"It's our first meeting, but not really the first, Ethan Zhang."
I stared at this guy in surprise. He called me Ethan Zhang. Wearing a grin, he walked up to Old Eccentric, crouched down beside him.
"I can't just let you die like this. Roxie, that girl, has relied on you all these years, Officer Shi."
A yellow glow erupted before my eyes. Old Eccentric's deathly pale face suddenly flushed with color. Astonished, I clapped my hands, laughing, jumping, and ran over.
Old Eccentric came back to life. He was breathing again.
"Ah, what a clumsy performance. You’ve worked hard, Old Eccentric. Sigh, Mona Ouyang is really something else."
I had no idea what this guy was talking about. At that moment, the scruffy, stubbled man walked over, his clothes in tatters.
"Ethan Zhang, my name is Martin Lane. Someday, I might even be your father-in-law."
I laughed, peppering him with questions. What was that just now? How could someone who died come back to life?
"Quiet. Will you listen to me?"
Martin Lane spoke, and I quieted down.
"The one above is Ethan Zhang, and you are too. But now, you’re two different beings. The path ahead may be hard for you, but one day, all roads lead to the same end. You’ll stand together again, because Ethan Zhang is Ethan Zhang."
I had no idea what this man was saying. I just grinned foolishly.
"Want to help Ethan Zhang? He’s up there, locked in a bitter fight."
I nodded, then walked to the place where I could ascend, spreading my wings.
"I really want to help Ethan Zhang, though I don’t know why."
"Then go. Remember what I said: all roads lead to the same end."
I flew up and found Ethan Zhang. I helped him, successfully driving off the Ghost Syndicate’s men. But in a careless moment, one of the Ghost Syndicate grabbed me.
The Black Hat Enforcer seized me and started to torture me. I was terrified, crying and cowering in a corner, sobbing. Ethan Zhang kept fighting, trying to save me. I looked at him, filled with hope.
After beating the Ghost Syndicate’s men, Mona Ouyang arrived. He fought Ethan Zhang, who was clearly no match for him. The Ghost Syndicate’s survivors were right beside me—I had to do something.
But Ethan Zhang failed, and it looked like he was about to die. Just then, cherry blossoms swirled in the sky, and the evil ghost named John Chou appeared.
I watched happily—Ethan Zhang was safe. John Chou and Mona Ouyang started fighting, locked in a fierce struggle. Then, an old man arrived to break it up, holding a cane topped with a cat’s head.
Suddenly, a black vortex appeared behind me, accompanied by the wailing of a baby—it was the Howling Elder. I was terrified as I got sucked in, reaching out my hand. Ethan Zhang watched me.
"Save me, Ethan Zhang, save me..."
Ethan Zhang’s eyes burned with sadness and intensity. He wanted to save me, but I was suddenly back before Dreadstar, my hand still raised. Then, a whip came down hard.
I screamed and begged them to let me go, but they took me somewhere else. Old One-Eye pulled off his eyepatch and appeared again. They dragged me to the Pit of Ten Thousand Ghosts, chaining me up and throwing me inside, where the pit was filled with evil ghosts—just mouths, packed with sharp teeth.
I shrieked in agony as the mouths all around me devoured my flesh and blood. Even though it kept growing back, the pain made me scream and cry.
After a long while, I screamed until my voice was hoarse. The pain was unbearable, and only then did they drag me out.
"If you don’t obey in the future, things will get much worse. Understand?"
They locked me up, day and night, crying endlessly, my hands and feet chained. Every day, they brought me black bugs, herbs, and flesh to eat. If I refused, I was beaten.
After a long time, I ate whatever they gave me. Day after day, my body grew sluggish, and whatever they told me to do, I did—never daring to resist again.
They could control me at will, chanting spells to make me do countless things. My body no longer felt like my own.
"Very good. You’ve become obedient."
Dreadstar was pleased with my recent behavior. I hadn’t been beaten in days, but Ghost Fiend Star seemed unhappy.
"If you crush someone’s true nature, the ghosts you create will never be as strong as mine. Once a ghost follows me, they’re family."
"Hmph, your weak methods will be your own undoing, Ghost Fiend Star. Wake up—the only way to make ghosts strong is through absolute control. That’s how the Ghost Syndicate has always operated. Even after that incident, we bounced back quickly. I’m heading out now. Watch this one. The target is set: Basil Bertram. His Wooden Contract Stone is vital to us."
Dreadstar left, and I felt a wave of relief. Old One-Eye and Howling Elder were gone too—only Ghost Fiend Star remained. He never tortured me, but Dreadstar’s men started again.
Every day, I was beaten. They kept inflicting pain, mocking me, calling me crazy and stupid.
"Enough. Stop hitting him. He’s already obedient, isn’t he?"
"Ghost Fiend Star, save me. Make them stop hurting me."
I sobbed, lying on the ground as a Black Hat Enforcer stomped on me.
"Master Ghost Fiend Star, Master Dreadstar said we must keep inflicting pain to suppress his instincts."
Ghost Fiend Star left coldly. He didn’t save me. I hurt so much, I was in agony.
I thought of Ethan Zhang—why hadn’t he come to save me? I wanted to die. Even though I was slow-witted, I knew these Black Hat Enforcers were just using me as a punching bag.
(Irrelevant passage. Skipped translation.)
Whenever anything went wrong, they’d take it out on me. I’d get beaten and humiliated.
One day, a man in a golden mask entered my cell.
"Warren Qi."
He’d barely entered and I shouted his name. I hated him, but deep down, I was hoping for something.
"Ethan Zhang, are you alright?"
I laughed emptily, not understanding what he was saying.
"You’re so boring now. Just another puppet Dreadstar is making. Boring, truly boring. But the destructive power hidden in your body? That I’m interested in. Only recently did my arm fully heal—it took a lot of effort to purge that terminal power."
I kept laughing, not wanting to talk to him at all. I hated him.
"Do you still remember Lily Wu and Nathan Li?"
My smile faded. I lifted my head, stared at him in terror, and felt only sadness inside, wanting to cry.
"Oh, oh, looks like there’s a reaction. Stop pretending to be crazy, Ethan Zhang. The power in your body isn’t so fragile. Remember how I killed Lily Wu? How Nathan Li died? How you abandoned Ethan Zhang?"
Warren Qi’s words made me want to cry, especially the part about Ethan Zhang being abandoned. I felt so sad. And still, Ethan Zhang hadn’t come to save me.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to destroy everything? Humans, ghosts, all of it."
Warren Qi kept talking, but I just hung my head and sobbed.
"By the way, let me tell you something else—Ethan Zhang has already forgotten you. He’ll never come to save you, never even remember you."