Zhou Huan was completely thrown by the woman’s words; what did she mean he had forced her? Who had forced her into anything? Did she truly have some unspeakable difficulty? But why would an old acquaintance entrust such a matter to a woman praying for blessings? All of this plunged Zhou Huan into a crisis of thought. Was this the saying about the observer being blind to their own situation?

Mentioning his internal energy, Zhou Huan roared out his gospel decree: “Your spirit must know that the Yin and Yang realms are separate; cease disturbing the lives of those in the Yang world, or the consequences will be quite severe, harming not only yourself but your child as well.”

“Zhou Huan, I know you are a prodigy rarely seen in a millennium, reincarnated into human form once again. I have only returned because I wish to settle my bond with my children and help her find happiness. Then I can continue my cultivation in peace.” The female voice held no malice; in fact, it was incredibly gentle, making anyone who heard it feel utterly comfortable.

Yet, at this moment, Zhou Huan insisted on his impartial mindset and balanced approach. For matters like this, the inhabitants of the Yang world must take precedence, lest many troubles arise.

“Then let me ask you: are the recent string of incidents connected to you in any way?” At this point, Zhou Huan was like Judge Bao himself resurrected, his majesty and decisiveness surging upward like a celestial torrent.

As soon as Zhou Huan finished his question, the female voice vanished. Zhou Huan’s compass spun slower and slower, until finally, it drooped, utterly directionless. Zhou Huan could not help but be startled. This person was remarkably skilled; there was no trace of her in the boundaries between Yin and Yang. It seemed the compass only managed to locate her because she had intended for it, or perhaps she had momentarily relaxed while preparing some action.

Zhou Huan stood rooted to the spot for a long time. The pair of shoes had long since disappeared from his sight. It seemed this matter was truly difficult to handle. Pushing too deep might stir up a major conflict and lead to excessive actions, but being too shallow would fail to curb the situation. This left Zhou Huan in a terrible predicament. He could only suppress his frustration for now, set the issue aside, and temporarily return to look after Xiao He and care for the child.

Returning to Xiao He’s hospital room, Xiao He had managed to sit up again. The sorrow and melancholy from moments ago seemed to have lessened considerably, but her spirits remained low. Her face was pale, lacking any flush of color. It looked as the doctor had said: she needed much more rest and would not return to her former self anytime soon.

“Brother Huan, where did you go? I was thinking of you the whole time. Don't leave; stay here and keep me company.” Xiao He pouted slightly, slowly reaching out her hand as if to grasp Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan quickly took her hand, sat down abruptly beside her, and comforted her: “We’ll be discharged in a couple of days. You must rest well these two days in the hospital; it will be fine, everything will get better.”

Zhou Huan’s steady, weighty demeanor calmed Xiao He, and under his care, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Tian Xiong entered the room with Xiao Yan'er: “Uncle Huan, can you braid Xiao Yan’er’s hair? Little Yan’er wants to go see her mother today.”

This statement, rather than being insignificant, startled Zhou Huan. Why did this child suddenly want to visit her mother? He looked at Tian Xiong, who explained: “Little Yan’er suddenly asked to have her hair done just now. When I asked why, she said she wanted to see her mom. That’s filial piety; how could I stop her? And she specifically asked Master to braid her hair.”

“Oh, very well, I’ll braid her hair.” Zhou Huan reached out and lifted Xiao Yan’er to stand in front of him, then squatted down to untie the girl’s existing hair tie. He braided her hair in his own style, and soon enough, Zhou Huan had finished two pigtails shaped like horns.

Xiao Yan’er bounced happily, her eyes narrowing into slits as she looked at Zhou Huan. Then she leaned forward and gave Zhou Huan’s cheek a gentle kiss: “Thank you, Uncle Huan.” She then turned to Tian Xiong and said, “Uncle Tian Xiong, take Little Yan’er to see Mommy!”

Tian Xiong looked helpless. It was already nighttime; wasn’t going to the graveyard to pay respects now just inviting trouble? Even if nothing major happened, it would still be a hassle. But looking at the child, he felt at a loss and glanced at Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan remained crouched, holding Xiao Yan’er’s hands, a smile plastered on his face. “Tell Uncle Zhou, does Little Yan’er know where Mommy is?”

Xiao Yan’er looked at Zhou Huan, slowly shook her head, then bit her finger: “I don’t know where Mommy is, but I feel like I can find her.”

“That’s good. But it’s pitch black now; shouldn’t we go in the daytime?” Zhou Huan tried to reason with her.

Xiao Yan’er just shook her head again: “No. I made a promise with Mommy that I would visit her at this exact time. If you don’t take me, I’ll go by myself.” As the child spoke, the previous joy faded, and her face crumpled like a withered flower.

“Alright, our Little Yan’er is a good, obedient child. Isn’t Mommy sleeping at this hour? We’ll go tomorrow, and Uncle Huan will drive you in the big car tomorrow.” Zhou Huan tried every trick he could think of. In the middle of the night, no one would be foolish enough to cause trouble near a cemetery at this hour; even the undertakers disliked that sort of annoyance.

Xiao Yan’er now seemed desperate, struggling violently to break free from Zhou Huan’s grasp. She opened her mouth as if to bite his hand. Zhou Huan flinched, and the little girl turned and ran. By the time Tian Xiong gave chase, the girl had already reached the stairwell exit on the tenth floor and was heading down.

“Tian Xiong, quickly call Shi Bingyuan and the others over! We’ll follow her to her mother’s place and prepare some things since it’s so late.” Zhou Huan left Tian Xiong behind and hurtled down the stairs, leaping and chasing all at once. Strangely, Zhou Huan’s speed should have been more than enough to catch a small girl of a few years old, but this Xiao Yan’er ran faster and faster—she was almost catching up to Liu Xiang!

“Xiao Yan’er, slow down! Uncle promised to take you to see your mother! Wait for Uncle!” Zhou Huan shouted as he ran, focused only on descending. Just as he neared the first floor, he heard a voice speaking from directly above his head.

“Uncle, you went down one floor too many. We’ll take the elevator from the second floor to get closer,” the little girl said. Her voice sounded somewhat stiff now. Even weirder, the girl was clearly running ahead of him, yet she suddenly popped out from above his head. Zhou Huan found this absolutely inexplicable. With no other choice, he climbed back up one floor, grabbed Xiao Yan’er’s hand, and prepared to exit on the second floor.

As soon as they stepped out, they ran right into Shi Bingyuan and Hong Kun, who had just arrived, both panting heavily.

“Hong Kun, go upstairs and look after Xiao He. The three of us will accompany the little girl to see her mother.” This statement made the little girl beam with delight.

Shi Bingyuan frowned slightly. “Master, it’s so late. Go to the burial ground?”

“Yes, there’s no other way, or the little one might throw a tantrum, and chasing her downstairs would be even more trouble. We might as well take her. But we must be well-prepared, otherwise, if any sudden incidents occur, we won't be able to handle them,” Zhou Huan instructed, leading the way with the little girl ahead, followed by Shi Bingyuan and Tian Xiong.

Xiao Yan’er held Zhou Huan’s hand and headed straight for the elevator. After exiting through the door behind the elevator, they entered what served as the temporary morgue area. She led the three adults on a winding tour until they found a small iron gate behind a dilapidated shack. The lock on the gate was so rusted it was unrecognizable. Shi Bingyuan gave it a gentle pull, and the lock snapped; the rust had completely decayed the metal.

“Master, behind here is a mountain range, and beyond that is another mountain. After crossing one more peak, it should be the Nine Roads Cemetery,” Shi Bingyuan sounded very familiar with the terrain here.

Xiao Yan’er nodded, confirming Shi Bingyuan’s statement, then tugged on Zhou Huan’s hand and looked up at him.

Zhou Huan smiled. “Alright, we won't climb the mountain. If we go out this way, it leads to the parking lot; we’ll drive, try not to climb over the mountains.”

“No, the three uncles must accompany Little Yan’er over the mountain,” Xiao Yan’er’s request was truly demanding: three grown men accompanying a girl of a few years old to play in the mountains in the middle of the night.

“Master, this is a bit too absurd!” Tian Xiong finally couldn’t hold back. He couldn't well argue with a child, so he turned to Zhou Huan to suggest an alternative.

Zhou Huan stroked Xiao Yan’er’s head and said with deep emotion, “Alas, all of this is fate, collecting vows, collecting vows—what we collect is this fate. We will accompany her. Rest assured, I will find the local Earth Gods along the way to help clear the path, with the sole purpose of allowing Xiao Yan’er to fulfill this wish of filial piety.”

Shi Bingyuan was already feeling a bit resigned. He sighed deeply, shook his head, reached out, and picked up Xiao Yan’er. “Grandpa will carry you. The mountain path is rugged, and it’s dark. Reaching it by morning would be a stroke of luck.”

“We can make it; I know a shortcut,” the more Xiao Yan’er spoke, the stranger things became. How could such a little girl know so much? Truly, children from poor families mature quickly.

Tian Xiong followed behind, holding a flashlight. Because they often had to handle matters late at night, Tian Xiong was accustomed to keeping a flashlight in his pocket.

Zhou Huan walked in the middle, writing out paper money inscribed with ‘Ten Thousand Gold’ as they went, while Shi Bingyuan, carrying Xiao Yan’er, puffed and wheezed their way toward their destination.

In half an hour, they had crossed one peak. The group was moving very fast, but everyone was tired, so Zhou Huan suggested they find a place to rest for a while.

Tian Xiong sat down on a nearby stone without a word. Zhou Huan, Shi Bingyuan, and the child sat down nearby.

None of the three spoke; Xiao Yan’er was silent too, just sitting there, catching their breath.

The mountain in the late autumn night was chillingly cold. Gusts of wind blew through, carrying waves of icy air. Occasionally, they could hear things emitting a “roar, roar” sound, as if something was approaching. As the energy field shifted, the Yin energy grew heavier. Zhou Huan whispered lightly, “Apprentices, prepare to deal with these mountain spirits.”

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