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

Looking at Cuiping's mother, I was filled with mixed emotions.

She was not someone whose lifespan had ended.

But it was gradually devoured by these earth vein worms.

In this urgent situation, I need to find out exactly where Cuiping's mother went.

"Auntie, where have you been, or what strange things or people have you encountered?"

"In short, the parts you feel are not quite right."

"This is crucial; you'd better think about it carefully."

Seeing how serious I was, Cuiping's mother also fell into deep thought.

After a long while, Cuiping's mother finally spoke.

"This matter actually dates back quite a few years."

"I don't remember exactly how long it was, but I do remember visiting the dilapidated temple in Zhujiakan once."

A dilapidated temple.

Those two words sent a shiver down my spine.

Although the dilapidated temple has now been demolished and a winery is being prepared for its construction, what kind of place was it before? It was a haunted place that no one wanted to go near.

Even more bizarre things happened to Li Ergou.

I was personally involved in this matter; it's not just hearsay.

"Auntie, what are you doing there?"

"Hey, isn't this the widow Wang from Zhujiakan? She's my cousin. Her husband died, so I went there and stayed in Zhujiakan for a while."

"When I was heading back to the village, it started raining heavily. It was raining so hard that I couldn't go back any further, so I went into a dilapidated temple to take shelter from the rain."

"And then what happens after we enter the dilapidated temple?"

I continued to ask, but even after all that, Cuiping's mother still hadn't let me hear the most crucial part.

"I didn't feel anything at the time. Anyway, when I entered the dilapidated temple, it was a bit chilly. The statues in the temple were all damaged and looked quite scary."

"I was standing at the door at the time. It had been raining for quite a while, and by the time the rain stopped, the road was flooded."

After Cuiping finished speaking, she stopped talking. I knew she must be too weak.

Having said so much in one go, I'm bound to be a little tired.

If it's really as Cuiping's mother said...

It's very likely that the earth vein worm burrowed into Cuiping's body at that time.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

If that's really the case, then... then are all the people working on the construction site now... possibly having these ley line worms burrow into their bodies?

The more I thought about it, the more scared I became, because my dad was also on the construction site.

"Auntie, think carefully again. Have you been to any other places?"

I want to confirm with Cuiping's mother again.

"No, I've only left the village once since I married into Wangjiatun. I don't usually go up the mountain."

I suppressed the panic in my throat, tucked the quilt at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed) for Cuiping's mother, and then clung to the door frame to give the old lady who was standing guard by a lot of instructions.

"Keep a close eye on your daughter-in-law. Don't let her touch cold water or smell any grease. I'm going home for a bit, I'll be right back!"

The old lady's eyes were red and puffy like walnuts from crying. She nodded repeatedly, her voice hoarse like a broken gong.

"Mr. Thirteen, my daughter-in-law is counting on you!"

"Cuiping is still young, she can't be without her mother."

I didn't have time to say anything more, so I took off running home.

There was only one thought in my mind.

My dad! My dad is still at that construction site near the dilapidated temple!

Those earth vein worms are no pushovers; they flock to yin and evil places and live by sucking the life force of living people.

Cuiping's mother went into the dilapidated temple to take shelter from the rain for half an hour, and that's when she was taken advantage of. Several years have passed since then, haven't they? Her body has been eaten away to the bone.

Now that dilapidated temple has been razed to the ground, and the foundation is almost waterlogged. The earth veins underneath must have been stirred up into a mess. Those earth vein worms have probably already spawned and crawled into the bodies of those farmers carrying hoes and shovels through the cracks in the soil!

The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.

The steps they took also became larger.

Just then, a strange noise drifted into my ears.

The sound was sobbing and whimpering, like a baby crying or an old cat in heat, but upon closer listening, it carried an indescribable sense of misery.

It's not a human voice, absolutely not.

I paused, tilted my ear, and listened carefully.

What could possibly be making noise in this desolate wilderness?

Did it hit something that wasn't clean?

I gritted my teeth and followed the sound. The sound was coming from under the old elm tree by the roadside.

That old elm tree is quite old; its branches and roots are intertwined, making it look like an old monster. Few people dare to approach it on ordinary days.

I crouched down and tiptoed around to the back of the tree. When I looked down, I was instantly stunned.

In the grass, a little fox was curled up.

The fox was only about the size of a palm, with shiny black fur that looked as if it had been coated with oil.

Its body was very weak, and it didn't even have the strength to lift its head. It could only lie there, humming softly, as if a mosquito were buzzing.

What struck me most was not its pitiful appearance, but its tail.

One?

wrong.

Two!

This little fox actually has two tails!

I gasped.

In Northeast China, there are various types of spirits, including foxes, weasels, chang (a type of mythical creature), pythons, and ghosts, each possessing unique supernatural powers.

Especially the Fox family.

Legend has it that the nine-tailed fox is the most powerful being in the fox family.

However, the Nine-Tailed Fox needs a special opportunity to reach a height that cannot be attained through arduous cultivation.

I crouched down and carefully reached out my hand.

The little fox seemed to sense someone approaching. It weakly lifted its eyelids, its glass-like eyes filled with fear and pleading.

It didn't resist; it just gently rubbed against my fingers, the touch of which was icy cold.

"Poor little guy."

My heart softened, and I disregarded all taboos, tucking the little fox into my arms.

The warmth in my arms instantly enveloped the little fox, and it seemed much more comfortable. It stopped whimpering and just gently shook its body.

"Don't be afraid, I'll take you home."

I muttered something under my breath, then got up and started walking home.

With a tiny life in my arms, my steps felt heavier than before.

On one side is my father's safety, and on the other is this intelligent two-tailed fox.

I jogged all the way and finally saw wisps of smoke rising from my chimney; my mother must be cooking at home.

But I can't put my mind at ease at all.

"mother!"

I kicked open the door and started shouting at the top of my lungs.

My mother, who was busy at the stove, was startled by me, and the spatula in her hand fell onto the stove with a "clang".

She turned around and saw that I was covered in sweat.

"What are you yelling about, kid? You scared the crap out of me!"

"How's it going with things in the city?"

"Where's Sanlu? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Where's my dad?"

I didn't have time to explain to my mother; I just stared at her, my voice trembling.

"Your dad? Isn't he working on the construction site? They're rushing to meet the deadline today, and they said he'll have to work overtime until dark."

As my mother spoke, she picked up a rag, intending to wipe my face.

I pushed my mother's hand away and stamped my feet in frustration.

"Oh no! Mother, something terrible has happened! We can't continue construction on that dilapidated temple site!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

My mother was completely confused.

"That construction site is a big deal for Zhujiakan. The village chief is overseeing it, and I heard even the top leaders from the county are watching it. A factory like that can boost the economy a lot. Why can't it be done?"

I was just about to explain the earth vein worms to my mother when the little fox in my arms suddenly let out a soft cry.

That's when I remembered it was there, and I quickly took it out of my pocket.

The little guy seemed a bit uncomfortable being covered up, and gently twitched his ears.

When my mother saw the two-tailed fox in my hand, her eyes widened instantly, and the rag in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

She rushed over in a few strides, grabbed my arm, and her voice changed.

"Thirteen! Where did you find this thing? How come this fox has two tails!"

My mother was an honest, simple farmer; she had never seen a fox with two tails before.

"Mother, please don't get agitated."

I quickly reassured my mother.

"This little guy was injured, and I felt sorry for him, so I brought him home. But this isn't the time to talk about that. My dad, my dad is in danger!"

I told my mother everything about Cuiping's mother and my speculations about the dilapidated temple.

I tried my best to use simple and easy-to-understand language, and I explained the dangers of the dilapidated temple construction site clearly.

The more her mother listened, the paler her face became, until finally her lips trembled.

"What are we going to do? Your dad's still at the construction site! No, I have to go find him!"

As she spoke, my mother tried to rush outside. I grabbed her arm.

"Mother! Your going won't do any good! You'll only make things worse! I have to handle this!"

"Then...then Thirteen, you...you have to be careful, especially about your father..."

"Don't worry, Mother. Who am I? Is there anything I can't handle?"

I patted my chest and went straight out of the house.

My mother held the little black fox I had given her, watching my retreating figure with a worried expression.

I rushed to the construction site of the dilapidated temple in one breath, and heard a cacophony of laughter and shouts from afar. My heart skipped a beat.

The scene before me had absolutely nothing to do with the chaotic, fearful atmosphere I had imagined.

It's so hot today, like it's on fire. The sun is so strong it could melt the ground.

The men on the construction site all put down their work and gathered in twos and threes under the old locust tree to cool off.

Some people took off their jackets, revealing their dark backs, still covered with beads of sweat; some people were smoking cigarettes, chatting away; and others were holding watermelons freshly pulled from the well, with red flesh and black seeds, the juice dripping down their chins and the sweet aroma wafting far and wide.

My dad was sitting right in the middle of the crowd, holding half a watermelon in his hand, his face beaming with joy.

He has sharp eyes and spotted me panting immediately. He then waved the watermelon in his hand and shouted at me.

"Thirteen! What brings you here? Come here quickly, these freshly picked, juicy watermelons are so sweet they'll make your throat ache!"

The men around me turned to look at me, and one of them joked.

"What's wrong with Mr. Thirteen? He's out of breath. Has something urgent happened at home?"

I didn't bother wiping the sweat from my face or taking the watermelon my dad handed me. I grabbed his arm, my voice trembling.

"Father! Come here."

My dad was startled when I pulled him, but he still left the crowd with me.

"What's going on, Thirteen?"

"Dad, this construction site is dangerous. You shouldn't work here anymore. I've told Brother Sanlu that you can't come to the construction site anymore."

He frowned as he spoke.

"What kind of talk is that, kid? The construction site is doing just fine, why can't we work there anymore?"

I repeated to my father what I had just said to my mother.

My dad was unusually calm.

He didn't respond to me immediately, but instead took two puffs from his pipe.

"Do you know what? This winery project is the apple of our county leaders' eye! The village secretary was holding a big meeting at the construction site yesterday, saying that if the factory is built, the people of Zhujiakan will be able to work there and won't have to rely on the weather for their livelihood anymore. The county's top leaders send people to inspect it every few days. Who dares to say anything about stopping construction? Wouldn't that be going against the entire county leadership? Wouldn't that be a loss of face for the leaders?"

My father's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over my head, instantly sobering me up.

Yeah, how could I have forgotten about that?

The winery to be built on this dilapidated temple site isn't some small-scale workshop; it's a key project supported by the county. County leaders are counting on this project to achieve results.

Seeing that my face was deathly pale, my father patted my arm and said in a low voice.

"Thirteen, I know you're worried about me and everyone else. But this isn't something we can control. If you force the work to stop, not only will the village chief object, but even these men on the construction site will probably be furious with you. They're all counting on the wages from this construction site to support their families."

At first glance, I saw that these farmers were either squatting or sitting.

They all had smiles on their faces.

You can earn money this day, and the price isn't low—more than ten yuan a day, while an ordinary worker only earns a few yuan a day.

How could I not be happy?

But because of this, we shouldn't care?

You only have one life.

"Oh right, Thirteen, is everything settled in the county town?"

"Yes, Dad, I may not be able to control others, but you must listen to me. We dare not do it again."

"Thirteen, I know you're doing this for my own good and have considered the current situation. But Sanlu isn't here, and they trust us, so they made me the supervisor."

"High pay, low workload."

"Now that Sanlu isn't here, I'm just quitting. What kind of nonsense is this?"

My father's words left me speechless.

"Hey, by the way, didn't Sanlv come back with you?"

"No, he needs another day or two."

I shook my head.

"It won't make a difference if it's just a day or two. Once Sanlu comes back, Dad will quit. What do you think?"

"Uh-huh!"

I nodded emphatically; this was the only way to do it for now.

My father is a kind and righteous man. If he were to simply give up, it would probably be more painful than killing him.

But right now, it's highly likely that my father has also been invaded by the earth vein worms.

It's just that there aren't any outward signs yet.

"Brothers, we've rested enough. Let's get this done quickly so we don't have to work overtime."

My father called on everyone to get to work, while I sat under the big tree, my eyes fixed on my father.

I absolutely cannot let anything happen to my father under my nose; if that happens, I will never forgive myself.

absolute!