"Alright, brother, you guard here tonight. When I go down in a bit, be ready to toss ten Ghost-Repelling Talismans into the well shaft," Zhou Huan then dropped his smile, his expression turning utterly serious: "Remember, no matter what happens, don't leave this spot. You must wait for me to come out!"

"Sure thing, brother. Don't worry, if you don't come out, I’ll just sleep on the bench under the rockery!" Dongzi certainly knew how to enjoy himself, already planning his downtime.

Zhou Huan let out a faint smile. "Make sure you write those Ghost-Repelling Talismans. I'm heading down first. Hand me the flashlight." Then, Zhou Huan pulled some talisman paper from his pocket and gave it to Dongzi, clipped on his utility bag, took the flashlight, and slowly descended through the well opening. Upon reaching the bottom, he found the well wasn't even ten meters deep. Zhou Huan shouted up from below, "Toss the talismans! I'm leaving!"

Below the well was an entirely new world. Zhou Huan took out his compass and began searching for the optimal direction for his mission.

Logically, if Zhou Huan's hypothesis was correct, there should be at least a set of white bones down this well. However, holding the flashlight, Zhou Huan found no clues whatsoever. By this point, he had made up his mind: he needed to venture into the sewer system to find out the truth, to locate any useful clues he believed were there.

There was no light in the sewer. Occasionally, rats would squeak and chatter erratically. Because no one regularly frequented this sewer, Zhou Huan was likely a new visitor, so every creature living here regarded him as a monstrosity.

Zhou Huan spun the compass in his hand and chanted aloud: Seeking person, seeking matter, seeking soul; let the clairvoyant eye and the sharp ear lend me strength. The compass spun wildly. After a few rotations, the needle pointed toward a small, low tunnel entrance to Zhou Huan's left. He followed the compass's path, crawling through one sewer partition and passage after another, only to find a stagnant pool of sewage before him, blocked at the end by a massive retaining wall.

By the time he reached this point, Zhou Huan had walked for one or two hours. Based on his own judgment, the retaining wall at the end of the channel directed the wastewater toward the treatment plant below. However, he was utterly incapable of opening that barrier himself, let alone navigating this entire stagnant pool when he already felt drained. Thus, he had no choice but to turn back and retrace his steps to the vicinity of the rockery.

Dongzi had already fallen asleep on the bench near the rockery. Zhou Huan walked up to him and whispered softly, "Brother, time to go home and sleep." Dongzi didn't stir in the slightest.

"Dongzi, when we wake up, we'll go find Yu Qiu!" This phrase was surprisingly effective. Dongzi shot upright in an instant: "Okay, let's go!"

Zhou Huan turned and pointed at the sewer grate: "Good work, brother!"

Dongzi strained, pushing the heavy grate back into its original position with both hands. But just as he did so, two streams of black vapor jetted out from the grate's ventilation holes. The compass in Zhou Huan's hand spun violently. Zhou Huan stared intently; the two streams of black vapor shot halfway into the air before being carried away by the wind. As the black mist gradually dissipated, Zhou Huan's compass slowly settled down.

"Brother, what was that?" Dongzi stepped forward and asked Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan remained calm, putting away the compass in his hand. "It's nothing. That’s precisely why I had you scatter the Ghost-Repelling Talismans down the well. Let's go!"

Dongzi seemed to grasp what Zhou Huan meant, but some lingering doubt remained. As he finally followed Zhou Huan away, he patted his head, thinking about what he had done tonight, yet feeling as if he hadn't accomplished anything at all.

The next morning, the first rays of the sun climbed into the sky. Patches of white clouds drifted slowly overhead, occasionally punctuated by the morning chirping of a few birds. On the road outside Fushou Hall, the roar of cars and the footsteps of passersby were strikingly clear.

"Knock, knock, knock!" A series of knocks hammered against the door of Fushou Hall.

"Who is it? Why not use the doorbell!" Dongzi’s room was located closer to the outside, so opening and closing the door every day was his responsibility. He stumbled sleepily to the door and peered out through the peephole.

"Is Master Zhou here?" A short, rather stout man with a dark complexion and a bald head stood at the entrance.

Upon hearing someone asking for Master Zhou, Dongzi opened the door, glanced at the man outside, and asked again, "Sir, do you need something?"

The visitor bowed deeply. "Young man, I have come seeking Master Zhou Shou. May I trouble you to tell me, is he home?"

"Who are you?" Dongzi repeated his question.

At this moment, the visitor’s eyes shifted, looking past Dongzi toward the interior of the house.

Zhou Huan, now dressed, approached Dongzi with light steps. "I am Zhou Huan. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Li Tianxiong's senior martial brother. My name is Faxun!" As he spoke, the man raised one hand in a formal greeting toward Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan recognized immediately that he was a monastic. He returned the gesture, pressing his palms together. "Oh, Master Faxun, please come inside to talk!"

As soon as Dongzi heard the name Li Tianxiong, a surge of anger rose in him. Dongzi already had a poor impression of Li Tianxiong, so anything related to him caused him extreme revulsion.

Zhou Huan invited the guest to sit, then turned to Dongzi. "Dongzi, go and brew us a pot of tea!"

Dongzi heard Zhou Huan’s command and couldn't argue, so he complied, though the Faxun said politely, "Thank you, brother!"

"Master, you are here regarding Li Tianxiong's affairs. What can I, Zhou Huan, do for you?" Zhou Huan was equally courteous.

Faxun spoke softly. "My master calculated on Mount Wutai that something was about to happen to Tianxiong, so he sent me to check on his condition. But when I arrived at his residence, the man was gone. However, I found your business card by his bedside, which led me to you."

"Oh, it seems your master possesses profound skill. May I ask your master's dharma name?"

"Heh heh, my master's dharma name is Huilin!"

Hearing this name, Zhou Huan’s heart skipped a beat. "What? Master Huilin? How old is Master?"

Seeing Zhou Huan’s reaction, Faxun seemed to understand something. "No one knows my master's exact age. Master Zhou knows my master?"

"Oh, I seem to have heard of him. I have heard of him!" In truth, Zhou Huan and Master Huilin were close friends in a past life, but he wasn't sure if the Huilin mentioned by this master was the same Huilin Zhou Huan knew. He decided to give a vague answer for the moment.

"Faxun has come here today concerning my lay junior martial brother. Well, not entirely concerning him. It is apparent that Master Zhou is also extraordinary and must possess high cultivation. I sincerely request your assistance in finding Li Tianxiong; I have something to tell him face-to-face," Faxun stated with sincerity.

As a monastic, Zhou Huan deeply respected the man, but before he could reply, Dongzi returned, carrying a tray with a teapot and several teacups, which he set on the table. "That bastard Li Tianxiong, I wouldn't look at him if he were dying! He’s truly annoying. If only he were as polite as you."

"Oh, Tianxiong is young and ignorant of propriety; please forgive this brother's shortcomings," Faxun’s words soothed Dongzi considerably, and he stepped back to the side.

Zhou Huan spoke softly. "Master Faxun, Li Tianxiong has indeed encountered some trouble. He has become entangled in the demonic disturbances I am currently investigating."

"Is that truly the case? Very well, here is what I propose, Master Zhou. I will leave you a note. When you have the opportunity to see Tianxiong, please pass it to him. I will not wait for him. I ask for Master Zhou’s utmost help."

"Is that alright? Didn't you say you wanted to speak with him face-to-face? Why…?"

"Hahaha, my master told me about you—that in your previous life, you were a friend to my master. We also know your level of spiritual attainment. After you read this note, you will understand the situation. With you handling Tianxiong’s matter, I am relieved." Faxun’s words left Zhou Huan slightly confused, yet one thing was clear from his statement: his master, Huilin, was indeed Zhou Huan's friend from his past life.

Faxun then took a pen and paper, wrote a line of text, and handed it to Zhou Huan. "Master Zhou, please do not read this now. After I leave, give the note to Tianxiong to read. I trust your integrity; you won't peek!"

"Rest assured. Since Master Huilin knows me, I will uphold my promise and absolutely will not casually look at matters you've left for your junior brother." Zhou Huan retrieved a paper envelope from under his desk, slid the note inside, sealed it with glue, pressed it flat, and tucked it into his coat pocket.

Faxun rose and bowed. "Master Zhou, I thank you for your trouble. I must hurry back to the mountain to report to my master. I take my leave!"

"Then Zhou Huan will not see you off far. Please convey my best regards to Master Huilin, and tell him that Zhou Huan congratulates him on achieving success in his cultivation path!" Zhou Huan returned the bow.

To Zhou Huan’s surprise, Dongzi was also quite polite now, bowing to Faxun in farewell. This action greatly pleased Zhou Huan; thankfully, Dongzi had held his ground at a crucial moment and hadn't embarrassed him in front of an outsider.

Faxun exited the door. Zhou Huan put the envelope away, slipping it into his drawer, and locked it.

Dongzi seemed burdened with responsibility. Today, he hurriedly changed his clothes and prepared Zhou Huan's bag. "Brother, when do we leave?"

Zhou Huan glanced at the clock. "It’s only six o'clock, why the rush?" Zhou Huan then changed into his travel gear, heading toward the kitchen while calling back to Dongzi, "Today’s task is quite demanding. If you skip breakfast, who knows when you'll eat next time? You’ll probably faint from hunger before you even meet Yu Qiu!"

Hearing Zhou Huan's slight goading, Dongzi thought it over and decided to listen to him.

The two made breakfast in the kitchen. After eating, Zhou Huan shouldered his bag and took Dongzi straight to the hospital.

At the hospital, the pair first visited the nurses' station. After inquiring about the four beggar brothers, Zhou Huan left the nurse with one instruction: "Please, take care of all their necessities—eating, drinking, waste, and sleeping—in their ward until we return." The nurses agreed. With that settled, Zhou Huan and Dongzi left the hospital and headed toward the corner of the derelict building. On the way, Zhou Huan called Police Officer Xiao Li, demanding pipe maps of the sewer system within a fifty-li radius of the incident site. Xiao Li agreed.