"City Lord Ye, you handle the aftermath. As a monk, I truly cannot bear to lay hands myself."
Brother Owen spoke, and with a wave of his ceremonial robe, it was as if my cousin had been swept inside—he vanished.
"Give me back my cousin!" I shouted, rising to my feet.
"Give us back the lecher!" Suddenly, Rufina Howard, her body radiating golden light, charged forward.
I stared in surprise—something seemed to be emerging bit by bit from Rufina Howard's back.
"Courting death..." Quinn Lee said, raising his green longsword and swinging it at Rufina Howard. I reached out, and in an instant, all of us surged forward together.
"Want to die, little girl...?" A gentle female voice rang out, and a blood-red spider lily appeared before Rufina Howard.
It was Isabelle Frost. She appeared before Rufina Howard, lightly tapping her forehead with a finger. With a thud, Rufina Howard collapsed to the ground as if in a deep sleep.
Instantly, all the Blue Wraiths around us grew tense.
"Miss, in this ghostly realm, few have ever escaped my Specter Web. I wonder, what advice do you bring us this time?"
Brother Owen turned around. As soon as he finished speaking, clusters of red spider lilies appeared all over the sky, floating in the air.
"Three lives, ten lifetimes—I'm just a speck of dust in this world. Old monk, I have no advice to offer. It's just... watching you all irritates me."
"Hmph, you'd best step aside, or else..."
"Or else what?"
Just as Isabelle Frost finished speaking, I noticed that the ruined Wraithhold was now covered in blooming, blood-red spider lilies.
Quinn Lee's expression changed. Suddenly, a space behind Brother Owen split open. He tried to slip inside, but a red spider lily appeared at the rift.
"You all have endured so much to become Blue Wraiths. I don't want to kill you."
As soon as Isabelle Frost finished speaking, she appeared beside Brother Owen.
Brother Owen let out a hearty laugh.
"Impressive, miss. I'll return the young monk to you." With that, Brother Owen waved his robe, and my cousin's body reappeared before us. Isabelle Frost waved her hand, sending my cousin's body flying to my feet with a thud.
"Cousin..." I rushed forward, reaching out with both hands to touch him. He was solid, but as hard as steel.
"Miss, no matter what, I have to take something back with me today. What do you think?"
"Anyone except Ethan Zhang, do as you please."
Isabelle Frost spoke, returning to my side. Instantly, I stared wide-eyed at her.
"This little girl, then. Heh, just now I sensed her bloodline—it's quite special."
Without thinking, I rushed forward, but Brother Owen scooped up Rufina Howard in his arms.
"Let her go, damn it!"
Just as I charged forward, Isabelle Frost grabbed me tightly.
"Let go! Damn it, you bastard!"
I grew frantic. Isabelle Frost giggled.
"But you need the strength to take her away, monk..."
As soon as Isabelle Frost finished speaking, a green light flared before my eyes. With a crack, something split open.
"Xiao Yi, you're quite the troublemaker. Look, you've worn Ethan Zhang out completely."
It was Yuna Ji. My eyes widened.
"Ugh, after a hundred years, this dump is still filthy. Disgusting! Damn it."
There was another man—Redmond. Dressed in a red suit, he emerged, brushing dust off himself with obvious disgust.
"Hurry up, Redmond. The underworld has already noticed." Yuna Ji said with a smile. Instantly, Brother Owen and Quinn Lee stared blankly at Redmond and Yuna Ji.
"Lord Yan..." Suddenly, I saw all the Blue Wraiths around us respectfully call out.
With a boom, black flames ignited around Brother Owen.
"Take your filthy hands off..."
Suddenly, the red spider lilies vanished from all directions, replaced by a vast expanse of black space filled with bizarre, piled-up objects.
With a boom, Brother Owen was engulfed by black flames. Then a bony tail reached over and wrapped around Rufina Howard.
"Hurry, Ethan Zhang, and the rest of you—get over here! Redmond, hold on!"
I saw Redmond looking uncomfortable, while the black space around us creaked and began to crack.
"Damn it, those old bastards are quick. We just got here and they're already on us."
Supporting each other, we entered Yuna Ji's green realm one by one. With a crack, the sky split open and a red light shot toward us.
"Oh, is that King Quentin of the First Court? Heh, that old man is still as fast as ever. Well, goodbye..."
We were now inside Yuna Ji's Netherhell. Redmond, looking terrified, was the last to rush in.
With a crack, we whipped our heads around. A hand reached in—gray and pale—and then a fierce, bearded man wearing a jeweled crown appeared.
"Trying to cross the boundary, King Quentin? This isn't your place..."
Yuna Ji spoke softly.
"Hmph. You dare return to the ghost realm? Don't think that just because that lord pardoned you, you can run wild in this world—especially you, Yuna Ji. Billions of lives can't be so easily forgiven..."
"Old bastard, get lost."
Yuna Ji roared, and as she did, King Quentin's face slowly faded from view.
(Irrelevant system message skipped)
At last, all of us sat on the ground, legs trembling. Just seeing King Quentin's eyes sent a chill through our hearts.
"Hey, girl, wake up..."
Redmond patted Rufina Howard's face, holding her on his knee. After a long moment, she finally woke up and burst into tears.
"Why did you only come now? Boo hoo..."
I gasped, still shaken. For a moment, I thought we were finished. I'd met Judge Bane before, but back then I'd only just encountered ghosts. This time was different—like standing in a boundless, stormy sea, utterly powerless to resist.
"Hurry up and eat, you all. If you wait any longer, the food will spoil." Yuna Ji giggled, pointing to a table made of bones piled high with food.
Only now did I notice the aroma of the food.
"You should've just brought us over from the start." I grumbled at Yuna Ji, but she only smiled and came over as I kept eating.
"If I'd sent you straight here, I wouldn't have been able to come back myself."
Redmond closed his eyes, extending a hand as if sensing something.
"Well? How many old-timers showed up?"
"Except for the Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth Tribunals, all the old-timers came."
Yuna Ji stuck out her tongue, looking delighted as if she’d just pulled off a prank and gotten away with it.
"Hmph, Redmond, you really are bold. If you’d been any slower, the two of us would’ve been done for."
"Alright, Yuna Ji, when we get back, I’ll be sure to thank you properly. Okay?"