Zhou Huan circled the handful of beggar brothers lying on the ground, hands clasped behind his back. "Alright, forget chasing that little beggar for now. Hurry up and help draw the talismans; we need to save our brothers first." As he spoke, Zhou Huan pulled a stack of talisman paper from his pocket and handed it to Dongzi.

Dongzi took the talisman paper from Zhou Huan, a thick sheen of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He watched Zhou Huan's expression intently, his small eyes blinking rapidly.

Zhou Huan's gaze was severe. Dongzi raised his index finger and made a gesture near his lips. "Still need blood?"

Zhou Huan nodded, but seeing Dongzi dithering, he decided to take charge. He reached out, grabbed Dongzi’s index finger, opened his mouth, and bit down hard, tearing the skin like a beast rending flesh. "Write quickly, or if you bleed out, I can't help them!"

The bite seemed to register only after a delay. Dongzi only began to feel the pain after a long moment, letting out soft, pained gasps. Then, he began shakily scribbling charms onto the talisman paper.

Zhou Huan looked at him as if disappointed that steel had not turned into steel, slapping Dongzi's hand. "Who taught you to draw talismans like this?" He then fiercely gripped Dongzi's hand, using it as his own pen, and began drawing on a piece of paper. After a few strokes, he commanded, "Follow my trajectory exactly; don't make a single mistake. Hurry up!"

With Zhou Huan guiding him, Dongzi’s work actually showed some improvement; at least the resulting talismans had some resemblance to the genuine article. By Zhou Huan's standards, they were barely passable.

While Dongzi was writing, Zhou Huan asked, "How did you manage to climb all the way up here?"

"When I emerged from the sewer, I saw you looking down from the rooftop, so I found a way up and managed to locate you here!" As Dongzi spoke, he indeed botched another talisman. He frowned slightly. "Damn, ruined another one!" He then solemnly crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it aside.

Before long, Dongzi finished inscribing every sheet of paper Zhou Huan had given him, his raw fingers throbbing faintly.

"Good. Wrap these talismans around their wounds, then ignite them!" Zhou Huan finished speaking, then pulled out a handful of glutinous rice from his coat pocket and sprinkled it over the beggars' wounds. Dongzi then used the inscribed talismans to wrap the rice, lighting the paper according to Zhou Huan's instructions.

The smell of scorching flesh wafted through the air, but strangely, Dongzi noticed that following Zhou Huan’s method, the gangrenous state of the beggars’ wounds was reverting to something very fresh. Though blood was still congealed, it appeared to be a healthy tissue.

"Brother, what technique is this? I've never seen you use it before," Dongzi asked Zhou Huan, full of curiosity.

Zhou Huan intentionally tried to deflate him. "Even if I had used it, could you remember it? It takes you this much effort just to draw a simple talisman. When will you finish the three thousand talismans I asked you to draw at the funeral parlor last time?"

Dongzi was struck speechless by Zhou Huan’s words, pouting and squinting at the brothers lying on the ground. Inadvertently, Dongzi noticed expressions of agony flicker across the faces of the beggars. Moments later, they all sat up almost simultaneously, leaning over and retching onto the ground. What they expelled was black, viscous matter, along with the repulsive corpse worms.

Behind the brothers, Zhou Huan raised his hand and formed the Arhat Mudra, tapping firmly on the backs of their hearts. Then, using the finger Dongzi had bitten open, Zhou Huan wrote a single character on each of their backs: "AVOID!"

After vomiting, the men instinctively tried to stand, but the moment they managed to rise, they immediately collapsed again. "Ah! It hurts so much!" they cried out almost in unison. When they touched their wounds, four pairs of eyes widened in astonishment, freezing them in place. They turned back and saw Zhou Huan and Dongzi: "What is this…"

Zhou Huan stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Tell me, which one of you tore off those talismans?" Hearing this, the beggars seemed instantly transported back to the moment the incident occurred, and the pupils of all four instantly constricted.

"Brother, it was terrifying! We…" Jiucaihua's tears spilled down. "We had just stuck the talismans on and were about to sleep when this kid—we don't know where he came from—said your talismans weren't working and tore them all off. Then he drew new ones and stuck them in the corners of the room. We didn't believe him, so we tried to put yours back. But just as we were sticking them back on, the woman who gave us those steamed buns came again, and then this happened to us!"

Listening, Zhou Huan knitted his brows tightly. "Good, I understand!" He then instructed Dongzi, "Take them to the hospital, try to get them into the same ward. Then, redraw the talismans you just made and paste them on the doorframes inside the room."

"Brother, do I have to bite my finger again?" Dongzi knew the pain of that action well, his small eyes squinting with a look of deep resignation.

Zhou Huan nodded slightly, then descended from the rooftop himself, standing on a pile of bricks below, ready to help Dongzi transport the injured brothers to the hospital.

After a frantic effort, Dongzi was drenched in sweat, and Zhou Huan’s clothes were also soaked through. Finally, Zhou Huan took Dongzi and the injured beggars to the hospital. Afterward, they called Mr. Wang, who kindly covered some of the initial hospitalization fees. Zhou Huan arranged for Dongzi to paste the protective talismans on the doorframes.

Next, Zhou Huan led Dongzi out of the hospital, and they found a chair to sit on in the hospital garden.

"Brother Huan, what on earth is going on? What happened to those brothers? Why would they start hacking at their own flesh?" Dongzi still had no idea what had transpired, unable to comprehend why they would do something so inexplicable.

Zhou Huan turned, looked at Dongzi, then stood up, hands behind his back, and started walking out. "Let's go back to Fushou Hall. We need to gather some tools and find the source of this trouble. I think this matter will be resolved soon enough."

"Oh, that’s true. If it were just up to me, it wouldn't be enough. But if Big Brother takes action, it'll definitely be cured immediately," Dongzi said with misplaced confidence, mimicking Zhou Huan’s posture by placing his hands behind his back. The two hailed a cab and returned to Fushou Hall.

They got out of the car normally upon arrival at Fushou Hall. However, as they approached the main entrance, they found a folded note tucked into the gap of the door. It read: "Master Zhou Shou, I have replaced the talisman you wrote. I believe my spell will be safer than yours. My apologies! Li Tianxiong."

As soon as Zhou Huan saw this, he shook his head, tore the plain paper into shreds, opened the door, and stepped into Fushou Hall.

"Brother, what did the note say? Why did you tear it up?" Dongzi asked curiously.

Zhou Huan said coolly, "Someone is provoking us. I think we have some trouble brewing!"

"Who is it? Is it that bastard Li Tianxiong? That brat hasn't had enough of getting hit with my brick; looks like next time I’ll have to crack him a couple more times!" Saying this, Dongzi stepped outside, pried up a floor tile near the entrance, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and carried it.

"What are you doing?"

"Brother, don't worry. We'll take this along. If things go south, we'll just knock him out!" Dongzi finished, his small eyes fixed intently on Zhou Huan. Zhou Huan looked back at him, then revealed a rare smile for the day.

"Ding-dong~" The doorbell of Fushou Hall rang, followed by someone knocking on the door from outside.

It was so late; who would come here to shop? Unless something unusual was happening at home, this made Zhou Huan cautious. Since Fushou Hall opened, they had no regular business; it was always friends introduced by Mr. Wang coming to pay respects and perform funerary rites for elderly relatives. But Mr. Wang always called ahead, yet this time, someone was actively showing up.

Zhou Huan felt a faint stir of excitement. Since he made his vow, this was the first time someone had actively sought him out. Although he harbored some apprehension, his skill gave him boldness; even if it was a supernatural event, as long as they appeared, Zhou Huan felt confident he could handle it easily. So, he walked calmly to the door and softly asked, "Who is it?"

"Ding-dong!" There was no verbal response from outside, but the sound of the doorbell being pressed was very clear—the faint sound of a finger touching the plastic button, followed by the chime’s crispness in the late hour.

Zhou Huan slowly opened the door, still standing with his hands behind his back, looking out.

"Master, help me! Someone passed away in my home, and I rushed here all night. Please, Master, help me. I didn't see any funeral supply shops on my way, and only you seem to be open. Please, just a little help!" The speaker was an old woman, appearing to be around seventy years old, dressed in a manner suggesting poverty. However, the look in her eyes conveyed an inexplicable panic, and as she spoke, she sank to her knees.

Zhou Huan scrutinized the visitor carefully but detected nothing unusual. He replied, "Elderly one, perhaps I should call you Uncle. Please tell me whatever troubles you."

At that moment, Dongzi darted out from behind Zhou Huan and whispered into his ear, "Brother, I feel something uncanny. Be careful, or I’ll just draw a few talismans and stick them on her head to check."

Zhou Huan turned and glared fiercely at Dongzi. "Don't be rude! Shouldn't we observe courtesy before force?"

Dongzi pouted and fell silent, but he kept pondering what "courtesy before force" meant.

Zhou Huan quickly reached out to help the old woman up. "Elder, how can I accept such a deep bow? Please get up!" With a surge of strength in his hands, Zhou Huan helped the old lady rise.

"Oh, Master Zhou, please save my old man quickly! I don't want him cast into hell. If you help me with this, I will be eternally grateful!" As the old woman spoke, she pulled a red bill from beneath her shoe insole. "Here, this is the money I saved penny by penny on my journey. I'll risk my old life to ensure my husband walks a good path and avoids hell!"