A complex feeling welled up inside me as Yuna Ji let out soft moans from time to time.
I stood aside, stunned, watching as the darkness on Rachel Lan's body slowly faded away, her skin gradually returning to normal.
Suddenly, Rachel Lan opened her eyes and started struggling. Yuna Ji immediately pressed down on Rachel's arms and continued to suck.
At that moment, Rachel Lan noticed me, glancing at me sideways.
"It's alright, Miss Lan. She's helping you."
Rachel Lan whimpered, her cheeks flushed. Suddenly, I was startled as a hand grabbed me from behind.
"What's so interesting, brother? Haven't you ever seen a woman before?"
It dawned on me that Rachel Lan wasn't wearing any clothes. After catching a glimpse of something, I quickly turned around, opened the door, and walked out without another word.
My heart was pounding. John Chou stood outside the door, looking at the distant sky with a cheerful expression.
"So, tell me, what do you want me to do for you?"
I asked seriously.
"No rush, brother. After a while, just run a few errands for me. For now, take a few days to rest and recover."
"Is it related to the Sanzu Force?"
John Chou smiled and shook his head.
"Heh, brother, come downstairs and have a drink with me. They probably won't be out for a while."
I responded with a sound. As John Chou raised his hand, I began to float in the air, then descended. Somehow, a small pavilion had appeared in the courtyard. I landed beside it, and John Chou was already sitting inside. There was a small wine pot and two cups. When I saw the color of the wine, I got excited—it was Morning Dew Wine.
I took a small sip—it was fantastic. John Chou kept staring at the sky, silent.
"By the way, could you tell me about the past..."
Just as I started to ask, I decided against it—especially when mentioning the past, John Chou's brows furrowed slightly.
After that, I told John Chou about using Deathbane Aura today.
"Didn't you say Deathbane Aura can't harm the living?"
John Chou looked at me and smiled.
"Normally, Deathbane Aura can't hurt people. But when it comes from you, it can. You'll understand in time."
Once again, John Chou stopped midway and decided not to continue the topic.
Looking at the flowerbed in the yard, the black flowers had grown to half a person's height. A large patch of black, eerie yet strangely beautiful.
John Chou took a sip, smiled, and stared absentmindedly at the flowers, his face filled with melancholy as if lost in memories—sorrow rising to the surface.
Almost an hour later, Yuna Ji called me. I returned to the room; Rachel Lan was still lying in bed, covered with a quilt, but her complexion had improved a lot.
As soon as I entered, I asked a little, then awkwardly sat by the window.
"So, you really do know these two ghosts!"
I responded vaguely, not knowing how to explain. Mrs. Blake and Mr. Cooper had warned me before—not to keep company with ghosts.
I gazed absentmindedly out the window at the gloomy sky—the atmosphere felt oppressive.
There was a sound; I heard Rachel Lan get up. Turning my head, I saw she was already dressed.
"Can I take a shower?"
"Of course, of course..." I nodded quickly.
At this moment, Yuna Ji started busying herself again, making food for me. I hurried over to help her.
"Thank you."
"Ethan, who told you I had a way?"
Yuna Ji asked, smiling sweetly at me.
"John Chou said you had a way."
Suddenly, Yuna Ji's expression changed drastically, and she snorted coldly.
"Ethan, you'd better be careful. That guy is no good—if you're not, you'll regret it when it's too late."
I stared at her in a daze, suddenly filled with doubt.
"How about this, Ethan? Once I've recovered a bit, come with me..."
I let out a sound of surprise. Suddenly, John Chou emerged from the wall and slapped Yuna Ji across the face.
Yuna Ji covered her mouth, looking at John Chou with resentment.
"Hmph, bitch. I may not be good, but I'm better than you. Should I tell Ethan Zhang about your..."
"Shut up, John Chou."
All of a sudden, Yuna Ji seemed like a different person. She shouted, her whole body radiating a green glow. The air around us seemed to freeze, and a thin layer of frost formed on the stove.
I stared in shock as John Chou, unhurried and smiling, walked up to Yuna Ji and leaned in close to her face.
"You'd better be careful, bitch. Don't mess with my things, or else..."
I let out a sound of surprise. Since when did I become John Chou's property?
Yuna Ji smiled again, raising her hands in resignation.
"I surrender, I surrender. Alright, John Chou?"
I didn't get involved in their argument—nor could I.
Afterward, John Chou left. Yuna Ji kept busy cooking, showing no sign of anger or sadness. I've lost count of how many times she's slapped John Chou.
Rachel Lan pulled me aside, looking at Yuna Ji with a puzzled expression.
"The two people you know aren't ordinary, Ethan. Tell me, how did you meet them?"
"I keep company with ghosts. Don't you think that's..."
"There are good and bad ghosts. Though these two aren't saints, at least that night, they saved us. If not for them, we'd be dead."
I nodded.
"Are you alright?" I asked, looking at Rachel Lan, who a moment ago had been on the verge of death, but now seemed perfectly fine.
Rachel Lan nodded.
"Normally, this corpse poison—even for a Brahma Order master—would take at least ten days to resolve. I should've been bedridden for a month or two."
As she spoke, Rachel Lan looked even more suspiciously at Yuna Ji.
I walked over and asked about the corpse poison—why it could be resolved so quickly. But Yuna Ji only gave a mysterious smile.
"It's a secret, Ethan. You'll find out in time."
This line is irrelevant to the novel and can be skipped.
"Again with 'in time'? Sigh!"
During the meal, Rachel Lan and I ate while Yuna Ji watched from the side.
"Hey, little girl, this soup is specially made for Ethan. You can't have any."
Rachel Lan took a spoon, wanting to ladle some soup from the pot, but Yuna Ji stopped her. Then Yuna Ji picked up the pot and brought it over to me.
"Ethan, I worked hard to make this soup for you. Make sure you finish it."
I nodded, took the pot, and started drinking. The soup was delicious—I'd had it several times before. It was Yuna Ji's secret recipe.
Only after watching me finish did Yuna Ji leave. Rachel Lan leaned in to sniff the pot.
"There shouldn't be anything weird in it, right?"
"Just regular chicken, duck, and some fruit."
Thinking about it, Yuna Ji probably wouldn't harm me.
It was just 8 o'clock. The two of us went out; neither of us had gone to work all day, but Rachel Lan said it was fine.
"Miss Lan, it's about time. Shouldn't you be heading home?"
Rachel Lan glanced at me, then went over and sat on my bed.
"I'm a bit tired today. Let's call it a night."
With that, she took off her shoes and lay down.
I made a sound of surprise and walked over—just then, the phone rang.
Rachel Lan jumped up and answered it. From her expression, something serious had happened.
"The funeral home—something happened over there. Come on, let's go check it out."
Without another word, Rachel Lan pulled me outside.
"Miss Lan, about those two ghosts, um..."
"I won't tell anyone else."
The car quickly arrived at the funeral home's entrance. Police tape surrounded the area, several police cars flashed red lights, and dozens of armed officers stood guard, turning away curious citizens.
I followed Rachel Lan over.
"Oh, Rachel, you're here. The situation inside is pretty bad—it's a headache."
It was a plainclothes police officer, about forty, with thinning hair.
"Officer Shi, what happened?"
"Come in and see for yourself. And this is...?"
"My assistant."
I made a sound of surprise and followed her past the police line.
Looking up, I saw that many of the windows were shattered. There was a large hole on the fourth floor, and a big blue tarp blocked the funeral home's entrance, held by two people.
"The Ghost Burial Squad is cleaning up the scene. Sigh, it looks troublesome. Rachel, go take a look inside."
I followed Rachel Lan in as if nothing was wrong. The moment I stepped inside, a strong smell of blood hit me. The lobby was a mess—the counter overturned, sofas and chairs all askew, glass shards everywhere, and pools of blood scattered around.
"Rachel Lan, you're here again?"