By the time we arrived at Fortune Teller Street, dusk had already fallen. The four of us walked into the bustling alley—despite the hour, the place was still lively as ever.
We made our way through the crowd, found the alley leading to Mrs. Blake and Mr. Cooper's shop, and slipped inside, entering the store without issue.
As soon as I stepped in, I noticed Mrs. Blake and Mr. Cooper looked even older than before. Their hair, once streaked with black, was now as white as snow.
"You guys?"
"Hey, brat, you haven't shown up in so long—I thought you were dead."
I shot Mr. Cooper a resentful look as he spoke. He was still the same as ever, and now, standing behind him, he grinned at me.
"So, what is it this time?"
I smiled and walked over.
"Do you know where I can find a golden soulstone with a crimson hue?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Mrs. Blake looked up, her expression suddenly grave.
"Ethan, come here. Let me take a look at you."
Step by step, I walked over and sat down beside Mrs. Blake. Mr. Cooper eyed Mr. Blackmask and Vincent Swallow up and down, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"They're with the Nether Syndicate, aren't they?" Vincent Swallow said, watching Mrs. Blake's gesturing hands.
"Master, you're with the Renegade Monks, aren't you?" Mr. Cooper asked, his tone suddenly respectful.
"Ah, Ethan, at this point, even I don't know what to say to you anymore. Take care of yourself."
"Mrs. Blake, I—" I started, but she stood up, shaking her head.
"Ethan, a revenant is simply a shell—created when a corpse gathers resentment and absorbs the essence of sun and moon. It’s soulless. Only the higher types retain knowledge and some awareness from their human lives, but in truth, their souls are long gone."
I nodded.
"Mrs. Blake, didn’t you once say you knew a place where golden soulstones could be found?"
Mrs. Blake nodded. Mr. Cooper hopped over.
"Ethan Zhang, revenants and ghosts are not the same. You'd better be careful—especially about that crimson golden soulstone you're after. That thing isn't simple. Only a blood revenant over two hundred years old will have one. We know where to look, but whether you can actually find it is another matter. It's been so many years, after all."
"Honestly, aside from that case twenty years ago—back when I was still with the police—there haven't been any revenant incidents in recent years. It's like they've vanished."
Chief Stone said this, and I looked at him in confusion.
"It's as if they disappeared overnight."
"Ethan, back when my wife and I were young, we once ran into a horde of revenants in P City, at a place called Cloudridge. We were chasing a ghost there and ended up barely escaping with our lives."
"Yeah, Ethan, who knows if that place even exists anymore," Mrs. Blake said, while Mr. Cooper added a word. Chief Stone lit a cigarette, then smiled and spoke.
"There's a way, Ethan. Do you remember that Taoist from Dongfeng Gas Company?"
I remembered—the Taoist who wanted to turn Rachel Lan and me into revenants. Shadow was one of his creations too. Thinking of this, I realized it had been ages since I'd seen Shadow, and Yuna Ji was gone as well.
"Ethan, you could also ask the Ironhide Revenant in your courtyard to lead the way. After all, he's one of them. But blood revenants—just as the name says—are zombies that drink human blood. They're vicious. I've heard their bodies are crimson, sometimes you can even see their flesh and beating hearts."
Mrs. Blake said this, and I nodded.