Chapter 119: The Reticulated Front

I felt a mix of wanting to cry and wanting to laugh. My aunt spoke with such conviction that it felt real—time travel, traversing the dimensions of space and time. Was this myth or science?

Regardless of what it was, the Luoshui Ring might truly be vital to me. I needed a shortcut, a way to become immensely powerful in a heartbeat. If becoming a top-tier expert was the price, I would gladly travel to the ancient past or even back to the prehistoric era to hunt dinosaurs. The question was, was time travel even feasible? I truly did not know.

My aunt had also mentioned that I had a younger sister named Ziyu. If word of these things reached my mother in the Underworld, what would happen?

Standing by the edge of the Black Water Pool, I still found it hard to believe my aunt’s words. Yet, I had no choice but to believe. In this society, nothing is impossible. When I first started working with the dead, I didn't believe in ghosts, but later I had to, and I even took a female ghost as my wife. I didn't believe the world was multi-dimensional, yet I had been to the Underworld, the Purple Gold Kingdom, and it seemed there were seven parallel dimensions. Many things predicted by scientists in the last century had already become reality, so I dared not doubt my aunt. Furthermore, she was a ghost, not a human, and ghosts do not speak falsehoods.

"Time travel? Auntie, can you take me along on such a wonderful adventure?" Fatty, unable to contain himself, grinned and leaned toward his aunt.

"This is none of your business. If you have the talent, just practice your cultivation properly. I was talking to Dachuan." Li Jinglian shot Fatty a look and pushed him aside. She turned to me and said, "Dachuan, don't think about anything else right now. Just focus on your training. Your physical potential is superior to that of ordinary people."

"Auntie, I understand." I felt a bit embarrassed; I had indeed been too impatient. When I brought up the dragon under the water, Li Jinglian frowned. She said we were lucky to have survived at all and warned us never to enter the Black Dragon Pool again—under any circumstances, never.

The three of us followed my aunt back. Fatty and I were drenched, though Wan'er, who hadn't entered the water, remained dry. When we reached my aunt's house, I was surprised to see several dark sedan chairs parked outside. In this highly civilized society, who still used sedan chairs?

Seeing the chairs, my aunt instructed us to remain silent and just go inside to rest. Though I was obedient, I still noticed there were over a dozen people in and around the chairs, mostly sedan carriers. They all followed my aunt into her room.

"Brother, those people aren't human either!" Wan'er whispered in my ear.

I quickly signaled for her to be quiet. We didn't dare speak recklessly, as we had no idea what this group of ghosts was here for. Fatty and I secretly peeked through the window, seeing shadowy figures moving about in my aunt’s room. After a long while, my aunt came out and walked into our room. "Why are you two boys so curious? Be careful they don't suck away your vital energy. Fine! Since you're so curious, how about I take you out for a stroll tonight?"

"Auntie? Where to?" Fatty asked with a smirk.

"Don't ask so many questions. If you want to go, follow me; if not, stay behind. Dachuan, you must come," Li Jinglian said.

"Auntie, if Dachuan is going, I'm going too," Wan'er added.

"Alright, I'll go too then," Fatty said, looking at us with a reluctant expression.

Li Jinglian didn't say another word and walked straight to the main hall. A moment later, the group of ghosts emerged. To call them ghosts was perhaps a bit unfair; they were like Wang Ying and Wan'er—a fusion of corpse and ghost, where the ghost controlled the body, and the physical form was merely a facade.

Li Jinglian beckoned, and we followed. "You three young ones have strong legs, so walk," she said. She went into a room on the east side and brought out four small paper figures. She burned incense, chanted, and blew a breath on them. The paper figures came to life and pulled out a sedan chair that grew as it touched the wind, quickly becoming a life-sized chair with four bearers.

Those with chairs rode, those without walked, and so we headed south. I couldn't understand why we were heading out in the middle of the night. After walking for a while, Fatty and I were exhausted. Wan'er walked with us, but her footsteps were light, and she occasionally drifted through the air. Fatty and I, being mere mortals, had to trudge along on foot. Fatty was even worse off than me, panting heavily.

"Buddy, I can't do it anymore. I'm exhausted," Fatty said, stopping and bending over. I really wanted to summon my Purple Gold Colt, but I didn't dare show off in front of these mysterious ghosts.

"Looking at you two, I really regret bringing you along. Don't tell anyone you're with me," my aunt appeared beside me, hovering in the air. She pulled two small black paper figures from her sleeve, blew on them, and they instantly transformed into two burly men who hoisted us up and hurried to catch up.

Wan'er walked by my side, chatting with me as we traveled through the night. It felt quite pleasant, though I still had no idea where we were going.

Although it was night, I could see we were heading south, likely toward the county town. My intuition was correct; ten minutes later, we stopped secretly in a corner of the square. My aunt gestured, blew a breath, and the men turned back into small paper figures, which she tucked into her sleeve.

I knew this square well; it was where Li Danian and I had cornered Yueyue, though we failed to catch her. Why were we here tonight? In the darkness, I saw several police cars parked, likely on high alert. I suddenly remembered Yueyue. If she continued her rampage, she would be beyond saving—she would truly become a soul-devouring demon.

"Auntie, why are we here?" I asked in a low voice.

"To suppress evil and promote good. Humans have encountered something they cannot handle, so the Ghost King has asked the ghosts of the human realm to help. You three don't need to do anything; just watch," my aunt replied.

The Ghost King? Good heavens! Was the world this complicated? First the King of the Underworld, now a Ghost King? Were they the same thing? "Auntie, is that my second uncle?"

"No, your second uncle is the King of the Underworld; he resides in the Underworld. We are ghosts, managed by the Ghost King. Do you know of Hell? That is what he manages. Many people who shouldn't have died according to the Judge’s records have perished. The Ghost King is furious."

I gasped, feeling dizzy. Ghost King, Hell—I didn't know if this was one of the seven parallel dimensions, but one thing was certain: this was all aimed at Yueyue. Yueyue practiced the Soul-Sucking Technique, but she wasn't a ghost; she was a Messenger of Extreme Yin—a human. I wondered if my aunt and her group stood a chance against her.

"Auntie, will they come?"

"Yes. The Ghost King has received word that they intend to collect ten souls and human hearts here tonight."

As I spoke with my aunt, a few young men wandered over, looking listless as if they had no souls—clearly fresh out of an all-night internet cafe. As they stumbled forward, police officers approached them. Because I was too far away, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could tell they were trying to urge the youths to leave.

Just as they were talking in the square, a white figure descended from above, thin as a blade and wickedly sharp—it was Yueyue. She could fly now; her robes fluttered in the sky, and at first glance, she looked like an angel, but in reality, she was a soul-devouring demon.

"Auntie, look!" I urged.

"Stay here and don't move. We're going," my aunt said. She signaled to the others, and with a 'whoosh,' she darted toward the scene. The other dark-clothed figures shot forward like arrows.

As soon as Yueyue landed, she was surrounded by my aunt and her companions. The police officers were clearly caught off guard by the sudden appearance of so many people, and chaos ensued. The police, meant to maintain social order, were rendered redundant.

My aunt and the others circled Yueyue. Their movements were swift and precise; they were all masters. I knew my aunt was skilled, and I had guessed the others were as well, but Yueyue's transformation was beyond my wildest imagination. Every move she made generated a powerful aura, a whirlwind that sent debris and dust flying. She had consumed so many souls and gathered such immense power that my aunt and her peers struggled to gain the upper hand.

Suddenly, the five of them leaped into the air, hovering as if in meditation. They extended their hands, forming a web-like formation that trapped Yueyue. Ensnared, Yueyue struggled, her body twisting violently, her face contorting into a hideous, terrifying mask. It was clear she was suffering a hellish torment.

*Sigh.* Evil deeds bring retribution; Yueyue brought this upon herself. She shouldn't have aided the wicked to kill so many. Even though she had done evil, I felt a pang of sadness. I felt that this girl was a victim of circumstances and shouldn't have ended up this way. I bowed my head, afraid to watch her be torn to pieces. It was a pity—a fragile, helpless girl meeting such an end. I had no power to save her; she had consumed the souls of others, and to continue living, she would have to pay the price for what she owed the world.

*BOOM!*

Just as I was lost in my thoughts, a deafening explosion echoed through the air. My aunt and the other four were blasted away, tumbling through the sky. The web-like formation was shattered. And the one who had broken it was none other than Wang Ying. She hovered in the air, wielding a weapon that had shattered the formation—it was Wei Qi’s Cloud-Walking Pestle.

Seeing Wang Ying and the weapon, I lunged forward, ignoring everything else, even as Wan'er tried to hold me back.