Xiao Shu and Xing’er sat on the large stone, while Ah Li and I rested by the cave entrance. Looking through the sparse branches of the small trees, I watched the Golden Monkey clan leisurely basking in the afterglow of the sunset, thinking how quickly the day had passed, realizing dusk was settling in without me noticing. Ah Li had her head leaned against my chest now, completely devoid of the spirited demeanor she possessed when we first met; her eyelids fluttered, closing then opening, then closing again, heavy with drowsiness.

"Have you all been well these past few days?" I nudged the very sleepy girl gently with my shoulder.

She half-closed her eyes and replied softly, "Fine. The monkeys are very obedient; whatever we ask, they do."

"Did you see Xing’er's mother?" I asked again, thinking of the vision that had manifested on the mountaintop, wondering if the person who placed the stone was this mysterious mother.

"Mmm, that day Xing’er rode a monkey out onto the plains and bit my arm purple again. Auntie hit Xing’er with a branch, locked him to the big stone, and forbade him from running around," Ah Li mumbled weakly, sounding as if she were about to drift off to sleep at any moment.

I reached out and pulled her closer, sighing softly. So, the draining had happened! I had anticipated such an occurrence before coming here, yet now that it had truly transpired, I found myself feeling no resentment toward Xing’er whatsoever. Human emotions are such a peculiar thing; being consistently kind to someone doesn't guarantee they will be moved, nor does continuous harm necessarily incite hatred. The subtleties involved, I suspect, might only be dimly grasped even by the age of eighty.

"Ah..."

Just as Ah Li and I were exchanging drowsy, weary words, a sudden shriek erupted from inside the cave. The sound startled Ah Li awake instantly; she jerked free from my embrace and bolted toward Xiao Shu and Xing’er.

Her feet had barely cleared the space when I followed close behind. Reaching the large rock where they sat, a horrifying scene unfolded before my eyes.

What the old woman had said was completely accurate: the Ghost Infant became violently bloodthirsty upon reaching the Sea of Lost Souls. At this moment, he was clamped onto Xiao Shu’s neck, gnawing relentlessly; torrents of fresh blood streamed from Xiao Shu’s neck onto her arms, hands, legs, and the stone. The entire cave was permeated with a metallic, sanguine odor, as if the Sea of Lost Souls itself were nearby.

"Xiao Shu..." I roared, rushing forward to grab the head Xing’er had buried in Xiao Shu’s neck and forcibly wrenching him upward. The child spirit was no longer recognizable; two fangs jutted diagonally from his mouth, his entire face smeared with blood around his teeth, lips, and chin. He grinned foolishly at me, then lunged again, biting savagely into my forearm.

A piercing pain instantly shot from my shoulder through my entire body. Heaven knows how Xiao Shu and Hua Gu had endured such torment before. In desperation, I gripped Xing’er’s ear with my free hand and forcibly pulled his mouth away from my shoulder. His wide eyes stared back at me, round and filled with fury and murderous intent. Talon-like claws struck from both sides, clamping around my throat, squeezing with lethal force.

I saw stars and felt my mind go blank from the constriction. It wasn't until Xiao Shu recovered her balance, grabbed the broken stick she had snapped earlier, and brought it down hard on his head with a crack that I managed to escape this near-death experience and break free from his demonic grip.

Xing’er instantly collapsed. Xiao Shu and I were covered head-to-toe in blood, plastered with external wounds. Ah Li stood to the side, so terrified she couldn't utter a single word.

It was only then that we noticed a thick iron chain, over a meter long, attached to the stone where Xing’er had been sitting. One end was fastened to a crossbar of the rock, and the other was chained tightly around his slender left ankle. It was clear this stone had been specially carved for him; whoever had locked him here knew intimately this bloodthirsty habit of his.