The number of Outcast Wraiths gathering in the pile of strange rocks beside us kept increasing. It seemed they sensed the presence of the living and were drawn to us. As we walked, they followed, but never attacked, as if wary of the power we carried.
"I'm not going any further."
Felix Fu sat down heavily, and everyone stopped as well. We had been wandering for nearly an hour, yet for the seventh time, we found ourselves back at the entrance. This place was a maze with no way out.
Wendy Hsieh had been walking all the way, recording our path in a notebook with Troy Duan. Lan Yin always led the way. Now, he said nothing, just smiled.
"Let's rest for half an hour. In this kind of tense state, it's easy to get exhausted."
I didn't feel anything, really. After all, I'm a ghost now. As long as my ghost soul is intact, I don't feel hunger or fatigue.
From the cracks in the piles of strange rocks around us, pairs of yellow-brown eyes stared out in the moonlight, looking disturbingly sinister. The little ghosts watched us with predatory eyes, occasionally making incomprehensible sounds—sometimes fierce, sometimes calm—as if communicating.
Those little ghosts, with bodies like old tree bark and a yellow-brown hue, always kept at least ten meters away from us. If we had to deal with them now, it would be easy.
Everyone seemed to be thinking of solutions. I sat down, feeling curious about these Outcast Wraiths—their appearance was unique, and they moved in groups. We couldn't communicate verbally, and their strength was weak. I began to release strands of Specter Web, trying to make contact.
With a strange cry, as soon as my Specter Web touched one of the Outcast Wraiths, the others scattered in panic. My web caught the wraith, and it started shrieking.
After a careful inspection, I discovered these creatures were indeed ghosts—complete with all the basic structures of a ghost. But there was one difference: I actually sensed Yang energy on them. I blinked, closed my eyes again, and focused. Sure enough, there it was—Yang energy. I could feel it.
"Why do these things have Yang energy on them?"
I immediately demanded, my voice tight with unease, and then Julian Lu walked over.
"Ethan, let me tell you a story."
At first, I was delighted—I do enjoy a good story. But then I remembered: this guy tends to ramble.
"How long is the story?"
"It might take a whole day and night. There are quite a few stories."
I immediately raised my left hand and waved it.
"Forget it. Just tell me simply—why do these things have Yang energy? They're clearly ghosts."
Julian Lu was about to speak when Wang Su immediately cut him off.
"So that's what it means to be neither truly alive nor truly dead. Most of these creatures were beggars when they were alive."
I let out a sound of surprise and looked at Wang Su. He nodded and began to explain.
This society is full of homeless people and beggars, living lives without dignity at the very bottom.
I remembered that Yin Choujian once said, in this world, beggars are the lowest of the low. They have hands and feet, but must rely on begging and eating garbage to survive. Truly, neither alive nor dead.
Wang Su continued speaking.
"These beggars lived like this when alive, and after death, it's the same. They can only hide and scrape by, or be eaten by other ghosts. Even after judgment in the underworld, they don't go to hell."
I let out a sound of surprise and looked at Wang Su. He sighed, and I saw the little ghost I had grabbed shriek in terror. I immediately released my ghostly thread and let it go. Like a startled bird, the little ghosts scattered far away.
"If they don't go to hell, then where do they go?"
"They're exiled here."
Wang Su said this, and I let out a sound of surprise. I stood up and looked around—the place was filled with piles of strange rocks, utterly desolate.
"This place is special. It's vast, wedged between the world of the living and the dead. No one cares about it, and no one manages it."
Because hell is overcrowded and chances for reincarnation are rare, beggars are simply ignored. They're thrown into this realm between Yin and Yang, which is both convenient and a form of punishment.
Neither truly alive before death nor truly dead after. In this Yin-Yang realm, both Yin and Yang energies exist, so these beings aren't quite ghosts—they're half-human, half-ghost, steeped in Yang energy. This place has existed for countless years.
Lan Yin said, "Alright, to save time, let's split up: five of us release Spirit Thread, the other five record. Ethan, you lead the way."
Lan Yin spoke, and I made a sound of surprise. Everyone looked at me.
"Why are you standing there? You're lucky—maybe if you wander randomly, we'll find the way out."
I had no choice but to go ahead. The ten guides followed me. I picked random paths and started walking, but after a whole day, we still couldn't find a way out. The notebooks everyone used to record were now covered in lines marking all the routes.
"Let's get some sleep and continue tomorrow."
Lan Yin said, and I watched as the ten of them took out food and water, and simple sleeping bags. They blew them up and each settled down for the night.
"Zhang Qingyuan, we'll count on you to keep watch."
Mo Jue spoke, and soon fell asleep. The ten of them seemed exhausted. After all, we'd covered a lot of ground today, and five of them had been constantly releasing Spirit Thread, which drained them.
I couldn't sleep anyway, so I moved closer to the roadside, climbed onto a strange rock, and sat down. The little ghosts in the distance were still watching, but now they were several hundred meters away.
I recalled what Wang Su told me today: all these little ghosts were beggars. Like trash, they were despised in life and discarded here after death. This reminded me of the Road to the Yellow Springs and the things in the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Road—quite similar to this place.
"A giant garbage dump, huh?"
I couldn't help but smile. The people of the underworld are truly hateful. Even if it's overcrowded, at least in the underworld I've seen vast worlds and plenty of ghostly residents living well. How could there be an overcrowding problem?
Just then, a sudden, piercing buzz rang through my mind, followed by a long, crystalline chime. My nerves tightened, and I unleashed a surge of Specter Webs, every sense on edge.
"Is something out there?"
"Be careful, Qingyuan. This place is special. Someone is here."
Zhu Tang immediately reminded me. I nodded, stood up, and looked into the distance. Another bell sounded, as if calling me to go there.
With a whoosh, the Yin Ghost appeared, grinning as she looked into the distance.
"Go take a look. You've been invited by someone."
I made a sound of surprise, looking at the Yin Ghost, confused.
But I couldn't leave Lan Yin and the others behind while they rested. Just then, Lan Yin opened his eyes wide and crawled out of his sleeping bag.
"What's wrong, Qingyuan?"
I briefly explained the situation to Lan Yin, who fell silent for a moment.
"Go check it out, Qingyuan. Remember to extend your ghostly thread back here. If anything happens, come back immediately."
I nodded, fixed my ghostly thread to Lan Yin, and floated toward the distance. Dust billowed, and the little ghosts scattered in terror.
Suddenly, I felt my connection to Lan Yin snap. Instantly, I turned into a cloud of black mist and rushed back toward him.
With a whoosh, my eyes widened in shock. All my ghostly threads snapped right before my eyes. There was no path left—only jagged rocks and more little ghosts slowly gathering around me.
"Who is it? Show yourself!"
I floated quietly in the air, slowly surveying everything around me. The little ghosts had gathered beneath my feet, the closest only seven or eight meters away, reaching out as if trying to grab me.
A murderous chill began to seep from my body, followed by a surge of Ghost Aura. The Outcast Wraiths below shrieked in terror, their urge to attack growing more ferocious. I raised my hand, the air heavy with dread.
But as I considered striking, I felt a pang of pity for these wretches—especially now, knowing their fate. My mind raced, searching for another way. Raising my right hand, I began to gather power beneath the bleak sky.
A signal gun appeared in my hand. I infused it with fire energy, and with a bang, a pitch-black flare shot out, exploding in the distance. The black flames weren't obvious in the moonlight, but the commotion drew the little ghosts away.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, I saw a figure among the rocks. I swooped down, and sure enough, a light figure flashed in front of a pile of rocks. I immediately gave chase.