Beneath us churned a black vortex, endlessly spinning. It seemed infinite—anything, no matter what, was sucked in and vanished. I watched as countless things, people and objects alike, were swept into its depths, swallowed without a trace.
But these were not true people or objects. They were fragments of the past, everything that had ever happened in the living world, all drawn into this vortex of time, shattered and lost forever.
Qingyuan. In my mind, Rufina Howard's cheerful voice echoed. I placed the Black Crescent Fang into my body—now I understood how to wield its power. In the past, wherever I was near Rufina Howard, the memories belonging to her would be automatically gathered. When a segment of memories was collected, Jules and Darren would guide me to the next experience.
"Let's go, Ethan Zhang. We will send you to the past, precisely."
I glanced at Yvonne May behind me. Everything she had said still left my heart in turmoil, the unease clinging to me like a shadow.
"No matter what happens, we must do what needs to be done."
Yvonne May spoke. I nodded. Jules gripped my left shoulder, Darren gripped my right.
"Are you ready?"
I nodded. In an instant, Jules and Darren thrust me forward, sending me hurtling into the vast, monstrous vortex below. The roar in my ears grew deafening as the darkness swallowed me whole. My mind was flooded with memories of meeting Rufina Howard.
I still remember, at the very beginning, how she tricked those loan sharks, helped solve their problems, and made a fool of me in the process. A faint smile crept onto my face.
I remember that day so clearly. Rufina Howard was always so clever, her smile hiding secrets, her eyes full of mischief. She was never afraid to take risks, never afraid to stand up for herself.
After showing a contented smile, I sank into the black vortex. There was no special sensation. The scenery around me changed—brilliant, dazzling colors, all glowing and beautiful. I couldn't help but stare in awe.
I kept descending. At that moment, I felt my consciousness start to blur, my mind turning to mush.
"We're here, Ethan Zhang."
Jules' voice sounded in my ear. I nodded.
Dazed, I snapped back to awareness. Smiles Finance Office—I was standing on the rooftop across the street. I quickly lay down on the roof, my eyes turning gold and red. I could clearly see, at the window on the second floor opposite, a petite figure, back to me, hunched over a desk, writing. It was Rufina Howard.
Suddenly, a wave of sorrow welled up from deep inside me.
"Kid, no matter what happens, I will save you."
Clenching my fist, I saw commotion at the distant street corner. It was Samantha Simons and me. Samantha, dressed in office attire, was not only beautiful but also carried herself with a remarkable presence. As she walked, people couldn't help but steal glances. Seeing myself, I sighed helplessly.
I was dressed plainly—a white shirt, ordinary short hair, jeans, and cloth shoes. I looked average. Walking beside Samantha Simons, I unconsciously lowered my head, feeling awkward.
At that moment, I felt a burning sensation in my chest. I quickly reached out—a black crescent appeared in my hand. This crescent was strange, hollow in the middle, and it didn’t feel like a crescent at all, but rather some kind of animal tooth.
"You guessed right! Hehe, I’m a tooth from the Celestial Hound."
My heart leapt in shock—the thing could actually talk.
But there was no time to dwell on it—I had to act fast. No matter what, Samantha Simons was still a high-level Blue Wraith. I needed to be careful, or she’d easily notice me.
Placing a hand on the ground, my Specter Web merged with the earth’s energy. In an instant, I moved to where Rufina Howard was sitting. My ghost aura was completely restrained. With a wave of my hand, the crescent tooth adhered to her body—she didn’t notice at all.
All I had to do now was wait. Once the meeting with her was over, the memory would be collected, and I could retrieve the black tooth.
Everything happened exactly as I remembered. I went up to the second floor and immediately clashed with Rufina Howard—and I got caught. This was a moment I’d rather not recall.
"That damned girl."
Sitting on the rooftop across the street, I cursed. My past self had already come downstairs, wearing a lewd grin. I covered my forehead, speechless. Just thinking about it gave me a headache.
My past self started grabbing his waist, singing Easton Grant’s old song, successfully drawing the attention of passersby. Then he began stripping, piece by piece, until he was stark naked. Only then did Samantha Simons snap me out of it. I saw Rufina Howard at the stairwell, laughing so hard she bent over. I could only shake my head helplessly.
Everything ended when the Ghost Burial Squad arrived.
"Goodbye."
I saw Rufina Howard on the sidewalk, her large backpack slung over her shoulders as she ran off without looking back.
"Young Master Qingyuan, you and that little girl are now bound by fate."
I looked at Sima Ying as she spoke, then smiled and quickly chased after Rufina Howard. I caught up with her at the street corner, where she stood, her eyes blankly scanning everything around her.
"They really are good people. If only I could see them again."
At that moment, Rufina Howard's eyes held a deep loneliness. Her gaze was lost, unsure of where to go or what to do.
My heart ached for her. Maybe I should have chased after her back then.
The Black Crescent Fang that clung to Rufina Howard flew toward me. I caught it in my hand, feeling a sudden pull—the memory was collected. Now, I could move on to the next past.
Just then, Rufina Howard turned her head, grinning with a radiant smile.
"Next time, I'll go play with that Zhang Qingyuan."
A pang of sorrow welled up in my heart. I was already back in the tunnel of time, the next memory unfolding before me.
Crowds surged around me. In a street lined with food stalls, a rumbling sound echoed.
In the crowd, I saw a figure—Rufina Howard clutching fifty cents, glancing around anxiously, holding her stomach.
"Ah, I'm starving. What should I do? There's only this much money left."
At last, Rufina Howard stopped at a barbecue stall, asking about prices. The vegetable skewers were just fifty cents, but faced with so many choices, she hesitated over what to eat.
I did as before, attaching the Black Crescent Fang to her back.
The past version of myself emerged from the crowd. Looking closer, I realized I was different from a few months ago—the timidity that once clung to me was gone.
The nightmares that plagued my childhood—I returned home determined to face them all.
Watching my past self and Rufina Howard sit at a small table, a feast of grilled skewers before us, Rufina Howard ate happily.
"Eat as much as you want. There's no limit."
Looking back on everything, I can't help but realize—maybe from the very first moment I saw Rufina Howard, I felt she was just like me. Alone since childhood, without friends, and that's why I wanted to get close to her. At first, I thought of avoiding her, remembering what happened that day, but I still went over.
The memory began to fade. My past self slipped some money to Rufina Howard. She refused, but I insisted, saying Exile Town was far away and Redhair had helped me, so she deserved it.
The memory was ending. Just then, as Jules and Darren were about to take me away, I felt the Black Crescent Fang grow restless.
"What are you trying to do?"
"This bit of memory is nowhere near enough."
A jolt of fear ran through me as I gripped the Black Crescent Fang. This was what Black Moon had warned about—this thing was trouble, and could bring me disaster.
"How can I trust you?"
Yvonne May had said that if I only revisited the past I remembered, there was little risk. But if I entered a past I had never known, and something went wrong, I would never return.
"Suit yourself. That little girl, and the Ghost Sovereign—those memories are precious to her, aren't they? Don't you want to collect such an important experience? If you can't restore it later, don't blame me."
Jules and Darren stood beside me, waiting for my decision.
"Go after her."
I drifted forward, quickly finding Rufina Howard and attaching the Black Crescent Fang to her again.
This time, Rufina Howard heard about a powerful formation left by Zhong Kui, and she was overjoyed, bouncing along with the address I wrote for her, asking everyone she met.
With the help of a kind stranger, Rufina Howard found the location of Exile Town, the place once created by Ji Yuner for humans and ghosts to coexist. To heal my wounds, Ji Yuner took us there in search of medicine.
Looking back, I realized that was my first real close encounter with Lan Ruoxi.
I followed Rufina Howard closely as she reached the nearby station and boarded a bus heading north.
Days passed. Though the journey was exhausting, Rufina Howard's face always shone with a crystalline light—she was truly happy about this trip.
"Little sister, there's nothing out there. Where are your parents?"
The driver shouted as he dropped Rufina Howard at the entrance to Exile Town. She jumped out of the car without a word and ran along the dirt road.
Gradually, she approached—a long ravine completely blocked the road. Rufina Howard stopped, set down her backpack, took out paper and pen, and began to work, lying on the ground.
"It's the first time someone has asked me for help. I have to do my best. Maybe when I get back, I can be friends with him."
I watched Rufina Howard quietly, a wave of sorrow rising within me.
"So I just never noticed? I really am slow..."