Would we be interested? Of course, many things and many people interest me now. So, following Eighty-Seven’s lead, I asked him, "Who?"

Eighty-Seven didn't look at me, but instead glanced toward Old Li, saying, "Your old friend, Tang Minghao."

Old Li nearly jumped out of his skin, blurting out, "Him, him? How did he get here?"

Eighty-Seven maintained the demeanor of a law-abiding, good street vendor. "He heard you were here again, and he was willing to come. Old Five agreed. But Old Five has taken him somewhere else now; you won't be able to see him for a while. Just wait."

Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind: Tang Minghao, after the white-robed figures appeared beneath the ground, directing us to find an exit. In that moment, he was indeed heroic and divine; finding the exit was entirely thanks to him. But this wasn't the normal Tang Minghao. The normal Tang Minghao was just an ordinary person who had retired, run a small business, wandered around a bit—at most, he possessed exceptional courage and good physical conditioning. His mind was nowhere near that sharp, and there was no way he could have known about the things underground. What happened to him later... Could it be that some of that entity hadn't left his body?

Thinking this, I grew restless and asked Eighty-Seven, "You must know something, right? Tang Minghao isn't a normal person anymore, is he?"

Eighty-Seven looked at me and smiled meaningfully. "You two knew this before I did. Otherwise, do you think an ordinary Tang Minghao could have led you out of the depths of Fuxian Lake safe and sound?"

I looked at Old Li; his expression was complex, betraying neither joy nor sorrow. Since Eighty-Seven seemed to know everything, he must also know why Tang Minghao suddenly wasn't Tang Minghao anymore. Furthermore, I was beginning to fear that something had invaded me as well, and it just hadn't manifested yet. So, I asked Eighty-Seven, "What is that thing that invaded Tang Minghao’s head? What will he become in the future? And where was he invaded?"

Eighty-Seven seemed to read my mind, his smile fading as he grew quite serious. "I'm not entirely sure about that, since I didn't go down there with you. All I know is that there are definitely things in his head now—his thoughts, his ideas—none of it belongs to him. Even some of his memories aren't his own. However, rest assured, the part of him that is Tang Minghao is still there. As for the two of you, Luo Lian, Li Zeng—you two have both been to Qiangbake Mountain and the seven-story pagoda beneath the Guge Ruins. Things are much more complicated for you. No one would dare claim you are completely normal, without the slightest physical aberration inside your bodies."

Having said that, he looked worriedly toward the window, muttering to himself, "Are there truly gods, buddhas, ghosts, and monsters in this world that we cannot see? I just don't understand. Judging by your condition, perhaps I really should shake my previous beliefs. There must be."

When he said "you," a heavy feeling settled in my chest. Could we also develop some terrible condition?

The atmosphere immediately became silent and oppressive. I, too, grew fearful that one day my body would suddenly behave abnormally, my mind beyond my control. In truth, ever since Tang Minghao's strangeness began, this vague worry had been lurking, but at the time, focused only on survival, I dared not think about it deeply. Hearing Eighty-Seven say this now filled me with genuine panic. Death didn't matter much; the most terrifying thing was one's body becoming someone else's, controlled by another, while one's own mind remained agonizingly aware and capable of thought.

After a period of silence, Old Li suddenly asked Eighty-Seven, "Does this situation only affect men? Women—should be fine, right?" He looked at Eighty-Seven eagerly, waiting for a reassuring answer.

Eighty-Seven sidestepped the topic, chuckled, and didn't answer Old Li. He then stood up and walked to the window, peering down toward the street. Only then did he turn back to us and say, "Your old friend is arriving."

Old Li and I asked almost simultaneously, "Tang Minghao?"

Eighty-Seven shook his head, looking profoundly mysterious. "He'll be here soon. I'll keep you in suspense for now. You two can guess who it is while you wait." With that, he walked away to chat idly with Forty-Three and Thirty-Eight, leaving us alone.

A certain person suddenly came to my mind, and I asked Old Li, "Could it be Zhuoma Yangjin?"

Old Li shook his head. "No way. Didn't they say she wouldn't arrive for another two or three days? How could she be here so fast? Does she have a private jet or something?"

Zhuoma Yangjin indeed did not have a private jet, yet she appeared before me that very afternoon. I was spacing out idly when someone knocked on the door. Forty-Three and the others weren't diligent enough to answer it; they merely jerked their chins at me, gesturing for me to open it. When I did, I saw Zhuoma Yangjin, smiling sweetly at me, carrying a large bag. Behind her followed two or three maidservants, one of whom was Wangmu; the other two kept their eyes downcast, and I couldn't make out their appearances with a quick glance.

I was momentarily stunned, unsure what tone to use when speaking to her. I could only stammer, "You... you... how are you here so soon..." As I spoke, I ushered her inside, forgetting the basic courtesy of taking the bag from her hand.

Zhuoma Yangjin entered boldly, greeted everyone one by one, and then sat on the sofa. Looking back, Wangmu and the two maids were still standing by the door, hesitant to enter. She instructed them to find two rooms for themselves to rest. Only then did Wangmu lead the other two away. As she left, she shot me two jealous glances.

Wangmu has never taken a liking to me, so whatever she does, it’s always because she finds something to dislike about me.

As soon as Zhuoma Yangjin sat down, all the men in the room immediately crowded around her—Eighty-Seven, Forty-Three, Thirty-Eight, and Old Li, who was already there—filling the space. Like stars revolving around the moon, several pairs of eyes focused on her, waiting for her to speak.

I didn't find Zhuoma Yangjin particularly beautiful, certainly not enough to make all the men drool. Moreover, it was early spring, and she was bundled up in plain Tibetan robes, nothing revealing or seductive. I truly didn't understand why Old Li and the others were so captivated by her. To demonstrate my lack of interest in her, I turned my face away.

The men fussed around her, one asking if she had eaten, another offering water, yet another suggesting she rest. Zhuoma Yangjin answered each with a smile.

I grew irritated by the clamor, an unprovoked fire rising within me. It took significant effort to control myself and maintain a calm appearance. "Everyone, stop crowding her! Why doesn't anyone ask her how she managed to arrive so quickly?"

No one paid me any mind. Zhuoma Yangjin, with a radiant smile like a celebrity, kindly answered everyone's trivial questions.

...

Finally, after what felt like a long time, she remembered my presence, as if discovering new land. "Luo Lian, why aren't you speaking?"

I replied testily, "You still haven't said how you got here so fast. Weren't you supposed to arrive in two or three days?"

Someone finally noticed the sharpness in my tone. Eighty-Seven, ever tactful, said, "Oh... I just remembered something important. We need to go quickly. Forty-Three, Thirty-Eight, you two come with me right now; we need to head out." He then dragged Forty-Three and Thirty-Eight away.

I thought to myself, "That's more like it."

Old Li lightly nudged me, signaling with his eyes, apparently wanting me to ask something. But...

"Old Li?" I said.

Old Li's face suddenly flushed. He looked at me, then at Zhuoma Yangjin, and nervously rubbed his hands. "I... I... I'm fine. I'll take my leave now. You all carry on chatting."

I quickly grabbed him. "What are you saying? It's rare for Zhuoma Yangjin to be out. We all knew each other well before; we should eat and drink together. Don't go. If you leave, what does that make me?... It would make more sense for me to leave, wouldn't it?" While saying this, I desperately hoped Old Li would just go. There was something very important I needed to ask Zhuoma Yangjin, something no one else could know.

But Old Li, perhaps misunderstanding, didn't leave when I feigned pulling him back. He stood there, murmuring awkwardly, "Yangjin... Yangjin... I want to... I want to ask you..."

He stammered and rambled on for a long time without ever stating what he wanted to ask. I grew impatient. "What on earth are you trying to say?"

Old Li's face was bright red. After thinking for a moment, he seemed to decide to just blurt it out, quickly asking, "I want to ask if you are absolutely forbidden to marry an outsider?" The speed of his words made me replay them in my head for a long time before I understood. This was completely unlike the usually composed and steady Old Li.

Zhuoma Yangjin's eyes immediately dimmed. Without raising her head, she replied, "Yes. Including me, and including Bianzhen."

Old Li breathed an "Oh," said, "Then I'll step out first," and swiftly slipped away.

In an instant, only Zhuoma Yangjin and I remained in the room. Although this was what I had wished for, and everyone had intentionally created this space, I still felt awkward, unsure where to put my hands or feet, or where to sit. If I sat too far from her, it seemed distant; if I moved closer, it felt improper.

As I struggled with these thoughts, Zhuoma Yangjin composedly sat down on the sofa on the opposite side, deliberately putting distance between us. Then she said, "It's good they left; I have something important to tell you." She added, "Luo Lian, you look thinner. Haven't you been well?"

I shrugged. "It's alright. It’s just that occasionally, inexplicable things suddenly get tangled up with me." Even though I tried hard to sound normal, my voice still felt a bit off, perhaps slightly too high-pitched.

Zhuoma Yangjin sighed. "That's true; none of this was by your own will. Ah, if only I had told you the whole story sooner... It’s all my fault for not keeping better tabs on my subordinates... For not guarding against Xu Zhiwu, that old fox. If he hadn't tricked you into going to the Guge Ruins, none of this would have happened later."

I suddenly wanted to interject, "It would have been better if Eighty-Seven hadn't told me so much truth. Then I could stubbornly insist on hating you forever." But the words caught in my throat, and after a thought, I let them go unsaid.

Zhuoma Yangjin continued, "Luo Lian, there is one very important matter I didn't tell you beforehand. Don't be angry. This time, I must go with you, to the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon." She stressed each word. "We must go."