When Zhou Huan and the others heard Dongzi shouting from the washroom, they knew something was wrong. Zhou Huan left Tian Xiong to look after Xiao Yan'er, while he and Shi Bingyuan rushed to the door of the washroom. The moment Zhou Huan looked inside, he froze.

"This woman... I feel like I've seen her somewhere, she looks so familiar?" Suddenly, Zhou Huan’s eyes lit up. Wasn't this Miss Yang? "Miss Yang, you... what’s going on?"

"Master Zhou, you must be mistaken. I am not the Miss Yang you speak of; it's just that our looks are strikingly similar. I am Xiao Yan'er's mother." This woman's candor left Zhou Huan bewildered. What was the truth here?

Zhou Huan couldn't explain it, and Shi Bingyuan was completely at a loss. Both men stared blankly at Dongzi, one of whose feet was still dangling in the sink basin.

This alleged mother of Xiao Yan'er mustered her beautiful smile again. "I came here to bring Dongzi some soap. Otherwise, who could stand his smell? Haha!" Her voice remained light and gentle.

But Zhou Huan felt dizzy and fuzzy hearing it. He then pressed the woman, "What is your surname, and how can you prove you are Xiao Yan'er's mother? Why have you returned now?"

"Master Zhou, thank you for taking care of my little Xiao Yan'er and her father. I came back only to see my child, to bring her to my grave, but unexpectedly, I ran into the Ghost King that night. Knowing my abilities weren't a match for theirs, I had to give up. Now I've come back to see her because I am about to reincarnate; one more life as a human, and then I can ascend to immortality." The hope shining in the woman's expression seemed to radiate infinite happiness and fulfillment to everyone present. She continued, "My surname is Zhao too. I hid inside those shoes so you wouldn't discover me."

"Oh, so those previous incidents, and Old Zhao’s incoherent state—were they all related to you?" Zhou Huan pressed relentlessly, leaving the woman no room to maneuver.

The smile on the woman’s face began to crinkle into wrinkles. "Master Zhou, you will know everything in due time. Right now, I need to ask Dongzi for a favor. Once this matter is concluded, I will naturally tell you everything."

"This..." Zhou Huan was inclined to agree, but he glanced at Dongzi, then back at the woman. "I don't sense any malice from you, but I still need your daughter to recognize you."

"Master, I'll go fetch Xiao Yan'er!" Despite his age, Shi Bingyuan was surprisingly quick, returning within moments.

When Xiao Yan'er stood at the doorway, the serene smile the Ms. Zhao had maintained vanished, replaced by tears shed for her daughter.

"Mommy!" Xiao Yan'er slipped free from Shi Bingyuan's embrace and rushed towards the woman, wiping away tears.

But the woman held her back. "Child, listen to your mother, don't come closer." Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Yan'er’s body passed through the woman's ethereal dust, and she collapsed onto the floor.

The woman, eyes brimming with tears, reached out to help her daughter up, but the gulf between the living and the spectral made touching impossible.

"Child, be brave, get up yourself. Mommy has something to tell your Uncle Zhou. Go find your uncle." The woman's words proved effective. Xiao Yan'er's small, fragile body filled with sudden courage. For a child so young to accept such reality, to bear such pain and pressure, and then to stand firm and return to the living—this was more than just bravery; it was a testament to her attitude toward life, a spirit of optimism.

"Master Zhou, I want to ask Dongzi to help me retrieve the current Ghost King’s shoes and burn them. That way, his soul will be permanently locked in his tomb, preventing him from constantly causing trouble in the cemetery and disrupting the peaceful atmosphere," the woman’s request only deepened Zhou Huan's confusion.

Shi Bingyuan was equally perplexed. Everyone knew that within Fushou Hall, only Xiao He lacked the art of the Corpse Master; everyone else surpassed Dongzi in skill. Why would this woman single out the least capable? Why not ask Zhou Huan, a figure of master level? What was she thinking?

"Ms. Zhao, I don't understand why you need Dongzi specifically. Why don't we all go with him and finish this task together?" Zhou Huan’s suggestion drew a smile from the woman—not one of mockery, but a genuine expression indicating that Zhou Huan, usually so sharp, had missed the obvious this one time.

The woman pulled out a sheet of paper from behind her and unfolded it. It was a chart resembling a family tree, but at the head of every lineage drawn was the image of a pair of shoes.

"What is this..." Zhou Huan inquired.

The woman smiled. "This is a custom in our region. Most people prefer to house their soul within the shoes they wore in life. Afterward, those shoes can travel to different places according to the soul's will. The Ghost King was the same; he lodged his spirit in a pair of shoes. After what happened that night, he must be running around inside his shoes, healing and recovering. But he will certainly return soon."

"Then why ask Dongzi? Do you know where the Ghost King’s shoes are?" Zhou Huan asked.

The woman shook her head. "I don't. Logically, ghosts borrowing shelter in shoes consume a certain amount of vital energy. Given how much vital energy the Ghost King expended that night, he is most in need of it now. And Dongzi is..." Here, the woman hesitated.

"Say what you need to say," Zhou Huan prompted.

The woman gently rubbed her face. "Because he is still a virgin, a so-called 'pure vessel' boy. Especially a male who also understands the art of the Corpse Master. Someone like him is safe and can draw the Ghost King out. Once we drive the Ghost King’s soul out of its borrowed body-shoe, we can destroy that vessel, forcing him back to his tomb so he cannot roam freely." After speaking, the woman cast a secretive glance at Dongzi, who stared back with wide, blinking eyes, as if listening to a fairy tale.

Zhou Huan also blinked a few times, looking at Dongzi, and then burst into laughter. "Well, that does make sense. I'm positive Dongzi is a virgin."

Dongzi took offense at this. He exclaimed loudly, "Who says I'm a virgin? I’ve... I’ve even kissed someone!"

His outburst only made everyone laugh harder, even Xiao Yan'er giggled along for no apparent reason.

The woman broke the sudden burst of laughter by addressing Zhou Huan. "Master Zhou, please grant me this favor. Otherwise, the souls in the entire cemetery will be unable to cultivate and reincarnate, trapped completely by that Ghost King."

"Fine, I agree. But one condition: once you have a plan, discuss it with me first. If it proves too difficult, I can step in to assist. My main concern is that Old Zhao gets back on his feet quickly, as Xiao Yan'er still needs care. The yin energy at our place is too heavy; it won't be good for the child long-term," Zhou Huan explained. The woman nodded in understanding.

Dongzi turned and looked at the woman, then pointed at the bar of soap she held in her hand. "Aren't you here on business with me? If you want to bribe me, be upfront about it! You've been trailing me like this, and I thought you had a crush on me. That’s why I kept wondering if my destiny was tied to ghosts—anyone I fancy ends up being a ghost, and anyone who fancies me is someone I don't like." As he spoke, tears were close to welling up in his eyes.

Zhou Huan stepped forward. "Alright, Ms. Zhao, you should go for now. If you decide anything, you can find me at Fushou Hall anytime. Xiao He is being discharged tomorrow, so we won't be here after tomorrow. As for Old Zhao, I will arrange for someone to look after him here."

"Alright, thank you, Master Zhou. I'm leaving now." The woman spoke, glanced at Xiao Yan'er, and then said, "Xiao Yan'er, live well, and remember to be brave."

As the woman's voice faded, her silhouette gradually dimmed until she vanished into the air.

"Splash, splash!" Dongzi acted as if nothing had happened, happily washing his feet while humming a little tune.

A moment later, Hong Kun came running back from outside, panting heavily. "Master, I found it! Here are the materials." Hong Kun then pulled a bag from behind him. "Here, this is a new pair of shoes I bought for Dongzi."

Upon hearing this, Dongzi’s mouth split into a wide grin. "Hahahaha! Let me see!"

"Wait a moment. Put on your slippers to go back first. I didn't buy you shoes for nothing; you'll accompany your Sister Xiao He when she leaves the hospital later." Zhou Huan said.

But Shi Bingyuan and Dongzi both asked, surprised, "Isn't she being discharged tomorrow? Why today?"

"People live by seeking stability! Hong Kun, go handle the discharge procedures. Shi Bingyuan and I will take the night shift here." Zhou Huan was mysterious; whatever his plan was, it left his disciples utterly confused.

Hong Kun wiped his brow. "Yes, Master!" He hadn't even caught his breath completely, yet he had to rush downstairs again.

Zhou Huan took the materials he held and sat down in the corridor outside Xiao He’s room. As he reviewed the documents, a smile gradually spread across his lips.

"Master, you discovered something new?" Tian Xiong asked Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan replied, "It turns out Xiao Yan'er's mother was originally planning to become a nun. But at that time, she didn't expect Old Zhao to be waiting for her at the door. It was for the sake of love that she ultimately did not renounce the world."

"Why did she choose to become a nun?" Shi Bingyuan asked.

Zhou Huan looked at the documents. "Heh heh. Someone predicted for her: if she didn't become a nun, having a child would lead to death."

"Oh, so it was fate. Then what is her situation now?" Tian Xiong inquired next.

Zhou Huan stood up and handed the materials to Tian Xiong. "Read this yourself. I think once you finish, you will understand why. Today, Xiao Yan'er will return to Fushou Hall with you. That way, Ms. Zhao can visit her child there. As for here? Hmph. If she comes here, she’ll be forced to lie down here. This place will be her tomb."

Zhou Huan's rambling left Shi Bingyuan bewildered. "Master, what is the meaning of this? Is her good and evil still beyond control? Should we destroy her soul?"