École des sciences humaines

Chapitre 13

Suddenly, I felt a cold sensation on my hands. I couldn't see it, but I could tell what it was from the sound.

"Clang—" It was just a soft sound, yet a strange magical power could be felt. "This is..."

“Soul Summoning Spirit… It’s troublesome because your body can’t see the way, and I can’t very well lead you around while you can’t see. So I’d like to trouble your spirit to temporarily leave your body and come with me. With the Soul Summoning Spirit and Brother Huang’s bracelet protecting you, there shouldn’t be any problems.” As she spoke, I felt her pat my back forcefully, and my body suddenly became light and airy. Then, my vision gradually revealed things beyond the darkness.

Turning around, I saw myself lying on the bed, and a girl in a light blue dress was helping me onto the bed and covering me with a blanket.

"Alright! Disguise complete! Let's go!" She smiled at me, without a trace of malice. "Just stick this on and you can go. Oh, I forgot to tell you, my name is Bell!" She pulled a talisman from behind her back and handed it to me. Unlike Taoist talismans that are covered in incantations, this talisman had nothing written on it.

I obediently stuck it on, and after leaving the room, the Taoist barrier didn't react at all. Until we left the Taoist temple, the old house remained quiet, as if nothing had happened. About a kilometer away from the temple, Lingdang stopped. She told me to stand still, drew a circle around us on the ground, and then chanted incantations.

We were surrounded by a blinding white light, and I could barely open my eyes. When I came to my senses, we were in a forest. I remembered this familiar feeling; it was the forest where I first met D.

"Be careful! Entering the Soul Zone will be troublesome! You must stay with me!" Bell cautiously grabbed my hand. It was just as cold, yet I could feel a little warmth in it.

"Lingdang...you are...how long have you been gone from the human world?" I licked my slightly dry lips, trying to choose a suitable adjective but still feeling a little embarrassed when I asked.

"Hey? Don't look at me like this. I've been with the royal family for thousands of years. I've watched the royal family rise and fall generation after generation. No one knows the royal family better than me. Although the royal family seems bad to outsiders, I think the royal family is just following its own principles. Anyway, after all these years, I just don't like Taoism. The old man's personality is still so annoying, and the rules of Taoism are still so cold."

"You know a lot about the conflict between the two families? Then... do you know what I am..." Suddenly, light returned, and even knowing that she was currently in a soul state, returning to darkness after returning to her body was still somewhat exciting. Perhaps what excited her even more was the prospect of seeing D.

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:12:00

"Don't you remember? You've been here before. The only thing I disagreed with about my brother was this matter—dragging you into it. Both the Dao and Huang families bear responsibility for you. I told my brother to help you a long time ago, but he seems to have other plans. Anyway, he'll tell you." Lingdang stopped. Behind her was a residence almost identical to the Dao family's, only the atmosphere was completely different. If the Dao family was about majesty, this place was more about bewilderment. A paper lantern flickered dimly at the entrance, seemingly guiding something forward.

In the hall stood a man with a mocking smile, polite yet cold. His long, dark hair was still casually tied back, and he wore a dark blue Chinese robe. He seemed distant, as if he didn't belong to this world, yet his presence was unmistakable. He was incredibly handsome; no adjective could adequately describe him.

"You've come..." That voice was his; every time I heard it, I wanted to cry. "I knew you would come."

"I'm here to find the truth."

"Even if it hurts you? I told you, once we actually meet, you won't be able to refuse the fate that's already been arranged for you. Have you made your choice?"

"I don't know. But I have the right to know the truth."

"Alright!" His smile was icy. "Perhaps I'm not as gentle as you think!"

Later, that voice told me about destruction.

The leaves rustled; some things, once they happen, are beyond redemption.

My name is Zero, and I'm going to tell you a story. This story was told to me by a man named D. In his deep voice, I was transported back to that July, a slightly chilly July, where the sweltering heat of summer seemed to have vanished that night.

The world is full of incredible things. For example, ghosts exist, no matter how much you don't believe them. Many people fear this unknown world and its unknown forces, leading to the emergence of the profession of psychic. Through their inherent potential and acquired skills, they possess the power to fight ghosts. Although it's a profession that can't be openly discussed, it's highly respected. Among them, Taoism and the Royal Family are considered the most prominent. However, the nature of Taoism and the Royal Family is completely different. Taoism is known for fortune-telling, feng shui, and exorcism. The Royal Family, on the other hand, belongs entirely to the dark side, dealing with curses and murder. Their most distinctive service is helping vengeful ghosts with deep resentment kill for revenge. As long as the Royal Family pays the price they demand—which isn't necessarily money—they will fulfill their mission. Taoism studies orthodox Buddhism and Taoist magic, a pure yang power completely contrary to ghosts. No one knows when the Royal Family appeared or when they acquired their strange magic, but their power is unimaginable. This complete antagonism between the two families inevitably led to conflict after numerous minor clashes. Of course, both families also have many supporters. However, compared to the renowned Taoist school, the leaders and members of the royal family have always been shrouded in mystery.

More than ten years ago, Dao Lian's father, Dao Kui, a Daoist renowned for his divination, foresaw a method supposedly capable of destroying the imperial family. It was predicted that a girl with a pure Yin destiny would be born in the early morning of July 14th of that year. She would be able to contain the pure Yang power of Daoism, nurturing it within her body until it became even stronger, and then, when necessary, transferring that power to a Daoist heir in some way. She was a rare vessel. This heir was said to be the later Dao Lian, and the girl foreseen at that time was me.

So, on the night I was born, Dao Kui disguised himself as a passing sorcerer and told my family that I wouldn't live past 25. Of course, if the vessel for receiving the power were an object, it wouldn't be so bad. Unfortunately, the vessel the Daoists were looking for was a living person. To receive the Daoist power that was completely contrary to her destiny, her body was naturally overloaded, so it would be strange if she didn't die young. After that, the amulets, medicines, and sorcerers my mother gave me were all actually related to Daoism. They kept pouring pure Yang power into me through various means, which is why I often had fevers and got sick when I was a child.

Originally, if everything had gone smoothly, it could have proceeded exactly as the Taoist plan had intended. The Taoists wouldn't have let me die before I could even exert my influence. But perhaps it was truly fate. When I was five years old, running a high fever, I encountered D, who happened to be on a mission nearby. That year, he was only ten years old and had just killed his first person. That year, his eyes were already as cold as winter.

I should have been lying obediently in bed, but when it was time to take my medicine, I found the old house empty. So, still half-asleep, I ran out and met D under the banyan tree at the village entrance. My innate ability to see ghosts allowed me to witness the entire murder. There wasn't a drop of blood; I only saw him pull a black, gas-like substance from the man's mouth, which, after a few incantations, turned into white light and entered his body. The man who collapsed seemed to be asleep, never to wake up again.

"...What a surprise... There's a young girl here who can see me doing this. I thought I'd set up a smokescreen so no one would see. Should I kill you?"

"..." I was too young to understand what he was saying, and I even forgot about that memory later. Perhaps I subconsciously sensed the pain that would follow.

“However, I don’t kill people randomly! So, I’ll just erase your memory! You’re so young, you probably don’t understand what this is.” His hand touched my burning forehead, and I, already delirious with fever, just collapsed into his arms.

Later, someone told me it was because I had endured too much force and my body was too weak. Someone told me that if it weren't for him, I might have died then. That person was, of course, D. But wouldn't it have been better to die then?

The moment D touched my forehead, I felt the power of Taoism. Although he wasn't as powerful then as he is now, he was still the first heir to the throne, and his abilities were extraordinary. I was extremely weak then, and if I didn't find a way to survive, I might die. D sensed that I was a tool of Taoism, and letting me die was a wise choice. Because Taoism would use me as a tool to deal with the royal family. According to Taoist logic, the royal family was an evil force aiding demons in harming humanity, and their actions had always been contrary to justice. However, for a moment, he thought of something very amusing. Something that would infuriate the old Taoist conservatives even more than letting me die. Although this matter also posed a considerable risk to him.

In that one instant, my destiny was changed.

D enlisted Lingdang's help to somehow transfer his blood and some of his negative energy into me. Of course, this consumed a great deal of D's power, even posing a life-threatening risk to him at the time. Because of my presence, the Taoists were undoubtedly nearby. Although Lingdang had created a barrier, the Taoists weren't fools; their current lack of awareness didn't mean they wouldn't discover it later. He himself was temporarily weakened by giving his power to me. The Taoists had long considered the royal family members as demons threatening humanity and had long sought to eliminate them. Perhaps they also harbored a selfish desire to become the foremost family of spiritual mediums. Regardless, this was a dangerous decision. Furthermore, he couldn't completely alter the Taoist magic left in my body. If I later chose to help the Taoists, then possessing both abilities would also be a threat to them.

Even so, he did it anyway. He said that the royal family had been without rivals for a long time, and the Taoists had never amounted to anything. If they weren't qualified to play with the royal family, then he should create his own. For this reason, he took the risk. Before he passed away weakly, his words sealed his fate.

"My blood flows in your veins, and one day that blood will call us back together. Even if we forget everything, the presence of similar blood will remind us of everything. That's when the game begins. Whether you choose the old-fashioned Taoist or royalty, I believe it will be incredibly exciting. We are all beasts who love to put ourselves in danger!"

A few hours later, I was found unconscious at the village entrance and taken home.

Upon waking, the Taoists discovered they could no longer channel their power into my body; they also discovered the existence of completely opposing forces. Naturally, they thought of the royal family. Unable to remove the royal power, they could only sadly declare me a failed vessel. At that time, they even thought I might not live long—how could two completely opposite forces coexist in one body for long? Even if I survived, I would be useless, merely weak and sickly, a waste with the ability to see spirits but unable to cultivate spiritual abilities.

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:13:00

However, no one could have imagined that these two forces would form a delicate balance within my body. The Taoists chose me because of my pure Yin destiny—my body was light and empty. Perhaps it was because my body was empty, or perhaps D's blood also played a role, that I survived. Until last time, when Xiangxiang entered my body. It was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread. When I went to see the Taoist matriarch, those lingering ripples awakened their memories, and because of these ripples, the essence of the lake also changed.

Granny Dao calculated that I might have even more value than they imagined, especially after consuming the vengeful spirit sealed by the Daoist sect. My abilities began to emerge, only to be sealed away again by D, who said it wasn't the right time. Consuming spirits, or more accurately, consuming souls and converting them into one's own power, is a unique ability of the royal family. This soul isn't limited to ghosts; it can be human too. When I was a child, I saw D kill people using this method: digging out their souls and then eating them. Of course, the more powerful the soul, the stronger the power generated. Powerful souls include vengeful spirits. The ability to consume souls is both a good and a bad thing, in a way.

So this is fate. It was changed so easily.

Another gust of wind blew, and then the story was over. A story that wasn't particularly sad, even a little ridiculous. People always have to look back to realize how kind and beautiful their past ignorance was.

Outside the gate, the paper lanterns that had been glowing faintly suddenly emitted a powerful beam of light.

D's smile vanished, and he said coldly, "A customer has come to us."

The bell floated toward the gate, then suddenly turned back and asked me, "Zero, would you like to see how the royals work? Perhaps you'll get a better understanding of what the royal family is like."

"Ding-dong—" The leisurely fading sound of the bell brought me back to my senses, and the man's gaze behind me made me feel cold.

I only realized now that winter can be so long.

Sometimes, even the distance between someone's back and their back can feel incredibly vast.

My nose felt a little sore. I touched the tip of my nose and saw my slightly transparent hand. Oh right, that feeling just now made me forget that I was just a soul, and my body was still pretending to be asleep in that room full of protective barriers in the old Taoist house.

D sat silently behind me the whole time, without saying a word. I turned around and asked casually, "D, that's your code name, right? What's your real name in the Royal Family?"

“Assassins…don’t have real names. Their code names are their names.” His eyes suddenly darkened. Although I had always thought he was so powerful, a hint of vulnerability was revealed in his shadow at this moment. Just as he was about to speak again, Lingdang led in a woman who was so thin she was almost unrecognizable.

Is it a person or a ghost? The chaotic, eerie atmosphere within the royal mansion dulled my senses.

"He just committed suicide." D seemed to know my doubts and slowly spoke, "Otherwise, unless you're a regular customer or someone from the royal family who brought you here, ordinary living people can't enter the Misty Forest. This place is practically half a ghost realm. However, judging from the many good deeds you did in your life, if you hadn't committed suicide, you should have been able to become a Buddha. What kind of attachment made you give up everything and come here?"

“My daughter… died a few months ago… in the East District hospital. It was just a minor appendicitis, but she suddenly died. There have been rumors that the hospital collaborates with foreign institutions, conducting biological experiments on human subjects. I spent all my money bribing a nurse there, and she told me… my daughter died from an adverse reaction to a new drug injected into her by the hospital. It’s not just my daughter… many patients in ordinary wards or those who can’t afford medical bills become guinea pigs. The effective drugs from the experiments are then given to people in the VIP wards. That’s how this hospital got its reputation. So I need you to kill the director. I’ll accept any price.” The mechanical, flat voice seemed to be narrating something unrelated to her, but her thin figure revealed the pain she had endured.

“I accepted…the price…you’ve already paid it. It’s the ‘good’ you’ve accumulated. You know that a soul like yours, who should have gone to the Western Paradise after a normal death, but died suddenly without doing anything wrong, will not be accepted by either the higher or lower realms. Can you bear the sorrow of a soul without a master?”

"I know. As long as I can get revenge." Her tone remained calm, her resolve perhaps already formed before her death. That resolute look in her eyes was no longer visible.

"Ding ding... Let's get ready... It's rare to have business so late tonight."

After hearing D's instructions, Lingdang prepared an oil-paper umbrella and said to the woman, "Your cultivation is not deep enough, and you have no grudges. If we make a move later, the Emperor's aura is too strong and might drag you in. You should come in." She opened the umbrella, and the woman's figure turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared as the umbrella closed again. "Oh right! I almost forgot to take this off!" Lingdang tore off the empty royal talisman from her own body and removed mine as well.

Ghostly energy. Extremely powerful. Even in the already eerily quiet Royal Palace, this ghostly energy was so strong it couldn't be ignored. It didn't blend into the surrounding environment. I then remembered that Lingdang had told me she had thousands of years of cultivation. But if she had such profound cultivation, why would she serve the Royal Palace? Was it because the Royal Palace was stronger? I remember someone saying that someone who can exorcise ghosts must be stronger than the ghosts themselves.

“You also have a bit of royal blood in you, so you shouldn’t be affected later. Surprised? I suppressed this power to join the Taoist sect. Living near the Soul Flowing Zone, what if I accidentally got caught up in it and eaten while taking a walk if I didn’t have strong energy? Besides, following the royals around, how can I not be strong? The car is here… let’s go!”

"car?"

“My royal brother is a human! Miss! How can we go out without a carriage? Even if he has profound cultivation, he is still human! Unlike a soul that can teleport instantly! This kind of formation requires a lot of power. My royal brother saved you at the school last time, and he was almost dragged to the Soul Flowing Zone on the way back!”

"What is this 'Soul Zone' you guys keep talking about? D said the same thing last time, and it seems like something was tangled around my ankle back then too."

"That might be a demonic whisker! As you know, the Misty Forest is a region perpetually inhabited by half-ghosts and half-humans. For many years, only members of the royal family have been able to live here because it's a good place for them to cultivate. Before reaching the Ghost Realm, there's a zone where the souls of those who committed suicide or those who have been without power for years gather. Like the guests just now, they would have had to go to the Wandering Soul Zone to find a place to stay. The result of gathering there for so long is that they become one with the demonic essence, devoid of emotion and thought. Anyone or any vengeful ghost that passes by will be dragged away as food. When the forest is shrouded in mist, the yin energy is stronger, making it easier for the creatures from the nearby Wandering Soul Zone to invade. If you can't be stronger than them, you can't scare them away, so you can only become their food. It's very dangerous here, but for the royal family, every member must undergo a week-long trial in the Wandering Soul Zone before going on a solo mission. They must live there for a period of time without being eaten or assimilated."

"Have you ever been there? What kind of place is it? And what are the assimilated souls like?" I asked curiously.

“I can’t go! If I go, it’ll be all over. But when my brother went, it was the youngest and fiercest he’d ever been in the history of the royal family. For a while, even the Demon Beard didn’t dare to come out! He must have seen its true form! But when I asked him, he never said what happened there. He just became even more ruthless after he came back.”

"Lingdang, you always call D 'Brother Emperor'. Don't you know his real name?"

The bell suddenly stopped and said, "Of course I know... but it's something that can't be said... it's a taboo... if I say it... my brother will... you'd better not ask."

Lingdang didn't speak to me again until the car left the royal residence. Incidentally, the driver was also a very strange person, with many scars on his face. It's said that his family had always driven for the royal family.

D, however, remained as silent as ever. Perhaps, until I made my choice, I was an outsider to him. Even though I have his blood in my veins. Perhaps it was this inexplicable relationship that created my previous familiarity with him. Or… is there still something I don't know? Or is there more?

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:14:00

The misty forest shrouded in a hazy atmosphere outside the car window gradually receded into the distance. After driving along a long mountain road and passing through countless tunnels, the city's dazzling lights and vibrant nightlife gradually became the main scenery. Time seemed both fleeting and endless. I kept observing D's profile. Although he seemed to be about the same age as Dao Lian, his eyes held a maturity and coldness beyond his years. Perhaps it was because he had experienced so much as a member of the royal family that he had become indifferent. I suddenly wondered if such a man could still find his warmth. I noticed a small mole behind his left ear and remembered reading in a horoscope book that such men were gentle. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. If his name was Gentle, that would be strange. He told me about his past with a blank expression; this man was a true assassin at heart.

Lingdang, holding a paper umbrella, was beautiful. I couldn't help but wonder why a ghost as powerful as her would choose to serve the royal family. Even if it was because those who can exorcise ghosts are stronger than ghosts themselves, it still seemed a bit illogical. Was it because of a past filled with ambiguity? Oh no, I've been so influenced by Nana, I've become so gossipy too. Lingdang truly lived up to her reputation as a highly skilled female ghost; if you weren't paying attention, you would never guess this fact. Only her excessively cold body revealed that she had been dead for a long time; otherwise, many ghosts would be semi-transparent, invisible to most people except those with heavy yin energy. Even powerful ghosts with some cultivation could sense resentment in their pale faces. If Lingdang deliberately suppressed her ghostly aura, you really couldn't tell she was a ghost. Her face was fair with a rosy glow, her skin so delicate you wanted to bite it—she was truly a great beauty! Compared to her, the driver with the deathly expression in front of her seemed more like a ghost.

Just as I was lost in my gossipy thoughts, the car stopped, and the hospital in the East District was right in front of me. The surrounding area was filled with a ghostly aura, with many vengeful spirits lingering around.

"It seems... this hospital really has done a lot of things that people resent! So many people are still thinking about it even after they've died." A sarcastic smile appeared on D's lips.

The ghosts seemed to sense that we could see them. Their resentment at death made them desperately need an outlet, so they slowly surrounded us, seemingly ready to rush up and tear us apart at any moment.

D merely glanced at them, and they abruptly stopped in their tracks. Pressure… they hadn't felt it when they were human, but now, as souls, standing near D, they could sense a black power emanating from him in an instant. A negative force, similar to ghostly energy but countless times stronger, formed an invisible, threatening pressure that caused the surrounding vengeful spirits to slowly retreat.

“If you are willing to give up your right to reincarnation and become a part of my power, I will help you avenge your grudges.” D suddenly stopped and said, “I’m in a good mood today, so maybe I’ll give you a discount.”

The vengeful spirits, originally hideous and grotesque, slowly reverted to their human forms from before their deaths, whispering amongst themselves. Then a man stepped out and said, "Although you are human, I can see that you are very powerful. And the two female ghosts beside you... seem to be vengeful spirits with many years of cultivation. We believe you can avenge us, but killing only the director seems insufficient..." He suddenly ripped open his stomach, and blood flowed out. But apart from a section of intestines, there was nothing inside. His stomach, kidneys, and everything else were gone. "For their experiments... my body became like this. The ashes the hospital cremated for the families were actually fake. After our experiments, our bodies were chopped up and fed to the hospital's guard dogs to cultivate their ferocity. I hate it so much! This hatred is not enough; killing only the director is not enough! If you can help us kill all the doctors and nurses in the hospital, then we are willing to be assimilated by you and become part of your body!"

"Even if some of those doctors had nothing to do with this?" I couldn't help but ask.

“They all knew, even if they didn’t participate, how could they speak out for their own livelihood? If someone had secretly reported to the central government earlier, how could so many people have died? Although some of us are homeless people or children from poor families, we are all human beings... How can we accept being treated like this just to please those wealthy people with status and power? Who says their lives are more important than ours?” Under his leadership, the wronged souls echoed in unison.

"That's right! I'm the only breadwinner in my family. If I die like this, my wife will still have to pay huge medical bills. I don't know how we'll manage in the future!"

"My baby is just a month old, and I haven't even breastfed him more than a few times yet..."

"I'll be graduating in a few months, and I can start working to repay my parents, but instead they're going to have to bury their child..."

“But… that’s not my rule!” D said thoughtfully. “I don’t kill innocent people… I only promise my guests that I will kill those who are guilty to them. How about this… I’ll help you strengthen your powers later, and you can handle the rest yourselves. As for me, I’ll focus on dealing with the Dean.” He took out a talisman and turned to me. “Taoists seem to be used to drawing talismans with a pen or black dog’s blood, but the truly powerful talismans are made with the blood of the person who cast them. Watch carefully and see the huge difference in power between me and those old Taoists. Think carefully about which one you want to choose. Remember how I use talismans. Even if one day you choose to kill me, don’t disappoint me too much. Because you are the product of me and the old Taoist!”

With absolute confidence and an icy gaze, he bit his finger, drew an incomprehensible character on the talisman, and leaped up to stick it on the hospital door. The previously calm air around them suddenly became violent, a gust of cold wind blew through the air, and the wronged spirits seemed to understand something, beginning to enter the hospital. I was about to follow them to see what was happening when Lingdang stopped me, saying, "No! You don't want to see those vengeful spirits killing people. The way their pent-up emotions suddenly erupt... it's horrible... The talisman Brother Huang used was a ghost barrier. It allows ordinary people without the ability to see ghosts to see them in a specific area. If these people already feel guilty towards these ghosts, or truly owe them something, the fear of seeing them will make them feel like they've been killed by ghosts... In reality, it's just that the ghosts tricked them into believing they killed themselves. Let's go in later!" I turned around and looked at the man standing in the shadows. The screams coming from the hospital sent chills down my spine. Not long after, a faint smell of blood wafted from the doorway, followed by deathly silence. The light in the ward revealed a touch of desolation.

"Didn't you say...you wouldn't kill innocent people?" I shouted at him in disbelief, "What about the other patients in the hospital?"

D tugged at his coat and said, "People who haven't done anything wrong can't see them. That talisman only triggers specific memories in the person inside. Nothing will happen to unrelated people, but I can't guarantee anything for those nurses who have seen it or have some recollection of it. Let's go in, that's about it."

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 01:15:00

The lights in the hospital corridor flickered, and beside the pools of blood on the floor and the fallen nurses, one or two laughing, vengeful spirits lingered. The stench of blood made me want to vomit, and the mournful laughter of the spirits was a constant reminder of what had just happened. It seemed no one survived. Watching the back of the man walking ahead, my initial goodwill towards the royal family gradually vanished. People talk about being old-fashioned, but weren't my own actions just as obsessive? Humans are alive; they certainly have desires and sins, but that doesn't mean they have to die. Wouldn't this just create more vengeful spirits?

“To be an assassin, you need no compassion. The Royal Family’s definition is that as long as the other party pays the price, the Royal Family will carry out the task.” Bell whispered, reminding me of the Royal Family’s survival rules. “No matter what, in the eyes of the vengeful spirits, these people who died certainly deserved to die. Although the Royal Family says they don’t kill innocent people, it’s not absolute. The Royal Family is just an assassin family that makes a living by communicating with spirits. These dead people won’t become vengeful spirits, because the debts they owed in their lives will be taken to the underworld for judgment. Whether they can continue the cycle of reincarnation or be dragged into the deepest hell to receive punishment, the rules of the underworld will naturally give them justice. It’s just… those vengeful spirits… are still in the world.” Wandering, wronged souls… these souls unable to ascend to heaven, their hatred too intense at the time of their deaths, even now that they've taken revenge, they can't find their way back to the afterlife. The officials below have long forgotten their existence. It's like the government registering residents; so many are born every day, of course you have to register yourselves, missing a registration is a huge hassle. Similarly, those below have to receive so many deceased every day, and determine where they should go based on their past lives—they're too busy to remember these lost souls. Without a path, without the support of hatred, they can only become members of the wandering soul zone. That kind of pain… perhaps only the lost souls themselves truly understand.”

“But it shouldn’t be like this…” I tried to explain, but was interrupted by the bell.

"What shouldn't be done? Everything has a cause and effect. You say so many things you shouldn't do, but you don't realize that such 'shouldn't' won't earn you gratitude; it will only hurt both sides. The royal family may be cold, but at least they have their own principles, which is better than the Taoists who pretend to be righteous but are actually just trying to become the number one spiritualist family. Perhaps they were simple-minded before, but over time, the feeling of being respected has cultivated their desires. Once desires arise, they are endless. In this world, there is no absolute right or wrong, yet they insist on defining absolute right and wrong. How can anyone be convinced like that? They have long forgotten that they are merely spiritualists and have come to see themselves as gods. Therefore, the Taoists' abilities have gradually declined due to their desires. In fact, spiritualists have always been a very tragic group of people, knowing..." The more you see, the more painful it sometimes becomes. The Taoists, however, have long lost this pain amidst their desires, which is why their successors are less capable with each generation. While the royal family isn't exactly righteous either, at least in terms of ability, if my brother had the will, he could destroy the Taoist family single-handedly. Zero, I know your reluctance stems from your lack of understanding of the laws of this world. If you remain so reluctant even when you know everything, no one will be saved because of you; more people will only die. Humans and ghosts are essentially the same thing. The only difference is life and death. In life, desires are hidden deep within; in death, they simply follow those desires.” Bell lowered her head, seemingly recalling something, “The Taoists and the royal family… you don't understand them… it's best you never understand…”

"What's going on here!" a man's shout interrupted our conversation. "Who are you! Did you kill him? I've already called 110! The police will be here soon!"

"You think calling 110 will do any good? You'll have to ask my good friends behind me who killed him!" D's voice heralded the coming of death.

The wronged spirits behind him slowly surrounded him.

"Ghosts...ghosts...please...let me go!" the man wailed, his pants already soaked. Then came the sounds of flesh being torn and gnawed. I turned my head away, not wanting to look.

“Brother Royal… the Dean is in the underground laboratory. He doesn’t seem to know anything yet.” Lingdang touched the map on the wall, as if she sensed something.

Upon reaching the basement, I noticed the door was very thick, perhaps that's why it blocked D's magic. It was locked, but D opened it with a touch. Once again, I realized how incredibly powerful he truly was.