Bai Huajian's eyes were glazed with confusion, a mixture of joy and sorrow playing across her features as she looked at the newcomer.

The person approaching reached into their pocket and pulled out a vial; I nearly jumped for joy. That vial was the very one Bai Huajian had just coerced me into handing over to Li Xiaohao—it contained the anti-gu medicine my mother-in-law had made.

Old He took the vial without hesitation, helped my sister sit up, pulled the stopper, and carefully spooned the medicine into her mouth bit by bit. Before long, color returned to her cheeks, and her closed eyes began to flick back and forth beneath her lids. I whispered her name softly, and soon enough, she opened her eyes, looking vibrant and completely lucid.

"Where am I?" my sister murmured weakly.

"We'll tell you in a moment. We're all right here beside you, don't worry. Your Gu poison is gone," Old He replied gently, his tone carrying a distinct hint of endearment.

My sister sat up, gripping my hand. "Xiaoyu, you're out?"

"Mmm. Wait until we get home, and I’ll tell you some incredibly wonderful news," I teased, being deliberately mysterious.

"I remember Dr. Wang drove to Wangcheng to pick me up. Where is he?"

It was then that I remembered Wang Jue. How could I have forgotten him? I smacked my forehead. Li Xiaohao was indeed deeply cunning, setting traps layer upon layer. Even though I had escaped and Bai Huajian was captured, Wang Jue was still in his hands—Li Xiaohao still held leverage against us.

Now, Bai Huajian smirked, her face beaming with arrogance. "Xiaohao and the zombies are still outside. Even though you caught me, getting out won't be so easy. Think about Wang Jue, who is in his grasp. He did so much for you, made so many sacrifices—are you just going to stand by and watch Li Xiaohao turn him into a zombie?"

Bai Huajian wasn't wrong. From Miao Village to the Sea of the Dead, and then to Jingyin Mountain, I never would have found my sister without Wang Jue's help. The debt I owe him is too great to repay even in a lifetime. But what could be done in this situation? I looked helplessly at Old He, who looked back at me, and then together we turned to face Li Xiaoshu.

Li Xiaoshu sat down in front of me, took the Ming Chong (Nether Insect) bottle from my hand, sealed it securely, and stated calmly, "There's no need for this right now; put it away for the time being. The person you saw by the water pool just now was me, not Li Xiaohao. I was hiding behind the rocks, waiting for you. I expected many zombies, but it was just the two of you. When you mistook me for Li Xiaohao, I decided to play along to gauge the situation, never expecting she would have you hand over the anti-gu medicine to me. The Wuling (Undead Spirits) are fiercely loyal to their master and didn't suspect a thing. This is why Li Xiaohao tried desperately to snatch the stamp album from me. With it, he can perform the rituals to convert zombies into Wuling and expand his forces. That album is a conduit that can open the door between the Yin and Yang realms. Some old stamps hold the true significance of being passage permits between the two worlds, allowing objects and information to travel back and forth across the threshold. The Wuling adore both these items, which is why they constantly collect and fight over them."

I nodded thoughtfully, suddenly recalling Old Shao's young wife. Now I understood why her obsession with collecting old stamps was so intense—it was highly likely she, too, was not human, just like Li Xiaohao. However, the incident at the villa that day remained rather strange, so I asked, "When Li Xiaohao used me for a ritual at the villa, was his goal to create Wuling?"

Li Xiaoshu smiled, then turned her head towards Bai Huajian with a hint of provocation. "She can answer that question most accurately; wasn't she present?"

Bai Huajian grimaced, pointedly ignoring us with deep resentment.

Women certainly have tempers!