"Earthly Soul, can you tell me in detail what happened before?"
I shook my head, quietly holding the bottle of liquor in my hand and drinking in gulps. Heavenly Soul sat beside me. Facing Martin Lane, I didn't want to explain too much. Everything that happened before the Divine Law is now irrelevant—the process determined the outcome.
"It's not necessary. All you need to know is the result of Ethan Zhang's death. Has Rachel Lan not returned yet?"
Martin Lane shook his head. Behind the counter, Rachel Lan's mother, Rachel Lan, had red eyes, looking as if she had just cried. I only came here to tell Rachel Lan about the result, but for some reason, I felt much lighter now. Maybe it's because Rachel Lan isn't here, but I already know someone notified her in advance. I didn't ask who it was. By now, most people and ghosts probably know.
After delivering the message, I planned to regroup with 001 and the others. They had already headed to Haven City, right in the center of town.
At that moment, I looked up and sensed Rachel Lan's presence. Sure enough, she walked in soon after, her face pale. After entering, she kept her head down, as if unwilling to let anyone see she'd just been crying.
"Rachel Lan, you already know, don't you? I came here just to inform you."
I spoke in a low voice. Rachel Lan nodded silently and walked past me.
"I'm tired. I want to sleep."
I managed a faint smile, cold and distant.
"Sorry."
"It's nobody's fault."
Rachel Lan went upstairs. I tilted my head back, feeling complicated inside. For some reason, I felt like I hadn't accomplished anything.
At that moment, Heavenly Soul walked over and patted me on the shoulder.
"Let's go."
I responded with a hum, but just then Martin Lane called out to us.
"What are you planning to do now?"
I hesitated for a moment.
"Let's wait a bit. You need to be careful. Now that the Underworld Court has delegated power to the Immortality Society, their people will come out to help subdue the evil ghosts appearing in the living world."
Martin Lane looked at me in surprise, then asked again.
"What did John Chou say?"
I slowly floated up and shook my head.
"You'll know when they return. I'm leaving."
With a swoosh, I soared past countless buildings and landed on the rooftop of the tallest tower. I sat down; my bottle was empty, so I tossed it away. Heavenly Soul, who had followed me, handed me another bottle.
"What do you plan to do?"
I turned and asked. Heavenly Soul shook his head.
"I don't know what to do for now, but I'll be watching you—for the time being."
I smiled faintly.
"There are a lot fewer ghosts in Haven City now. It looks like Ethan Zhang's actions succeeded."
Heavenly Soul responded with a hum. We continued sitting on the rooftop, quietly watching the city turn pale. Dawn was approaching.
Suddenly, I sensed a presence approaching us. I looked up; in the distant sky, a black dot was coming straight toward us.
With a loud crash, the rooftop behind me shattered. I raised my fist and struck Xu Fu. He dodged deliberately, but I grabbed his shoulder with one hand.
"I mean no harm—you can sense that. After all, your power has just reached a new level."
I let go of Xu Fu's shoulder. He grinned, looking at his shattered scapula, then helplessly jumped to the edge of the rooftop, yawning.
"The sun's about to rise, Earthly Soul."
"What do you want, Xu Fu? I'm burning up right now. Or do you want to have a good fight with me here?"
I clenched my fist. Xu Fu, sitting at the edge, shook his head, smiling.
"Let's not talk about the Blood Jade."
I said bluntly, my tone firm. Xu Fu nodded, then laughed.
"How about we join forces?"
"Dream on!"
Xu Fu stood up and then laughed.
"We've thoroughly checked the little girl by your side and that guy with glasses."
"You bastard..."
With a bang, Xu Fu suddenly moved. I punched at him, but he pressed my fist with one hand, grinning.
With a sizzling sound, Xu Fu suddenly leaped over my head. One of his hands was already shattered. I grabbed his collar and slammed him to the ground, punching down.
"We can help them fully awaken their powers."
My fist stopped in front of Xu Fu's nose. He smiled, then stood up, sighed helplessly, and spread his hands.
"We only did a brief check, nothing else. As for the family members' research, we've been conducting it for a long time. We've got tons of data, which you might find interesting. I can give you all this data for free, including reports on their powers. How about it?"
"What do you mean?"
Xu Fu immediately stepped back and laughed.
"Of course, you only need to give me a tiny bit in return. Let's set the Blood Jade issue aside for now. By joining forces, I simply hope you'll stand with us regarding the Underworld Court."
I snorted coldly. After Xu Fu sat down, he continued speaking.
"Those old guys from the Underworld Court want to use the Ghost Sovereign to threaten us, and at the same time use us to restrain the Ghost Sovereign. There are never such good deals in the world—they've done this more than once or twice. Now the people in the Arcane Society are planning to negotiate with the Underworld Court, and next, the Underworld Court will try to rope in third parties. After all, the Divine Law is now completely occupied by the Buddhists and Taoists. For those in the Arcane Society, this is a huge benefit; their power has grown, no longer needing to channel it through darkness. Many have profited directly in just a few hours. We've observed several cases of them subduing fierce ghosts—their power is stronger than before. So now the Arcane Society is a force to be reckoned with, especially with so many sects discussing cooperation, claiming it's for justice in the human world. Do you believe that?"
I shook my head. Xu Fu continued speaking.
"They're just trying to respond to the current Divine Law. But how many in the Arcane Society truly want to maintain stability in the living world?"
I didn't say anything. Xu Fu's words were persuasive, but I knew exactly what he was after—a bit of calculation, then taking the Blood Jade from me. For them, holding the Blood Jade is essential, because once the Emperor Gods start a real war, the Blood Jade isn't just for reviving the Wraith Clan; it's also a bargaining chip, whether with Old Hell or the Underworld Court.
"Xu Fu, aren't you a bit too slick?"
I muttered. Xu Fu burst out laughing, then continued.