In a haze of confusion, Zachary Fate dreamed of his childhood.
Fire—fire everywhere. The once peaceful village was attacked by a band of marauders. Besides taking women, money, and food, these bloodthirsty bandits killed everyone they met.
Zachary Fate's father was not spared. He watched his father fall beneath the bandits' blades, and then saw them set the village ablaze.
Yet, on the brink of death, Zachary Fate was saved by the Taoist Elder, who carried him out from the inferno.
Afterward, the Taoist Elder took Zachary Fate along, begging for food and teaching him to read, as well as the ways of Taoism. Unknowingly, when Zachary was seven, the Taoist Elder entrusted him to a well-off farming family. They treated him kindly. He was reluctant to part with the Taoist Elder, but the old man promised to visit him again someday.
It was from that time that Zachary Fate developed a deep interest in the Tao. With nothing else to do, he would inquire everywhere about the whereabouts of Taoist practitioners. From the age of ten, he sought out teachers, but repeated refusals only made him miss the Taoist Elder more. As he grew older, Zachary Fate finally understood—the Taoist Elder was already fading, his breath weak, his complexion poor. When he left, having placed Zachary in a good home, he was content, as if he had completed his final task.
"What is the Tao? What defines the Tao? What alone is the Tao?"
In a daze, Zachary Fate felt a deep pain—far more than ordinary suffering. Yet, at this moment, he heard a voice, and all his memories surged through his mind.
Each time he sincerely sought the Tao, hoping to join the Taoist order, he was refused again and again. On the mountain roads, Zachary Fate traveled back and forth, searching for the Tao. His heart was devoted, but the Tao did not choose him.
"The Tao is ever-present; wherever the heart turns, there is the Tao..."
Suddenly, Zachary Fate opened his eyes. He could move again. In the distance, Redmond stood with his back to him, chatting cheerfully with the woman who had climbed down from the tree.
"Where the Tao is, I am..."
In that instant, four words surfaced in Zachary Fate's memory—words the Taoist Elder had shouted when he saved him years ago, cutting through the flames with his sword.
The Boundless Sword in his hand shone with golden light. In a flash, Zachary Fate's body was enveloped in it. He raised the long sword and soared into the air, thrusting it at Redmond.
"Boss, watch out..."
As Redmond turned around in surprise, Zachary Fate's sword was already plunging toward his chest.
"Sever... the... realm..."
With a swish, the golden light around Zachary Fate vanished. A streak of violet light flashed before his eyes. The Boundless Sword in his hand snapped in two. He landed on the ground and, looking up, saw Redmond staring at him with a grave expression.
"That power just now was impressive. Unfortunately, you're still a fake Taoist. Come back after you've truly trained!"
Redmond turned away. Zachary Fate, gasping for breath, glared wide-eyed.
"Why?"
"It's neither mercy nor compassion. As I said at the start—if you could hurt me tonight, even a little, I would let you go."
Vivian Maple glanced at the broken sword on the ground, bowed gracefully, hung the short blade at her side, and left with Redmond.
Everything that just happened felt like a dream. Only the Boundless Sword, now broken in two on the ground, remained. Zachary Fate felt a pang of sorrow as he picked it up, rested briefly, then left the woods.
This brief encounter brought Zachary Fate significant growth. He began to travel between markets and various places, searching for Taoist texts and starting his own cultivation.
At this time, the two realms of ghosts and humans had reached an uneasy peace. After the battles between the Underworld and the Ghost Sovereigns, the Underworld finally acknowledged the Ghost Sovereigns' status. For a while, both sides kept the peace, and the Ghost Sovereigns restrained their forces to avoid further conflict.
Many ghosts seeking to align themselves with the Ghost Sovereigns began to roam the living world, stealing souls, absorbing yang energy, and consuming human flesh and blood to strengthen themselves and join the ranks of the Seven Ghost Sovereigns.
In just ten years, there were countless sightings of ghosts in the living world, shaking even the government and nobility, who sought capable individuals to eradicate these ghosts.
It was during this time that a Taoist appeared, wielding a broken sword and slaying evil ghosts. He often traveled to haunted places, helping locals rid themselves of these malevolent spirits.
The Taoist's name was Zachary Justice. Nearly fifty, his hair had turned quite white, but his skills were first-rate. Many in the occult world had invited him to join them, but he always worked alone, never associating with anyone.
For the second time, Zachary Fate changed his name—the one he once used to mock himself. He renamed himself Zachary Justice. Like his name, he cut down evil wherever he found it.
On this day, Zachary Justice set foot in Redhaven once more. His purpose was to meet someone—the owner of the largest pharmacy in Redhaven, Mason Autumn of Crimson Harmony Apothecary.
It was winter, the season when many fell ill with colds. The pharmacy was crowded with people seeking medicine. Zachary Justice quietly waited at the door until someone came to invite him to the backyard.
"Taoist, it's been ten years. You've changed a lot, haven't you?"
Zachary Justice gave a bitter smile and sat down. Redmond and the purple-haired woman beside him were just as they had been years ago—unchanged.
"Did you come here for revenge this time?"
Zachary Justice shook his head.
"That place has become active again, serving as the supply site for your pharmacy's medicinal ingredients."
Redmond chuckled and made a welcoming gesture. Zachary Justice took a sip of tea.
"Back then, the reason you didn't kill me was because the Blue Wraith I had slain did something that enraged you. I sensed something at the time. This young lady has been watching, hasn't she?"
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Zachary Justice spoke.
Redmond waved his hand.
"Forget it. That foolish ghost—I told him to help those people, make their lives better, boost the herb yield so I could buy medicinal ingredients cheaply and earn more money. But he went behind my back, using those people to increase his own strength."
"That's certainly a strange story."
"There's nothing odd about it. Who doesn't love money in this world? No one ever said ghosts can't make money, right?"
Zachary Justice nodded.
"You targeted me from the very beginning. Why?"
After thinking for a moment, Redmond replied.
"You're the only person who can avoid my Malice Wraith—or maybe you simply have no malice in your heart at all. I've never met anyone like you before, so I found you interesting."