I pressed closer to the Old Man, snuggling tight against his side, reviewing everything that had happened since we left the villa, needing to untangle the threads and ask him for clarity on every point.

“Old Man, Li Xiaohao is Ming-xiong. His twin brother, Li Xiaoshu, possesses an album. Li Xiaohao is looking for Li Xiaoshu precisely because of this album. What secret is truly hidden within that stamp album?” I had asked myself this question countless times, even pestering Old Shao about it repeatedly at the sanitarium, yet I never found an answer. If I could glean even a single clue today, it would be such a comfort to my tormented heart.

Yet, the Old Man shook his head, instead curiously asking, “What is a stamp album?”

Right. I slapped my forehead. Stamps only came into existence after the Qing Dynasty. The era this village is set in predates that. It seemed this particular question would have to remain locked away in my mind for now.

“Then, how does a Ghost Infant transform into a Wraith?” The thought of the little killer lying in Hua Gu’s arms suddenly struck me. I wondered how they were doing now.

The Old Man tapped his tobacco pipe, loading the second measure of tobacco, and then answered my question: “First, it must find a host, then control that host. The host carries it to find its target, sucking the blood of others to slowly grow. Afterward, it kills the host and begins to move independently and freely between the Yin and Yang realms.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, my heart immediately filling with apprehension. Wang Jue instinctively shuddered; this answer was utterly unexpected. We had left the Ghost Infant with Hua Gu and Ah Li! We thought we had gotten rid of a searing hot potato, but now it seemed we had endangered both Hua Gu and Ah Li! I involuntarily touched the root of my right hand where the fingers were now missing, thinking of the innocent, sweet Ah Li, and was filled with overwhelming regret.

Wang Jue was equally frantic, demanding, “How long does it take for a Ghost Infant to become a Wraith? Is the host in danger during that time?” He was clearly most worried about Hua Gu, fearing she might face peril before we could return. I hadn't thought that far ahead; I only worried that Ah Li might be treated as food by the Ghost Infant, slowly having her vital essence drained away. In short, both of us had our own points of focus, intensely worried that the Ghost Infant would commit harm.

“That is difficult to say. It depends on whether it can find enough sustenance.”

Forget it. I couldn’t listen to any more of this. The most urgent priority right now was finding my older sister, and the sooner the better. Only then could we rush back to deal with the Ghost Infant and rescue Hua Gu and Ah Li.

I asked again, “Li Xiaoshu is holding my sister hostage on Jingyin Mountain. How can we find them?”

“Hostage?” The Old Man looked at me strangely, asking, “Didn’t you say Li Xiaohao was Ming-xiong? Is Li Xiaoshu a living person?”

“Yes,” I replied, finding the Old Man’s reaction odd as well. “Li Xiaohao is Ming-xiong. We saw him disguised as one of the village youths, stirring up trouble by the bonfire and causing last night’s massacre. The ones who turned into Zombies in the ancestral hall are also connected to him. Li Xiaoshu should be alive. He grew up in Xiangcheng, comes from a distinguished family, and was like a celebrity at every school he attended, always drawing attention. Every teacher and classmate gave him a flawless review.” Recalling the time I transferred to Class 2, Grade 2 at Xiangcheng First Middle School, I had been thrilled to be in the same class as Li Xiaoshu.

The Old Man nodded, straightened up, and took a breath: “Then, if Li Xiaoshu brought your sister to Jingyin Mountain, he must be protecting her. Twin brothers living in the mortal world rarely resort to ruthless means to harm others like Ming-xiong would. Jingyin Mountain is a volcano; you can see bubbling lava from the crater opening. At the foot of the mountain is a secret passage leading to the rock face next to the molten rock. That place is what Wraiths and Zombies fear most, because approaching the lava draws them in with immense energy, leading to their demise in the surging lava flow. Nature seeks balance; where there is one thing, there is always another capable of subduing it.”

No wonder Li Xiaohao manufactured so many Zombies—he intended for them to die fighting his battles. By the time the Zombies and Li Xiaoshu had worn each other out, he could swoop in to reap the rewards and take the album. How utterly insidious!