Zhou Huan dropped Xiao He first, turned, and rushed out the door towards the mendicants Shi Bingyuan had mentioned. In Zhou Huan's mind, he believed these monks had surely come to help him, so he hurried to the entrance of the Fushou Hall. He reached the ground floor lobby only to find the vast hall completely empty. He then went outside, but no one was there either.

“Bingyuan, where are they?” Zhou Huan asked Shi Bingyuan.

Shi Bingyuan craned his neck, looking left and right, unable to spot a single person. Shi Bingyuan was slightly bewildered. “That’s impossible, Master. I clearly saw people—a whole crowd! Where did they go all of a sudden?”

Zhou Huan felt a prickle of unease. People arriving suddenly, monks no less, vanishing in an instant.

“Master, something terrible is happening! Hurry upstairs!” Hong Kun yelled from above, his voice tight with evident terror.

Zhou Huan whirled around and dashed upstairs. Upon reaching the landing, he saw Hong Kun staring with wide-eyed shock into Xiao He’s room. When Zhou Huan rushed inside, he saw Xiao He, clad in red robes with green sleeves, her hair unbound, standing by the window as if poised to jump.

“Xiao He, what are you doing? Don’t jump!” At that moment, Zhou Huan was instantly reminded of Guo Hua, the female ghost in red and green he had encountered earlier. If Xiao He jumped, wouldn’t she become just like that vengeful spirit?

Xiao He turned, tears streaming down her face, and spoke through choked sobs, “Brother Huan, I’m sorry. I can’t keep dragging you all down. I don’t have the power to force that Child-Devouring Hag out, so this is all I can do. Once I get down there, I swear I will drive that old woman out.”

“Xiao He, don’t be like this! That’s completely irrational. You might not even be a match for that old hag once you’re down there. Why put yourself through this? Come back now!” Zhou Huan started moving towards the windowsill.

But Xiao He slowly backed away, lifting a finger to point at Zhou Huan. “Don’t take another step forward. If you do, I’ll jump immediately.”

“Xiao He, stop! Don’t be impulsive. Things aren’t what you think they are. Think carefully. If you jump now, won’t you be falling right into the hag’s trap? Come back quickly, go to bed, and sleep well.” Zhou Huan felt a knot of tension tightening in his chest as he tried to inch closer to Xiao He.

It was at that precise moment that a figure flew in through the second-floor window outside Xiao He’s room and gently set her down.

Seeing this, Zhou Huan immediately rushed to Xiao He’s side, pulled her into an embrace, stripped off her red and green attire, and sent her back to the bed. He then raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap, knocking her unconscious into a deep sleep.

“Master, what has happened to Mistress?” the figure who had flown in through the window whispered close to Zhou Huan’s ear.

When Zhou Huan focused his gaze, he realized the newcomer was a mendicant. Looking closer, he recognized him: Tian Xiong. Had he taken monastic vows?

“Tian Xiong, you?” Zhou Huan asked in delighted surprise.

Tian Xiong pressed his palms together. “Amitabha. Master, I have returned to assist you. My former Master told me you would surely encounter trouble this time, saying that we also share this karmic affinity. But it seems we must still work side-by-side on this matter. Just as I arrived, I saw an evil spirit loitering by the gate outside. I went up and drove her away. Then, hearing your voices from inside the house, I secretly climbed up from the first floor to the second-floor windowsill and entered just now.”

Zhou Huan was deeply moved by Tian Xiong’s appearance. After all, Tian Xiong possessed the most unique internal energy and hand techniques within their Fushou Hall. His methods were rooted in Buddhist disciplines, granting him special efficacy against certain specters.

“Master, what is going on with Mistress?” Tian Xiong inquired again.

Zhou Huan smiled. “It’s nothing major now that my Eldest Disciple has arrived; I’m not afraid of that Child-Devouring Hag anymore. I have already looked into her identity—even if she doesn’t show herself now, it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow night, I will definitely force her soul form to manifest. Xiao He—she was trying to use Xiao He’s body to absorb my jing yuan (vital essence), but fortunately, I discovered it early. When the hag attempts rebirth tomorrow, I’ll have to give her quite a welcome and show her what Zhou Huan is capable of.”

“Excellent, Master! Just give the order, and we will do exactly as you say.” Tian Xiong’s firm declaration excited Shi Bingyuan and Hong Kun downstairs even more. They had thought Tian Xiong was dead, and now, with this unfolding drama, they realized the situation was indeed grave.

Dongzi somehow managed to rush in. Upon seeing Tian Xiong, he jumped up happily. “Brother Tian Xiong, when did you get back?”

As far as Dongzi was concerned, it was as if he already knew Tian Xiong hadn’t died. In truth, Dongzi was simply carefree and hadn't given any thought to how Tian Xiong might have returned.

At this moment, Zhou Huan recalled the passage from the sutra he had seen earlier. The text explained that the Child-Devouring Hag, also known as Green Tara, subsisted entirely on newborn infants. However, the Buddha, taking pity on her, added a clause to the Buddhist rituals to prevent her from consuming more children: monastics or lay practitioners, during their daily pre-meal offerings, were to include an offering to Green Tara, symbolized by rice.

Considering this, Zhou Huan looked at Tian Xiong again and suddenly grasped the implication of Tian Xiong's earlier words. “Tian Xiong, I understand what you meant. Good. Our next task is to subdue this Green Tara!”

Tian Xiong looked at Zhou Huan, his eyes full of confidence. “Master, rest assured. If Green Tara dares to show her head, we have ways to deal with her. But what we fear most now is her ability to possess bodies indiscriminately. That would be difficult to handle. Her evil spiritual essence can possess more than one body. She can possess any pregnant woman, causing those women to constantly sustain her with their jing yuan until the child is born, likely resulting in stillbirths.”

Tian Xiong’s analysis provided Zhou Huan with greater clarity. So, the Green Tara had acquired quite a few new tricks. But it seemed the mirror had already shattered her divine essence; now, to be reborn, she needed the jing yuan from his and Xiao He’s child. This rebirth was scheduled for tomorrow night. Thinking this, Zhou Huan smiled. “Tian Xiong, you look tired. Your room is ready; you should rest.” He then called out to Hong Kun, “Get a rope, quickly. Tie Xiao He up so she doesn’t have any dangerous, impulsive thoughts while I’m gone.”

Hong Kun and Dongzi somehow found a thick, sturdy rope and bound Xiao He securely to the bed. Zhou Huan glanced at Xiao He, then headed out the door, taking the mirror with him directly to Tian Xiong’s room.

Upon entering, Zhou Huan found Tian Xiong sitting cross-legged, holding his hands in a meditation mudra. Hearing someone enter, Tian Xiong immediately opened his eyes. Seeing Zhou Huan, he quickly got off the bed.

“Master, what are you doing with this mirror? Elder Master said this mirror was supposed to remain in Xiao He’s room. Why is it in your hands?”

“I was also coerced by the hag, which is why I moved the mirror to the hallway. However, I suspect the mirror’s true power lies in the inscriptions upon it. You have more knowledge of Buddhism than I. I searched through the sutra Hong Kun brought back but couldn't decipher the meaning of these inscriptions or how to chant them. Take a look and tell me what this mantra is?” Zhou Huan said, handing the mirror to Tian Xiong.

Tian Xiong held the mirror, examining it closely, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I have never seen this inscription either. But judging by the way it reads, it seems to resemble the Ten Thousand Buddhas Mantra. The Buddha apparently used this mantra when bestowing blessings upon Green Tara, but I don't know its simplified drawing format. Come, let’s investigate.” Tian Xiong placed the mirror on the floor, laid a sheet of white paper over it, and then gently brushed thinned gold powder onto the paper covering the mirror.

A miraculous thing happened. The shape of the bronze mirror, combined with the inscription above it, formed a perfectly simplified diagram of the mantra.

“See, Master? This is what Elder Master taught me to do before I left. It appears this is effective. This is how the talisman is drawn, and if we continuously chant this mantra, we can certainly deal with that old hag,” Tian Xiong declared with confidence.

Zhou Huan was overjoyed to hear this. He immediately summoned Shi Bingyuan and Hong Kun. “Come, the four of us must learn this. Tian Xiong will teach us how to recite this mantra shortly. At exactly midnight tomorrow, we commence the formation. Before then, the hag might use the child inside Xiao He to resurrect herself, so we must be fast. We must master these things tonight and return the bronze mirror to Xiao He’s room, or tomorrow will be disastrous.” Zhou Huan’s words commanded the highest attention from everyone present. They all realized this struggle involved not only Zhou Huan’s love for Xiao He but also their collective hatred for the evil spirit.

It was clear why these men were considered masters of the Shoushi Sect; they learned at an incredible pace. The mantra that Tian Xiong struggled to recite smoothly, they managed to memorize completely without stumbling within a short time—a testament to their profound cultivation.

As the day gradually turned to night, Dongzi continued to arrange the components for the grand formation around the Fushou Hall. This Nine Palaces Heavenly Gate Array was the culmination of Zhou Huan’s entire life’s work, incorporating even knowledge from his past life, which he now utilized to the utmost.

A sudden silence fell over the Fushou Hall, immediately followed by Xiao He’s pained cry. Though the sound tore at Zhou Huan’s heart, he forced himself to endure it, allowing the bronze mirror to exert its necessary influence. Upon entering Xiao He’s room, her abdomen began to swell slowly, like an expanding balloon.