Another rainy day. It was sunny this morning, but by noon, heavy rain had quickly swallowed the city.
"Forget it, let's not go out."
Leah King sat beside me helplessly. I smiled and nodded. With rain this heavy, even if we went out, we'd just end up stuck in some tea restaurant, and there'd be nowhere to shop. Leah's filming was halted because of the weather too. According to the forecast, this downpour will last another month. Most of the crew have gone home, waiting for clear skies to resume shooting, while the director has started looking for a new location.
Bored, I stared at the mist-shrouded city in the distance, my mood still somewhat low. These past couple of days, Leah told me about many strange things happening on set. Since the series is supernatural, there were nights she was so frightened she couldn't sleep at all.
Whenever there's even a hint of fear, the yin energy fills the whole room, and ghosts come out. But these last two days, Cloudy Sky has been around us. Whenever a ghost appears, he immediately takes care of it.
"By the way, Roxie, is Officer Zhang still working?"
Leah asked, and I responded with a hum.
"What kind of work is it, anyway? Why hasn't he shown up at all?"
My expression grew serious. Tan Tian had already prepared for this. Anyone entering the Nether Syndicate to find Luna Quay would be given a Golden Soulstone by Morgan Shen to help locate her. I hadn't expected Earth Soul of the Wraithlord to be the one—this truly surprised me.
"I'm not really sure either. But work always gets done eventually. How about we play chess?"
Leah and I started a game of Gomoku. I noticed the yin energy around us was still thick. With all this rain lately, the buildup of yin energy lasted longer and longer, especially in places that rarely saw sunlight. My mind kept drifting to Haven City—it's become a wasteland now.
"Come out for a bit, Roxie Lan."
Tan Tian's voice echoed in my mind. I glanced around suspiciously.
"What's wrong, Roxie?"
I stood up and took out my phone.
"Almost forgot, I have something to take care of today. My colleague's waiting for me over there. You hang out for a bit—anything you want to eat? I can bring it back for you."
"I want braised tofu."
I smiled and nodded, deliberately chatting on the phone before leaving the hotel room. Following Tan Tian's aura, I went straight to the top floor. At the door of a storage room, I stopped. The door opened automatically, and I walked in. Instantly, I smelled something strange—the door behind me vanished.
Before me stretched a vast expanse of black mud. In the distance stood a mountain, and Tan Tian was right in front of me.
"Is this the Nether Syndicate?"
I asked, and Tan Tian nodded.
"If the Wraithlord is resurrected, I'll bring him here. You'll need to act as temporary bait."
I immediately understood what Tan Tian meant. After he nodded, he turned and floated upward. Those purple beasts appeared again—I mounted one and followed Tan Tian, flying straight toward the mountaintop.
Gradually, I saw at the end of a white staircase leading to the summit, a woman standing there. She was beautiful, with pale skin, wearing a white dress that fluttered gently in the breeze—a zombie.
"Have you already given the item to the Earth Soul?"
Tan Tian asked, and the female zombie nodded.
"It's already been handed over."
Tan Tian nodded. I looked at him, puzzled. He explained that Earth Soul had visited the Bone Realm before, searching for the whereabouts of Yueque. Apparently, the Wraithlord had instructed him to do so.
My expression grew serious. Tan Tian had already prepared for this. No matter who entered the Bone Realm looking for Yueque, Mu Yunshang would give them a corpse jade that could locate Yueque. But I hadn't expected Earth Soul to be the one—it truly surprised me.
You're still too clueless. You haven't even learned to sever the Corpse Shroud.
My expression grew grave, my voice low as I asked. My mood soured at once. Tan Tian nodded, but then shook his head.
"I wouldn't say he's truly on their side. Maybe he's just after power. But either way, next time he comes to you, you can tell him a few things."
"Why do that?"
I asked, and Tan Tian frowned, his voice cold.
"The Wraithlord may already be resurrected."
I stared in shock, eyes wide.
"Any signs?"
I asked, and Tan Tian shook his head.
"It's a feeling!"
As he spoke, Tan Tian pressed a hand to his chest. I swallowed—a crack slowly split open across his chest, edged with rows of white teeth. His chest became a monstrous mouth, from which a purple-black tongue extended, covered in greenish fluid.
"This is the power I used tens of thousands of years ago when fighting the Wraithlord—the power of the ancient beast. Now, that power has begun to stir restlessly. That's why I'm certain the Wraithlord has been resurrected."
I looked at Tan Tian, puzzled. If the Wraithlord really had returned, why hadn't he made a move? I couldn't make sense of it.
"Stay here for now. Each day, just come up through that door above. She'll teach you how to break the Corpse Shroud."
I glanced at the female zombie beside me. I remembered her name—Morgan Shen.
"Is this Miss Morgan Shen?"
I asked, and Morgan Shen nodded. Tan Tian slowly floated upward.
"You must learn quickly, Roxie. When true war begins, there won't be any chance to catch your breath."
I nodded. Tan Tian slowly melted into the ground. I glanced around, sensing he was still somewhere in the Bone Realm.
"The chieftain is reinforcing the Bone Realm's structure and continuing to draw power from the earth."
I responded with an 'oh,' and Mu Yunshang turned and walked away.
"Come with me."
I nodded and followed Morgan Shen. The Nether Syndicate was utterly desolate now—nothing left. I remembered it used to be different, full of zombies.
Soon, Mu Yunshang led me to a wide open space. I quietly observed the place—it looked like a training ground, set behind the mountain. Mu Yunshang raised her hand, and a vivid red glow emerged from her body. A faint red membrane appeared on her skin.
"Give it a try."
I responded, then suddenly drew Belle and stabbed forward. As expected, I couldn't touch Morgan Shen's body—it was as if I'd passed through a shadow.
"Did you feel anything?"
I shook my head, completely clueless. Tan Tian had trained me before, but I still couldn't manage it. Controlling corpse energy was just too difficult—this power was unlike anything I'd encountered before.
Unlike other powers that lack substance and must be channeled through the body, Corpse Essence is heavier, icier. That's how it feels to me—like trying to lift a block of ice, nearly impossible to move, let alone control.
Even after embedding corpse flesh in my arm, all I felt was strangeness in my body—nothing special. The corpse energy was just a wisp, barely there at all.
"You need to change your way of thinking."
I looked at Morgan Shen, confused. She raised her hand, showing her pale arm. Then, thick red lines, like veins, bulged beneath her skin—it looked a bit terrifying.
"What is a corpse?"
"Just a lump of flesh without a soul?"
I replied, and Mu Yunshang nodded.
"Corpses are the most unique entities in the world. They're called corpses because they've lost all life."
I nodded. Mu Yunshang pointed into the distance. As I looked over, the earth swelled and a blackened corpse emerged—I immediately caught a whiff of its stench.
"How does it make you feel?"
"Honestly, it's a bit uncomfortable."
Morgan Shen nodded.
"That's exactly right. Corpses are cold, lifeless, and without emotion. If you want to harness this power, you must suppress your feelings."
I blinked, looking at Mu Yunshang in confusion. She asked a question.
"What was Luoyu like in the end?"
I looked at Morgan Shen, my gaze serious, and thought for a moment before answering.
"Maybe it was release—from long-term torment. Even though he couldn't feel emotions or the pain of suffering, I think he had no attachment left to this world."
Morgan Shen nodded.
"Whether human or thing, everything dies someday. To use corpse power, you need to master detachment. More specifically, it's like feeling your heart stop—even for an instant. You've felt that before, haven't you?"
I looked at Morgan Shen, confused, and pressed a hand to my chest. The feeling of my heart stopping was oddly familiar.
"Is it a state of mind?"
"It's similar, but not quite the same. It's the experience of death. Haven't you already been through it?"
I gave an awkward smile.
"Even if I try to recall that feeling, I can't do it. After all, no one likes death, right?"
Mu Yunshang nodded, but her expression suddenly grew serious. She floated upward, and as I turned my head, I saw two red beams of light flying toward me. I broke into a delighted smile.
"You really made it out, John Chou. What took you so long to get here?"
I glanced at John Chou. Isabelle Frost was right beside him. John Chou shook his head with a half-smile.
"There's nothing I can do anymore."
My face darkened.
"What do you mean?"
When you've finished all this, I'll explain everything slowly. Is that alright, Miss Morgan Shen?
John Chou looked at Morgan Shen, who nodded.
"You're still too clueless. You haven't even learned to sever the Corpse Shroud."
I glared at John Chou, annoyed, but just then Isabelle Frost walked over to me.