But just then, a furious gale swept through, tearing down the freshly hung sign and sending Zhou Huan and Dongzi scrambling after it on the wind. The sky suddenly went black, visibility dropping to near zero.

“Master, what’s going on?” Hong Kun looked up at the heavens, then surveyed their surroundings. Nothing was discernible.

Dongzi was quicker to respond this time; accustomed to always being at odds with Hong Kun, he flipped on his flashlight and drawled, laced with sarcasm and mockery, “I say, Senior Brother Hong, it’s just dark, that’s all. Perhaps Miss Moon is tired today and decided to take the day off. What’s all the fuss about?”

Zhou Huan also switched on his light, sweeping it around. He found nothing specific, just the dust stirred up by the wind carrying the scent of the farm across the faces of the four people.

Yang Xiaoling was genuinely frightened, clutching Zhou Huan’s waist tightly. “Brother Huan, what’s happening? The sky isn’t about to fall down, is it?”

“Hahaha, Dongzi already said he isn’t scared; didn’t he say Miss Moon was being lazy?” Hong Kun turned back to scold Dongzi.

Zhou Huan felt a deep sense of foreboding. Something significant must have happened; just moments ago on their way in, the sky had stars and the moon. What had caused this sudden change?

“Everyone, gather closer to me. Stop all this idle talk.” Zhou Huan then pulled his compass from his bag. “Hong Kun, take the compass, establish our bearing, and let’s get out of this farm immediately.”

The four of them began to feel a growing chill. The inexplicable gale carried a distinct, uncomfortable coolness, forcing Dongzi to almost squat to maintain his balance.

“Master, this won’t do. We should stick close to the wall; we can follow it out,” Hong Kun suggested. The four moved toward the barrier, and Dongzi, clutching the cage full of toads, hurried to join them.

At that very moment, a colossal bright spot appeared in the sky, casting a faint glow upon the ground. This was followed by a bright ring, which illuminated the ground even more intensely. But following this illumination, the debris—scattered stones and loose earth—began flying up from the ground in greater numbers, even coalescing into a tornado that raged through the farm, swirling massive amounts of mud and weeds.

“Bad! Everyone run!” Zhou Huan yelled after glancing up and realizing the object overhead was a massive flying entity large enough to eclipse the entire farm.

Dongzi looked up and instantly started drooling, his eyes seeing stars. He crammed the cage into his armpit, put force into his legs, and bolted ahead of everyone else.

The four ran like they had never run before—it was a desperate flight for life. What was in the sky? It was a gigantic moth from the Song faction, poised and eager to devour the four people below, and this time, Zhou Huan was right there with them.

“Master! I had three toads in the farm just now, holding Sui Xi! Now there’s a moth this huge! Did it eat all my toads? If so, where is Sui Xi?” Dongzi gasped out between ragged breaths while running.

Hong Kun remained unconcerned. He snapped, “Can you even manage that thing? You brag about one chicken a day. Look at what you’re holding—it’s just junk! And you call it an experiment? Soon, none of us will be able to run.”

While the two were arguing, two other figures flashed into sight in front of the four. Suddenly, the bright circle in the sky flared up intensely, illuminating the entire expanse, transforming the absolute darkness into a light as bright as a clear day, momentarily blinding to everyone.

“Zhou Huan. I didn't expect you to show up with that idiot. It seems you two know something. Well, today, none of you are leaving!”

Hearing the voice, Dongzi instantly recognized it. He slammed to a halt, standing frozen in place. “Brother! It’s Sui Xi!” Then he burst into a torrent of curses: “Sui Xi, you bastard! Who told you to crawl out of my toad? You’ve got nine lives!”

“Dongzi, you can’t kill him! We have to capture him. Their current actions are grounds for immediate sentencing,” Zhou Huan stated his principle. Dongzi fell silent.

Standing next to Sui Xi was a man Dongzi knew well—Third Uncle, the one who always wet his pants from fear. The old man’s speech was slurred, and he usually walked with a limp, but now he looked robust, his missing teeth were all newly filled, and he spoke with absolute confidence. “Zhou Huan, I never thought that an old tortoise from the Song faction like myself would live to see a true Master. Today, you really aren’t leaving. I want a proper contest with you.”

Zhou Huan scrutinized the man; he fell silent for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. “Song faction, our Master Shou never wishes to have any dealings with you. Why do you constantly obstruct and plot against us?” Then Zhou Huan smiled faintly. “A challenge, you say? Very well, I accept. How shall we play?”

“Ah, Master Zhou, don’t rush to agree. As the Town Elder of the Song faction, my word is final. Our magical duel requires terms—there must be stakes. I wonder if Master Zhou dares to accept?” This Third Uncle truly possessed remarkable composure as he spoke, chuckling to himself.

Zhou Huan, being a Master, grew calmer the more perilous the situation became, and his thoughts grew sharper. He replied, “Stakes are determined by people. You have your rules, but we have ours too. We are all on the same path; what’s with all the formalities?”

“Master Zhou, then you must state your rules!”

“We have principles. No matter what is gambled, life cannot be the stake, nor can we harm the spiritual essence of any spirit, and we must not involve bystanders.”

Third Uncle roared with laughter. “Well said, Zhou Huan! I’ve always heard you were a Master, which is why I respected you, but I never expected you to be such a coward, afraid to gamble. If you won’t stake anything, then quickly leave Wenchang and take your so-called Master Shou’s Sect with you.”

“That’s absurd; those are our principles. As for anything else you want to bet, state your terms,” Zhou Huan remained perfectly calm, a faint smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

“We will bet lives. We White Funeral Masters have certain means. If someone is harmed in the exchange, don't come crying about it later.” This Third Uncle was truly ruthless, too confident in his ability to win.

Hong Kun leaned close to Zhou Huan’s ear and whispered, “Master, don’t agree. Let me gamble with him instead. We’re at this point anyway; even if we win, can that thing in the sky really let us go?”

Zhou Huan murmured back softly, “You two figure out what to do about the thing in the sky. This old man is no ordinary person; he is the Town Elder of the Song faction, likely their most skilled practitioner right now.” Then Zhou Huan laughed loudly toward Third Uncle, “I didn’t expect the Song faction’s ancient tortoise elder to be so domineering! Fine, Zhou Huan will accept this gamble. You speak first—how shall we play?”

“Brother, don't gamble with him! Their giant moth already has the upper hand,” Dongzi stepped forward, pulling at Zhou Huan’s arm.

But Zhou Huan pushed Dongzi away and boomed, “When has your big brother ever lost? What is there to fear in a gamble?”

Sui Xi, meanwhile, was grinning broadly. He glanced at the giant moth overhead, then back at Dongzi. “Kid, don’t even think about capturing my moth again! You bragged about experimenting with three big toads, didn't you? Now that my moth has eaten your three toads, I see how you plan to escape this calamity! As soon as they finish their wager, I’ll show you what a mummy is, what a dried corpse is.”

Dongzi was frantic now. He picked up the cage, looked at the toads inside, nearly weeping, and mumbled incessantly, “Toads, oh toads, why are you like this? I piled hundreds of talismans on you, and I feed you a big rooster every day. Look at you now—so small! That moth in the sky is enormous! I can’t count on you anymore. Why are you underdeveloped? Your things were supposed to grow as big as a car, but you…”

“Stop your whining; just wait for your death. Tonight is your day of sacrifice. Get ready to burn paper money to see yourselves off,” Sui Xi crowed with extreme arrogance.

Zhou Huan’s hand had already moved inside his bag, preparing to contest with the Third Uncle, waiting only for the other side to declare the terms of their contest.

“Listen carefully, Zhou Huan. Your man is supposed to use toads to eat our sect leader. Let them handle their own affairs; we won't be affected by that moth in our dispute.”

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