"Oh, it’s Brother Ma Mian! Black and White are my brothers, so naturally, you are too. These three are also my brothers, so they are your brothers as well, right?" Young Master Liu, seeing it was one of their own, immediately lost his fear and declared, thumping his chest. His logic was quite twisted, requiring a moment of philosophical disentanglement, which is why Ma Mian was momentarily stumped.

"What? Black and White? You mean the Black and White Impermanence?" Ma Mian asked after a long pause.

"Yes, yes, that’s them. They were the ones who let me leave with my three brothers. Please be accommodating, turn a blind eye, and let us pass!" Young Master Liu pleaded.

"Damn it! So it’s Black and White Impermanence! No wonder I was wondering how you lot managed to get this far!" Ma Mian suddenly understood.

"Yes, yes," Young Master Liu nodded repeatedly, failing to notice Ma Mian's rapidly darkening face.

"Damn it, I came here today specifically to settle accounts with you!" Provoked by the words, Ma Mian lunged ferociously toward Young Master Liu. In truth, Young Master Liu had genuinely misspoken and relied on the wrong connections. After all, Ma Mian’s current predicament was inseparable from Black and White Impermanence, a fact that bred deep resentment toward those two brothers. For this half-grown brat to now boss him around on his turf, openly invoking the names of Black and White Impermanence, was like sprinkling salt on Old Ma’s wounds. Terrified, Young Master Liu scrambled to hide behind Granny Fan. Granny Fan stood motionless, and as Ma Mian neared Liu, she abruptly shoved Young Master Liu toward the demon guard. Liu collided squarely with Ma Mian, but upon contact, a flash of white light erupted from Liu’s chest, flinging Ma Mian far back. He landed sprawled on the ground, limbs akimbo. Having taken a hit, Ma Mian got up, using the sectioned steel whip in his hand as a makeshift cane, fuming with frustration. Seeing he couldn't handle the hard nut that was Young Master Liu, Ma Mian suddenly extended his arm—it stretched impossibly five or six meters—and snatched the souls of Tian Guoqiang and the other two, binding them together. He sped toward the First Layer of Hell. Young Master Liu and Granny Fan immediately rushed to give chase.

Just as they were about to catch up to Ma Mian, the guard holding the three souls suddenly stopped, causing Liu and Granny Fan to halt as well. Behind Ma Mian seemed to be a turbulent, rushing river, though everything in the Underworld was dim, making it impossible for Young Master Liu to see clearly. Standing opposite the two, Ma Mian spoke with a threatening tone: "Old woman, you know better than I do what this place is. If you dare take one more step forward, I’ll whip these three little brats down into the depths."

Young Master Liu asked Granny Fan, standing beside her, "Granny, what place is this?" Granny Fan replied, "This is the Bridge of Helplessness (Naihe Bridge). The water beneath the bridge connects to the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Underworld, which are divided into Three Good Paths and Three Evil Paths. The Three Good Paths are Heaven, Human, and Asura; the Three Evil Paths are Beasts, Hungry Ghosts, and Hell. The current flowing now leads to the Path of Beasts. If a person is pushed from here, their next life will be as an animal."

Granny Fan’s words gave Young Master Liu a terrible jolt; he absolutely did not want Tian Guoqiang and the others to fall in! He quickly pleaded with Ma Mian, "Brother, no, respected Elder, don't do anything rash! We’ll go back." Saying this, he genuinely pulled Granny Fan and pretended to walk away. Young Master Liu’s scheming mind was far more complex than that of a bully like Ma Mian. As they walked, he kept glancing sideways at Ma Mian. After only a few steps, Ma Mian let his guard down and released the three souls. In that exact moment, Young Master Liu seized the opportunity, spun around, and charged toward Ma Mian in a sudden burst of speed. Ma Mian was completely unprepared, and by the time he reacted, Young Master Liu had headbutted him right off the Naihe Bridge!

The unlucky Ma Mian tumbled into the chasm beneath the bridge, crying out pitifully. For everyone else, this was naturally a monumental event, but the consequence of Young Master Liu’s reckless action was this: due to his excessive speed, before he could even steady himself, he too fell into the Naihe Bridge. Ma Mian, possessing an Underworld Commander’s token, did not sink when he fell but merely floated, unable to surface for the moment. Young Master Liu, however, being a mere mortal, instantly sank out of sight.

What the final outcome would be, the onlookers merely smiled about without speaking.

When Granny Fan returned from the Underworld, it was already past three in the afternoon. Everyone in the room dared not move, remaining vigilantly by the bedsides of Granny Fan and Young Master Liu. When Granny Fan awoke, Old Man Liu saw his son still lying motionless on the bed, not even blinking his eyelashes, and immediately grew frantic. He rushed to Granny Fan, tugging at her sleeve, and anxiously asked, "Immortal Auntie, why hasn't my little rascal woken up yet?" After taking a few sips of water, Granny Fan recounted her entire journey to the Underworld.

Upon hearing that Young Master Liu had fallen off the Naihe Bridge, everyone stomped their feet in distress, especially Old Man Liu, whose love for his son was so great that he bitterly regretted ever agreeing to let him venture into the Underworld. Seeing their anxious faces, Granny Fan quickly said, "Everyone, please calm down. Wait until I finish speaking; there is still room to salvage this situation."

As soon as Granny Fan finished speaking, the entire room immediately quieted. Granny Fan continued, "I was worried something might happen to the boy after he went down, so I drew a talisman on him—precisely on his waist." Village Head Tian, seeing Granny Fan struggling to reach the main point, immediately interjected, "Immortal Auntie Fan, just tell us—what must we do to bring young nephew back?" Granny Fan instructed, "Tomorrow morning, you will all split up. Whichever family you find that has newborn kittens, puppies, or lambs, you must go see them. If you find one with a ring of black fur around its waist, regardless of how high the owner asks for the price, you must buy it. Afterward, you must kill it. Only then can I go down and bring back Young Master Liu’s soul."

The next morning, Village Head Tian, Gou Dan’s father, Little Mazi’s mother, and their respective Third Uncles, Fourth Grandmothers, Fifth Brothers, and Sixth Uncles, were out early, inquiring everywhere about which households had newborn litters. After all, Young Master Liu had gotten into trouble because of their children and had exerted considerable effort on their behalf; not helping now would be worse than being beasts. Regrettably, after a morning of searching, their slipper soles were worn through, and their voices were hoarse, yet they had gained no valuable information. It wasn't until about three in the afternoon that Granny Fan finally made a discovery at the home of villager Wang Dana. Relying on the network of contacts she had built over the years, Granny Fan tracked down Wang Dana’s residence. Wang Dana announced that his cat had given birth to a litter of kittens just the previous night. Hearing this, Granny Fan quickly asked Wang Dana, "Brother Wang, could you please show me the kittens?" Wang Dana laughed and replied, "Of course! It’s just looking at kittens, what’s the harm?"

In Wang Dana’s cat hutch, Granny Fan instantly recognized the kitten that housed Young Master Liu’s soul. The kitten was pure white, except for a distinct circle of black fur around its waist. Granny Fan quickly picked up the kitten and asked Wang Dana, "Brother, can I buy this kitten?" Wang Dana looked at Granny Fan with astonishment and said, "This kitten was just born and is still nursing. If you take it now, it won’t survive. If you truly want it, wait until it grows a bit, and then you can take it home!" Granny Fan rapidly shook her head. "I need it now. Name your price; as long as I can afford it, I won't haggle." Hearing her insistence, Wang Dana burst into loud laughter. Wang Dana said, "Since you like this kitten so much, just take it then. As for the money—forget it. We are all from the same village; a cat isn't exactly a rare treasure."

Granny Fan took the kitten, thanked Wang Dana, and hurried toward Little Mazi’s house. Upon arriving, she impatiently gathered Village Head Tian and the others in a circle and discussed, "This beast is likely Liu’s reincarnation. We cannot delay. I must return to the Underworld immediately. After I go down, you must quickly kill this kitten so his soul can emerge." With that, Granny Fan began preparing for her descent again.

When Granny Fan descended into the Underworld once more, Village Head Tian hardened his heart. He held the kitten, gently stroking it, then closed his eyes, raised the kitten above his head with both hands, and brought it down in a heavy crash onto the ground. Alas, the poor kitten hadn't lived a full day in the mortal world before it met its end. With the kitten dead, Young Master Liu’s soul returned from the feline body back to the familiar, unenticing realm of the Underworld. Walking the path of the Underworld, Young Master Liu kept looking back. To be honest, he now deeply missed his family, and Brothers Xie and Fan. But looking frequently left and right, he could never spot a shadow of Black and White Impermanence.

It was as if the roads of the Underworld were destined to be one-way streets; once you proceeded, turning back was exceedingly difficult. Young Master Liu walked down the path crestfallen. Just as he felt utterly lost, someone patted his shoulder from behind. Young Master Liu instantly spun around and saw it was Granny Fan. Seeing her, Young Master Liu’s nose stung with emotion, and he immediately burst into her embrace, crying mournfully, "Granny, take me back, please! I don't want to stay here." Granny Fan stroked his head with immense tenderness and said, "Young Liu, stop crying. Granny will take you away from here immediately." With that, Granny Fan grasped his hand and hurried back the way they came.

They had only turned and walked a few steps when they heard someone behind them speaking in a grating, singsong voice: "Esteemed Elder, you truly have bold audacity! Do you take this Underworld as your private residence? Coming and going as you please, and even taking people out without so much as a word to me."

Young Master Liu and Granny Fan quickly turned around. Before them stood a group of figures, led by a tall, burly man whose waist was thicker than a water vat. Muscles bulged on his arms, and he gripped a massive steel trident. Two horns sprouted from his head, and his eyes glowed blood-red—he looked exactly like the Bull Demon King from Journey to the West.

From the leader's tone, Young Master Liu immediately sensed this was no ordinary spectral official. He glanced at Ma Mian, who was smirking behind the newcomer, and his heart lurched. Could this be Ox-Head? Good heavens, this life was becoming utterly exhausting—in just a few days, he had met Black and White Impermanence, and now Ox-Head and Ma Mian. Was the next step to bring out the Ten Kings of Hell, the Judges, and the scribes for a joint banquet and reception?

Granny Fan, upon seeing Ox-Head, did not resort to flattering words. Instead, she shielded Young Master Liu behind her and addressed Ox-Head, "Master Ox, Officer Ma, since you have discovered us, I have nothing to say. I only have one request: release this child. I will bear all consequences myself." Ox-Head let out a cold laugh and sneered, "Can you bear them? You shoved one of my subordinates into the Naihe Bridge, you took away those three little ones, and now you come down here to steal this little ghost. Do you hold my dignified Ox-Head and Ma Mian in any regard? Don't think you can act lawlessly just because you know Black and White Impermanence. I'm telling you, they are currently handling duties in the living world, so you can give up that idea. Your lives are in my hands, and I can crush you like an ant whenever I wish. Do you believe me?" Ox-Head's words immediately made Granny Fan visibly tense and uneasy.

Granny Fan asked, "Then what exactly must be done for you to release this child?" Ox-Head replied, "You know the rules of the Underworld, old woman. Since he has arrived here, how could I possibly let him leave? Since you took his three companions, this poor ghost will have to die in their place."

Seeing Ox-Head’s stern refusal, Granny Fan ceased arguing. Granny Fan crouched down and whispered into Young Master Liu’s ear, "Young Liu, listen to Granny and run back immediately! On your way back, if you see an arched gate, dive through it—you will be safe!" Young Master Liu asked Granny Fan, "Granny, what about you if I run?" Granny Fan replied, "Don't worry about me; I will find a way." With that, she shoved Young Master Liu away and shouted after him, "Young man, run! Remember what Granny told you!" Ox-Head saw Young Master Liu attempting to escape and immediately ordered his subordinates to pursue. Young Master Liu ran with all his might, glancing back frequently at Granny Fan. Granny Fan saw Ox-Head also starting to chase after Liu, so she rushed forward and tightly clung to his leg. Ox-Head couldn't shake her off and grew agitated, kicking Granny Fan hard in the head with his other foot. Each kick tore Young Master Liu’s heart to shreds.