"Mr. Brown, don't try to stop us. Do you really want to see Boss Yin sink so low? Back then, we all stood by Boss Yin's side—have you forgotten everything? We were all deeply loyal to that fearsome ghost."
Mr. Brown let the green glow around him fade and sighed deeply.
"The world is fleeting, so many years have passed. Why—why must fate still find the young master? Is all of this truly destined?"
As Mr. Brown spoke, Ronan Wu drifted over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Mr. Brown, have you forgotten what we are? We're ghosts. The Ghost Path has already fallen—now it's the world of the sorcerers. The Ghost Path is nothing like it once was. Nowadays, many powerful Green Wraiths have vanished along with the decline of the Ghost Sovereign. Do you really want to watch as chaos spreads through the living world and the Ghost Path?"
Mr. Brown looked up at Ronan Wu and shook his head.
"You just want to finish that unfinished duel with the young master, don't you? Why are you so obsessed?"
Suddenly, Ronan Wu's gaze sharpened. He clenched his fist and looked down, speaking each word with determination.
"You don't understand, do you? This feeling called love is truly strange. I must defeat Boss Yin, even if..." Ronan Wu paused.
"Even if it means eternal damnation and being reduced to ashes, I will keep going. Mr. Brown, please forgive my stubbornness."
With a thunderous crash, blood gushed from the ground, vivid and dripping, seeping out from the cracks.
In an instant, my figure was swallowed by the blood. Ronan Wu watched excitedly, biting his lip, his whole body trembling as he stared silently.
"It's been hundreds of years, huh?" From the pool of blood, a humanoid figure slowly emerged, gradually taking on John Chou's appearance, his arms cradling my unconscious body.
"Finally, we meet again, Boss Yin?"
"Little Rong, I've been waiting."
Then Ronan Wu burst into wild laughter, transforming into a ball of green light and flying off into the distance.
"Though I can't wait any longer, Boss Yin, right now, you're not even as strong as an ordinary Yellow Page!"
I stared in astonishment as everything returned to calm. John Chou, naked, placed me on the ground and closed his eyes. A faint murderous aura seeped from my body, gradually wrapping around John Chou, transforming into a black suit.
"Young Master, what do you plan to do? Now that you've emerged, those in the Ghost Path and the old sorcerers surely know about it!"
"Ah, yes, Mr. Brown. Since I'm out, I have to set an example, don't I? Heh."
John Chou spoke, squatting in front of me, looking at me with a half-smile.
"Brother, everything has begun. The choice has already been made."
As he spoke, everything around us changed, and John Chou disappeared. I regained consciousness; everything was just as it had been when I first encountered John Chou.
"What am I, really?"
I murmured to myself, looking at my golden-eyed self. He raised a finger and pointed at me.
"You are you, Ethan Zhang. Nothing else."
Yet again, everything around me changed. I stared in surprise as a black sedan slowly approached an intersection. Inside sat Wu Xiaoli and Li Nan. On the street nearby, Ronan Wu stood quietly, holding a rose, staring at the approaching car.
Then the accident happened.
"It was him." Seeing this, I couldn't help but be shocked. Previously, I thought it was John Chou who killed Li Nan and Wu Xiaoli, but now, what does all this mean?
"This is the truth, Ethan Zhang."
In an instant, my golden-eyed self and I returned to the black-and-white space. I sat in silent contemplation, so shocked by everything I'd seen that my thoughts stalled.
Regarding Wu Xiaoli and Li Nan, John Chou had never responded to me—not once. Now I finally understood that my inner conflict was about John Chou killing Wu Xiaoli and Li Nan, which was why I kept my distance. But now, the truth was right before my eyes.
My heart was filled with desolation. I didn't know where to place such feelings.
"I just asked you, Ethan Zhang, what is your instinct?"
I lifted my head and looked at my golden-eyed self, shaking my head.
Everything from the past flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern. Since meeting John Chou, my life had completely changed. The past was gone forever.
It's not that I've forgotten the pain; I've buried it deep, covered it completely, unwilling to touch or mention it, because it hurts. One touch brings unbearable agony, like the deadliest poison in the world.
"Is pain so simple that it can be forgotten, discarded, Ethan Zhang? Once again, I ask you—what is your instinct?"
I raised my head and looked at my golden-eyed self. My feelings were complicated, but it seemed I finally understood something about how all this began.
Whether it was John Chou or everything from my past, I chose to bury them deep in my heart, refusing to touch them. My instinct is called coexistence.
"Is that so? Finally some understanding, Ethan Zhang. Coexistence is the past, the future. If you can't accept your own past, refuse to bear the sadness, how can you talk about coexistence? Think carefully, Ethan Zhang."
My golden-eyed self spoke, slowly sinking into the black-and-white space, disappearing from sight.
I lowered my head, recalling, pondering, feeling. I finally understood: my instinct was to carry everything from the past, and to trust John Chou. What he gave me was leading me down this path of no return.
Yet, my current mood was surprisingly peaceful. The last bit of distance between me and John Chou vanished; the gloom in my heart was completely dispelled.
"Everything from the past is who I am now!"
I smiled faintly, and gradually, my consciousness began to fade from this black-and-white space.
"Ethan Zhang, what is your instinct?"
"My instinct is called coexistence. All things in this world can coexist."
I shouted as my consciousness returned. In that moment, I saw Martin Ouyang already lifting Lord Dream, who was completely enveloped in purple light, his face contorted in pain.
"I told you, Martin Ouyang, I will never let Lord Dream die. Until I find a solution, take your hands off him."
I charged at Martin Ouyang. Suddenly, he turned to look at me, his face full of amusement.
"Hmph, Ethan Zhang, you can barely stand."
I smiled, my mind replaying Xiu Xiu's words before the devouring: They are people too, existing in this dream realm.
"Instinct, coexistence, resonance."
I raised a hand. Instantly, Martin Ouyang looked at me in shock. At that moment, countless black ghost threads, fine as spider silk, densely connected the world. A murderous aura once again overflowed from my body.
"Impossible, Ethan Zhang, you..."
Voices echoed in my mind, belonging to this world. When Dreamers gave humans beautiful dreams, musical notes sounded, pleasant and lively, like a brisk suite.
But when Dream Ghosts gave humans nightmares, the notes were low, slightly gloomy, constantly stirring the heart, with a quick rhythm—like a heavy tune with occasional bursts of movement.
I felt everything in this world, and at this very moment, I achieved coexistence with it.
"I told you, Martin Ouyang, I will never let Lord Dream die. Until I find a solution, take your hands off him."
I charged at Martin Ouyang. Suddenly, he turned to look at me, his face full of amusement.
"Hmph, Ethan Zhang, you can barely stand."
I smiled, my mind replaying Xiu Xiu's words before the devouring: They are people too, existing in this dream realm.
"Instinct, coexistence, resonance."
I raised a hand. Instantly, Martin Ouyang looked at me in shock. At that moment, countless black ghost threads, fine as spider silk, densely connected the world. A murderous aura once again overflowed from my body.
"Impossible, Ethan Zhang, you..."
Voices echoed in my mind, belonging to this world. When Dreamers gave humans beautiful dreams, musical notes sounded, pleasant and lively, like a brisk suite.
But when Dream Ghosts gave humans nightmares, the notes were low, slightly gloomy, constantly stirring the heart, with a quick rhythm—like a heavy tune with occasional bursts of movement.
I felt everything in this world, and at this very moment, I achieved coexistence with it.