Just then, the screech of brakes echoed from the farm gate, freezing everyone in the house who stared outward.

"Master, the police are here!" Hong Kun shouted.

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "Oh? That’s timely. We'll be much more at ease leaving these two in the hands of the police." As he spoke, Zhou Huan glanced sideways at Sui Xi and the other man, noticing their subtle smiles. At that moment, Zhou Huan grasped the general direction of events; how could such rampant triad activity go unchecked unless someone deliberately allowed it to flourish freely?

"What is going on here? Who is here..." Two police officers entered, pistols holstered, just beginning to question when they saw the two men seated**: "Officer Sui, Third Uncle, what is this?"

Dong Zi immediately straightened his posture. "These two were making trouble. See the knife by the door? They brought their men. We were just doing what you were supposed to do."

"What we are supposed to do? These two are priority protected individuals in our county. Who gave you the authority to hold them captive?" As the words left his mouth, the two officers exchanged a look. Then, one of them said, "I think... you two need to come with us as well. First, I don't know who you are, and second, setting up your own court is against the law."

"So proper!" Dong Zi's spirit immediately reignited. "I think you're just here to waste time. It's a blessing for these two fellows to be here; if they went to your Public Security Bureau, wouldn't they just end up in jail?"

"What crimes have they committed?" Dong Zi was about to speak, but Zhou Huan pulled him back.

Afterward, Zhou Huan stated, "It seems you aren't aware of their criminal history either. How about this: I'll call your Chief, and he can tell you whether we can interrogate these two, and whether they should be held." Before Zhou Huan finished speaking, he had already dialed the number. Wang Xiaohe answered, and Zhou Huan immediately said, "Xiaohe, please hand the phone to Director Li. Tell him we have authorization to conduct any investigation necessary—this is a directive from the Provincial Department."

"I can confirm that. That directive has already been circulated within the bureau. Come on, hand the phone to the officers here." Xiaohe sounded quite confident.

The two officers took the phone, turned toward the two subdued men, and nodded. "Our apologies, two big bosses, please remain seated quietly. We have nothing further to do with you; we're leaving immediately!" The two officers turned and walked away. At this point, Sui Xi and Third Uncle were truly distressed. Watching the two policemen leave while speaking like that, they were naturally filled with profound disappointment.

"Two bastards. They just ate a meal on us a few days ago, and now they don't recognize anyone," Third Uncle grumbled.

Sui Xi was even more dramatic. He jumped up from his seat and began yelling, "Director Li, you son of a bitch! How many years have I risked my life for you? Now some nobody comes along, and you get scared? I curse your ancestors! You're not going to help me anymore? Fine! I'll spill everything, and let's see how well you fare!"

Hearing this, Zhou Huan was instantly delighted. With a live witness now, the remaining material evidence would be easier to acquire. He suddenly recalled the fingerprints on the cell phone and the secrets behind those prints—it must have been these thugs. He looked at Sui Xi. "If you are truly willing to confess, I, Zhou Huan, guarantee you can stay. You will be credited with meritorious service, and the corresponding severity of your crimes will be lessened."

Sui Xi chuckled, licking his lips. "You really want to know? Well, then you have quite a task ahead of you. Do you know how difficult it is to drag a soul out of the last great mountain in the Yin Realm for reincarnation?"

"I, Zhou Huan, will find my own way. I hope you understand that the immediate issue to resolve is yours. Once that is settled, those other matters will naturally become easier." Zhou Huan paused, then countered, "For something as trivial as this, don't you know? A White Ceremony Master—a fake one?"

Zhou Huan's derision only irritated Sui Xi further. Finally, Sui Xi threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Zhou Huan, oh Zhou Huan, just what kind of person are you? Nothing escapes your notice. As long as it involves ghosts and monsters, I..." Sui Xi thought for a long time, finally grasping something, and his entire demeanor relaxed considerably.

The room fell silent for a long while. Sui Xi finally spoke. "Zhou Huan, I respect you. Fine. I will tell you everything about this matter properly. As for Third Uncle, you will have to ask him about that later."

Subsequently, Sui Xi detailed to Zhou Huan his relationship with Yang Xiaoling's grandfather and his ties to the several dead police officers.

In truth, the survival of Sui Xi's Song Sect in the area depended entirely on the protection of certain police contacts; they had absolutely no connection to Yang Xiaoling's grandfather. However, Yang Xiaoling's grandfather had a passion for photography. During one such photography session, he stumbled upon the Song Sect's black market dealings. It was because the flash on his camera hadn't been turned off that the Song Sect members discovered him, leading to his murder. At the time, they wanted to retrieve the camera from the old man, but he had vanished. If Zhou Huan hadn't found the location of the old man's death, Sui Xi probably would never have known where the camera was.

"Then let me ask you, what happened to the first few victims who died? And why did your Director Li call us here to handle this?" Zhou Huan pressed Sui Xi relentlessly.

But Sui Xi remained silent this time. It was Third Uncle who spoke up. "The previous deaths were caused by the old man's soul. Those victims were the Four Great Vajras of our Song Sect. As for why Director Li called you here, we have no idea."

Zhou Huan fell into deep contemplation. He turned, occasionally glancing sideways at the two men. He noticed that neither exhibited nervousness or agitation; their composure remained calm even after speaking. Relieved, he decided they were likely telling the truth. However, he reconsidered the situation: leaving them under his own guard seemed legally problematic. He immediately thought of Xiao Li, called him, arranged the necessary follow-up matters, and left Hong Kun behind. He took Dong Zi and Yang Xiaoling with him, heading straight for Yang Xiaoling's ancestral home.

"Brother Huan, I am originally from the countryside. After Grandpa returned from the Korean War, he went straight back to the village, where he had my father, and then I was born. Seeing how poor the family was getting day by day, he finally moved to the city to start a business," Xiaoling voluntarily confessed her background to Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan smiled softly. "That probably explains why you didn't tell me anything about your background at first. Don't worry; you don't need to say any more. I won't despise you or look down on you. Since fate has brought us together, let's be good to each other. That includes your Sister Xiaohe. I think we will all get along very well in the future. Although bigamy is a crime now, I will refrain from marrying for the time being."

"No, Sister Xiaohe has been with you for so long; you must give her a proper status. I am willing to be your..." Yang Xiaoling stopped there. Although a woman's instinctual desire for possession was warring within her, as Yang Xiaoling herself, she was capable of looking at things pragmatically; such matters were ultimately trivial.

Dong Zi listened from the side, blinking his small eyes rapidly, utterly confused, yet somehow understanding a little. He sat next to Zhou Huan, nudged him, and whispered, "Brother, I know about your affairs. Am I being a nuisance right now? Should I perhaps take a separate taxi?"

Zhou Huan looked at Dong Zi and placed both hands on his shoulders. "You are my brother across two lifetimes; how could you ever be a nuisance? Just listen."

Dong Zi grinned sheepishly. "Hehe, that's good. We are family from now on."

The driver chimed in. "Seeing how happy you are, that person in the back must be a big boss, to be able to have a second wife! I want one too."

Dong Zi's eyebrows shot up at that. "Drive your car! I still want one, and I don't even have one yet."

"Oh, really? I can tell this brother is a straightforward man. Since you are brothers with that boss, I happen to have a girl; she's quite pretty, and she only likes straightforward men. I've tried setting her up with many suitors, but she hasn't taken a liking to any. If you're willing, brother, I can play matchmaker." The driver was now trying to set Dong Zi up on a blind date.

Dong Zi’s raised eyebrows immediately dropped as his expression turned very animated. "That sounds wonderful! Please, introduce us! I'm eager to meet her!"