For thirty years, he has roamed the Northeast, his divine might overwhelming all immortals under hea

Because I had agreed to Cuiping's request, I went to Wangjia Village alone early the next morning.

Before leaving the county, I repeatedly reminded Brother Sanlu that we must wait until Zhu Xiaoxiao has fully recovered before leaving.

As soon as I entered Wangjiatun, I saw Xiulian.

She carried a shoulder pole with two buckets at each end.

As I walked toward the well at the head of the village, my eyes met hers, and Xiulian naturally lowered her head.

Just then, someone called out to me.

"You must be Li Shisan."

I turned around and saw an old lady.

I sized up the old lady and thought to myself, "Good heavens, this is my first time in Wangjiatun, how come someone recognizes us?"

"I am."

"Li Shisan from Zhujiakan?"

The old lady asked again, this time adding the words "Zhu Jia Kan".

I nodded as well.

"Oh my, I've long heard that there's a shaman named Li Shisan in Zhujiakan. He's just turned eighteen and is quite a handsome young man. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

The old lady came up and showered me with compliments, which I found a little hard to accept.

I thought to myself that this old lady seemed kind and down-to-earth, and she spoke with such eloquence.

"Mr. Thirteen, you don't have a girlfriend yet, do you? My granddaughter is about your age, just turned sixteen this year. How about I offer her to you as your wife?"

The old lady's words became increasingly absurd, and I waved my hands repeatedly.

"Auntie, I have something to do, so I won't chat with you any longer."

I left quickly.

I don't even know you, old lady, and you're trying to introduce me to potential partners.

If I agree, and her granddaughter turns out to be ugly, I'll be at a huge loss.

Following the route Cuiping told me, I entered Wangjiatun and walked along the central road. The second to last house was Cuiping's house.

Since it was my first time here, I walked around and stopped frequently, which took about ten minutes.

I stood outside the courtyard wall, looked around, and called out to those inside.

"Is this Cuiping's house?"

"Hey, here it comes."

"Oh, you actually came. I thought you were just trying to comfort me."

Cuiping ran out of the house, and as soon as she saw me, she immediately opened the door.

"If I say I'll come, I will. Doctors have a compassionate heart; how can they stand by and watch someone die?"

"Then you should give it a try. My mother has been sick for a long time and has seen many doctors, but her condition has not improved."

I nodded, my face expressionless, but inwardly I was in a bad mood. What I feared most was exactly what was coming to pass; I had run into a tricky situation.

Following Cuiping, I went inside the house.

The room was dimly lit. A woman was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). When she saw someone come in, she tried to get up.

But after several attempts, he had to give up.

"Mother, just lie down. This is the person I told you about yesterday when I came back."

"Hello, I studied medicine for a few years and read a few medical books. I heard about it from Cuiping, so I came here specifically to see you."

"Wow, there are still more good people than bad."

The woman's voice was very soft and weak.

His complexion was sallow.

"Cuiping, get some tea for the doctor."

"Eh!"

Cuiping responded and was about to leave, but I stopped her.

"No need to trouble yourself, we don't even know if it can be cured."

I took a step forward and placed my hand on the woman's pulse.

After a few seconds, I withdrew my hand.

My heart was pounding like a rabbit's, constantly on edge.

A woman's pulse is very simple; it is located above the skin and tendons, and can be either sparse or dense, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, scattered and disordered.

This is the pulse pattern that only a dying person would exhibit.

But looking at the woman's face and eyes, although she was weak, her eyes were very clear.

He doesn't look like a dying person at all.

A dying pulse, clear eyes.

Putting these two things together makes absolutely no sense.

Normally, I could call on Liu Ruoyun, and she would surely point me in the right direction. But now that Liu Ruoyun is asleep, I, a mere novice, am no different from a rookie without a backer. I can only grit my teeth and bear it all myself.

"Sir, what's wrong with my mother's pulse?"

Cuiping's voice was choked with sobs, and her eyes were fixed on me with pleading eyes. Her appearance was different from the terrified look she had when she was surrounded by thugs in the alley yesterday.

I composed myself and tried to keep my tone steady.

"Your mother's pulse is very disordered; she should have passed away long ago."

As soon as she said that, Cuiping's face turned pale instantly. Her mother didn't react much, but just sighed softly, her sigh full of frustration and helplessness.

"But your mother's eyes are very bright; she doesn't look like someone who has reached the end of her life."

I changed the subject, and Cuiping's eyes lit up instantly.

"I suspect it's not a physical ailment, but rather something blocking your blood vessels. I'll prescribe some medicine based on what I know, and see if I can clear the blockage and restore sensation to your lower body."

Upon hearing this, Cuiping...

She tried to kneel down with a "plop," but I reacted quickly and helped her up.

"Wait, what are you doing! Now that I'm here, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Cuiping found paper and pen, and I wrote down the medical knowledge that Liu Ruoyun had instilled in my mind as I recalled it. Astragalus, angelica, earthworm... these are all medicines that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. The dosage must be accurate. Too much or too little will not work.

Just as I finished writing the prescription and was about to hand it to Cuiping, I heard a creaking sound from outside the courtyard gate, followed by a familiar voice.

"Cuiping, are you home? Grandma's come to check on your mother!"

My heart skipped a beat. Why does that voice sound so familiar?

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, an old woman wearing a blue headscarf and carrying a basket of eggs lifted the curtain and walked in.

The old lady looked up and first saw Cuiping's mother lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), then her gaze shifted and landed on me.

"Oh my! Isn't this Mr. Li Shisan from Zhujiakan?"

The old lady's eyes lit up, her voice instantly rose eight octaves, and she almost dropped the basket of eggs in her hand.

"What are you doing here?!"

I was also taken aback. Wasn't this old lady the one who had pulled me aside at the entrance of Wangjiatun Village earlier and tried to introduce me to a potential partner?

What a small world, what a coincidence!

The old lady just said that she wanted to see your mother. Could it be that Cuiping is the old lady's granddaughter?

When Cuiping saw the old lady come in, she first called out "Grandma", and then saw the old lady's warm greeting to me, her face full of doubt.

"Grandma, you said he is...?"

The old lady put the egg basket on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), walked over to me in a few steps, and held my hand tightly.

"This is the living god of Zhujiakan! The shaman Li Shisan, just turned eighteen, is incredibly skilled! I've heard people in the village talking about him for a long time, saying that a handsome young man has emerged from Zhujiakan, who can communicate with the spirit world and cure evil diseases!"

The old lady's words made Cuiping's eyes widen like saucers, and her mouth gape open enough to fit a large steamed bun. She looked at me, then at her grandmother, and remained stunned for a long time.

It turns out that the person who saved her in the alley of the county town yesterday was not only a kind fellow villager, but also a shaman with real skills.

"Thirteen...Mr. Thirteen?"

Cuiping's voice trembled slightly. She never expected that her casual remark would actually bring someone to the scene, and that it would be a renowned shaman.

"Hey Cuiping, I'm just an ordinary shaman, nothing special."

I felt a little embarrassed by the old lady's praise, so I scratched my head and said...

"What do you mean 'ordinary'? Mr. Thirteen, you're too modest!"

The old lady slapped her thigh, and her voice became even louder.

"Cuiping, you have no idea, I just ran into Mr. Thirteen at the village entrance, and I was even thinking of betrothing you to him! Who would have thought, fate is truly a wondrous thing!"

When the old lady said that, I was stunned. Cuiping's face turned red to her ears in an instant. Even Cuiping's mother, who was lying on the kang, couldn't help but smile.

"Grandma! What did you say?!"

Cuiping stomped her foot, the sound barely audible.

"What did I say? I'm telling the truth!"

The old lady stuck out her neck and said it with a straight face.

"My precious granddaughter, at the tender age of sixteen, is beautiful, clever, and skillful. She and you, Mr. Thirteen, are a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"

I quickly waved my hand, shaking my head like a rattle drum.

"Auntie, Auntie, let's not talk about that now! I'm here today to see Cuiping's mother!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Going to the doctor! Going to the doctor is the most important thing!"

The old lady then remembered her business and quickly stepped aside.

"Mr. Thirteen, please take a look at my daughter-in-law! This illness of hers is causing my daughter and me so much suffering!"

"Especially Cuiping, look how thin she's become."

Cuiping finally snapped out of her shock. She walked over to me, bowed respectfully, and her voice was full of gratitude.

"Mr. Thirteen, thank you! Thank you for saving me yesterday, and thank you for coming to see my mother today."

"Don't mention it! We're all from the same village."

I handed her the prescription.

"Take this prescription and go to the pharmacy in the county town to get the medicine. Remember, you must use an earthenware pot to boil it. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then simmer it over low heat for an hour. Take it once in the morning and once in the evening. Try three doses first and see if it works."

Cuiping carefully took the prescription, tucked it into her bosom like a precious treasure, and nodded vigorously.

"I've got it! I'll go right now!"

"etc!"

"When you get your medicine, don't let the pharmacy staff switch out the herbs. If you have any questions, ask the doctor at the pharmacy, but never show the prescription to anyone else."

"Okay! I understand!"

Cuiping responded, glanced at her mother on the kang (heated brick bed), and then hurriedly ran out.

In an instant, only I, the old lady, and Cuiping's mother, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), remained in the room.

The old lady moved a small stool for me and let me sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). She sat down beside me and kept praising Cuiping, from how Cuiping could do laundry and cook when she was three years old to how she could work in the fields when she was fifteen. Every sentence she uttered was about how good her granddaughter was.

As I listened, I kept glancing at Cuiping's mother.

Her mother's face was still sallow, but her eyes were much brighter than before, and she looked at me with gratitude.

"Mr. Thirteen."

Cuiping's mother suddenly spoke, her voice still very soft.

"Can my illness really be cured?"

"Don't worry, Auntie."

I looked into her eyes and said, word by word.

"As long as you're not past your prime, I have a way! This isn't an ordinary illness; it's likely that you're possessed by evil spirits, and your blood vessels are blocked. Once Cuiping brings back the medicine, drink it to clear your blood vessels, and I'll figure out the rest!"

Just then, I suddenly smelled a faint fishy smell. It didn't smell like chicken blood or fish, but rather a... slightly damp, earthy smell.

The smell wasn't coming from outside the door, nor was it coming from the kang (heated brick bed), but... it was coming from Cuiping's mother's side!

A thought struck me, and I suddenly looked down at the blanket covering Cuiping's mother.

There seemed to be something wriggling slightly under the blanket!

The old lady obviously smelled the odor too. She frowned and said in confusion.

"Huh? What's that smell? Why does it smell so fishy?"

I didn't say anything, but slowly reached out and touched the quilt of Cuiping's mother.

Cuiping's mother's body stiffened visibly, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes.

There's also a slight instinctive defensive reaction to the approach of a stranger of the opposite sex.

"Auntie, don't be afraid."

"I just want to see what's blocking your blood vessels."

As soon as my hand touched the blanket, I felt a cool sensation from underneath, and also a...slippery feeling.

This feeling instantly reminded me of Liu Ruoyun's snake body!

But this is definitely not a snake!

The snake's body, though cold, carried an air of divine majesty, while the thing under the blanket only exuded a chilling, malevolent aura!

I took a deep breath and suddenly threw off the covers!

What they saw was that Cuiping's mother's legs were covered with thin, white... worms!

These insects were only as thick as a little finger, completely white, with no eyes or mouths, and just kept burrowing into Cuiping's mother's skin!

Cuiping's mother's legs, which had been numb for many years and had atrophied, were now covered with these white insects, a sight that made one's scalp crawl!

"what!"

The old woman was stunned for a moment, then let out a shrill scream and sat down on the ground with a thud.

"What is that thing?! It's so scary!"

"Mr. Thirteen, I can feel the presence of these insects, but they are crawling inside my flesh. I have seen doctors before, but the medicine they prescribed did not work."

As Cuiping's mother spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

I stared intently at the white insects, my eyes filled with seriousness.

This thing is not an ordinary insect, but a "earth vein insect" as described in Northeast folklore!

This insect only lives deep in the earth's veins where yin energy is heavy. It feeds on the life essence of living people. Once it gets attached to a person, it will burrow into the person's blood vessels and block them little by little until it sucks the person into a dried corpse!

However, earth vein worms are not something ordinary people can come into contact with.

This is related to the environment in which they live.

It can only be found underground, in places with heavy yin and dampness.

The fact that Cui Pingniang was infected with the earth vein worms clearly indicates that she had been to such a place.

Because I had pulled the blanket off, I noticed that the earth vein worms were moving towards their upper bodies, so I immediately pulled the blanket back over them.