It was none other than Li Xiaohao, Xing'er’s biological father, who pulled Yingzi from the water. Yingzi had fallen out with him over the matter of the midwife and had left home alone with Xing'er. Now, Xing'er was drifting somewhere on a small skiff, and her father had tracked her down. Yingzi felt both ashamed and angry, unsure how to explain the current situation to him.

As Yingzi struggled desperately, crying and twisting her body, Xiaohao had already brought her ashore and set her down on the bank. Without a word, he turned and sank back into the water, retrieving the half-dead monkey. The monkey troop, seeing Yingzi rescued onto the shore, first chattered excitedly amongst themselves, and then, upon seeing their companion pulled out like a drowned ghost, they immediately rushed over, swiftly lifting the injured monkey and carrying it straight into the depths of the forest.

The water of the Sea of the Departed Spirits possessed inherent healing properties; as long as one did not die, any wound touched by the water would mend. However, any tissue that was completely lost could never be regenerated. Thus, when both Yingzi and the monkey were pulled out, they both bore the appearance of severe burns—their skin pitted and uneven, not a single smooth patch. An uninformed observer would likely mistake them for skinless specters. Monkeys do not share the same aesthetic concerns as humans; when the monkey was brought to the surface, it showed no dissatisfaction with its disfigured state, merely allowing itself to be carried toward the forest depths. Yingzi, however, was different. Upon seeing her own body pecked to tatters, she let out a hysterical scream, then covered her ears, closed her eyes, refusing to accept the reality before her, seeking yet another way to die.

Xiaohao paid her breakdown no mind, hoisting Yingzi up and following the monkey troop into the woods. At that moment, to say Xiaohao was not angry about Yingzi leaving without a word with Xing'er would be a lie. Yet, the deed was done, and blaming Yingzi now served no purpose. Before entering the water, he had seen Xing’er’s small skiff drifting away with the current of the Sea of the Departed Spirits, its final destination unknown. He had wanted to chase after his child, but Yingzi was in grave danger; another moment’s delay, and if the Spirit Fish had consumed her, she wouldn't even have a chance at reincarnation in the next life. With no other recourse, he had to save the adult first and search for Xing'er later.

After rescuing Yingzi, Xiaohao carried her, following the monkeys to the edge of a deep pool. The pool water was clear as jade, utterly flawless. Looking down across the surface, one could see every stone at the bottom with perfect clarity. But should one dare to step barefoot onto the bottom, or lean over to retrieve a stone from the water, they would likely be paralyzed with terror by the pool's true depth. Clear as it was, the water was far deeper than one might imagine—deep enough to drown a person or two easily. This was a perfect example of 'seeing is deceiving'; some things appear one way on the surface, yet are entirely different in reality, requiring direct experience to grasp their profound mystery.

At that spot, the monkeys placed the monkey—which looked like a grotesque monster after being mauled by the Spirit Fish—beside the pool. They gathered large leaves, rolled them into tubes, and scooped water from the pool, sprinkling it onto the creature's severely damaged skin. In less than a couple of seconds, the dog-like, mangy skin became smooth and flat again. Then, they spooned some water into its mouth to drink, and instantly, it became refreshed and invigorated; all the bitten-off fur had also returned to its original state. Everything was perfectly restored, as if it had never been attacked by the Spirit Fish.

Seeing the monkey recover, Yingzi felt a wave of relief, thinking that her final struggle between life and death had not been in vain, having at least managed to exchange it for a living soul.