Wang Xiaohe pushed herself to stand, blood from the back of her head already staining her sky-blue shirt. Xiaohe felt a profound weakness, a crushing weight settling over her body with every step, dragging a long furrow in the earth of the backyard.

“Female ghost, listen closely to me,” Xiaohe said, pressing her hand against the wound on the back of her head as she walked. “No matter how you treat me, I will remain steadfast in my resolve to be with my Huan-ge. Please, do not stand in my way.” She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a packet of tissues, shoving the entire pack against the gash on her scalp.

Wang Xiaohe persisted forward, each step a monumental effort. She was only a few meters from Zhou Huan, yet to an observer, it seemed as if she had been walking for an age.

“Xiaohe, don’t come any closer. I share a destiny spanning two lifetimes with her. How to resolve this in the current one, I still don’t know the means!” Zhou Huan’s words sounded clearer now, yet his face was contorted in evident agony.

Ruan Xiangning lowered her gaze, glancing from Zhou Huan to the slowly approaching Wang Xiaohe. Her stone-like expression twisted into an unbearable conflict.

“Get out of my way, both of you!” Dongzi appeared from nowhere, wielding a massive sledgehammer, which he immediately brought down toward the statue.

With a resounding CRASH, the iron hammer struck the statue, yet the stone remained utterly unmoved, showing no reaction whatsoever.

“Damn it! It won’t budge even with this?” Dongzi was astonished. When he looked down at his hand, he saw blood welling in the web between his thumb and forefinger. The pain made Dongzi let out a cry, clutch his hand, and squat down to the side.

Xiaohe continued her measured advance. She reached Zhou Huan’s side and slowly extended a hand to caress his cheek: “Huan-ge, Huan-ge…” At this moment, words failed Xiaohe to express the depth of her emotion, but in every utterance of ‘Huan-ge’ resided the profound, enduring affection she held for him.

Zhou Huan strained against his immobilized, heavy body and managed to extend a hand from a crack in the statue, gently touching Xiaohe’s forehead. “Silly girl, I’m fine. Ruan Xiangning’s resentment is immensely heavy. Didn’t you see how badly she tormented Shi Bingyuan? Don’t waste your time arguing with her. I will handle this matter.”

Listening to Zhou Huan, Xiaohe felt a deep uneasiness: “Huan-ge, how can you ask me to trust that she’ll let you go? Besides, you look like this… I…” Xiaohe choked, tears springing to her eyes as she looked up at the stone-figure of Ruan Xiangning.

The stone form of Ruan Xiangning was truly difficult to deal with. Ordinary resentful ghosts could not achieve petrification; only those with substantial cultivation, usually Taoist practitioners reaching a certain level, could manage such a feat. Ghosts could also reach this level, but their progress was far slower than humans. Therefore, for a spirit to achieve this required immense residual wish-power. This meant Ruan Xiangning harbored a single, powerful desire: to see Zhou Huan one last time. But upon finding him, only to face his intention to eliminate her, her hatred flared anew, compelling her to claim Zhou Huan entirely for herself.

“Zhou Huan, Wang Xiaohe, don’t think I don’t know what’s going on between you. Out of respect for Zhou Huan, I won’t elaborate, but you two have karmic ties from a past life. You’ll both have your reckoning later. Let me tell you, I must take Zhou Huan. As for you, Wang Xiaohe, enjoy being a widow for the next two years, hahahaha!” Ruan Xiangning’s outburst momentarily silenced the entire scene—a nexus of Zhou Huan’s entangled fate and the stark pursuit of present desires.

Shi Bingyuan, who had been unconscious, proved his seasoned constitution was different. The flow of Yin energy earlier had left his body covered in dark, bruised clots. He slowly blinked open his eyes, sensation gradually returning. He moved a hand slightly. “Ugh! It hurts! This ghost is truly tenacious.”

“Master, you’re awake!” Hong Kun, who had been stunned by the scene for some time, finally snapped back to awareness upon hearing Shi Bingyuan’s voice.

Shi Bingyuan struggled to his feet, assessing the situation. “Ruan Xiangning, Ruan Xiangning. You ghost truly gives people trouble. You’ve even abandoned your own soul, just to achieve what?”

“Old man, you have nine lives. Today, I am taking Zhou Huan. Enough idle chatter with you. Keep the statue as a souvenir, hahaha! Watch me ascend with my Three Souls!” Ruan Xiangning revealed she had more tricks up her sleeve. A pale, whitish glow emanated from around the statue, and a massive hand reached out to seize Zhou Huan’s soul, intending to pull him upward. Yet, no matter how hard she pulled, she could not move Zhou Huan’s spirit, which momentarily perplexed Ruan Xiangning.

A faint smile touched Zhou Huan’s lips, a knowing curve. “Xiangning, don’t strain yourself. I am a living man. To take my soul, you would need my consent; otherwise, you’ll never succeed. Moreover, our karmic connection ended long ago. Perhaps I wronged you in a past life; that was simply cause and effect. To cling so stubbornly to that shred of personal desire in this life is the most foolish course of action.”

The gravity of Zhou Huan’s words suggested he had regained his clarity, largely free from Ruan Xiangning’s ghostly influence. Though his body remained trapped in the stone form, his inner core was once again pure.

“Master Zhou, you’re awake. This is your affair; please resolve it yourself. I, Shi Bingyuan, feel ashamed. I truly cannot handle the current predicament,” Shi Bingyuan said, attempting to leave, but Hong Kun gripped his hand, stubbornly preventing him from moving.

“Master, we can’t leave! If you truly go now, we might as well pack up and leave the Shou Shi world forever.”

“Fine. What other options do we have here?” Shi Bingyuan countered Hong Kun.

Li Tianxiong, having also somewhat recovered, looked at Zhou Huan. “Master Shi, my master certainly has a way, but… I fear he doesn't wish to harm Ruan Xiangning’s soul form.”

“Hahahaha, my ghostly brethren, put your strength into pulling! Help your Granny pull Zhou Huan out! Once he’s out, he won’t be able to return even if he wants to!” Ruan Xiangning commanded. Two spectral heads, leading a throng of lonely, lost souls, extended hands to grasp at Zhou Huan’s Three Souls and Seven Spirits.

Zhou Huan gently closed his eyes and murmured softly, “Xiaohe, how deep is your love for me?”

“Deeper than the Milky Way!” Xiaohe replied, a fierce light igniting in her eyes.

“Very well. You will be the protagonist in a moment.” He then addressed Shi Bingyuan: “Master Shi, are you willing to formally enter the Shou Shi lineage?” Zhou Huan’s question startled Shi Bingyuan. What was Zhou Huan saying? They were already Shou Shi; what did ‘formally enter’ mean?

“We are already Shou Shi. What is this talk of formal entry?” Hong Kun, ever quick of tongue, immediately asked Zhou Huan, “Are you implying we are inferior to you?”

“I don’t mean that, but to resolve this statue situation, we need a genuine Shou Shi to set up the formation to dissipate this ghost’s malevolence. My Shou Shi Sect—I founded it in a past life. My predecessors never formalized the Shou Shi practice into a sect; it was only in my generation that this move was made. Your ancestors are descendants of my youngest disciple. My youngest disciple abandoned the lineage for personal gain, so he doesn't count as a true Shou Shi.” Zhou Huan began recounting events from his past life, which left Shi Bingyuan feeling thoroughly bewildered.

“Master Zhou, by your reckoning, we are all irregulars then?” In truth, Shi Bingyuan had long harbored doubts about Zhou Huan’s capabilities. No ordinary Shou Shi so young could wield such power; there must be a past life or some extraordinary karmic bond at play.

Zhou Huan, still enveloped by the statue’s embrace, struck a Vajra Mudra with his hands: the inner sides of both wrists pressed together, fingers tightly laced, thumbs pressed firmly over the index fingers, while the middle, ring, and little fingers touched tip-to-tip, the whole hand extended forward, resembling a Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle. Next, Zhou Huan strained to cross his legs, sitting before the statue atop the extended legs.

Shi Bingyuan was fascinated by this unfamiliar technique. “Master Zhou, what is this posture? We have never seen it before…” Shi Bingyuan was genuinely eager to learn and always carried a small notebook where his master had recorded various ultimate moves. He frantically flipped through the pages until he reached the final section: Lost Techniques: Great Compassion Hand Seal, Lotus Seal, Vajra Demon-Subduing Seal…

“What?!” Shi Bingyuan couldn't believe his eyes. How could Zhou Huan know the Vajra Demon-Subduing Seal? This… this forced Shi Bingyuan to accept Zhou Huan’s words. At that moment, he heard Zhou Huan speak, his voice booming like thunder, the sheer resonance invigorating. This further convinced Shi Bingyuan that Zhou Huan was indeed the founding patriarch of the Shou Shi lineage; this was undeniable.

“Shi Bingyuan, are you willing to formally join and help me, Zhou Huan, resolve this incident!” Zhou Huan’s hollow voice echoed through the entire backyard, a sound so vast it seemed capable of piercing the very heavens.

Shi Bingyuan had made up his mind. Reflecting on his own history, he shook his head, reached out to pull Hong Kun, and knelt with both knees, pressing his palms together: “Master above, please accept your disciples’ bow!”

A man in his late sixties and another in his robust forties, captivated by Zhou Huan’s aura, knelt down with absolute sincerity to formally re-pledge allegiance.

“Disciples, listen! Form the hand seal as I have, and sit cross-legged on the ground. This is the first formation I teach you: The Fiery Vajra Array!” Zhou Huan commanded. Li Tianxiong, Hong Kun, and Shi Bingyuan immediately sat down, partially encircling Ruan Xiangning in the center.

Dongzi remained puzzled, watching the proceedings. Seeing everyone sit down seemed amusing to him. His main focus was the joyous realization that he now had two junior apprentice brothers whom he could boss around. This thought made Dongzi beam, almost floating with delight, until a stern voice shattered his happy reverie. This forced Dongzi obediently to sit down with Shi Bingyuan and the others, join the formation, and make the hand seal.

“Dongzi, memorize the formation now. This array requires five people: four sitting in formation, and one **—stop dreaming about pleasant things all the time.” After addressing Dongzi, Zhou Huan spoke softly: “Xiaohe, it’s your turn. My body is being held captive and cannot perform this task. Now, only you can. Come, step into the array.”

Xiaohe walked into the Fiery Vajra Array without a word, stepping forward resolutely.