The tale concluded, the old woman leaned back against her chair, sinking her entire frame deep into the cushions, settling in with contentment. Puffing on her long pipe, she squinted at the gray smoke rings blooming and dissipating in the air before her.

After a long pause, she spoke slowly, articulating each syllable: "The Sea of Lost Souls never returns empty-handed; it always takes something with it whenever it surfaces. The last time you encountered the Sea of Lost Souls, did anyone die?"

This remark caught me off guard. After turning it over in my mind for a moment, I surmised she meant that for every person the Sea of Lost Souls saved, it must claim another life. If we were counting deaths since the last appearance of the Sea, I wondered if Hou Dayong counted. I decided he didn't, as the spirit had already died once before; the wraiths themselves held no true life.

So, I began, "One spirit, upon leaving the Sea of Lost Souls, was eaten by a ghoul..." I started to say 'ghost infant,' but then I caught sight of Xing'er nearby. Looking at the little girl now, she was exceptionally well-behaved, nestled against Xiao Shu, acting spoiled and clinging to her like a beloved daughter. My heart softened, and the words died on my tongue. I quickly shifted gears, brushing it off lightly: "It was consumed by those Corpse-Devouring Shadow Worms."

"Those worms!" the old woman muttered under her breath, frowning deeply, an expression of strange distaste crossing her face. A few seconds later, she continued, "However, the High Monk just stopped by to pay his respects. He said he won't be able to perform the rites until tomorrow morning. You all will have to make your last stand tonight."

The Village Chief agreed with the old woman's assessment, stating he would immediately go to the Ancestral Hall to make arrangements, turning to leave the courtyard and walking toward the hall.

Watching the Chief’s retreating back, I felt utterly adrift. I had no clue what should or shouldn't be done tonight, how to save Wang Jue, or how to subdue Hua Jinlan. My mind was blank. I turned back, fixing my gaze on the old woman, memories of fighting side-by-side with Wang Jue flooding back, and a deep, helpless sorrow swelled in my chest.

"You are worried about how to save your friend, aren't you?" The old woman noticed my sorrowful look and asked kindly.

I nodded vigorously, an overwhelming sadness descending upon me, wondering what fate awaited Wang Jue after tonight.

"There is no mother in this world who wouldn't wish to save her own child. You already have the secret weapon the old hunchback prepared for her daughter tucked securely in your pocket. Just wait for the right moment to use it, put her to sleep, and Wang Jue and everyone else will be safe," the old woman drawled, exhaling a stream of smoke.

I felt my pocket; the previous downpour had soaked me to the bone, but the Peach Seed was still safely tucked inside. Suddenly, I recalled the Hunchback Granny’s words and realized they were perfectly true. The Peach Seed could put Hua Jinlan to sleep before the rooster crowed, and as soon as the rooster signaled, the High Monk would begin his rituals—a perfect synchronization. The immediate task was to wait for Wang Jue to appear and find a way to plant the Peach Seed on him.

But extracting a tooth from a tiger’s mouth—how could that be easy? Approaching a man on the verge of madness, a veritable killing demon, was no simple feat.

"Is Wang Jue certain to appear at the Ancestral Hall tonight?" I asked.

"Trust me. I am someone who has walked that path," the old woman smiled faintly at me, the words 'someone who has walked that path' delivered with a delicate lightness.

Although probing another person's old wounds is hardly a polite endeavor, I hesitated several times before finally being unable to stop myself. "Back then, how did you kill those ninety-nine people?"

Hearing my question, the old woman first froze, her eyes fixed on the ground, remaining silent for a long time, as if the question had dragged her back into a past she wished to forget. After a moment, she came back to herself, offering me a gentle, almost ladylike smile. "Is that the question you've been wanting to ask me these past two days?"