Kuang Feifan felt the change in his surroundings—an absolute, unnerving stillness. In the blink of an eye, the sound of the wind, the rain, even his own breathing, vanished. All he could see was the white plume of cold air escaping his lips with each exhale.

Though he knew something sinister was at play, the sudden loss of hearing sent an involuntary chill of dread straight to his core. His heart hammered so fiercely he could feel it threatening to leap from his throat.

What’s more, even without sound, he could make out indistinct, shadowy figures hovering nearby, seemingly drawing closer.

He knew those were not just shadows.

Kuang Feifan gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to cry out. A small, rational voice in his mind warned him that screaming would be useless; unable to hear himself, it would only hasten his breakdown.

He desperately wanted to run back to his car, but it sat a dozen meters away, and he couldn't move an inch. It wasn't a lack of will; it felt as though he had been immobilized by a binding spell.

The shadowy figures crept closer to Kuang Feifan. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying desperately to calm down, but it proved futile. Instinctively, he clenched his fists. His palms were slick, covered in sweat, yet this small action unexpectedly restored his control over his own limbs.

Since he could move, he wouldn't just wait for death. Kuang Feifan braced himself, ready to fight with everything he had.

Unexpectedly, just as the phantoms were about to reach him, a sudden shift occurred. The spectral figures closing in from all directions retreated rapidly, as if caught in a tide pulling backward. In that moment, Kuang Feifan felt like he was watching a film played in reverse.

In a flash, Kuang Feifan found he could move freely again.

Immediately afterward, a wave of crushing fatigue swept over him, draining him of the strength even to twitch a finger. Waves of dizziness forced him toward the ground; had he not managed to catch himself, the fall would have been much harder.

It wasn't that Kuang Feifan’s stamina had failed him, but rather that several sleepless days had already depleted his reserves completely.

The cold wind and fine rain lashed against his face and body, the chill biting deep, forcing him to struggle onward, crawling toward the vehicle.

He finally managed to tumble inside and slump into the driver's seat. Glancing sideways at the rearview mirror, he saw a face as white as paper—a visage more spectral than any ghost.

After enduring all that, Kuang Feifan realized he was too drained to drive. A faint, bitter smile touched his lips before he completely lost consciousness.

What he never anticipated was waking up to find himself seated in a moving vehicle, specifically in the wide passenger seat—clearly not the car he had been driving.

Kuang Feifan started, turning his head just as a stubbled face turned toward him.

“Jiang… Tao?” Kuang Feifan forced the two syllables out.

Jiang Tao, his face etched with weariness, grinned. “You’re awake?”

As he spoke, he kept one hand on the steering wheel while reaching under the seat with the other to pull out a can of drink, offering it to Kuang Feifan.

Limp and aching all over, Kuang Feifan slowly raised a hand to take the beverage. Squinting, he surveyed the interior and paused. He recognized the vehicle as a Land Cruiser, heavily modified with custom exhaust systems—the tailpipes were clearly visible running high along the roofline.

He learned that Jiang Tao had specifically come out to meet him, and this vehicle was borrowed from a friend by Xu Hui. As for how they found Kuang Feifan, Xu Hui had his mobile phone, and with triangulation and GPS navigation, finding him wasn't difficult as long as there was a signal.

“Get some more rest. I’ll wake you when we arrive,” Jiang Tao advised after Kuang Feifan finished the drink.

Kuang Feifan’s complexion was still unnervingly pale. Although he’d replenished some fluids, his body felt completely devoid of strength, so he reluctantly closed his eyes.

He drifted in and out of awareness until he opened his eyes again to find that Jiang Tao had driven them to the entrance of Xu Tao’s villa.

Kuang Feifan rubbed his face hard, forcing himself to regain composure. Without Jiang Tao needing to say anything, he knew Bai Ru was waiting inside. If Gu Yi hadn't required her constant attention, she would have been outside searching for him already. He needed to understand what had happened to Bai Ru and Gu Yi as soon as possible.

Pushing the door open, he saw Bai Ru, whom he’d longed for, and suddenly, he found himself speechless. He stared blankly at her equally haggard face, then simply lunged forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

After a long moment, Bai Ru was the first to react, gently patting his shoulder.

“Have you eaten?”

Kuang Feifan realized he had lost his composure, releasing her with an awkward laugh, scratching his head sheepishly, and muttering, “Not yet.”

Seeing Bai Ru clearly lowered Kuang Feifan’s mental acuity by a hundred points.

“You look terrible. Rest for a bit first, I’ll prepare something for you,” Bai Ru said, smiling at him.

“Okay,” Kuang Feifan replied simply, yet he didn't move away.

Bai Ru shook her head with exasperation and whispered, “If you don’t let go, how can I go prepare anything?”

As she spoke, her gaze shifted downward, and Kuang Feifan realized that although he had just released her, he was still firmly gripping her hand.

“Right, how is Yi Shaoqing? Is Gu Yi feeling any better?” Kuang Feifan finally regained some normalcy and began inquiring about the others.

Bai Ru informed him that Yi Shaoqing was indeed fine now, but he was currently in deep sleep, recovering his stamina and spirit, and likely wouldn't wake up for another day or two. As for Gu Yi’s condition, Bai Ru had temporarily used an "Yin Blood Talisman" to control the wandering soul and Yang energy within him, preserving his life, pending Feng Tian’s return to perform the final procedure.

“You can’t do it?” Kuang Feifan asked her curiously.

Bai Ru gave a helpless smile. “I haven’t studied his little tricks.”

Kuang Feifan nodded; it was true. Feng Tian’s methods, though seemingly simple, were incredibly intricate, and the combination of techniques varied depending on the situation.

“Can I see them?” Kuang Feifan asked Bai Ru.

Bai Ru nodded once.

Yi Shaoqing appeared to be sleeping soundly. Gu Yi, however, was quite alert, lying perfectly still on the bed with his hands crossed over his abdomen. He even managed a slight nod when he saw Kuang Feifan, raising an eyebrow. “No choice. I have to stay like this. I can’t move carelessly yet, can’t even get out of bed.”

Only then did Kuang Feifan notice that a stick of candle was lit at each of the four corners of the bed frame. He asked and learned that Gu Yi had used a form of arcane art to channel the toxins and the rebellious residual soul from Yi Shaoqing’s body into his own. To prevent the invading residual soul from causing chaos, the Yin Blood Talisman was protecting Gu Yi’s own soul and vital Yang energy. These four candles were specifically there to prevent the residual soul from escaping Gu Yi’s body.

“Afraid it will run away?” Kuang Feifan didn't understand.

“Ask Bai Ru. I need to maintain absolute stillness,” Gu Yi said softly, waving a hand.

Kuang Feifan, full of unanswered questions, skipped washing up and headed straight for the kitchen.

While simmering porridge, Bai Ru patiently explained to Kuang Feifan that their trip to Hong Kong had not been in vain. Most of the mysteries surrounding the small building had been clarified. They had located the descendants of the architect who designed and built the structure. The architect had been a foreigner whose family had been involved in design and construction for generations; therefore, all his architectural works were archived, making it easy to find the original owner of that small building.

“Who was it?” Kuang Feifan couldn’t help but interrupt.

“The former owner of that small building was surnamed Song,” Bai Ru replied thoughtfully.

Kuang Feifan sensed she was holding something back and frowned. “Is there an issue?”

Bai Ru shifted her gaze from the simmering pot to Kuang Feifan’s face. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Gu Yi and I performed an analysis. Do you remember our experiences at the school?”

Kuang Feifan nodded, a sudden realization dawning on him with an "Oh," followed by renewed confusion. “Could it be related to that place?”

After their initial confrontation with the ghosts at the school, Kuang Feifan had left first. Bai Ru had recounted her and Gu Yi’s subsequent experiences to him later. Hearing Bai Ru bring it up again, he understood that the two incidents were connected, though the nature of that connection remained elusive.

“Do you remember the bronze statue?” Bai Ru asked.

Kuang Feifan nodded. “The father of that merchant surnamed Su.”

“I saw the surviving photographs in the architectural archives, and the face on that statue is an exact match for the likeness of the owner of the small building,” Bai Ru stated deliberately.

Kuang Feifan narrowed his eyes in thought. “Su... Song... That old Hao?”

Bai Ru confirmed with a soft, “Mm.” She continued, “Old Hao was bribed to lure children into the teaching building for an adventure game, serving as food for the ghouls in the sewage system, though he never understood the underlying reason for it.”

Kuang Feifan recalled, “Back then, you suspected the ghouls in the sewer were the father of that man surnamed Su… no, Song. Besides being food, the children were used for soul transference, though we never knew why they needed to do that.”

Bai Ru let out a soft breath. “We figured everything out on this trip to Hong Kong.”

She turned off the heat, served Kuang Feifan a bowl of porridge, and began recounting the details while he ate.

In Hong Kong, the Song family’s initial life was only average, and their fortunes even seemed to be declining. However, twenty years ago, after the Song family elder passed away, the family business suddenly began to flourish. Almost every venture yielded massive profits; even businesses that looked certain to fail miraculously turned around for huge gains. By now, their assets were incalculable.

Gu Yi and Bai Ru investigated closely and discovered that of the current generation of Song sons, only the second son managed the family enterprise. The other son had vanished shortly after their father’s death.

Gu Yi kept the second son under remote observation and noticed he was attended by Nanyang occultists. Dark energy subtly enveloped the family residence. Although the second son’s business thrived, his physical health was poor—his complexion was sickly green and pale, making him look close to death at any moment. Yet, this only manifested in his appearance; his behavior was entirely normal, even involving lavish nightly pursuits.

As for his business acumen, it defied common sense. He would casually invest money into a venture, and soon after, that venture would generate substantial profits.

Thus, they analyzed that there was something inherently wrong with these businesses, connected to what happened at the school. After sifting through extensive documentation, they found a type of arcane art practiced in Nanyang that utilizes the corpses of family ancestors to perform rituals, thus altering the descendants’ lives, granting them wealth and power. The cost, however, was the perpetual unrest of the ancestor's remains.

“What does this have to do with that small building?” Kuang Feifan asked after finishing his porridge and licking his lips.

Bai Ru sighed. “We only understood everything after Gu Yi and I located the whereabouts of the Song family’s eldest son.”