"So it turns out he's been like this for a long time—willful and reckless, never showing his true nature. In my opinion, Miss Yi, John Chou is both a good teacher and a good brother."
I quietly watched Isabelle Frost beside me. She said nothing, her eyes vacant as she stared at the frozen memory before her. The memory ended—or rather, was forcibly stopped for Isabelle—and I could feel the flow of yang energy around us. If I closed my eyes, I could sense it: we were in a city, near a bustling, lively street.
"Ethan Zhang, what do you think he really wants?"
I looked at Isabelle Frost in surprise. I never expected her to ask such a question. What also surprised me was that Meng Po intended to make her the successor; in the previous endpoint, Isabelle Frost was the one who sent souls into reincarnation.
"Miss Yi, then what do you want?"
I asked, a little afraid. After all, I always regarded Isabelle Frost with the same wary respect I had for strict teachers back in elementary school.
"What I want no longer matters, Ethan Zhang. Remember this—don't tell anyone."
I replied with a hum. In the dusk, the brother and sister watched the scene of the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, slowly fading away, turning into particles of light.
When I looked around again, I was certain—I had returned to the Living World. But everything still looked like Henderson Manor. Right in front of me, to the right of the main hall, stood a delicate three-story octagonal tower.
"Ethan."
As soon as I heard Rachel Lan's voice, I drifted over. She and Heavenly Soul weren't far from me. When I arrived, Rachel Lan looked at me with delight.
"You're back."
I hummed in response. What puzzled me most was the architecture here—it looked renovated, yet very old. It was undoubtedly Henderson Manor, but why did it still exist now?
I looked toward the light—it was a city. I flew up for a better view and saw a bustling street lined with food stalls, packed with people. I scanned the area with my eyes closed; everything was completely different from before. Within a hundred meters, I could sense so much without even using the Specter Web, especially the presence of yin energy. I didn’t need the Specter Web at all.
I noticed Isabelle Frost was on the second floor of the small tower, standing on the large balcony, her face full of nostalgia as she gazed at everything inside. I wanted to go to her, but Rachel Lan stopped me.
"Don't go, Ethan. Let Miss Yi have a moment alone. I'm a bit hungry."
I glanced at the street outside and hummed in agreement. I immediately released the Specter Web, transforming myself in an instant. Heavenly Soul stayed behind in the courtyard, leaving Rachel Lan and me to go on our own.
We arrived at the entrance of a shop. I didn’t want to eat anything, but Rachel Lan ordered some food.
Rachel Lan grinned as she ate at the table full of food. It seemed she hadn’t seen food from the Living World in ages. Although the food in the Dark Realm looked almost identical, it was never quite the same.
"Rachel, what do you plan to do next?"
"You decide, Ethan."
Rachel Lan said, and I hummed in response.
"Let's go see Uncle Mo and the others first, then I'll take you to my family's place."
Rachel Lan nodded.
I quietly watched the people passing by on the street, resting my chin in my hand, lost in thought with a smile on my face. It felt like I was in a long dream—one that I hadn’t yet awakened from.
"What's wrong, Ethan? Aren't you eating?"
"I've really become a ghost now. I have no appetite for this stuff."
Rachel Lan smiled, joking as she reached out her hand.
"Want to try a piece of my meat instead?"
"Sure."
As I spoke, I grabbed Rachel Lan's hand, pretending I was about to bite down.
Beep beep.
A shrill horn sounded. Rachel Lan and I stopped fooling around and turned to look outside—a taxi had stopped right in front of the shop.
"Sorry to interrupt, Ethan, but things are urgent. I hope you two can get in the car as soon as you finish eating."
I hummed in response. Rachel Lan glared at Ray Lin, a bit annoyed. He quickly nodded and made an apologetic gesture.
"Boss, three bottles of wine for us."
I said, as Ray Lin got out of the car and came inside, sitting down next to me. I raised my glass and toasted with him.
"So, Ethan, you still seem a little out of place here. You've only been gone for three months, you know."
I shook my head, unsure how to explain my feelings to Ray Lin, but he could already tell something had changed in me.
"You've finally become a true Blue Wraith, Ethan."
I hummed in response.
"I've sealed away my human side completely. I can't balance human and ghost powers right now. Besides, the war is about to start, isn't it?"
Ray Lin nodded, then reached out his hand. I saw a red Specter Web in his palm.
"I'm passing this to you, along with a message from John Chou. If you return, go find him."
I took the Specter Web and glanced at Rachel Lan. She smiled and shook her head.
"It's fine, Ethan. When you find John Chou and come back, look for me. I want to rest for a while and digest what Old Yan and Old Huang taught me."
I hummed in response. I knew exactly why John Chou wanted me to find him.
Ray Lin began to explain. Since Shen Yanjun captured all fourteen cities north of the Nether Ghost Domain, there have been no major conflicts. The Imperial Gods have been quiet, and the Underworld armies have occupied the fourteen cities, building various defensive structures in the wilderness.
The chaos in the Living World has also been contained for now, with no issues at present. The Underworld is trying to recruit people from the Ritualist community for negotiations, but many sects refuse to participate in the war—especially the Buddhist and Taoist factions, who insist they'll only ensure peace in the Living World and won't get involved in the conflict. The Underworld still wants them to send representatives for talks, and the negotiations are set to take place at Banbu Duo.
"Always the same—wanting to stay out of it."
I couldn't help but mutter. It's always been like this—the Buddhist and Taoist factions always remain on the sidelines, never united to solve anything. I couldn't help but think of Zhang Zhiqing; if he were still alive, maybe he'd try to persuade them again.
"Ethan, I don't think it's fair to say they're staying out of it. After all, this really isn't their business—the rulers started all this."
I hummed in response. Rachel Lan had a point. Stripped of everything, this war is really about fighting for control of Hell.
Just then, Isabelle Frost appeared on the street in a red dress, walking slowly toward us. She immediately drew a crowd, with people stopping to take pictures—after all, this was a tourist spot, and her look wasn't out of place. Once inside, Isabelle Frost sat down next to Rachel Lan.
"Why do you want to find John Chou?"
Isabelle Frost asked, though she already knew the answer. She didn’t want me to help John Chou recover the Blood Fiend power. Ever since I met Isabelle Frost, she’s always repeated this question, hoping I wouldn’t help him.
"Of course I'm going to help him, Miss Yi."
Isabelle Frost raised her glass, took a sip, and stared at me coldly.
"Does he really want you to help him? Or does he really want to go back to the way things used to be, Ethan Zhang?"
I shook my head.
"I don't know. All I know is, without my help, he can't get his power back. So I have to help him."
"Suit yourself!"
Isabelle Frost said nothing more. After we finished eating, Ray Lin and I glanced at each other—neither of us had any money. In the end, I had no choice but to dine and dash, confusing the boss into thinking we'd already paid.
"I'll send someone from the Underworld to pay later. Don't worry about it, Ethan."
Rachel Lan and I got into the car. This time, Heavenly Soul decided not to come with us.
"Where are you going?"
I asked. Heavenly Soul smiled, tilting his head to gaze at the sky.
"I'm going to check on Earthly Soul. There are some things I'm worried about. Back at the Dark Banquet, I sensed something strange—although my connection to you is cut, my link to Earthly Soul remains. I can still sense part of it."
"If you see him, tell him thanks for me."
Ray Lin started the car, Yi Xuehan took the passenger seat, and the vehicle slowly moved down the street. Suddenly, it accelerated and plunged into a green space in an instant.
All around us, streams of green energy swirled like flames—Ray Lin’s ghostly aura. I could clearly sense it now.
"Where to first, Qingyuan?"
"Ruoxi, let's take you back to Uncle Moe and the others first."
Rachel Lan gave a soft "Mm" and quietly leaned against my shoulder.
"You feel so cold now—like there's not a trace of warmth left in you."
I let out a little sound of surprise, but smiled and said:
"As long as my heart's still warm, that's all that matters, Ruoxi."
For a moment, the car was silent. It was almost midnight. I closed my eyes, but my mind kept turning, trying to figure out how to survive this war.
"We're almost there, Qingyuan."
With a screech, the car landed smoothly on a street bathed in dim yellow lamplight. Across from us was Helen Lane’s café, still lit inside.
"You’re finally back, daughter and son-in-law."
The door opened, and Old Moe came out with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.