"Stop, Ethan Zhang."
The voice was incredibly gentle. The girl before me was a little shorter than I was, her entire body devoid of any trace of color, her face as pale as paper. Her features were delicate and exquisitely crafted, almost as if they had been sculpted, her sharp lines reminiscent of a finely made porcelain doll. Her long red hair cascaded down like a waterfall, shimmering with a crystalline glow.
The girl was dressed in a loose, pure white gown. Her slender hand gripped the Deathbane Aura Blade in my hand, refusing to let go. Meanwhile, the Flying Revenant had retreated far away, already airborne and trying to escape.
"Useless thing. Disgrace of the Blood Revenants. Get lost."
The girl's voice was icy and clear. Whenever she spoke, it felt like someone was calling you from behind on a freezing winter night, making a chill run straight down my spine.
With a whoosh, the Deathbane Aura Blade in my hand dissipated. Suddenly, the girl's eyes turned blood-red, and I cried out in shock as intricate, tangled blood vessels extended from her left eye, wrapping around my body. Just as I was about to resist, she stopped me with a stern command.
"Stop causing trouble, Ethan Zhang."
At that moment, the chaotic power inside me faded away bit by bit. With a faint creaking sound, those red, capillary-like things withdrew back into the girl's eye.
Instantly, the cracked skin on my body healed completely, and my body slowly returned to normal. I collapsed to the ground, while the girl stared at me in a daze.
Suddenly, the girl raised her hand. In her palm was a crimson, diamond-like stone, its facets sharp and beautiful. She stretched out her hand, offering the object to me.
"This is..."
"Take it. Consider it a gift from me. This is the Corpse Jade you wanted." (Note: 'Corpse Jade' is a mystical mineral used by Blood Revenants for regeneration and spiritual power.)
I accepted it with a sense of awe and surprise. Looking at this young woman, I couldn't sense anything from her body—except for her striking, vivid red hair, she seemed just like any ordinary person. In fact, I could even hear the steady, rhythmic beating of her heart.
"Who exactly are you...?"
"How is Yin Choujian doing?" (Note: Yin Choujian is another character, likely an ally or acquaintance in the supernatural world.)
The young woman before me suddenly asked. I blinked, unsure why she was inquiring about Yin Choujian.
"Oh, him? Still the same as always."
"Good. That puts me at ease. If he ever changes, I won't let him off so easily."
Her words carried an unsettling undertone, and I couldn't help but ask.
"Who are you, really?"