"How did you do it?"
I looked at John Chou in confusion. We had returned to the Food Warehouse. Just as John Chou killed the Blue Wraith, I saw his body become almost like mist, passing through the Blue Wraith. But in just a blink, the Blue Wraith was already dead.
Judging by the Blue Wraith’s strength, anything below mid-level isn’t weak for me. But now, John Chou’s power is probably less than a tenth of what it used to be.
Brother, remember the four words I just said: ethereal and elusive. Maybe after you’ve fought more, you’ll understand.
I nodded and glanced outside. The situation in front of the fortress was still tense. Many ghosts were busy stockpiling food here. These round warehouses—there must be at least a thousand—could store an enormous amount of food. But with so much food here, even all the ghosts in the city couldn’t finish it. I was puzzled by this. What exactly did the Blue Wraith mean by Hungry Ghosts?
John Chou squatted on the ground, studying the formation on the floor. I saw some strange red symbols exposed beneath the piled food. What shocked me most was that even outside the warehouse, black lines—some curved, some straight—ran across the ground, connecting all the warehouses. Each warehouse had a different pattern on its floor.
Did you find anything?
I asked, and John Chou smiled.
Come with me, brother.
I followed John Chou as we wandered through the nearby warehouses. We didn’t encounter any other ghosts; they were all busy in the fields, harvesting crops as quickly as possible.
What exactly are we doing?
I watched John Chou, who looked excited. After entering the warehouse, he circled around, then moved to the next one.
After a while, John Chou finally stopped and leaned back on a pile of food, lying down comfortably.
Did you find anything?
These warehouses are built on a massive sealing array. This formation completely blocks the Ghostrealm’s aura from affecting the food and causing it to disintegrate into ghost energy.
Just then, I heard a noise and immediately hid behind a pile of food with John Chou. I saw several Boarhead Soldiers land nearby—they were all Blue Wraiths.
What’s going on? Was it just my imagination?
Probably not. I definitely sensed some unusual ghost energy here—different from Blue Wraiths or ordinary ghosts like vengeful spirits.
The four Boarhead Soldiers wandered nearby for a while before floating south. I breathed a sigh of relief.
How can we get to the Animal Realm, John Chou? Hurry up and tell me. If we’re discovered, it’ll be very bad for us.
But John Chou still took his time. I didn’t know what he was planning.
Wait, brother. If you want to enter the Animal Realm, the only way is to wait.
I sat down, looking at the piles of strange food. Most looked like fruit—red and green, a huge pile—emitting an unusual fragrance.
This food is probably sent to the Animal Realm. When part of the seal here is opened and connected to the Animal Realm, that’s when we’ll enter.
I nodded thoughtfully.
Brother, some things can’t be rushed. All right, open your Ghost Domain and let’s go in directly!
I was startled and felt lost. I had completely become a Blue Wraith, and my previous Ghost Domain was probably incomplete. Besides, opening the Ghost Domain would definitely release a lot of ghost energy and we’d be discovered.
We’ll be discovered if I open the Ghost Domain.
John Chou smiled and shook his head.
Don’t worry, brother. In these warehouses, it’s extremely hard for them to find us. Even if they do, by the time they do, we’ll already be inside the Ghost Domain.
Then I stood in the middle of a pile of food, raised a hand, and John Chou stood to one side. With a thought, I split the space open, and John Chou leisurely stepped into my Ghost Domain. I quickly followed and closed the entrance behind me.
Turning around, I felt a mix of emotions. It was still the familiar apartment building, unchanged. John Chou walked to a patch of tall, black Six-Path Flowers, pressed his hand onto a petal, and sniffed it.
The situation is pretty good.
Did you expect that one day I would choose to become a ghost, truly become one?
Unable to contain my questions, I asked. John Chou’s lips curled into a slight smile, saying nothing. A breeze blew, and petals from the cherry blossom grove behind us danced in the wind. I could now clearly feel that this was part of Sima Ying’s power left in my ghost soul, meant to help me suppress excess yin energy, absorb some of it, and transform it into these beautiful cherry trees. Before my human side was fully sealed, the ghost power was almost overwhelming my human side. After John Chou threw the Killing Stone into my Ghost Domain, the ghost power became even more dominant.
Brother, soon you’ll be able to forge your own Ghost Weapon. When this is over, I’ll take you somewhere, and during this journey, you’ll get plenty of useful materials. Then you can forge your own Ghost Weapon, which is extremely important for a Blue Wraith. With a Ghost Weapon, you’ll be able to fully unleash your power.
I looked at John Chou in surprise.
Where are we going?
John Chou smiled at me.
The Infernal Hell.
I swallowed hard.
Only there do the flames of sinners burn hot enough to melt the materials born in the Ghostrealm. All right, get some rest. When the time is right, we’ll charge into the Animal Realm.
But I quickly realized John Chou had changed the subject again.
You still haven’t answered my question.
I looked at John Chou seriously. Everything had gone as he expected, so he’d manipulated so much in my Ghost Domain. After I truly became a ghost, I instantly reached the level of a mid-tier Blue Wraith. My Ghost Domain was still incomplete, but my ghost energy was now very strong. What Yuki Han taught me in the past was finally bearing fruit; since ghost energy has no physical form, it’s much easier to control than baleful energy.
Can a person foresee their own life and death?
John Chou asked me in return, and I shook my head slightly.
No one can foresee their own life and death, but you can foresee someone else’s.
I wanted to understand John Chou’s thoughts clearly. This was important, because I’d always trusted him, but I couldn’t understand his thinking.
Let me ask you again, brother: whether ghost or human, everyone dies in the end. The only difference is the process. What you see and know now is just the tip of the iceberg in this world. The key is your self-awareness. I’ve told you this since I started teaching you about intelligence.
I nodded.
I... just feel uneasy.
I sat down and lowered my head. At this moment, I seemed to understand why I was so caught up in the matters of humans and ghosts—it was because of unease.
That’s perfectly normal, brother. You’ve only lived in this world for thirty-some years, and even those who’ve lived for thousands feel uneasy. Ghosts are unfamiliar to you now, because you know their true nature. So you’re uneasy—maybe you feel you can never go back to being human.
I murmured in response. John Chou sat beside me and patted my shoulder.
Brother, long ago I met someone like you. His life was filled with unease and confusion, but whenever something happened, he’d charge forward without hesitation. He’d long since left his worries behind. For him, following the righteous path was his lifelong creed, so don’t keep returning to the starting point. If you do, you’ll eventually collapse from exhaustion.
I stared in surprise, then asked quietly.
Was it Ethan Zhang?
It was him. You probably know some of my history with him. His death wasn’t just a loss for the world of arts, but also for the ghost path. He might have been the only one who could have resolved the hidden conflict between humans and ghosts. Unfortunately, he gave his life for that, and even now we still benefit from his decision back then.
I stood up and let out a long breath. Just then, a flash of red—Curse Wraith—landed in front of us.
Things aren’t looking good outside. Quite a few Blue Wraiths have come—they’re searching for the Ghost Domain.
My heart skipped a beat, and John Chou smiled.
Don’t worry, brother. They’re too busy to bother with us. Everything in that field is their lifeline. If they can’t finish harvesting this month’s crops, they’ll be in big trouble.
Seeing John Chou so confident, I smiled and sat down, leaning against the tree trunk.
Can you tell me what you’re thinking, John Chou? I want to know.
John Chou turned his head. His smile vanished, and he shook his head.
You’ve known for a long time, brother. I told you—I’ll help you. That’s what I think.
You’re lying.
John Chou burst out laughing, louder and more genuine than before—no longer the fake, scheming smile.