A dim, oppressive night was shrouded in a heavy mist. A shadow fshed by, quietly approaching the ancient tower without a sound.

  Kong Bei looked around, ensuring there was no one in sight, then quickly turned and made his way to the back of the ancient tower. There, a heavy-looking stone rested quietly at the base of the tower's wall. Kong Bei rolled up his voluminous sleeves and, with strong hands, moved the stone aside. Behind it was a hole, and inside the hole, a dder that led into the tower. Without hesitation, Kong Bei descended, not even bothering to take a ntern. He was already thoroughly familiar with this path.

  The tower contained various rooms, but Kong Bei did not linger. He walked straight toward a room that was glowing with light, where someone was waiting for him. This was the person Kong Bei had come to meet tonight.

  The old woman sat in an ancient cane chair, dressed in a bck floor-length coat with a matching bck hood that completely covered her face, making it impossible for anyone to see her features. She stretched out her bony, skeletal fingers, resembling a corpse, and lightly pointed to the chair in front of her, silently signaling Kong Bei to sit. She then let out several harsh, rasping coughs.

  Kong Bei slowly sat down, sitting upright with the utmost respect, not daring to make a sound.

  "Have they all returned?" The old woman's hoarse voice echoed throughout the room, adding to the already oppressive atmosphere, making it feel even more mysterious.

  "Yes, they just returned today," Kong Bei replied without hesitation, eager to answer promptly.

  "Did you ask Lao Fu how Xue Qiuqiu died?" The old woman recalled the sensation she had when the coffin was opened and she saw Xue Qiuqiu's body. She despised the feeling of fear that arose. She had never understood how the random corpse she had chosen ended up being Xue Qiuqiu; none of this was part of her pn.

  "I asked. Lao Fu only said she died but didn't expin how," Kong Bei replied cautiously.

  "Hmph, useless!" The old woman made a scornful sound. Kong Bei quickly stood up and said, "It's my fault. I was afraid that asking more questions would make Lao Fu suspicious, so I didn′t dare to press further."

  "Alright, alright, you did your best. Sit down." The old woman extended her terrifying finger in a gesture, and Kong Bei quickly sat down, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

  "It's good that they're back. Now I can finally take revenge for my blood-soaked grudge!" The old woman gritted her teeth.

  "I..." Kong Bei wiped more sweat from his forehead. He wasn′t sure how to speak to the old woman.

  "Just say what's on your mind!" The old woman said impatiently. She hated Kong Bei's timid demeanor.

  "Your pn... of course, you don’t have to tell me, but I want to know if killing Yi Xian is part of your pn." Kong Bei casually brought up the topic, trying to gauge the situation.

  "Yi Xian? Who is Yi Xian?" The old woman′s voice revealed confusion, as she had never heard of that name before.

  "He's a monk at the temple, of low status," Kong Bei expined, his face showing a strange expression as he spoke.

  "Why are you suddenly bringing him up?" The old woman sensed that Kong Bei's words carried some hidden meaning.

  The old woman chuckled coldly, "Possessed by a ghost? Is there really such a thing as a ghost?" She leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing with interest. "Tell me, how exactly was this possession happening?"

  Although the old woman had no idea who Yi Kong was, hearing about Yi Xian, she quickly deduced the identity of the possessed.

  "He... his body looks just like Xue Qiuqiu's, and even his voice is identical! Also... someone saw a woman singing opera in the backyard," Kong Bei said, his voice trembling with growing unease.

  The old woman gasped sharply, suddenly standing up.

  "Are there really ghosts in this world?" she thought to herself. "If there are no ghosts, then how do you expin all of this?"