Beneath the crimson glow of the Evil God Mountain's moon, an ordinary-looking man stood silently before a dried-up lake. He wore a plain white robe, his bearing calm and unassuming. Yet for some reason, faint melancholy lingered upon his face.
Time passed quietly. After the span of three incense sticks, the man finally let out a soft sigh and turned as if to depart.
"Fellow Daoist, why the hurry?" A loud laugh suddenly rang out from the mist. Though boisterous on the surface, the tone carried an unmistakable trace of urgency.
The white-robed man's expression did not change in the slightest.
"Hmph. I thought you were merely admiring my demeanor for a while. What is it that you want?"
As the voice faded, the fog before the lake stirred. A middle-aged man in gray robes slowly emerged. Hanging from his neck was a necklace shaped from a skull, exuding a faint, eerie aura.
