Lu Na took a deep breath. She clenched her left fist and brought up her null metal bracelet. She knew that nothing she could do would stop these ghosts from overwhelming her, but she had to do something.

  Chen Su was not much help. She had fallen asleep beside Sun Ren, also leaning against Lu Na. When did she become a pillow?

  Zi Xu cupped his hands together and made a deep bow. Behind him, all the ghosts did the same thing. Even the noble ghost Farida bowed to her.

  “You have finally released us. We are free to leave this place and move on. Thank you, Young Miss Lu.”

  All the ghosts behind Zi Xu disappeared except for Farida. The noble ghost walked up to Lu Na and embraced her.

  Lu Na’s heart stopped for a second before it pumped furiously after.

  “As promised, I have released all your allies. They should be in the level below. I will miss you. I really wanted to play with your ghost, but maybe one day you’ll come back here to die?”

  “Wait, you’re not leaving?” Lu Na asked.

  The noble ghost laughed, her green eyes sparkling.

  “I would never subject myself to the rules of this land, nor mine ever again. I’m a ghost with power and servants. Why would I ever abandon that? But know that if you ever come back to the labyrinth, I’ll welcome you with open arms.”

  Farida disappeared. She left no trace of anything except for the lingering cold from the hug. It made Lu Na shiver.

  Zi Xu walked up to Lu Na.

  “Unlike that foolish ghost, I won’t hug you. I know how you humans feel when we’re close by and I think I spent enough time inhabiting your body to know how weird it is. But I’m not going either. I’ll be staying around to make sure the labyrinth is a safer place.”

  “You’re going to do the same thing as Farida, aren’t you?” Lu Na asked.

  Zi Xu floated into the air with his smile.

  “Of course. Why else stay here for so long and keep my sanity? The next time you see me, I will be the new king of ghosts. But before then, I’ll go have a look outside.”

  Zi Xu kept floating until he breached the ceiling.

  Lu Na breathed a sigh of relief. Her shoulders sagged. At least until she felt the same cold hitting her again.

  “What now? Can’t I get a moment of peace?”

  “Oh, you don’t want your prize for beating the test? I can reset the labyrinth and allow another challenger to come claim the prize in two thousand years,” the game master said. The ghost appeared in front of Lu Na, this time dressed in a long, flowing black robe and a headdress with jade beads in front of it.

  The phoenix spirit squawked when it saw the game master, forcing Lu Na to cover her ears.

  “Why are you back? I thought you’d be the first to run away from this place.” Lu Na leaned against her mother and friend.

  “I’m here to give you your reward. Now bow down and show your respect.” The game master stood tall with his back straight, posing with his arms in front of him as if he was about to meet an enemy or a head of state.

  Lu Na couldn’t hold back her anger anymore.

  “What do you mean bow down? You’ve been trying to kill me on that stupid obstacle course this whole time. You held back information and tried to trick me. There is no way I’m bowing down to you.”

  “Not even for the coveted Xia device? The one that would allow you to subjugate all spirits in this world and the spirit realm?”

  Lu Na opened her mouth only to close it again. Was this ghost serious? Or was this another trick of his? Wait, he did claim that he never lied.

  “If you’re serious about giving me the Xia device, then I will bow down. But show me it first.”

  The game master scoffed.

  “I’ve never been so offended in my life or ghost life. Fine, I will show you exactly what thousands of people over the last two thousand years have tried to get, but failed.” The game master reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a small box.

  “How do I know that’s not something you conjured, like the food and the tables?” Lu Na asked. She was taking no chances. As far as she can tell, even if she didn’t get whatever the prize was, just by being free was already a bonus for her. She expected to die. If this ghost was going to play another trick on her and get her killed, then it wouldn’t be worth anything in the world. Ultimate power means nothing if you’re dead.

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  The game master sighed.

  “Zi Xu, get back here now.”

  Zi Xu appeared in front of the game master. He had on a smile like he had just won the greatest game in the world. He looked like he gained some color from wherever he just was as his hair shone brighter.

  “I was just enjoying the sun outside. What do you want?”

  “Tell her that what I hold is the prize from the labyrinth. It’s not something I conjured.” The game master showed the box to Zi Xu.

  “That’s real,” Zi Xu said. “Now can I go back to my sun?”

  “No, explain it to her so that she doesn’t think we’re trying to trick her. I don’t have time for this, as I have other matters that I have ignored for thousands of years.”

  Zi Xu cupped his hands and bowed.

  “As you wish, King Jie.”

  The game master dropped the box into Zi Xu’s hands and disappeared.

  “Jie? But I thought Jie was a woman ghost in that small village,” Lu Na said.

  Zi Xu held the box in his palms as if it was the most valuable thing in the world. He slowly set it down on Lu Na’s lap.

  “That woman you met is his daughter. He was the last emperor of the Xia dynasty. In life, he was a tyrant and caused the fall of the Xia dynasty. So his punishment was to be thrown in here, along with his family. So when he became a ghost, he tried so very hard to live up to the ideal of how a true emperor should behave.”

  Zi Xu laughed, covering his mouth with his hand.

  “It was too much at first because he threw me in here as punishment. To see him in here, struggling so hard to get out and absolutely powerless, was the best thing in my life. He was given the sad appointment of ensuring the labyrinth kept running because he was the direct descendant to the emperor who built the labyrinth.”

  “And this?” Lu Na picked up the box. It was really light and a small object jingled inside.

  “That’s the whole reason for this labyrinth. There were many emperors and kings that contemplated the purpose and goal of spirits and how they relate to humans. I’m sure you’ve heard of many of the myths and legends.”

  Lu Na nodded.

  “There’s one that you probably never heard of. The prophecy is that the spirits will one day open the portal between the human realm and the spirit realm to devour us all.” Zi Xu laughed. “Well, you living people anyway. I’m already dead.”

  “That’s not any more scary than what they’re already doing,” Lu Na said.

  “Yes, but you see humans still have free will and ownership of their lives. When they come over, they will slaughter us and enslave the rest for their own food. Dying is one thing, but living as a sheep or chicken?”

  “So what does this Xia device have to do with anything?”

  “Open it. With your technical knowledge of the Xia devices, you should have an idea what it can do.”

  Lu Na opened the box, and a heavy odor escaped. It was a mix between really damp clothes that were never dried properly and salted fish. She coughed from the smell.

  Inside the box was a small ring, one that could fit a slim finger. Lu Na picked it up and was tempted to put it on her finger until she used her spirit vision to really look at the device.

  Patterns lit up on the ring, smaller than the smallest ones she could ever etch onto her own null metal bracelet. The ring itself was not made from null metal.

  From what she could gather, the patterns told her that the technique opened or closed the way to another dimension. It was like the puzzle door, except this one didn’t need a key.

  “I can’t tell what it does exactly, but the applications of something like this are huge,” Lu Na said, more to herself than anything.

  “Yes, and now you have the power to use it as you see fit,” Zi Xu said. “However, I would advise you to keep it away from everyone until you’ve mastered it. Once you do, no one in this realm or the spirit realm can stop you. I would dare say, not even ghosts can stop you.”

  “Why did the Xia make this?”

  Zi Xu shrugged.

  “I think one of the earlier Xia emperors feared the spirits so much that they thought having them sealed away would be better for humanity than having their powers. He wouldn’t be wrong with the state of the world. Spirits might have caused the wars over the last two thousand years and so many deaths.”

  Lu Na nodded, still mesmerized by the patterns. They showed a complexity that she had never seen before. How could something this powerful be created by humans?

  “Well, my job is done here. I’ll see you around. I hope you do come by and visit this old ghost once in a while.”

  Lu Na looked up at Zi Xu, but he had already disappeared.

  “Thank for everything.” Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed at the waist.

  “It looks like you have something precious there,” Yang Deli said. The man with the iron helmet stood beside Lu Na, making her flinch. “Oh don’t worry about me. I can’t touch you nor harm you or your friend here. Not with the phoenix spirit staring me down.”

  The phoenix radiated warmth at those words. But it didn’t take a powerful summoner to tell that the spirit was in a weakened state. Any sufficiently well rested summoner could probably put it down at this point.

  “Thank you for your concern,” Lu Na said.

  “Oh, it’s not concern I’m here to give. I just want what’s mine and me and my men will be on our way.” Yang Deli unsheathed a dagger and approached Lu Na.

  Lu Na shoved the Xia device into her chest pocket before standing up. She clenched her left fist, but a hand grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed so hard that she had to stop clenching.

  It was another rebel.

  “How?”

  “While you had that lovely conversation with that ghost, I gathered my summoners to pay our respects to you. The last thing we need in this world is a naive girl and her righteous friend wielding something so powerful. You don’t have what it takes to bring this country under control.”

  “And you do?” Lu Na struggled against the man holding her wrist until he twisted her arm and pushed her to the ground.

  The phoenix spirit screeched, but three spirits commanded by summoners held it in place. A large spirit net held it down while a large sheep sat on it.

  “Men have always been the one to guide humanity forward. Women are best kept home.” Yang Deli kneeled beside Lu Na.

  “Men have also made the world a harsher place to live in, especially for women.”

  “I don’t deny that, but that’s not for me to decide. The heavens decided that. I’m just following what the heavens have given me. Now don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m going to have to search your chest pocket for my prize.”

  Lu Na struggled harder at that. Not only was this demon going back on his word again, he was going to violate her. She would not have that.