Damian Chen's eyes turned golden. The air reverberated with thunderous roars. Although I only caught a glimpse, I didn't hesitate. Raising the Phoenix Blade, I stabbed toward Justin Huang.
Explosive cracks rang out. My left shoulder tightened, and with a crunch, I heard my bone shatter. Damian Chen was sent flying, while Justin Huang struck my shoulder with one hand and the Phoenix Blade with the other. Cracks spread across the blade.
With a bang, I slammed into the cement wall, while Damian Chen crashed into the water tower. The large tank atop the reservoir exploded, sending water everywhere. Damian Chen hit the ground, but as soon as he landed, he sprang up and charged at me.
My left hand was useless now, and a large dent had formed in my shoulder. Stunned, I looked toward where Tina Yu was. Though the area had collapsed, the Ghost-Piercing Awl still floated in the air, glowing red. Tina Yu was still not freed.
I threw away the Phoenix Blade. With a whoosh, it burst into flames and vanished. I roared, facing the relentless Damian Chen. I raised my right hand, clenched it, and with a boom, fire ignited. Damian Chen's hand chop was already thrusting toward my chest.
Another heavy blow landed on my chest. I screamed and punched at Damian Chen's forehead. With a thud, both of us staggered back several steps.
Gasping for breath, I was in agony—my abdomen had just taken a hit. Damian Chen didn't look much better. The wounds on my chest and shoulder nearly made me collapse.
Damian Chen roared and charged at me, clearly at his limit. Yet, in his eyes, I saw no hint of retreat.
It was obsession. I didn't know what was keeping Damian Chen going. He seemed like a fiend—this was how I felt now. Inside, I was gradually developing a sense of hostility toward him.
"Come on, bastard."
I cursed loudly, and sure enough, Damian Chen charged at me. The Yang Fire I could summon was almost depleted, leaving only a few flickers gathering in my palm.
"Not even human, huh?" Damian Chen actually laughed. That cold, handsome face broke into a smile, like ice melting in an instant. I was stunned.
I swung my fist again, this time smarter. As expected, Damian Chen aimed a knife-hand strike at my abdomen. The moment his hand chopped toward me, I stopped short and dodged back.
"Too naive, Ethan Zhang. Die."
As soon as Damian Chen finished speaking, he spun around, every inch of him radiating killing intent. He stomped hard on the ground and drove his knife-hand straight for my heart.
I nearly blacked out. My head tilted back, and the pain wiped my mind clean. I was about to faint as agony crashed over me all at once.
But in that instant, what flashed through my mind were Damian Chen’s eyes—human eyes, not a monster’s. I finally understood: Damian Chen wasn’t driven by mere obsession to hunt evil spirits and those who consort with them. It was faith, pure faith. To him, humans were good, ghosts were evil, and anyone allied with ghosts was even worse. That was his conviction.
Fueled by nothing but simple faith and hatred for ghosts, he’s made it this far. That’s his belief.
"Whether you’re a ghost or a person, it’s not that simple. The world isn’t just black and white! I—" I roared, bracing myself as Damian Chen charged at me once more.
"Me? At the very least, I’m half the master of that apartment building. She’s one of our residents. No matter what you say, I’m saving her today. Ah—!"
Nearly losing consciousness, flames erupted all over my body. Damian Chen struck my chest again. I glared at him with pure hatred and headbutted him, smashing my forehead into his.
With a heavy thud, Damian Chen stumbled backward. I stood shakily, blood dripping steadily from my forehead, running warm down my cheek.
"Me? Just like you, I have my own beliefs. So what if they're ghosts? Ghosts were once people. And people—look at human society, all the murder and crime. What does it matter? I won't lose to you today. Let her go, now!"
I saw Tina Yu’s breath growing weaker. I rushed over, driven by a single thought: defeat Damian Chen. Once again, I pulled the Phoenix Blade from my chest. I had to wager everything, even my life, to break him.
Sure enough, Damian Chen got up again. This time, he clutched his right elbow with his left hand, hunched over in a half-crouch. His whole body trembled, but his eyes never wavered.
I raised the Phoenix Blade and roared, charging at him. Sword held high, I stabbed straight at Damian Chen.
Damian Chen let out a howl and swung his fist at me, black energy swirling around it. With a thunderous crash, the ground split open all around us. His fist struck my sword, sending cracks spidering across the blade.
The moment I released the sword, I clenched my right fist and punched. With a bang, Justin Huang and I were both blasted backward.
After crashing hard to the ground, I roared, dragging my battered body upright. Damian Chen was the same, covered in blood. His pitch-black hand had bone protruding, crimson blood pouring out. He hunched forward, stumbling as he charged at me.
"I won't lose to you." I charged at Damian Chen. Ahead of us yawned a hole two or three meters wide. We both leapt, fists raised, toward each other.
Sure enough, we both aimed for each other's heads. With a crash, I felt dazed and dizzy, but my fist landed squarely on Damian Chen’s face. We fell together into the pit.
Two heavy thuds. We slammed into the ground. Damian Chen sprang up, pounced, and pinned me down, his fist swinging at my face. I raised my hand and blocked his now-weak punch.
I stared in shock. Damian Chen’s eyes were wide open, but he’d lost consciousness. With a snap, I grabbed his fist and kicked him off me.
My eyelids flickered. I started to black out, and just before losing consciousness, I saw the Ghost-Piercing Awl floating in the air, its red glow fading. With a ding, it dropped to the ground.
A faint sound. I opened my eyes—it was Damian Chen, leaning against the wall, staring at me coldly. He’d woken up. I struggled to sit up, but my body wouldn’t obey.
"What, you still want to fight?" I asked, straining. Damian Chen said nothing, just stared at me.
"Hurts like hell, doesn’t it? Running away since you were a kid, always fleeing from those evil spirits you could see. You too, right?" I asked again.
Damian Chen’s lips twitched as he struggled to stand. But I saw him heading for the rooftop.
"What are you planning to do?"
"To fulfill my mission," Damian Chen said coldly.
"You—" I panicked, my whole body shaking. I screamed and shouted, desperate to stop him. Finally, I rolled over, dragging myself forward with hands and feet. Waves of pain crashed through me, nearly knocking me out.
At last, I crawled to the stairwell. Damian Chen lay collapsed on the floor. Tina Yu was still there, slumped in the corner, her face ashen, glaring at Damian with pure hatred.
"Run!" I managed to say, my voice barely more than a whisper.
"Why save me, Ethan Zhang? I told you, my problems have nothing to do with you."
I gave a faint smile. The ghostly hatred on Tina Yu's face faded away.
"Everyone in the yard is happy now, even if they're ghosts—especially Sun Yu. I once asked her about the past, and she told me she'd long since been reborn. You too, Tina. Why not trust us? Let's go home together, all of us..."
My eyes widened as Damian Chen rose again, step by step, moving toward Tina Yu.
"Damian Chen!" I shouted, eyes wide. Just as he stood, I saw blood gush from his abdomen—a gaping wound. Damian collapsed, rigid and unmoving.
It was Auntie Ghost. She appeared beside Tina Yu, grabbed her, and with a whoosh, a streak of green light flashed before me.
"Auntie—you..."
"Come out, you lurking bastard. You're the one tempting this girl, aren't you?"
Auntie Ghost shouted into the empty air. Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed out.
"Nice to meet you, Ethan Zhang. My name is Ronan Wu—a Blue Wraith, newly arrived in the world of the living. Heh."
"What did you do?"
I roared, black Deathbane Aura bursting from every pore. Eyes red, I lunged at Ronan Wu, the Blue Wraith.
A hand grabbed me from behind—Auntie Ghost, holding me tight. The Deathbane Aura spilling from my body faded away.
"Let go, Auntie! He—"
Before I could finish, my head rang out, and I clutched it in agony, crying out.
Ronan Wu, the Blue Wraith, grinned wickedly. He wore a wine-red vest and slacks, a rose pinned to his chest, and floated upward slowly.
"Well then, Ethan Zhang, just stopping by to say hello today. Remember this—I'm your enemy, because I'm a real evil ghost."