For five nights in a row, Ghost Fiend Star came by to eat and drink, but there was still no word about Poison Dreadstar.
On the sixth night, Ghost Fiend Star showed up again, but this time every table in the shop was full.
"Oh no, there aren't any tables left. I'll wait a bit."
"Do you really have the nerve? Come help out."
I said, and though Ghost Fiend Star was reluctant, she came over to help serve food to the customers.
By closing time, Ghost Fiend Star had been complaining for quite a while.
"Tonight I'll make you something extra delicious."
I smiled and started grilling. After casually tidying up a table, Ghost Fiend Star grabbed a bottle of wine and began drinking.
"Ethan Zhang, I don't think you'll ever get anything out of the boss. His ways are strange, and we've never been able to figure him out. If you want answers, you'd be better off asking Poison Aunt directly."
I brought over some dishes and sat down. Ghost Fiend Star started eating impatiently.
"But one of the ghosts inside me knows a few things about the boss. Want me to let her out and tell you? Maybe you'll learn something."
I nodded immediately. Ghost Fiend Star raised a hand, and with a whoosh, a red-clothed female ghost appeared beside me. Her face was clean and beautiful, but her eyes were cold as she stared at me.
"Miss, can you tell me anything? Even the smallest detail about Wraithshade would help."
I quietly stared at Red.
"And what difference would it make if you knew?"
The female ghost in front of me spoke with a chilling voice. Ghost Fiend Star sighed helplessly.
"Just tell him, Red. The boss is gone anyway. You're the ghost he gave me—the very first one he ever crafted. You should know a lot, right? You never tell me anything, and I'm curious about the boss's past too."
After a long moment, Red finally spoke.
"There was a time when Wraithshade wanted to give up everything he had—because of a woman."
Ghost Fiend Star and I both stared at Red in shock. She nodded.
"That woman was his wife. Let me show you this memory."
I nodded and immediately released my ghost threads. Red's body emitted strands of red ghost thread, which I quickly connected to. In an instant, my consciousness left my own sight and entered a vast, endless darkness, quietly watching the scenes that kept forming around me.
On a bustling street, I quietly observed everything around me. I couldn't tell what era it was—people crowded the street, lively and endless. But among the crowd, two people stood out, drawing curious looks from others.
Wraithshade wore a black robe, his face veiled and a wide-brimmed hat on his head, his black cloak billowing. Beside him was a beautiful woman in her twenties, dressed in a light green gown, graceful and lively. The two looked completely out of place.
Poison Dreadstar followed Wraithshade, peering curiously at everything on the street. Her face was lit up with a brilliant smile.
"Sir, I'm hungry. I want a bowl of noodles."
Ghost Fiend Star said, tugging at Wraithshade's sleeve. The aroma from a nearby lamb noodle shop wafted out, and Wraithshade stopped, nodded silently.
Poison Dreadstar went inside, ordered some food, and began eating on her own. Wraithshade stood at the entrance with his arms folded, not entering, his gaze fixed on the distant street.
At that moment, a luxurious sedan chair was carried down the street by eight bearers, flanked by armed guards. Idle gossip began to spread.
It was for the local lord's beloved daughter, Princess Irene, frail and sickly since childhood. She'd fallen ill again and was being rushed to the largest clinic in Yunyang City, right at the heart of the street, not far from the noodle shop. The sedan stopped.
A pale, beautiful young woman in her twenties, dressed in a white silk gown adorned with expensive jewelry, coughed and wheezed as two maids helped her into the clinic.
Wraithshade watched intently.
"So that's it—her soul is incomplete. Nineteen years, two months, and thirteen days old. She probably won't live past twenty."
After a while, Poison Dreadstar came out, patting her full belly with zero elegance. She walked up to Wraithshade and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Aren't we here to cure someone? Let's go."
Wraithshade pointed at the clinic across the street.
"The patient is inside."
This time, Wraithshade had accepted a commission—he'd come specifically to treat Lord Zoe's precious daughter. With all other treatments failing, they'd turned to the supernatural. They'd already tried many practitioners, but none had succeeded.
Eventually, as the crowd dispersed, the two maids helped Princess Irene out, her complexion slightly improved. She looked pained, clutching her chest, but her eyes were bright with hope.
"I told you, next time don't make such a fuss. I'll be fine soon anyway."
"It must be some kind of expensive life-extending medicine, but it only works temporarily. Sooner or later, it'll stop working."
Poison Dreadstar said, and Wraithshade started walking, slowly following behind the sedan.
Outside a spacious mansion, Wraithshade slowly floated upward, planning to go straight in. The sun was almost setting, and Poison Dreadstar floated in right behind him.
The moment they entered, the guards in the courtyard spotted them, but in the blink of an eye, they were all lying down.
Lord Zoe paced anxiously in the hall, his brows furrowed. The lady beside him was wiping away tears.
"What did Irene do to deserve this? Her illness was just starting to improve, but the method the last master gave us has only made things worse."
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"Sigh, those were probably just frauds, and..."
Suddenly, the couple's eyes widened, staring at Wraithshade and Poison Dreadstar standing at the door.
"Who are you, how dare you..."
"We're here to treat your daughter. We've been entrusted to help."
Wraithshade said, and Lord Zoe finally noticed all the guards outside had collapsed.
"They're only asleep. They'll wake up in two hours."
Poison Dreadstar said.
"Master, you..."
In an instant, Wraithshade had moved to the top of the hall and sat down.
"Your daughter's soul is incomplete. Before she was born, her soul was bitten by a ghost, which caused her frailty. If this goes on, she won't live past twenty."
As soon as Wraithshade finished, Lord Zoe and his wife pleaded with him to save their daughter.
"The method I use can save your daughter, but after she dies, she won't be able to reincarnate."
Lord Zoe looked at Wraithshade in surprise. The man before him felt strange, but unlike the others, he explained everything simply and clearly.
"No matter what, as long as Irene's life can be saved, that's enough."
The lady wiped her tears and said, and Wraithshade stood up and nodded.
"Master, how much do you need..."
Wraithshade raised a hand.
"I don't want a single coin. Just give me the Buddha altar your family worships."
In a room filled with incense and candles, the lady led Wraithshade inside. Sure enough, there was a black-lacquered Buddha altar with a bright white crystal inside.
"Master, you want this..."
The lady started to ask, but was frightened by Wraithshade's cold gaze and didn't dare continue.
"Go get it."
As Wraithshade spoke, Poison Dreadstar walked over and took the altar.
"It will take seven days. Don't ask anything else. In seven days, your daughter will be well. But your family's fortune will be diminished."
Lord Zoe's eyes widened, puzzled as he stared at the crystal in Wraithshade's hand.
"Could this be the thing our ancestors left behind..."
"There's a ghost sealed inside. Someone tampered with it to bring good fortune to the family."
Lord Zoe's face turned awkward.
"In the end, your luck will worsen, but your current foundation won't be affected."
In the inner courtyard, Wraithshade drove out all the servants and maids.
"Master, will it..."
"No need to ask anything extra. Since I promised, I'll cure your daughter. It will only take seven days."
Poison Dreadstar giggled.
"Don't worry, our master always keeps his word."
In the courtyard, Irene, leaning against her bedroom door, looked angrily at the man and woman standing before her.
"I don't know where my father found you, but you're probably just here to scam us out of money. I..."
"If you don't want to die, shut up and do exactly as I say."
Irene's eyes filled with fear as she looked at the man before her; his eyes were deadly serious. She nodded timidly, and Poison Dreadstar grinned as she walked over.
"Don't worry, for our master, an incomplete soul is a trivial matter."
"Undress her and let her soak in the wooden tub for three days and nights. No food allowed. Add a few drops from this bottle."
Wraithshade spoke, taking a small bottle from his coat and handing it to Poison Dreadstar. She led Irene inside and closed the door.
Soaking in the large wooden tub, Irene felt uncomfortable. The water was cold, yet she was in distress.
"Those with incomplete souls lack one of the five elements. Based on your fate, you're of the fire element, but because your soul is incomplete, you lack water. That's why you're afraid of water, and your body reacts this way."
"Now that you mention it, I've always been a little afraid of water since I was a kid."
Poison Dreadstar grinned, dripping the liquid from the bottle into the water. Instantly, the water turned black. Irene looked on in fear, but soon felt her discomfort fade away.