After Snowy emerged from my body, something strange happened—this time, my body didn’t grow cold like before. She bounced out, floating ahead with a shy expression.
“What exactly is going on?” Hugh Thompson asked. His words helped calm my restless heart, and now I found myself drawn into the topic.
“Let’s head out first, Ethan. After all, I only got halfway through what I wanted to say a few hours ago.”
About ten minutes later, we left the Wraith Palace. When the others saw us, their eyes lit up with excitement. I held up the Taoist robe, and Rufina Howard ran over to take it from me.
“I’ll figure something out, Ethan.”
As she spoke, I felt much more at ease. Rufina placed the Taoist robe beside Rachel Lan and then pulled out several white talismans.
“I’m a little worried about Miles Mao and Dalton Fang.”
“It’s fine, Ethan. Worrying won’t help. Fortune favors the good.”
“No—” Rufina suddenly cried out in alarm.
We all rushed over to her.
“I tried to guide Rachel’s soul back into her body, but something seems to be blocking it.”
Suddenly, anxiety washed over me again—Rachel’s condition was getting worse.
“Don’t panic, Ethan. You know, since ancient times, wherever there are poisonous plants, there’s always an antidote nearby—usually within five zhang. The Rakshasa Fruit is no exception. Think carefully: the sap from the Rakshasa Tree can break Lord Wraith’s control, can’t it?”
Hugh said this, and everyone nodded—except for Mason Yu, who looked troubled.
“That’s just a rumor, Hugh. What if—what if the rumor isn’t true? What do we do then…”
Suddenly, I saw Hugh glare at Mason, who stared back in a daze.
“So what if the rumor is false? If it is, does that mean we don’t need to find the Rakshasa Tree?”
Then we gathered around Dalton Fang again. Hugh pulled out the map of Wraithhold he’d drawn the other day.
“Look closely—Wraithhold’s layout. East and west are short, north and south are long. I noticed this before; it’s very deliberate. Mason, you should know what this means, right?”
Mason Yu nodded.
“East and west are the paths for humans and ghosts, while north and south are the main thoroughfares. In city planning, east-west symbolizes prosperity and fortune, while north-south stands for enduring greatness. The shorter east-west axis is open and generous; the longer north-south axis must be fortified for lasting strength. The entire city was built to thrive.”
“Right. But you know the saying—when things reach their peak, decline follows. I suspect Lord Wraith grows extremely weak on his birthday, so he hides in the Ghost Domain. First, because his power wanes, his ghosts become harder to control. Second, he fears rebellion—especially from Mia Lin.”
Hugh’s explanation convinced us all. The moment Lord Wraith was gone, Mia Lin had already caused trouble.
“So, the conclusion is: when Lord Wraith is absent, the Rakshasa Tree controls all the ghosts in the city. That much is basically confirmed.”
Hugh glanced at the Taoist robe placed beside Rachel.
“Only this item still raises a few questions. Let’s look at these thirteen small marks.”
As Hugh spoke, we turned our attention to the map’s small dots.
“Are those the thirteen Octagonal Towers?”
“Smart girl. Do you understand what it means?”
Rufina Howard nodded, then exclaimed in surprise.
“Thirteen Ghost Gates! Wow, I never noticed before. Glasses, how are you so clever?”
As Rufina spoke, we all stared at Hugh in amazement. We’d seen Rufina use the Thirteen Ghost Gate Ritual to check if those stones were haunted.
“It was just once, but I remembered it. Thanks, girl.”
“But where exactly is the Rakshasa Tree?”
Hugh smiled.
“I have an unrealistic guess, but it’s not proven yet. Let’s head to the nearest Octagonal Tower and see. If we really find it, we might win this whole game—completely.”
Hugh spoke with confidence. I stood up and looked at the sky—it was already dark. The city lights glowed, and it seemed that no ghosts were affected by this morning’s chaos.
“We’ve got a little over a day left. The next phase will be the hardest. Everyone, stay alert.”
Hugh said, and then Mason Yu and I, along with him, decided to head for the nearest Octagonal Tower to the south, close to the Wailing Maiden’s Den—the least risky option.
After grabbing a quick bite, we started down the stairs. Snowy followed behind.
“Wait for me, big brother!”
“Why are you coming down?” I asked. Snowy glanced at Hugh.
“Well, I’m a woman too, after all.”
“Of course, Ethan. I told you—the Rakshasa Tree reacts to women, whether human or ghost. Rufina needs to stay and look after Rachel and Dalton, so as the only other woman, Snowy has to come with us.”
I acknowledged her with a sound. Bridal Avenue was quiet as we headed south. There weren’t many ghosts here; though there were plenty of houses, at night the busiest area was the Red Palace—most ghosts went there to watch the festivities.
The three of us plus one ghost walked quietly under the moonlight. We could see pretty well, and Mason Yu looked gloomy.
Hugh smiled.
“Stop worrying, Mason. You came out of Naraku because of that ghost Soren Black, right?”
Hugh had barely finished speaking when Mason’s face suddenly changed. He glared at Hugh with a fierce look.
I stared at Mason in surprise. Clearly, he knew Soren Black—and their relationship was anything but friendly.
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“Enough. Don’t dwell on it, Mason. We’re here for a reason.”
Hugh said with a smile. I also noticed Mason was different. This morning, he used a technique I’d seen before—in Linland County, the old woman from Naraku used shadow mice, but Mason’s were snakes.
“You’re the same age as me? Born in the year of the Snake?”
I asked abruptly. Mason nodded, silent, weighed down by something heavy.
As we talked, we reached the base of the Octagonal Tower. Hugh looked around and sat at the entrance.
“What are you doing, Hugh?”
Hugh didn’t answer, just smiled.
“It’s not time yet, Ethan. Let’s sit for a while.”
Hugh spoke, and I sat beside him. It was already past eleven, but Hugh seemed completely unhurried.
“Stop being mysterious, Hugh—just tell us already!”
Mason Yu said impatiently.
Hugh finally stood up and beckoned Snowy over.
Snowy came over with a nervous smile. Hugh took out a small knife—the handle shaped like a bagua. Snowy looked at it in fear.
“In a moment, I might need something from you.”
“What are you planning?” I asked.
“Ethan, you’ve been to the Wraith Palace, right?”
I nodded.
“It’s been a thousand years. How many women could Lord Wraith have claimed in that time? Every wedding feast—maybe not tens of thousands, but at least several thousand. Yet the Wailing Maiden’s Den is so small. There’s no way all those women are in his palace, right? It’s not practical. And I’ve heard Lord Wraith doesn’t send female ghosts to the Den very often—only every seven days.”
I made a sound of acknowledgment and asked a question.
“Right. So many women—if you sent one every day, even after a thousand years, there would still be plenty left.”
“So I deduce that the Rakshasa Tree needs fertilizer—and that fertilizer is female ghosts or humans.”
As soon as Hugh finished, Snowy’s jaw dropped in terror.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take much—just a bit of skin, hair, and blood.”
Snowy made a sound of acknowledgment.
“I noticed something about the timing these past few nights: at 12:15, there’s a pattern—three and six, fifteen under the moon. In ancient times, thirty and sixty marked life’s milestones. Lord Wraith can’t escape this, either. So three and six, and the full moon at fifteen—it’s not the actual Mid-Autumn Festival, but 12:15.”
My mouth dropped open in shock.
“How did you figure all this out?”
“Well, no matter what, we have to test it for real.”
Hugh checked his watch—it was almost midnight. Just after twelve, he took Snowy to the front of the Octagonal Tower, raised the bagua knife, and snipped a lock of her hair.
Time ticked by. We watched in silence. At exactly 12:15, I looked up—and my eyes widened in shock. The moon was full.
“I was right—my deduction holds. Tomorrow is Lord Wraith’s great wedding, his thousandth birthday, so tonight, for one minute, the moon is full. But only here can you see it.”
As he spoke, Snowy suddenly screamed.
Hugh cut a piece of her skin, and drops of black blood fell to the ground—so faint it looked like ink dissolving in water.
Time ticked by, and then the ground rumbled and rose up.
We all stared in shock as a pitch-black branch sprouted from the ground, absorbing Snowy’s skin, hair, and blood.