The street was so crowded you could barely squeeze through. On this bustling road, a temple fair was underway, and at the far end stood a temple. The surging crowd was streaming toward it, incense burning strong, with curls of blue smoke rising from the temple roof.
City A is just such a place. As the center of everything, people from all walks of life flock here, both high and low, jostling for a piece of land where every inch is worth its weight in gold. Since ancient times, it has been the center of power. Most people know deep down that, after a lifetime in City A, they might not even be able to afford a house—maybe not even a bathroom.
I loathe everything about this place; it reeks of rot. Behind every face is another mask. Sylvia Zhang, Agent Seven, and 001 were waiting at a nearby food stall for something to eat. I stood by a utility pole at the roadside, watching the crowd pass by.
The place where 001 and the others live is just half a kilometer from this street where the temple fair is held. We came over early this morning, but even then the crowd was thick. Now, at noon, all three of them were hungry, so they went to a street stall to get some food.
Sylvia Zhang walked over, grinning at me with skewers and a meat pie in hand. I shook my head.
"You eat. I'm not hungry."
From nearby, I could feel eyes on us. A few young guys swaggered over, smirking.
"Hey, little lady, all alone? Want to join us?"
I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened today. With her striking looks, Sylvia Zhang always draws stares from men—and even some women. Today she wore dark jeans, blue sneakers, and a loose white T-shirt.
Sylvia Zhang ignored them, grabbed my arm, and pulled me away. The guys looked disappointed but didn’t give up; they followed us. I turned and glared at them for a moment.
"Get lost, or I'll cut you down."
The guys behind us stopped, fear in their eyes. The Deathbane Aura leaking from me was already visible. Sylvia Zhang just smiled faintly.
"We're out to have fun—lighten up. After we eat, let's check out the temple."
I shook my head. I have a visceral rejection of places like temples—not fear, just raw aversion.
We found a plaza with plenty of tables and chairs. After picking a spot away from others, 001 and Sylvia Zhang dug in, eating hungrily. Agent Seven didn’t seem to have much appetite and barely ate.
"Eat too much greasy food and you’ll get fat, you know."
I smiled at Agent Seven, and he explained.
"Your body is your capital. I’ve finally gotten a new lease on life, and I don’t want to go through dying again."
"How’s it going with the task?"
I asked. Right now, I really need to gather the Forsaken. Agent Seven shook his head.
"Still no real leads. We just have to keep searching. If we could get back to that world, things would be easier."
I rested my chin in my hand, gazing into the distance. Just then, a savory smell wafted by—a skewer was pushed to my lips. 001 grinned, sprawled across the chair next to me.
"Just have a bite."
Unable to refuse their kindness, I started eating. It tasted good, but I didn’t really need it. Ethan Zhang and the others were probably already trying to get to Hidden Falls Temple. For Ethan to advance his powers, Deathbane Ghost must become his Specter Soul—a feat only he, with his coexistence instinct, could accomplish. For some reason, after that night, I actually felt some regret.
Because of Sylvia Zhang nearby, though I didn’t want to think about it, the worst possible future for her might be tied to what I’m doing now. I shook my head hard and stood up.
"I’m heading back. You guys keep having fun."
001 called after me, but I ignored her and plunged into the crowd, walking quickly. None of this meant anything to me now—I just wanted to figure some things out. These last few days, I’ve vaguely sensed someone watching us near 001’s place, but I haven’t acted yet.
Some people have been lurking around us, their intentions unclear. From the feeling, they’re probably from the spell world, but they don’t seem Buddhist or Taoist.
But today, I couldn’t take it anymore. Those guys had tailed us all the way, thinking we hadn’t noticed. Anger surged in my chest. I glared coldly at everything around me, gave a chilling smile, then hurried through the dense crowd and slipped into an alley. Sure enough, six of them followed, dressed like temple fair visitors.
I walked slowly, then stopped abruptly. The guys behind seemed to split up and didn’t follow, but their movements were fully exposed. My Specter Web was already rooted in the earth’s energy—I knew their every move. The six split into different routes, planning to wait for me at the alley’s exit.
"I hate it most when people treat me like a fool."
I murmured, then in a rush became a streak of black mist and vanished. In an instant, I appeared behind the strongest of them. He sensed me, turned around, and stared in terror, his hands already forming seals.
With a hiss, a shaft of Deathbane Aura pierced his chest. He stared at me, eyes wide with unwillingness. The other five rushed over.
In moments, five figures appeared at both ends of the alley. The first man lay in a pool of blood. With a rush, I was right in front of three more, fumbling with seals and setting up formations. My Deathbane Sword stabbed through one’s neck, then split into two, piercing the other two from behind.
With a boom, heat surged behind me. Smirking, I was already behind the last two. Deathbane Aura pierced one instantly—his body riddled with holes, blood pouring out as he collapsed. The other, still trying to fight, was swept up by the Deathbane Aura.
(This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to keep reading!)
"Pass on every word I say to your friends behind you. I don’t like being watched. If you want to get rough, I’ll kill every last one of you—including the ones behind you. Remember, I’m not Ethan Zhang. I won’t be so merciful."
With a hiss, the man screamed. Deathbane Aura twisted his hands into several broken shapes. He writhed on the ground in agony. I was about to leave, but then I saw Sylvia Zhang standing quietly at the corner of a building, watching me.
"So you saw it all!"
"You didn’t have to kill them, you know."
Sylvia Zhang’s eyes were filled with helplessness. I shook my head.
"Save that theory for your naive dad and mom. You’re finally out for some fun—just enjoy it."
With a rush, I drifted past Sylvia Zhang and said,
"Sorry for ruining your mood. I’ll make it up to you—next time, I’ll take you to an amusement park."
Sylvia Zhang pouted, then slapped me hard on the back. I went flying—her slap nearly knocked my Specter Soul out. Stunned, I stared at her. She glared back, clearly annoyed.
"If you keep this up, I won’t be so nice. Hmph."
That night, back home, Agent Seven was busy in the kitchen. The hotpot was already simmering, broth fragrant from hours of cooking. 001 and Sylvia Zhang couldn’t wait to sit beside it. 001 and Agent Seven didn’t seem to know what had happened today, but it clearly involved them.
On the second day after arriving here, I sensed someone watching us, but I didn’t tell 001 and the others.
Soon Agent Seven brought out plates of food, then went back for a bottle of old liquor. He took out two glasses, handed one to me, and Sylvia Zhang looked eager to try.
"You’d better not touch that, or you’ll regret it."
I muttered, and after dinner, 001 and Sylvia Zhang were sprawled across the table. The yard was a wreck—almost half destroyed. Agent Seven smiled helplessly at me.
"Let 001 clean up when she wakes up. I’m wiped out after today."
I smiled and nodded. Agent Seven looked at me seriously.
"I smelled a lot of blood today—right where you went. Did something happen?"
I looked at Agent Seven in surprise. He pointed to his nose.
"My nose is pretty sharp. I can distinguish all kinds of scents—comes from my chemistry background. I have to identify all sorts of smells every day, but the scent of blood sticks with you after just one time."
I nodded and didn’t hide anything from Agent Seven—I told him everything.
After a while, Agent Seven snapped out of his shock and looked at 001.
"It’s probably related to her, but I’m not sure. The place she lives is in her name, but there’s a bank account, and every month a large sum gets deposited. There used to be a full-time housekeeper managing it, but I took over later."
I sneered at Agent Seven and asked,
"What about the housekeeper?"
Agent Seven suddenly sneered.
"I melted her. She stole a lot of money and abused her constantly. If Sylvia Zhang hadn’t told me in that other world, I might never have known. No matter which side she’s on, she’s doomed to suffer inhuman torment until death."
"Looks like we’re pretty in sync."
I muttered, and Agent Seven sipped his drink and nodded.
"We are in sync. Our way of dealing with scum is the same. Those stalkers aren’t good people either."
"Why do you say that?"
Agent Seven downed his drink and smiled.
"If what you say is true, those guys have been watching 001 for a long time. They saw how miserable she was and did nothing. Do you really think they’re good people?"
I laughed heartily, clinking my glass with Agent Seven.