Yanwang Path, All Men Evade

Most of them walked in silence.

When they encountered one another, they did not greet or speak.

Ji Wu realized that the old man, had he not seen that Ji Wu carried no lantern and feared he might not find his way out of the white fog, likely would not have called out to him either.

Lantern bearers, each holding their own light, walked through the white fog.

If one encountered another who carried no lantern, in the midst of that fog, who could tell whether the figure ahead was human or monster?

For the old man to dare call out to him was already an act of great courage and kindness.

Ji Wu wanted to thank the old man, but he could no longer find his figure.

He could only follow behind those lantern bearers, walking toward an unknown destination.

The surrounding scene was like a reflection on the water's surface—vague and indistinct.

Still, he could make out mottled streets, roadside streetlamps, shops lining the roads, and towering skyscrapers.

This was a city.

A modern city.

But there was not a single person or vehicle in this city—only these outsiders, carrying lanterns as they walked the streets.

Strange. Why did this city feel so familiar?

Wait!

Ji Wu turned to look at the direction he had come from.

That bridge connected the road from Fujing District to Anyang Island.

Could it be that this place was Anyang Island?

But Anyang Island was a famous tourist destination in Anyang City, bustling with endless streams of visitors—it could never be as empty as this, without a single person.

What exactly was this place?

And Xu Zhou?

Where had he gone?

Ji Wu was deeply worried now. Xu Zhou was somewhere unknown—could Bai Zuo even find this place?

"Supervisor Ji?"

Suddenly, Xu Zhou's voice came from the right.

Ji Wu startled and looked to his right.

Xu Zhou was holding a large amount of food in his hands, grinning and waving at him. Beside him stood a middle-aged woman with a gentle, kind smile, her eyes full of affection as she looked at Xu Zhou.

"Xu Zhou, I finally found you. And she is...?"

Though Ji Wu asked, he had already guessed the woman's identity in his heart.

Sure enough, Xu Zhou smiled and introduced her: "Supervisor Ji, this is my mom. Mom, this is my supervisor's overseer."

"Good, good, good. Xiao Zhou has grown up. He's found a job now, able to support himself."

Judging by her features, Xu Zhou did indeed resemble this woman. In her forties, she looked older than her peers from the wear and tear of life.

Still, traces in her brows and eyes suggested she must have been a beautiful woman in her youth.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, as if she knew how much hardship and suffering her son had endured after she was gone.

Ji Wu greeted her politely and quietly observed her.

Aside from her somewhat pale complexion, her behavior was entirely normal, and she seemed to carry no trace of eerie aura.

What was going on here?

Ji Wu felt that this place was very strange—the mere reappearance of someone who had been dead for three years was already abnormal.

"Mom, go take a look at that shop. If there's anything you want to buy, I'll pay for it."

"Alright."

After sending his mother away, Xu Zhou hesitated as he looked at Ji Wu. "Supervisor Ji, did you notice anything wrong?"

Ji Wu: "Are you sure she's real? And not some kind of monster in disguise?"

Xu Zhou nodded: "I asked her about a lot of things only we would know. She remembered them all."

"Then that's strange. Could it be that ghosts really exist after death?"

"If it were true, that would be wonderful." The one thing Xu Zhou had always regretted was not being able to help his mother, to the point that she had worked herself to death.

This time, he thought, perhaps he could stay by her side forever.

Ji Wu saw through his thoughts at a glance. Xu Zhou was still young—everything he thought was written on his face.

"Xu Zhou, whether she is your mother or not, the dead cannot return to life. The living and the dead walk different paths. If you stay together, it will harm you both."

Seeing the expression on Xu Zhou's face shift to one of deep dejection and loss, Ji Wu continued.

"Still, for now, you can make her happy, fulfill your filial duty. Tell her more about how you're doing now, so she can rest at ease."

"I understand."

Xu Zhou's smile was strained, but he knew this was the best way.

Ji Wu patted him on the shoulder, telling him to look on the bright side.

Ji Wu could understand—when you meet a loved one you thought was separated by life and death, never to be seen again, anyone would feel reluctant to let go.

Even an orphan like him, who had never known his own family, felt a faint flicker of hope deep in his heart when he came here.

Would he see the family he'd never met?

Ji Wu gave a self-deprecating smile. Maybe they weren't dead at all. Maybe he was just someone who had been abandoned.

"Xiao Zhou."

"Coming, Mom!"

Xu Zhou hurried over, joining her in picking out clothes she liked, commenting on whether each one fit well, trying on piece after piece.

What would normally be behavior that annoyed a young person was something Xu Zhou wished could last forever.

Ji Wu watched from outside, unable to resist pulling a cigarette from his pocket and holding it under his nose, inhaling its scent lightly.

Even if this was the Ghost Domain, everything an illusion, letting Xu Zhou see his mother was still something worth being happy about.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

"Yanwang Path, all yield way."

A procession of people in black ancient robes, faces hidden behind ferocious ghost masks, holding white mourning sticks and soul-summoning banners, marched past in a grand spectacle.

Ji Wu stepped aside.

He cast a casual glance into the middle of the procession.

There, walking among the funeral train, was a man who looked utterly lost and dejected, dressed differently from those around him.

He wore a fur coat and thermal cotton pants—a modern person's attire.

He was swept along by the procession, moving involuntarily. There were no ropes on him, and no one seemed to be controlling him.

But.

Ji Wu saw his eyes.

In his eyes was a look of sheer terror, of absolute horror!

Ji Wu was almost instantly certain—this was likely an ordinary person who had been dragged in.

Ji Wu didn't disturb Xu Zhou, who was still shopping with his mother. Carefully avoiding the eerie funeral procession, he moved closer to the man.

That man was Hu Xingde, who had disappeared earlier.

Hu Xingde didn't know what had happened. He had been walking on a bridge when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure. After approaching, he realized it was his deceased wife.

Trembling, he was both terrified and unable to resist drawing near—she was his beloved wife!

But when he got close, his wife reached out, and her cold hand took his. Then he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he found himself walking in the funeral procession, no longer in control of his body.

He was fully conscious, but could only watch as his body moved against his will, following the procession.

Facing the unknown terror, he was nearly driven mad!

Just then, a warm hand grabbed his arm. "Hey! Can you move?"

Ji Wu pulled hard, trying to drag him out.

Someone! Someone had come to save him!