The clock ticked close to midnight, and the breathing of Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan grew shallow and long. Suddenly, they both sprang up from the ground, simultaneously pulling talisman papers from their pockets and, with lightning speed, inscribing charms upon them—three talismans each.

Shi Bingyuan was the first to ignite his talismans, chanting, "One charm invites the great spirit, guarding the venue, guarding the people, guarding the ghosts. The second charm calls the six Pò (soul fragments), the third charm calls the seven Hún (ethereal souls). Who dares to offer aid?" As he finished speaking, a gust of chilling wind swept in through the door. Both Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan were men of capability, and the wind entering truly carried spirits. As the dust settled, four lone, wandering spirits stood beside Shi Bingyuan.

"Master Zhou, what now? Where is your assistance?" Shi Bingyuan taunted Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan remained unruffled. He lit his three talismans simultaneously in his hand, chanting, "Three talismans respectfully invite Heaven, Earth, ghosts, and gods. Whoever wills, come here to aid." Zhou Huan's three talismans were certainly not in vain. The two glass doors of the storefront burst open, the powerful wind laced with wisps of dampness. As the air settled, first a local Earth Deity materialized, followed by a Celestial Soldier, and finally, a veiled female ghost descended and solidified into shadow.

The materialization of the first two astonished Shi Bingyuan, but when the final female ghost fully appeared, he and Zhou Huan froze simultaneously, both crying out: "Midnight Flute Song!"

The moment the female ghost landed, she drew a bamboo flute from her waist. Before Zhou Huan or Shi Bingyuan could make a move, the ghost’s music began to play.

This melody, saturated with excessive sorrow, stunned Shi Bingyuan, Zhou Huan, the wandering spirits present, and even the Earth Deity and Celestial Soldier. It was as if every soul present was drawn in by the mesmerizing music; upon hearing the [Missing Content Indication], they all involuntarily shed tears.

The music had reached the part where Zhou Huan was supposed to supplement his summoning. Sensing danger, Zhou Huan forcibly suppressed the pull of the music and shouted loudly, "Master Shi, quickly dismiss the phantoms you summoned with your talismans, and block your ears!"

"Zhou Huan, if you don't stop, neither will I!" Shi Bingyuan stubbornly held firm.

Zhou Huan grew anxious this time, sharply commanding, "I encountered this ghost in a past life. Her resentment is trans-generational and difficult to deal with. Quickly recall the summoned specters and listen to me this once."

"Haha, don't try to fool me. Though I may be confused, I'm not that..." Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Bingyuan suddenly saw darkness sweep his vision. He swayed for a moment before steadying himself, at which point he began to believe Zhou Huan’s words.

"Hurry and recall them, or with our current reserves, we won't last until the final passage of the music," Zhou Huan further urged Shi Bingyuan.

The female ghost's flute melody was nearing its conclusion, and Shi Bingyuan’s unsettling feeling grew stronger. He finally believed Zhou Huan completely. He immediately stuffed his ears with talisman paper and then snatched up handfuls of Yuanbao (spirit money) to send away the wandering spirits he had summoned.

Zhou Huan similarly plugged his ears with talismans, then stood up and began arranging a formation on the floor using cinnabar and gold powder. Midway through setting up the array, Zhou Huan felt the music in his mind intensify. He understood this was the consequence of past-life karma; avoidance was impossible this time.

Thus, Zhou Huan drew a Soul-Breaking Sword made of seven copper coins from his pouch, intending to stab the female ghost. However, just as his sword reached behind her, the ghost suddenly spun around, using the final movement of her flute music to hold back Zhou Huan’s blade. No matter how hard Zhou Huan strained the tip of his sword, he could not touch the female ghost.

At this moment, two people rushed in from outside the main door in a panic: Dong Zi and Hong Kun. Dong Zi stormed into the room, yelling, "Stop blowing! It’s driving me crazy!" He then stuffed his ears with talisman paper, rushed forward, snatched Zhou Huan’s sword, and lunged toward the female ghost. Hong Kun, meanwhile, pressed his fingers tightly over his ears.

But the copper coin sword was useless in Dong Zi’s hands; he didn't know the secret to wielding it. The blade passed straight through the female ghost’s body, yet she showed no reaction. This infuriated Dong Zi. He reached up and yanked off the female ghost’s headscarf, muttering, "Face covered, playing the flute—you messing with me?"

The moment the headscarf was pulled off, Dong Zi saw the female ghost’s face and immediately fell unconscious. Upon seeing the ghost’s features, Shi Bingyuan thrust a peach wood sword from behind her, the tip striking squarely into her back heart. The sword lodged firmly there; no matter how hard Shi Bingyuan pulled, it would not come out. The female ghost then lashed out with her leg, kicking Shi Bingyuan fiercely in the chest. Before Shi Bingyuan could react, he was slammed onto the ground, feeling an icy coldness spread through his heart.

Yet, upon seeing this woman, Zhou Huan felt a surge of kinship. How had this female ghost become so tender in his heart? Zhou Huan’s demeanor was now completely unnatural; his eyes lacked focus. Deep within Zhou Huan’s soul, the remnants of past-life affections wrestled violently. Zhou Huan dug the paper plugs from his ears, clutching his head with both hands. He gazed at the female ghost, his eyes growing increasingly hazy: "Ruan... your name is? Ruan... Xiang Ning! Xiang Ning, stop playing. I remember now! I promised to stay with you, I will..."

"Will you fulfill it, right?" the female ghost said, her voice intensely sweet. "Thank you for remembering my name, Master Zhou Huan. Do you know how long I’ve waited for you? Finally, I’ve waited for your reincarnation. Hahahaha, come with me!" As soon as the ghost finished speaking, the flute music ceased. She pulled off her outer garment and draped it over Zhou Huan’s head, after which Ruan Xiang Ning’s outer clothing vanished.

"Zhou Huan, let me tell you, the people I killed were all substitutes for you, hahaha. They were all liars, and you are also a liar. I must take you with me," Ruan Xiang Ning continued to speak.

Zhou Huan’s entire body was drenched in sweat. He took a deep breath and said, "Fine. As long as you stop killing the innocent, I am willing to fulfill my promise."

"Good, ha ha ha. I see you can’t leave now, even if you wanted to. Come!" Ruan Xiang Ning’s voice became vast and somber...

Ruan Xiang Ning vanished, and Zhou Huan’s pupils dilated as if his spirit had departed. He followed a blast of cold wind, walking normally yet seeming to run, and Shi Bingyuan’s speed was insufficient to catch up to him.

"This is bad. Master Zhou is in grave danger this time. No wonder he could be a Longevity Master, respected by all—he would rather suffer himself than hold a grudge to save others. Zhou Huan, I, Shi Bingyuan, am truly impressed. Don't worry, I will definitely save you back." Shi Bingyuan watched Zhou Huan’s rapidly disappearing figure, offering sincere admiration.

After Ruan Xiang Ning left, Dong Zi scrambled to his feet and followed Shi Bingyuan out. Catching up behind Shi Bingyuan, he mumbled, "It’s over, my brother got tricked. What should we do? It’s all my master’s fault; why did he have me take Hong Kun to get his teeth fixed? If I had been there, nothing would have happened."

Shi Bingyuan turned to look at Dong Zi and retorted angrily, "Hmph, if you had been there, who knows what mess you would have caused! If it hadn't been for you, your master's copper sword wouldn't have struck the female ghost. Who is really to blame?"

When Shi Bingyuan said this, Dong Zi’s face flushed crimson for the first time, his entire face as red as an autumn apple.

Shi Bingyuan turned to return to the storefront, telling Dong Zi as he left, "You hurry back to the Fushou Hall and take good care of it. I must deal with Master Zhou’s matter. Even if your master hadn't been taken, I would still need to resolve this supernatural incident."

Dong Zi scratched his head, unsure what to do. He didn't know whether to trust Shi Bingyuan or try to find Zhou Huan himself, but he hadn't learned how to find people yet. Thinking about this filled Zhou Huan with frustration; he regretted not studying Master Zhou Huan’s methods diligently. Finally, he remembered Li Tianxiong and immediately took a ride back to Fushou Hall, digging out Li Tianxiong’s phone number and making a call.

"Tianxiong, where are you? Hurry back, something huge has happened here!"

The reply from the other end was, "What's wrong, Senior Brother?"

This term "Senior Brother" made Dong Zi feel a pang of guilt, so he answered, "Brother Huan, oh no, our master was taken away by Ruan Xiang Ning—the female ghost we were investigating. According to Master, she was Master’s lover from a past life. Now we can’t find any trace of him."

"Senior Brother, don't panic. I can be home first thing tomorrow morning. Whatever it is, please wait for me to get back, and absolutely do not panic!" Li Tianxiong had come to know Dong Zi well lately, so he specifically cautioned him.

Dong Zi let out a long sigh. "Ah, not panicking is the problem; now I just don't know what I should do, or what I can do!" Then Dong Zi hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, Shi Bingyuan returned to the storefront and checked Hong Kun’s front tooth. It had been perfectly done. Shi Bingyuan now felt genuine admiration for Zhou Huan. It had originally been agreed that if Zhou Huan won, Hong Kun wouldn't need to see a dentist. But Shi Bingyuan hadn't expected Zhou Huan to arrange for Dong Zi to take Hong Kun to get his teeth fitted ahead of time.

"Master, what do we do now? I think Master Zhou and his apprentice are truly decent people. When Dong Zi took me, he was very caring and enthusiastic, though perhaps a bit hot-tempered—doing things on impulse," Hong Kun shared his feelings.

Shi Bingyuan lowered his head in deep thought for a long time, finally stating, "Since this female ghost has such a connection with Zhou Huan, I trust she won't harm him. However, Zhou Huan is a man of the living world; staying with a spirit for too long might cause complications. Let us sleep well tonight, and tomorrow morning, we will visit a few locations where the incidents occurred, hoping to find something left behind by the female ghost. If all else fails, we must resort to using the remains of the previously deceased."

"Use what from them?" Hong Kun asked Shi Bingyuan, bewildered.

Hope and clarity gathered in Shi Bingyuan's eyes. He remained confident in himself and then explained to Hong Kun, "When the female ghost played her bamboo flute, each victim received the music’s information through their ears. So, as a last resort, if we can obtain permission from the families, we can extract the eardrums of those deceased people to serve as information sources. I will set up the Grandmaster Seeking Immortal Array!"