"Ethan, what's wrong? Aren't you happy?" Rufina Howard held my hand. I stood motionless, watching Yuna Ji with a smile. What happened to the Yuna Ji I saw last night? She told me clearly she was unwilling, but now, she looks so joyful, so genuinely happy.
"Rufina, don't do anything later." I said this firmly, having already made up my mind—I was going to ruin this wedding.
Rufina Howard's big eyes fluttered, her mouth agape in disbelief as she stared at me.
"You're going to ruin..."
She hadn't finished speaking when I covered her mouth with one hand.
"Keep your voice down," I said, pulling Rufina Howard behind a pillar.
"No way, Ethan. If you act recklessly, you could die."
Rufina Howard looked at me with worry, then covered her mouth and smiled.
"Wait, Ethan, do you... do you like Yuna—"
I looked seriously at Rufina Howard and shook my head.
"It's not that I like her. It's just—I can feel it, Yuna Ji really doesn't want this marriage. She helped me before, and I just want to do what I can to help her. Rufina, listen to me. No matter what happens, just stay put, okay? I promised Redmane I'd bring you back!
"Hmph, Ethan, why are you being so distant? I love this kind of thing the most. You're bad..."
As Rufina Howard spoke, she kicked at me. I caught her little leg with one hand and smiled.
"Enough, kid. I'm not joking with you. The people here—we can't beat them. So just stay quiet, okay? Can you promise me that?"
Rufina Howard pursed her lips, looking reluctant, and nodded.
"Then what about you, Ethan..."
"Don't worry." I squatted in front of Rufina Howard, placing both hands on her shoulders.
"Kid, don't forget, I'm a ghost. Part of me is still a ghost. And Luna Quay is a good zombie. If I explain the situation, maybe he'll understand, maybe he'll agree."
Rufina Howard snorted, crossing her arms, turning her head to the side, pouting in disbelief as she looked at me.
"Is it really that simple, Ethan?"
Suddenly, Rufina Howard reached into my clothes and pulled out the Locking Corpse Mirror, glancing at it.
"Ethan, why are you carrying this thing?"
I let out a surprised sound, looking at her in confusion. Then Rufina Howard laughed and leaned her head close to my ear.
"Ethan, I won't get involved later, but at least I can save you in a crisis. This Locking Corpse Mirror, depending on who uses it, can be incredibly powerful. You know, it's actually a treasure from the Nether."
In a flash, the Specter Web in my body surged out, dispelling the oppressive feeling. I regained clarity and stood up straight, though I still felt uneasy and conflicted inside. I raised my head and shouted.
I watched Rufina Howard take out the Locking Corpse Mirror and stuff it into her cartoon backpack.
"You are not allowed to mess around, got it? Kid."
"Got it, Ethan. Why are you so naggy? You always treat me like a child. Hmph..."
I stood up and walked slowly over, looking at the zombies around me. I moved bit by bit toward that side. Under the moonlight tree, Tan Tian was muttering some tongue-twisting words I couldn't understand, seemingly unaware of me. I had to seize the right moment, step out, and explain things clearly to Luna Quay.
With a smile on my face, I slowly moved forward. Just then, a hand gripped my shoulder tightly and yanked me back into the small pavilion.
"Hey, Ethan Zhang, don't think I don't know what you're up to. It's fine to watch, fine to think about it, but don't you dare do anything. Otherwise, things will spiral out of control. Remember that."
"Tan Tian, I want to hear what Master Ethan really has to say."
I kept walking forward, because at that moment, Tan Tian had finished chanting and began shouting loudly.
"For hundreds of years, we zombies have been walking corpses. But today, under my witness, Luna Quay, as one of us, is about to gain human happiness. Give them your blessings."
As soon as Tan Tian finished speaking, I heard a chorus of howls. In an instant, the entire corpse realm seemed to tremble. Under that howl, the moonlight in the sky shone with a strong silvery-gray glow.
In that moment, I saw Lance Quinn beside me raise his hands and kneel down, then bow. All the surrounding zombies did the same, kneeling and bowing.
I couldn't wait any longer. I saw Luna Quay and Yuna Ji kneeling, seemingly about to perform the heaven-and-earth ceremony. I hurried over quickly.
At that moment, Tan Tian noticed my odd behavior. In the silver light, his eyes widened in anger as he looked at me.
"Yuna, don't say anything. Let Master Ethan finish what he has to say first."
Tan Tian's voice boomed like thunder. For a moment, I felt dizzy, my vision blurred, nearly unable to stand as my whole body trembled. This was absolute power, a pressure that kept growing. Standing under the moonlight tree, Tan Tian seemed like a towering mountain, pressing down on me.
I stopped moving forward, my legs began to tremble, slowly bending until I was nearly kneeling on the ground.
I forced myself to calm down, but my body involuntarily sank toward the ground. Suddenly, I shouted.
"Instinct, called coexistence, resonance..."
In a flash, the ghost veins in my body surged out, dispelling the oppressive feeling. I regained clarity and stood up straight, though I still felt uneasy and conflicted inside. I raised my head and shouted.
"Hmph, Ethan Zhang, time's up. Yuna Ji herself said she wants this. Besides, this is a centuries-old agreement between our corpse realm and her clan. You can't break an engagement with just a few words. Today, out of respect for Quentin Yin and Redmane, I'll let you go. Now get lost."
"Stop, wait—"
As soon as I finished speaking, there was a loud rumble all around. Tan Tian had vanished, and all I saw was a shriveled, tree-like hand and yellow claws reaching for my head.
"Wait, Tan Tian."
It was Luna Quay. He grabbed Tan Tian's hand as it reached for me. All this happened before I could finish my sentence—I had no idea what was going on.
Around me, zombies that could move like humans bared their sharp fangs, glaring at me viciously.
"Hmph, Luna Quay, you'd better step aside. This guy is here to ruin things. If the time passes, it'll be trouble."
"Tan Tian, I want to hear what Master Ethan really has to say."
Tan Tian's yellow mustache twitched at the corner of his mouth. He lowered his hand, returned to the moonlight tree, and sat down on the ground.
"Ethan Zhang, you have five minutes."
Suddenly, the scene before my eyes seemed to shift. My mind buzzed as I stared in shock—the bright moon had shrunk to the size of a ball and was hanging on the moonlight tree. The full moon in the sky was gone.
Suddenly, Luna Quay roared with laughter, his body radiating a faint silvery light as he charged at me. I shouted, instantly forming two Deathbane Swords in my hands, slashing at Luna Quay as he rushed toward me.
I pointed at Yuna Ji, speaking word by word. Suddenly, Yuna Ji turned to me, glaring angrily.
"Who says I don't want it, Ethan Zhang? Which eye of yours saw me unwilling? You..."
"Yuna, don't say anything. Let Master Ethan finish what he has to say first."
I looked sincerely at Luna Quay and lowered my head.
"I hope you can call off this marriage. She doesn't want it."
Luna Quay didn't say anything, just smiled at me. Then he reached out and lifted my chin.
"Raise your head, Master Ethan. I don't want anyone bowing to me."
I raised my head and looked at Luna Quay, then at Yuna Ji, who was glaring at me in anger.
"Hmph, Ethan Zhang, time's up. Yuna Ji herself said she wants this. Besides, this is a centuries-old agreement between our corpse realm and her clan. You can't break an engagement with just a few words. Today, out of respect for Yin Chou and Redmond, I'll let you go. Now get lost."
Tan Tian opened his eyes and roared without mercy. I smiled at him, then looked at Luna Quay.
At that moment, my mind drifted to my cousin. He once told me something very important, and now I remembered it clearly.
"Once, my cousin told me that a woman's best makeup is her smile. But..."
I paused, took a deep breath, and shouted.
"Clearly, inside, she's crying, unwilling, unable to accept this marriage. Why not say it? An agreement is important, Luna Quay, but let me ask you—if you truly love her, would you want to see her weep every day? Answer me."
I looked seriously at Luna Quay. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, merciless expression. Suddenly, Luna Quay grabbed my neck, slammed me backward, and wouldn't let go—his strength was immense.
With a loud bang, a deep groove appeared on the ground as Luna Quay pinned me down, pressing me toward the central steps.
With a thought, I instantly turned to mist, slipping from Luna Quay's grip and drifting into the sky.
Stunned, I stared at Luna Quay, his head bowed in silence. His back looked lonely, deeply sorrowful.
"Hahaha! It's been centuries since I've fought a ghost, Ethan Zhang. I want you dead..."
Suddenly, Luna Quay roared with laughter, his body radiating a faint silvery light as he charged at me. I shouted, instantly forming two swords of baleful energy in my hands, slashing at Luna Quay as he rushed toward me.
With a thunderous crash, immense power and black light surged, sending a fierce gust that shredded the silver leaves to pieces.