The atmosphere at the dinner table was pleasant. My father kept drinking with Old Moe, clearly delighted, while my mother kept praising Helen Lane.
Looking at the dishes on the table, most of which were already eaten, and the glass of wine in front of me—this was my father's private stash. I had seen it once before but hadn't paid much attention. Now, I could sense the wine contained a certain power. It was a gift from Master Zachary Wu to my father long ago.
Just a sip of it made my insides feel as if they were burning. Beside me, Rachel Lan took the glass from my hand and started drinking.
"Qingyuan, are you feeling unwell today?"
My father asked after seeing this, and Rachel Lan immediately explained.
"Uncle Zhang, Qingyuan's stomach has been upset these past few days, so I'll drink for him."
"Xiao Lan, girls shouldn't drink too much. If you can't finish it, just leave it."
I smiled at Rachel Lan. She seemed to really enjoy the wine and had drunk quite a bit in no time. She wore a simple white dress and jacket, nothing flashy.
The meal ended pleasantly. My father kept holding Old Moe's hand, talking endlessly about me, while Rachel Lan listened with great interest at my side.
I savored this moment of happiness, but what the Earth Soul had told me kept lingering in my mind—he wanted me to find Master Frank Yuan, the monk at Hidden Falls Temple. Although I had seen glimpses of him in the Earth Soul's memories, I knew little about Master Frank Yuan, not even having heard of him before except in passing.
I planned to go to Universal Temple tonight to find Master Richard Ming. The Dark Banquet would begin in three months, a short time, so I had to be fully prepared. At that moment, Rachel Lan placed her hand on my leg and leaned in close.
"Qingyuan, let's think about these things later."
I responded with an 'oh' and realized my brows were tightly furrowed. I could only rub my cheeks to ease the tension.
Soon, Old Moe and the others started talking about marriage. I didn't interrupt, just watched quietly. My parents knew nothing about my situation, not a single detail, but seeing their excitement, I just silently nodded along.
Rachel Lan's gaze seemed to say, 'It's okay. We'll find a solution.'
After a while, the conversation ended, and Old Moe said he had to leave. My father didn't insist on keeping him, and walked us all the way to the entrance of the building.
"Qingyuan, bring Xiao Lan over for dinner whenever you have time. Your job is stable now, so spend more time with Xiao Lan—don't neglect her."
I replied with a simple 'mm.' After saying goodbye to Old Moe and Helen Lane, I turned and walked into the building. Watching his back, I felt an indescribable sadness. Now, I was powerless—my physical body was completely destroyed. If I still had it, maybe Rachel Lan could use her instinct to bring new life, and there might be hope.
"Very ordinary, Qingyuan."
I made a sound of surprise, looking at Old Moe who was smiling nearby. He was referring to my father. I responded with a quiet 'mm.'
"But there's nothing better than this."
Old Moe nodded and patted me on the shoulder.
"Are we heading straight to Universal Temple?"
I nodded, letting a trace of ghostly energy seep from my body, transforming into my ghost form. Suddenly, Old Moe jumped up.
"Wife, are you coming too?"
Helen Lane nodded and walked over, giving me a glance.
"Don't make my daughter cry again, Qingyuan."
"I understand, Auntie."
I nodded. With a swish, a length of crimson silk unfurled beneath Old Moe's feet. Rachel Lan and Helen Lane both stepped onto it, and the crimson silk swiftly carried them into the sky. I followed right after.
"Qingyuan, take this guy back with you. The rest is up to us here."
An elderly voice sounded, and I looked over to see Wei Lao had arrived in front of us. Rose Harper and Lantern followed close behind, all three glaring at the grinning Spider Wraith.
Only today did I learn this was the idea of Ghost Painting Book Immortal—he had sent the Spider Wraith here to build its nest. In the area around where my parents lived, within a ten-kilometer radius, any slight change would be immediately detected by the Spider Wraith. Its webs were even more sensitive than the Specter Web, able to pinpoint changes down to the centimeter.
"Ah, I'm quite useful, you know. Don't worry, I'll be in charge of keeping watch around here. You three can rest easy. Plus, I've turned over a new leaf now, haha."
I quietly watched the Spider Wraith. It seemed like a completely different creature from before. It clearly knew these three Blue Wraiths were much stronger than it, and even the members of Blackfang I had brought earlier were stronger, so the Spider Wraith naturally submitted. It looked at me with a flattering smile.
"Brother Qingyuan, don't worry, just leave everything here to me."
I responded with an 'oh.' At that moment, Old Moe glared at the Spider Wraith.
"Don't get any funny ideas, or else..."
"I know, I know. Otherwise, I'll definitely die."
The Spider Wraith glanced around, as if checking something, then chuckled and said:
"Brother Qingyuan, be careful when you go to the Dark Banquet. There are plenty of old enemies from the Hall of Bloodbane over there, and since you're close to Bloodbane, they..."
"How do you know that?"
I stared in astonishment at Ghost Spider. He immediately broke into a wide grin and said:
"The Dark Banquet? I heard about it long ago, back when I was in the City of the Dead. After losing to Blood Fiend, I went into hiding, and during that time I heard rumors about it."
Old Moe and I exchanged puzzled glances with Ghost Spider. Meanwhile, my mind flashed back to the Four Great Judges and their relentless investigation into the death of the Emperor of the City of the Dead.
"How much do you know about what happened in the City of the Dead?"
I asked immediately. Ghost Spider chuckled and shook his head.
"Just that the Emperor was killed. I don’t know anything else. I almost died myself back then—weak and forced to flee the City. When I finally returned, the place was leaderless, and only then did I begin to put down roots there."
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
We left, soaring through the pitch-black night sky toward Universal Temple, three hundred kilometers northeast. The winter night air bit with cold. I glanced over, worried, but Rachel Lan and Lan Ruoxi, sitting behind Old Moe, seemed completely unfazed.
"What about Su Yuanjie and the others?"
I asked. Old Moe smiled and replied:
"He’s already gone back. The people from the Underworld won’t interfere for now, Qingyuan. Seems they have bigger problems to deal with."
"Did something happen?"
I asked. Rachel Lan’s brows furrowed, and she sighed helplessly. But neither Old Moe nor Rachel Lan spoke. Earlier, when we visited my parents at noon, Underworld agents were patrolling the area. But soon after, they’d vanished without a trace.
"Speed up, Qingyuan. Let’s get there quickly. I want Ruoxi to meet the legendary Living Buddha, Master Fuyuan."
I looked at Old Moe in confusion.
"Do you know about Master Fuyuan?"
"Earth Soul’s power has surged. Does that surprise you, Qingyuan?"
It’s true—Earth Soul’s strength had skyrocketed since returning from Hidden Temple.
"I once heard Lan Yin say that our family’s second Guide went to Hidden Temple and was enlightened by Master Fuyuan. After returning, his power soared. That’s probably why Earth Soul wants you to visit Hidden Temple. With the Dark Banquet approaching, you and Ruoxi must grow stronger. We can’t go to the Banquet ourselves."
I nodded and glanced at Lan Ruoxi. She smiled at me, and we sped up, flying even faster.
Soon, we saw the highway leading to Universal Temple. I felt that familiar, unwelcome pressure—the menace that ghosts exude.
The pressure grew stronger and stronger. We were nearing Hidden Temple, but Rachel Lan’s face had gone rigid, as if something terrible had happened.
"What’s wrong, honey? Why so flustered? Did something happen with the family register?"
We’d just landed at the foot of Universal Temple’s long staircase when Old Moe asked. I glanced at him in confusion as he walked over to Rachel Lan, who was still crouched on her crimson veil. Lan Ruoxi descended, her face full of concern for Rachel Lan.
"Mom, what happened?"
"Lan Yin’s name has vanished from the family register."
My eyes widened in disbelief. Old Moe’s previously relaxed face turned grave. I knew in my heart that something must have gone wrong on Oath Island, though neither Old Moe nor Rachel Lan seemed aware of it. Lan Ruoxi and I had no intention of revealing it—Lan Yin didn’t want too many people to know.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, Lan Ruoxi cried out in alarm. I looked over—blood splattered. Old Moe rolled up his left sleeve and, with a single finger, slashed his arm deep enough to expose the white bone beneath. Blood dripped steadily, yet minutes passed and the wound refused to heal.
I stared in shock at the unbelievable scene. Then Rachel Lan sliced open her palm, and Lan Ruoxi followed suit. The power of the Underworld vanished from them.
"Something terrible is about to happen."
Rachel Lan sprang to her feet, crimson wings unfurling. Old Moe grabbed her and held her back.
"Let it be, honey. There’s no need to panic. What had to happen has happened. We’re in the dark right now. Let’s finish what we came for with our daughter and Qingyuan, then I’ll go with you to the Underworld."
It dawned on me—the sudden disappearance of the Underworld agents today must be because of this. They’d been wounded and couldn’t recover. The power of the Underworld had left their bodies.
Suddenly, Rachel Lan pulled out a small scroll from her robes, shimmering with golden light. I saw the words 'family register' on it. Rachel Lan quickly unfurled the scroll, and my eyes widened—the names of many Lan family members were vanishing before my eyes.