"Dongzi, you just stay and keep your Sister Xiaohe company," Zhou Huan directed, glancing at Xiaohe. She nodded, appearing in good spirits, though a thread of frailty could still be detected in her demeanor.

Shi Bingyuan followed up on Zhou Huan’s instructions. "I just settled things with the Master. Dongzi will stay with Xiaohe, Tianxiong will watch over Xiaoyan, and Hong Kun will prepare the talismans in the main hall. The Master and I will each guard one door. If we hold out through the night, this whole incident should be resolved."

"Exactly. Tonight is crucial. Remember, no slacking off—only work harder. The cinnabar will be delivered later. We'll accept it as planned, and then Hong Kun will push it all into the rooms and lay it out everywhere. We’ll set up the Cinnabar Array by dawn!" Zhou Huan finished arranging things, flashing a grin. "Alright, eat first. We still have until ten o'clock."

In less than ten minutes, the group finished their meal. Following Zhou Huan’s plan, everyone took their assigned positions. Hong Kun was the first to pile up a mountain of talisman papers, covering an entire table.

As agreed, Shi Bingyuan sat on the front door side, perched half on his stool, while Zhou Huan sat cross-legged at the back door. The back door wasn't locked; instead, it was thrown wide open.

"Dongzi, why did your brother tell you to stay here with me?" Xiaohe asked, puzzled why Zhou Huan had assigned Dongzi to her.

Dongzi grinned wide, showing his teeth. "Sister, because Dongzi is close to you, sis! Don't worry, I guarantee you won't have any trouble. I'll definitely make that whatever Ghost King scram!"

Xiaohe managed a faint smile. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Dongzi. I’m going to lie down for a bit; you just sit here."

"Got it. I'll get up when the fighting starts downstairs..." Pausing there, Dongzi seemed to recall something. Zhou Huan forbade him from leaving Sister Xiaohe. He was the only young attendant here; if he left, the Yang energy in this room would instantly halve. Hmph, I won't move. I bet this so-called Ghost King won't dare touch a single hair on me.

Downstairs, Tianxiong was watching over Xiaoyan, but he was seated behind Zhou Huan. Xiaoyan was acting strangely today; she copied Zhou Huan’s posture and sat down cross-legged as well.

"Xiaoyan, follow Uncle's lead. Meditate, imagine yourself in a dense forest, filled with all sorts of flowers and trees. A single ray of sunlight pierces the towering canopy and shines upon you. Your body starts to warm, your blood begins to surge. We'll bask in this sunlight until both body and mind are completely saturated," Tianxiong guided Xiaoyan with his words. In reality, he intended for her to mobilize the vital energy and heat within her body. Though she was young, her Yang energy would be brought to its absolute peak, allowing her to resist any malevolent spirits later on.

"Tianxiong, be extremely careful when you go out to receive the cinnabar. The cinnabar cannot get wet. Have the truck back directly into the courtyard. You scatter the realgar around the perimeter of the yard, leaving just enough space for the vehicle. Then, slowly pour the cinnabar into the rooms, arranging it according to the Heavenly Palace distribution of the Heavenly Generals. Don't miss a single point, and then prepare to activate the array," Zhou Huan instructed. Tianxiong felt a little muddled by the directions, but relying on his own understanding, he believed he could manage the task.

Time crept closer to ten o'clock. The room suddenly fell unnaturally silent; not even the sound of a breath could be heard.

"Dong-dong~" Suddenly, the clapper of the large clock inside struck the bell. The sound of the pendulum swinging back and forth became even clearer.

Sure enough, the person delivering the cinnabar was precisely on time. Exactly at ten, clear headlights illuminated Zhou Huan’s backyard, the beams shining intensely against the dark night. After two quick horn blasts, the truck's rear compartment followed the path Tianxiong had cleared, driving right up to where Zhou Huan was seated. Zhou Huan remained motionless, sitting cross-legged. The truck stopped.

"Bang!" The driver got out and walked up to Zhou Huan. "Master Zhou, I've brought what you asked for right on time. Should I start unloading now, or wait a bit?"

"I have arrangements made. Wait here a moment; someone will settle the payment with you shortly." As soon as Zhou Huan finished speaking, he stood up, widened his eyes to examine the newcomer, then smiled faintly. "Just as I expected. Friend, please, sit here for a moment while I fetch you a glass of water."

Zhou Huan attended to the visitor, while Tianxiong began unloading the cinnabar from the truck bit by bit, following the prior instructions. After Tianxiong finished unloading the entire ton of cinnabar himself, the array formation inside the room was beginning to take shape. However, tucked away at the deepest part of the truck bed was a large wooden crate, upon which a few characters could vaguely be discerned: "Fu Le Hui" (Rich Joy Society). Next to the crate were a stack of brushes and similar items.

"Friend, what is that large wooden crate doing in your truck? What is it for? Is there more cinnabar inside?" Tianxiong asked the visitor.

In truth, the man driving the truck was someone Zhou Huan and the others didn't recognize. Yet, this man seemed to know Zhou Huan, though carrying around a large wooden box everywhere was certainly an odd endeavor. Once Tianxiong had set up the Heavenly General Cinnabar Array, the driver became extraordinarily nervous, breaking out in a cold sweat that streamed down his face.

"Friend, what's wrong?" Zhou Huan bent down, looking at the distressed man.

At that moment, the visitor's face turned sallow, and his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth began to twitch erratically. His hand slowly reached out toward Zhou Huan, as if pleading for help.

"Master Zhou, I wish to..." The visitor’s speech was incoherent, his mouth trembling uncontrollably, much like someone heavily intoxicated.

Zhou Huan’s lips slowly curled upward. He bit his finger, drawing a drop of blood, and traced the Heaven-Shaking Thunder Talisman Seal onto his palm. With a thrust of his hand, he slapped the man squarely on the forehead.

The visitor instantly fell unconscious, spewing a dark, viscous paste from his mouth. Upon close inspection, tiny silver-white worms could be seen writhing within the sludge.

"Master, what did you just...?" Li Tianxiong, confused, stepped forward to ask Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan leaned close to Tianxiong’s ear and whispered a few words. Then, he turned back and struck the large wooden crate in the truck bed with another palm strike.

A beam of purplish-red light shot out from his palm, visible against the night—like a bolt of lightning in the deep darkness, circled by the Yin-Yang fish of the Boundless Eight Trigrams. The beam slammed into the wooden crate, which immediately shattered into a thousand pieces, scattering fragments everywhere.

"Shhh, shhh!" It was as if bubbles emerged from the broken crate, and wisps of black smoke drifted upward and outward. When the smoke completely dispersed, all that remained in the center of the box were the familiar shoes—the red and white cloth shoes that Zhou Huan recognized.

"Xiaoyan, your mother has come to see you. Come out!" Zhou Huan coaxed Xiaoyan.

Xiaoyan was overjoyed to hear her mother was here. "Mama!" she cried, running forward. Looking at her tender, youthful body, only pure, innocent naïveté was visible.

"Xiaoyan, don't come over!" The voice was loud, but it came from the pair of shoes. As soon as the words finished, a tone of yielding submission followed: "Xiaoyan, come here. Mother has missed seeing you for a long time. Come, let Mother look at you properly."

Suddenly, a massive phantom erupted from the red and white shoes—it was the same woman they had seen in the hospital. As the woman emerged, she reached out to embrace Xiaoyan. However, just as Xiaoyan reached Zhou Huan’s side, he pulled the child back sharply.

"Xiaoyan, you cannot go over there. Uncle Zhou promises you will see a real mother tonight, just give Uncle some time," Zhou Huan said to Xiaoyan, using a tone suitable for a child.

Xiaoyan looked up at Zhou Huan with her innocent eyes, appearing utterly helpless.

"When has Uncle Zhou Huan ever lied to Xiaoyan?" Zhou Huan asked, his face displaying a benevolent smile.

"Mmm!" Xiaoyan slowly nodded, then glanced back toward the shadow of her mother on the opposite side.

The shadow in the truck bed shifted its tone abruptly, becoming entirely gentle and warm. "Master Zhou, thank you. I only wish to stay with my daughter a little longer, nothing more. After tonight, tomorrow I will dedicate myself completely to proper cultivation."

"That is good. However, I have a few things I’d like to ask you. If it’s permissible, of course?" Zhou Huan spoke