It was a cold, dilapidated alley that looked exactly like the places where refugees lived in the capital cities of the mortal realm’s isolated islands. The doors were old and covered with cracks, and even the surrounding bricks and tiles looked like they were pieced together from fragments, carrying a shabby, common marketplace atmosphere. Narrow buildings were haphazardly placed on both sides of the alley, appearing low and decrepit.

Even in the poor lighting, Jian Chou could clearly see the wooden beams lying fallen on the ground…

Chaos.

Decay.

Ruin.

Desolation.

This was Jian Chou’s first impression of this alley.

She was even somewhat stunned, immediately casting aside her previous interest in the Eighteen-Story Earthly Tower, asking Zhang Tang with some surprise: “Immortal Wuzhong lives here?”

Zhang Tang knew what Jian Chou was thinking, only gazing at the bottomless alley and speaking quietly: “When I first came here, I too couldn’t believe it.”

The legendary existence who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the eight Yama Kings of the Eight Directions City lived in such a dirty, broken, narrow alley?

To ordinary people, it would probably sound like a fairy tale.

If Zhang Tang had hesitated back then, how much more so would Jian Chou today?

The four of them stood at the alley entrance—one calm as before, three filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost were simply tongue-tied: “This place is way too shabby! It looks even worse than our home. Look, spider webs are everywhere!”

As he spoke, Little Head Ghost even pointed at the nearest spider web.

The entire alley was pitch black. Looking from the alley entrance, they couldn’t see the end.

It was as if the darkness sleeping in the alley had no end at all, and ordinary people’s sight could hardly penetrate it.

Jian Chou squinted with great effort and could just make out that within that deep darkness, there was indeed a faint glimmer of light—very obscure and dim, flickering and jumping, making one think with a careless glance that it was merely an illusion caused by eye strain.

“Is that the place?”

“Correct.”

Zhang Tang nodded.

Jian Chou looked back at him, seeing only the tall, standing figure of this former cruel official.

After pondering for a moment, she couldn’t help but ask: “From Lord Tingwei’s current demeanor, it seems you’ve visited Immortal Wuzhong before?”

“…”

This time, Zhang Tang didn’t answer.

He glanced at Jian Chou, as if examining her, or perhaps feeling she was asking too much. After standing for a moment, he stepped forward directly, saying: “Immortal Wuzhong has been cultivating as a ghost cultivator for a thousand years. He’s not among the Ten Great Ghost Clans, nor does he serve the Eight Directions City. He stands alone, and no one can do anything to him. My visiting him and your upcoming visit to him have no connection.”

The implication was that Zhang Tang had indeed had some unknown interaction with Immortal Wuzhong, but this interaction couldn’t help Jian Chou succeed.

Jian Chou could hear that Zhang Tang didn’t want to discuss his own affairs.

Thinking about it, apart from their brief encounter at the isolated islands and the Crimson Slaughter Small Realm, she and Zhang Tang weren’t familiar at all. That he was willing to help was already extremely fortunate.

After thinking for a moment, Jian Chou ultimately didn’t ask further questions, only following Zhang Tang as they walked deeper into the alley.

Only Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost were suppressed to the point of discomfort.

They wanted to inquire about how Zhang Tang had come to have dealings with the famous Immortal Wuzhong, but seeing Zhang Tang’s stern, deadpan face, they felt intimidated. They muttered behind them for a long time, but not one of them dared to speak up.

The alley fell silent for a moment, with only light footsteps echoing like stones thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

But in this late night quietude, no one paid attention.

The deeper they went, the more dilapidated the buildings on both sides became.

Jian Chou stepped over a fallen, rotting beam on the ground, frowning slightly as she felt something wasn’t quite right.

Zhang Tang also glanced around and explained: “This is Immortal Wuzhong’s residence. He won’t move, and no one dares to disturb it.”

Then Jian Chou understood immediately.

She said quietly: “I was wondering—all the way from Wrongful Death City’s gates, every building I saw became increasingly grand and luxurious, quite befitting a mortal capital’s grandeur. How could there be such a dilapidated alley in the midst of all this prosperity? Now I understand.”

This being the case, this Immortal Wuzhong indeed possessed a terrifying authority in Wrongful Death City.

Such an incongruous alley…

Jian Chou walked while observing.

In her forward vision, that single source of scattered light finally began to become clearer.

It was a small, broken house sitting at the end of the alley.

The dilapidated carved windows were covered with yellowed window paper, and the dim, flickering light came through this paper.

Door panels full of cracks were sparsely set into the doorframe, with fragments of light escaping through the gaps.

The entire place looked like a small business shop from the mortal realm, only now it had closed for the day.

In front of the house were three steps covered with moss, though the moss in the center of the steps had been worn away completely.

Presumably, many people had set foot on these steps over time.

Most likely all coming to visit Immortal Wuzhong?

The moment she saw the steps, Jian Chou made this judgment.

This was the very end of the alley, and Zhang Tang naturally stopped, looking toward that window.

By the window was a vague dark shadow—whether candlelight or human shadow, it was unclear.

He walked up the steps at a measured pace and gently knocked three times on the broken door: “Knock, knock, knock.”

The not-too-loud sound, when it rang out in this silent deep alley, carried a thrilling quality.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost didn’t even dare to breathe, honestly hiding behind Jian Chou, seemingly ready to run at the first sign of trouble.

Jian Chou was relatively composed, still watching Zhang Tang while observing the situation.

After Zhang Tang knocked, there wasn’t the slightest sound from inside the house. Even the shadow by the window didn’t move, as if no one was there at all.

Not home perhaps?

The moment this thought arose in Jian Chou’s mind, a voice hoarse to the extreme came from nowhere: “Zhang Tang…”

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost were ghosts themselves and should not have been frightened, yet when this voice emerged, both little ghosts were so scared they hugged each other, trembling as they clung together.

Jian Chou’s back also went cold with horror!

Not for any other reason, but because this voice was truly too harsh, too hoarse, like having a thousand knives stuck in one’s throat while still insisting on speaking.

Cold and sinister, obscure to the extreme.

Zhang Tang showed no abnormality.

He had heard far more miserable voices than this, and besides, it wasn’t his first time hearing “Immortal Wuzhong’s” voice.

Standing before the door, he quite properly clasped his hands together and bowed: “Coming in the starry night to make an introduction—someone has a matter and wishes to seek assistance from the senior. I wonder if the senior might grant an audience?”

The shadow by the window still didn’t move, and no sound could be heard from inside the house.

Only that voice, as if arising from nowhere, came from the window: “You’ve brought a living person—that’s a first for me to see… Come in.”

“Creak…”

A door hinge friction sound that made one’s teeth ache.

The door blocking Zhang Tang’s way opened just like that.

Jian Chou, standing on the street, looked up and could see through this not-very-wide door to some of the interior furnishings.

It really did look like a shop.

Only what was displayed on the shelves wasn’t spiritual herbs or magical artifacts, but rather uncarved stones, block by block.

These stones came in various shapes, appearing completely unremarkable, not even strangely formed.

They looked like broken stones casually picked up from the ground, some possibly boulders that had rolled down from mountains, others square and regular, seeming to have been cut and waiting for carving…

Whether on the side shelves or the entrance shelves, without exception, they were all stones!

This scene was truly quite unexpected.

Jian Chou was momentarily stunned, then noticed Zhang Tang had already entered, stepping through the door and turning back to look at her, still standing outside.

She was the one coming to visit Immortal Wuzhong; Zhang Tang was clearly waiting for her.

Jian Chou steadied her mind, suppressing her curiosity and confusion, and stepped from the street onto the steps, crossing the threshold that looked ready to collapse.

Inside the house, in the right corner, lay a ground full of gray-white stone fragments.

A small wooden stool sat among these fragments, occupied by a very slovenly-looking old man whose robes had lost their original appearance, so dirty they seemed ready to shed dust at any moment.

His disheveled hair was completely unkempt, gray and white, his face covered with a beard of the same color as his hair.

The man’s entire facial features were hidden within this messy hair, making them impossible to see clearly.

At first glance, he looked like a destitute beggar!

Jian Chou could hardly believe it—

This was the legendary Immortal Wuzhong?

His withered branch-like fingers clutched a small piece of broken stone, his entire person like a skeleton, not moving at all. The color of his fingers nearly merged with the stone’s color, making them indistinguishable.

Even hearing footsteps and knowing Zhang Tang had brought someone in, he didn’t raise his eyes once.

Only when Zhang Tang stopped, and Jian Chou also stopped, did the old man slowly raise his head, looking directly past Zhang Tang to Jian Chou.

A pair of murky eyeballs, nearly indistinguishable between black and white, particularly alarming.

In that instant, he saw Jian Chou clearly, and also noticed the Qiankun Bag hanging at her waist.

Then, the lips hidden beneath that grass-like beard moved slightly, emitting from his throat a disturbing laugh.

“So it’s the little girl from Yashan…”