Bai Fanlu mingled among the ghosts as he crossed the Chain Bridge and from a distance, he saw Meng Po handing out bowls of Meng Po Soup to the spirits.

The book had already described Meng Po’s appearance in vivid detail, so Bai Fanlu wasn’t surprised. Despite being called “granny,” she was actually a young woman.

Whenever she smiled radiantly at the ghosts, her brilliant yet aloof demeanor would draw them eagerly towards the bowl of Meng Po Soup. However, if any ghost tried to flirt with her, she would completely ignore them—unless she was in an exceptionally good mood.

The original protagonist had run into trouble with her multiple times while trying to ask about Yun Zhan. He hadn’t even gotten through his first question before Meng Po grew annoyed, leaving him waiting for three days and nights before she finally acknowledged him. Even when she agreed to release Yun Zhan’s soul, she demanded the protagonist’s reincarnation in exchange, coming across as quite unreasonable.

Knowing how unpredictable Meng Po could be, Bai Fanlu approached her cautiously, offering a slight bow but remaining silent, learning from the protagonist’s mistakes—sometimes silence is golden.

He thought he would wait and see. After all, he had time, and depending on Meng Po’s mood, he could leave and return later if things didn’t go well. He could always return to the Tianxu Sect and ask Ling Qingzi to send him back to the ghost realm after rescuing Xiao Liu.

The Yellow Springs Sea experienced sunrise and sunset as well. When Bai Fanlu entered, the sun was hanging low in the sky, and he estimated that if Meng Po didn’t speak to him by the time the sun touched the sea, he would leave.

Time passed slowly, and just as Bai Fanlu was considering leaving, Meng Po suddenly shouted at someone, “That stubborn kid, is he still not planning to reincarnate today?”

When no one responded, she impatiently muttered, “Tch! So troublesome! How many days has it been now? He’s still an eyesore!”

There were no other ghosts left at the pier, but Bai Fanlu noticed a figure in the distance by the sea.

“Hmph! If he’s not coming, fine. I can enjoy some peace and quiet!”

Meng Po turned around, her black silk skirt flowing gracefully as she casually leaned in mid-air. Though she wasn’t resting on anything, she sat firmly, her bare ankles skimming the surface of the Yellow Springs Sea—a perfect image of a beauty playing with water.

Bai Fanlu thought for a moment, then walked towards the figure by the sea. As he got closer, he saw it was a young man dressed in simple, worn clothes.

Ghosts usually appeared as they did at the moment of their death, and the young man’s clothes were already old and patched. In addition to several large and small holes, the band holding his hair was loose, with half of his hair falling messily, making him look very disheveled.

He was kneeling by the sea, facing the Yellow Springs, with his hands clasped together as if in prayer.

“Brother?” Bai Fanlu greeted him, and the man quickly opened his eyes and looked at him.

“Why don’t you reincarnate?” Bai Fanlu asked.

Perhaps he had been asked this question many times by passing ghosts, so the young man wasn’t surprised. He simply sighed, “My mother is gravely ill, yet I left her. I can’t let go of the guilt in my heart.”

“I see…” A filial son, what a pity.

Bai Fanlu thought for a moment and then advised, “But staying here without reincarnating won’t change anything. Since your mother is still in the human world, she would surely hope for your peace.”

“I know,” the young man lowered his head, “but I heard that if you make a wish to the Yellow Springs for 49 days, you can obtain what you desire.”

That sounds like something a charlatan would say.

Sure enough, Meng Po scoffed, “How many times have I told you that already? You just don’t believe it, preferring to trust some swindler’s words.”

The young man’s face darkened, but he stubbornly remained kneeling. Bai Fanlu asked, “What is it that you desire?”

Perhaps he thought it was foolish to hope for anything, but the young man didn’t hold back, “I want a Snow Lingzhi.”

Snow Lingzhi? Bai Fanlu was stunned. So this is where the system’s “Motherly Love and Filial Piety” side quest comes into play!

Bai Fanlu’s face was hidden by his hat, so the young man couldn’t see his expression. The young man continued, “My mother has long suffered from chronic weakness and coughing. A Snow Lingzhi would cure her, but despite searching high and low, I ended up…”

The young man laughed bitterly, his eyes slightly red. Bai Fanlu understood—judging by the scars on his body, he likely died from a fall while gathering herbs.

Bai Fanlu wanted to pat the young man’s shoulder, but since he was a ghost, his hand would likely pass through him.

So Bai Fanlu took a step forward, crouched down to face away from Meng Po, and whispered, “I can help you.”

The young man turned his head sharply to look at Bai Fanlu.

Bai Fanlu gestured for him to stay quiet, then flipped his wrist, revealing a Snow Lingzhi as white as jade in his palm.

The young man widened his eyes in disbelief.

“This…”

“Tell me where your home is and your mother’s name. Leave the rest to me.”

Meng Po occasionally glanced at the two of them by the Yellow Springs Sea. They seemed to be talking about something, and the young man’s expression gradually changed from shock to relief. Then, he stood up and walked towards her.

“I’ve come to reincarnate.”

The young man’s words surprised Meng Po, and she raised her eyebrows, “Oh! You’ve changed your mind so quickly? Very well, come here.”

Meng Po waved her hand, and a bowl of Meng Po Soup appeared in front of the young man. She smiled leisurely, “Drink this, and this life will be over. May you live a long life in the next.”

Hearing these words, Bai Fanlu thought Meng Po had a bit of compassion after all.

The young man took the bowl with both hands, gave Bai Fanlu a glance, then raised his head and drank it all in one go. He stepped into the Yellow Springs Sea without looking back.

The waves of the Yellow Springs Sea receded and soon returned to calm.

Meng Po suddenly asked, “And you? Aren’t you going to reincarnate?”

Finally willing to speak to him, Bai Fanlu thought for a moment and replied, “I also have an unfulfilled wish.”

“Hah!” Meng Po chuckled lightly, “Well, I’m bored anyway. Let’s hear it.”

“I want to help a Shadow Demon reincarnate.”

“Shadow Demon?” Meng Po was surprised at first, then smiled, “And who is he to you?”

This was probably the second time today that Bai Fanlu had answered a similar question, and this time his answer was, “A confidant.”

“A confidant, huh?” Meng Po shook her head, “The saying goes, ‘A warrior dies for his confidant.’ How true it is.”

This seemingly unnecessary “poem” made Bai Fanlu feel that Meng Po had realized he wasn’t dead, but she didn’t point it out directly. Instead, she said, “It’s difficult for a Shadow Demon to reincarnate, but not entirely impossible…”

Bai Fanlu’s face was hidden behind the white veil, and he suppressed his joy. But then Meng Po added, “But if I tell you how, what will you give me in return?”

Could it be? Bai Fanlu thought of the original plot. Did she want him to give up his reincarnation as well?

Thinking this, he asked, “Do you want to trade my reincarnation for it?”

“You…” Meng Po suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, her laughter ringing like a silver bell. Even the silver fish in the Yellow Springs Sea swam away in fright, “You silly boy, what are you thinking? What would I do with your reincarnation?”

Bai Fanlu felt a bit foolish for being laughed at—was he deceived by the original story again?

“You just need to do something for me, and I’ll tell you how. Whether you succeed or not will depend on yourself. This is a fair exchange. Do I seem that unreasonable?”

Listening to Meng Po’s laughter, Bai Fanlu felt a bit foolish, “What do you need me to do?”

Meng Po straightened slightly, propped her fingers against her cheek, and smiled charmingly, “It’s simple. Go to the Gusu Bridge and ask that dead man one question.”

Huh? By “dead man,” does she mean… Wu Zhong?

“Ask him if he’s figured it out yet. If he has, tell him to come over soon; otherwise, I’m not waiting anymore.”

Meng Po finished with a cold snort, proudly raising her chin. But a visible blush appeared on her enchanting face.

Bai Fanlu quickly understood—she was asking him to play matchmaker. This was much easier than he had imagined.

Under Meng Po’s expectant gaze, Bai Fanlu returned to the Gusu Bridge, where Wu Zhong was still sitting and fishing.

He was fishing continuously, but where the fish went, Bai Fanlu didn’t know.

“Senior Wu, Meng Po asked me to relay a message…”

“I know.” Wu Zhong wasn’t surprised. With a flick of his fishing rod, the hook flashed, and the fish disappeared, leaving the hook to fall back into the water.

Bai Fanlu waited for a moment but didn’t hear anything else, “Senior Wu?”

Wu Zhong calmly said, “Just tell her these three words, and that’s enough.”

“Oh, okay…”

Just a “I know”? Meng Po wouldn’t be upset, would she? Bai Fanlu wondered as he prepared to leave, but Wu Zhong suddenly called out.

Bai Fanlu turned back, and Wu Zhong was looking at him with a gentle smile, “Finish this task quickly and leave. If we have the chance to meet again, how about I tell you a story?”

A story?

Bai Fanlu didn’t understand. Wu Zhong’s expression seemed playful and relaxed, but Bai Fanlu was also intrigued by his words, sensing that the story was worth hearing.

After bidding farewell to Wu Zhong, Bai Fanlu returned to Meng Po and relayed Wu Zhong’s words exactly as they were.

As expected, Meng Po wasn’t pleased. She grumbled with a humph but didn’t make things difficult for him. She straightforwardly revealed the method.

“A Shadow Demon can’t reincarnate because their soul is damaged. However, there are people in this world with intact souls whose bodies haven’t had time to fully develop before they passed away and reincarnated again.”

“So all you need to do is find such a body, let the Shadow Demon possess it, and live for 20 years in the human world. This will allow them to restore their soul and enter the cycle of reincarnation again.”

Bai Fanlu suddenly recalled the system’s message, “Z has died, and Z shall die,” and immediately understood. So that’s how it is!

This trip to the ghost realm was truly worthwhile. Bai Fanlu thought as he checked the treasure bag, confirming that all seven ghost fires were still there. Finally feeling relieved, he retraced his steps and left.

As he reached the entrance to the ghost realm, the glowing mark under his feet lit up, and in the blink of an eye, the bone-chilling cold reminded him that he had returned to the Abyss.

“Did you get it?”

“Yes.” Bai Fanlu looked at Xun Huang, but he didn’t intend to take out the item immediately.

Xun Huang smirked, as if he knew what Bai Fanlu was thinking. He raised his left hand, which suddenly transformed into a terrifying dragon claw, its sharp tips pointing towards Bai Fanlu.

Bai Fanlu didn’t dodge, knowing that if Xun Huang went back on his word, he would destroy the treasure bag immediately. However, they both had something to gain from each other, so Xun Huang wouldn’t do anything detrimental to himself.

As expected, Xun Huang covered his right hand with his left claw, then hooked his index finger with force. Without even flinching, he ripped off a piece of icy jade-like dragon scale and let it float towards Bai Fanlu.

“A dragon scale from this god. It should be enough to cure his poison. Take it!”

Bai Fanlu was overjoyed and quickly grabbed the dragon scale, releasing the seven ghost fires from the treasure bag.

Without waiting to see what Xun Huang would do, he rushed out of the dark door and flew towards the temple.

When Bai Fanlu opened the door, Xiao Liu was still there, sitting with his eyes closed, meditating. A blue light surrounded him, and for a moment, Bai Fanlu saw a figure overlapping with his vision.

“Brother!”

At this voice, the memory hidden deep in his mind almost surged forth. Bai Fanlu, anxious, quickly approached and supported Xiao Liu.

He was still cold to the touch, so Bai Fanlu didn’t waste any words and took out the dragon scale, “Quick, eat this.”

Xiao Liu obediently opened his mouth and held it, allowing Bai Fanlu to finally relax a bit. Just as he was about to say something, the ground suddenly trembled, followed by a rumbling sound, as if something had burrowed out from beneath.

In the next moment, the floor was violently overturned, revealing a large piece of bright white ice.

No, not ice! Ice wouldn’t have such a force to break through the earth.

Bai Fanlu and Xiao Liu exchanged a glance, quickly raising a barrier around them.

The next moment, the “ice” broke through the ground completely, revealing large semi-circular scales attached to it, followed by sharp claws thicker than a human body…

Until the entire dragon claw emerged from the ground, crashing down and causing the roof to collapse, scattering ice fragments everywhere.

It was Xun Huang’s true form, awakening at last!