“Zhou Huan, you went through all that trouble to pull me out, and now that you see me, you have nothing to say? If you don’t speak, I’m leaving!” That the old ghost could still speak was the least surprising thing; what truly rendered Zhou Huan speechless was the specter’s appearance.

Xiaoling clung to Zhou Huan’s back, staring wide-eyed at the elder before them. She cautiously poked her head out, only to yank it back sharply.

This spirit was clearly an old man, yet his hair was a tangled mess, and upon closer inspection, the scalp beneath was crusted with dried blood. Blood stained the corners of his eyes, his mouth, and his nostrils, but curiously, none wept from his ears—instead, a yellow pus trickled out from them. His upper body was bare, his chest a horrifying tableau of raw, gashed wounds, likely from knife strikes. His abdomen had split open; half of his two-meter-long intestines trailed out, severed in the middle, with residual excrement clearly visible.

“Zhou Huan, oh Zhou Huan, it really was hard on you. Bringing me here does you no good at all. All that running back and forth between the morgue and the police station—what did it get you? You’re still dead, the ones whose time hasn't come are still alive and kicking.” As the old man spoke, his mouth seemed to open too wide, his entire jaw dropping loose. The exposed upper gums, riddled with festering sores, were enough to make one retch. After his jaw fell, he reached down, picked it up, and awkwardly clicked it back into place.

Zhou Huan and Yang Xiaoling were frozen in shock. Xiaoling had initially started reacting to the ghost’s appearance, but after observing for a moment and sensing no malice, she bravely exposed her head to look closely.

Zhou Huan took a deep, cold breath of the morgue air, then sighed, “Old man, look at yourself. Why bother coming out when you’re like this? Why not cultivate properly down below? Instead, you wander around carrying a broken camera, robbing and killing—isn't that just asking for trouble?”

“Hahahaha!” They say that spirits who died as violently as this old man shouldn't make sudden movements. When he laughed this time, out shot his tongue and throat along with it. He had to retrieve them, painstakingly pressing them back into position. “I’ll tell you the truth. Given your status as Master Zhou Shou, you should be able to discern my predicament. Most common ghosts would have long since dissipated. There’s a specific reason I’m stuck like this, but I can’t resolve it immediately. Furthermore, this involves matters among the living. That’s why I did what I did—summoning you, Master Zhou. It seems this was fate’s arrangement. I only have one thing to tell you, cough, cough!”

Xiaoling watched the old man intently. The moment Zhou Huan heard the cough, he immediately stepped far away. Then, Zhou Huan deliberately bent down, picked up the lung the old man had coughed out, and handed it back. “I know you have a grievance, but your methods are too extreme. Even if you succeed and appear wrongly accused, you are still guilty of the Netherworld crime of forcing souls upward.”

“To hell with their soul-forcing crimes! We come up to pull down two damned souls, and that’s a crime? But when those respectable figures do it, it’s called 'following the Dao.' There’s never so much talk! Today, I’m here to take people. If you have the ability, trap me here. Just don’t let me leave.” The old man’s voice became agitated; a vein on his forehead actually pulsed visibly from the strain.

Zhou Huan offered a slight smile. “Elder, look at the four dead people in front of you. There is no other evidence. All the proof and my deduction point to you, this very ghost, as the killer.”

“It must be me. Did you see my photographs? Damn it, I don't even have a shadow left. But my camera is useless now; I’m a ghost. I can’t file a complaint now, so I have to kill them one by one. After I’m done, I’ll just take a stretch of imprisonment in Hell, a single Jiedu.” As the old man spoke, the camera in his hand flashed.

However, Zhou Huan found this flash peculiar. It was unlike the flashes he had seen the first two times. Moreover, the frequency of the exposures was much faster. It was clear that the flash currently visible was not the same type he had encountered previously.

“Zhou Huan, oh Zhou Huan, my resentment can only be resolved through you now. But I see you’re really struggling. First, you lack the necessary power, and second, you haven’t grasped even the slightest clue so far.” The old man dismissed Zhou Huan as utterly worthless.

This time, Zhou Huan didn’t even smile. He stated plainly, “It seems you old fellow are trying to provoke me into agreeing to your terms!”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo! Just kidding. I have indeed lost confidence in you. If there’s no other way, I suppose I’ll leave. Remember, Old Bald Mountain south of the city, beneath the Tortoise Stone—that’s my grave. Burn some spirit money for me when the time comes; perhaps my granddaughter won't have followed you for nothing.” Before Zhou Huan could process the old man’s words, a chilling gust of wind scattered the image of the elder that Zhou Huan had painstakingly conjured, blowing away the newly summoned ghosts along with him.

Yang Xiaoling cautiously poked her head out. “Brother Huan, we went to all that trouble to summon the spirits, and now we just let them go?”

“Let them go then. Did you get a clear look at that old man just now?” Zhou Huan asked Xiaoling.

Xiaoling shook her head, stirring it like shaking a drum. “No! I only saw his stomach. It was too terrifying. I was lucky I didn’t faint right there.”

Zhou Huan stood still for a long moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dongzi by the doorway apparently engaged in another brawl with that guy, Sui Xi. The two were fighting fiercely. Then Zhou Huan grabbed Xiaoling’s hand and bolted toward the exit of the morgue. Sui Xi tried to stop them, but Dongzi’s interference kept him pinned down.

“Dongzi, knock him down, then catch up!” Zhou Huan shouted as he ran.

When Dongzi heard this, he reacted as if receiving an imperial decree; he listened to no one else. Dongzi swiftly pulled a length of iron pipe from behind him, gripping it tightly. With a mere swing of his arms—

“Ah!” Zhou Huan, already far outside the door, clearly heard Sui Xi’s shriek. The corner of Zhou Huan’s mouth twitched slightly as he pulled Xiaoling toward the waiting car.

“Brother Huan, don’t cause a homicide! Does Dongzi... have a sense of measure?” Yang Xiaoling was genuinely worried about Dongzi; if he killed someone, he would have to pay with his life.

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. “Relax. Dongzi won’t hit that hard. At most, he’ll end up with an extra scar on his head and sleep for a while.”

Having left the hospital morgue, before Zhou Huan and Xiaoling even got into the car, Dongzi came charging up, panting heavily, and scrambled into the driver’s seat ahead of them.

Both Zhou Huan and Xiaoling were stunned. Why was Dongzi so fast today? Just moments ago they heard him wrestling inside the morgue, and now he had beaten them to the car.

“Brother, hurry up and go! This guy didn't faint; he was just half a step behind!” Dongzi, still catching his breath, urged Zhou Huan urgently.

Zhou Huan opened the passenger door for Yang Xiaoling, then slid into the driver’s seat himself. The engine roared to life, and the car shot forward. Just as their speed picked up, they saw Sui Xi chasing them. When he realized he couldn't catch up after a couple of strides, he pulled out his phone, speaking rapidly. Zhou Huan didn't know what he was saying, but he knew Sui Xi was definitely calling his boss, or perhaps calling for backup, or arranging an interception down the road. In any case, Zhou Huan’s intuition screamed that Sui Xi was definitely going to cause trouble.

“Brother Huan, how was it today? With one brick and one iron pipe, I took the old boy down! Hahaha, he couldn't take a beating at all,” Dongzi boasted proudly.

Zhou Huan glanced at Dongzi in the rearview mirror. Suddenly, he noticed something oozing out from Dongzi’s body—something seeping from his shoulder as well, writhing beneath his clothes.

“Dongzi, what’s happening to you?” Zhou Huan slammed on the brakes, stopping the car mid-road. He jumped out, yanked open Dongzi’s door, and forcibly pulled him out. Flipping Dongzi’s shirt up, Zhou Huan’s fury immediately flared: “Dongzi, roll on the ground quickly! Don’t you dare stop until I tell you to, or you might lose your life!”

“Ah!” With a rumbling sound, the moment Dongzi heard the urgency, he moved with incredible speed, rolling continuously on the ground. As he rolled, his cries grew louder, eventually sounding no different from a slaughtered pig.

Zhou Huan swiftly laid out a circle using talisman paper on the asphalt. Then, donning his Celestial Silkworm Gloves, he grabbed large handfuls of spirit money, cinnabar, and gold powder, placing them inside the circle, preparing to initiate a ritual.