The asylum truly was the most utterly bizarre of places; in there, anything was possible. After their conversation, Zhou Huan and Ling Zi parted ways. Zhou Huan settled the affairs at the hospital, then, taking a few of his apprentices, headed back toward Fushoutang. As he was leaving, he made sure to help the doctors return the crazy driver to his private room.

But the fellow was genuinely unsettling. Zhou Huan had battled zombies all night, yet this man could still sleep soundly; they needed two or three people just to carry him, and he didn't stir in the slightest.

Zhou Huan and the others returned to Fushoutang. Before even entering, they saw a large pile of burnt paper ash near the doorway, which two sanitation workers were currently sweeping up. This sight immediately caught Zhou Huan's eye. He stopped his vehicle, instantly realizing that Hong Kun must have been busy here the night before. Without even turning off his car engine, he rushed inside, only to find Hong Kun lying flat on his back on the floor, snoring away.

"Hong Kun, Hong Kun!" Zhou Huan tried shaking him with his hand, but strangely, Hong Kun showed absolutely no reaction. This truly worried Zhou Huan. What on earth had happened to Hong Kun? He glanced around. "Help me clean up. This guy must have been busy last night. It seems this malevolent spirit wasn't for nothing. I suspect the one who came here last night was his true form, and the one at the psychiatric hospital was merely a mere Hunyǐng [Soul Shadow]."

"A Hunyǐng? Master, we've never heard you mention such a term before. Tell us, what exactly is a Hunyǐng?" Tian Xiong had always been inquisitive, and encountering a new term like this demanded a thorough explanation.

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "This Hunyǐng is generally a branch of a ghost's soul. Usually, people are said to have three Hún (souls) and seven Pò (specters); this Hunyǐng would be one of those three Hún. But even so, for a ghost to send out one of its three souls requires a certain level of cultivation; it's not something an ordinary vengeful spirit can accomplish. Look at the common vengeful spirits we see daily—their spiritual power isn't small, but they cannot achieve this. Therefore, any ghost capable of splitting off a Hunyǐng must have been someone who cultivated in life."

"Master, so, according to you, the flickering incident last night was all caused by this ghost?"

"Yes, that's my conjecture. This ghost not only splits off a Hunyǐng, but he can also control zombies. Remember what Ling Zi said this morning about their sect, the Zombie Gate? They specialized in researching zombies. I don't know if this fellow has any connection to the Zombie Gate, but I know for sure this ghost understands the Arts of the Zombie." After speaking, Zhou Huan fell into deep thought. Just as he was pondering, Hong Kun, who had been lying on the floor, suddenly shot up.

"Ling Zi, Ling Zi!" Hong Kun sounded utterly panicked, and he had actually called out Ling Zi's name.

Zhou Huan immediately sensed that Ling Zi must have also visited here last night, but he needed to understand why Hong Kun was fixated on her name, so he pressed him: "Hong Kun, what happened here yesterday, and why are you calling Ling Zi's name?"

"Ling Zi! Oh!" Hong Kun rubbed his eyes, catching his breath. "We almost couldn't hold this place last night. A huge swarm of things, seemingly zombies, appeared from nowhere. But these guys seemed able to pass through walls—our windows were locked tight, and I have no idea where they entered from. At first, I ignored them, but eventually, they started shoving their fingertips into my neck. I could feel the blood spurting out of my neck. When I opened my eyes to look, there was nothing in the room. But when I turned back, two real zombies were closing in on me. Just then, my body was completely locked down, unable to move at all. That's when Ling Zi appeared and helped deal with the zombies."

"Oh, and then what happened?"

"Afterward, Ling Zi asked me where you were. I told her. She said she needed to go find you. Only then did I rush out to burn a large pile of paper offerings and incinerate both those zombies." As Hong Kun spoke, he looked slightly embarrassed, as if he had something else weighing on his mind.

Zhou Huan saw it instantly. It seemed Hong Kun had developed feelings for Ling Zi. But could it be that a single heroic rescue by a beauty had made him fall so quickly?

"Hong Kun, let me ask you, do you have some special feelings for Ling Zi?" Zhou Huan was quite direct in his questioning; though he hadn't spoken plainly, he left Hong Kun no room for evasion on this matter.

Hong Kun grinned widely. "Master, you wouldn't believe it last night. Ling Zi is truly a heroine among beauties. Not only did she save me, but she also made me feel the warmth of a female presence for the very first time. That feeling was simply extraordinary."

"Alright, I won't meddle in your affairs. How you choose to interact with Ling Zi is your business. But Ling Zi is indeed one of those women with exceptional charisma. It seems the twitching in your right eye wasn't a sign of disaster, but perhaps an impending marriage!" Zhou Huan said this deliberately. In truth, he secretly hoped one of his apprentices would form a relationship with a woman from the Zombie Gate. If that happened, not only would the energy of Fushoutang increase, but a beautiful union would also be forged—what was there not to welcome?

Hong Kun scratched his head. He wasn't exactly young anymore; after some consideration, he supposed it was time to find a partner.

Zhou Huan then said, "Everyone rest up. Nothing major today. Go back and study your respective things, but one condition: I want each of you to give me your thoughts on this entire incident. Also, I'm going to see Ling Zi this afternoon; Hong Kun, you're coming with me!" With that, Zhou Huan headed upstairs.

Hong Kun, hearing this, naturally couldn't stop grinning. For him, this was wonderful news. Being able to see Ling Zi meant a chance for a deeper connection—it was obvious Zhou Huan was creating an opportunity for him.

Tian Xiong returned to his room and collapsed onto his bed, pondering the nature of the Hunyǐng. Was it a defined shape, or formless? Was what Zhou Huan described the exact appearance of what he had seen last night? Tian Xiong replayed the events of the previous night from beginning to end.

Before long, three people came bustling back into Fushoutang: Xiao He, Xiao Ling, and Da Luobo. Upon entering, they saw the main hall in disarray, as if a battle had just taken place. Looking at Hong Kun's appearance, they figured something had happened the night before. They intended to ask him about it, but to their surprise, the man was leaning on his hands, chin resting on his palms, staring blankly at the ceiling, completely lost in thought. He didn't even notice the three women returning.

"Hey, where's Siangsi?" Wang Xiao He asked immediately upon entering the room.

Unexpectedly, Hong Kun answered very readily, "Mhm, yes, Siangsi!" He even nodded firmly as he spoke.

This news excited both Wang Xiao He and Xiao Ling. Recently, another room had been cleared out in Fushoutang, reportedly set aside for an apprentice who found a partner and wanted to live together. Hearing that Hong Kun actually had this in mind, it seemed he already had a target. That’s why Xiao He asked: "Which family's girl? Has she taken a liking to you?"

"Mhm, I don't know," Hong Kun replied.

Hearing this, Xiao He smiled faintly. "You're just daydreaming!"

Just then, Zhou Huan was coming downstairs, and Tian Xiong happened to be heading to find him. When they both saw Hong Kun, Zhou Huan offered Tian Xiong a very fitting analogy: "Look at Hong Kun right now; that condition is called being physically present while the soul has flown. Often, a person must reach this state to ensure their soul can separate and become what we call a Hunyǐng."

"Oh, Master, I understand now. Then I won't bother you with questions. I came to ask you exactly about this matter. Since you've explained it, I must have figured it out." Tian Xiong replied, turned, and went back to his room, tilting his head back to sleep.

As soon as Zhou Huan reached the bottom floor and saw the two wives, he felt a surge of excitement too. It had been a long time since they had all sat down for a proper meal together. So, Zhou Huan decided he would cook the meal for that day, arranging for everyone in Fushoutang to dine together before they left in the afternoon.

Outside, the sky was hazy gray, and little gusts of wind made the large trees sway. Zhou Huan looked up and murmured, "Alas, looks like the weather is about to change again!"

"Master, bad news! My eyelid is twitching too!" Tian Xiong rushed out of his room in a flurry.