The righteous follow the good in heart and deed. The wicked keep evil as their companion. This fellow, he actually possesses a dual-natured soul, though thankfully the benevolent aspect is dominant. When helping him, we must subdue his malevolent half. Zhou Huan was incandescent with rage, it seemed something significant had just resurfaced in his memory.

Zhou Huan’s fury stemmed from Xiao He’s loss—the agony of a child taken. Nine times out of ten, her half-evil spirit was responsible for his own child’s fate, demanding blood for blood.

As for why this burst of emotion erupted so suddenly, even Zhou Huan couldn't articulate it; perhaps it was simply destiny at play.

Shi Bingyuan sidled up to Zhou Huan, his face a mask of confusion, asking, "Master, I have never witnessed you so enraged. What is happening today...?"

"I am simply furious. If he dares to show his face, I will annihilate his primordial spirit!" Zhou Huan declared decisively, reaching out to pull forth his treasured Sky Silkworm Gauntlets. He quickly wrestled the gloves onto his hands, scattered a handful of cinnabar and talismans, and the air was instantly filled with a cacophony of ghostly wails.

Shi Bingyuan’s eyes were bloodshot, frozen in shock. He had seen, down the distant corridor, several ghosts painfully clawing their way out of a pair of shoes, crying out as their spectral flesh flaked and fell away in chunks.

"Zhou Huan, let's leave immediately. We shouldn't stay here!" As he spoke, several ghosts thudded to the ground, kneeling. The rotten flesh on their knees was crushed beneath the weight of their torsos, and bare bone scraped against the floorboards through the decay.

Zhou Huan glared fiercely at the apparitions and swiftly turned back, commanding, "Begone!"

This utterance caused his disciples to break out in another sweat. What was wrong with the Master today? Had he been affected again?

"Master..." Still, Shi Bingyuan stepped forward, attempting to fathom the situation.

Just then, Hong Kun and Dongzi, supporting Xiao He, emerged from the sickroom, entered the elevator, and swiftly descended to leave.

Zhou Huan, accompanied by Shi Bingyuan, descended the stairs in a controlled fury. Only after he had driven his car a full kilometer away from the hospital did a long breath escape him: "Hah! We managed to get through that entire performance. I'm exhausted!" With that, Zhou Huan began to laugh heartily.

Shi Bingyuan, sitting beside him now, felt absolutely no sense of security. In his eyes, Zhou Huan seemed utterly insane, capricious and volatile!

"Bingyuan, I didn't scare you too much just now, did I?" Zhou Huan’s tone now sounded perfectly rational and composed.

Shi Bingyuan took a long moment to compose himself, then offered a strained, fake smile: "Oh, it was a bit frightening, Master. But what was going on with you just now?"

"I discerned that Xiao Yan'er's mother is not a purely cultivated soul. There is another spirit intertwined within her essence. I suspect that is the Ghost King he mentioned wanting to destroy. This woman’s cultivation results were already considerable; she was but a single step from ascending to immortality. The Ghost King intended to borrow her body to fulfill its own ambition, and ascend alongside her." Zhou Huan’s explanation was meticulous, yet it stunned Shi Bingyuan, who had never heard of such matters, let alone witnessed them firsthand.

Shi Bingyuan bit his lip, then managed a wry smile: "Master, following you for so long has truly broadened my horizons and taught me so much. What you did just now was to lure the Ghost King into your trap, to deal with it gradually afterward, right?"

"Correct, but not entirely!" Zhou Huan stated with absolute confidence. "I acted that way so the Ghost King could overhear it, and also to urge Xiao He to leave quickly. Once she is gone, he will have nothing to hold over me, and we can deal with him however we please. Generally, spirits like that fear virgins the most. If I’m not mistaken, he intends to send Dongzi to the cemetery—a classic diversion—while he turns back to deal with Xiao He at the hospital to keep us occupied."

"That analysis sounds quite plausible, but I still feel the Ghost King's primary target isn't Xiao He, nor is it just to restrain us. He wants something from us*," Shi Bingyuan offered his counter-analysis.

Zhou Huan’s expression immediately became grave. A sudden thought struck him, and he slammed on the brakes, stopping the car dead, then guided it to the side of the road.

"Master, what is it?" Shi Bingyuan asked.

Zhou Huan reached into the back seat and pulled out a large satchel. He rummaged through a pile of old materials until he found a receipt buried underneath. The receipt read: Received payment for Cinnabar...

"Master, that's the receipt for the cinnabar payment. Why are you looking for that?"

Zhou Huan spotted a phone number on the receipt. "Look at this number. Do you remember who this person is?"

Shi Bingyuan scrutinized it closely: "The cinnabar we usually source comes from the south. There was only one legitimate supplier in the northeast, but they suddenly closed down recently, and the owner vanished. I even made a special trip to the provincial capital because of it. Is this the phone number of that cinnabar shop owner?"

"Yes. Call it. Let's see where he is now." As he spoke, Zhou Huan started the car and steered toward Fushou Hall.

Shi Bingyuan tried dialing several times; no answer. "Master, this... why are you looking for him now?"

"I have a need. Shipping from the south takes at least three days. This fellow will probably deliver the goods by tonight."

"But we still have some."

"Not enough. I need a ton!" The quantity Zhou Huan declared sent another wave of cold sweat down Shi Bingyuan’s spine.

Shi Bingyuan continued dialing, still no connection. He finally gave up in frustration: "Master, you try."

Ring... ring... Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan both looked over as the phone vibrated insistently. "Hello?"

"Hello, who just called?" the person on the other end inquired of Shi Bingyuan.

Shi Bingyuan continued, "Are you the owner who sells cinnabar?"

"Hey! I stopped doing that a long time ago. Stop calling me!" The line immediately went dead, leaving only the grating sound of the busy signal, deeply unsettling both Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan.

"Damn it, what's his problem? If he quit, he doesn't have to talk to me like that," Shi Bingyuan grumbled.

Zhou Huan frowned tightly. "Let me try." Zhou Huan picked up his own phone. Shi Bingyuan quickly dialed the number again. When the other party picked up, he spoke impatiently: "Who is it? Are you crazy? Why call so late at night?"

"My apologies, I am Zhou Huan, the one who frequently buys cinnabar from your shop." Zhou Huan's voice was remarkably warm.

Hearing Zhou Huan’s name, the recipient's tone executed a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. "Oh, Master Zhou! Look, your younger brother is no longer in that business. I'm just a man with nothing to do at home now. Could you please stop looking for me?"

"I don't believe you suddenly quit without reason. Moreover, it’s impossible that you’ve stopped and even the Paper King who dealt with you has stopped selling, along with those few who sold incense and spirit money. This has Zhou Huan utterly perplexed." Zhou Huan stated the situation; even Shi Bingyuan wasn't fully aware of the extent. Hearing that so many essential supplies had halted production felt like the end of the world for them!

The voice on the other end stammered, then emitted a sound of distress. "Cough, cough. Master Zhou, I'm truly sorry. It’s not that I won't get it for you; I truly can't. Everyone has difficulties they cannot speak of. The new owner will be here in a couple of days, and then everything will be available."

"Hmph. No, I need one ton tonight. I’ll pay you three times the going rate. Do you dare risk it for me? I don't care what unspeakable trouble you're in; if you come to Zhou Huan, I guarantee your safety." Zhou Huan's resolute words left the seller completely conflicted.

"Uh... uh..." After a long pause, the person finally murmured, "All right then, I will risk sending over one truckload. But one thing: you absolutely cannot let the word get out. If our board of directors finds out, I'll lose my livelihood."

"Don't worry about that. Same old spot, the back courtyard of Fushou Hall. I'll be waiting for you precisely at ten tonight."

"Okay, I'll handle it now."

Zhou Huan hung up and glanced at Shi Bingyuan. They both smiled simultaneously, as if sharing a silent understanding, both knowing exactly what the next step was.

Zhou Huan shook his head. "Back to Fushou Hall. Tonight, I'm going to give the Ghost King a cinnabar bath. Let's see if he can run then."

"It seems this mastermind will follow us here tonight. We need to prepare," Shi Bingyuan, being the seasoned veteran, understood the implications instantly.

"Bingyuan, have Dongzi guard Xiao He’s room tonight. Tian Xiong must continue protecting Xiao Yan'er. The two of us will cover the front and back doors. Here at Fushou Hall, we'll set a trap and wait for them; once they arrive, they won't be leaving," Zhou Huan laid out the plan. Shi Bingyuan prepared to leave and relay the orders.

In truth, Zhou Huan had already grasped the core issue: the Ghost King was the true culprit. The plan involving Old Zhao’s death was meant to drive Xiao Yan'er’s mother's immortal soul mad, thereby allowing the Ghost King to gain even greater benefit. The arson was a smokescreen; the good spirit wanted to save them, but the evil spirit inadvertently caused the disastrous consequences of the fire.

But what was the Ghost King’s ultimate objective behind all this agitation? Zhou Huan couldn't quite figure it out, but one thing was certain: someone would inevitably appear to buy up the recently suspended supplies. This was all premeditated. Hmph. Once they knew who was acquiring local spiritual materials, a quick investigation would reveal the Ghost King's very human goal.

Zhou Huan parked his car smoothly in front of Fushou Hall. Upon entering, Tian Xiong was engaging Xiao Yan'er in play, while Dongzi was still tidying up the kitchen.

Xiao He sat in a chair in the main hall, with Hong Kun reading nearby.

"Master, you're back!" Tian Xiong called out first.

"Uncle Zhou, do you like Xiao Yan'er's braids?"

"They are beautiful. Our little Yan'er is the most beautiful. Go play with Uncle Tian Xiong," Zhou Huan said, then boomed, "Dongzi, get out here!"

"Coming!" Dongzi rushed over, an apron tied around his waist, and hurried into the hall.

Zhou Huan gave Shi Bingyuan a look. Shi Bingyuan quickly secured the doors and windows, drew the curtains, and sat down around Zhou Huan to listen to the instructions.