With a sudden slash, my eyes flew wide in horror as King Hollowbelly's arm was severed, blood spraying through the gloom. His massive body lurched backward, staggering several steps. Vivian Maple crouched low, gripping her short blade in reverse, her posture feral—like a beast ready to spring from the shadows.
With a sharp gust, Vivian Maple darted forward. In a blink, six streaks of violet blade light tore through the darkness—liquids of every color splattered as King Hollowbelly's body was hacked apart, chunks thudding wetly onto the cold ground.
At that moment, I glimpsed Jerry Li, still seated beside the shattered remains of the pool, calmly sipping a glass of wine as if the carnage around him were nothing at all.
"I've treated you all with respect, yet you dare run wild in my domain. And you, Jerry Li—you're no wealthy tycoon, are you? You dare deceive me, your king."
A sharp, low voice drifted through the gloom. The remains of King Hollowbelly, just butchered by Vivian Maple, vanished as if swallowed by the night.
"This is bad, Ethan. I think we're inside that monster's belly."
I gasped. Vivian Maple crouched, her short blade gripped tight, eyes scanning every shadow for threats.
The scene was eerily calm, nothing out of place. What unsettled me most was that, no matter how I attacked King Hollowbelly, I could never break through. But Vivian Maple shattered his defenses with chilling ease.
"Long ago, I had no quarrel with your Hall of Malice—there was even cooperation. Now, if you want Ethan Zhang, I can give him to you. But things must follow proper order. Has your boss taught you nothing? Such a rude little girl."
I blinked. Even now, King Hollowbelly was obsessed with money, acting as if we were the ones barging in without reason.
Suddenly, my eyes snapped open and I cried out.
"Watch out, Jerry Li!"
A streak of crimson light flashed above Jerry Li's head—a massive arm crashed down from the darkness.
With a deafening crack, Jerry Li's wine glass shattered in his hand. He raised one arm, bracing against King Hollowbelly's blow. The ground caved in, stones flying, but Jerry Li remained seated, unflinching.
"Jerry Li, you..."
"Sorry, fatso. My name's not Jerry Li, and this has nothing to do with me. I'm just here to spend money and enjoy myself."
With a thunderous boom, Jerry Li sprang up, kicking King Hollowbelly in the gut. The ghost king flew like a ball of flesh, crashing to the floor with a roar. The ground split open, and King Hollowbelly rose, eyes burning with malice.
"Who... are you?"
"I told you, fatso—I'm only here for pleasure. This has nothing to do with me, and I don't plan to get involved. Carry on."
With a rush of wind, Jerry Li appeared behind us. I glanced at him; in that instant, the Ghost Aura he unleashed far surpassed Lin Rui's.
"Let us out, or else..."
The short blade pressed against King Hollowbelly's throat. Vivian Maple crouched atop his broad back as King Hollowbelly began to laugh, sweat pouring off him like water, his laughter shrill and piercing.
"You are already inside my belly," King Hollowbelly cackled. "Ha ha ha!"
With a splash, King Hollowbelly melted into a puddle and dripped onto the ground, quickly seeping into the earth.
"This is bad. We can't find his true body. We're trapped in here."
"Hollowbelly, come out!"
Vivian Maple called out, but there was no answer. King Hollowbelly's presence vanished completely. Vivian sheathed her short blade, her expression tense.
"It's not just ten billion anymore. Now it's at least fifteen billion. The damage to my facilities, your food and drink expenses, and the chaos you caused in my belly—I'll settle all this with your boss, little girl."
King Hollowbelly's sharp voice drifted down from the sky.
"Let's go outside and look around."
Vivian Maple floated upward as she spoke. The three of us followed, arriving in an instant at the courtyard where King Hollowbelly had brought me before. We landed—still inside Hollowbelly City, that much was clear. The Ghost Aura was everywhere, and none of these ghosts realized they were trapped inside King Hollowbelly's belly.
"That guy's just a money-grubbing ghost."
Lin Rui chuckled. With a bang, Vivian Maple kicked open the main gate and we followed her out. Instantly, the ghost officials inside Hollowbelly Manor sensed something was wrong. In moments, we were surrounded—ghost officials and spectral soldiers everywhere.
"Who dares..."
A spectral official tried to speak, but Lin Rui was already in front of him, one hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Where is that Hollowbelly anyway?"
A chill of Ghost Aura burst forth instantly. The ghost officials and spectral soldiers around us froze in shock, shrinking back in terror.
No matter how we asked, they didn't know. In fact, they had no idea they were inside King Hollowbelly's belly, let alone where he was hiding.
We entered the grand hall, where treasures were piled high. Several ghost officials led us around to inspect the place. When they opened the rooms, there was nothing inside—just bare walls.
Everything in Hollowbelly City kept running as normal. Lin Rui and Jerry Li rummaged through the mountain of treasure.
"That old bastard really is greedy. I heard stories about him a thousand years ago."
Lin Rui muttered, then continued: Long ago, he'd heard of this eccentric ghost marshal in the underworld—obsessed with money. Whether ordinary ghosts or his own subordinates, everyone had to bring offerings, or they'd suffer. But as long as you paid, anything was possible.
I felt helpless. King Hollowbelly didn't want to fight us; he just wanted us trapped, unable to escape. The only way out was to pay—just like those tycoons and officials locked away in his estate, kept like livestock, forced to eat, drink, and play, until King Hollowbelly came for the money.
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"If their descendants lose everything and have no money, that old bastard throws them to the judge for sentencing."
"How vile."
I muttered. Jerry Li laughed—those promises that enough money would guarantee reincarnation were just lies to fool them.
"You, come here."
Vivian Maple sat on King Hollowbelly's throne, calling out to the ghost officials standing at the door, staring at each other in confusion.
"What are your orders, ma'am?"
"Send people out to search. Find any information on Hollowbelly."
But the ghost officials began to beg for mercy. After all, they were King Hollowbelly's subordinates—following these orders was as good as betraying him.
"Die now or go search. Two choices."
Vivian Maple spoke coldly. The ghost officials hurried out to carry out her orders. The gates of Hollowbelly Manor swung open, and a flood of ghost officials and spectral soldiers poured out to begin their search.
It was the only option now. I was surprised—Vivian was usually quiet, but her command just now felt unfamiliar, almost natural. Then I remembered: she and Wuming handled everything at Red Rhythm Corp; Redhair just lounged around counting money.
All our actions were under Hollowbelly's surveillance. Lin Rui floated upward, his appearance shifting in the eerie green light.
"Snakes have their path, rats have their way. Ethan, let's head out together—maybe we'll find something."
I nodded and followed Lin Rui out. Chaos spread through the city as the ghost officials searching for King Hollowbelly began interrogating the oldest ghosts in Hollowbelly City.
It seemed many of the ghost officials and spectral soldiers weren't very experienced.
Lin Rui and I darted through the alleys and streets. The ghosts in the city had no idea what was happening, confusion written on every face.
After grabbing a random ghost to question, we headed south—where the worst of the city’s evil spirits gathered. Most of them were thieves or traffickers, using the lower-class ghosts to line their pockets. Anything that made money, they’d do it. They also had deep ties with ghost companies in the living world.
I spotted a tall building—ten stories or more, standing out in Hollowbelly City. It was headquarters for the ghosts’ work and operations. King Hollowbelly didn’t care about any of it; he only demanded money. The ghosts schemed to bring in more spirits, forging trade with the living world’s ghost businesses.
As soon as we arrived downstairs, we saw ghosts hustling in and out of the building, busy and frantic.
"Brother, what’s going on?"
Lin Rui asked. A ghost in a suit, cigarette dangling from his lips, glanced at us. As he tried to walk away, Lin Rui grabbed his collar.
"What the hell are you—"
The ghost’s cigarette fell to the ground. He stared at us in shock, then started talking: the network was down, all contact with the living world cut off, and chaos was spreading. Ghosts waiting for shipments were getting restless, but the city’s phones still worked.
Most importantly, their route to the living world was blocked. After questioning, we learned that the passage was like the one by the villa’s pool—powerful ghosts couldn’t pass through, only those below the Yellow Pages rank could.
"Why not just destroy this place?"
Lin Rui joked. I shook my head, then spotted a familiar face—the pickpocket I’d met earlier. In a flash, I floated over to stand before him, my killing intent radiating.
"Spare me! Spare me..."
I placed both hands on the pickpocket’s shoulders and asked:
"What do you know about Hollowbelly?"