The Gray Humanoid Entity had returned. Just as the younger brother started a small food stall, the doctor didn’t go far either—he stayed on as a physician in a county north of the provincial capital, occasionally coming back.
Upon hearing this news, Rufina Howard let out a sigh of relief, as though a heavy burden had been lifted.
"Thank goodness, haha. A woman's sixth sense really is accurate."
Seeing Rufina Howard so full of confidence, the Three Mimics looked at her in utter confusion.
"Just watch. That woman may be suffering now, but as long as the two of them can make it through all this, things will get better."
In just half a month, the food stall’s business was booming. Despite paying off both the black and white factions every day, they still made plenty of money, and the older brother would often come help out at night.
The brothers' relationship was just as it had been in the small county town before, as if all the previous unpleasantness had completely vanished.
The younger brother scrimped and saved every day, hoping to pay his older brother back. At this point, Rufina Howard decided to seek out that woman.
The woman's life was as it always had been—living off men, tonight in this man's arms, tomorrow in another's. It seemed nothing mattered anymore.
One night, as the woman left a certain shop, a car was already waiting to pick her up. Rufina Howard seized the moment and rushed over.
"Want to know where the doctor is? He misses you very much. If you still plan to get in that car, then go ahead."
Rufina Howard’s words made the woman, whose eyes had been dead and gray, suddenly regain their shine. She canceled her date for the night and took Rufina to a luxurious apartment—her home, filled with extravagance.
"You're lying to me, aren't you, little girl?"
There was bitterness in the woman’s words, but Rufina Howard simply shook her head.
"If you’re willing to change everything—your entire life—for that doctor, I’ll help you."
"It’s useless. That doctor would never spare a glance at a woman like me. My life doesn’t matter anymore."
"Suit yourself. I’ll go find the doctor and tell him everything about you."
That single sentence sent the woman into a panic. She grabbed Rufina Howard, pleading desperately.
"Alright, I won’t tell him."
The next day, the woman carried on with her usual life, once again falling into the arms of another man.
"See? Just as I thought—she's beyond saving now."
The Deathbane Wraith laughed, but Rufina Howard only smiled.
"Maybe so, but people have potential. No matter what kind of person they are, as long as they’re willing to change, happiness is possible."
The Two Mimics didn’t understand what Rufina Howard meant by 'potential.'
At this moment, the Gray Humanoid Entity was following the doctor. It turned out Rufina Howard’s words were somewhat true—the doctor would drink alone late at night, overcome by melancholy, as if he’d lost something vital.
He’d been in the northern county for over half a year. Countless women had brushed past him, but he hadn’t chosen a single one.
The Gray Humanoid Entity could no longer contain its curiosity about human matters. When the doctor got drunk, it transformed into the woman’s likeness. The doctor immediately embraced it, crying and pouring out his feelings for the woman.
After confirming this, the Gray Humanoid Entity hurried back to the provincial capital, determined to tell Rufina Howard about the doctor.
One night, the Gray Humanoid Entity arrived at the outskirts of the provincial capital and sensed something off—a bloody scent in the air. Following the trail, it entered a wooded area, where more than a dozen masked men had been killed, each with a single fatal wound.
"It’s you."
A woman’s voice called out, and with a whoosh, Vivian Maple floated down from the tree.
"As expected, evil spirits kill people, haha."
The Gray Humanoid Entity laughed, while Vivian Maple simply stared at him in silence.
"You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Keep an eye on Rufina Howard—some troublesome people have already targeted her. I’ll take care of cleaning out the scum trying to get into the city."
This didn’t catch the Gray Humanoid Entity’s attention. After returning, he immediately told Rufina Howard about the doctor. Both the Deathbane Wraith and the White Peacemaker were shocked, and in just a few days, the woman began to change.
She decided to try one last time, to give herself a final chance. Using illness as an excuse, she canceled many dates and dinners, preparing to meet the doctor.
"See? Was I right or not? Alright, show me the way. I’m going to teach that doctor a lesson."
Rufina Howard followed the Gray Humanoid Entity. They left the provincial capital and headed for the northern county, arriving three days later.
After finding the doctor, Rufina Howard explained everything, but the doctor only gave a bitter smile, saying he never liked that woman.
"That woman is coming here now. She’s decided to give herself one last chance. If you keep hesitating like this, you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life. Will you spend your nights drinking alone, or hold the one you love? It’s up to you."
Leaving only those words behind, Rufina Howard departed. The Three Mimics grew excited—what was happening seemed very different from what they’d heard from Yin Qiu.
At that moment, the Three Mimics noticed that Vivian Maple had been following them the entire way, but they didn’t tell Rufina Howard.
Three days later, the woman arrived and met the doctor. Neither spoke a word; both remained locked in a stalemate, their eyes filled with longing, each wanting desperately to say something.
But the entire day passed, and as dusk fell, neither could bring themselves to speak. Rufina Howard watched anxiously from the side.
"It’s a bit cliché, but you three should be able to take human form, right?"
Rufina Howard giggled. The Three Mimics had no idea what to do, but they followed her instructions and transformed into human shapes—menacing and fierce. She told them what to do next.
The Three Mimics entered the shop. After some banter, they approached the woman, started groping her, acted lewdly, and grabbed her. The doctor couldn’t stand it, rose to his feet, and shouted.
The Three Mimics began to beat the doctor. The woman cried out in agony as they tried to drag her away. Though the doctor was knocked to the ground, he fought back, and at Rufina Howard’s signal, the Three Mimics withdrew.
"Impossible. That woman..."
The Deathbane Wraith stared in disbelief at the woman and the doctor, tightly embracing each other. In that instant, he saw the gloom on the woman’s face break apart, replaced by a radiant, happy smile.
After returning to the provincial capital, the White Peacemaker was astonished—the younger brother not only repaid his debts after several months, but even saved enough for his older brother to get married.
Such developments left the White Peacemaker utterly stunned.
"Absolutely impossible. How could people..."
"People have potential. So do you. Do you want to become human?"
Rufina Howard smiled at the Three Mimics, and they nodded.
"Alright then, just follow me. Someday, you’ll become human. Human potential is limitless."
Finally, there was the man who’d become a high-ranking officer in the army, corrupt to the core. Using the grain and money he’d acquired from the county, he quickly bribed his way up and became a regiment commander, controlling a third of the provincial capital’s troops.
The greater his power, the more corrupt he became, endlessly exploiting the poor while living in extreme luxury.
"Just as I thought—a cowardly man. Without power and money, he’s nothing. Haha, there’s no way out for him this time."
The White Peacemaker laughed, but Rufina Howard only shook her head.
"Watch that man closely for the next few nights. See what he does when he’s alone."
A few days later, the White Peacemaker told Rufina Howard that the man was always sleepless, plagued by nightmares, drinking himself into a stupor before passing out, then sleeping until midday. His life was one of utter decadence.
"He really is a waste, so weak..."
"No, you’re wrong, Little White. Deep inside, that man still has something called a conscience. That’s why he can’t sleep at night."
"Conscience? Can you eat it?"
The Deathbane Wraith asked, puzzled. Rufina Howard laughed.
Back in the small county, even when his own wife and child starved to death, the man refused to rob the landlord. He’d always shared his family’s food with other poor people, so everyone came to him for help, and he was happy to oblige.
Everything changed after his wife and child died.
"It’s a pity I don’t know any spirit-calling magic. Otherwise, I’d let him see his wife and child once more."
"Ask a ghost for help."
At that moment, the Gray Humanoid Entity spoke, and Rufina Howard looked at him in confusion.
"That’s right, we can ask Uncle Zhuang for help."
Rufina Howard immediately brightened, but the Gray Humanoid Entity raised a finger.
"There’s a ghost here too—one who’s been following you all along."
"Miss Vivian Maple, why have you been following me?"
Faced with Rufina Howard’s question, Vivian Maple didn’t reveal her reason.
"It’s the boss’s orders."
Rufina Howard’s anger flared instantly.
"Hmph, what does that trickster want you following me for?"
No matter how Rufina Howard asked, Vivian Maple kept silent.
"Alright, never mind. Miss Vivian Maple, can you do me a favor?"
After some hesitation, Vivian Maple nodded. She already knew what Rufina Howard wanted her to do.
"Then I’ll make a trip—to the Underworld Court."