After Boss Chang calmed down, I briefly explained to him why I came here and what my purpose was in following him. He smiled kindly, scratched the back of his head, and said apologetically.
"Sorry, Xiao Zhang. I messed up your plans. The person you're trying to save—he must be someone very important to you, right?"
I nodded and replied.
"He's my cousin, the one I grew up with. But what about you, Boss Chang? Why are you so determined to speak to your daughter?"
As expected, Boss Chang was easygoing and not the type to blame others for his misfortunes. He was reasonable and understanding. Boss Chang sat down and sighed.
"It's my half-brother, Zhang Lang. After I died, Xiao Qing was left in his care. But when I was dying, in the hospital room, I overheard him and his wife plotting to take my estate. So I want to tell my daughter myself: now that I'm gone, she's all alone in this world. I..."
I nodded, beginning to understand why Boss Chang was so determined to speak to his daughter. Thinking back to that night—the man who comforted Xiao Qing—I now realized that his smile hid a trace of cunning.
Boss Chang also told me that if he reached the Bridge of Remorse, he would be reincarnated immediately, with no chance to tell his daughter the truth. The only place in the underworld where he could contact her was the Longing Terrace. For souls in hell who still have living relatives, they can visit the Longing Terrace at scheduled times to check on their families, or return to the world of the living for a day during the Ghost Festival.
But now Boss Chang is about to be reincarnated. He worries his brother will treat his daughter badly. The inheritance means little to him; his daughter is what matters most.
Boss Chang had previously asked the two Hell's Registrars to notify his daughter, but they said they don't interfere in affairs of the living. With no other options, Boss Chang could only do this.
"Boss Chang, when we get out, you should just focus on your reincarnation. Once I return, I'll tell your daughter everything."
Boss Chang looked at me gratefully, repeating his thanks again and again.
But the situation was getting strange. I had only chased Boss Chang about ten meters into this forest, yet now I couldn't even see the Underworld Path.
No matter how hard I tried to block it, the resentful energy that wanted to consume us wouldn't let up. Through my Specter Web, I could feel my body growing colder and colder, as if the resentment had developed its own will.
"Xiao Zhang, are you alright? Those things are getting closer."
I saw that all around me, outside the protection of my Specter Web, black humanoid figures were gathering. Their eyes were empty and white, mouths opening and closing as they whimpered, as if trying to say something I couldn't understand.
Boss Chang started shivering too. The resentment here was heavier than what I'd felt in Lord Wraith's domain, beneath the Rakshasa Tree, where the female ghosts gathered. Even the slightest contact brought a chilling cold.
I struggled to control my body, trying to push back the icy sorrow and explosive hatred within the resentment. With every creak, I realized a thin layer of ice was forming on my skin.
I stared in shock as the resentment thickened around us, completely surrounding Boss Chang and me, trying to absorb us into itself.
This resentment was no longer something I could easily freeze with my Specter Web. Instead, it began to seep through, channeling itself bit by bit into my body.
By now, my skin was covered in black crystals of resentment, cold as ice. I quickly channeled my Deathbane Aura, letting it flow over my body. With a crack, the crystals shattered and fell to the ground.
Boss Chang was curled up, unable to take it anymore. He said nothing, and his already pale skin was now turning black.
I had to find a way to suppress the overwhelming resentment. I couldn't hold out much longer. The shattered crystals began to reform on my skin, trying to freeze me again.
The heavy yin energy here was a perfect source for me. I decided to use my Specter Web to absorb as much as I could to fight off the resentment trying to consume me.
"Don’t do anything reckless, Ethan Zhang."
Just as I was about to act, my shadow suddenly stood upright.
"Even if you’re a ghost, there’s still a human soul inside you. If you’re not careful, you could really die, Ethan Zhang."
"Then what should I do?"
Once again, I shattered the crystals with Deathbane Aura, but I felt trapped, unable to move forward or back.
"Find its origin, Ethan Zhang. Only you can do this. Your Instinct—your transformation into a human. A ghost is made from a human, and a ghost can be reincarnated as a human..."
I stared, stunned, at my shadow. I instantly understood what it was saying. My shadow didn’t return to my body but instead stood beside Boss Chang.
"He’s counting on you."
As I spoke, I stepped toward the edge of my Specter Web, into the area full of resentment and black humanoid forms. Little by little, I transformed my body, turning completely human.
In an instant, a bone-chilling cold made me gasp, my eyes wide as my consciousness seemed to freeze. I had stepped outside the Specter Web’s protection. Wild shrieks, laughter, and cries echoed in my mind, stripping away my awareness.
A crisp ringing sound snapped me awake. I found myself on a small stone-paved path, surrounded by fields of Red Spider Lilies. Nearby, a large stone bore three bold characters: Underworld Path.
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I stared in amazement. I was on the Underworld Path, with endless fields of Red Spider Lilies on both sides. The sky above was clear, though a bit gray, with patches of blue, and in the distance, a gentle orange glow.
Beside the large stone was what looked like a poem: 'On the Bridge of Remorse, we speak of regret; Right and wrong do not cross the River of Forgetfulness. Before the Stone of Three Lives, there is no mistake or truth; By the Longing Terrace, we meet Lady Meng.'
Pale, ghostly souls drifted past me, their faces blank and seemingly devoid of awareness. Waves of white spirits floated by, heading toward the softly glowing orange-red light in the distance, their eyes fixed on that place.
It was as if they were being guided by some invisible force, walking along this Underworld Path.
The sound of bells rang out again, the same clear, pleasant chime that had awakened me earlier. Among the souls were old people, children, women, and men.
I followed the souls, the bell’s ringing growing clearer. Looking around, I saw no Hell’s Registrars. Gradually, I saw a huge gate inscribed with three characters: Styx Gate. Countless souls passed through and vanished into the vast sea of Red Spider Lilies beyond.
I heard the sound of running water. Next to the Styx Gate was a small, ceaselessly flowing river, with a bridge crossing over it. Many spirits crossed that bridge.
That must be the Bridge of Remorse. But I couldn’t see any path leading to it—Styx Gate and the Bridge of Remorse didn’t seem to be in the same place. I moved closer to the bridge.
Suddenly, all I saw was the endless sea of Red Spider Lilies—the Bridge of Remorse vanished.
When I returned to the Underworld Path, I could see both the Bridge of Remorse and Styx Gate again.
The bell’s sound came from a wind chime hanging on the Styx Gate, swaying and ringing in the breeze.
A flood of souls poured into the Styx Gate and disappeared. Just then, I saw one soul—a woman—crying as she approached, sobbing about something.
I stepped closer. The woman spoke.
"My husband, where are you? Where are you?"
But her body was still drawn toward the Styx Gate. Suddenly, she leapt into the Red Spider Lily field, as if breaking free of control.
She smiled happily, declaring she would wait for her husband in the sea of Red Spider Lilies.
Everything before me kept changing. More and more souls gathered in the Red Spider Lily field, but as their numbers grew, the joy vanished from their faces.
Gradually, I saw Hell’s Registrars escorting souls. At the Styx Gate, I saw the Bullheaded Keeper, the Horse-Faced Keeper, and the Hell Judge.
"You cannot enter the Styx Gate. Wait on either side of the Underworld Path. Your life is not yet over."
I saw the Hell Judge sweep his brush, and then a Hell’s Registrar tossed the soul to the side of the Underworld Path.
Day after day, countless souls were cast to the sides of the Underworld Path, waiting for their allotted lifespan to end. By then, most had lost their minds, their long wait erasing all awareness.
The once beautiful Red Spider Lily field turned black. Strange trees grew from the lilies, as if feeding on them. The trees grew taller as the lilies withered away, until the vast field was gone, replaced by a forest of monstrous trees.