When Xiao He returned with a few police officers, the old man was sitting on the ground, puffing on his pipe with a rhythmic chuff-chuff, thin wisps of dense smoke curling up toward the sky.

Bureau Chief Li’s brow furrowed so deeply his eyes seemed ready to overflow with tears when he saw the elder: "Grandpa Dong, Little Li is begging you here, can’t you please stop causing trouble? Let’s go home, rest well, eat meat, drink wine, and sleep soundly, how about that!" His tone was supplicating, as if coaxing his own father, yet hearing the surname confirmed they weren't family. However, the form of address clearly indicated Bureau Chief Li knew the old man well, and not just casually.

"Hahaha, so it's you again, you puppet government policeman! Kid, stop showing off in front of this old man. I am a Red Guard of the people, don't even think about walking away unscathed." As the old man spoke, the dozen or so passersby encircling them rushed to stand behind him, collectively shouting: "That’s right, don't even think about walking away unscathed."

"Woo-wah!" A siren wailed, and two ambulances screeched onto the scene, disgorging more than a dozen large men—actually, rather robust individuals dressed in white coats. A leader whispered a few words to Bureau Chief Li before leading his large entourage toward the group of a dozen or so people, aggressively subduing them with a flurry of "restraints" and swiftly bundling everyone into the vehicles.

As the old man was being forced into the car, after struggling briefly with the two men in white, he thrust his head out the window and yelled: "Long live socialism! Long live the people!" This was followed by a chaotic surge of sirens as the three ambulances sped away in haste.

Zhou Huan and the other two present were momentarily stunned. Watching the receding taillights of the ambulances, the sweat that had pooled in their chests finally began to dissipate.

"Chief Li, what were they doing?" Zhou Huan managed, swallowing hard, his voice strained with confusion and exasperation.

Bureau Chief Li was also slick with sweat, offering a nervous smile. "Master Zhou, I truly apologize for this spectacle. These people are all experts from the mental hospital. We let them out for some fresh air this morning, and through carelessness, they escaped. When I got Officer Wang’s call, I knew it had to be this group. My apologies, truly!"

"Oh..." Zhou Huan found the explanation somewhat credible, nodding repeatedly despite his frustration. "So that's what happened. It’s good they were taken away, good they were taken away!"

"Heh heh, these old fellows are our local antiques. Years of life experience have left them with deep psychological scars, which is why they act this way. By the way, Master Zhou, what brings you here today...?" The Chief asked this question seemingly as a courtesy.

Zhou Huan calmed himself, regaining his composure. "Oh, we are here today to re-examine the spot where the deceased fell yesterday. We hoped to find new clues."

"Oh, alright then. Since you need to continue your investigation, we won't disturb you further. We have to head back to the psychiatric facility shortly. We'll be in touch later. We'll take our leave now!" With that, Bureau Chief Li turned and departed with the officers he had brought.

Xiao He and Miss Yang took deep, long breaths, letting out weary sighs before joining Zhou Huan to continue examining the markings beneath the flagstone.

Just as Zhou Huan was preparing to cast a talisman to clearly reveal the bloodstain beneath the floorboards, a new crowd suddenly gathered from nowhere.

"Hey, look! Someone died here yesterday. What are these people doing, searching around the spot where a death just occurred?"

"Could they be tampering with evidence? Are they connected to the deceased?" The onlookers began debating amongst themselves again.

At that moment, Zhou Huan felt a chilling coldness settle in his heart. He deeply sensed that today’s undertaking was likely to fail.

The crowd jostled and pushed, and as someone craned their neck for a better look, they spotted Zhou Huan and gasped in recognition. "Oh my, isn't this Master Zhou from Andong!"

"Who?"

"The famous Undertaker of Andong, Zhou Huan, Master Zhou!"

"You know him?"

"I saw him at the Public Security Bureau a few days ago when I was handling some business, and a friend told me about him. This man is quite the figure!"

"Wow, if he's here, this matter must be serious. Maybe we shouldn't watch; there must really be a lot of spirits around here. Let's leave quickly!" Discussing amongst themselves, the onlookers dispersed as quickly as they had gathered, leaving the dense crowd utterly gone in an instant.

Zhou Huan stared blankly at the retreating crowd, finally letting out a breath of relief. "Good heavens, how can people here be so intensely curious?"

"Master Zhou, what do you see on the ground?" Miss Yang asked, her lips trembling slightly, her astonished eyes fixed on what lay on the floor.

Zhou Huan looked intently. Revealed beneath the thick layer of dirt was a large patch of blood. Inside the bloodstain lay a photograph the size of an A4 paper. It depicted three figures, and the hand of the person furthest to the left was stretched straight out beside him, seemingly resting on someone's shoulder.

"Hmm? Judging by the size of this photo, there should be something next to the three people, otherwise why would he hold his hand up for no reason?" Xiao He noticed the anomaly in the picture.

Zhou Huan gazed at the photograph, then pursed his lips. "The empty space in the picture seems to be where a person should be, but why is there no impression?"

"Master Zhou, look! The impression of the person in the middle is starting to fade too!" Miss Yang's voice, laced with horror, carried a distinct chill.

The three stared at the photo. In less than ten minutes, the impression of the person in the middle had completely vanished.

"What? This..." Zhou Huan couldn't help but utter a sound of alarm. "I, Zhou Huan, have witnessed countless strange things, but this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this. Could this photograph be the very reason these people died?"

The three stood frozen in place for a moment.

Just then, a man came tumbling and scrambling down from the top of the staircase, shouting as he ran: "Oh my god, someone died upstairs! It’s too terrifying, I'm never coming here again." The man reached Zhou Huan and stammered out: "You... you still... what are you waiting for? Run!"

After exchanging a look with the two women, Zhou Huan lit the talisman in his hand and tossed it under the flagstone, tucked the photograph away, secured the stone slab, and hurried up the stairs with the two women.

This long flight of steps consisted of over a thousand risers. At the top was an amusement park where many people came to play every day.

Running up this long staircase was effortless for Zhou Huan and Xiao He, but it was quite difficult for Miss Yang. After only a few steps, she slowed down, climbing laboriously behind them. Zhou Huan and Xiao He reached the large platform at the top first, where a crowd was gathered, all looking up at the Ferris wheel.

Beneath the Ferris wheel, two people sat on the ground, their pupils constricted, staring intently at the wheel's apex.

When Zhou Huan looked up, he instinctively formed the hand seal for transcendence, chanting: "Misery! Pain! Late!"

In a compartment at the very top of the Ferris wheel, a man hung head-first. One of his legs was trapped and severed by the small door of the car, leaving him dangling in mid-air, held only by a tendon preventing him from falling. His face, contorted in extreme agony, faced the ground, purple and black from being choked. Blood vessels in his eyes were so engorged they looked ready to burst, and blood dripped down in slow succession.

The two people sitting on the ground were gasping for breath, their clothes and hair stained to varying degrees by the deceased's blood.

After observing the scene, Xiao He immediately pulled out her police ID and flashed it in front of the crowd. "Everyone, make way! Who is the administrator here?"

A few brave onlookers pointed at the two individuals sitting on the ground: "Them, they are the administrators here."

Without a word, Xiao He strode over, grabbed one man, and shouted loudly: "Hey! What are you standing around for? Hurry up and bring him down!"

The man Xiao He had seized jerked his head violently, immediately stood up, and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I’ll do it right now." Xiao He’s action seemed to snap him to his senses. He dashed toward the control room, yanked a lever, and the Ferris wheel slowly brought the dead man’s compartment down.

Seeing the victim lowered, Zhou Huan scattered a handful of burnt paper offerings, then ignited another stack of talismans. Amidst the fluttering ash, Zhou Huan pushed his hand seal forward, molding the ash into the shape of a Ding talisman that settled gently onto the ground. This maneuver drew gasps of awe from the surrounding people. Zhou Huan then leaned close to the deceased, retrieved the photograph from his pocket, and examined it closely.

"Master Zhou, what exactly is going on? I need to see clearly what happened. Could the person who disappeared earlier have been the victim?" This question came from Miss Yang, who was still panting heavily after climbing the stairs.

"Look, it’s the same few people from before! I told you, if they are here, the matter can't be small. Let's go, let's not come back until they've handled everything," someone in the crowd said. As a result, the onlookers scattered once more, and within moments, not a single person remained on the mountain, save for the cultivators staying in the few temples nearby.

"Brother Huan, isn't it strange? With so many Taoist temples and monasteries here, how could such a bizarre death occur?" Xiao He asked, perplexed.

Zhou Huan first answered Miss Yang, nodding to confirm the dead man was the one from the photograph. He then turned back to Xiao He. "People can die anywhere. Never mind Taoist temples; even cultivators die in their temples sometimes, it’s all the same."

As the three examined the body and conversed, a loud voice echoed from the shaded path next to the amusement park: "The world is vast, yet where are the people? To die in this sacred ground of cultivation—that is their karmic fate. Don't call me crazy; I only know the state of the world when I drink."

"Who?" Zhou Huan followed the sound. A man staggered out from the trees toward the deceased, clutching a glass bottle. A thick, pungent aroma of alcohol assailed the three of them, almost making them gag.

"Alcohol! The wonderful nectar of the mortal world!" A burst of maniacal laughter erupted, instantly plunging the recently calmed hearts of the trio back into tension and chaos.