Things always turn out strangely. In the plaza outside the restaurant, a few drunkards had been making a scene, and two police cars arrived to restore order. Unexpectedly, these two patrol cars crashed into each other, with one erupting in fierce flames. The occupants in the front seats had no hope of survival. Two officers managed to crawl out of the vehicle, engulfed in fire, screaming in agony.

Zhou Huan rushed toward the scene with Yang Xiaoling. Since it was late at night, the plaza was nearly deserted, save for a street sweeper methodically clearing debris nearby. Upon seeing the fire, the sweeper also rushed over, using his broom to beat at the flames clinging to the escaping officers.

Zhou Huan immediately pulled out his phone, first dialing 119 for the fire department, then 120 for the ambulance, and finally 110 for the police. He ran through all three emergency numbers.

“Brother Huan, look! There are a few more people collapsed on the ground over there!” Yang Xiaoling pointed to where several figures lay haphazardly across the pavement. The thick smell of alcohol even managed to overpower the scent of burning gasoline, making her feel distinctly nauseous.

Zhou Huan surveyed the chaos. His heart sank; even with his abilities, he felt powerless. All he could tell Yang Xiaoling was, “Xiaoling, take pictures of everything. When the accident investigators arrive, we’ll need something to account for our presence here. These photos might be useful later. Two police cars colliding—it’s utterly inconceivable, especially here in the plaza. Something impossible has just happened.”

Yang Xiaoling took her camera and meticulously photographed everyone and every detail. When Zhou Huan next looked at her, he noticed her breathing was shallow, her eyes wide with terror, silent save for the beads of sweat forming on her brow.

“Xiaoling, what’s wrong?” Zhou Huan asked anxiously, worried she might be physically ill.

Yang Xiaoling slowly extended a finger, pointing first to the people, then to the two officers who had successfully escaped the wreckage. She stammered, “Their… their death expressions…”

Hearing this, Zhou Huan immediately leaned in to examine the appearance of the deceased officers. The five trapped inside the cars all had pupils constricted to pinpricks and mouths wide open. The two outside were covered in clammy sweat, their pupils flickering between constricted and dilated, indicating their minds were utterly gripped by panic in their final moments.

“This is bad. They must have seen something truly terrifying, or they wouldn't have died so horribly. And I can’t summon their souls now.” The death throes of these men suggested their spirits had been locked down by malevolent entities; in seven days, there would be no remedy. Even if Zhou Huan had a method, retrieving their souls would be as futile as his earlier attempt to summon Old Man Yang’s spirit—a waste of effort.

Yang Xiaoling tossed her camera aside. Zhou Huan then proceeded with the customary rites, chanting the Rebirth Mantra over and over for the five men.

Turning back, Zhou Huan picked up the camera and scrolled through the images. Suddenly, he stopped at one photo: it was the likeness of Xiaoling’s grandfather, his face wearing a look of triumphant, almost mocking glee.

“Xiaoling, was this picture in the camera before?” Zhou Huan showed her the image of her grandfather. Xiaoling shook her head, mumbling incoherently.

“Brother Huan, this is one of the drunks I just photographed! I didn’t expect—no, I don’t know why…” Xiaoling clutched her head, shaking it violently. “His expression truly terrifies me. Isn't he supposed to be dead?”

Seeing Xiaoling in this state, Zhou Huan had no choice but to pull her close, gently stroking her back. “Darling, let me explain the difference between humans and ghosts.”

“Humans have physical bodies and souls; we can be seen and touched. Ghosts, however, are a different medium carrying our souls. Why? Because our physical bodies decay and die, forcing the soul to separate. Once free, they have their own world and their own order. The spirit world and the human world are actually divided, much like nations, with borders. Between these boundaries lies a no-man’s-land known as the Interim Realm—a place where lost and wandering souls drift. That is exactly where your grandfather is residing now.” Zhou Huan spoke softly, trying to coax Yang Xiaoling out of her panic.

Indeed, Zhou Huan’s tactic worked. A faint smile touched Yang Xiaoling’s lips, and she nodded. “I see. So, they are just like us, nothing truly fearsome. Fear is just a construct of the mind.”

“Precisely. Understanding that is key. That’s why the elders always say, ‘Do no evil deeds and fear no ghost knocking.’ It means if your conscience is clear, no extraneous troubles will arise. Doubt and attachment invite apprehension; the two are intertwined.”

Yang Xiaoling’s expression grew increasingly relaxed. Suddenly, she pulled away from Zhou Huan’s embrace and sprinted toward the spot where the three drunkards had been lying. But when she arrived, the three men were gone.

“Brother Huan, this…” Yang Xiaoling was utterly bewildered. The three drunkards had been there just moments ago, and now they had vanished.

Zhou Huan scanned the area. “They weren’t drunkards, Xiaoling. That was your grandfather!” He pulled out his compass, but it registered nothing in the vicinity. “Alas, your grandfather must truly have a grave grievance. Judging by the speed of his escape, he must be top-tier.”

A few sirens wailed, and the three emergency vehicles arrived. Once the fire was suppressed, the paramedics loaded the injured first, followed by the coroner identifying the deceased. The police secured the scene and then spotted Zhou Huan standing nearby.

“Is that Master Zhou?”

The voice sounded intensely familiar to Zhou Huan. In fact, if Dongzi were present, he would have recognized it best.

The newcomer was Officer Li from the Andong City Public Security Bureau. Because he was Xiao He’s best partner, he had been temporarily transferred there by the Public Security Department specifically to handle paranormal incidents.

Seeing Li, Zhou Huan felt a wave of kinship, like old acquaintances meeting unexpectedly: “Li? Why were you transferred here too?”

“Haha, since you and your apprentice are here, and Sister Xiao He and I are partners, I came along with the transfer,” Li replied, stepping close to Zhou Huan to murmur, “Brother Huan, what exactly is going on here?”

“You can run a near-death retinal scan on the deceased officers to see what they witnessed right before they died.” Zhou Huan then opened his phone and sent the image of the fingerprint he had captured earlier to Li. “Immediately check whose print this belongs to. This is the key to solving this case. Once we find the owner of this print, we won’t be far from going home.”

“Understood, Brother Huan. I’ll do my best, but you know how these things are here. It’s a bit complicated. I’ll have to forward it to the provincial department and wait for their response.” After Li spoke, Zhou Huan nodded. They finished processing the scene and parted ways.

Zhou Huan sighed deeply. “Whew, seven people now. What exactly does your grandfather want? Why does he need so many people to be buried with him over this grievance? I suspect he can no longer reincarnate; it would be a mercy just to scatter and destroy his spirit.”

“Brother Huan, please help my grandfather! I don’t want him to end up like this!” Yang Xiaoling pleaded with Zhou Huan.

But Zhou Huan’s eyes held a weary doubt; he was losing faith in resolving this matter. He could only offer gentle consolation: “Xiaoling, don’t rush. I will do everything I can. As for the outcome, that will depend on your grandfather’s fate.”

Zhou Huan’s phone rang, filled with static noise: “Brother, those two bastards have woken up. Do you want to come take a look?”

“Alright, wait there. I’m on my way.”

“Brother, be careful coming over. There are probably over a hundred people outside the gate now! Haha, these kids want to rescue someone, but they can’t even get through the door!” Dongzi’s voice was punctuated by the sounds of Hong Kun cursing and fighting in the background.

Hearing the commotion, Zhou Huan felt dread: “These brats, this Song faction is too brazen.” He sprinted back to the restaurant, packed a few meals, and then headed for the farm with Yang Xiaoling. As they approached the vicinity of the farm, they could see from a distance that the entrance was completely blockaded by a surging crowd.