When Zhang Enpu returned, it was already the next day. In the meantime, Liu Dashao and the others had considered going to look for him, but they were worried about the safety of Village Chief Tian, and also unsure how to deal with the Hanba. They hesitated and dared not go.
“Old man, what’s wrong with you?” Tian Guoqiang was the first to notice Zhang Enpu, quickly rushing over to support him. At this moment, Zhang Enpu was covered in filth and blood—some his own, and some from the black dog.
“Cough, cough,” Zhang coughed weakly as Tian supported him, finally collapsing from exhaustion. An elderly man in his fifties, severely injured and unconscious for two days, his return was already a miracle.
Ma Xiaoyan stared at the shocking wounds on Zhang Enpu’s body, suppressing the urge to vomit, stammering, “He… he… he isn’t… dead, is he?” Liu Dashao shot him a glare, leaned over to check Zhang’s breath, and sighed in relief when he felt a faint breath. “Quick, take him to the hospital,” he said, then picked up Zhang and ran outside.
“Wait,” Tian Guoqiang called out to Liu Dashao. “If we take him to the hospital, what do we say happened?”
“This…” Liu Dashao had been too worried about Zhang Enpu’s injuries to consider this earlier. Prompted by Tian Guoqiang, he immediately realized the problem. Indeed, how could they explain it? Say they were attacked by a ghost? Only ghosts would believe that. But they couldn’t say they did it themselves either. This was indeed a difficult question.
On Liu Dashao’s bed, the pale and frightening-looking Village Chief Tian weakly opened his eyes. “Big nephew, where are you?” he rasped, but around him was only empty silence, no one to respond.
“Is anyone there?” he continued calling, but still no reply. He was too weak, and after only two calls, he felt completely drained. He wanted to sit up, but his body wouldn’t allow it, so he lay there helplessly. He remembered having a drink with Liu Dashao that night, then encountering that female ghost… and then he remembered nothing until waking up just now. But it felt like a long time had passed.
Outside, Ma Xiaoyan excitedly shouted, “We don’t need to take him to the hospital anymore,” looking quite proud of herself.
“What?” Liu Dashao was shocked. “Not take him to the hospital? Do you want him to die? I won’t do such a despicable thing.”
“You’re so dumb,” Ma Xiaoyan lightly tapped Liu Dashao on the head, leaving him puzzled. “You’re a barefoot doctor too, right? You can just treat him yourself.”
“Oh right, how could I forget that,” Liu Dashao lightly hit his own forehead, scolding himself for being so flustered and not thinking of it sooner. But his joy didn’t last long before he frowned again. “I do know a few folk remedies, enough to treat a cold, but as for Old Master Zhang…”
Hearing Liu Dashao’s words, Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang were at a loss. They wanted to take Zhang Enpu to the hospital but were afraid of causing trouble, and Liu Dashao’s actual medical skills were only mediocre at best. Saving Zhang Enpu seemed more difficult than climbing to the sky.
“What should we do?” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang looked at each other helplessly, finally directing their gaze toward Liu Dashao.
“Why are you looking at me?” Liu Dashao turned his head away. Truthfully, he was also very conflicted inside.
Seeing that Liu Dashao hadn’t made a decision, Tian Guoqiang finally gritted his teeth and said, “Dashao, we’ll follow your lead. If you say go to the hospital, we’ll go, and if there’s any trouble, we’ll face it together.”
“Yeah,” Ma Xiaoyan also nodded firmly.
“Wait until you decide where to go, my old bones will probably have already gone to meet Laozi,” Zhang Enpu suddenly woke up, his voice barely a whisper.
Liu Dashao gently adjusted Zhang Enpu’s position to make him more comfortable and asked, “Old Master, are you okay? Don’t scare us like this!”
“Cough, cough, cough,” Zhang coughed again, blood seeping from his mouth. “I’m fine, not dead yet. Maybe I’ve just done too many bad things in my life, so King Yama won’t take me.”
Liu Dashao naturally knew Zhang Enpu was joking, but he was too worried about his condition to joke with him. He hurriedly asked, “Old Master, tell me, what should we do?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Go to my house and get some yellow paper talismans. Here’s the key.”
“Okay,” Liu Dashao responded and went to Zhang Enpu’s house. He had met Zhang in the alley before, so finding his house was relatively easy. Soon, he returned with a stack of yellow paper.
When Zhang Enpu returned, it was already the next day. During that time, Liu Dashao and the others had considered going out to search for him, but they were worried about Village Chief Tian’s safety and unsure how to deal with the drought demon, so they hesitated and didn’t dare to act.
“Old man, what happened to you?” Tian Guoqiang was the first to notice Zhang Enpu and quickly helped him up. At that moment, Zhang Enpu was covered in filth and blood—some his own, and some from the black dog.
“Cough, cough.” Supported by Tian Guoqiang, Zhang Enpu finally couldn’t hold on any longer and fainted. For an elderly man over fifty, severely injured and unconscious for two days, it was a miracle he had made it back.
Ma Xiaoyan looked at the horrifying wounds on Zhang Enpu’s body, suppressing the urge to vomit, and stammered, “Is he… is he… dead?” Liu Dashao shot her a glare, then checked Zhang Enpu’s breathing. Thankfully, there was still a faint breath, which made him sigh in relief. “Quick, take him to the hospital,” he said, then picked up Zhang Enpu and ran outside.
“Wait!” Tian Guoqiang called out to Liu Dashao. “If we take him to the hospital and they ask what happened, what should we say?”
“This…” Liu Dashao, who had been preoccupied with Zhang Enpu’s injuries, hadn’t thought of that. Tian Guoqiang’s reminder made him realize the problem. Indeed, what would they say? That he was injured by a ghost? Only a ghost would believe that. But they couldn’t say they had caused it themselves either. This was a tricky situation.
Back at Liu Dashao’s house, Village Chief Tian, pale and terrifyingly weak, slightly opened his eyes. “Nephew, where are you?” he called out in a hoarse voice, but only empty echoes answered him. There was no one in sight, let alone a response.
“Is anyone there?” he continued to call, but still, no one answered. He was too weak, and after just two calls, he felt completely drained. He wanted to sit up, but his body wouldn’t allow it, so he lay there helplessly. He remembered drinking with Liu Dashao that night and then encountering the female ghost… and then nothing, until now. But it felt like a long time had passed.
Outside, Ma Xiaoyan exclaimed excitedly, “We don’t need to take him to the hospital!” She looked quite pleased with herself.
“What?” Liu Dashao was shocked. “Not take him to the hospital? Are we just going to let him die? I won’t do something so heartless.”
“You’re so dense,” Ma Xiaoyan lightly tapped Liu Dashao’s head, leaving him confused. “Aren’t you also a barefoot doctor? You can treat him yourself.”
“Right, how could I be so stupid?” Liu Dashao lightly slapped his forehead, scolding himself for being too panicked to think of that. But his joy was short-lived as he frowned again. “I do know some folk remedies, but they’re only good for colds. Old Zhang’s condition is…”
Hearing this, Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang were at a loss. They wanted to take Zhang Enpu to the hospital but feared the consequences. Liu Dashao’s medical skills were only half-baked, and saving Zhang Enpu seemed almost impossible.
“What should we do?” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang exchanged glances, then both turned to Liu Dashao.
“Why are you looking at me?” Liu Dashao turned his head away. Honestly, he was also conflicted.
Seeing Liu Dashao still undecided, Tian Guoqiang gritted his teeth and said, “Dashao, we’ll follow your lead. If you say take him to the hospital, we’ll do it. Even if it causes trouble, we’ll face it together.”
“Yes,” Ma Xiaoyan nodded firmly.
“By the time you decide where to go, this old man might have already met the Jade Emperor,” Zhang Enpu suddenly woke up, his voice barely audible.
Liu Dashao gently pushed Zhang Enpu’s body to make him more comfortable and asked, “Uncle, are you okay? Don’t scare us!”
“Cough, cough, cough.” Zhang Enpu coughed, blood seeping from his mouth. “I’m fine, I won’t die yet. Maybe I’ve done too many bad things in this life, so the King of Hell doesn’t want me yet,” he said with a bitter smile.
Liu Dashao knew Zhang Enpu was joking, but he was too worried to laugh. “Uncle, tell us, what should we do?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Go to my house and get some yellow talisman paper. Here’s the key.”
“Alright,” Liu Dashao responded and headed to Zhang Enpu’s house. He had met Zhang Enpu in the alley before, so he knew the way. Soon, he returned with a stack of yellow paper.
With Liu Dashao’s help, Zhang Enpu struggled to sit up. He held a piece of yellow paper between his fingers, drawing symbols on it while chanting incantations. Suddenly, the paper burst into flames. After it burned, Zhang Enpu quickly chanted again and pressed the burning paper to his wounds.
Zhang Enpu was already severely injured, and burning his wounds with the flaming paper could easily push him over the edge. Liu Dashao wanted to stop him but thought Zhang Enpu must have a reason for doing this, so he held back.
The paper burned on the wounds, making a sizzling sound. Ma Xiaoyan, being a girl, couldn’t bear to watch and turned her face away. As the talisman burned, black smoke rose from Zhang Enpu’s wounds, an eerie sight. Strangely, the wounds healed miraculously, leaving no trace. Soon, all of Zhang Enpu’s wounds had completely healed.
Seeing the wounds heal at a visible rate, Liu Dashao and Tian Guoqiang were speechless. This was too damn miraculous! They shook their heads in disbelief, but when they looked again, the wounds were still healing. They had no choice but to believe and were deeply impressed by Zhang Enpu’s abilities.
Though the external wounds were healed, the internal injuries remained. Zhang Enpu was still very weak. Following his instructions, Liu Dashao and the others settled him at home.
Bang!
Just as they had settled Zhang Enpu, a loud noise, like thunder, startled them, raising their already high tension to the breaking point.
“Oh no, Village Chief Tian!” Liu Dashao grabbed the other two and ran home. He recognized the sound as coming from his house, and with Village Chief Tian still there, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
When they returned, they found Village Chief Tian collapsed by the coffee table, with a stainless steel cup that had been used for water lying on the floor, warm water spilled everywhere.
Village Chief Tian woke up, and the three of them were overjoyed. They quickly helped him up, but he was still pale and disoriented, muttering, “Water… water…”
“Quick, get some water!” Liu Dashao urgently called out. Soon, Ma Xiaoyan brought a cup of water. After drinking, Village Chief Tian passed out again. After finishing, the three finally let out a long sigh of relief.
By evening, the three sat on the floor in the living room, looking troubled.
“Dashao, what should we do now?” Tian Guoqiang broke the silence. “The only one who could help us, Old Zhang, is severely injured. Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?”
Liu Dashao gently patted Tian Guoqiang’s shoulder. “Guoqiang, there must be a way, there must be.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “How about this: you take your father to the city, and Xiaoyan can stay with your relatives for a while. I’ll handle this alone.”
“No,” Tian Guoqiang flatly refused, slightly angry. “What do you take me for? At a time like this, would I abandon my brother?” He snorted and turned his head away, clearly upset.
“Me too,” Ma Xiaoyan leaned close to Liu Dashao’s shoulder. In the past, Liu Dashao had always been carefree, but these past few days, she had felt genuine concern from him. “No matter what happens, I’ll stay with you.”
“You…” Liu Dashao suddenly stood up, losing control of his emotions. “Get out of here! I don’t know you! Get away from me!” He pushed Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang away.
“Dashao, don’t be like this,” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang quickly hugged him. “We understand your feelings, but don’t forget, we’re friends, family. If it were you, you wouldn’t leave either.”
“Get out! I don’t have family like you. Get out!” Liu Dashao struggled and roared.
“Dashao…” Ma Xiaoyan sat weakly on the floor, tears streaming down her face. “Please, don’t be like this. No matter what, we’re with you.”
“Brother, wake up!” Suddenly, Tian Guoqiang slapped Liu Dashao. With a crisp sound, Liu Dashao calmed down. “Do you think that monster will let us go if we leave? Since we’re caught in this mess, we have to see it through.”
“There must be a way, there must be…” Ma Xiaoyan murmured.
After being slapped by Tian Guoqiang, Liu Dashao came to his senses. This whole mess had started because of him, and he wanted to end it alone. But Tian Guoqiang was right—even if they left, the drought demon might not spare them. He was deeply moved by Tian Guoqiang and Ma Xiaoyan’s loyalty.
“Yes, there must be a way, there must be…” Liu Dashao weakly sat down, holding Ma Xiaoyan tightly. Tian Guoqiang also crouched down, and the three of them cried together, their sobs and tears painting a picture of despair.
“Yes, Granny Fan… Granny Fan…” After a while, Liu Dashao muttered incoherently, leaving Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang puzzled.
Ma Xiaoyan softly asked, “What about Granny Fan?”
“Granny Fan must have a way,” Liu Dashao said, suddenly ecstatic. Ignoring the other two, he ran off to Granny Fan’s house.
“Granny Fan, Granny Fan…” Granny Fan’s door was still unlocked, but it was bolted from the inside. Liu Dashao desperately knocked and called, but there was no response.
“Maybe Granny Fan isn’t home?” Ma Xiaoyan, who had caught up, asked.
“Right, right,” Tian Guoqiang agreed.
Liu Dashao shot them a look. “If she’s not home, who bolted the door?” He suddenly realized something was wrong. Since Village Chief Tian had been poisoned, they had been too busy to pay attention to Granny Fan. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen or heard from her in days. He noticed a branch stuck in the door crack—he had put it there the other night when Granny Fan hadn’t answered, but it was still there. That meant Granny Fan hadn’t left the house. Could it be…
Thinking this, he knocked and called even harder, but after a long wait, there was still no response.
Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang seemed to realize something too, looking at each other in horror, unable to speak.
“Step aside.” Granny Fan’s prolonged silence made Liu Dashao feel a strong sense of unease. He told Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang to move aside and kicked the door. The old, weathered door couldn’t withstand Liu Dashao’s forceful kick, and with a loud crash, it fell.
“Let’s go in,” Liu Dashao said after the door fell.
“Wait!” Before they could enter the main room, Liu Dashao suddenly stopped Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang. “You two wait outside. I’ll go in first.” Without waiting for their response, he walked in.
“Ah…” About a minute later, a blood-curdling scream came from Granny Fan’s house—it was Liu Dashao.
“What’s wrong?” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang were shocked and rushed in. As soon as they entered the main room, they saw Liu Dashao covering his mouth, pale and staggering out.
“Dashao, what happened? What’s going on?” Ma Xiaoyan supported Liu Dashao, urgently asking. Tian Guoqiang also nodded, eager to know what had happened.
“Uh, uh, uh…” Liu Dashao couldn’t speak, pointing to Granny Fan’s bedroom with his other hand.
Ma Xiaoyan said, “Let’s go in and see.” She let go of Liu Dashao and started to walk in, but before she could get past him, he desperately pulled her back, dragging her outside. Only Tian Guoqiang went in.
Once outside, Liu Dashao immediately collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently. Ma Xiaoyan frantically patted his back, asking what had happened.
“Ah…” Another blood-curdling scream came from Tian Guoqiang. In an instant, Tian Guoqiang ran out of Granny Fan’s house and also collapsed to the ground, vomiting as if he was trying to expel everything he had eaten in the past few days. His face was terrifyingly pale, and he looked in great pain.
“What’s wrong with you? What happened?” Ma Xiaoyan was getting anxious. Both of them had screamed and vomited after coming out of Granny Fan’s house, and she was still in the dark.
“Gr-Gr-Granny Fan… she… she…” Tian Guoqiang couldn’t speak through his vomiting.
Ma Xiaoyan grew even more anxious, sensing something terrible from Tian Guoqiang’s words. “Calm down, take your time. What happened to Granny Fan?”
Zhang Enpu was already severely injured. Using a burning talisman on his wound could easily result in death. Liu Dashao wanted to stop him but thought Zhang Enpu wouldn’t act rashly. He must have a reason, so he held back.
The talisman burned on the wound, making a hissing sound. Ma Xiaoyan, unable to bear the sight, turned her face away. As the talisman burned, dark smoke emerged from Zhang Enpu’s wounds, an eerie sight. Even more bizarre was that the wounds, after being burned by the talisman, miraculously healed, leaving no trace. Soon, all of Zhang Enpu’s dozens of wounds healed completely under the burning talisman.
Witnessing the wounds healing before their eyes, Liu Dashao and Tian Guoqiang were stunned, unable to speak. “This is too amazing!” They shook their heads in disbelief, but the wounds continued to heal visibly. This time, they had to believe it, deeply admiring Zhang Enpu’s supernatural abilities.
Although the external wounds healed, the internal injuries were harder to recover from. Zhang Enpu’s body remained very weak. With his indication, Liu Dashao and the others settled him at home.
Bang!
After settling Zhang Enpu, the three hadn’t even had time to catch their breath when a sound no less thunderous than a clap of thunder sent their already high-strung nerves soaring to their throats.
“Not good, Village Chief Tian!” Liu Dashao grabbed the two and ran home. Upon hearing the sound, he immediately recognized it as coming from his own house, where Village Chief Tian was still inside. He felt a sense of foreboding.
When the three returned home, they found Village Chief Tian lying beside the coffee table, with a stainless steel cup that had been used to hold water now on the floor, spilling warm water everywhere.
When Village Chief Tian woke up, the three were overjoyed and quickly helped him up. However, Village Chief Tian’s face still showed no color, his consciousness blurred, and he kept calling out, “Water… water…”
“Quick, get some water,” Liu Dashao urgently called out. Soon, Ma Xiaoyan brought a cup of water. After drinking, Village Chief Tian fell unconscious again. After the commotion, the three finally exhaled a long sigh of relief.
In the evening, the three sat cross-legged in the living room, looking gloomy and worried.
“Dashao, what should we do now?” Tian Guoqiang was the first to break the silence. “Even Old Master Zhang, who could help them, is severely injured. Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?”
Liu Dashao gently patted Tian Guoqiang’s shoulder and said, “Guoqiang, there must be a way, there must be a way.” After thinking for a while, he continued, “How about this, Guoqiang, you take your father to the city, and Xiaoyan can stay with your relatives for a while. I’ll handle this matter alone.”
“No way,” Tian Guoqiang immediately refused, slightly angry. “What do you take me for? At such a critical moment, can I abandon my brother?” He snorted heavily and turned his head away, clearly really angry.
“Me too,” Ma Xiaoyan tightly hugged Liu Dashao’s shoulder. Previously, Liu Dashao had always been carefree, but only in these few days did she feel genuine concern from him. “No matter what happens, I want to be with you.”
“You…” Liu Dashao suddenly stood up, losing his temper, and shouted, “Get out, I don’t know you, get out of here.” Then he pushed Ma Xiaoyan and the others out.
“Dashao, don’t do this,” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang quickly hugged him. “We know your intentions, but don’t forget, we are friends, family. If it were you, you wouldn’t leave like this either.”
“Get out, I don’t have relatives like you, get out,” Liu Dashao struggled and roared.
“Dashao…” Ma Xiaoyan helplessly sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t do this, no matter what, we will be with you.”
“Brother, wake up,” suddenly Tian Guoqiang slapped Liu Dashao. With a crisp sound, Liu Dashao calmed down. “Do you think if we leave, that monster will let us go? Since we are involved in this whirlpool, we must stick it out to the end.”
“There must be a way, there must be a way…” Ma Xiaoyan murmured.
After being slapped by Tian Guoqiang, Liu Dashao sobered up a bit. The whole incident was his doing, and he wanted to handle it alone. Indeed, Tian Guoqiang was right. Even if they left, the Hanba might not let them go. He was also deeply moved by Tian Guoqiang and Ma Xiaoyan’s loyalty.
“Yes, there must be a way, there must be a way…” Liu Dashao weakly sat on the ground, tightly hugging Ma Xiaoyan. At this moment, Tian Guoqiang also squatted down, and the three wept together, their sobs accompanied by tears, like the end of the world.
“Yes, Old Lady Fan… Old Lady Fan…” After a while, Liu Dashao muttered, leaving Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang puzzled.
Ma Xiaoyan softly asked, “What about Old Lady Fan?”
“Old Lady Fan must have a way,” Liu Dashao said, suddenly overjoyed. Ignoring the two, he ran toward Old Lady Fan’s house like he was flying.
“Old Lady Fan, Old Lady Fan…” Old Lady Fan’s door was still unlocked, but it was locked from the inside. Liu Dashao desperately knocked and shouted, but Old Lady Fan never came to open the door.
“Could Old Lady Fan not be at home?” Ma Xiaoyan, who had arrived, asked.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tian Guoqiang also agreed.
Liu Dashao glared at them and said, “If she’s not at home, who locked the door from the inside?” As he said this, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Since Village Chief Tian was infected with the zombie poison, they had been busy rescuing him and hadn’t paid attention to Old Lady Fan. Now thinking about it, he realized that they hadn’t seen Old Lady Fan in days and hadn’t heard any noise from her house. Looking at the crack in the door, there was a branch stuck in it. That was the branch he had stuck there in a fit of anger two nights ago when he saw Old Lady Fan hadn’t opened the door for a long time. But now the branch was still there, meaning Old Lady Fan hadn’t left the house at all. Could it be that…
Thinking of this, he knocked on the door more desperately and shouted, but after waiting for a long time, Old Lady Fan still didn’t come to open the door.
Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang also seemed to have realized something, looking at each other in horror, unable to speak.
“Step aside,” Liu Dashao, feeling a strong unease as Old Lady Fan didn’t open the door, called Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang aside, then kicked the door with all his might. The old door, weathered by years of wind and rain, couldn’t withstand Liu Dashao’s powerful kick. With a loud bang, the door fell down.
“Let’s go in,” Liu Dashao said after the door fell.
“Wait!” Before the three could enter the hall, Liu Dashao suddenly stretched out his hand to stop Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang. “You two wait outside, I’ll go in first.” Without waiting for the two to respond, he walked in directly.
“Ahh…” About a minute later, a scream that pierced the heavens came from Old Lady Fan’s house, exactly from Liu Dashao.
“What happened?” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang were shocked and rushed in. Just entering the hall, they saw Liu Dashao covering his mouth, his face pale, stumbling out.
“Dashao, what happened? What’s going on?” Ma Xiaoyan supported Liu Dashao and hurriedly asked. Tian Guoqiang also nodded urgently, wanting to know what had happened.
“Ugh… ugh…” Liu Dashao covered his mouth and couldn’t speak, pointing his other hand toward Old Lady Fan’s bedroom.
Ma Xiaoyan said, “Let’s go in and see.” Saying so, she let go of Liu Dashao and walked in, but before she could pass him, Liu Dashao desperately pulled her out, only Tian Guoqiang entering alone.
Coming outside, Liu Dashao immediately fell to the ground and vomited violently. Ma Xiaoyan anxiously patted his back, repeatedly asking what had happened.
“Ahh…” Another scream pierced the air. Liu Dashao hadn’t finished vomiting when Tian Guoqiang screamed. In an instant, Tian Guoqiang ran out of Old Lady Fan’s house like he was flying, then also fell to the ground vomiting, as if he were vomiting up everything he had eaten in the past few days. His face was pale and terrifying, his expression extremely painful.
“What’s wrong with you? What exactly happened?” Ma Xiaoyan was getting anxious. Both of them had run out screaming from Old Lady Fan’s house and then vomited, while she was still in the dark.
When Zhang Enpu returned, it was already the next day. During that time, Liu Dashao and the others had considered going out to search for him, but they were worried about Village Chief Tian’s safety and unsure how to deal with the drought demon, so they hesitated and didn’t dare to go.
“Old man, what happened to you?” Tian Guoqiang was the first to notice Zhang Enpu and quickly helped him up. At that moment, Zhang Enpu was covered in filth and blood—some his own, and some from the black dog.
“Cough, cough.” Supported by Tian Guoqiang, Zhang Enpu finally couldn’t hold on any longer and fainted. For a man over fifty, severely injured and unconscious for two days, it was nothing short of a miracle that he had managed to return.
Ma Xiaoyan looked at the horrifying wounds on Zhang Enpu’s body, suppressing the urge to vomit, and stammered, “He… he… he’s not… dead, is he?” Liu Dashao shot her a glare, then checked Zhang Enpu’s breathing. Thankfully, there was still a faint breath, which made him sigh in relief. “Quick, take him to the hospital,” he said, then picked up Zhang Enpu and ran outside.
“Wait.” Tian Guoqiang stopped Liu Dashao and said, “If we take him to the hospital and they ask what happened, what should we say?”
“This…” Liu Dashao, who had been preoccupied with Zhang Enpu’s injuries, hadn’t thought of this. Tian Guoqiang’s reminder immediately brought him back to reality. Indeed, what would they say if asked? That he was injured by a ghost? Only a ghost would believe that. But they couldn’t say they had done it themselves either. This was a real dilemma.
On Liu Dashao’s bed, Village Chief Tian, whose face was deathly pale, weakly opened his eyes. “Nephew, where are you?” he called out in a hoarse voice, but aside from the hollow echo, there was no response, not even a shadow.
“Is anyone there?” he called again, but still, no one answered. He was too weak; after just two calls, he felt completely drained. He wanted to sit up, but his body wouldn’t allow it, so he lay there helplessly. He remembered drinking with Liu Dashao that night and then encountering the female ghost… after that, he remembered nothing until now. But it felt like a long time had passed.
Outside, Ma Xiaoyan exclaimed excitedly, “We don’t need to take him to the hospital.” She looked quite pleased with herself.
“What?” Liu Dashao was shocked. “Not take him to the hospital? Are we just going to let him die? I won’t do something so heartless.”
“You’re so dumb,” Ma Xiaoyan lightly tapped Liu Dashao’s head, leaving him confused. “Aren’t you also a barefoot doctor? Why don’t you treat him yourself?”
“Right, why didn’t I think of that?” Liu Dashao lightly slapped his forehead, scolding himself for being so panicked. But his joy didn’t last long as he frowned again. “I do know some folk remedies, but they’re only good for colds. For Old Zhang’s condition…”
Hearing this, both Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang were at a loss. They wanted to take Zhang Enpu to the hospital but were afraid of causing trouble. Liu Dashao’s medical skills were only half-baked, and saving Zhang Enpu seemed like an impossible task.
“What should we do?” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang looked at each other, then turned their gaze to Liu Dashao.
“Why are you looking at me?” Liu Dashao turned his head away. Honestly, he was also conflicted.
Seeing that Liu Dashao hadn’t made up his mind, Tian Guoqiang gritted his teeth and said, “Dashao, we’ll follow your lead. If you say we take him to the hospital, we’ll do it. Even if it causes trouble, we’ll face it together.”
“Right,” Ma Xiaoyan nodded firmly.
“By the time you decide where to go, this old man might have already met the Jade Emperor,” Zhang Enpu suddenly woke up and said weakly.
Liu Dashao gently pushed Zhang Enpu’s body to make him more comfortable and asked, “Uncle, are you okay? Don’t scare us!”
“Cough, cough, cough.” Zhang Enpu coughed, blood seeping from his mouth. “I’m fine, I won’t die just yet. Maybe I’ve done too many bad things in this life, so the King of Hell doesn’t want me yet,” he said with a bitter smile.
Liu Dashao knew Zhang Enpu was joking, but he was too worried to laugh. He quickly asked, “Uncle, tell us, what should we do?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Go to my house and get some yellow paper. Here’s the key.”
“Alright,” Liu Dashao responded and headed to Zhang Enpu’s house. He had met Zhang Enpu in the alley before, so he knew the way. Soon, he returned with a stack of yellow paper.
With Liu Dashao’s help, Zhang Enpu struggled to sit up. He held a piece of yellow paper between his fingers, drawing and writing on it while chanting incantations. Suddenly, the paper burst into flames. After it burned, Zhang Enpu quickly chanted again and pressed the burning paper to his wounds.
Zhang Enpu was already severely injured, and using the burning paper on his wounds could easily push him over the edge. Liu Dashao wanted to stop him but thought Zhang Enpu must have a reason for doing this, so he held back.
The paper burned on the wounds, making a sizzling sound. Ma Xiaoyan, being a girl, couldn’t bear to watch and turned her face away. As the paper burned, black smoke rose from Zhang Enpu’s wounds, creating an eerie scene. Strangely, the wounds healed miraculously, leaving no trace. Soon, all of Zhang Enpu’s wounds had completely healed.
Liu Dashao and Tian Guoqiang stared in disbelief as Zhang Enpu’s wounds healed at a visible rate. This was beyond incredible! They shook their heads, but when they looked again, the wounds were still healing. They had no choice but to believe it and were deeply impressed by Zhang Enpu’s abilities.
Although the external wounds had healed, the internal injuries remained. Zhang Enpu was still very weak. Under his direction, Liu Dashao and the others settled him at home.
Bang!
Just as they had settled Zhang Enpu, a loud noise, like thunder, startled them, raising their already high tension to the breaking point.
“Something’s wrong, Village Chief Tian!” Liu Dashao grabbed the other two and ran home. The noise had come from his house, and with Village Chief Tian still there, he immediately sensed trouble.
When they returned, they found Village Chief Tian collapsed by the coffee table, with the stainless steel cup used for water lying on the floor, warm water spilled everywhere.
Village Chief Tian woke up, and the three of them were overjoyed. They quickly helped him up, but his face was still pale, and he was disoriented, muttering, “Water… water…”
“Quick, get some water!” Liu Dashao urgently called out. Soon, Ma Xiaoyan brought a cup of water, and after drinking, Village Chief Tian fainted again. After finishing, the three finally let out a long sigh of relief.
In the evening, the three sat on the floor in the living room, looking worried.
“Dashao, what should we do now?” Tian Guoqiang broke the silence. “The only one who could help us, Old Zhang, is severely injured. Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?”
Liu Dashao gently patted Tian Guoqiang’s shoulder and said, “Guoqiang, there must be a way, there has to be.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “How about this: you take your father to the city, and Xiaoyan can stay with your relatives for a while. Let me handle this alone.”
“No,” Tian Guoqiang flatly refused, slightly angry. “What kind of person do you think I am? At a time like this, how could I abandon my brother?” He snorted and turned his head away, clearly upset.
“Me too,” Ma Xiaoyan leaned tightly against Liu Dashao’s shoulder. In the past, Liu Dashao had always been carefree, but these past few days, she had felt genuine concern from him. “No matter what happens, I’ll stay with you.”
“You…” Liu Dashao suddenly stood up, losing control of his emotions. “Get out of here! I don’t know you! Get out!” He pushed Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang away.
“Dashao, don’t be like this,” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang quickly hugged him. “We understand your intentions, but don’t forget, we’re friends, family. If it were you, you wouldn’t leave either.”
“Get out! I don’t have family like you! Get out!” Liu Dashao struggled and roared.
“Dashao…” Ma Xiaoyan sat weakly on the floor, tears streaming down her face. “Please, don’t be like this. No matter what, we’ll stay with you.”
“Brother, wake up!” Suddenly, Tian Guoqiang slapped Liu Dashao. With a crisp sound, Liu Dashao calmed down. “Do you think that monster will let us go if we leave? Since we’re caught in this mess, we have to see it through.”
“There must be a way, there must be…” Ma Xiaoyan murmured.
After being slapped by Tian Guoqiang, Liu Dashao came to his senses. This whole situation had started because of him, and he had wanted to end it alone. But Tian Guoqiang was right—even if they left, the drought demon might not spare them. He was deeply moved by Tian Guoqiang and Ma Xiaoyan’s loyalty.
“Right, there must be a way, there has to be…” Liu Dashao sat down weakly, hugging Ma Xiaoyan tightly. Tian Guoqiang also crouched down, and the three of them cried together, their sobs and tears painting a picture of despair.
“Right, Granny Fan… Granny Fan…” After a while, Liu Dashao muttered incoherently, leaving Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang puzzled.
Ma Xiaoyan softly asked, “What about Granny Fan?”
“Granny Fan must have a way,” Liu Dashao said, suddenly ecstatic. Ignoring the other two, he ran off to Granny Fan’s house.
“Granny Fan, Granny Fan…” Granny Fan’s door was still unlocked, but it was bolted from the inside. Liu Dashao banged on the door and shouted, but there was no response.
“Could Granny Fan be out?” Ma Xiaoyan, who had caught up, asked.
“Right, right,” Tian Guoqiang agreed.
Liu Dashao shot them a look and said, “If she’s not home, who bolted the door?” Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. Ever since Village Chief Tian was poisoned, they had been too busy to pay attention to Granny Fan. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen her for days or heard any movement from her house. He noticed a branch stuck in the door crack, which he had placed there a few nights ago when Granny Fan didn’t answer. The branch was still there, meaning Granny Fan hadn’t left the house. Could it be…?
Thinking this, he banged on the door even harder, but after a long wait, Granny Fan still didn’t answer.
Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang also seemed to realize something, looking at each other in horror, speechless.
“Step aside.” Granny Fan’s prolonged silence made Liu Dashao feel a strong sense of foreboding. He pushed Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang aside and kicked the door. The old, weathered door couldn’t withstand Liu Dashao’s force and crashed down with a loud bang.
“Let’s go in,” Liu Dashao said after the door fell.
“Wait!” Before the three could enter the main room, Liu Dashao suddenly stopped Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang. “You two wait outside. I’ll go in first.” Without waiting for their response, he walked in alone.
“Ah…” About a minute later, a blood-curdling scream came from Granny Fan’s house—it was Liu Dashao.
“What’s wrong?” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang were shocked and rushed in. As soon as they entered the main room, they saw Liu Dashao covering his mouth, pale and staggering out.
“Dashao, what’s wrong? What happened?” Ma Xiaoyan supported Liu Dashao and urgently asked. Tian Guoqiang also nodded, eager to know what had happened.
“Uh, uh, uh…” Liu Dashao couldn’t speak, pointing with his other hand toward Granny Fan’s bedroom.
Ma Xiaoyan said, “Let’s go in and see.” She let go of Liu Dashao and started to walk in, but before she could get past him, he grabbed her and dragged her outside. Only Tian Guoqiang went in.
Once outside, Liu Dashao immediately collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently. Ma Xiaoyan panicked, patting his back and asking what had happened.
“Ah…” Another blood-curdling scream came from inside. Before Liu Dashao could finish vomiting, Tian Guoqiang screamed and ran out of Granny Fan’s house, then also collapsed to the ground, vomiting as if he wanted to throw up everything he had eaten in the past few days. His face was deathly pale, and he looked utterly miserable.
“What’s wrong with you? What on earth happened?” Ma Xiaoyan was getting anxious. Both of them had screamed and vomited after going into Granny Fan’s house, and she was still in the dark.
“Gr-Gr-Granny Fan… she… she…” Tian Guoqiang couldn’t speak through his vomiting.
Ma Xiaoyan grew even more anxious, sensing something terrible from Tian Guoqiang’s words. She urgently asked, “Calm down, speak slowly. What happened to Granny Fan?”
Ma Xiaoyan became even more anxious. From Tian Guoqiang’s words, she sensed something ominous and urgently asked, “Don’t panic, speak slowly. What exactly happened to Old Lady Fan?”
“She… she’s dead… Ugh…”
“What?” Ma Xiaoyan’s face paled. “Granny Fan is dead? How could Granny Fan die?”
Liu Dashao said, “When I went in just now, the room was pitch black and there was a foul stench. I felt uneasy immediately. When I turned on the light, guess what I saw?”
“What did you see? Just say it already, don’t keep us waiting.”
“I saw… I saw…” Liu Dashao struggled to contain his anguish. “Granny Fan was lying on the bed, her body ice cold, already dead. Worse still, her body had started to rot, crawling with maggots, and rats were scurrying all over her…”
“Stop! Don’t say any more…” Before Liu Dashao could finish, Tian Guoqiang interrupted him, retching violently.
“Ugh…” Liu Dashao also vomited again.
When Ma Xiaoyan heard of Granny Fan’s death, her face had already turned pale. Upon hearing the details of her decaying body, she too began to vomit uncontrollably. Although she hadn’t seen it herself, Liu Dashao’s vivid description, combined with a girl’s naturally lower threshold for such horrors, made it impossible for her to hold back.
“Call the police quickly,” Liu Dashao finally said, regaining his composure after vomiting.
The local police station responded remarkably swiftly. Within an hour, five officers arrived, carefully examined the scene, and ultimately concluded that Granny Fan had died naturally from organ failure, ruling out foul play. However, the fact that no one had noticed her death for so many days, allowing her body to decay so severely, caused the officers to frown in discomfort.
“Where are Fan Xidou’s relatives?” one officer asked Liu Dashao. Fan Xidou was Granny Fan’s real name.
Liu Dashao replied, “She has a grandson, but he’s working elsewhere.”
“Can we contact him?”
“No.”
Granny Fan’s children and husband had long since passed away. Her only grandson was away working and unreachable, so the officers naturally took care of her funeral arrangements. Fortunately, her grave and coffin were already prepared, and with the help of the police, she was hastily buried the same night.
At Granny Fan’s burial, aside from a few reluctant officers, only Liu Dashao and a few kids like Tian Guoqiang were present. It’s said that once a person is gone, the tea grows cold. Perhaps this is the truth. While alive, people remember your kindness and your usefulness. Once dead, you are completely erased from their minds. Sometimes, people are simply that pragmatic. A sudden thought struck Liu Dashao: If Village Chief Tian hadn’t been bedridden, he probably would have come to see her. Yeah, maybe.
The grave wasn’t large—just a mound of earth—but it was chosen with care by Liu Dashao, applying all the feng shui knowledge Granny Fan had taught him in the short time they’d known each other. It was a prime burial spot, sheltered from the wind and gathering water, where two dragons seemed to meet at their most auspicious point, the very essence of a sacred site. Liu Dashao dug a rough pit shovel by shovel, placed Granny Fan’s coffin inside. The coffin was made of common mahogany, not worth much.
“Old lady, rest in peace!” With these words, Liu Dashao threw the first shovel of earth over Granny Fan’s face.
Then, shovel by shovel, he covered the coffin with soil. Watching as the casket gradually disappeared beneath the earth, Liu Dashao felt an unexpected pang in his heart. After erecting the gravestone, he looked at the words “Grave of Granny Fan” and felt something wet on his face. Raindrops? As the water trickled down his cheeks, Liu Dashao instinctively licked his lips—it was salty. Tears.
He kowtowed three times before her grave. When he rose, he noticed faint bloodstains on the stones in front of the tomb. Wiping blood from his forehead, he turned and left. This old woman, eccentric and unrefined, who had treated him like family, was now reduced to nothing more than a mound of earth and a gravestone.
For the first time in his life, he had experienced death and separation, and he finally understood something that his peers could not.
Looking back, the sky was clear and bright!
Because he hadn’t had time to refuse the mission Granny Fan had entrusted to him,
He had no choice but to use all his knowledge and turn the world upside down!
Late at night, when the villagers had long since gone, Liu Dashao, Ma Xiaoyan, and Tian Guoqiang stood quietly before Granny Fan’s grave. The dim candlelight flickered in the wind, nearly extinguishing several times, yet it continued to burn. Though Granny Fan had no blood relation to him, she had become his makeshift teacher in a short time. Her kind face was deeply etched into Liu Dashao’s mind, refusing to fade. Moreover, he had a vague sense that her death was somehow connected to the strange events he had encountered. At times, he even believed she had died because of him, a thought that filled him with unbearable guilt—more than he had felt even when Zhang Enpu was gravely injured saving him.
Ma Xiaoyan, being from the same village, naturally knew Granny Fan well. She had always seen her with a kind face, always smiling and cheerful. She never imagined she would leave so suddenly, and her heart felt inexplicably heavy. As for Tian Guoqiang, there was no need for explanation—his life had been given to him by Granny Fan.
“Granny, take care on your journey to the netherworld. Don’t be stingy with money there. I’ll burn paper money for you every Qingming Festival, enough to buy you a mansion and a car. If you meet the two Yama attendants again, I’ll be sure to ask them to look after you well,” Liu Dashao said softly as he burned the last of the yellow paper. The more he thought about it, the stronger the feeling that he was responsible for her death became, making him restless and uneasy.
Shhhhh, shhhhh!
Surrounding Granny Fan’s grave was a grove of bamboo. Suddenly, a strange sound echoed through the night. Ma Xiaoyan clung tightly to Liu Dashao, visibly nervous, while Tian Guoqiang also edged closer to him.
“It’s okay,” Liu Dashao whispered to comfort them. At that moment, immersed in grief over Granny Fan’s death, he felt no fear at all.
The rustling continued, growing clearer as the sound approached them.
Ma Xiaoyan gripped Liu Dashao’s sleeve tightly, her face turning pale. “Dashao, I think we should go back. It’s too dark, and…” Ever since she had seen the Jiangshi, she had become extremely afraid of the dark and couldn’t bear to walk home alone anymore.
Liu Dashao gently patted her shoulder, signaling her not to panic, and fixed his gaze on the bamboo grove. Moonlight bathed the ground in a hazy glow, and from beyond the bamboo, a slow-moving figure emerged. The sound came from someone walking.
“Dashao, I think we should leave,” Ma Xiaoyan pleaded.
Liu Dashao ignored her, watching the approaching figure intently. By moonlight, the figure seemed oddly familiar, though he couldn’t place it immediately. The person walked with a hunched back, leaning on a wooden cane, step by step drawing closer. To his surprise, Liu Dashao realized the figure was heading straight toward them.
Seeing the figure approaching, Tian Guoqiang also felt uneasy. “Bro, I think we should go back. She…”
“Shh, don’t panic,” Liu Dashao whispered gently, then, under the astonished gazes of Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang, he walked toward the figure and offered his arm to support the person.
“This…” Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang couldn’t figure out what Liu Dashao was doing, watching the approaching figure with fear. The moonlight was too dim, and they were deep in the bamboo grove, so they couldn’t make out the person’s face at all. Soon, with Liu Dashao’s help, the figure approached them. When they finally saw who it was, they let out a long sigh of relief—it was none other than Master Wang, the half-immortal.
“Uncle, you’re still injured. Why didn’t you rest properly?” Ma Xiaoyan asked with concern. In her heart, she was amazed—Master Wang’s legs had nearly been bitten off. Even if he hadn’t been crippled, he should have needed at least a couple of months to recover. Yet here he was, already up and about. She couldn’t help but admire his recovery ability.
“Cough, cough, cough,” Master Wang didn’t respond. He gently pushed aside Liu Dashao’s supporting hand and slowly walked toward Granny Fan’s grave. Under the moonlight, everyone clearly saw a trickle of blood slowly flowing from Master Wang’s mouth. Tears had already helplessly spilled from his eyes. In that moment, he was no longer the flamboyant old trickster of the world, but simply a man—a man with emotions, thoughts, joy, sorrow, wounds, and pain.
Arriving at Granny Fan’s grave, Master Wang slowly took out incense, candles, and paper money from his bag. He lit the incense and candles, then carefully burned the yellow paper money one sheet at a time for Granny Fan. Everyone could see tears glistening in his eyes, his lips trembling as if whispering something.
After a long while, when the incense burned out, Master Wang bowed three times before Granny Fan’s grave. “Old lady, rest in peace,” he said sorrowfully.
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