The shipbuilding work was still in full swing. Progress was slow, and it was impossible to tell how much time had passed. Although there was some movement from the underworld and people came by, not a single ghost officer, not even a Hell Judge, dared to set foot on Lady Meng's territory.
The shape of the ship was now visible—over twenty meters long and more than ten meters high. The massive hull still needed a deck and internal structures. A single crimson sail was being prepared, padded inside with Red Spider Lily leaves and connected petal by petal on the outside.
This ship required Ray Lin and Hannah Yi to continuously release Specter Webs, and inject high-quality ones at that. Even without the input of ghost energy, the ship would not break apart for a long time. Lady Meng warned us that if anything happened to those two, the vessel would immediately collapse.
The idea of building a ship from Red Spider Lilies was also conceived by Mr. Wraithshade. He only used 999 flowers for his vessel, but our number was ten times that. So Lady Meng instructed us to gather 9,999 petals, leaves, and stems.
"Mr. Wraithshade truly is remarkable, to come up with such an idea."
I smiled, while Lady Meng sighed helplessly beside me.
"That guy is quite something. He can negotiate with anyone, and even with a knife to his throat, he never flinches—he can smile and fight with ease. As for John Chou, well..."
Indeed, Mr. Wraithshade—no one knows whether he is dead or alive. He vanished during the massive assault on Ghost Mound by John Chou and Yuna Ji. The only thing that comes to mind is The Dark Banquet.
"Lady Meng, do you know anything about The Dark Banquet?"
As soon as I spoke, Black Moon and Deathcurse both turned to look at me.
"Heh, Boss, I just hope that when the day comes for you to attend The Dark Banquet, we'll be able to stand by your side and join you at that feast."
There was anticipation—especially from Deathcurse and Black Moon. Intense light flashed in their eyes as Ghost Painting Book Immortal looked at me.
"Fang, are you on the list?"
Ray Lin stopped with a cheerful grin, while Hannah Yi already knew and wasn't surprised. I nodded, raising my hand. I possessed it too—buried deep within the endless darkness inside me: the list.
An ominous aura kept gathering in my palm. Gradually, a black book appeared in my hand.
"So you really do have the list. That's enough to make you our Boss."
Deathcurse exclaimed, but the list soon faded away. Since my name was on it, everyone understood and didn't ask further.
"So what exactly is this thing? You've always talked about The Dark Banquet—I've always wanted to go."
Felix Zhou asked. Excitement shone in Deathcurse's eyes as he laughed, his voice chilling and as if his throat was being dragged.
"The only one on the list is Fang. Sigh, I wish I could see it for myself, but it seems this lifetime won't give me the chance."
"No..."
Ghost Painting Book Immortal had just finished speaking when Deathcurse burst out laughing.
"As long as you stick close to Fang for long enough, we've got a pretty good chance of attending The Dark Banquet. After all, I've seen those who made it there—and the ones at their side."
The conversation about The Dark Banquet ended with a rebuke from Lady Meng. Ghost Painting Book Immortal refocused on building the ship.
After who knows how many days, the massive red, green, and brown ship that would carry us to Ethereal Isle was finally finished. The deck was sturdy—though made of petals, it felt just like the real thing.
We timed it for when the underworld guards were off duty, and launched the Ethereal Isle Vessel. Everyone boarded; Deathcurse took the helm, while Ray Lin and Victor Duan handled the sail.
"Thank you, Lady Meng."
I bowed respectfully.
"If I may ask, Lady Meng, can Ethereal Isle really be reached by following this River of Forgetfulness? If we accidentally stray into the Sixfold Cycle, we'll be in trouble."
Suspicion flickered in Deathcurse's eyes as he stared at Lady Meng. She shook her head.
"I don't know myself. Mr. Wraithshade reached Ethereal Isle by following this river, and in the end, it was a Wraith Enforcer who brought him back, flying through the flower fields."
"Let's set sail."
At my order, a rush of wind and swirling Red Spider Lilies surrounded us. Ray Lin and Victor Duan unfurled the sail, a powerful wind swept through, and the ship began to move, slowly drifting down the River of Forgetfulness toward the perpetual sunset on the horizon.
The Bridge of Remorse faded into the distance behind us. The River of Forgetfulness was about thirty meters wide, and our nearly seven- or eight-meter-wide ship sailed along, blending perfectly with the clusters of Red Spider Lilies lining both banks.
"Boss, I bet Ethereal Isle is going to be spectacular. Heh, I can't wait."
Black Moon said, and I felt the same way. Everyone was eager—Ethereal Isle, the place where ghosts go after death. Mr. Wraithshade had said it before, and in my experience, everything he predicted came true.
He once said Ghost Mound would be destroyed by John Chou and Yuna Ji, and it really was. But the roots weren't wiped out. With the arrival of peacetime and rampant materialism, Ghost Mound revived again. Maybe he named it Ghost Mound because he saw the end of the road for ghosts and was moved by its color and fate.
Cao Wanzhi sat in a wheelchair, holding a photo album, a look of nostalgia in his eyes. I walked over.
"You'll see them. Don't worry."
"Heh, you're more anxious than I am. No need to comfort me. But if you ever feel down, come talk to me. We're both lost souls in this world."
I smiled as I walked to the bedside. Deathcurse's body swayed in the wind, moving with the falling Red Spider Lilies. He began to hum, and everyone stared at him in surprise.
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The melody was beautiful, echoing the drifting Red Spider Lilies. The tune flowed like a gentle stream—no lyrics, just a deep, leisurely humming. You could hear the laughter in his heart.
I never expected Deathcurse to have such a voice—able to weave a beautiful song from two completely opposite tones, blending low and high notes into something soothing. At the bow, Hannah Yi stood, seemingly wistful. Her exquisite face was tinged with sorrow. The afterglow fell upon her, as if all color had faded, leaving only the cold and melancholy beauty of her features.
"Little Yi, are you remembering something? About John..."
Ghost Painting Book Immortal was about to say something but shut his mouth. He smiled and took out the yellow book.
"My job is to record everything completely. Heh, there's nothing more interesting than finding those strange stories. Fang, it seems following you isn't so bad."
I smiled, then walked toward the stern. Felix Zhou lay helplessly on the ground, apparently wanting to sleep. It was nighttime in the living world, but except for him, none of us needed sleep.
"Hey, what's up? You were so scared before, wanted to quit—why are you interested now?"
"It's natural to be afraid. Unlike you evil ghosts, I'm human—a flesh and blood person."
I smiled calmly and sat down beside Felix Zhou.
"Black Moon is human too."
"Don't compare me to that kind of monster who's lived several times my age. But you, Zhang... Fang, have you ever thought that if Ethereal Isle is suitable for living, you might not come back?"
I shook my head.
"Never thought about it. Do you still remember Frank Niu?"
I asked tentatively, and a smile appeared at the corner of Felix Zhou's mouth.
"Maybe, but I forgot long ago. That idiot, heh."
I stood up and looked around at the unchanging scenery. After seeing it for so many days, it was starting to get dull, but the ship kept moving.
I even saw the mouth of the river leading to Netherhell. Deathcurse steered precisely, and we worked hard to pull the sail, making sure the ship didn't drift into Netherhell.
We'd seen too many river mouths, mostly on the right side, all leading to Netherhell. The water there was black-green. On the left, there were no mouths at all.
"Is this really the way? Lady Meng is so irresponsible."
Deathcurse grew anxious. I placed a hand on his shoulder; waves of black curse energy swirled, sizzling against my skin.
"You'd better not touch me, Boss. This curse energy is far stronger than the Curse Ghost inside you."
I nodded and gazed into the distance.
The Red Spider Lily clusters began to disappear. All around were bare mountains and dark ground—nothing else, except for the ghosts sitting by the shore, lost in the Dream of Genesis and Finale.
"Pretty interesting."
After seeing someone's Dream of Genesis and Finale, Felix Zhou called out excitedly.
But I felt uneasy. If this kept up, we'd enter the Sixfold Cycle soon—and that would be trouble.
"Something's wrong, Boss."
Deathcurse shouted. We all saw it—the huge spheres ahead, the Sixfold Cycle visible now, and the ship couldn't stop. Suddenly, a thick mist appeared on our left.
"Head that way."
Black Moon shouted urgently; Deathcurse turned the helm, but a tremendous force pushed the ship.
"Give it everything you've got!"
Hannah Yi and Ray Lin released massive ghost energy from their bodies. We all rushed over to help turn the helm; we had to steer into that sudden mist, feeling the surging power inside it.
"Push harder, everyone!"
I shouted, but the ship still headed for the entrance to the Sixfold Cycle. We tried everything, moving the ship toward the thick mist.
"Just a little more!"
I stared blankly—there was definitely something in that mist, and everyone could hear the rushing sound.
With a whoosh, we plunged into the mist. Instantly, the ship began to shake violently. Thunder rumbled outside the fog, lightning flashed, and wave after wave of roaring surf crashed around us. We couldn't fly here—same as ever.
It was a vast ocean—black water, black sky. I stared into the distance, seeing no end, not even an island. Where was this place? Behind us, only more black sea.
"Looks like trouble, heh."
Ghost Painting Book Immortal spoke. In the distance, I saw a dark mass—two crimson eyes staring at us. I swallowed hard.
"Everyone, get ready for battle."
A wave of chilling murderous intent pressed against our skin—you could feel it even through your flesh.