The driver, seeing Zhou Huan’s sharp reprimand, turned the color of a purple eggplant, his mouth clamped shut as if holding a piece of raw iron, completely unable to utter a word, left staring blankly at Zhou Huan’s expression, awaiting his next move.

Zhou Huan pressed closer, demanding, "Are you the driver for Dongzi’s subsidiary?"

The man dared not speak, managing only a nod, his eyes threatening to spill tears.

In truth, Tian Xiong didn't look menacing, but because the man was clutching a substantial sum of money, his nerves were already taut. Seeing Tian Xiong's firm demeanor only deepened his terror, making him believe they were robbers.

“Brother, I haven’t done anything bad, I just gamble. Look, this is just what I won back today. How about we split it fifty-fifty? Just let me go!” the driver pleaded bitterly.

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. “We don’t want the money. Look behind you, see if you can recall anything.”

The driver cautiously glanced back, and a paper effigy of a white horse stood vividly before his eyes. He instantly broke out in a cold sweat, feeling certain his doom was sealed. Overwhelmed by panic, he desperately cried out, “Two immortals, spirit immortals! I just gamble! The horse for Tingting—it wasn’t that I wouldn’t burn it, I just needed to wait until dawn! Please don't kill me!”

“I’m afraid you won’t live to see the dawn to burn the horse. From now on, you do exactly as I say. If you disobey, no one can save you.” Zhou Huan’s tone was stern this time, yet this very sternness provided the driver some inner comfort; he realized Zhou Huan and Tian Xiong were not ghosts, and their words seemed intended for his benefit.

The driver slowly turned back, his eyes widening again. He wiped the sweat from his brow. “Big brothers, who might you be?”

“I am Zhou Huan, Dongzi’s elder brother. We are from the Fushou Hall. We will drive you to your company shortly. You will burn this horse right by your company entrance, then you hand this money over to me. Come back tomorrow morning to collect it, otherwise, I fear this chest of money will turn into paper gold and ingots burned for your own funeral,” Zhou Huan stated with absolute certainty. Moreover, this was a fact beyond the driver’s ability to question, leaving him with no choice but to believe.

So the driver nodded and sat quietly in the car, not daring to move an inch. With Tian Xiong sitting right beside him, he felt compelled to remain vigilant and cautious, not daring to make any sudden moves.

Zhou Huan started the car quickly. The process of burning the horse needed to be completed before dawn, otherwise, the driver’s end was likely to mirror that of Hu Tingting and the foreman.

The car soon stopped in front of Dongzi’s sales floor. Zhou Huan called out to Tian Xiong, “Put some cinnabar on the driver’s Yintang point, have him lead the horse down himself, and set it alight.”

Tian Xiong casually pulled out cinnabar and yellow wine from his pocket, mixed them, and applied the paste to the driver’s Yintang acupoint. The driver then carefully carried the horse out of the vehicle. Zhou Huan handed him a torch, which he lit. At this moment, Zhou Huan and Tian Xiong began chanting incantations until the paper horse was completely consumed, whereupon they stopped.

“Master Zhou, I’ve burned it. What should I do next?”

“Turn around and go home. No matter what happens, do not look back. Just go home and sleep. Tomorrow, wear a clean set of clothes and come to my Fushou Hall in the morning. If the company won’t allow leave, ask for it first—you must come. Then I will tell you what to do next.” After this, Zhou Huan and Tian Xiong got back into the car, which sped directly back to the Fushou Hall.

The driver stood alone where the paper horse had been burned. He was genuinely frightened and felt compelled to follow Zhou Huan’s instructions, walking step by step toward his home. As he walked, he heard the distinct sound of car headlights shining on him from behind, followed by a honk.

Remembering Zhou Huan’s strict command not to turn back, the driver kept walking forward, but he couldn't shake the pursuing car. On a sudden impulse, he spun around to shout a curse, only to see the car stomp on the accelerator—bang—and the driver was thrown several meters by the impact.

Fortunately, the driver of the striking vehicle quickly got out and rushed the injured man to the hospital. The doctor’s initial diagnosis was a broken left lower leg, requiring hospitalization.

“Doctor, please find someone from the Fushou Hall for me! I need to ask them something!” the driver shouted from the emergency gurney.

Meanwhile, Zhou Huan and Tian Xiong drove back to the Fushou Hall. Upon entering, they found Bingyuan and Hongkun tidying the Soul Summoning Altar.

“Master, the soul summoning went smoothly this time. I managed to extract a lot of information, but one thing puzzles me: Hu Tingting’s death was apparently orchestrated by a luminous orb. She said she just found this out from the Underworld herself. We already sent her successfully into the netherworld, and yet this thing even sent a message via the Black and White Impermanence guards. That’s quite something!”

Zhou Huan remained silent, plopping down heavily onto a hall chair. He picked up a cup of cooled tea and took a sip. “A luminous orb? That orb sounds like the one we saw a few times before. But why is it specifically targeting people connected to Dongzi’s company? And where did the 'Black Death Qi' originate? What about that manager? Understanding these points is key to unraveling this whole affair, because these are things we’ve never encountered before. Therefore, starting tomorrow, we must proceed with caution and strive to locate that luminous orb as quickly as possible. I suspect it is the mastermind behind all this.”

“Master, are you saying that luminous orb is a sentient entity capable of discrimination?” Tian Xiong stepped forward to inquire.

Zhou Huan nodded confidently, offering no further explanation. Just then, Zhou Huan’s phone rang again. Seeing it was an old acquaintance from the hospital, he answered without hesitation.

“Master Zhou, I have an injured patient here who was just hit by a car. He is vehemently demanding that we contact you; he says he has something he needs to ask of you.”

“This…” Zhou Huan’s mind filled with question marks. Could the driver from moments ago really have gotten into trouble? Death was unlikely, but trouble had certainly erupted now. Zhou Huan replied, “How about this: I will dispatch someone immediately. Whatever he needs, please relay the message to him!”

“Understood. We trust everyone from your Fushou Hall!”

Zhou Huan hung up the phone and called Shi Bingyuan and Hongkun. “You two need to make another trip—head to the orthopedic emergency room at the hospital. That driver probably had a traffic accident. Once you get there, find out what the issue is, leave him a protective talisman against spirits, and then come back to rest!”

The two had just finished packing up the Soul Summoning Altar. They immediately changed their clothes and headed out.

Zhou Huan had initially intended to go himself, but he suddenly recalled that while they were burning the horse outside Dongzi’s company, it felt as if someone had been watching them the entire time—watching him and Tian Xiong burn the effigy. Zhou Huan decided to execute a tactical return, wanting to see precisely who had been observing them.

Zhou Huan left Tian Xiong and Dongzi at home and drove off alone. He parked his car at the intersection across the street from Dongzi’s company, got out, and quietly approached the company gate.

Strangely, a figure was lingering at the very spot where the paper horse had been burned. Long hair hung loose around the person, who appeared to be wearing ancient clothing—not Qing Dynasty, but resembling Tang Dynasty attire. What was this person doing? After watching for a moment longer, Zhou Huan watched in disbelief as this figure pulled a paper horse up from the ground.

“What? Isn't that the horse we just burned for Tingting? How did it end up in his hands?” Zhou Huan muttered to himself while hiding nearby.

After another short wait, Zhou Huan saw another spirit emerge behind the man holding the horse. This spirit also had long hair. As soon as it appeared, it helped the first figure mount the horse. Then, the person on the horse bound the second figure behind the steed. With the crack of a whip, the horse and both figures vanished into a blur.

Zhou Huan immediately rushed to the spot where the pair had disappeared, but when he scanned the area, there was no trace of anyone.

The sky slowly began to brighten, and the sanitation workers started their morning shift. Zhou Huan stood rooted to the spot for a long time until someone called out to him, pulling him back to awareness.

“Sir, please step aside, we need to start setting up for business!”

It turned out the sales floor staff were opening up. Apparently, there was some kind of promotion scheduled for that day, requiring them to place banners and signs in front of Dongzi’s company, so they needed Zhou Huan to clear the area.