The group arrived at a villa, its architecture a blend of Eastern European style set against lush green lawns, punctuated by antique Chinese pavilions that lent atmosphere to the entire estate. The towering, heavy main gate was carved with figures from Slavic mythology, flanked by a pair of stone guardian lions—a true fusion of East and West.

Barely had the few cars pulled up to the entrance when the great door began to grind open, a dull thud accompanying the heavy base scraping against the ground. As the gate opened, an elderly man, seemingly past seventy, emerged, supported by a young woman, coming forward to greet Zhou Huan and his companions.

"Ah, Elder Sun, did you sleep well last night!" Mr. Wang hurried from his car, approaching swiftly, with Zhou Huan and Dongzi following closely behind.

Elder Sun, frail and slightly unsteady as he leaned on his helper, was nonetheless brimming with vigor, his face flushed. When he spoke, his voice was firm and resonant: "Brother Wang, I knew you were a man of your word. Now, which one is Master Zhou?"

"This is Zhou Huan, Master Zhou!" Mr. Wang introduced, and Zhou Huan offered a respectful bow. "Elder Sun, you look remarkably robust!"

Elder Sun stepped toward Zhou Huan, taking his hand warmly. "Ah, I'm so glad you've arrived! Come inside quickly, let's sit down and talk!"

"Certainly, Elder Sun, tell me whatever troubles you!" Zhou Huan then instructed Dongzi to retrieve the necessary gear from the trunk, and they followed Elder Sun inside.

The party was ushered to seats under Elder Sun’s invitation, and the housekeeper promptly served tea.

Mr. Wang sipped his tea. "Elder Sun still favors Maojian, as always. Master Zhou here is truly as capable as I described; in fact, he might be even better. For your matter, I believe no one else in this world can resolve it."

"That is excellent news. Anyone Brother Wang recommends must be an expert. It seems my family’s problem finally has a solution!" A glimmer of anticipation and hope shone in Elder Sun’s eyes.

Zhou Huan spoke first. "Elder Sun, whatever difficulty plagues your household, please tell me. Mr. Wang’s concerns are my concerns, Zhou Huan’s concerns."

Dongzi chuckled quietly, muttering under his breath, "When did Brother Huan learn to speak such pleasantries?" No one in the room paid attention to Dongzi.

Elder Sun let out a long breath. "Master Zhou, my grandson passed away suddenly yesterday. He was never particularly robust, but recently, nothing unusual had happened, and his condition had even shown signs of gradual improvement. His sudden death makes me wonder if some sort of spiritual anomaly is involved."

"That... I cannot determine that yet. Have you had a doctor examine him? And where did he go yesterday before he passed?"

The young woman supporting Elder Sun interjected, "Yesterday, our old master went to bathe at Wulongbei Hot Springs; he didn't take the grandson. The little grandson was accompanied by the nanny to play at Maokui Mountain Park. When he returned, he suddenly took ill. The doctor who was called said it was a sudden cardiac arrest due to a myocardial infarction."

"Yes, when I returned from Wulongbei yesterday, my little grandson had already stopped breathing. Me, the white-haired one sending off the black-haired one... truly... ah!" Elder Sun looked momentarily disoriented, tears streaming down his face.

Zhou Huan stood and approached Elder Sun gently. "Elder Sun, please do not grieve so. The dead cannot return. My condolences. We must handle his affairs properly! He wouldn't want to see you weeping like this, even if he were alive."

"Yes, yes!" Elder Sun nodded, then slowly rose as well. "Come, I will take you to see my grandson."

Following Elder Sun’s lead, the group ascended to the second floor, reaching a room at the end of the corridor. Two paper banners marked the doorway, and two bodyguards stood guard.

Inside, a young man, no older than twenty, lay on a double bed. His facial expression suggested a peaceful passing, utterly comfortable—it certainly did not look like a sudden heart failure.

Everyone present turned to stare at Zhou Huan, silent, awaiting his word.

Zhou Huan looked up at a photograph of the deceased hanging on the wall. Though the young man looked sickly, he didn't appear the type to die so suddenly without any warning. Zhou Huan knew that those with chronic illnesses often showed precursors before a final collapse.

"Elder Sun, please ask any non-essential personnel to leave. I need to examine the body." As he spoke, Zhou Huan put on his gloves and retrieved prepared talisman papers from his bag. "Dongzi..." He turned to instruct Dongzi to burn some joss paper and ingots, but before he could finish, Dongzi pulled out the paper money and ingots himself, igniting them in a small brazier he had brought, then scattered inscribed talismans around the deceased.

"Brother, everything is ready. You can begin!" With Dongzi having managed all the preliminary rituals, Zhou Huan felt a profound sense of pleasant surprise; he truly saw Dongzi in a new light.

"Good, good, I'll start right away!" Zhou Huan was genuinely moved by Dongzi’s initiative, feeling as if a monumental joy had arrived. He was ecstatic that his sworn brother was finally showing such serious initiative.

Zhou Huan carefully lifted the deceased’s clothing. The young man was wearing an AD sportswear casual outfit, his hair dyed golden yellow, and a gold chain as thick as a thumb rested around his neck. His build was slender, but his physique didn't suggest a frail patient.

"Forgive me, deceased. I, Zhou Huan, examine your body today in service to your grandfather, to discern the cause of your death. The deceased must be respected; I ask for your cooperation, thank you!" As he spoke, Zhou Huan slowly removed the young man's garments, and the unrelated personnel gradually retreated.

Only Mr. Wang, Zhou Huan, Dongzi, and Elder Sun remained in the room, Elder Sun seated, observing Zhou Huan’s procedure.

Zhou Huan examined the deceased from head to toe, missing no spot. But upon reaching the heel, he found nothing remarkable apart from a few blood traces on the body, fine as strands of hair, which offered little to fuel speculation.

"Elder Sun, what kind of physical activities did your grandson usually engage in?" Zhou Huan asked in a leading manner.

Elder Sun seemed a bit tense. "Master Zhou, do you have a lead? His usual sport was hiking at Maokui Mountain Park."

"Ah, then I believe I must visit Maokui Mountain Park. I've noticed many scratches on your grandson’s body, but they are extremely faint—very difficult to discern unless you look closely." Zhou Huan turned to Dongzi. "Dongzi, meticulously record the locations, shapes, lengths, and depths of the wounds on his body. We’ll check Maokui Mountain first."

"Brother, I’ve already drawn them. Do these look alright?" Dongzi’s proactiveness stunned Zhou Huan again.

Zhou Huan took the paper Dongzi handed him. The drawing showed the human form with remarkably realistic lines indicating the depth and extent of the scratches. Zhou Huan couldn't help but ask, "Dongzi, what is this... what happened to you?"

"Brother, I promise I won't hit your head anymore. I can write, but this is the extent of my drawing skill. Does this suffice?" Dongzi had learned humility; he was finally acting like a serious person, no longer so scatterbrained.

Truthfully, Zhou Huan was so moved he nearly wept. Having known his brother for so many years, Zhou Huan understood him deeply. Such a sudden and drastic change was something most people couldn't process.

"Dongzi, did something happen to stimulate you?" Zhou Huan’s tone became very direct.

Dongzi’s reply was equally direct: "No. I just figured things out. Thinking more about things will lead to fewer troubles. Being played by Li Tianxiong last time was enough; I don't want a second helping."

"Good. Let’s go, Dongzi. Mr. Wang, please stay and keep Elder Sun company for a while. I’ll make a quick trip to Maokui Mountain and return soon."

"No problem. Can we help dress the deceased while you're gone?" Mr. Wang inquired of Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan replied, "Try not to let the women touch him; he is still a virgin. You two help dress him, and then cover him with the white shroud."

"What? Still a virgin? So that girl I arranged for him last time... they stayed in a room all night, and nothing happened?" Elder Sun murmured to himself upon hearing Zhou Huan’s words.

Zhou Huan picked up the thread. "It seems your grandson was an upright and proper young man, perhaps with some unspoken difficulty. I think we might find the answer by speaking with that girl."

With that, Mr. Wang helped dress the deceased. Zhou Huan and Dongzi left and drove toward Maokui Mountain Park.

Maokui Mountain Park was not far from Elder Sun’s villa, just a few minutes’ drive. At the base of the mountain, Zhou Huan parked the car in the underground lot. Emerging from the parking structure, they found a bus stop: Route 302, Yuanbaoshan Park to Maokui Mountain Park.

Zhou Huan’s eyes brightened: Could it be? He seemed to have grasped something, but without concrete evidence, he kept it locked away.

"Brother, the architectural style here is the same as Yuanbaoshan, but the worst part is there's no temple to guard the mountain," Dongzi observed analytically.

Zhou Huan gave a faint smile. "Dongzi, your progress is genuinely fast. In a little while longer, you could be managing things independently."

"Dongzi can only help Brother share some burdens. Being the main man is a bit difficult!"

"Good, good, Dongzi, you’ve had it rough. I’ll give you a chance to practice below. Go up the mountain, take a lap, and then come down and tell me what the mountain is like, followed by your own analysis. I’ll see if you’re right." Zhou Huan sat down on a long bench. "I’ll wait for you here. Go on!"

Dongzi straightened his clothes, muttering, "I won't follow Zhou Huan in vain. Don't worry, I will observe carefully and definitely find the problem with this mountain." With that, he half-ran, half-skipped up the mountain path. Zhou Huan, however, for the first time, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, his mind cycling between the patterns found on the small coffin and the strange striations on Elder Sun’s grandson.