Zheng Xiu gobbled down the noodles.

’How strange. I actually feel full.’

’At first, I was wondering if I could even stomach it.’

’It seems this Incarnation is almost no different from a Human.’

This put Master Zheng’s mind at ease.

Stepping out of the noodle shop, the shrew and the Wimp were already packing up to go home.

Zheng Xiu watched the middle-aged couple’s retreating backs, remaining silent.

"The ’Will’ in his soul was taken away."

As if sensing Zheng Xiu’s confusion, Feng Bei took the initiative to explain.

"Will?" Zheng Xiu asked. It was the first time he had heard of such a concept.

Feng Bei patiently explained to Young Master Zheng, "Ancient records state that the Human Soul is divided into four parts: Will, Form, Destiny, and Direction. ’Will’ refers to consciousness. When the ’Will’ in a person’s soul is taken, they are left with only a physical shell, no different from a walking corpse."

Compared to the "three hun and seven po souls" he’d read about in novels, this theory was quite refreshing.

It seemed Feng Bei hadn’t had a heart-to-heart with anyone in a long time.

The son of her old acquaintance looked as if he were cast from the same mold as her benefactor, making Feng Bei see Young Master Zheng as one of her own from the bottom of her heart.

After searching for so many years, she had finally found him.

Feng Bei hesitated for a moment, hiding her hands as she said slowly, "I don’t know if your father ever mentioned my past to you. But when I use my Miracle Technique, it’s more like I’m destroying the ’Form’ of a Human Soul."

Of course, Zheng Xiu was well aware of Feng Bei’s past. He played dumb and asked, "Sister Feng Bei, are you saying that a person’s physical body is determined by the ’Form’ of their Human Soul? For example, if the ’Form’ of a person’s Human Soul turns into a dog, then the person will also become a dog?"

Feng Bei fell silent and nodded lightly. It was clear she truly believed this.

What Feng Bei said broadened Zheng Xiu’s perspective, giving him a new understanding of the "Human Soul."

Even though Feng Bei’s "theory of the four parts of the Human Soul" contradicted his own knowledge, he didn’t know how to refute it at the moment.

Feng Bei’s Path Ability, which allowed her to cut any living creature into "fragments" with a single touch, seemed to be irrefutable proof.

The theory of the four parts of the Human Soul wasn’t hard to grasp.

’Will is consciousness, Form is the physical shape, and Destiny is... well, Destiny. But what about ’向’?’

He remembered how, every time his Incarnation reached its time limit, he would feel the pull from his Main Body.

As the two walked toward the Post Station, Zheng Xiu, like a curious child, asked along the way, "Is this theory of yours pure speculation, or is it based on something? And Form and Destiny are easy enough to understand from their names, but what about ’向’? Direction? Orientation? What does that mean?"

Feng Bei turned around. As if remembering something, she said calmly, "It doesn’t need a basis. It’s hard to explain in just a few words. If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll explain it to you in detail." After a pause, Feng Bei added, "I have witnessed it with my own eyes."

’Witnessed it with her own eyes?’

Zheng Xiu was slightly taken aback. ’Is she referring to the incident in Baili Village, or other cases from the past twenty years?’ Seeing that Feng Bei was already walking toward the Post Station, Zheng Xiu could only follow and obediently reply, "Okay."

Back at the Post Station, the tall Yue Yan and the bruised-faced Dou Xie were already waiting.

"Lord Upper Three, something isn’t right here."

Yue Yan, with her hands behind her back, tapped the Black Box and frowned. "Mao’er’s reaction is a little strange, as if... it’s entered ’that place.’ But the Raven shows no abnormality at all."

Dou Xie quickly raised his hand, looking like he totally understood, and said with a grin, "Sister Yue Yan means the ’Boundary,’ right?"

Hearing this, Yue Yan shot Dou Xie a glare and nudged her chin toward Young Master Zheng, the gesture clearly meaning: ’Don’t you see there’s an outsider here?’

"It’s fine." Feng Bei clearly didn’t consider Zheng Xiu, who wore the guise of the Evil Child, an outsider. "I think so too. The atmosphere in town is strange, most likely influenced by a ’Boundary.’ But the Source is probably still in that mountain. Otherwise, more anomalies would have appeared here by now."

Yue Yan cupped her sharp chin and fell into thought. "I wonder if you’ve noticed, but this town worships a strange idol called the ’Dang Lang Immortal.’ And the place we’re going to is called the Immortal Maiden Temple. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that the statue of the ’Dang Lang Immortal’ looks..."

At this point, Zheng Xiu interjected, "A lot like a mantis, right?"

Yue Yan nodded, rubbing the spot between her eyebrows. "Suspicious."

"What’s there to be afraid of!" a confident, black-and-blue Dou Xie declared. "I’ve already copied down the ’Song of the Vast Righteous Qi’ that General Zheng Haoran wrote before a campaign! With the righteous qi of Heaven and Earth filling the universe, no evil spirit can withstand General Zheng’s killing aura!"

’Even if it’s that amazing, my dad wrote it. What are you so proud of?’ Zheng Xiu thought to himself.

As soon as Dou Xie finished, he seemed to realize something was off. He glared at Zheng Xiu and added, "General Zheng is General Zheng, and you are you. Don’t get cocky!"

Zheng Xiu ignored him, pondering a chance to beat him up again. Then he raised his hand. "Excuse me, you’ve been saying ’that place’ and ’Boundary.’ What exactly do you mean?"

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Zheng Xiu’s tone.

’If you’re going to say something, just say it clearly. Why are you all speaking in riddles?’

SWISH.

Yue Yan and Dou Xie simultaneously turned their gazes to Feng Bei.

Feng Bei smiled, still not treating Young Master Zheng as an outsider. She explained, "Just as Heaven has the sun and moon, and time is divided into day and night, everything has two sides. The world we live in, the present world, is called the ’Common World’ in ancient texts. Its counterpart is the ’Darkness.’ The Darkness and the Common World do not interfere with each other. The inside of the Darkness is treacherous and strange, home to all kinds of evil spirits and filth."

’The Common World and the Darkness?’

Feng Bei continued, "Normally, the Darkness and the Common World are not connected. But under special circumstances, the barrier between them weakens. The intersecting area is what Ye Weiyang calls a ’Boundary.’ Within a ’Boundary,’ the Common World is affected by the filth from the ’Darkness,’ causing some mysterious changes to occur. Just like..."

Just as Feng Bei was about to say more, she seemed to recall something she didn’t want to mention and abruptly cut herself off.

"If it really is a ’Boundary,’ we absolutely cannot take the Zheng family’s young master with us. The appearance of a ’Boundary’ means something major has happened inside. Forget ordinary people; even a Miracle Master can lose their life in a Boundary if they’re not careful."

Yue Yan pointed at Zheng Xiu. This new revelation made her resolute about not taking him into the mountains.

Her intentions were good, but of course, Zheng Xiu wasn’t having any of it.

"Sister Feng Bei, come over here for a second."

Zheng Xiu beckoned with his finger again. Feng Bei’s expression faltered for a second, but she still silently got up and followed the son of her old acquaintance to a corner to speak privately.

Yue Yan closed her eyes, a cold smile on her face, and pricked up her ears to listen.

’Heh! You think I, Yue Yan, can’t hear you just because you’re whispering over there?’

’So young and naive.’ 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

’You only know that Miracle Masters can perform Miracle Techniques, but you don’t know that a Miracle Master who has pushed open the seventh door has five senses far sharper than any ordinary person’s.’

"My dad once told me the story of Baili Village from twenty years ago. What you call a ’Boundary,’ my dad called a ’Ghostly Realm.’ He also taught me many ways to protect myself in a Ghostly Realm. I’ve been able to perform Spirit Communication since I was a child, and I can see a lot of the unholy things that ordinary people can’t."

Zheng Xiu decided to reveal some of his cards.

Feng Bei looked at Zheng Xiu in surprise, but her expression quickly returned to normal. She nodded and said, "So your father called that place a ’Ghostly Realm’."

"At the very least, I can see more clearly than that damn bird."

Zheng Xiu pointed at the Raven on their shoulders.

Feng Bei was silent, seemingly hesitant.

Zheng Xiu still hadn’t received the notification for arriving at the [Ghostly Realm - Immortal Maiden Temple]. If he wanted to go there, his only option was to follow [Post Station Feng Bei]. No matter what, he had to shamelessly tag along with Feng Bei into the Ghostly Realm.

’Hmph, once I reach the Ghostly Realm, whether I get in or not won’t be up to Feng Bei anymore.’

Zheng Xiu added, "The one who’s injured is my cousin! Blood is thicker than water! We’re as close as siblings! How can I let you face the danger while I sit back and reap the rewards? Sister Feng Bei, you don’t have to persuade me. The blood of the Zheng family flows in my veins. My head can be cut off, my blood can be shed, but the integrity of the Zheng Clan must not be lost!"

"My father! Zheng Shan! The ’Zheng’ from Zheng Haoran! The ’Shan’ from ’great philanthropist’! I, Zheng Er, despise evil as my mortal foe! I cannot coexist with gambling, drugs... COUGH COUGH, with evil! This mountain, I, Zheng Er, must go! I’ll have no regrets, in life or death!"

Zheng Xiu’s words touched Feng Bei’s heart. The boy’s resolute face vaguely reminded her of the Zheng Shan from twenty years ago.

"Alright."

Feng Bei agreed in a soft voice.

She didn’t know why, but she found it hard to refuse him.

Yue Yan was about to say that Feng Bei had lost her mind, to ask why she was spoiling this little Zheng family brat, but then she saw the cold glint in Feng Bei’s eyes as she made a gesture of tightening her gloves.

She instantly shut her mouth and pouted.

’Go ahead and spoil him, then.’

’Wait a minute.’

Yue Yan, finally realizing, suddenly widened her alluring eyes.

’Who did he say he was the son of, again?’