The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Hearing this, Wang Zhen's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He raised his hand, as if trying to grasp something, but grasped nothing. And just like that, he fainted.

When he opened his eyes again, the room was already brightly lit. Wang Zhenhuan stared wide-eyed at the eight-legged constellation above him, not wanting to move an inch. His throat was so dry it felt like it was about to burst into flames.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. After a long while, Wang Zhenhuan gradually regained consciousness. He moved his neck and looked around.

Having determined his location, if he wasn't mistaken, he was still in Lord Sun's room, except that there was no one else there besides him.

Wang Zhenhuan closed his eyes and examined himself. The spiritual energy in his dantian was already about 70% depleted, meaning he must have been unconscious for more than a day.

Thinking of this, he could no longer lie still and struggled to get up from the kang (a heated brick bed), but his limbs wouldn't obey him. Frustrated, he pounded on the bed.

As if hearing a noise inside, someone pushed open the door. Wang Zhenhuan turned his head and saw it was the familiar face of Master Lu. After Master Lu entered the room, he seemed very happy to see that Wang Zhenhuan was awake.

"Master, you're finally awake. I'll go inform Master Tongmiao... oh, no, I should help you up first."

Master Lu said to him happily, then turned to leave with the kettle in his hand. After thinking for a moment, he came back, went to the heated brick bed, and intended to help Wang Zhenhuan up. As soon as he reached out, he realized that he was still holding the kettle in his hand.

So he returned to the table, put down the kettle, and then helped Wang Zhenhuan sit up from the kang (heated brick bed). In Wang Zhenhuan's memory, Master Lu had always been a steady and methodical person.

His flustered state at this moment showed that he was genuinely happy for Wang Huanzhen to wake up. After helping Wang Huanzhen up, he returned to the table, poured Wang Huanzhen a glass of water, and served it to him.

"Master, would you like more?" Master Lu asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhuan blinked, and the clerk immediately poured him another cup. After drinking three cups of water in a row, Wang Zhenhuan finally felt much better about his throat.

He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, and asked, "How is my brother? Has the clerk... cough cough... seen him?"

Master Lu fell silent upon hearing Wang Zhenhuan's words. He took the teacup, placed it back on the table, and said with his back to Wang Zhenhuan, "Old Lu doesn't know how to explain this. Let Master Tongmiao speak to you, Daoist."

Having said that, he avoided Wang Zhenhuan's gaze and left the room. Seeing his reaction, Wang Zhenhuan was immediately overcome with grief. He looked at his hands, then covered his face and wept.

The words Ao Shuang spoke to him before she left still echoed in his mind. Even in his final moments, he didn't want Wang Zhenhuan to be sad, and told him to look forward and not to look back.

But could he really not turn back? He watched helplessly as his brother left before his very eyes. How could he not turn back? And what reason did he have not to?

Just as he was overcome with grief, footsteps sounded outside the door. Wang Huanzhen looked up and saw Chonghe Zhenren standing in the doorway, looking at him.

Wang Huanzhen asked in a hoarse voice, "Master, is my brother... is he still alive?"

He himself understood that since Ao Shuang had told him about the afterlife, the chances of him surviving were slim. But for some reason, Wang Zhenhuan always felt that Ao Shuang was not dead.

Therefore, he wanted to hear a clear answer from his own mouth so that he could finally give up. When Wang Huanzhen asked the question, Chong Hezi did not answer, but instead gave a wink to Lu Shiye beside her.

Master Lu understood and immediately withdrew, closing the door behind him. Only then did Chong Hezi approach Wang Zhenhuan, grasp his wrist, and speak while taking his pulse.

"This humble Taoist priest does not know either."

"What do you mean by that, Master?" Wang Zhenhuan was taken aback at first, then looked at Chong Hezi with some disbelief and asked.

"According to mortals, your brother's three souls left his body and his seven spirits dissipated, so he is naturally dead." Chong Hezi put his hand back, took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom, and handed it to Wang Zhenhuan.

Wang Zhenhuan took the porcelain bottle but didn't open it. Instead, he asked excitedly, "Does the Master mean that my brother can still be saved?"

"Whether it can be saved is still unknown; we'll have to try to find out. But the weasel has already been killed, so you can rest assured about that. This is the first time I've ever seen such a large weasel," Chong Hezi replied, stroking his beard.

"Tried it? What do you mean? Where is my brother now? You must save him, Master." Wang Zhenhuan held his hand and said in a trembling voice.

He had never imagined that Ao Shuang would one day suddenly leave him. Now, hearing Chong Hezi's words, hope was rekindled in his heart. Yes, to ordinary people, Ao Shuang was naturally dead.

But he is a Taoist priest, and Taoists are known for their ability to resurrect. Even the deceased Miss Chen, Ao Shuang had a way to keep her soul alive. Chong He Zhenren is a master of Purple Qi, so he must have a way to revive Ao Shuang.

"This humble Taoist priest will certainly not stand idly by. You have not only saved the entire government office, but also the people of the entire town. This is a great act of kindness. This humble Taoist priest will certainly do his utmost, so please rest assured," said Chong Hezi with a smile.

Seeing Oki Kazuko's smile, Wang Zhenhuan finally felt relieved. Since she could smile, it meant there was still room for things to turn around. He asked Oki Kazuko a question.

"Master, please don't hide the truth about my brother's current situation. Since there's a chance for him to live, I'm willing to accept whatever the circumstances may be."

"The physical body remains, but the inner core is gone. The three souls have left the body, and the seven spirits have all dissipated." Upon hearing his words, Chong Hezi glanced at Wang Zhenhuan and then spoke.

"So, my brother's soul has already left his body?" Wang Huanzhen stared blankly at him and whispered. There's a saying, "soul scattered," meaning the soul has left the body, which is basically equivalent to death.

"Indeed. If it weren't for his unusual bloodline, he probably wouldn't even be able to survive." Seeing that Wang Huanzhen hadn't opened the porcelain bottle after receiving it, Chonghe Zhenren took it from him, opened it, and poured out a pill.

After handing the pill to Wang Huanzhen, she poured him a glass of water. Wang Huanzhen mechanically took the pill, swallowed it, and drank the water in one gulp. Then, he looked at Chong Hezi and asked her a question.

"Does the immortal have a way to bring my brother back to life?"

"Since I've spoken, I naturally have a way. However, this method requires your cooperation, so you should recover your health as soon as possible," Chong Hezi said to Wang Huanzhen.

"What is the method? Please tell me clearly, Daoist Master." Wang Zhenhuan thought he was being lied to and hurriedly asked.

"This humble Taoist priest can set up an altar and perform rituals to summon your brother's soul!"