"Whooo..."
Wind tore past his ears. Shi Hou ran until his blood surged, but when he glanced back, Ghost Master's deathly face was still less than three feet away.
He could even make out every ridge of black scab on the withered bones.
"Damn it, you just won't stop haunting me!"
With a thought from Shi Hou, a silent, fathomless Black Heavenly Cave quietly appeared above his head.
The next instant, he vanished into thin air in the middle of his headlong sprint, leaving not even an afterimage as he melted completely into the boundless night.
"Huh?!"
Shi Hao was running hard with his head down when he caught sight of Shi Hou out of the corner of his eye, leisurely keeping pace beneath the Black Heavenly Cave.
Then he looked back.
Ghost Master was pressed right up against his back.
"Skinny Monkey! You rotten cheat! Some friend you are!"
Shi Hao gritted his teeth in fury, then simply slammed on the brakes and turned around.
Thump.
One old man and one boy froze face-to-face beneath an ancient, towering tree, wide eyes staring into black sockets.
Golden light burst around Shi Hao. Eight Heavenly Caves faintly appeared behind him, and he clenched his fists, ready to fight for his life.
He lifted his young face and shouted at Ghost Master:
"Grandpa, why do you keep chasing me? I didn't steal any of your food!"
Ghost Master floated stiffly in place, a cold, sinister wind stirring his ashen, withered hair.
A long moment passed.
"Give... me... back... my... sword..."
His voice was hoarse and airy, cold enough to send chills down anyone's spine.
Shi Hao's gaze fell on the broken, rust-covered ancient sword piercing his skull.
"You want me to help get this busted sword out, right? You should've said so!