For three days straight, I’ve been resting. Today, I’m finally heading to the moment when the Wraith Ancestor’s Earth Soul escapes Hell. Right now, I’m eating. Every meal is fresh and delicious, but my gaze keeps drifting toward Lady Meng. She said something cryptic to me a few days ago.
"Life and death are already set by fate. Forcing things won’t change the outcome. You may never see the day Ethan Zhang returns."
Thinking of this, I feel a wave of frustration. That old woman loves to meddle. I clearly saw Ethan Zhang’s memory during that incident—John Chou showed it to me. I have no idea what Lady Meng is scheming, but I doubt it’s anything good.
I glanced sideways at Lady Meng. She sat with her eyes closed, saying nothing. Both Past and Future Ethan Zhang told me to wait here for them, but this morning, I have no idea where those two went. After eating, I tidied up a bit and planned to go for a walk outside. The bamboo forest here is huge, with many branching stone paths and places filled with blooming flowers. The environment is quite nice.
"Where are you going, little girl?"
Lady Meng spoke from behind me. I smiled and pointed outside.
"Just going for a walk."
Before Lady Meng could say anything else, I stepped out of the house, taking the small path on the left. In no time, I was far from the cottage.
After jogging for a while, I reached a small creek. I found a spot, sat down, took off my shoes, and dipped my feet into the stream. The icy chill snapped me out of my post-meal drowsiness. I pursed my lips, staring at my reflection in the water.
"Still the same as before, nothing’s changed."
But what I couldn’t shake from my mind was what Lady Meng had said before. Annoyed, I kicked at the water, sending up splashes. My thoughts grew more chaotic.
Maybe Lady Meng was right. My time and Ethan’s time are no longer the same. Who knows how long it’ll be before he returns.
"If it’s a hundred years, I’ll really be an old lady by then."
I muttered to myself, pouting and making faces at the calm creek. Then I thought, if I can’t wait for Ethan as a human, I could wait as a ghost. That thought made me smile, but in truth, none of it really mattered.
After sitting by the creek for a while, I got up to head back, hoping to see if either Ethan had returned. But then I noticed something strange—the forest around me felt off. The path was gone.
I gasped and rubbed my eyes, but I wasn’t mistaken—the way I’d come was gone, and only the way forward remained.
I quickly drew Belle and hacked at the bamboo forest ahead, but the bamboo remained untouched. I rushed forward and reached out to touch it—it was solid, real bamboo. I kept swinging, but my sword couldn’t make contact with it.
Just as I was at a loss, Lady Meng’s voice sounded behind me.
"Remember what I said, little girl? This is the Realm of Truth. It lays your heart bare. You can’t see the way back because you have no way to retreat anymore."
I turned around, but Lady Meng was nowhere to be seen. Strangely, a new path appeared before me.
"What does it all mean, anyway?"
I returned to the front of the house again, and saw Past Ethan Zhang sitting on the steps, smiling.
"What’s wrong, Rachel Lan? You look upset."
"It’s nothing."
I replied, glancing at the empty house. Just then, with a creak, the door opened and Future Ethan Zhang stepped out, his face serious.
"Get ready, Rachel Lan. It’s time to go."
I nodded. This place was pleasant, but far too calm—too peaceful. I’ve always preferred a bit more excitement in life.
After getting ready, I stood at the doorway. A swirl of black and white energy appeared before us. Juchen floated over, grinning, and raised a hand to open a rainbow-colored passage.
"This time, with no foreign interference, I’ll send you to the moment when the Wraith Ancestor escapes Hell."
I nodded and walked over happily. Past Ethan Zhang tilted his head and smiled at me.
"Even though it’s the past, the two of us might run into trouble. For now, we can’t solve it, so you’ll have to go first, Rachel Lan. Take this."
I looked at Past Ethan Zhang in confusion as he handed me a bundle. Inside were clothes—a woman’s long linen robe, wine-red and quite nice—and a good amount of money. I opened the money pouch and my eyes widened: several gold bars and a bunch of ancient coins, shaped like knives, all strung together.
"This should be enough for you to live on. But remember, be careful. You’re not from that era, so don’t get involved in anything. Even a careless move could change the future. It’s best to find a place to settle down and avoid contact with people as much as possible."
I nodded in agreement. I really didn’t want to get mixed up in any trouble.
"Take care of yourself."
I nodded. Future Ethan Zhang stood by the time passage. I walked over and entered it, sucked in once again. The familiar sensation of spinning and tumbling made me dizzy.
Gradually, I felt myself sinking and rising at the same time—a strange sensation. Then, after a burst of white light, I instantly smelled fresh grass.
The air was filled with the sounds of insects and birds. I looked around, relieved to see no one nearby. I was in a forest under a pitch-black night sky. The moon was bright, huge and round. In the distance, I saw lights—probably a small city, judging by how dense they were. Suddenly, I heard something. I quickly got up and sensed someone approaching.
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A group of riders passed by on the main road outside the forest, many of them armed and armored—clearly regular soldiers from some country. After watching them leave, I sensed more people nearby.
I planned to wait here until dawn, then head into the city to buy some food. Just as Past Ethan Zhang said, I’d find a place to wait for them and avoid contact with others to prevent unnecessary consequences.
As I pondered, more people passed nearby—travelers on the road. Soon, I saw what looked like a caravan transporting goods. The city was still some distance away, so the lights I saw were small. I figured it was about seven or eight kilometers off.
Watching the caravan, I realized they were transporting supplies for war. I overheard people talking about it—after all, during the Spring and Autumn period, wars between states were constant, and everyone was preparing for dominance.
I didn’t want to get involved, but something felt off—an eerie chill. Ghosts. I could sense them nearby, and there were quite a few. They seemed to have detected human presence and were coming this way.
But soon I sensed these ghosts weren’t strong—they just wanted to absorb some yang energy from the living or maybe get something to eat. Mostly wandering, lonely spirits.
There were ghosts behind me too, but I pretended not to notice. Some of them approached the caravan, and suddenly, the ropes securing the supplies flashed with dazzling yellow light. Many ghosts were instantly burned, whimpering as they vanished.
"Are there practitioners here?"
I watched for a while, but didn’t see any sign of practitioners among them.
"Little girl, you’re not ordinary either, are you?"
Startled, I instantly gripped Belle and slashed at the person beside me. He dodged immediately, then stared at my sword in disbelief.
"How is that possible—Belle? Where did you get it?"
In the moonlight, I saw the man beside me was over fifty, disheveled, wearing a faded blue robe that looked somewhat like a Taoist’s, but not quite. He seemed familiar, though I couldn’t place him. Hostility radiated from him—directed at Belle in my hand.
"Hand over the Soulreaver Blade, little girl. I don’t know how you found it, but this weapon isn’t meant for humans."
I felt awkward, not knowing what to say. I turned and ran into the woods, ignoring everything else. The man chased after me relentlessly.
"Wait, little girl, hear me out. I mean no harm. Please, stop."
"Who would wait?"
I ignored him, and soon it felt like I was lost. He had disappeared too. I breathed a sigh of relief, not feeling tired at all.
I found a spot to sit down and was about to rest when footsteps suddenly approached. Without hesitation, I slashed Belle toward the sound—a streak of fiery red light flashed through the woods. I saw a man with a scruffy beard, weathered face, and yellowed skin, dirty in several places.
"From Hades, are you, little girl? I didn’t expect Hades folk to find the Soulreaver Blade. No wonder the sword’s malice has faded."
He bowed and continued speaking.
"My Taoist name is Shanyuan Yi—Zane Wu."
I was shocked, eyes wide.
"You’re Zane Wu?"