Wang Hai truly hadn't expected his move to result in a complete reversal of fortune; you could say he fell with exceptional style. Using the momentum from his kick, he rolled backward, placed a hand on the ground, pushed hard, and sprang back to his feet.

This single action sent Wang Hai's confidence soaring. He had spoken righteously before, but in truth, he hadn't been sure of himself, especially since he hadn't managed to prove anything up until that point. Against the Ghost Whirlwind, he had possessed all the bulk but none of the efficacy. Now, however, seeing that he could fell Ji Ping in a single exchange, he felt he was worthy of challenging him.

Besides, no matter how formidable Ji Ping was, he was just a man, an ordinary person. Wang Hai wasn't afraid of confronting another human, unlike his timidity around those vague, indescribable specters.

In reality, he had completely overlooked the reason for his sudden loss of strength and fall: it was simple. Feng Tian, thinking fast, had used a prayer bead to strike the hollow behind Wang Hai’s knee with all his might. The observer sees clearly what the participant misses. Watching the exchange, an idea for a counterattack flashed through Feng Tian’s mind, prompting him to act and bring Wang Hai down, so he could target Ji Ping’s existing wound and worsen his injury.

Although the move was risky, the situation had been tense, where life and death hung in the balance within a heartbeat. Added to his lingering distrust of Wang Hai, Feng Tian had taken a dangerous gamble, yet the outcome, for the moment, was a temporary happy resolution.

Adhering to the principle of "press the advantage while the enemy is wounded," Wang Hai drew in a breath, roared, stepped forward, and launched a side-kick toward Ji Ping’s head.

Seeing that Ji Ping appeared to have lost his fighting capacity for the time being, Feng Tian swiftly turned, bent low, scooped up several more prayer beads, and sprinted toward the candle whose flame had dwindled to the size of a bean.

While the Bagua Spirit Fire Array couldn't contain the gray smoke or the Ghost Whirlwinds, the smoke also couldn't directly break the formation, allowing the candle to persist stubbornly against the fierce wind. As Feng Tian navigated the swirling Ghost Whirlwinds at top speed to place the beads among the candles marking each trigram, the unimaginable occurred: the candle flame, once a mere speck, suddenly surged as if injected with immense vitality, blasting into a cheerfully flickering fire. Simultaneously, each bead, beneath the dancing candlelight, emitted a clearly visible white luminescence.

Even more astonishingly, the white light began to coalesce into countless white streaks, as thick as fingers. They resembled beams of light shot from flashlights, twisting upwards as if imbued with life, spiraling above each group of candles, seemingly drinking in the light emitted by the flames with greedy intensity. At the same time, these serpentine white lines began to shift to a faint golden-yellow, like dancing golden snakes, exquisitely beautiful beyond description.

In the blink of an eye, these golden serpents shot out from above the candles like arrows, flying outward in all directions, from near to far, darting toward the clusters of Ghost Whirlwinds. Soon, every whirlwind in the courtyard was encircled by one or several golden lines. As the light coiled around the whirlwinds externally, they appeared tethered, unable to move even half a step further. Furthermore, the light spun rapidly, the radius of its circling shrinking inwards. The light acted like a tightening rope, and in moments, with a soft poof, the Ghost Whirlwind was forcibly squeezed into dissipation in the air.

Kuang Feifan couldn't be sure how much exaggeration colored Feng Tian’s account, but recalling the sight of golden light battling the whirlwinds, it truly was a spectacle seldom seen in a lifetime. He couldn't help but sigh in regret that he had been unconscious at the time and missed it.

The subsequent events were relatively straightforward. According to Feng Tian, once the Ghost Whirlwinds vanished, the scales of victory tipped immediately in their favor. Although Ji Ping was wounded, Wang Hai was clearly no match for him, so Ji Ping managed to find an opening and escape the Taoist temple.

As for the source of the gray smoke lurking in the shadows, it silently retreated back into the interior through the large hole in the roof of the bizarre house when the golden light first formed.

It is worth noting that although the mass of cyan mist also fled, it was struck by a talisman from the Old Daoist Master just before leaving. If one were to compare it to life, that talisman had inflicted grievous injury upon it.

Kuang Feifan couldn't help but feel a measure of disappointment upon hearing this: "So, it means the issue wasn't completely resolved last night then?"

Feng Tian, who had been sitting by the bed, adjusted his posture and retorted with clear dissatisfaction, "How can you say that when you forget we were plotted against from the very beginning? It was only last night, through our complete cooperation, that we managed to turn the tide and win. Doesn't that count as a massive victory?"

It had to be admitted that Feng Tian was right. Without needing to be explicit, Kuang Feifan knew that ever since they encountered Ji Ping, they had been manipulated by him. Though he still didn't know what role Ji Ping truly played, it was certain that he was allied with whatever was inside that strange house—if not the mastermind, then certainly an accomplice or even the second-in-command. This was evident because the Ghost Whirlwinds completely avoided attacking him, and he could coexist peacefully with the Water Monkey.

Kuang Feifan nodded helplessly, agreeing with Feng Tian’s assessment. He then asked, "What do we do next?"

Feng Tian had considered this matter for a long time. When asked, he instinctively replied, "Capture Ji Ping, then break the formation, and find out what the true essence of that gray smoke is."

Kuang Feifan narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment before asking, "Any practical ideas? That sounds like a general direction."

Before Feng Tian could answer, a man's voice suddenly called out from outside: "One down, mission accomplished. Ji Ping has been caught."

With that, a burly man rushed in from outside.

Kuang Feifan glanced over; it was Wang Hai. Judging by the sweat on his face and the damp patches on his coat, he must have exerted himself considerably. It seemed he had been quite busy during their time apart.

But his words were compelling enough that neither Feng Tian nor Kuang Feifan bothered to greet him; they immediately demanded, "What did you say? You caught Ji Ping?"

Wang Hai didn't notice their abrupt tone and nodded somewhat excitedly, "Yes."

Kuang Feifan stared at him curiously, "You caught him?"

Wang Hai paused, then said, "Of course not."

After speaking, he shook his head with a trace of annoyance.

Feng Tian let out a long breath and said helplessly, "Could you please explain clearly?"

Wang Hai scratched his head. Before he could continue, another person stepped in behind him. Seeing the blue Taoist robe, Kuang Feifan knew the newcomer was the Old Daoist Master, as he realized they were currently in the room the Master usually rested in.

As soon as the Old Daoist Master entered, he raised a hand to pat Wang Hai's shoulder, saying, "You take a rest; I'll explain."

Wang Hai shrugged and moved aside. He truly didn't know where to begin with the story.

The matter was actually not complicated. Apparently, although Ji Ping had fled the temple the night before, the bleeding from his abdominal wound was so severe that he nearly collapsed before getting far.

Perhaps out of fear of death, before passing out, he used a roadside phone booth to call for an ambulance. Soon, he was rushed to the hospital.

However, what he never anticipated was that as soon as the wounds were treated at the hospital, several police officers found him. Without even allowing him to speak much, they placed him under surveillance. In fact, they didn't need him to say anything; shortly before, the police had discovered a body at the residence of the person in charge, surnamed Lu, at the former gas station. All evidence at the scene pointed to Ji Ping as the killer. Before further concrete proof could be obtained, they made the decision to monitor him.

Coincidentally, Ji Ping’s injury required hospitalization. Because his status necessitated notification to the police precinct, the police were led to the hospital and caught him red-handed.

As for these details, Wang Hai had managed to piece them together by utilizing all the taxi drivers in the town to gather information.

"We must confront Ji Ping face-to-face," Kuang Feifan blurted out after hearing the Old Daoist Master’s account.

"With the police involved, it won't be easy," Feng Tian frowned.

Kuang Feifan gritted his teeth and, without assistance, managed to sit up. He stretched out a hand to Feng Tian, "Give me the phone. I'll call Xu Hui, and while I’m at it, I can contact Bai Ru."

Feng Tian shrugged, "Sorry, both our phones are missing."

Kuang Feifan froze, then his face cleared in sudden understanding. Evidently, their mobile phones had vanished at some point. This realization tightened a knot in his chest; losing the phones meant he wouldn't know if Bai Ru tried to reach him, which gave him an ominous feeling.

Wang Hai then pulled out his phone and handed it over. "Use mine for now."

After dialing several numbers in succession, Kuang Feifan let the phone drop, his gaze distant, and looked vaguely at Feng Tian. His voice was slightly shaky as he said, "None of their numbers will connect..."