A yellow talisman shot out from the car. I dodged quickly and reached the rooftop. With a loud bang, the yellow talisman in my hand ignited, but the flames died out instantly, turning into a wisp of black smoke.
Now, such low-level spells have no effect on me. I sat quietly at the edge of the rooftop, waiting. The black van had already stopped.
Inside the van were members of the Ghost Burial Squad Second Team: Calvin Wang, Quentin Yuan, Cynthia Mu, and Lori Luo.
They'd started coming up—four of them. I just waited quietly for their arrival.
"You're getting used to things now, aren't you? Everything that's happening."
I said, clasping my hands together, watching the first to arrive—Calvin Wang. His face was flushed, yet he showed no sign of breathlessness or panic.
"Is that Ethan Zhang?"
I was still veiled, my face hidden, wearing a black hood. My cloak draped over the rooftop, fluttering in the wind.
I hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded.
A chilling aura swept in—it was the white-haired youth, Quentin Yuan, panting as he rushed up.
"Uncle, you didn't even wait for us. I'm exhausted—let me catch my breath first."
Quentin Yuan plopped down on the ground. When he saw me, he gave a smile.
After quite a while, Cynthia Mu and Lori Luo finally made it up. I had questions in my mind, so I asked.
"Do you remember Liu Tao's wife?"
With just that, Calvin Wang nodded.
"Let's set that aside for now, Ethan Zhang. Any news about the Immortality Society?"
I shook my head. It seemed they all knew what had happened since leaving the Ghost Burial Squad.
The Ghost Burial Squad had been restored. Now, Hu Tianshuo was busy selecting new recruits. As for the supernatural incidents around society, the 31 original squad elites were handling them. Each major city had personnel stationed; they were busy every day.
"Tianshuo said, someone has to do the work. We've been wandering that place for over ten years—getting out is a good way to stretch our legs."
Calvin Wang said this. Suddenly, the four of them lined up, bowed to me, and said thank you. I stood up in surprise, waving my hands quickly.
"By the way, Ethan Zhang, Tianshuo said if you came out, you should go to Lanshan Café."
My heart skipped a beat. I nodded.
"I'll go now."
After saying goodbye to Calvin Wang and the others, I headed straight for the east side of the city, to Lanshan Café, run by Lan Ruoxi's mother, Lan Chuhan. My mood was complicated.
The Ghost Burial Squad's matters would need investigating once I returned from the Four Saints Realm. The Immortality Society people had completely vanished.
As the sun set, I finally stood up. The distant sky was painted gold and red. I stood atop a building opposite Lanshan Café, having arrived at noon, watching the half-open door and the stream of customers. Business had clearly resumed here.
But I couldn't bring myself to go in; waves of coldness kept rising inside me.
Once again, I stopped myself from entering and sat down.
"Hey, you've been standing here all day, son-in-law. Why not go inside?"
Startled, I turned my head and quickly reached out to catch a small jar. The red sealing cloth had already been partially removed.
"It's really good, this wine..."
Behind me, Uncle Mo's cheeks were flushed, clearly tipsy. The aroma of alcohol wafted into my nose. I removed the red cloth and took a sip.
"It really is good, Uncle Mo."
"You've changed a lot, kid. Looks like even I couldn't beat you now."
Uncle Mo said this with a smile, sitting down beside me, one hand pressed to his forehead. He didn't mention anything about Lan Ruoxi.
The café had closed, and the staff were heading home. Inside, Lan Chuhan sat by a window, resting her chin on her hand, smoking, gazing outside. Her profile looked lonely.
"Honey, hurry up and make dinner—I'm starving."
Uncle Mo called out. Lan Chuhan turned her head. I watched her quietly and greeted her as Aunt Lan. She nodded at me.
"Eat something, Qingyuan. It's good stuff, haha."
In a simple dining area on the second floor, I drank in silence, Uncle Mo grinning beside me.
Even after dinner, I stayed silent, unable to find words.
"You walk around with that gloomy face all day—you're starting to look more and more like a ghost."
Uncle Mo said this. I forced a stiff smile.
"Uncle Mo, why did you ask me here?"
Outside, night had fully fallen. The streetlights had just come on as I spoke.
"Honestly, it's nothing much..."
Lan Chuhan came over and shoved Uncle Mo's head aside, then sat down across from me.
"Let me speak, Qingyuan..."
I nodded.
"You went to the world of shadows before, didn't you? And you saw Ruoxi there."
I gave a quiet "mm."
"You did nothing wrong. Lift your head."
Slowly, I raised my head. A hand pressed against my forehead.
"I'll find a way..."
I didn't finish my sentence. Before me, Lan Chuhan's tears kept falling.
"There's nothing we can do, Qingyuan."
Uncle Mo spoke up.
Suddenly, my eyes widened and I stood up.
"What did you say, Uncle Mo...?"
"Those people from the Four Saints Realm wanted to test you. They forcibly split Ruoxi's already fragile soul in two, and after her death, sent the evil part to the world of shadows, injecting it with powerful energy."
I tore off the purple crystal pendant and placed it in front of Uncle Mo.
"There's still hope, Uncle Mo. There's still hope..."
I shouted in anger, though sorrow weighed heavier inside me. Watching Lan Chuhan gently stroke the purple crystal pendant, her tears fell in large drops. My heart felt like it was being cut apart.
Suddenly, I stood up.
"Uncle Mo, I'm leaving. I have to find a way to get to the Four Saints Realm as soon as possible."
As I spoke, I began to float upward.
"Qingyuan, don't go again. This time you might not come back—I don't want..."
I turned around, part of my body already merging into the wall.
"There's still hope ahead, so I won't give up."
Leaving Lanshan Café, I planned to head straight to the Hall of Malediction to discuss things with everyone. I wondered if Dead Curse and Yi Xuehan had found a way to reach the Four Saints Realm.
"Ethan Zhang, you're back. Wait a moment..."
A voice echoed in my mind. Instantly, I sensed a strange power nearby. I turned into a stream of black mist and drifted over—it was Nuwa.
It was like daylight—a huge ball of light appeared before me. The power I'd just felt was coming from inside. Without hesitation, I dove in.
When I opened my eyes, I stared in surprise at the statue of Nuwa before me—the one Red Hair had destroyed that day, but now it was restored.
"Aren't you going to ask why?"
I shook my head and pulled a black tooth from my body.
"You promised me you'd bring that girl back to life."
"Now, some things aren't as they were before, Ethan Zhang. First, understand your origin, then decide whether to revive Huangfu Ruofei. In your last life, you were friends, and that bond continues even now. I'll ask you again—are you sure? Do you want to seek your origin?"
I nodded.
"That cruel and dark origin—it could change your whole life. I want you to stay in the fragments of time, not to imprison you, but so that when you find your origin, you'll understand. Ethan Zhang, matters between humans and ghosts may be far harder than you imagine."
A surge of white light swept over me. I stared in surprise as my body began to dissolve into white particles of light, vanishing.
"Kill!"
Dazed, I snapped awake. Before me stood a blood-soaked soldier in armor, wielding a broadsword, swinging it down at me. I raised my hand.
With a cry, the blade sliced through my body—I seemed like a phantom before him. Behind me, another soldier screamed and collapsed, struck by the blade.
It was an ancient war. The ground was covered with corpses, and the surviving soldiers kept fighting. It was dusk, and the thick stench of blood filled the air.
I swallowed hard, not knowing where or when I was. Gradually, the cries of battle faded. A strong wind swept through, and flocks of waiting crows descended.
Both sides withdrew from the battlefield. Silence fell, broken only by the piles of corpses and the still-wet blood soaking the earth, turning the ground red.
"Better check out the camp first."
I floated quickly to the left, but as I tried to leave the battlefield, I was instantly pulled back to its center.
Night fell. More creatures crept onto the battlefield, gnawing on the fresh corpses. The sight was chilling.
Then came a commotion—soldiers from both sides came to clear the field. The battlefield was huge, the size of a dozen soccer fields. At the edge, I saw deep pits filled with firewood, where corpses were burned in the flames.
I couldn't leave the battlefield. Only when dawn broke, sunlight piercing the darkness, did the cries of battle ring out again. The armies clashed once more.
It was only during the fighting that I understood—this was a strategic stronghold. Both sides wanted to seize the area and fortify their defenses.
The battle ended again, leaving more corpses behind. At night, I saw pale souls wandering the field, all drifting westward.
Suddenly, I saw a stream of bluish-gray mist. Sensing something strange, I drifted over at once.