On the way, I stopped by to ask Stella if her big brother had arrived yet. Didn't she say she had invited him to help deal with Nuwa's Forsaken Shade?
Stella walked while yawning and said her big brother came and went without a trace—he wouldn't show up. In truth, Stella wasn't confident.
I said, What kind of big brother is this? So unreliable! This was a matter of life and death. If Nuwa's Forsaken Shade came to cause trouble, we might not be a match for it. That thing was ruthless—who knew what would happen then?
If I had known this earlier, I would've asked Master Raul for help. That big brother couldn't possibly be stronger than the master.
Stella said that wasn't necessarily true—her big brother was a genius of extraordinary talent, and his strength was no less than the master's.
Based on power rankings, Stella was at most a Level Three Celestial Master. Luna was probably Level Five, Philip had Level Six strength, and her big brother and Master Raul were at Level Ten.
If that was the case, then this big brother should be even more formidable. If he came, Chloe's situation would be secured, and dealing with Nuwa's Forsaken Shade shouldn't be a problem.
Soon, Stella and I arrived at Chloe's neighborhood. It was just past 5:00 AM, and the doors weren't even open yet. I called Chloe frantically, but no one answered.
It wasn't until the tenth call that Chloe finally picked up. I told her to come down so we could collect morning dew and abort the Corpse-Fetus.
Chloe was silent for a long time before finally saying on the other end, "Roger, you know exactly what kind of person I, Chloe, am. There's no need for you to risk your life for me. If you don't know what kind of man Mr. Lam in Vervé City is, I can explain it to you again in detail."
"No need. I know everything, and I'm not afraid of him. Just come down!" I said.
I refused to believe that money could let someone do whatever they wanted these days—treating human lives as worthless grass?
Fine, call me a newborn calf unafraid of tigers! I wanted to challenge him. Life and death are decreed by fate; wealth and honor depend on Heaven. Since I'd taken charge, I'd see it through to the end!
"Roger, aren't you afraid of death?" Chloe asked.
"No, I'm not. Afraid? Fuck that. When your time's up, you die. If I die, just build me a memorial and burn plenty of paper money for me." I said firmly.
My words made the melancholic Chloe laugh. She muttered, "If you die, I won't live either."
"Auntie, come down. We've been waiting here forever, and we can't afford to delay. Don't miss the right timing." I urged.
Stella said morning dew worked best at sunrise. It was almost six, and the summer sun would be up soon.
"Well, I'll be right down. Since you guys aren't afraid, there's no reason for me to be afraid. Big deal—I won't live. I've had a hard life, but I refuse to be at someone else's mercy and become a tool for another family." Chloe said.
That's the right attitude. With us helping you, I believe good will triumph over evil. This Mr. Lam wants to have his cake and eat it too? Impossible!
Who let him do so many wicked things? Who told him to have a child in his old age?
After a while, Chloe finally came out of the building. Her belly was much larger than a normal pregnancy—I estimated she'd give birth in three months. Her face was pale, and she looked malnourished.
Stella explained that the Corpse-Fetus grew by draining the mother's yang energy, which was why Chloe looked like this—and why it developed so quickly.
This Corpse-Fetus was truly terrifying. We had to get rid of it fast, or carrying it would become extremely dangerous.
Now that Chloe had come down, we began collecting morning dew. Stella surveyed the neighborhood and said the greenery here was suitable—whether trees, flowers, or plants, every leaf had dew on it. We just needed to gather it little by little with a plastic cup and combine it later.
Under Stella's guidance, we started collecting the dew. But strangely, even at six o'clock, the sky remained dark as cloth, clouds hanging heavily over us with no sign of the sun.
The neighborhood grew eerier, and I felt like countless shadowy figures were swarming around us.
"Roger, focus on gathering. I'll deal with them." Stella suddenly said.
Them? Could Nuwa's Forsaken Shade already be here? I still couldn't see anything clearly—just a vague, unsettling presence.
For some reason, the surroundings grew darker. Occasionally, a cold, howling wind swept through—like a sinister gust—raising the hairs on my sweat-dampened neck.
Stella had brought a mahogany sword today. After smearing a drop of blood on it, she charged into the darkness. Her talisman burst into flames as she chanted, but the fire was quickly snuffed out. The sounds of battle echoed from the shadows.
Chloe huddled close to me, frightened, but we remained relatively safe for now. Nuwa's Forsaken Shade didn't seem intent on attacking us yet. If things turn hopeless, we'll run. I wasn't sure if Stella could win—or if her big brother would even come.
Then, suddenly, I heard a pained grunt. Stella was sent flying, a trickle of blood at the corner of her lips. The mahogany sword had snapped in two.
"Hmph. Little girl, you've got a death wish. With such meager Taoist skills, you dare challenge my Nuwa's Forsaken Shade?"
From the darkness, a large black sedan chair emerged, carried by four eerie paper figures.
As usual, the person inside the big black sedan chair couldn't be seen. Those four PAPER PERSONS were just like before, with their big red and green smeared lips and weird blushes, looking especially eerie. A few clusters of will-o'-the-wisps floated in front of them as if guiding the way.
This time, besides the paper figures carrying the sedan chair and the will-o'-the-wisps leading the way, there were many shadows surrounding us - though I couldn't make out what they were.
But then I remembered what Stein had said about Nuwa's Forsaken Shade's paper figures being able to transform into Ghost Soldiers to kill people.
"Hmph, you dead old woman! If you dare touch a single hair on my head, the Celestial Master Sect will tear you to pieces!" Stella showed no fear despite being outmatched.
"Hehehe, don't worry. I won't kill you. I have no reason to go against Master Raul. But the Corpse-Fetus in Chloe's belly must be born safely - otherwise I can't explain it to Mr. Lam," Nuwa's Forsaken Shade inside the sedan said grimly.
"Go birth it yourself then! Why don't you help the Lam family produce one? You're a ghost-dealing woman - your physique must be pure yin. You should be able to birth a Corpse-Fetus too," I shot back in disgust.
Nuwa's Forsaken Shade grew furious at my words. She snorted coldly, "It's you brat who keeps interfering. With those videotapes, Chloe would have been obedient and stopped resisting. You're the one ruining everything. I'm afraid this matter won't be settled unless I kill you."
After Nuwa's Forsaken Shade finished speaking, suddenly - whoosh! - I heard countless hissing voices and battle cries from the darkness. Shadowy figures wearing armor and wielding swords, spears and clubs emerged. Inside their armor was no flesh or blood, not even bones - just emptiness. Yet human voices came from within, crying out with terrifying ferocity.
"Crap! The old hag's getting serious! These are Paper Spirit Ghost Soldiers - run!" Stella's face paled as she urgently kicked me, signaling me to flee.
Stella couldn't move. Chloe couldn't move either. And these Ghost Soldiers were clearly coming straight for me.