"Boss, where are you sneaking off to?"
I quietly stared at Black Moon behind me. His two crescent-shaped eyes drew close, gazing at me with grave intensity. I smiled.
I told you to watch from over there. Why did you follow me?
Black Moon blocked my path, still staring at me with a puzzled look.
Stop staring. Go keep an eye on Eugene Smithson. If he needs anything, help him get it.
Just as I was about to leave, Black Moon blocked my way again.
Boss, are you planning to go to the Living World?
I couldn't help but laugh.
Why would I?
I still tried to get around Black Moon, but just as I was about to walk past, he grabbed me.
"I have to go, Black Moon. This is what Ethan Zhang wants, and it's what I want too. As for what comes next, there will always be a way. I've already found some unexpected solutions."
Black Moon released his grip on my shoulders. Just as I finished speaking, he must have sensed it—yes, I do have a way. If I don't act, our entire plan could collapse. My spectral body in the Living World will be discovered, whether I tell Rachel Lan or not. If that happens, I'll lose the advantage, exactly as Yin Choujian hopes. I've already foreseen this.
"You really found it, Boss? The power to break the laws of the world?"
I smiled, nodding, my eyes wide with excitement.
"I'm leaving things to you here. Eugene Smithson needs help, and I think you're better suited than the others. If anyone asks, just tell them I've sunk into Hell."
"Boss, are you leaving now to break the world's laws?"
I nodded in reply.
"Something like that."
"Then I'll be watching, Boss. May your strength never fail."
I smiled faintly and closed my eyes. In an instant, everything around me came into focus. I had left Hell behind, and suddenly, my eyes snapped open.
All around me burned a haze of red flames like mist. I stood motionless on the surface of a shallow gray pool. A man sat by the pool’s edge, slowly turning his head to look at me.
"You came back after all."
I made a sound of acknowledgment.
"Of course I came back."
The figure before me vanished in an instant. I disappeared too, only to become that figure, now sitting on the ground. A rush of heat surged through my body. Tilting my head back, I laughed—I hadn’t felt the presence of this land in so long. Rising to my feet, I gazed at the pale gray water and smiled faintly.
I gazed quietly at everything around me—a place like drifting clouds and mist. Red, blue, white, gray, and black currents twisted together, stretching endlessly. This was the core of the land where the ghost flowers grew—the final destination for souls. But not everyone could reach this place.
Only those truly free from all attachments could come here. I stood, looking at my reflection in the gray lake—I had successfully descended into this world. Now, I had to prepare to enter the Living World. These preparations would be my first step in breaking the laws of reality.
I looked down. Before me, a stone path wound through swirling fog, reaching into the distance, its end unseen. I stepped forward, began to walk, then floated, moving swiftly. My body brimmed with ghostly power, but still retained a trace of humanity. Using power here was dangerous, but I was different—my control over power was absolute.
I sped along the stone path, flying fast. Soon, I sensed the forest of specters approaching. Once there, I could use the last remnants of vitality in my body to return to the Living World—as long as someone died.
This forest held no real mystery; it was simply the threshold between life and death. After a person dies, their consciousness lingers for a time, carrying a trace of vitality into the forest of specters, where hungry ghosts devour it, ushering the soul into death.
Whenever someone dies, the forest opens. If light shines through, I can use that opening to return to the Living World—still in my half-human, half-ghost state.
Gradually, I felt the killing aura returning to my body, gathering in my ghostly soul. I smiled with satisfaction. Killing aura was my greatest weapon—at least, if I encountered battle in the Living World, I wouldn’t be powerless.
This was a risky move. I had to act quickly. I’d already told Rachel Lan everything, and Yin Choujian would surely contact her. Aside from Rachel Lan, Yin Choujian was the one I trusted most. In her desperation, Rachel Lan would instinctively think of Yin Choujian. And once he sensed the blood curse I left in her body, he’d do anything to reach her.
Soon, I saw a vast, gray forest. I stepped off the fiery path, and the long red stone road vanished behind me. All around, the air was filled with sobbing. Not wanting to draw attention, I flew to the top of a tree and began weaving through the branches. As soon as I saw light, I’d head straight for it—back to the Living World.
After weaving through the trees for a while, I stopped. Here, many souls had just been devoured by hungry ghosts—their vitality still strong. I chose this spot for a reason: vitality attracts more vitality. When someone dies in the Living World, their life force flows here. I waited. Hungry ghosts wandered the woods, sometimes passing right beneath me, searching for specters to tear apart and devour.
Gradually, I felt a trace of warmth. I looked up, and a beam of white light shone down—a woman stood there, her eyes confused and lost. I smiled and stepped into the light.
The sound of crying surrounded me. I stood quietly in a hospital room, staring at the dead woman on the bed—the same woman who had just died. I had returned to the Living World. Instantly, a surge of exhilaration burst through me.
I drifted out of the room and, in a flash, saw the city ablaze with lights. I closed my eyes—I was in H City.
"It seems luck is on my side."
I spoke, then flew straight to the hospital rooftop. I could see vast rivers of Yin energy flowing endlessly through the city, streaming toward the eight entrances prepared by the Underworld Court. It had been a long time since I’d returned to the world of Yin and Yang. I took a deep breath—this place was still as filthy as ever.
I looked in every direction, confirmed my bearings, and shot southward at speed. I needed to reach the apartment block—my ghost domain was still there. Because I’m not a pure Specter, the domain I create isn’t pure either—it’s twisted.
Every world has its laws, meant to keep them from interfering with one another. Break those laws, and you’re cast out.
My very presence in the Living World was a violation—not just of Hell’s laws, but of the Living World’s too. Yet I hadn’t been expelled. It was Yin Choujian who taught me everything, and that rainy night, I gained the power to transcend the laws—a power of the heart. That’s why I exist as a human.
Slowly, I sensed a voice calling out to me. I stopped at the apartment entrance—a sea of cherry blossoms glowed under the lights, stirring nostalgia deep inside. I walked in, but something felt wrong. Everything was too smooth.
"Did Rachel Lan not tell Yin Choujian where my spectral body is?"
I muttered in confusion, still outside, lost in memories of my time living here. It was worth remembering—one bright spot in my endless existence. Everything that surfaced in my mind belonged to Ethan Zhang of countless causal threads, not to who I am now.
"Damn Ghost Ancestor."
I muttered again. The memory wouldn’t come. Everything of Ethan Zhang was still blank. I didn’t even know where these cherry trees came from—none existed in any of the causal threads.
"Since you’ve returned, why not come in and sit? Let’s catch up, Ethan Zhang."
A cold, sinister voice rang out. I was about to turn when a hand pressed down on my shoulder.
"Red Hair!"