"To possess two instincts at once makes you two extremes: one side brimming with hope, the other a bottomless pit of despair. If you were not an Underworld Denizen, perhaps our Immortality Society would have welcomed you."
Lan Yin smiled and shook his head.
"Have your methods always been so brutal? Is it true that this time you intend to destroy the Ghost Burial Squad entirely?"
Luke Ling nodded.
"Anything that refuses to obey must be destroyed and rebuilt. This issue has dragged on for years. If something has changed for the worse, it must be discarded."
At that moment, Old Eccentric laughed. I glanced over as he brushed aside two Red Mask Men beside him and stepped forward.
"But it hasn't changed for the worse. If anything, it's returned to its original nature. As people who handle ghost cases in the living world, I may not know how strong you are or how many years you've lived, but I do know what it means to be human."
As Old Eccentric spoke, he lit a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, showing not a trace of fear.
"Have you forgotten? The previous director—your friend—everything that happened... You can only survive within the rules we've set. Your friend told you that before he died, didn't he?"
In an instant, Old Eccentric's expression changed, a wave of sadness flashing across his face, but he shook his head.