The gluttonous little boy is four and a half years old, and even the wealthy family kneels down and

Kong Zheng looked at her, as if searching for a way to explain something that a four-year-old could understand.

He spoke slowly:

"Xiao Jin, Xie Luxue's malevolence will only grow stronger, eroding her humanity. Once she kills the last one, will she stop? Vengeful spirits never stop. She started out seeking revenge, but after she gets her revenge, she will become a true evil spirit."

Xiao Jin opened her mouth, but did not immediately refute.

She lowered her head, looking at her shoes, her voice muffled:

"Sister Xiaoxue won't hurt Xiaojin."

"She won't now. What about later?"

Xiao Jin stopped talking.

She was very young, but she understood some principles.

Her master had told her many times that a ghost's resentment grows, like a snowball that gets bigger and bigger.

But she remembered Xie Luxue's blood and tears under the moonlight, her curled-up posture, and the way she told Xiao Xiang's story, her voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth.

Xiao Jin sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Kong Zheng looked at her red eyes, finally sighed, reached out and wiped away a tear that had somehow slid down her face, but did not back down.

"Xiao Jin, I will hold a ritual tonight," he said softly. "If you don't understand, that's okay. But this is something I must do."

Xiao Jin shook her head again, "This altar cannot be opened; it will bring about bloodshed."

Kong Zheng thought Xiao Jin was referring to the possibility of him getting hurt.

"I'm not afraid. I came here for this very reason." He stood up and patted Xiao Jin's head. "You can go back to the city first. I'll take care of things here."

"No," Xiao Jin said solemnly, "Xiao Jin will stay here to protect you."

Kong Zheng smiled slightly but didn't speak. Xiao Jin then asked curiously, "Kong Kong, didn't you learn face reading from your master?"

He didn't know why Xiao Jin asked that, but he nodded nonetheless. "I'm not very good at reading faces."

Xiao Jin sniffed hard, patted Kong Zheng's hand, sighed, and said, "Then you must study hard from now on."

Kong Zheng was taken aback, looking down at her: "Judging by appearance? What does that have to do with what's going on now?"

Xiao Jin didn't answer, but just shook her head, her little face showing a "you wouldn't understand" expression. She patted Kong Zheng's hand and said solemnly, "You'll understand later."

Kong Zheng was completely confused and was about to ask again when Yun Ziang's voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Oh, they're all here."

Yun Zi'ang, munching on half an ear of corn, swayed and strolled over from the other side of the yard.

As I walked, I couldn't help but look back once more.

As he passed by the gate, he noticed Sun Liqiang pressed against the doorframe, seemingly eavesdropping. He patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Mayor Sun, what are you listening to?"

As a result, Sun Liqiang looked guilty and suddenly straightened up, his face turning pale and then red. He chuckled dryly twice and said, "N-nothing, just checking where you are."

After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly towards the main room.

Yun Ziang glanced back at his back, then looked at Xiao Jin and Kong Zheng by the courtyard wall, and understood a little bit about it.

He walked over, stuffed the corn into the pocket near his mouth, and waved to Xiao Jin: "Little Miss, come here, what are you two talking about, so seriously?"

Xiao Jin looked up at him, obediently responded, but did not move.

Yun Ziang walked over and squatted down. He looked at Xiao Jin's slightly red eyes, then at Kong Zheng's expression, which seemed to be making some kind of decision, and frowned.

Kong spoke first:

"Things here are almost settled. The bronze scale talisman has been retrieved, and I'm preparing for the ritual. You can take Xiao Jin back to the city first; I'll handle things here."

Yun Ziang's eyes lit up, and he almost applauded on the spot: "Really? That's great! This lousy place is terrible – the food, the sleep, the entertainment are all awful. I've wanted to leave for ages."

He reached out to hug Xiao Jin, but Xiao Jin grabbed his finger and shook her head.

"Xiao Jin isn't leaving." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "Xiao Jin wants to stay here and protect Kong Kong."

Kong Zheng smiled politely at her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "I will handle Xie Luxue's matter properly and give her an explanation, in my own way."

He paused, then turned and walked towards the door. "I'll go prepare the altar first. Please make yourselves at home."

He left decisively, without looking back.

Xiao Jin watched his retreating figure, her little hand unconsciously gripping Yun Ziang's sleeve.

Yun Zi'ang looked down at her, then at Kong Zheng, and asked in a low voice, "What exactly happened? What Xie Luxue? What have you two been doing behind my back?"

Xiao Jin didn't explain, but took out her small watch, pressed a few buttons on the screen, and sent a voice message:

"Nephew, if someone tries to hit Xiao Jin, what would you do?"

Less than ten seconds after the voice message was sent, Xiao Jin's watch started buzzing.

She looked down and saw it was Yun Mingyuan calling directly.

Xiao Jin answered the phone, and Yun Mingyuan's voice came through the receiver, carrying a low but heavy tone:

"Who wants to hit you? Where are you now? Where is Yun Ziang? Let him answer the phone."

"No, no one's hitting Xiao Jin yet." Xiao Jin chuckled, lowering her voice, "But nephew, could you bring a few more helpers to pick up Xiao Jin around six o'clock?"

Yun Mingyuan paused noticeably on the other end of the phone, then his voice deepened: "What happened?"

"I'll tell you after I pick up Xiaojin," Xiaojin said. "It has to be around 6 o'clock; don't come before 6 o'clock."

"I understand." Yun Mingyuan didn't ask any further questions, only replying with this one sentence, "I'll arrange for someone to arrive at six o'clock."

"Thank you, nephew!" Xiao Jin replied twice and hung up the phone promptly.

Yun Zi'ang, listening nearby, was terrified: "You're asking my dad to bring people? My dear, tell me the truth, is something terrible about to happen in this village?"

Xiao Jin looked up and met Yun Ziang's nervous expression. Suddenly, she smiled, revealing a row of small white teeth: "Grand-nephew, we'll have a car back to Nanhai City tonight."

Yun Zi'ang: "..."

Time flies, and it soon got dark.

Kong Zheng set up a simple altar on an open space near the Lock Dragon Well.

The altar faced south, covered with a yellow cloth, upon which were placed three lamps, a bowl of water, three dishes of fruit, a handful of grains, and an incense burner. The three sticks of incense in the burner had just been lit, and the blue smoke rose straight up, dispersing into a cloud in mid-air.

A red line was strung around the altar, with a small copper bell hanging every foot along the line—the kind Kong Zheng had taken out last night.

A red line encircles the altar, leaving only a small opening on the south side.

The last rays of dusk had not yet faded, and the water in the Lock Dragon Well rippled gently in the evening breeze.

However, the ritual was ultimately not completed.

Because Sun Liqiang led several people in and barged in.

They're not here to observe the ceremony.

He walked at the front, his eyes bloodshot and his hair disheveled, as if he had stumbled and run all the way.

He strode quickly, stepping over the pebbles on the ground, and burst into the gap on the south side of the altar. Pointing his finger at Kong Zheng's nose, he roared hoarsely:

"Liar! You liar!"

Kong Zheng had just placed a talisman under the incense burner when he heard the sound, looked up, and frowned: "Mayor Sun, what's wrong?"

"My son is dead! I just got the call, a car accident! He was in a car accident in town!" Sun Liqiang's voice was shrill and hoarse, like a bowstring stretched to its limit, exploding in the empty space beside the Lock Dragon Well.

He was trembling all over, his eyes red as if they were about to bleed. "It's all your fault! You all helped her, you're all her accomplices! If you don't arrest her, my son will be the one who dies!"

He roared and waved to the people behind him.

Several burly men rushed in from outside the altar, their faces grim. Some were carrying wooden sticks, while others were unarmed. They surrounded Kong Zheng, Xiao Jin, and Yun Zi'ang.

Yun Zi'ang reacted quickly, pulling Xiao Jin behind him and raising his arm to block her path: "What are you doing? Don't do anything rash! Who helped her? We didn't do anything!"

"Stop pretending!" Sun Liqiang seemed to have completely collapsed, his reason burned away. "That Xie Luxue, she's a vengeful ghost! You know she's harming people, yet you didn't save my son! What are you if not accomplices? My son was dragged down and died because of you!"

He staggered forward, reaching for Xiao Jin's arm, "It's you, you brat..."

Yun Zi'ang shoved him away: "What's wrong with you!"

Kong Zheng stood before the altar, his face finally darkening.

He stepped forward, blocking Yun Ziang and Xiao Jin, his voice low but exceptionally clear: "Mayor Sun, calm down. You know better than anyone what really happened to your son."

"Don't take your anger out on the child."

Sun Liqiang's chest heaved violently, his eyes fixed on Kong Zheng as if he wanted to skin him alive.

He opened his mouth, then suddenly turned around and shouted at the group of burly men:

"Get them now! Arrest them all! Nobody's leaving here today!"

Yun Ziang's heart sank. He held Xiao Jin tightly in his arms and took a step back.

Xiao Jin peeked her face out from behind his arm, blinked, and neither cried nor hid.

She raised her wrist and checked the time.

6:01.