Zhou Huan led his disciples toward the newly completed Fushou Hall. Hong Kun was the designated driver for the day; Zhou Huan had just emerged from his seclusion and delegated all driving duties to Hong Kun, who took to the task with earnest dedication, clearly enjoying it.

The vehicle slowly pulled up to the entrance of Fushou Hall. At first glance, Zhou Huan barely recognized the place. Standing at the entrance was a group of people, led by Old Mr. Wang, whose face always held that gentle, benevolent smile for Zhou Huan. He was clearly overjoyed to see Zhou Huan emerge safely from seclusion.

“Master Zhou, congratulations! Congratulations on the successful completion of your seclusion. I wonder if you feel any readjustment now that you’ve just returned?” Old Mr. Wang maintained his caring tone.

Zhou Huan smiled. “It’s all thanks to you, Old Mr. Wang. You’ve done a magnificent job rebuilding Fushou Hall. I hope this construction hasn't disturbed the neighbors.”

“Rest assured, I treated all the surrounding neighbors to tea during the renovation. We only allowed those sensitive to noise back after the workers clocked out each day. After a while, even those who minded the noise stopped complaining. Besides, our renovation scope wasn't that extensive. Come, let’s go inside and take a look!” Old Mr. Wang ushered Zhou Huan into Fushou Hall.

The moment Zhou Huan stepped inside, a grand atmosphere surged into his vision. Every wall wasn't simply painted white; they were faced with marble, and each slab was intricately carved with different, vividly lifelike patterns. This was the main hall. At the far end of the hall was a fixed altar—it had been constructed precisely according to Old Mr. Wang’s meticulous records of Zhou Huan’s every ritual, built in Zhou Huan’s most frequently used style. The entire structure was wooden, and the wall behind the altar featured the Wuji symbol, signifying Zhou Huan’s core philosophy.

“Master Zhou, let’s go upstairs and see how the residential area turned out?” Old Mr. Wang suggested.

Zhou Huan paused, then asked, “Old Mr. Wang, our living quarters are of no concern; any style is fine. What I really want to know is, is my study still located together with the ancestral hall of the Shoushi School, as it was before?”

“Hahaha, of course. Come, Master Zhou, follow me!” Old Mr. Wang led Zhou Huan toward a passageway to the right of the altar. Upon entering the passage, they were met with large, ancient-looking double wooden doors. Opening them, the first thing to catch Zhou Huan’s eye was the book of incantations he had personally compiled, every chant engraved onto the screen partition just inside the study.

Zhou Huan was instantly overcome with emotion. “Old Mr. Wang, I truly don't know how to thank you. This is truly magnificent!” As he spoke, his eyes shone with joyful light. In his heart, Zhou Huan felt this arrangement would offer solace to the patriarchs of the Shoushi School, who had passed down their teachings from his previous life. In this current age, achieving Zhou Huan’s level of attainment made such a result especially noteworthy.

“Brother Huan, are you satisfied?” Xiao He rarely concerned herself with such matters, but today she strangely asked Zhou Huan this question. Had she been involved in overseeing these arrangements while he was in seclusion?

“Yes, yes, Xiao He, you’ve put in a great effort too. Brother Huan truly doesn’t know how to thank you!” Zhou Huan still held a very sincere and deep affection for Xiao He.

Seeing Zhou Huan like this warmed Xiao He’s heart considerably. Old Mr. Wang chuckled at the scene. “That’s enough now. Xiao He worked tirelessly while you were secluded. Since today is your first day back together, have a good reunion. I must leave; there are urgent matters at the company. Farewell!” With that, Old Mr. Wang departed with a broad smile and drove away.

For this renovation, Old Mr. Wang had also acquired the adjacent two-story shop premises next to Zhou Huan’s old Fushou Hall, integrating it into the structure, which expanded the entire Fushou Hall complex. Truthfully, the new Fushou Hall brought Zhou Huan a sudden, profound sense of awe.

The day had been busy. Fushou Hall followed its old customs: Dongzi and Da Luobo managed the cooking. This time, the kitchen had been moved to the second floor, fully equipped with modern gas stoves, range hoods, and everything necessary. Dongzi was utterly delighted; he cooked with gusto.

“Dinner is served!” Dongzi shouted from the kitchen. Zhou Huan then led Xiao He, followed by Xiaoling, Shi Bingyuan, and Hong Kun, all taking their seats in the second-floor dining room, which was large enough to accommodate nearly thirty people simultaneously.

However, as Zhou Huan sat down at the table, he felt a jarring strangeness: Tian Xiong was absent. Having been together for so long, recalling the memories shared with Tian Xiong gave Zhou Huan a pang of sadness. He sighed heavily, turning back to the others. “It’s truly unsettling with one less person. I’m not eating; I’m going back to rest. You all eat slowly!”

Zhou Huan’s departure was definitive. The remaining people lost their appetites. In the end, only Dongzi was left eating. Da Luobo had also retreated to his room. Watching the situation unfold, Dongzi ended up eating alone.

Dongzi cared little for the fuss. Although he understood the reason behind their mood, he remained remarkably unfazed. “These people—it’s just one person missing, and they stop eating? If two were gone, I might be laid off! Honestly. If they won't eat this food, won’t it just go to waste tomorrow?”

Zhou Huan returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed, instantly falling into a deep sleep. It seemed the trip to Da Qing had been exhausting.

Dongzi devoured his meal in the dining room like a whirlwind, immediately starting to clear the dishes and pack things away toward the kitchen while he ate. By the time he finished, the dining table was spotless. As Dongzi busied himself in the kitchen, preparing to wash the dishes, he suddenly noticed a significant amount of rust in the water flowing from the faucet.

“What’s going on? How can there still be rust coming from the pipes? I guess newly renovated houses aren’t perfect. I’ll just have to let the water run for a while longer before bed tonight.” Muttering to himself, Dongzi prepared to leave the kitchen to go to his room. But just as he stepped out and turned off the lights in the dining area, he suddenly heard the grand clock in the main hall chime loudly, followed by the familiar hourly announcement.

“It is now midnight!”

Gong! Gong!

“What a long day. Another busy day done; time flies.” Dongzi walked toward his room. His room was located close to the staircase. The light switch for the entire corridor was at the far end of the hall and one by Dongzi’s door. Dongzi turned off all the corridor lights except for the one right by his entrance, then headed inside.

Once back in his room, Da Luobo was already sleeping soundly. Dongzi stripped off his clothes, ready for bed. But as he closed his door, he realized the corridor light was too bright, shining through the crack under the door and disturbing his sleep. So, he got up again to turn it off. However, he reconsidered: if he turned it off completely, anyone coming out later at night might trip and fall badly. After thinking it over, he remembered there were some lower-wattage bulbs in the downstairs storage room. He slipped into his pajamas and slippers and headed downstairs.

The new Fushou Hall storage room was relatively close to Zhou Huan’s study. To reach the storage room, one had to pass the study. As Dongzi walked by, he noticed a light seemingly on inside the study.

“That’s odd. Why is Brother Huan still in his study so late?” After some thought, Dongzi decided not to disturb him and went to retrieve the bulb to change it upstairs.

When Dongzi returned with the light bulb and passed the study again, the light inside appeared to be off. The study was completely dark. Dongzi didn’t think much of it and proceeded naturally toward the second floor. But just as he passed the study door, he felt as if a person was standing inside. Even though the lights were off, the silhouette was quite clear. Looking at the figure, it didn’t resemble anyone else belonging to Fushou Hall.

“Huh? Something’s not right. Who is that?” Dongzi’s mind began to race. He slowly approached the study door. When he crouched down and peered through the crack, what met his eyes was an old woman with a cloak, her hair pinned up, and a head full of white locks.

“Oh my God! Who is this? Could I actually run into a ghost here?” Dongzi couldn't believe it. Fushou Hall was willing to shelter lonely spirits, but this seemed too quick. Brother Huan had just returned, and a ghost had followed him?

Dongzi slowly pushed the door open and asked softly, “May I ask who you are, Elder?”

The person inside did not reply. Instead, the sound of Zhou Huan’s customary incantations gradually emerged, chanted rather than spoken.

This was eerie. “Hey, Elder, who are you? How do you know Brother Huan’s chants?”

But no matter how Dongzi questioned her, the old woman did not turn around.

Dongzi grew anxious. He set the light bulb he was holding onto the floor, rushed forward a few steps, and grabbed the old woman’s hair: “Turn around! Let me see!” To his horror, when his hand grasped her head, it loosened, and the head separated from the body. Furthermore, the detached head turned on its own, grinning at Dongzi.

“Hehehe, young man, why are you up so late coming into the study? Such a busybody. Go back to sleep quickly, and put my head back on.” As the head spoke, it sounded as if it were chewing on something.

Hearing this, Dongzi’s courage completely dissolved. Terrified, he let go. The head tumbled to the floor with a clatter, and he spun around, ready to bolt out.

At that very moment, Dongzi heard Zhou Huan’s incantations again, but the voice chanting was coming from the staircase. When Dongzi looked up toward the stairs, he saw Wang Xiao He. Xiao He came downstairs directly toward the study. Her eyes were hazy, and she spoke to Dongzi with stern disapproval: “Honestly, the Elder is so old, and you knocked her head off—you should have put it back on! Why are you so scared? You’re useless. Go back to sleep!”