Though Bai Ru found it strange that the small dark figure stood motionless, as if waiting for her to attack, her speed with the Demon-Slaying Rod remained undiminished. Just as she was about to strike, she heard a cold snort, and the shadow melted directly into the ground.

"It really was just a shadow." Bai Ru wasn't surprised her strike missed, merely a little disappointed. As she prepared to withdraw, she suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind strike beside her. She quickly dodged, swinging her rod to meet the blast, but the blow went wide, hitting nothing. Instead, a dark shape lunged, pressing close against the rod. Bai Ru felt a sharp pain in her arm as the shadow vaulted over her body and landed behind her.

Bai Ru’s expression shifted slightly. She turned to look behind her. On the ground, the black cat that had attacked them earlier was now crouched low, preparing for a second assault.

Bai Ru hadn't expected the cat to twist in mid-air to evade her strike. She glanced at her arm, where a bloody scratch now marred her skin. This cat was truly unusual; though visibly decayed with bone showing, its movements were far more agile than any living cat. Even more bizarre, she saw the cat pull its lips back in a wide grin aimed directly at her—a vicious, predatory sneer.

If a mere cat could frighten Bai Ru, she shouldn't be in this line of work. Seeing that the cat hadn't attacked yet, Bai Ru held the Demon-Slaying Rod horizontally across her chest, forming a hand seal with her free hand. Her eyes were locked on the feline. In the beam of the flashlight, the cat’s eyes, glowing faintly green, were filled with malice.

Seeing Bai Ru’s posture, Gu Yi immediately shot out three more Fire Talismans. Fire Talismans were the fastest to activate, and fire seemed to be the natural nemesis of these animal carrions.

The pale green mist in the air seemed to thicken, and excessive death energy risked dampening their spells, meaning the two had to resolve the current crisis quickly.

The three fireballs shot towards the black cat like meteors, forcing it to launch its attack immediately. With a sudden spring, it leaped towards Bai Ru’s chest.

Having held the hand seal for some time, Bai Ru slammed her hand onto the Demon-Slaying Rod and shouted, “By the decree of the Dragon God, Heavenly Thunder Exorcism Sword Style—Annihilate!”

In an instant, a blinding silver radiance burst from the Demon-Slaying Rod. Bai Ru took the opening, sweeping the rod out to cast a barrier of light that completely enveloped the black cat, which was already airborne. A shriek echoed as the light curtain cleanly severed the cat's head. The body instantly went limp in the air and dropped to the ground, but the severed head continued flying towards Bai Ru. She quickly sidestepped, dodging the projectile. The cat's head sailed past her, slamming into the wall behind her before dropping to the floor. It rolled twice, its wide, staring eyes fixed intently on Bai Ru.

A sudden chill swept over Bai Ru. She couldn't help but take advantage of the lingering silver light on the rod, swinging it several times to chop the severed head into a pile of mangled flesh.

Gu Yi walked over, supporting Headmaster Hao, and reached out to steady Bai Ru. He said in a low, grave voice, "Careful. You must control your emotions, or you’ll easily be affected by the resentment mixed in with the death energy."

Bai Ru’s body instantly tensed, and she regained her composure. She nodded, scanning the surrounding mist, which was growing noticeably thicker. She couldn't help but wonder, "I didn't expect such intense Resentment Mist to form even here."

Gu Yi sighed, "It must have been triggered by that black shadow earlier."

Bai Ru asked, "What do you think that shadow was?"

Gu Yi frowned as he speculated, "I’m guessing that thing is ninety-nine percent related to Headmaster Hao’s grandson."

Bai Ru offered a wry smile; she had harbored the same thought. Given the shadow's size, it did resemble an eight-year-old child, but why it had taken its current form required further investigation.

Gu Yi shifted his grip on Headmaster Hao. "Listen, let's stop analyzing for now and get out of here quickly. I think the wound on my leg is starting to go numb."

Alarmed, Bai Ru immediately moved to take the Headmaster, but Gu Yi stopped her. "It's fine, I can still walk. We need to find a way out fast. You focus on that. That black shadow clearly can use walls or the ground to conceal itself; I’ll watch out for its movements."

Bai Ru nodded. The two proceeded deeper in single file.

After attacking them once, the dark shadow seemed to vanish. In this sewer choked with mist, even the usually white beam of the flashlight turned a shade of near-luminous blue, adding an extra layer of uncanny atmosphere around them.

Just then, they both heard a sound resembling a groan. They immediately froze. The sound seemed to be coming from Headmaster Hao, who Gu Yi was carrying.

Though time was pressing and they couldn't afford long delays, the Headmaster's condition was clearly dire. Now that he showed signs of stirring, they carefully set him down against a wall and moved closer to check his vitals.

In the flashlight’s glow, they looked at the Headmaster leaning against the wall and involuntarily gasped. Even knowing his life was nearing its end, seeing his mouth slightly agape and his already faint breathing shallow, a knot of dread tightened in their chests.

Perhaps sensing something, the Headmaster’s tightly shut eyes flickered. Suddenly, he snapped them open, staring blankly ahead with clouded pupils, completely ignoring the harsh glare of the flashlight.

"Hao… Headmaster Hao…" Bai Ru called out softly.

Hearing the voice, the Headmaster stirred, his head tilting slightly towards Bai Ru. He tried to force out two muffled "wuwu" sounds but couldn't form a single word. In the next moment, a gurgling "uh-uh" sound emerged from his throat, his head lolled forward, and he exhaled his last breath.

Bai Ru couldn't help but close her eyes, taking a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the rising tide of sorrow.

A look of grief crossed Gu Yi’s face as well. He raised a hand and gently closed the Headmaster’s still-open eyes, his brow furrowed tightly as if deep in thought.

After a long silence, Gu Yi finally spoke, "Let's… go."

Bai Ru opened her eyes and nodded gently, asking, "What about Headmaster Hao’s body?"

"We can't take him with us," Gu Yi stated.

Bai Ru sighed softly. "I know, it's just…"

Gu Yi gently patted Bai Ru's shoulder and whispered, "Although there's death energy here, this isn't within the range of the 'Accumulated Resentment Realm.' Headmaster Hao's soul has departed successfully. As for the corpse, I will place a Corpse-Suppressing Talisman on it to prevent anything from disturbing him, alright?"

Bai Ru managed a weak smile. "Thank you."

Gu Yi shrugged. "What's there to thank between us?"

Gu Yi immediately placed a Corpse-Suppressing Talisman on Headmaster Hao's body, just in case the black shadow—which might or might not be his grandson—tried to use the corpse for mischief. Then he checked his leg. The wound wasn't severe, but a patch of black-blue discoloration was spreading around the puncture marks of the bite. Bai Ru quickly took out the corpse-cleansing antidote and put it in his mouth, chiding him, "You know those things are unclean, why didn't you take it sooner? You have your own supply; who are you going to call if something happens?"

Gu Yi waved her off. "I want to get out of here as fast as possible. I'm fine." With that, he hastily bandaged the wound.

Bai Ru took the opportunity to check her own arm. Apparently, the cat claw hadn't carried any poison; the blood from the scratch was red. Gu Yi immediately pulled a small plastic bottle from his inner coat pocket and handed it to Bai Ru. "The best anti-inflammatory. Take this to prevent infection. If you take medicine, I take medicine; that makes us even."

Bai Ru took it, half-laughing and half-crying, and swallowed two pills immediately.

The two took one last look at Headmaster Hao before turning and continuing forward. After walking a short distance, they encountered a fork in the tunnel. Following their previous method, they broke the iron railings at the junction and squeezed through.

This section of the sewer was also permeated with a pale green mist, though it was much fainter than before. They proceeded cautiously. By now, their sense of smell had grown numb, accustomed to the recurring stench of decay.

Unexpectedly, this stretch of the sewer remained completely calm. Nothing unusual occurred until they reached the end and faced another set of iron bars.

Bai Ru walked up to the bars and peered through. She could immediately confirm that passing this last barrier would lead them back into the "Accumulated Resentment Realm."

"We're going back," Bai Ru told Gu Yi.

Gu Yi replied nonchalantly, "Let's get out and deal with the trouble quickly."

They made short work of the iron bars, and the two returned to the sewer section where they had established the "Accumulated Resentment Realm." The moment their feet touched the ground, a hair-raising sensation washed over them. Both looked instinctively to the left. Deep in the distance, where vision faded, fierce winds howled, sounding like the wails of countless vengeful spirits—a sound that chilled them to the bone.

Gu Yi’s expression shifted subtly. "Not good. It seems all the vengeful souls have gathered here. We're in deep trouble."