Michael Chen kept laughing uncontrollably. Helen Chen clutched her head, collapsed on the ground, utterly heartbroken, crying and screaming. All of us were stunned.
"It's terrifying. I'll never forget that night—my own parents, slaughtered by Samuel Chen as if they were animals."
At this moment, Michael Chen was holding his head, tears streaming down his face.
"You're lying, you're lying! My dad, my dad..."
Helen Chen screamed hysterically.
"I'm not lying, you know? Chenshire is a natural gathering place for ghostly energy. You've been to that cave, haven't you?"
"Heh, you must've heard—the villagers there all died in a single night. You killed me, I killed you, isn't that right?"
I nodded. I learned all this from Zachary Chow, the renegade monk, and he was told by Justin Lee—the teacher Helen Chen killed with her own hands.
Helen Chen kept clutching her head, looking utterly panicked.
"But why? Why did the Immortality Society do all this?"
Michael Chen stood up.
"You already know about the experiments on death row inmates, right? This was just one of them. Heh, immortality isn't so simple..."
Back then, after Samuel Chen learned everything about the Immortality Society, he joined them and adopted Helen Chen, who was just an infant. But the tragedy began from that moment.
People born on the Ghost Festival—the 14th day of the seventh lunar month—fall into two categories. At midnight, the Ghost Gate opens and countless spirits emerge. Those born exactly at midnight are especially unique—they become perfect vessels for ghost refinement and are doomed to misfortune.
Helen Chen was born exactly at midnight on the Ghost Festival—down to the exact second. The odds of this are astronomically low, but those born at this time are naturally saturated with ghostly energy.
Helen Chen was no exception. From the moment she entered the village, strange incidents became frequent, with many visitors coming every night.
Michael Chen continued, "By then, the Immortality Society was already working with the Ghost Syndicate. The Ghost Syndicate used some unknown method to drug Helen Chen every night, and that drug was anything but ordinary."
Those born at midnight on the Ghost Festival are irresistibly attractive to ghosts. Many spirits believe that consuming such a person will free them from suffering, and as they gathered, the villagers became their prey.
The ghostly energy in Chenshire grew heavier and heavier. In the end, only Helen Chen, Samuel Chen, and Principal Roy Chen survived.
That night, after the villagers finished slaughtering each other, the drug fed to Helen Chen was actually the baleful ghost energy that gathered inside a ghost after consuming a human. Ghosts are of the yin, and when they kill, the yin energy mixes and forms baleful ghost energy.
After the villagers slaughtered each other that night, the drug Helen Chen was given was actually the baleful energy collected inside ghosts after they devoured humans. Ghosts are beings of yin, and when they kill, that yin energy mixes and turns into baleful ghost energy.
The members of the Immortality Society controlled all the ghosts, and every night, they used special methods to feed the baleful ghost energy produced by the ghosts to Helen Chen.
"Stop it, stop it, ah..." Helen Chen screamed, crying uncontrollably.
"You must've noticed—in that village, there were hardly any people during the day, but at night, the place filled up."
"How did you survive? You and Roy Chen?"
I kept asking. Helen Chen was on the verge of collapse, crying nonstop.
"The two of us were lucky. Samuel Chen kept us alive to work for him. That was when Roy Chen and I joined the Immortality Society."
"So what about the things in Helen Chen's memory—what really happened?"
Michael Chen forced a laugh.
"Dreamwalking, you know? Thanks to help from the Naraku people, everything in Helen Chen's memory happened in a dream. Heh. But she's a complete coward—she just let everything happen, even after becoming a ghost. Do you know how those students died?"
"Was it you?" I stared, clenching my fists.
"To be precise, it was this guy who did it—all without Helen Chen knowing."
Just as Michael Chen finished speaking, a pitch-black ghost appeared—only its eyes visible, its whole body enveloped in darkness, staring at us with a vacant gaze.
Everyone instantly tensed up.
Michael Chen glanced sideways at the ghost emerging from his body, and laughed.
"If you're coming out of my body, that means... it's time, isn't it...?"
As soon as Michael Chen finished speaking, the pitch-black ghost floated to the window, gave him a blank stare, then turned and drifted out, its form gradually fading away.
"What exactly are you planning?"
I demanded loudly. Then Michael Chen undid the buttons on his suit, tossing the jacket aside.
"I'm a monster, aren't I, Ethan Zhang? Let all the darkness orchestrated by Samuel Chen be buried. Now, my blood is boiling, Ethan Zhang—come on."
With a crash, the floor split open. We all watched as Michael Chen's slight stomp caused the entire ground to crack.
I swallowed hard as baleful energy slowly seeped out.
"Everyone, be careful!" shouted Hu Tianshu.
"I haven't seen myself like this in ages. Heh, Ethan Zhang, you're human, but not really. I used to be stubborn too, just like you. Maybe that stubbornness saved my life back then."
With another crash, Michael Chen stomped the ground, collapsing it in an instant. He shot toward us like a cannonball.
This chapter isn't over yet~.~ Click next page to continue reading!
"Ethan, dodge!"
Rachel Lan shouted. I rolled to the side just in time. Her Spirit Veil fluttered through the air, blocking my path. Michael Chen crashed into the Spirit Veil and was instantly entangled—strips of white silk wrapped tightly around his body, binding him securely.
Michael Chen burst out laughing.
Suddenly, I met Michael Chen's eyes—eyes brimming with murderous intent, but also something else. I froze. With a tearing sound, the Spirit Veil binding Michael Chen shredded into pieces.
Suddenly, I met Michael Chen's eyes—eyes brimming with murderous intent, but also something else. I froze. With a tearing sound, the Spirit Veil binding Michael Chen shredded into pieces.
A massive fist swung at me. Rachel Lan's Spirit Veil wrapped around me, yanking me away. With a bang, Michael Chen's fist smashed into the floor, leaving a gaping hole.
"Everyone, just focus on escaping!" Hu Tianshu shouted.
"Into the elevator!" Over a dozen members of the Ghost Burial Squad rushed inside. As I was pulled back, Rachel Lan didn't hesitate—she dragged me into the elevator too.
Hu Tianshu dove into the elevator after us.
"Fire!" Gunshots erupted instantly. Michael Chen charged through the hail of bullets, his body riddled with holes, blood spraying everywhere.
The elevator doors slowly closed and began descending to the first floor.
"Damn, even nine lives wouldn't be enough. But the way he looks, he can't last much longer. We just have to hold out until he's exhausted, then figure out how to subdue him."
No sooner had Hu Tianshu finished speaking than pounding noises echoed from outside. The sounds were so loud we could hear them through the elevator. Just as we reached the tenth floor, the doors creaked open—a pair of massive hands reached inside.
"Where do you think you're going, Ethan Zhang?"
In an instant, Michael Chen shoved his hand inside. Rachel Lan immediately unleashed her Spirit Veil and stepped up to block him. I saw Michael Chen's hand morph into a blade, stabbing straight at us.
"Watch out!" I shouted. Hu Tianshu realized what was happening, and together we pushed Rachel Lan down. With a ripping sound, the Spirit Veil was pierced, leaving a hole, and the elevator stalled, creaking loudly.
It was Michael Chen—his other hand had embedded itself in the elevator's steel wall. Sharp mechanical grinding noises rang out, and the stench from the friction filled the air.
"Not good," Hu Tianshu muttered. Suddenly, my Deathbane Aura surged. I gathered it in my hand, stood up, and charged at Michael Chen with all my might.
With a bang, black Deathbane Aura burst outward. Michael Chen gritted his teeth as I crashed into him, and together we flew out of the elevator.
A shrill screech followed as the elevator descended.
"Ethan...!" Rachel Lan screamed behind me.
Without thinking, I rolled to the side. With a crash, Michael Chen stomped the ground, splitting the floor open and revealing a skull amid flying debris.
I barely regained my footing when Michael Chen kicked at me. Instantly, I used Deathbane Aura to form a shield, but the black shield shattered with his kick, leaving me to raise my hands in defense.
With a dull thud, I was sent flying down the corridor. After tumbling across the floor, I finally came to a stop.
Michael Chen approached step by step. I looked up, ignoring the searing pain in my hands—my bones felt like they were fractured. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stand.
At that moment, I saw that Michael Chen looked even stronger than before, his whole body seeming ready to explode.
"It's useless, Ethan Zhang. Stalling won't work on me—after all, I'm a monster. If you don't kill me, I'll slaughter everyone. Not a single one will be left."
"Damn...!" I yelled, turning and bolting away.