Gradually, the Ghost Tomb Forest began to vanish at an alarming rate. These black, strange trees were disappearing one after another.
"Amitabha, such immense Yin Energy. I never expected that the lady benefactor could absorb it all."
I watched as the Yin Ghost’s body gradually grew plumper. Yuna Ji clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably, her giggles echoing through the air.
"Whoa, you’ve turned into a little chubby girl! Haha, Ethan Zhang."
Lance Quinn teased from the side. I ignored him, focusing instead on the Yin Energy pouring into the Yin Ghost’s body. I hadn’t expected she could contain so much Yin Energy—though her figure was noticeably rounder now.
The entire Ghost Tomb Forest was vanishing rapidly, fading into the unseen corners around us. Suddenly, the Hell’s Sentinel in my hand flew out, and a burst of wicked laughter filled the space.
"Thank you, big sister, for allowing me to take these ghosts away."
With a whoosh, gusts of black wind swept through. Then, one by one, white ghosts appeared, and as the Hell’s Sentinel emitted a ghostly green glow, the spirits flew toward it and were absorbed inside.
I glanced at the Yin Ghost, then at the Hell’s Sentinel. Both were absorbing everything here. Two sharp, mingled laughs grated on my nerves. At last, all around me was pure darkness, and the Yin Energy was nearly gone. With a swish, the Hell’s Sentinel returned to my back, fixing itself to the cloak.
The Yin Ghost had finally finished absorbing. Now, she was a complete fatty, her face scrunched up, burping contentedly—she must weigh at least three hundred kilograms, and her voice had grown husky.
"Ethan, I love you..."
With a whoosh, the Yin Ghost flew toward me. Yuna Ji burst into laughter again, clutching her stomach.
I looked at the Yin Ghost, a bit frightened. She had already entered my body, yet I felt nothing at all. Despite the massive amount of Yin Energy, it seemed to have little effect on me.
"Ethan, she said she loves you! Hurry up and marry her, hahahahaha..."
I glared at Yuna Ji and yelled.
"Stop messing around."
We then headed toward Ghost Tomb Mountain. Master Richard Ming looked deeply troubled. As we approached the mountain, I saw an opening shining with light.
"Let's go, Ethan Zhang! I need to hurry back for a date with a beautiful woman!"
I smiled, glanced at Lance Quinn's lower half, and then said sourly:
"With your equipment out of commission, what's the point of a date?" I said, my tone both teasing and a little bitter.
Suddenly, Lance Quinn's expression was complicated—caught between anger and laughter. Yuna Ji lowered her head, observing closely.
Lance Quinn's expression twisted, caught between anger and laughter, while Yuna Ji lowered her head, watching him closely.
"Oh, so it really doesn't work anymore?" Yuna Ji teased.
"Forget it, I'll stay here for now," Yuna Ji said, pausing. "Lance Quinn, don't you dare seal the entrance and cause trouble again."
"Forget it, I'll stay here for now. Lance Quinn, don't you dare seal the entrance and cause trouble again."
"What do you take me for, Yuna Ji? Am I the kind of person who turns on his own after crossing the river? We're in this together now. I might trick outsiders, but I'd never hurt my own. Isn't that right?" Lance Quinn replied, his tone steady.
"Ethan, be careful. I want to watch John Chou reforge the Rage Blood sword."
With that, Yuna Ji quickly flew toward the old city in the distance.
After entering the passage, we walked for a while. I saw Lance Quinn, silent and helpless. I walked up beside him and patted his shoulder.
"One day, we'll find a solution."
"Go on, get out of here, Ethan Zhang. I don't need your comfort. Worry about yourself. This time, the injury is serious—it might never heal."
"Yeah... it might never heal... not for a lifetime."
"You two... damn it." Lance Quinn muttered, his tone flat, as if not truly angry.
Finally, I felt a glimmer of light and heard the sound of car horns. With one step, we found ourselves in a bustling city, surrounded by people. Master Richard Ming had already disappeared.
"If you need anything, Ethan, come to Pu Tian Temple. I feel deeply burdened by my sins."
I called out, looking around, but saw no sign of Master Richard Ming. Lance Quinn, on the other hand, looked completely at ease.
"If that monk keeps overthinking, he'll lose himself to madness."
I looked at Lance Quinn, puzzled. He clearly wasn't planning to tell me anything, but I could feel that Master Richard Ming had some unresolved issue. Beneath his gentle, holy aura, I sensed a familiarity—a touch of darkness.
I couldn't help but worry.
"If you're going home, hurry. It's already ten o'clock. If you go now, you'll still make it for breakfast."
Lance Quinn darted off toward a group of passing women, immediately starting to flirt.
I had no time to bother with him. Dodging the crowd, I eventually floated up, looking at the blazing sun overhead. I felt no warmth. After orienting myself, I quickly floated away.
About half an hour later, I stood below my apartment building, watching the people pass by. They couldn't see me, but I could see them. Suddenly, three powerful ghostly presences appeared beside me—Old Wei, Hong Shi, and Lantern.
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"Thank you all."
Old Wei sighed, shaking his head repeatedly. He grasped my hand.
"Go on, Ethan. Stay with your parents for a few days."
Hong Shi wanted to ask something, but Lantern's tongue wrapped around her and dragged her away. The three of them went up to the top floor. I slowly entered the apartment and floated straight to my door, hesitating.
I could clearly sense my parents inside, busy cooking. If I wanted them to see me, I'd have to link my ghostly network to their bodies.
But that method was dangerous, and I didn't want to do it. Just then, my shadow suddenly appeared, standing on the door.
"If you want them to see you, it's simple. Let those two act as your parents' eyes for a while. Just lend them your sight. After all, you're not an ordinary ghost—regular people can't see you easily."
I nodded. The Grievous Ghost and the Wailing Ghost appeared, entered the house, and soon returned. Their eyeballs were gone, leaving only two large holes.
I took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.
"Ethan, why are you back?"
My father looked at me in confusion. I smiled, then suddenly remembered—I forgot to buy some fruit. I quickly put my hand behind my back.
"Are you short on money? You didn't bring anything with you. Come in, you must not have eaten yet. Did Ruoxi come back with you?"
I relaxed and smiled.
"No, Dad. Ruoxi's busy with work and probably won't be back for a few months. I'm just taking a break and wanted to visit you both for a few days."
My father's confusion grew. I usually brought something home, but this time, hiding my hand behind my back made him misunderstand.
Once inside, my mother greeted me with a bright smile.
"Ethan, did you tell her yet?"
I looked at her, puzzled.
"Oh, you're still so oblivious, just like when you were a child. You've known Ruoxi for so long, and you two get along well. You've met her parents, haven't you?" my mother said, her tone half teasing, half earnest.
Suddenly, I understood what my mother meant and nodded immediately.
"Let's not talk about that now, Mom. I'm hungry."
I had to change the subject. After eating, I chatted with my parents about many things. When the conversation turned to my uncle's family, my father said they'd gone to stay at Pu Tian Temple for a while to fulfill a vow. After suffering a disaster, they planned to stay there for some time.
My uncle also invited my parents to visit Pu Tian Temple. My father agreed and planned to leave in the next day or two.
The day passed quickly. Apparently my father had already spoken to my mother, so she didn't mention my marriage to Ruoxi. That afternoon, my mother went out to play mahjong, leaving me and my father at home. We talked for a long time.
"Ethan, you don't look well. Are you too tired lately?"
I shook my head.
"Yeah, I've been a bit tired lately. Dad, in a few days, I have to go on a business trip to City A for a few months to help with an investigation. I might not be able to call home for a while."
My father smiled, then quietly asked:
"What kind of case is it? Can you tell me?"
"I can't reveal that, Dad. It's confidential."
That night, I sat quietly by the window, one leg outside, the other on the sill, gazing at the night sky. Suddenly, a buzzing sound startled me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
"System update complete. Ethan Zhang, welcome to Era 2.0. Congratulations..."
I stared in surprise at the phone, which had vanished after I used the Divine Transformation Technique on John Wu to disperse part of the ghost. Now, it suddenly appeared before me, catching me off guard.