For three days straight, I drifted between two towns—mirror images of each other. In the deserted town where I found myself, everything was normal. In the other, where the Faceless Ones roamed, everything was reversed.
It was only on the second night that I realized how bizarre this space was. I tried heading over the mountains, but after crossing countless peaks, I ended up back in the deserted town. This reminded me of what happened in Exile Town: once we entered, there was no way out, and even leaving the entrance only led us deeper into the town.
That technique was set by Quentin Kue, and now, the space I’m in might be connected to the special formation in Exile Town. I desperately tried to recall the basics of supernatural arts my father taught me as a child, but I couldn’t find a solution. If this is a formation, I just need to find something related to it and use my power to forcibly break it—the formation would collapse.
If it’s a supernatural technique, I could break it by destroying the medium it uses—but I found neither. For three whole days, nothing changed. Even if the houses were damaged, they’d be restored by morning. I tried burning the Faceless Ones with my own flames, but my power couldn’t harm them at all—I couldn’t even touch them.
I watched snowflakes swirling outside the window, numb and silent in my seat. The endless snowfall only deepened my loneliness. Maybe that girl had also waited here for ages. When she passed through me, I fell into this space, and she returned to the world of the living.
I checked my phone—midnight. My stomach twisted with hunger. The fridge was stocked enough to last for ages, especially in this bitter cold.
After a casual meal, I stepped outside. The snow had stopped. Looking down at the long river, I could hear the water flowing beneath the ice. What puzzled me most since arriving here was why I’d run into myself on the way back.
I’ve racked my brain over this. It doesn’t seem to be about time, nor is it a dream. Both sensations are etched in my memory—especially time. I’ve been through the Infinite Cycle; I know what the power of time feels like. That’s something the Coexistence recorded for me.
But I’m pretty calm now. John Chou once told me that everything in this world has its logic. If you encounter something strange, just settle your mind and carefully consider everything that happened—you’ll always find a clue.
The sky stayed gloomy as I walked, replaying the whole sequence of events in my mind. It all began with the Dragon-Phoenix Token. I took out the two sculptures—no matter when, they were always warm. That Third Master of the Nether Syndicate, Hugh Go, why did he guide me to that space? His tomb stands there, and the black aura entangling him—what is it?
In the fourfold dream I’d had before, the things I saw appeared in reality in a different form. What is Hugh Go’s purpose? I can’t figure it out. It’s not about sealing the Blood Jade, nor is it about taking the Blood Jade away.
Just then, I heard faint footsteps. Startled, I spun around and swung Belle in a single, decisive slash.
"Miss May..."
Standing before me was a woman in a gray long robe, her hair tied in a high bun, a shawl draped over her shoulders. She looked to be in her forties or fifties, but her classical beauty radiated undeniable charm.
"May?"
I stared in confusion at the woman who had caught my sword with one hand. She looked at me just as puzzled.
"Are you May Shaw?"
I asked. One of the four straw effigies Ivy Chen brought was named May Shaw. The woman before me had a trace of hostility in her eyes.
"Underworld Agent."
My eyes widened. Instantly, a tingling sensation shot through me and I leapt back. With a thunderous crash, the woman’s demeanor shifted—she crouched low and charged, her hands forming seals. I stared, wide-eyed.
A series of metallic clinks rang in my ears.
"Heavenly Lotus Prison."
White lotus flowers appeared all around me—this was a Nether Syndicate technique. My eyes widened in shock. With a sharp hiss, a white bolt of lightning flashed before me, instantly linking the lotuses into a cage that trapped me completely.
I raised Belle, crimson flames igniting over my skin.
"You’re young, but you can already wield this kind of fire."
The woman before me spoke, glaring at me in anger.
"Um, ma’am, I wandered in here by accident. Can you tell me where this place is?"
The woman raised one hand, pressing two fingers together as she manipulated the spell. My mind was filled with the knowledge my father had drilled into me: never be distracted by the spell itself when facing an enemy. Spells are cast by people, so always watch their every move—a tiny motion signals the release. I was certain now; this woman was using the spell to try to kill me. The murderous intent in her eyes was real, and her anger was about to explode.
"Enough talk."
The moment I saw her fingers move, I spread my wings. Crimson flames instantly engulfed me—the Vermilion Mantle covered my body completely.
With a thunderous boom, I felt something sharp slice into my shoulders and legs, but at least I escaped the formation. I swallowed hard—the woman had vanished. Confused, I noticed white lotus marks on my body. I didn’t know what they meant, but I knew the danger was real. The woman was powerful; she didn’t need incantations, just hand seals to cast spells.
[Irrelevant passage omitted: This is an instruction for web readers, not part of the novel.]
"Why attack me?"
I shouted, but the woman didn’t respond—she was nowhere to be seen. I kept searching, relying on my eyes, since both of my instincts were now unusable.
I tried burning away the white lotuses glowing faintly on my body. It seemed the woman had strong hostility toward Underworld Agents, and she was from the Nether Syndicate. I’d seen Damian Chen use this spell before—its power was terrifying. Back then, John Chou’s ghost form couldn’t reassemble for a long time.
Now I could only stay alert. Nether Syndicate spells don’t just target ghosts—they affect people too. My mother once told me: Nether Syndicate techniques either target souls or ghost spirits. Ever since the Third Master was captured by the Renegade Monks, the Syndicate focused on spells that attack human souls—for self-defense.
"I was guided here by Hugh Go, the Third Master of the Nether Syndicate. I even have the Dragon-Phoenix Token."
I hurriedly took out the little dragon and rooster sculptures. Instantly, the white lotuses on my body faded. I breathed a sigh of relief. The woman stood below, silently gazing up at me.
I descended from the air, letting my power dissipate.
"My name is Rachel Lan."
The woman instantly erupted in fury.
"Everyone in the Lan Family deserves to die."
I shot her a furious glare, my grip tightening around Belle. My patience was wearing dangerously thin.
"Are you a descendant of Lan Miu?"
I thought carefully. I really was the legitimate heir of the Lan Family. Lan Miu was the ancestor of Lan Yin, and I was Lan Yin’s descendant. Lan Yin was my great-grandfather, so I nodded.
"Good. It’s truly karma. Rachel Lan, you’ll spend the rest of your life here. This place has no time, no space—you’ll never escape. And judging by your power, you must be important in the Lan Family. Ha, the Wheel of Fate turns—your family deserves this."
"That’s a grudge from generations past. Don’t pin it on me. Besides, do you really think I can’t beat you?"
I shot her a heated glare, but she clearly had no intention of fighting me now.
"It seems so. Your power is more than it appears. Is Lan Yin still the current head of the Lan Family?"
I shook my head.
"I’m the current head of the family."
The woman looked at me in disbelief, clearly skeptical. I ignored her.
"Can you tell me how to get out of here?"
"Once you enter, don’t even think about leaving." She laughed.
As she spoke, the woman vanished. But I caught a flicker of shadow sweeping across the ground—I recognized it immediately as Shadow Substitution, a formidable Nether Syndicate technique that transforms one's shadow into a proxy. (Note: Shadow Substitution is a high-level supernatural art from the Nether Syndicate, allowing the user’s shadow to act independently or serve as a decoy.)
"Can you please be clear? Stop being so cryptic! I already said I was guided here by your Third Master. Look—I have the Dragon-Phoenix Token."
I yelled, but the woman didn’t appear again.
A cold wind swept by and I shivered, returning to my hotel room with a sigh. I soaked in the hot spring, too tired to think about that infuriating woman. If I stayed here, she’d show up again—she couldn’t stand the end of the season either. It seemed she and May Shaw had spent a long time together.