Chapter 88: Carter Slay

In a modest apartment within the slums, rows of motorcycles of all shapes and sizes were parked haphazardly in a building utterly devoid of any security measures. A man lay asleep amidst a heap of books on religion and mythology, the entire room thick with an air of occultism. Whiskey bottles lay toppled across the floor, their contents pooling in amber puddles, and a half-eaten pizza, cold and abandoned, sprawled on the worn wooden boards, its bright red sauce staining the grayish planks like fresh blood.

"Johnny, Johnny..." Suddenly, a distant voice drifted through the haze, snapping the man awake. With a crash, his foot knocked over a bottle at his side, whiskey sloshing in widening circles across the floor. Now fully roused, he scrambled to retrieve the fallen bottle. But just as his hand reached for it, a pair of meticulously crafted leather shoes appeared before his eyes.

He looked up along the smooth kidskin to a perfectly tailored suit, and then to an elderly man with silver hair, standing regally above him, a black, elegant cane in hand, gazing down with an inscrutable expression.

The man's pupils contracted, and he instinctively gasped, his face flashing with wary defensiveness. "It's you?"

"It's been a long time, Johnny. It’s time to fulfill your promise, my knight." Mephisto smiled with urbane grace, slowly raising a hand to touch the man’s brow.

Johnny's face changed, and he tried to retreat, but his body refused to obey, as if turned to stone. He could only watch helplessly as that aged finger pressed to his forehead.

Boom!

Blinding fire illuminated the empty apartment in the heart of the slums, the inferno reflected in Mephisto’s reddened eyes, making his smile grow more profound and ominous.

Elsewhere, having successfully absorbed the power of the Water Demon and the Earth Demon into Su Yan, Gu Zhongyan and his companion arrived at their destination—a cemetery on the outskirts of Sacramento.

Unlike the orderly graveyards of New York, this burial ground resembled a chaotic mass grave. Graves relocated from all around were clustered haphazardly in the area. Overgrown and disordered, the cemetery seemed long abandoned. Were it not for the faint traces of life at a small chapel in its center, one would have thought the place utterly deserted.

"Gu, this place feels strange to me—uncomfortable," Su Yan murmured as soon as they set foot inside.

"Could it be another demon?" Gu Zhongyan frowned. That shouldn’t be—the Wind, Water, and Earth Demons had all been dealt with, and it wasn’t yet time for the Heartless Demon to emerge. Could there be another demon lurking here?

Fortunately, Su Yan quickly shook his head. "No, it's not that. When a demon targets you, the unease is all in your heart. But this... it feels like standing under the blazing sun on a summer day—restless and stifling. It’s as if it's coming from over there." He pointed toward the chapel.

Enlightenment dawned on Gu Zhongyan. Of course—the church in this world was no mere pretense; heaven and angels were very much real. Besides ordinary priests like Father Landon, there were quite a number of clergy with supernatural abilities. The previous Ghost Rider, Mr. Carter, had evaded Mephisto’s gaze thanks to the church’s protection.

Su Yan, already half-demonic in nature, had now absorbed the power of three demons and was perhaps the closest thing to a demon in the human world. It was only natural that the aura of the church would suppress him. But since Su Yan merely felt discomfort, not danger, it seemed the church’s power was nearly spent after sheltering Carter for more than a century. Once that power was gone, Mephisto would find him, and then the Heartless Demon’s appearance would be imminent.

"Hey, who are you? This is no place for loitering—leave at once!" An aged yet resolute voice suddenly called out from nearby.

The two looked up to see a lean, vigorous old man approaching, dressed like an old Western cowboy, iron shovel in hand, a battered hat on his head. His hawk-like eyes swept over them, sharp as blades, as if intent on seeing straight through their souls.

Most would have been tongue-tied under such a gaze, but Gu Zhongyan was not so easily cowed—a man who could trade words with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. would not be intimidated by an old man, not even one who happened to be the previous Ghost Rider.

Standing before them, Carter Slade narrowed his eyes, his gaze suddenly piercing. "You’re not ordinary men. Who are you, really?"

Gu Zhongyan stepped forward and nodded politely. "Good day, Mr. Slade. I am Sean Gu, and this is my brother, Yan Su. We’ve come to seek something from you."

Carter’s eyes narrowed, his expression shifting as he took a step back, gripping his shovel defensively. "Did Mephisto send you?" His tone was questioning, but his wary stance made it clear he believed it.

Gu Zhongyan shook his head hastily. "No, you misunderstand. I have nothing to do with Mephisto. I am a wizard, and my adoptive father was a priest of the church. You have every reason to believe I am not on Mephisto’s side."

"The San Venganza Contract possesses immense evil power. As long as it remains unresolved, Hell’s covetous gaze will not leave it. That is why I hope you’ll entrust it to me. I promise to destroy the San Venganza Contract, purify its evil, and let those thousand souls finally rest in peace."

"A wizard, the son of a priest?" Carter was taken aback for a moment, then quickly recovered, shaking his head firmly. "No, you won’t fool me. I may be old, but I’m not senile. I can sense the demonic traces on both of you. Trying to deceive me about the San Venganza Contract? Impossible!"

Seeing Carter’s hardened stance, treating them as nothing less than enemies, Gu Zhongyan was at a loss for words—yet he could not deny it. Both his magical power and Su Yan’s strength were deeply entwined with the demonic.

Shaking his head, Gu Zhongyan said, "Mr. Slade, you truly misunderstand. I won’t deny we’ve dealt with demons, but we are by no means their allies. As for the San Venganza Contract, I don’t actually need you to tell me where it is."

"Shovel, fly!"

With that, Gu Zhongyan flicked his wand at the shovel in Carter’s grip.

Whoosh!

Carter suddenly felt his hand empty, the shovel he had clung to now flying straight into Gu Zhongyan’s grasp.