The Raccoon Dog, true to its word, pointed out the entrance to the Shadow Villa. Little Shu stepped forward first, positioning herself beside the Great Raccoon Dog and shouting toward the east, "Open Sesame!" With a tremendous, earth-shaking sound, the stone gate they had arrived through stood right before them; even the mess of foul matter that Xiao Yu had vomited up upon first entering the Sea of Souls was still sitting there, untouched.

Seeing the shadow of home reappear, the heavy stone that had been lodged in Little Shu's chest finally settled. She reached out to pull Ah Li inside, but was surprised when Ah Li shook off her hand. Just as she was about to demand an explanation, she saw Ah Li squatting down before the few small raccoon dogs, petting them and looking heartbroken, a portrait of reluctance to part. Xiao Yu walked over, gently lifted the Great Raccoon Dog from her shoulders, and set it on the ground, his expression filled with gratitude. "Thank you," he said, a faint glimmer of tears in his eyes. "You should stay here. These little ones need you to look after them."

However, the Great Raccoon Dog did not simply depart. It turned and picked up the entirely black little raccoon dog, placing it carefully into Xiao Yu's hands. Wagging its tail softly, it led the remaining kits away from the stone gate, looking back three times in four steps.

In that very moment, Xiao Yu could no longer suppress the turmoil in his heart. He dropped to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably, his grief as profound as if he had lost a dearest relative. Little Shu, though sensing something profound and mysterious, could only remain silent, helpless to intervene. She alone carried Ah Li and walked into the tunnel.

By the time Xiao Yu's cries had subsided—a devastation that left him utterly spent, like a candle burned down to its wax—and he had wiped his eyes, cradling the black raccoon dog to catch up, Little Shu and Ah Li had already stepped into the corridor of the Shadow Villa.

As soon as they emerged from the tunnel, the pervasive stench of blood made Little Shu frown immediately. On the floor and walls of the corridor, two distinct blood smears were visible, suggesting someone seriously injured had leaned against the wall while passing through. From the distance, a low, lingering sound of weeping drifted toward them. Little Shu set Ah Li down, instructing her to stay put in the hallway and not wander off. Ah Li nodded sensibly, like a proper young lady, assuring her she understood. When Xiao Yu finally emerged from the tunnel, she bravely stepped forward, tugging at his sleeve, and told him to wait right there in the hall for Uncle Li to return.

Little Shu followed the trail of blood, moving cautiously toward the other end of the villa. The crying, initially mournful and weak, grew fainter as she approached, finally dissolving into nothing more than the occasional hitch of a sob. It seemed the unseen person weeping had heard Little Shu's footsteps and clamped a hand over their mouth out of fear. Yet, the sorrow was too deep; even silenced, involuntary gasps of grief still escaped.

The bloodstains on the floor stretched from the hallway all the way to the other side of the villa, abruptly ending outside an open doorway. Little Shu had never been in that room before; every time he visited, he went straight to the library for the materials he needed, never indulging in idle wandering through the villa. This was a testament to his excellent upbringing. Li Tai had warned him from childhood: Do not go where you should not, do not look at what you should not. In unfamiliar places, aimless rummaging and trespassing were the greatest taboos. This caution was, of course, also preparation for the day the two brothers would share the same quarters. Thanks to this firm guidance, Little Shu had always been impeccably well-behaved, remaining utterly ignorant of the villa's mysteries until Xiao Yu stumbled into another room and encountered the specter of Ah Li's birth mother.

Now, as he traced the blood to this unknown chamber, a mixture of vigilance and intense curiosity churned within him. His mind raced, piecing together what must have transpired in the villa after he and Xiao Yu had left.