Wen Shu led Wang Jue, Zhang Yuqiu, and Hou Dayong away from the city center toward the outskirts. Not far off, mountain ranges rolled out, peak after peak, stretching around Xiangcheng and tightly enveloping it, isolating the city and this entire nation from the rest of the world, turning it into a secluded pocket nestled in the highlands. If it weren't for these mountains, in this era of highly developed military technology, neither the Wraith tide nor the Undead could ever find a territory of their own to indulge in murderous plunder. Perhaps this was nature’s way; no matter how far humanity advanced, it always maintained its own system of balance, cradling both the old world and the new within its grasp.

The trio, accompanied by the monkey, walked for about an hour until they reached a secluded, narrow path. Wang Jue, having traveled in and out of Miao Village twice from Xiangcheng, did not recall such a place existing on the outskirts, so he asked Hou Dayong, "Where is this? Why do I feel like I’ve never seen this place on any map?"

"You couldn't see Silent Village on a map either, yet we ended up there, didn't we?" Hou Dayong replied calmly.

"So you knew we went to Silent Village. I thought you’d been dead and gone for ages," Wang Jue teased him.

"Nonsense. Of course, I knew you went to Silent Village, because at that time, I was waiting for Xiao Hao to get the postal album back so I could perform the rites and finally resume a human appearance," Hou Dayong glanced at him sideways, his tone cold.

"Heh, I see. Then why are you still like this now?" Wang Jue continued to tease him.

Hearing the two bantering animatedly, Zhang Yuqiu couldn't bear to be left out and turned to interject, "Because the first body we found belonged to a woman, so it went to me. Every time we find a new soul, a spirit with deeper grievances appears than the last one. Like A’mang; we snatched the body from him, so he’s stuck looking like this permanently."

"Oh," Wang Jue nodded, "I get it, I get it. If your heart were truly filled only with malice, you wouldn't have saved me and Xiaoyu from the Sea of Wraiths multiple times. Actually, you are a kind person."

"At my core, perhaps. But sometimes, maybe not. As a person, I find myself utterly conflicted, like there are two little devils constantly fighting inside me," Hou Dayong managed a wry smile.

Talking amongst themselves, they didn't realize how much time had passed before Wen Shu led them to a small settlement. Wang Jue recalled the scene when he and Xiaoyu first arrived at Miao Village; this place bore nearly seventy percent resemblance. Both the paths and the houses were paved with flagstones, and the village was encircled by lush, thriving saplings. The air was thick with the fresh fragrance of grass—a vision of an idyllic paradise. The only flaw was the oppressive quiet; aside from a few chirps of birds, not a hint of human sound could be heard. Anyone stumbling upon it unknowingly would surely mistake it for an abandoned village.

However, once the trio walked into the heart of the village, they realized that the external tranquility was utterly divorced from its true essence. People shuttled back and forth along the narrow paths; the broad, level ground was littered with hay or medicinal herbs drying in the sun. The industrious villagers showed no surprise at the arrival of "guests" from outside, simply continuing their tasks as if the newcomers had nothing to do with them.

Wen Shu guided the three to a homestead and pushed open the wooden courtyard gate. A water well immediately captured their sight. Hou Dayong suddenly recalled the vision he and Xiaoyu had seen on the Blood Kin Compass and blurted out, "This is Xiaoyu’s mother’s house."