"That merchant surnamed Shao has been residing in the asylum for many years!" Before Xiao Shu could finish her story, I cut in.

Xiao Shu asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

I stated calmly, "Have you forgotten that I was also in the asylum? Old Shao was my friend, though he has since passed away."

Xiao Shu sighed and continued, "After the merchant was sent to the asylum, the mistress’s source of income dried up. She applied for countless jobs to no avail. To survive, she had no choice but to work as a bar girl. In the bar, there was also competition among the girls; the newcomers were always bullied by the veterans. The mistress's life was far from smooth; the floor manager frequently beat her, and the other girls mocked her. Unable to bear such a life, she attempted suicide several times. Each time, Ah Li's birth mother had to fight with the mistress's soul inside the body to find peace. After all, the mistress could simply end her life and reincarnate. But Ah Li's mother had already died once; if the mistress committed suicide again, she would incur immense sin, becoming a true wandering spirit, eternally adrift between the realms of the living and the dead.

"Once the money ran out, the path of collecting old stamps was essentially finished. Remaining in the mistress’s body was clearly not a long-term solution, so Ah Li's birth mother began visiting Ah Li's adoptive mother—her own sister—every night, begging her to devise a way to help her soul transcend. At first, she pleaded nicely, but Ah Li's adoptive mother, knowing she lacked such ability, hemmed and hawed, unwilling to agree. Later, it gradually escalated to threats and lures; every night, various spirits and specters would sneak into Ah Li's adoptive mother's dreams, leaving her perpetually on edge. Driven to desperation, Ah Li's adoptive mother tried to hide everywhere, thinking she could escape to a place Ah Li's birth mother couldn't find, but she repeatedly failed. Each time she was located, Ah Li's birth mother would conjure terrifying illusions, keeping Ah Li's adoptive mother in a state of constant dread.

"Later, Ah Li's adoptive mother thought of me. Ah Li's birth mother had once appeared in a dream asking me to save Ah Li; perhaps my counsel could move Ah Li's birth mother to accept her fate. Thus, the scene from the beginning unfolded, with Ah Li's adoptive mother, disheveled, waiting outside my door."

"What does this have to do with discovering the Yongdao (vaulted passage)?" I felt increasingly confused the more I listened.

Xiao Shu continued, "There must be a connection; that’s why I’m telling you this story. When Ah Li's adoptive mother came to my place, she brought a book detailing the methods of spiritual communication. She instructed me to converse with Ah Li's birth mother according to the book’s directions when she appeared, persuading her not to chase after the impossible, allowing her sister to return to a normal life, as Ah Li still needed care.

"That night, Ah Li's adoptive mother stayed at my house, and we followed the book's instructions: securing all doors and windows, and lighting forty-nine candles in the exact center of the room. At the stroke of midnight, as the clock chimed twelve times, Ah Li's birth mother materialized. First, a gust of foul wind extinguished the candles, then she appeared by the doorway, a fruit knife plunged into her chest, blood dripping onto the floor with every pulse. With her hair disheveled, leaving bloody footprints with each step, she slowly approached us.

"Ah Li's adoptive mother huddled behind me. I was terrified beyond measure, but remembering I was the only man in the room, I knew I had to stand firm no matter what. Mustering my courage, I spoke to Ah Li's birth mother: 'Do you remember me? That night you came to my dream, begging me to save Meng Meng. Later, I found the address you gave, called the police to rescue Meng Meng, and ensured the murderer who killed you was apprehended.'

"Ah Li's birth mother nodded, clumps of hair rustling as they fell to the floor, revealing a deathly pale face and a pair of eyes so red they made one’s heart race."