"Lily?"
My voice trembled as I spoke. The person in front of me was none other than Lily Wu, standing right before me. But I immediately stepped back a few paces and began checking the condition of my Ghost Soul. Everything seemed clear, but what I saw might have been an illusion caused by inhaling those green vapors just now.
Everyone else had vanished, leaving only me here. But I knew very well this was a false impression. Lily Wu kept advancing step by step, her face filled with worry, trying to grab hold of me.
"I..."
Everything from before surged up in my heart in an instant. I’d always felt a sense of guilt toward Lily Wu. Even now, that remorse hadn’t faded. I’d even seen it in the memories of Ethan Zhang’s Earth Soul—it was the same, a cold emptiness inside.
"Come with me, Ethan. We can't let those things find us—they’ll be coming out soon."
Without another word, Lily Wu grabbed me and led me around to the small house opposite us. She crossed the space between two large trees, then several wooden bridges, finally bringing me into a red cottage. She pushed me inside.
"Don’t say anything, Ethan. You can’t let the others find you."
After hesitating for a moment, I nodded. Outside, everything was silent—there was nothing there. I watched for a long time, but nothing changed. Yet in Lily Wu’s eyes, I could see a deep fear.
"What exactly is going on?"
Lily Wu immediately covered my mouth. In an instant, crowds of people appeared before my eyes—people of all kinds, walking back and forth across the bridge outside the cottage. I saw people from different eras, and the whole forest was hung with lanterns on the branches, as if for a grand celebration. It was strangely lively.
I couldn’t understand what was happening—everything was so bizarre. Lily Wu kept her hand over my mouth, pulling me to the side, while outside, people laughed and chatted, passing by in small groups.
The suddenness of it all left me stunned. I tried to recall the moment the green mist appeared—aside from its color, I hadn’t smelled anything. But how had I ended up here?
At that moment, I looked out through a small window, surprised to see the ground filled with people. The green pod-like objects on the trees were gone. Below were simple houses, like a city. Looking out over the forest, everything was brilliantly lit.
The light came from the white paper lanterns hanging on the branches. So many lanterns gathered together made night seem like day. I saw all kinds of cottages—red, blue, and yellow. Most were yellow, with fewer blue and red ones.
"I’ll go get Nathan Li. Ethan, don’t go outside, no matter what."
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at Lily Wu in shock. After she left, she greeted a few people she met along the way, as if they were old friends.
"Hey, Lily, when are you and Nathan Li getting married? We’re all looking forward to the wedding feast!"
My heart pounded, my mind buzzed—I was completely lost. What was going on in this place?
The strangest thing was Lily Wu herself—neither ghost nor human. The feeling was uncanny; I could touch her, but she seemed not to exist. When she covered my mouth earlier, I felt nothing but emptiness. It was as if Lily Wu stood right before me, perfectly tangible, yet in reality, she wasn’t truly there.
Things were getting more and more confusing. I approached the door of the cottage, but hesitated. Outside, three people stood, looking inside, but it was as if they couldn’t see me. All of them were sniffing the air.
"What are you doing at my door?"
A familiar voice made me cry out in surprise. It was indeed Nathan Li, dressed in a suit, looking exactly as he did when he worked at the bank before his death.
Lily Wu shot me a glare. At first, Nathan Li looked surprised, but then his face darkened, staring at me.
"After everything that's happened, why have you come here?"
As soon as he came in, Nathan Li’s tone turned cold, his gaze icy, tinged with anger.
"Are you two real or not?"
I stood up and looked at Nathan Li. His face was still full of anger.
"Heh, you can’t even tell if we’re real or not? Lily, has this guy really become so heartless? Even now, he comes here and puts on this disgusting act."
Everything now felt like a dead end. I couldn’t tell if Lily Wu and Nathan Li standing before me were a dream, a hallucination, or something else. Even though this was Ethereal Isle, the place where ghosts go after death, I hadn’t seen a single person here until now.
This island was full of bizarre creatures—only the Wraith Enforcers could communicate, while everything else was completely unreachable. All I could sense from them was anger; nothing else came through.
"Ethan, this is the place where ghosts go after death."
Lily Wu spoke softly, a glimmer in her eyes. I glanced at her, and Nathan Li suddenly stepped forward, blocking her.
"Lily, you have nothing to do with him anymore. Here, we walk the same path. Ethan Zhang has long been a stranger to us—why bother with him? We’re about to get married, aren’t we?"
Nathan Li’s words were full of provocation, especially when he emphasized the word 'married.'
I stayed silent, watching Nathan Li. My Ghost Network couldn’t sense their presence at all. Just then, sounds of excitement erupted outside—people were loudly chatting, and I heard a name: Mr. Taisho. Everyone was saying, 'Mr. Taisho is here.'
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
Both Lily Wu and Nathan Li looked uneasy.
"Ethan, listen to me—whatever happens, do not go outside. Stay here, no matter what."
Lily Wu and Nathan Li both went out. As soon as they did, their faces lit up with smiles. I had no idea what was happening, but the bridge was packed with people, and those below all looked up. In the distance, a commotion broke out—many people were entering the cottages, making way.
Finally, I saw him—a handsome, imposing man with dragon-like brows and phoenix eyes. He wore a golden dragon robe that shimmered in the candlelight, and a tall hat set with a large pearl that glowed with a soft white light.
"All right, all right, everyone—are you enjoying life here, every day?"
"We are!"
As soon as Mr. Taisho spoke, a tidal wave of cheers erupted.
"Some of you have been dead for tens of thousands of years, some only recently. But here, there’s no need to worry—we are immortal now, living with new forms. You can do whatever you wish, as long as you follow the rules of this place."
Mr. Taisho looked kind and gentle as he slowly approached us. When he reached a wooden bridge between two large trees, he stopped. The people around him seemed to show him great respect.
"All right, everyone. I sensed something strange in this world—an intrusion—so I came down. Entering this place is nearly impossible; it requires two conditions. First, someone here must miss you. The other, I don’t know. Just now, the Honored One sensed an intruder, likely a ghost, so I was sent to investigate."
A chill ran through me. It seemed they couldn’t sense anything, and even as they stood before me, I had to wonder if they were real. Maybe I really had come to some strange world—the world after ghost death.
Mr. Taisho looked around, and everyone exchanged glances.
"Sorry, everyone. Someone may be hiding an accidental intruder here, so I’ll have to search each house to ensure the safety of this world."
Panic started to rise in me. Lily Wu looked pale, while Nathan Li kept holding her hand, glancing between the two of us. His expression toward Lily was helpless, but toward me, it was full of hatred—he looked as if he wanted to kill me.
What shocked me even more was that Mr. Taisho was checking the red cottages and was heading my way. I was panicking, ready to fight at any moment.
Gradually, Mr. Taisho searched several red cottages before coming to ours. Lily Wu and Nathan Li blocked the doorway, and Mr. Taisho walked over.
"Well? Is there anything inside, Nathan Li?"
Nathan Li shot me a glare, then said, "Nothing."
Mr. Taisho smiled, then turned away, but immediately glanced back at Lily Wu.
"So, Miss Lily Wu, is there anything inside?"
"Nothing, Mr. Taisho."
Lily Wu smiled, but Mr. Taisho walked over anyway. Suddenly, Nathan Li stepped in front of him.
"Ethan Zhang, listen—this is the last time we’ll help you. From now on, don’t bother us again."
Lily Wu lunged at me, pressing her hands on my shoulders. She brought her lips to mine, forcibly prying my mouth open. Something surged into my body.
In an instant, everything before my eyes began to twist and blur. When I came to, I was back in my original place—there were no blue or red cottages, only yellow ones. Below, those green, pus-like things were still writhing.