Laojun left Zhou Huan the Qiankun Mirror, capable of seeing past and present lives. As Zhou Huan gazed into it, he was suddenly struck by the desolation of his own destiny. Though he had many disciples, fame, and wealth, the singular sorrow was the horrific way he had died in his previous life, and the entanglement of his love life!

"Master, is that you in the mirror?" Shi Bingyuan asked Zhou Huan, perplexed.

Zhou Huan nodded silently, then shook his head again: "This must be my fate."

In truth, what Zhou Huan saw in the mirror reflected the karmic ties of his past life. His experiences were entirely different from the "Daqing Comeback"—Zhou Huan had risen to fame by saving people and spirits, only to meet his end at the hands of Heshen, a fate called "burial accompaniment."

In the cycle of reincarnation, Zhou Huan was relatively fortunate; he had managed to bring his disciples with him into the modern age. Looking into the mirror, he saw Shi Bingyuan, Tianxiong, Dongzi, Xiaofang, and even the rabbit had been reincarnated. Xiaofang was now the Great Radish, and the rabbit was Yang Xiaoling. As for Wang Xiaohe, the mirror offered no explanation, only telling Zhou Huan that upon returning, he must persist in his career as a Death Master, as this endeavor would aid his next reincarnation.

At this very moment, Zhou Huan was thinking not of reincarnation, but of avoiding it—he wished only to drift eternally in a world devoid of emotion, for the emotional entanglement he faced now was inexplicable: marriage was hard to achieve, and there was no affinity for children.

"Master, is that Xiaohe?" Shi Bingyuan’s sharp call pulled Zhou Huan from his reverie.

Zhou Huan looked closely and saw that a figure seemed to perpetually follow behind Xiaohe—a figure Zhou Huan could not quite identify, someone he had never seen before. It was truly strange.

"Bingyuan, no, we must return immediately. There is something unknown clinging to Xiaohe. It seems the people back home cannot handle this." Zhou Huan was anxious, even willing to abandon waiting for his other disciple to return, rushing back to save his fiancée—this was the very crux of his emotional conflict.

"Master, what about Tianxiong? He hasn't shown up yet!" Shi Bingyuan said, a touch of panic in his voice.

Zhou Huan considered this problem. One was his disciple, the other the woman he loved; both were equally dear. Letting either go was unbearable. What was he to do?

As he wrestled with this dilemma, he heard a voice behind him: "Master, may we depart now?"

Zhou Huan started in surprise and turned. It was Tianxiong, the one he had been waiting for. Zhou Huan had no idea where this fellow had just returned from, but seeing Tianxiong instantly settled the turmoil in his heart: "Good, good, we can leave. We'll discuss everything when we get back!"

"Very well, I came this time to send you back!" Tianxiong said, and from some unseen source, he produced a mirror. It was a mirror facing a mirror. As the two reflective surfaces met, a shimmering portal instantly opened within Laojun’s Doushuai Palace—a passage formed entirely of light. Following Tianxiong’s guidance, Zhou Huan stepped step-by-step into the vortex.

"Master, Senior Brother, go safely. I will not return with you. When you get back, you will naturally forget I ever existed. Hurry and save Mistress’s soul; her spiritual body is in grave danger right now." Saying this, Tianxiong casually closed the tunnel woven from beams of light.

Zhou Huan called out Tianxiong’s name repeatedly, but the passage moved with impossible speed. In an instant, Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan found themselves hurtling through the clouds. Moments later, they pierced the cloud cover and began a slow descent, gradually settling above Baoguang Temple. Looking through the roof of the Scripture Repository, Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan saw their physical bodies. What puzzled them was that Tianxiong’s body was nowhere in sight. Without further hesitation, the two souls smoothly returned to their waiting flesh.

Given that the physical bodies had been unoccupied by soul energy for many days, there was no immediate, overwhelming surge of spiritual essence.

"Master, where is Tianxiong?" Shi Bingyuan asked, already searching the surroundings.

Zhou Huan scanned the area, then slowly stood up. "Bingyuan, let's leave the seclusion. We will know what happened once we are outside!"

After securing the qi within their bodies, the two men slowly walked out. Outside the Scripture Repository, Dongzi, Xiaohe, and Xiaoling, who had been guarding the entrance for days, were waiting. From a distance, the Great Radish came running back clutching a large cloth bundle. Upon seeing Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan emerge, the Radish froze, stunned.

"Great Radish, what are you carrying?" Zhou Huan inquired.

"Brother Zhou, this is all Tianxiong’s stuff. When he left, he said we might need it while guarding the entrance for you."

Zhou Huan and Shi Bingyuan exchanged a look, then turned to Xiaohe. "What happened to Tianxiong?"

Wang Xiaohe’s tone, judging by her speech, was far calmer than what Zhou Huan had seen in the mirror; she seemed completely normal. "Brother Huan, Tianxiong, he—" Xiaohe paused, seeming hesitant.

Zhou Huan nodded and smiled gently. "It's alright, just tell me. Where did Tianxiong go?"

"Tianxiong came out of seclusion a few days ago. He told us someone was coming to find him. We saw all the monks in the temple go out, and then we saw Tianxiong leave with that old monk who arrived. As he left, he said he wouldn't be back and that we should use all his things. That’s it," Xiaohe recounted.

Zhou Huan nodded, a realization dawning. The old monk who arrived must have been his old friend. Tianxiong had been his disciple before, only serving as Zhou Huan's disciple for a time due to karmic alignment. Now that the alignment had ended, it was natural for him to depart.

"Brother Huan, what do we do now? Has the matter of that old lady been resolved? And what about Tianlang?" Dongzi, seemingly at some point having regained his memory and sense of concern, asked.

"It's fine. Tianlang won't bother us anymore. That old lady was Xiao Yun from back then. It’s complicated, but since we resolved that issue, it’s certainly a good thing," Zhou Huan replied.

As he spoke, Zhou Huan reached behind him and felt something hard. Pulling it out, he found the honorary plaque bestowed by the Emperor, engraved on a piece of gold. This gold shone with exceptional brilliance, casting a beam of light that revealed the rear gate of the monastery. Footsteps approached, and a large contingent of monks appeared, led by the Abbot of Baoguang Temple.

"Master Zhou, you have completed your seclusion. I sensed movement in the Scripture Repository last night and felt your emergence was imminent. Excellent! Our refectory has prepared a vegetarian meal, and we sincerely invite Master Zhou to dine with us before departing!" The Abbot was exceedingly polite, even though Zhou Huan was a secular person.

Zhou Huan bent deeply, bowing. "Thank you, Abbot, for your care during my seclusion. I am deeply grateful, and having no way to repay you, I leave this imperial plaque to your esteemed temple as a gift. Should our Shou Shi Sect ever vanish from the world, you may take this plaque and dedicate it to Buddhism, symbolizing the dedication of all the past masters of our lineage as well."

"Amitabha. If Master Zhou holds this intention, it could not be better. How about this: we shall conduct the dedication ceremony this afternoon. It will fulfill your wish and save future trouble, and simultaneously serve as a ceremony to welcome your emergence from seclusion—consider it a Dharma assembly," the Abbot proposed, displaying thorough consideration. Zhou Huan readily agreed, finding the plan excellent.

Upon entering the refectory, the Offering Mantra was recited first. Then, they were seated according to rank, with the Master taking precedence. As Zhou Huan was not a monk, he sat further back. The women were seated opposite him, adhering to the monastic rule that men and women must remain separated.

Zhou Huan noticed the meal the Abbot had prepared was meticulous and thoughtful. Those who have fasted for a long time must first consume thin congee and only a small amount.

Zhou Huan and the other ate slowly. Fortunately, they felt remarkably comfortable; the thin congee soothed their stomachs perfectly.

After the meal, everyone proceeded to the Mahavira Hall. Under the Abbot’s direction, the grand Dedication Ceremony commenced. First, Zhou Huan and his group were dressed in Haiqing robes. Then, the men and women separated within the hall, and the temple’s monks donned their Kasaya robes. Soon after, the large chime sounded, and the lead monk began chanting the Vows of Refuge.

Zhou Huan and his party knelt, pressing their palms together, gazing at the great Buddha before them with profound reverence. At that moment, their minds felt astonishingly clear and tranquil. Unconsciously, Zhou Huan felt tears welling up—he was crying, yet he understood his sorrow was for his destiny, and for the souls of all living beings.

"I take refuge in the Buddha, the honored of the two perfected ones. I take refuge in the Dharma, the honored of non-attachment. I take refuge in the Sangha, the honored among the multitude. By taking refuge in the Buddha, may all beings avoid falling into the hells. By taking refuge in the Dharma, may all beings avoid falling among hungry ghosts. By taking refuge in the Sangha, may all beings avoid falling among beasts. Vowing to take refuge in the Buddha, may all beings attain the Great Dao and awaken the supreme mind. Vowing to take refuge in the Dharma, may all beings deeply study the Sutras and achieve wisdom as vast as the ocean. Vowing to take refuge in the Sangha, may all beings lead the great assembly harmoniously, unobstructed in all things. Homage to the holy multitude." As the presiding Abbot chanted the vows, Zhou Huan felt the zhenqi within his body surge rapidly. He sensed his power was multiplying manifold beyond his previous level.

Suddenly, his eyes shone with an unusual light. He saw the shadow constantly accompanying Wang Xiaohe—this shadow was certainly not a natural human shadow; it had to be a wandering spirit. But why would such a malevolent spirit dare enter a sacred place like a temple? This seemed wrong. Who, then, was this dark shape?

Zhou Huan pondered this ceaselessly. The dedication ceremony ended, and Zhou Huan finally felt utterly lightened. Looking at Wang Xiaohe before him, he smiled. "Xiaohe, you’ve worked hard during this time. How is the renovation of the Hall of Fortune and Longevity coming along?"

"Don't worry, Brother Huan. We guarantee you'll have a new house to live in when you return. The Hall of Fortune and Longevity is absolutely spacious enough now. Old Mr. Wang considered everything for us; when we return, there will be a separate room for everyone."