Kuang Feifan noticed the involuntary movements of Feng Tian and the old Daoist priest, and glanced at the small house. Feng Tian's previous words and actions had implied that there was another secret behind the Phantom Car incident, and he had guessed it was related to the old Daoist priest at the temple, though he wasn't entirely clear on the details.

Now, hearing Feng Tian mention some external force, he couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Do you mean the spirit trapped in the temple is the external force you speak of? But why? Hasn't it been suppressed all this time?"

The old Daoist priest let out a subtle, almost imperceptible sigh.

Feng Tian stood up and walked to the door, surveying the courtyard before turning back to Kuang Feifan. "Do you remember the story I told you about that wealthy family?"

Kuang Feifan nodded.

Feng Tian sat down not far from him, his voice deliberately lowered. "Actually, there was a final conclusion to that whole affair that I never told you."

Regarding Feng Tian's mysterious demeanor, Kuang Feifan merely smiled faintly. The hidden truths in old stories were hardly shocking secrets anymore; the only real concern was whether these matters would affect the people and events of the present. Judging by Feng Tian's manner, the unknown conclusion must be the origin of the Phantom Car.

He looked at Feng Tian, then at the old Daoist priest, noting the somber expressions on both their faces. He said, "Whatever it is, if it hasn't ended, then we'll figure out a way to resolve it together."

Feng Tian took a deep breath, nodded to the old Daoist priest, and then stated, "I'm afraid it hasn't ended."

Kuang Feifan couldn't help but offer a wry smile; he knew it wouldn't be that simple. Luo Jingjing’s death now seemed highly likely to be just the beginning.

At that moment, the old Daoist priest sighed softly once more and suddenly spoke, "The cause of this matter is perhaps that all of us were too wishful in our thinking. In reality, what happened back then already indicated that simply suppressing the spirit was not a sustainable solution."

Kuang Feifan suddenly understood Feng Tian's meaning and turned to ask him, "In the end, did that family you spoke of also fail to escape the spirit's revenge?"

Feng Tian nodded. "Yes. Although they spent money to renovate the Daoist temple, they continued to die one after another. The most terrifying thing was that it seemed the spirit knew they were trying to deal with it, so it accelerated its pace. And even those who fled the town couldn't escape."

Kuang Feifan was momentarily stunned. "So you mean building this Daoist temple was actually useless?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized his words might have offended the old Daoist priest and glanced over with a degree of apology. However, the old Daoist priest appeared unconcerned and paid no mind to the remark.

Feng Tian shook his head. "Of course not entirely. In the end, every servant and retainer in the entire mansion survived; not a single one died because of this. Only the family members with direct blood ties to the old master suffered misfortune, but the old master himself survived. No one knows if the spirit deliberately spared him or if it failed because it was suppressed before it could strike."

For some inexplicable reason, Kuang Feifan leaned toward the former explanation: leaving the old master to live on alone, believing it would be a far greater blow to the man.

But according to Feng Tian, after the family members died sequentially, things gradually settled down. The entire manor fell into disuse due to abandonment. The devastated old master moved into the Daoist temple, where the old Daoist priest of that time attended to his daily needs until his death. Eventually, the townspeople decided to tear down the dilapidated manor.

As for the Daoist temple, it remained. Its popularity even grew over time. The primary reasons were twofold: first, the ordinary townsfolk were simple and honest, inherently believing that the temple's existence was what protected the entire town from harassment by the spirit; second, as more and more people felt their peaceful lives were blessed by the temple, the matter of the spirit gradually faded from public memory, with very few knowing the true internal history.

Kuang Feifan’s confusion deepened, and he asked, "Since you said the spirit had already taken its revenge, why do you now think it is the one causing trouble?"

As soon as the question was posed, they heard the old Daoist priest involuntarily let out a long sigh. "I fear we never resolved their century-long grievance."

"'Their'?" Kuang Feifan instinctively asked, then immediately understood. "Their" referred to the "couple" who committed a lovers' suicide in the fire.

Feng Tian hesitated for a moment. "Actually, 'their' isn't entirely accurate. The spirit suppressed in the temple back then—it's already impossible to distinguish whether it was the servant or the young lady. After I learned the truth, I became more inclined to believe that the resentments of the two had merged into one, just like the pair of bodies found in the fire."

Kuang Feifan recalled the previous telling and asked, "Earlier, you mentioned that the servant seemed to have been buried alive and then crawled out. Was it confirmed whether he survived, or if he mutated after death?"

Feng Tian didn't answer this question. The old Daoist priest spoke in his stead. "I'm afraid my master couldn't clarify that back then either. However, there is a high probability that the servant died and turned into a Jiangshi (zombie)."

"Wow, turning into a Jiangshi and still seeking out the young lady to die for love together—that’s quite the horror romance novel," Kuang Feifan muttered quietly.

Feng Tian pursed his lips. "Too bad these two didn't turn into butterflies for a legendary tale; instead, they combined into a single wisp of vengeful spirit."

"Is this what they call knowing the beginning but failing to guess the ending?" Kuang Feifan suddenly had this thought but kept it to himself.

Silence descended upon the room for a time.

After a long pause, Kuang Feifan broke the quiet atmosphere and asked again, "There are still a few things I don't quite understand. Why do you insist the Phantom Car incident is connected to the spirit? And why did it target Luo Jingjing?"

Feng Tian considered it and explained, "Other than the spirit, I can’t think of anything else that could be causing trouble in the town. As for the reason, although there is no definitive evidence, I believe my analysis and speculation won't be far off. First point: do you know what the gas station used to be?"

Kuang Feifan felt this was not the time for a guessing game and shot him a look.

Feng Tian sighed and answered his own question. "The gas station occupies one section of that old manor, and it has a significant connection to the spirit."

Kuang Feifan gasped involuntarily. "Could that be where the fire happened?"

Feng Tian strongly resisted the urge to say "Bingo, ten points," and merely nodded in affirmation.

"Is there a second point?" Kuang Feifan pressed, as location alone provided insufficient proof.

Feng Tian hesitated slightly before saying, "The second point is rather weak, and I haven't had time to verify it yet, but I'm sure it's related."

Kuang Feifan stared at him. "Please stop being mysterious."

Feng Tian answered with a question. "Do you know what surname the owner of that old manor had?"

Kuang Feifan froze, then stared back at him with surprise and retorted, "Don't tell me that family's surname was Luo..."