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The three of them, the Master and his disciple along with Old Man Shi, arrived at Wind Gate Village. This village lay hidden in an unnamed deep mountain on the outskirts of the city. The riverbanks were lush and ancient, and although there were a few villages scattered about, for some unknown reason, it was eerily deserted. Hundreds of buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties stood amidst the dense forest, creating a bizarre atmosphere.
"Is this it?" Wang Tuozi asked.
Old Man Shi nodded, "Yes, it is."
The strange tales surrounding Wind Gate Village were numerous, and even someone as skilled and bold as Wang Tuozi felt a sense of unease. Guided by Old Man Shi, the three of them walked along the dilapidated path into the village. The houses within were remarkably well-preserved, yet not a single person could be seen; it was as if death had claimed the place.
Old Man Shi led them to a rundown house with its doors wide open. A breeze swept through, revealing that the furniture inside was in excellent condition, untouched by dust despite the absence of inhabitants. In the center of the room stood a Grand Master's Chair, which swayed on its own without any wind, creaking ominously and sending chills down their spines.
Old Man Shi approached and sat down on the Grand Master's Chair.
Creak... creak... creak...
As Old Man Shi rocked back and forth in the chair, Wang Tuozi and Wei Ning watched intently. They noticed that with each sway of the Grand Master's Chair, Old Man Shi's appearance began to change. First, his hair gradually turned white, then strands started to fall out. His face aged rapidly, as if he had lived for hundreds of years in an instant.
The rocking of the Grand Master's Chair grew faster, and Old Man Shi's transformation intensified. His skin began to weather like sand sculpture; he became increasingly gaunt and alarming. His skin clung tightly to his bones, drying out until it cracked apart like parched earth, flaking off in pieces from his face.
Gradually, under the relentless motion of the Grand Master's Chair, Old Man Shi transformed into a skeleton.
Even Wei Ning, who had witnessed many strange occurrences by now, found this sight shocking.
Creak! The Grand Master's Chair came to an abrupt halt.
Now a mere skeleton, Old Man Shi stood up and looked at himself before finally speaking: "I have returned; I am finally back."
Wang Tuozi said, "Old Shi. Thank you for waiting for me all these years."
Old Man Shi replied calmly, "This is what I owed you in life; I repay you in death. From now on, we are even."
Wang Tuozi nodded. "Yes, as long as you safely guide me inside, you can rest easy."
"Where is it?"
Wang Tuozi remained silent, pulling out a delicate box from his pocket. Wei Ning recognized it; this key was the "prize" known as Hell's Key from the Corpse Driving Conference. Wang Tuozi carefully opened the box, and as soon as Wei Ning saw it, he felt utterly astonished.
It wasn't that the key itself was strange; Wei Ning wouldn't have found it so ridiculous if it had been an unusual key. It was the shape of the key that left him dumbfounded.
The key was shaped like a mushroom, resembling a scepter, just like...
"This, this, this is too absurd," Wei Ning said in disbelief.
Wang Tuozi shot him a glare and replied, "Is it really that strange?"
Wei Ning stammered, "No, it's just that I find it a bit..."
"You're overreacting!" Wang Tuozi said seriously. "Let me ask you, what is the last checkpoint you passed from the Underworld to the Underworld?"
"Naturally..." Wei Ning suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"Since you know, what is that place called?"
Wei Ning's face turned crimson: "..."
"The passageway, of course! It's the road to the Underworld. You come from there, so you must return the same way. What's so strange about that?" Wang Tuozi said with a straight face.
Wei Ning: "..."
"So, if you want to go to the Underworld, this is the only road. There is no second path."
"Then this key is simply..."
"Wang Tuozi" said, "If you want to go in there, what will you use to open the door?"
"Wei Ning" was speechless.
"Alright, stop chatting with him. We only have three hours; if we miss the time, it will be too late," "Old Man Shi" urged.
"Wang Tuozi" nodded, took out a lamp, handed it to "Wei Ning," then lit it with a sigh. He said, "Wei Ning, no matter how much prejudice you have against me, you might not always agree with my actions..."
"Master," "Wei Ning" said, his eyes moistening as he spoke loudly.
"Damn it, can't you just let me finish before you start with your farewell speech?" "Wang Tuozi" glared at "Wei Ning," his tone softening again. "I've worried about you quite a bit over the years. For the sake of our long-standing master-disciple relationship, please take good care of this lamp for me. If this lamp goes out, I won't be able to return. I've only made one mistake in my life, and now it's time for me to repay my debts. If this lamp extinguishes, I won't come back. You should go to 'Miao Village' and find 'Meng Ge'; it's my fault that I let him down. Also, go to 'Dragon Tiger Mountain' and find... her. Just know that I'm already dead; there's no need for revenge. Living your own life is what matters."
Hearing the tone of "Wang Tuozi," which seemed to carry a sense of finality, "Wei Ning" shuddered and said, "Master, you stay here and guard this; I'll go down. Just teach me what to do."
"Heh heh, 'Wei Zi,' you're still not using your head at this age," "Wang Tuozi" chuckled and ruffled "Wei Ning's" hair. "Some things must be resolved by your own hands; otherwise, even if you live, you'll just be a walking corpse. Wei, you're a good kid with a kind heart, but you must understand that the most terrifying thing in this world isn't the demons or monsters—it's the human heart! In everything, your own heart is what matters."
"We're leaving," "Old Man Shi" said as he led "Wang Tuozi" into the house. After a few steps inside, suddenly "Wei Ning" knelt down with a thud and knocked his head three times on the ground before saying loudly, "Once a master, forever a father. Master, 'Wei Ning' vows with his life that as long as this lamp is lit, 'Wei Ning' will be here; if this lamp goes out, 'Wei Ning' will die!"
"Damn it, kid, are you really here to send me off? Damn it! 'Wei Zi,' listen carefully: get the bathwater ready right now; when I come back, I want to take a bath. Damn it!" He continued grumbling as he went inside with "Old Man Shi."
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