Chapter 147: The King of Ghosts

I stayed at home for a day and a night. During this entire twenty-four hours, I neither ate nor drank, let alone slept, but just sat there quietly. I was torn, wondering whether I should go to see my old man.

In the end, I came to a conclusion: I was going to find my dad. No matter what, he was still my father, and I had to go see him. As for the grievances between him, my second uncle, and my mother, they could resolve those themselves!

When Wei Qi heard that I planned to go with him to the Ghost Realm, he happily threw his arm around my shoulder. "That's right! A man should be like this."

Originally, I hadn't wanted to bring Fatty along to the Ghost Realm, but he was extremely eager to go and insisted on tagging along to see the world. Remembering how good his maternal aunt had been to me, I brought him along.

It was Mount Fulai once again. We stopped right in front of a stone spring on the shady side of the mountain. I had to admire Wei Qi; he was truly formidable now. With a mere wave of his hands above the stone spring, a mirror-clear barrier appeared. Wei Qi gestured for the two of us to enter first. Fatty and I walked in front, and Wei Qi followed right behind us.

Stepping through, we entered a colorless world.

Gazing at everything cast in shades of gray, Fatty frowned and grabbed the lapel of my jacket. "Brother, what kind of place is this? The underworld?"

Wei Qi smiled faintly. "This is the Ghost Realm. It just lacks color, but everything else is fine."

We walked through this gray space for a dozen minutes before catching sight of a towering palace. This palace was far superior to the ones in the Underworld, which clearly showed that my dad's living conditions were much better than my second uncle's.

"Dachuan, there is something I must tell you." At the entrance of the palace, Wei Qi stopped, his voice low and his expression rather heavy.

"Hm?"

"Your dad is in much worse shape than I told you outside. I didn't tell you the truth because I was afraid you'd worry."

"Why are you hesitating like a woman? If you have something to say, just spit it out!" Seeing Wei Qi stammering, I had no idea what he was driving at.

"Forget it. I won't say anything after all; you should go in and see for yourself. Fatty and I will wait for you outside," Wei Qi said.

I didn't understand what he meant, but knowing that the father I hadn't seen in over a decade was right inside, my emotions still grew tense. I pushed open the tall wooden doors. As they swung wide, the interior grew bright. Although it was a gray and gloomy world, it wasn't hard to tell how luxurious the place was; had there been color, it would have been no different from an ancient imperial palace.

Seated upon the dragon throne directly ahead was a person—a person with a face like ashes. Even though his complexion was ashen and devoid of any vitality, and even though I hadn't seen him for a very long time, I still recognized him. My father, Wang Liang.

"Dachuan, you came after all?" My father sat there without moving. A gust of wind blew in from outside the door, and I clearly saw that his trouser legs were empty. My heart turned cold. How could it be like this?

After a moment of hesitation, I couldn't help but cry out, "Dad!"

Hearing my cry, my father's face twitched. He extended one hand, a gesture meant to have me draw closer to him. Hesitating for a moment, I walked over. Up close, I not only saw that his trouser legs were empty, but his left arm was missing as well. No wonder Wei Qi had said he deceived me; it seemed my dad was indeed in a truly miserable state.

All hesitation vanished instantly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and wept, "Dad, you've suffered."

My father's hand felt somewhat cold as he, too, embraced my neck. "Dachuan, don't cry. Everything is in the past. It's enough that you've grown up."

"Dad, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter, nothing much! We're all family; your second uncle is my younger brother, and then there's your mother. No matter what, I couldn't hold a grudge against them, right?" At that moment, I noticed that my father truly did not move his lips when he spoke. Could he really be using the long-distance ventriloquism Wei Qi had mentioned?

"Dad, I don't know what happened between Mom, Second Uncle, and you, but I want to know who made you into this state!" Regardless of whether my father had raised me or not, I needed to know who had reduced him to this condition. As his son, I had every reason to know, and I had to demand justice for my dad.

"You child, don't always dwell on hatred; these matters are all in the past. Over all these years, what I thought about most was you. As for my body, it doesn't matter anymore. As long as you're doing well, that's enough." My father's complexion was ashen, yet a smile played across his face. I could tell he was genuinely happy to see me.

Outside the Ghost Realm, I had convinced myself that I wouldn't interfere in the affairs of the adults, but now my mind had changed. I had to figure out what was going on, and who had turned my father into a freak with only a single hand. I faintly sensed that this matter was connected to my second uncle and my mother.

"Dad, was it Mom and Second Uncle who did this to you?" Bitterness filled my heart. I truly wished it wasn't my second uncle and mother who had plotted against him, but I felt certain it must be them. What deep hatred could possibly exist between them that would drive brothers and husband and wife to slaughter one another?

"Dachuan, is this all you came to ask your dad? Don't always harbor hatred; it wasn't easy for your second uncle and your mother to raise you. I'm very glad you came. Let me take you around the Ghost Realm; perhaps you'll grow to like it here," my father said.

"Dad, I have some matters to attend to. You rest first, and I'll come back to see you after I've taken care of them." With that, I gave my father a hug, swallowed the ache in my heart, and walked out.

Stepping outside the door, Wei Qi and Fatty hurried over. I reached out and grabbed Wei Qi. "Uncle Qi, tell me the truth. What on earth is going on?"

Wei Qi frowned. "Dachuan, you've seen it for yourself. I won't hide it from you anymore. Your dad didn't tell you because he was afraid your second uncle would harm you. This all happened after your second uncle and your mother were exposed. At night, they forced your dad to drink a mute potion, then cut off his arms and legs and threw him into the lake. Miraculously, your dad survived and was saved by the old Ghost King. The Ghost King bestowed upon him the Ghost Realm secrets, which is how he survived to this day; otherwise, he would have died long ago."

Hearing this, I was so furious I felt my lungs would burst. My second uncle was utterly despicable, and my dad had been terribly victimized by him. I had to seek justice for my dad.

"Uncle Qi, will you accompany me to find my second uncle?" I tugged at Wei Qi, resolved to go with him to the Underworld. No matter what, I had to teach my second uncle a harsh lesson, and I was going to take Wang Ying away.

"This... this is your family business. Would it be appropriate for me to go? Besides, your second uncle and I are buddies; how can I turn my back on him? How about I don't go?" Wei Qi said with a smile.

"Don't give me that silly grin. You must accompany me, or I won't acknowledge you as my friend ever again." My heart was in turmoil, and I was firmly set on having Wei Qi come with me.

"Alright, I'll go with you." Acting as though he had made a weighty decision, the three of us found the Ghost Realm barrier and slipped back through.

Wei Qi was no longer the Wei Qi of the past; his cultivation had reached a very high level. He managed to easily open the barrier to the Underworld. I remembered my second uncle telling me last time that he had reinforced all the boundaries. The fact that Wei Qi could still break in demonstrated the vast extent of his powers. Now, merely hearing the title of "second uncle" made me extremely uncomfortable. In the past, those two words were synonymous with warmth, but now, even mentioning them sent a chill down my spine.

Upon entering the Underworld, my heart raced with excitement. No matter what, I was about to see Wang Ying, the girl I had yearned for day and night.

The path was quite familiar, and soon we arrived at my second uncle's residence. A few underworld guards stood at the entrance, but I ignored them entirely and barged straight in.

Inside the grand hall sat many people: my second uncle, along with several of his chief protectors. Except for the first left protector, all the others were present.

"Dachuan, why are you here?" Seeing me, my second uncle rose from his seat.

"Second uncle, are you holding a meeting here? Planning to conquer the seven parallel dimensions?" I sneered and said.

"Dachuan, don't talk nonsense. We were just chatting." My second uncle smiled faintly, and the men under his command all filed out. Then he continued, "Dachuan, I was just about to go looking for you, and here you are. Sit down quickly." He turned to Wei Qi and Fatty and said, "Brothers, make yourselves at home!"

"I won't sit. Second uncle, I just came to understand the situation regarding my father. I assume you know about it," I said with a cold sneer.

"Your dad? You've seen your dad?" My second uncle's face drained of color instantly.