"If he is still unwell, I am willing to accept punishment," the Village Head said, his eyes glistening red as he looked at the check.

The crowd looked from the Village Head to Zhou Huan, ultimately choosing to believe their leader. They murmured in agreement, "That's right, the Village Head has done many good deeds for us over the years. We shouldn't trust an outsider this time. He says he's Zhou Huan, but who can verify that?"

Zhou Huan looked at the gathered people, his eyes filled only with helplessness and disappointment. After a long silence, he proposed, "This isn't about whether I am Zhou Huan. We must trust what the Village Head says. I will offer 100,000 first, and let the Village Head tell us when Yang San will recover."

"This..." The Village Head was no longer flustered as he had been initially. Seeing that the villagers still sided with him, he felt the danger receding and composed himself. He glanced sideways at the stack of checks in Zhou Huan's hand and stated, "One hundred thousand... that would take three days!"

"Three days won't do. I need him well in one day. Let's negotiate; no haggling. I'll give you 200,000... no, I'll donate 200,000 to the Tree God, and I'll have him well by tomorrow." As he spoke, Zhou Huan paused, then casually added another 100,000. "300,000. I need him well by tomorrow morning."

"Deal, no problem. I guarantee it on behalf of the Tree God!" As the Village Head spoke, his hand eagerly reached out for the stack of checks, but seeing the onlookers, he drew it back, straightened his posture, and declared, "Rest assured, he will be well by morning. With this much money donated to the Tree God, the deity won't mind the incident with the fire, will he? Let's all go back to sleep. Disperse!"

The villagers dispersed. A slight smile touched Zhou Huan's lips, but he noticed the Village Head, once the crowd was gone, rush to the base of the tree and frantically throw dirt against the blackened trunk. Soon, a small opening appeared in the burnt wood.

"Master Zhou, come, place the checks here!"

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "Very well, I shall place the checks inside!" He approached the Village Head, who started to reach for the checks, but Zhou Huan simply tossed the stack into the crack of the large tree. Turning back, he pulled out a talisman. "I'll ask two Door Gods to stand guard!" With a wave of his hand, the talisman flashed, and two fierce-looking, malevolent spirits materialized on either side of the tree.

"Master Zhou, what a rare sight! We've been utterly idle lately!" the coarse voices of the Door Gods rattled the Village Head's eardrums.

Zhou Huan's smile widened. "I apologize for the intrusion. I only asked you here to guard the money in the tree hollow and ensure no one takes it. If Yang San is not better by tomorrow, I will need to retrieve it."

The two Door Gods glanced around the area and roared heartily, "No problem! Anyone who dares touch the money in that hole, we'll skin them alive." They then planted themselves firmly, their weapons extending from their hands, transforming into two distinct armaments.

The Village Head's face instantly paled, his brow furrowing slightly.

Zhou Huan fixed his gaze on the Village Head, then deliberately asked, "How are they, Village Head? Aren't these two Door Gods quite imposing?"

"Uh... very imposing!" The Village Head's eyes darted uncertainly. Seeing the two spirits standing steadfastly, he said to Zhou Huan, "Master Zhou, in that case, we should go back and wait. We'll meet here tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, and bring Yang San along."

"Very well. I shall return home and await the good news." Zhou Huan parted ways with Yang Xiaoling and the Village Head. Midway down the path, Zhou Huan said they still had much to do. As he spoke, he ignited a talisman with his finger and gently brushed the resulting ash onto Xiaoling's eyes.

"Brother Huan, what is this..." Yang Xiaoling began to ask, but then noticed she was suddenly surrounded by figures.

Zhou Huan chuckled. "Don't worry. These are just spirits I summoned. They won't harm anyone; they're just acting as our eyes, especially since normal people can't see them."

"So the ash you just put in my eyes was from that talisman?"

"Precisely." Zhou Huan beckoned to a group of the wandering spirits. "Listen up, you two Door Gods are guarding the great tree. The rest of you, go to the Village Head’s house and watch him. Report any changes immediately. Also, send two of you to find Dongzi and post sentries around him. The rest will follow me home."

These spirits obeyed Zhou Huan completely, dispersing to carry out their assigned tasks. Zhou Huan led Yang Xiaoling toward the ancestral home, exchanging laughter along the way.

Once inside, Yang Xiaoling and Zhou Huan sat on the heated brick bed (kang). On the small table rested several plates of dumplings. Zhou Huan moved the dumplings aside. "We can't eat these. If we do, we'll become the same age as Yang San. Be careful!" Then Zhou Huan looked up toward the ceiling and smiled. "What a clumsy thief. They left evidence behind even after leaving."

"What evidence?"

"Look at this thin thread, resting right on top of the dumplings. I guarantee those dumplings are laced with poison right now."

Yang Xiaoling examined them closely, then asked Zhou Huan, "Brother Huan, if it's just one thread, then the other two plates of dumplings must be fine, right?"

"How could they be fine? Look at the white residue on the table, the fresh footprints on the floor, and is the military uniform on the kang in the same place as when you arrived?" Zhou Huan’s rapid-fire questions made Yang Xiaoling realize the meticulous nature of his observation, missing nothing.

Yang Xiaoling picked up her grandfather's set of military clothes and suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute, Brother Huan, we put this uniform in the wardrobe earlier, didn't we? Why is it back on the kang now?"

"That proves one thing: this person came into this room previously to place your grandfather's uniform here." Zhou Huan mused. "Not only did they place the uniform, but the struggle in the small room was very likely connected to this person."

"Then what do you think this person's motive is?"

"Only one motive: your grandfather's prescription," Zhou Huan stated firmly and resolutely.

Yang Xiaoling exclaimed, "Then I understand! Because adults in the village sometimes regress into children, and it's happening more frequently lately. Who is most affected?"

"The Village Head!"

"Then, what must he do? He must be trying to obtain the prescription everywhere, which led him to find Grandpa. For some reason, Grandpa refused to give the Village Head the prescription because the Village Head proposed some financial incentives, but Grandpa is an old stickler; he insisted on free treatment. This caused a dispute. Grandpa fought in wars; even at his age, beating someone like the Village Head would be easy, and as an old soldier, no one would dare provoke him. So, the Village Head grew suspicious." Yang Xiaoling constructed the narrative.

Zhou Huan smiled. "That's the story. There’s one more thing: your grandfather was abducted because they wanted the prescription. See the formula written on his desk? Parts of it have been torn away, meaning he was desperate and forced to leave this partial formula before being taken."

"Master Zhou, ho-ho! We are getting dizzy listening to this analysis. Why did you call us here?" The two spirits were growing impatient, utterly lost in the complex reasoning between Zhou Huan and Yang Xiaoling.

Zhou Huan turned and snapped, "What's the hurry? Go stand aside. I'll dismiss you in ten minutes!" Then Zhou Huan stepped down, smashed a table leaning against the wall, and pulled out a hidden compartment. Inside were dried leaves and a photograph of the Marriage Tree at the edge of the village. Beneath the photo was a note: The village's Marriage Tree blooms every three years, scattering numerous seeds. These seeds can restore youth, but too many will regress a person to infancy. Therefore, this tree is highly toxic and should be transplanted soon.

Yang Xiaoling and Zhou Huan exchanged looks; they seemed to understand everything now. For the sake of his political achievements and wealth, the Village Head fabricated the Tree God story. He then suppressed the news about the seeds, allowing the periodic poisoning incidents to occur systematically. He would then direct people to donate money to the Tree God, secretly using Grandpa's formula to heal the victims. This way, his words became gospel, the villagers naturally supported him, and his position as Village Head was secure, securing both power and wealth.

Just as they reached this conclusion, they heard a frantic shout from the edge of the village: "Bad news! Master Zhou has turned small! Help! Save my brother! If we don't hurry, it will be too late!"

"That's Dongzi. The kid really has a booming voice. Come with me, my two spirit friends, we’re going to catch the Village Head." Zhou Huan smiled, grabbing Yang Xiaoling's hand, and they sprinted toward the village edge.