Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan locked eyes, a silent exchange conveying the next steps of their plan. With a slight nod, they each settled into a meditative posture, drawing the Celestial Dragon Mudras. These hand seals, rooted in the sacred gestures left by ancient Buddhist sages upon achieving enlightenment, carried immense power, even in their mere form.

"Master, which incantation shall we chant?" Shi Bingyuan readied himself to echo Zhou Huan's words.

But Zhou Huan remained silent, only softly murmuring, "Driver, have you decided where we’re going next?"

"Where I go is none of your concern. Besides, you are utterly infuriating. My eyelids have been twitching incessantly, and I keep wondering why you insist on meddling in my affairs—it's just asking for trouble. That’s why I decided on this Heavenly Secret Masterstroke: I’ll turn you into a zombie tonight. Yes, tonight is a perfect opportunity. I hope we can bring our affair to a satisfying close," the Driver declared with audacious arrogance, as if no one present could possibly handle him. And indeed, based on their previous encounter, Zhou Huan and his companions were clearly no match for him.

Zhou Huan’s expression remained utterly still as he watched the Driver slowly approach, flanked by the horde of zombies.

Shi Bingyuan grew anxious on the sidelines. The zombies were nearly upon Zhou Huan; their long fangs had already crossed the perimeter Shi Bingyuan had drawn. Although the circle was marked with dog's blood paste, causing the Driver's fangs to smoke ominously, the Driver seemed utterly unconcerned. He ignored the smoke and the minor injuries, as the damage posed no real threat. Zhou Huan’s neck was now touched by the fang, and the foul breath of Death began to spread across his body.

"Master, act now! If you don't, they'll breach our defensive line!" Shi Bingyuan was practically vibrating with urgency.

Zhou Huan still made no move, simply watching the Driver's actions as the zombies pressed in closely behind him.

Just then, a cascade of Buddhist Vajra Sutra mantras, inscribed in shimmering gold dust, rained down from the sky. Each slip of scripture acted like a razor-sharp blade; where it struck a zombie, the body instantly split in two, thick black smoke billowing from the severed edges.

"Zhou Huan, what trick is this? What in the world is this?" The Driver went berserk. It was too late for him to strike Zhou Huan now. His own body was sliced into three parts by the paper fragments—head, torso, and legs separated—and the so-called Zombie King instantly turned to ash.

Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan exchanged knowing smiles and then leaped down from the roof of the plaza's colonnade. Two figures, Tian Xiong and Dong Zi, emerged, both holding crimson paper inscribed with the Vajra Sutra in golden ink. The zombies, confronted by something so pure, froze in shock. Upon touching these miraculous objects, they could not evade the contact and were forcibly torn apart, their corpses shattered.

The Driver's severed head rolled onto the ground, still muttering, "Good one, Zhou Huan, you dared to scheme against me! We had no inherent feud, only a relationship of mutual utility, but now we are enemies. Very well, I’ll show you my true form. Did you think those two fools you left in Fushou Hall could handle me? Dream on! Wait for news of your disciple and your disciple’s wife's corpses!"

A beam of white light shot out from the Driver's remains, ascending high into the sky and heading directly toward Zhou Huan’s Fushou Hall.

"Hmph, so the true form finally emerges. That initial white light must have been him. But who was that man on horseback, and the one disguised as Hu Tingting? What role did they play?" Zhou Huan pondered, eventually deciding those details were secondary. He was certain this entity was the mastermind.

Shi Bingyuan rose to clean up the scene, then turned to Zhou Huan, "Master, I’ll handle things here. Old Monk Dehong is likely already performing rites at Fushou Hall. Sending the villain there was exactly within your trap, Master."

"What choice did I have? He insisted on playing so many games with us from the start, always misleading us for no reason," Zhou Huan chuckled. "Don't worry. Most of these corpses here will probably get up and help later. If any haven't fully recovered, make sure to check them properly. Don't mistake a lingering zombie for a corpse and dispose of it; that would unnecessarily create bad karma."

"Rest assured, Master. Nothing will go wrong here. You should return first; we can't leave the Dharma Master working alone."

Zhou Huan nodded, turned, left the asylum, and drove away.

Meanwhile, that white light, upon exiting the asylum, pierced toward Zhou Huan's Fushou Hall, fueled by deep-seated hatred. As the beam entered the hall, it saw Lingzi and Hong Kun sharing tea. It immediately tried to force its way into Lingzi’s body. But before it could enter, it noticed a red banner following closely behind it. As the banner approached the white light, the light tried to evade, only to be instantly trapped by a mirror that appeared from nowhere—a bronze mirror, which sucked the white light inside.

"Amitabha!" Following this, a tonsured monk emerged from a corner on the second floor, holding the bronze mirror firmly, completely enveloping the white light. He then tucked the mirror into his satchel.

The screech of brakes sounded outside the door. Zhou Huan hurried in and immediately asked, "Master De, how is it?"

"Master Zhou, rest assured. This entity has been secured by me. After returning, I will consecrate it atop the Grand Bell Tower and let it serve as the Bell-Guarding Spirit of the Buddhist gates."

"I thank you for your trouble, Dharma Master," Zhou Huan replied, bowing respectfully.

The old monk Dehong then spoke with a benevolent expression, "It is but a small effort. Master Zhou, your consideration is excellent; giving this poor soul a good destination is ultimately for the best. Otherwise, who knows what other unspeakable things he might commit in the future."

"Alas, at first, I intended to destroy him, but after much thought, sending him to your Buddhist realm to become a disciple seems to be his best possible outcome. Otherwise, he had only two choices: eternal non-rebirth, or enduring ten Great Tribulations in hell before even hoping to regain recognition. Only by staying with you does he have hope," Zhou Huan said, subtly requesting the old monk's assistance.

"Worry not, Master Zhou. Since the immediate danger is over, I shall take him back now. Also, I will take the restless spirits from your Purple Jade Gourd with me. It would likely be troublesome for you to send them now, so this old monk will handle that chore."

"That’s no problem at all. But—speaking of which—I saw the old monk capture that white light in the bronze mirror. How exactly did you achieve that?" Zhou Huan, intrigued by the method, pressed Dehong, a result of mutual exchange, as Zhou Huan often shared techniques of the Longevity Masters with the monastic community.

"Master Zhou, you may not know, but once this malevolent spirit enters my bronze mirror, I guarantee it will never dissipate and float around aimlessly again."

"Is it truly that miraculous? I, Zhou Huan, must observe this carefully. I wish to see the differences between the Buddhist methodologies and those of us Longevity Masters."

The old monk Dehong smiled, drew out the bronze mirror, and with a mere turn of his palm, released the white light back out. The light slowly settled onto the floor, gradually forming a deep, ethereal shadow. The shape of the shadow looked incredibly familiar to Zhou Huan. He stared for nearly ten minutes before regaining his composure. When he finally did, he couldn't quite believe his eyes. But a fact was a fact; this person was an old friend of Zhou Huan’s, a connection that couldn't be explained in a few sentences. This made Zhou Huan even more astonished.

"Zhou Huan, I never expected that after all this time, you would still recognize me. It is rare for you, my old brother," the spirit spoke.

Zhou Huan smiled sheepishly. "I failed you. I truly had no idea you were involved here."