In the darkness of H City, the lights blazed as always. I parked my car outside a large supermarket—this was where Ghost Fiend Star worked. Only he could take us to the space where the Ghost Syndicate was hidden. First, we had to find the Yin Ghost.
The people from Hades had already contacted Ghost Fiend Star in advance. It was just past eight now, so we could only wait until he finished work at nine.
Black Moon had already told me on the way that the situation in Infernal Hell was extremely urgent. The Hell Wardens could no longer be restrained—they were starting to gather, planning to leave Hell and enter the Living World, because they could no longer sense the Infernal Will.
"Is it in the Illusory Realm?"
I asked, and Black Moon smiled and shook his head.
"Unfortunately, the Boss isn’t in the Illusory Realm. If he were, we’d be able to sense it, because the Illusory Realm is still connected to the Mirror World, and the Mirror World is linked to Hell. We’d be able to feel it, but now there’s not a trace of his presence left. So the only possible place is the Shattered Unreal Realm."
I nodded, slumped over the steering wheel, quietly watching the crowds at the supermarket. Black Moon’s plan was to use the Mirror World and his own Tengu powers, combined with the nine Wraith Generals left behind by Ethan Zhang, to have me impersonate Ethan Zhang and fool the Hell Wardens, pacifying them so they’d stay in Hell.
“Can we really fool them?”
I asked. Black Moon had already explained to me that those Hell Wardens were ghosts born in the ancient Hell, which back then had no human overseers. Only after the fall of the Wraithlord did the Emperor Gods take over. The twelve Hell Wardens emerged after ghosts were first created in Hell—they are pure ghosts, not former humans.
Only the Ninefold Abyss and Hades turned into ghosts after death and entered Hell. What puzzled me most was why Black Moon was telling me all this. As a subordinate of the Infernal Will, his job was supposed to be helping Hell devour everything.
“If you can master the power of Hell, you’ll be able to channel Styxwater into it.”
I looked at Black Moon in surprise, growing ever more confused about which side he was really on.
“Don’t doubt me, Rachel Lan. The whole world needs stability right now. We share a common enemy, don’t we?”
I nodded. Black Moon had told me about the three children of the Wraithlord—while they were still alive, they were already plotting something. He couldn’t say for sure, but suspected they let themselves be killed by the Wraithlord on purpose. Their true aim remains a mystery.
As for the Immortality Society, those people have kept a low profile for over two thousand years, always working in secret. What I know of them is just the tip of the iceberg.
Time ticked by. Around nine o’clock, I saw the supermarket closing, and a flood of employees came out. Ghost Fiend Star was beaming; after greeting some colleagues, he walked over to us.
“Seriously, what’s so good about that ruined place? It’s almost destroyed. Still, thank you, Rachel Lan—if it weren’t for Ethan Zhang, my wife wouldn’t have come back.”
I stared at Ghost Fiend Star in surprise. He smiled and pulled an invitation from his pocket, handing it to me. I was stunned to see the invite was for Ethan Zhang and me.
“It’s just a gesture, nothing more. I’m getting married on the fifteenth of next month.”
I thanked him and took the invitation, but the fact that Ghost Fiend Star was getting married really surprised me—he’d lived for centuries.
"Don't doubt it. I really do plan to marry a woman from the Living World, and I don't intend to get involved in anything else. Life is good now. Just a heads-up—the Ghost Syndicate isn't dead. They're still active.",
I fixed my gaze on Ghost Fiend Star, his expression serious. He told us to get out of the car and follow him.
"Isn't that betraying the Ghost Syndicate?"
Ghost Fiend Star laughed, shaking his head.
"Grandpa Weeper from the front town came looking for me, hoping I'd go with him. I refused—it's got nothing to do with me now. Poison Aunt and the boss have disappeared; without those two, I have no reason to return to the Ghost Syndicate."
"So what exactly are they planning?"
I asked, and Ghost Fiend Star shook his head.
"That I don't really know. Grandpa Weeper never told me. Whatever it is, it's probably something best kept hidden. And with the Earthly Soul around, nobody from the Ghost Syndicate dares to show their face. If they do, they're afraid he'll wipe them out instantly."
I nodded. We were in a narrow alley now, and I felt a chilling ghostly aura. The walls on both sides turned to mud. I followed Ghost Fiend Star inside. In a blink, the howling sounds by my ear vanished.
The sight before me was startling. The original Ghost Tomb Mountain was almost gone, and in Ghost Tomb Forest, only a few strange, star-shaped trees remained alive. Most of the trees had fallen, looking as if they'd withered and died.
"See? When the Wraithlord appeared, this place was hit by waves of power. Now, almost everything is dead."
I nodded, confirming that the oppressive gloom from before was gone. I could barely sense any yin energy. Black Moon took out a silver crescent-shaped boat. We boarded it and headed toward the ruins of the original Ghost Tomb City, now nothing but dust.
"By the way, Rachel Lan, your transformation really is remarkable."
I looked at Ghost Fiend Star in confusion. He sized me up and nodded.
"I'm no longer your match."
"How do you know that?"
Ghost Fiend Star shook his head, bracing himself against the ground with both hands, looking somewhat regretful.
"People from the Ghost Syndicate, because we've lived alongside ghosts and souls for so long, are extremely sensitive to both human and ghost souls. Right now, your soul gives me an overwhelming sense of awe. The moment I saw you, I was sure—your soul is far too strong!"
[Irrelevant system message skipped.]
Black Moon smiled, turning to look at me.