"These guys, even at this point, still can't get it together..."

"This is a duel against the five surnames, yet they've turned it into a stroll through the market, hand in hand..."

"Trick door sees deeply, tell me, how much chance do we have in this duel?"

The collective meeting ended, and the atmosphere didn't seem heavy; tasks were distributed amidst chatting and laughter.

Miss Red Wine had already tried her best to tell them to be psychologically prepared, but she wasn't sure how many truly took her words to heart.

After disconnecting from the others, Er Guotou, who had been silent the whole night, began a solo conversation with her.

"Ten percent."

Miss Red Wine seemed to hear the gravity in Er Guotou's words and smiled, "We have no reason, nor are we interested, in fighting a losing battle, so we will certainly win this duel."

"But the Reincarnator reached Shangqiao too late..."

Er Guotou's worries lingered: "Moreover, constrained by the curse of Tai Sui, the vast majority can only remain at the non-human level. Perhaps some, gifted or with certain objects, can reach the non-ghost level."

"But what we face are the five surnames. I'm afraid each has beings of non-god level. It's easy to say brave words, but when it comes to risking our lifebound spirits..."

"In terms of realm alone, only three are qualified to confront the ten surnames directly."

Miss Red Wine listened to him and suddenly smiled, "Tieguanyin, you, and Mr. Monkey Wine."

"But don't underestimate the other reincarnators either. Anyone who has survived these forty years and dares to take on this job has some sort of trump card, right?"

"Moreover..."

She paused, her voice deepening: "We have advantages beyond the reach of the ten surnames!"

Er Guotou took a deep breath, feeling even more pressure.

Originally, he wasn't used to standing out; tall people are the easiest to spot, yet he didn't expect that despite being cautious all his life, he still couldn't hide himself...

Before realizing it, his abilities grew too large...

Feeling frustrated, he no longer intended to shirk anything and said directly, "Since that's the case, why not let me take on this task, or have me directly deal with one family?"

"Because it's not just against the five surnames we fight, but the whole world..."

Miss Red Wine laughed, "Just as those blocking this massacre aren't just Zhou, Zhao, Chen, Zhu, and Sun, but the clan chaebols of this world. If we stake everything on the five surnames, we are doomed to lose to them."

"Take a look and you'll see, Bai has taken over the assets of the Undying Wang Family, and the Impermanence Li Family has invested in the Ming King, which is also power we can leverage."

"It's just, how to say it..."

"The Undying Wang Family was once part of the ten surnames, but under Bai, they no longer count as such. The same goes for the Impermanence Li Family; converted to our side, they decline, no longer matching the former fame of the ten surnames."

"This isn't about weakening with a clean slate, but the inherent nature of the ten surnames."

"Before losing the duel to us, the Impermanence Li Family always thought they controlled the entire Path, but who knows if the Path was supporting them?"

"When they sided with the world, everyone in the Punishment Soul Sect obeyed them like limbs, but now that they've joined us, they find they can't even command the people within."

"To act against orders is better; some even see them as traitors and refuse to listen."

"So, in the end, it comes down to ancestry."

"..."

Er Guotou listened, feeling an inexplicable sense of doubled pressure.

The Reincarnator no longer appeared as evasive as before and had garnered the courage to confront the ten surnames.

But the deeper the analysis, the more evident it became that the Reincarnator's greatest enemy was not the ten surnames, but the current state of the world.

"That's also why I'm not letting you directly tackle one family."

Miss Red Wine gave a slight smile and said, "Tieguanyin told me, we can definitely win against the five surnames, but there's stuff in this world she can't quite see, things that worry her, so we need someone watching over the entire realm, in case of sudden changes."

"This task can only be done properly by the Ghost Walking Sect."

"As you are now the proper Master of Ghost, setting up such a viewing altar for the world shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"..."

"Does it matter how big or small it is?"

Er Guotou gave a bitter laugh and said, "I can do and will do this job."

"But as for Tieguanyin..."

He paused, then laughed bitterly, "She always makes people feel uneasy. I used to think Mr. Monkey Wine was scary, but now I realize he's just too rational."

"This Tieguanyin knows a lot, but stubbornly refuses to speak clearly, always leaving an unsettling impression..."

"Is she still asleep in the Shangjing Twelve Ghost Altars?"

"..."

Miss Red Wine was silent for a moment, not directly answering, only whispering: "She is busy dealing with unsavory, unsightly, yet necessary issues."

"We have no bandwidth to cover everything, we can only each do our part."

"I believe we have a tenfold certainty of winning because we've all seen that tougher victory before."

"Some may become fearful, but I also believe more will make the right choice; there is a reason we became the last to be consumed by Tai Sui. Everyone has different identities and backgrounds, but in their bones, something is the same."

"..."

"..."

After exiting the Lifebound Spirit Temple, Er Guotou woke from his sleep; he was still at Menghu Pass.