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

The way back was longer than the way we came.

Xiao Jin dragged Liu Kaile along, running for a long time in the hazy fog, until a faint light appeared at the end of that dark road.

It's red and warm, like a lantern.

Soul-guiding lamp.

Xiao Jin pulled Liu Kaile in front of the light and pointed to the red light: "See it? Follow this light, don't look back, no matter what sound you hear, don't turn around."

Liu Kaile nodded blankly, it was unclear how much he actually understood.

He stood there, his eyes still vacant, but his feet seemed to be drawn to that light, and he began to slowly walk forward.

Xiao Jin loosened his clothes and gently pushed him from behind: "Go on!!"

Liu Kaile took a few steps toward the red light, his steps gradually becoming steady.

He followed the thin red line, step by step, very slowly, but without veering off course.

Xiao Jin stood there, watching his back disappear into the red light, before exhaling and gradually vanishing into the mist.

-

In the bedroom.

Liu's mother's voice was already hoarse, but she was still shouting.

"Lele—come back—come back—"

Her lips were chapped, her eyes were red and swollen, and the clothes in her hands had been folded countless times, with wrinkles at the edges, but she never stopped moving.

The needle in the bowl of rice at the foot of the bed suddenly moved.

The needle tip twitched very slightly.

Liu's mother paused for a moment, then shouted even louder, "Lele! Come back!"

The soul-searching needle began to slowly rotate.

Counterclockwise, one circle, two circles, the speed increasing, as if responding to some approaching force.

Then, without warning, with a "thud," the needle fell over and lay flat on the rice and noodles.

Li Dou suddenly turned around and looked at the bed.

Liu Kaile's right hand twitched slightly.

Then his eyelids twitched, and his Adam's apple bobbed for a moment.

Li Dou's expression suddenly changed drastically, and his eyes widened as if he had seen something unbelievable.

The summoning of the soul was successful; the soul has returned to its rightful place.

Liu's mother quickly spread the clothes on her lap and covered Liu Kaile from head to toe, her voice trembling violently: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back—"

In the living room, the flame of the soul-guiding lamp flickered slightly.

Xiao Jin's eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her face was frighteningly pale, and her whole body swayed.

Yun Ziang reacted quickly and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms.

"Xiao Jin!"

Xiao Jin nestled her head against his shoulder, nuzzled against him, her eyes half-open, half-closed, yawned, and whispered in a voice barely audible, "Lele... is she back...?"

"The needle fell over! The needle fell over!" Li Dou's voice came from the bedroom, carrying an emotion so complex he couldn't even explain it himself. "The soul has returned to its place!"

Xiao Jin smiled slightly, shifted into a more comfortable position in his arms, closed her eyes, and mumbled, "I'll sleep in there for a while... don't call me... I'm so sleepy..."

Before he could finish speaking, his breathing became even.

Yun Ziang looked down at her pale face, pulled her closer to his chest, rested his chin on the top of her head, and said nothing.

In the bedroom, Liu Kaile's clothes were being pressed down by his mother's hands, as if she were gently pressing his soul back into his body.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his breathing gradually became steady and even, and a trace of color finally appeared on his pale face.

After a while, the eyes that had been closed for most of the day slowly opened.

His eyes were still somewhat unfocused, and he stared at the ceiling for a while before slowly focusing on the tear-stained face in front of the bed.

"......mom?"

His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping his throat.

Liu's mother covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't say a word, only nodding frantically.

Liu's father stumbled over from beside the curtains, his knees hitting the edge of the bed without even feeling the pain. He grabbed his son's hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. His lips trembled for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out two words: "He's awake."

Li Dou stood at the door, still holding the Bagua mirror in his arms, staring blankly at Liu Kaile who had opened his eyes on the bed, and then turned his head to look at Xiao Jin, who was sleeping in Yun Ziang's arms in the living room.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

He simply leaned against the door frame and let out a long, silent breath.

At this point, he had to admit that he was indeed no match for that four-year-old girl.

But... how could this happen?!

He has studied for over twenty years, how could he be inferior to a child?

Li Dou's expression was complicated. He looked at the sleeping Xiao Jin and couldn't help but move closer, wanting to ask her something, but he didn't want to disturb the child's sleep, so he could only pace back and forth.

Yun Zi'ang frowned. "Are you...doing this a fashion show?"

Li Dou looked at Yun Ziang and finally couldn't help but ask, "This child is your little aunt."

"Yes, it's the real deal!" Yun Ziang raised his chin, looking exceptionally smug.

"Who is her teacher?" Li Dou asked eagerly.

Yun Zi'ang looked at Li Dou with suspicion. "Don't tell me you also want to become an apprentice?"

Li Dou looked conflicted, sighed heavily, and looked at Yun Zi'ang with disdain, "What do you know!"

He asked this simply so he could understand his defeat more clearly.

Li Dou took out his business card and put it into the hand of the sleeping Xiao Jin.

Yun Ziang glanced at it and couldn't help but say, "It's useless for you to put this here. My little aunt can't even read all the words yet."

"What? You can't even read, how can you tell fortunes and summon spirits?" Li Dou gritted his teeth, feeling his dignity being challenged once again.

Yun Ziang's lips curled up, and he said smugly, "Talent is a cruel thing."

"Here's what we'll do: write down my phone number. If there's anything you can't handle, you can contact my little aunt through me."

"Let her help you."

When Yun Ziang said this, his expression was so smug that Li Dou instantly lost his composure.

He retorted angrily, "Pah! Who cares!"

Yun Ziang pursed his lips, but still recited his phone number.

Li Dou turned around, picked up his bag, and left, cursing under his breath.

Li Dou's footsteps disappeared in the corridor. Liu's mother wiped away her tears and came out of the bedroom to greet him. When she saw Xiao Jin sleeping in Yun Zi'ang's arms, a look of worry immediately appeared on her face.

"Zi'ang, is Little Master alright? Why is her face so pale?"

"It's nothing, she's just sleepy." Yun Ziang glanced down at Xiao Jin, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and said casually, "She'll be fine after a nap, Auntie, don't worry."

Mrs. Liu breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help glancing at Xiao Jin a few more times, her eyes still red: "This time it really was... if it weren't for you, Lele, he..."

As she spoke, her voice choked up again. Liu's father also came over, stood beside his wife, and solemnly bowed to Yun Zi'ang.

"Young Master Yun, we can't thank you enough. You and the young master saved Kai Le's life; our Liu family will remember this kindness for a lifetime." Father Liu straightened up, his eyes slightly red, his voice steady, "As for the reward..."

"No, no, no." Yun Ziang freed one hand and waved it, pulling Xiao Jin closer to his chest. "Uncle and Auntie, Kai Le and I are friends. It's only right that I help. There's no question of payment."

"If you really want to thank me, just have Kai Le come over and thank me himself once he's fully awake."

He glanced at his watch and gave a perfectly timed apologetic smile: "I have something to do, I have to go now."

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Liu's mother did not want to force him to stay. She said repeatedly, "I will definitely come to thank you another day." Just as she was about to see him off, Yun Zi'ang suddenly seemed to remember something and stopped in his tracks.

"Oh, right."

He pulled a small yellow cloth bag from his pocket, about the size of a palm, tied with a red string, and it was bulging.

He swayed Xiao Jin over his shoulder with one hand, then handed her the cloth bag with his other hand: "This is what Xiao Jin told me to give to Kai Le on the way."

"Wear the amulet close to your body for the next few days, and don't take it off even when showering. Just put it in a plastic bag to keep it dry."

Liu's mother accepted the gift with both hands, thanking her repeatedly, and carefully held it in her hands as if it were a precious treasure.

Seeing her solemn expression, Yun Ziang cleared his throat and gave a somewhat embarrassed smile: "Um... Auntie, this talisman needs to be made on the spot, it's eighty-eight."

The air was quiet for a second.

Mr. Liu's expression froze, wondering if he had misheard: "...How much?"

"Eighty-eight." Yun Ziang repeated without changing his expression, "RMB, not US dollars."

Mr. and Mrs. Liu exchanged a glance, their expressions conveying the same meaning.

Eighty-eight? Not eighty-eight thousand?

They were just calculating how much compensation would be appropriate, when the person quoted a figure that couldn't even afford a decent meal.

"Young Master Yun, you must be joking." Mr. Liu frowned, his tone becoming serious. "This is a life-saving favor; eighty-eight yuan is meaningless. Give me a real number, eighty-eight thousand or one hundred and eighty thousand, just name your price..."

"Uncle, I'm not just being polite," Yun Zi'ang interrupted him, his expression sincere. "This is the standard price set by her sect: eighty-eight for the amulet. It wasn't my price; it was set by her ancestor. If I dared to overcharge, she'd come after me first when she wakes up."

He said this with a tone that was half helpless and half serious, rather than just being polite.

Upon hearing the words "master's school" and "founding master," Liu's father's expression hardened, and he showed even more reverence.

What kind of sect can teach its disciples to such skill and set such rules, not seeking wealth or profit? This is the true demeanor of a reclusive master.

Without saying anything more, he took out his phone and transferred the money decisively.

Yun Ziang's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it, his eyebrows twitching: "Uncle, I said eighty-eight. You added two extra zeros."

"Not much." Mr. Liu stuffed his phone into his pocket, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Consider the extra as money we're giving to the young master to buy him some candy."

"Please don't push it for her. If she feels it's inappropriate when she wakes up, let her come to me for a refund herself."

Yun Ziang opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't push her away. He looked down at Xiao Jin in his arms; the little girl was sleeping soundly, her face buried in his shoulder, with a suspicious, glistening trace of drool at the corner of her mouth.

Okay, I'll buy candy then.

Eighty-eight thousand candies—enough for her to eat for the rest of her life.