or eight men.
"Uncle, don’t go! If you do, what will happen to Aunt and everyone in the Bertram Family? Uncle…"
The fire gradually died out, leaving only charred ruins. Basil searched the ashes and finally found Leah King’s burned body.
He just stared quietly, then gently picked up Leah and slowly walked away.
"Uncle…"
Serena Jing called softly, quietly following behind Basil Bertram.
After burying Leah King, Basil Bertram stayed by her grave for four or five days. Each day, he sat alone, sometimes smiling, sometimes drinking and weeping.
On the fifth day, Basil decided to leave.
"Uncle, you don’t have to grieve so much. That was her fate. You’re the patriarch of the Bertram Family. You can’t let others see you like this anymore. I’ve decided—when we go back, let me handle everything. Even if I die for you, it’s worth it. Will you agree, Uncle?"
There was a resolute look in Serena Jing’s eyes. Basil Bertram just smiled and gently stroked her head.
"So heavy… so heavy…" Basil murmured, wiping away his tears, then rode off into the distance.
I woke up, my head spinning. The first thing I saw was a man covered in wounds—Basil Bertram—standing between me and Leah King.
There was a gaping wound in his body. I stared in shock.
The Fiend Star floated in front of us, holding a heart in his hand.
"Well? Basil Bertram, your ghost soul is nearly gone, heh." With that, he crushed Basil’s heart with a snap. Basil trembled, nearly collapsing, but somehow stayed standing.
"Was that your daughter, Basil Bertram?" I asked.
Basil Bertram only nodded silently, saying nothing.
"Qingyuan, I’m counting on you. My daughter… I’ll stake my life to take them down. Take my daughter away, Qingyuan…"
In that instant, brown light poured from Basil Bertram’s body. Holding Leah King, I stood up and reached out my hand.
"Go, Qingyuan…"
Basil Bertram roared, swinging his severed arm. Behind us, space split open with a creak.
I shouted, clutching Leah King. With a snap, Hu Tianshuo and Huang Jun’s chains broke. Suddenly, their souls returned to their bodies. Vines twisted up from the ground, grabbing them and tossing them toward us.
"Go!" Basil Bertram roared. Huang Jun and Hu Tianshuo were thrown out. I looked back one last time—Basil was already flying at the Fiend Star.
I shouted, closed my eyes, and charged into the rift.
"Didn’t expect you had so much power left. But if you think you can take me down with you, Basil Bertram, you’re too naive."
"Where do you think you’re going?" The One-Eyed Old Man appeared before me. His ghost manifested, and I struck out with flames, even though I knew it was useless.
In an instant, the ghost grabbed my throat. Leah King slipped from my arms and fell to the ground.
With a loud crash, I threw the One-Eyed Old Man aside and scrambled up. Basil Bertram was now only half a body, his upper half riddled with holes, lying on the ground.
"Basil Bertram, you care too much about appearances. If you’d brought your hundred ghosts, things might have been different. I know some of them are powerful in the Ghost Path. We’ve wanted them for a long time. Once you die, your hundred ghosts will probably scatter. Following someone so obsessed with face, they must be miserable, ha…"
"Shut up!" I roared at the Fiend Star.
Suddenly, I saw more than ten people from the Ghost Mound rushing at me, jars in hand. Ghosts poured out and charged toward me.
"You lot, I’m not finished talking…" The Fiend Star began, but as the ghosts reached me, they suddenly turned and attacked him instead.
"What are you doing?" The One-Eyed Old Man flew over. In a flash, the ghosts attacking the Fiend Star were reduced to ashes by a beam of red light.
A series of pops echoed. I watched as the heads of those who attacked the Fiend Star exploded, blood and brains splattering everywhere. They all fell to the ground.
"Who? Who did this?"
The Fiend Star looked around, furious.
But on the right, the Ghost Mound people started fighting each other, unleashing their ghosts in a chaotic melee.
The One-Eyed Old Man hurried over to stop them.
Suddenly, I saw the Calamity Star release ice spikes and a water ghost, attacking the Fiend Star. I noticed something wrong with Calamity Star’s eyes—rolled back, as if he’d lost consciousness.
The scene erupted into chaos. The Fiend Star fended off Calamity Star’s ghosts, then floated over and pinned him down by the head.
I seized the moment, hurriedly picked up Basil Bertram, and rushed to Leah King’s side. All around, the Ghost Mound people were fighting.