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

As the sun gradually sank westward, the smoke from the chimneys in Zhujiakan slowly dissipated.

My mother wrapped the thirty yuan in a handkerchief again and again, stuffed it under the kang mat, and then stacked the eggs one by one into the earthenware jar, muttering to herself.

"We need to save this money for when you get married."

My father squatted on the doorstep, smoking, glancing at me every now and then.

"Thirteen, are you really going to get involved in that dilapidated temple matter?"

"Dad, the money has already been agreed upon, so we have to take care of it."

I stuffed a few leftover cornbread buns from lunch into my pocket and filled a gourd halfway with well water.

"But that three hundred yuan..."

My dad exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Accountant Sun is a man of his word, but this money is not easy to get; that dilapidated temple has been haunted for a long time."

"I know."

"But I'm not the same as I used to be."

My mother came out of the house, holding a half-new jacket in her hand.

"It gets chilly at night, wear an extra layer of clothing."

I took the jacket, and my heart warmed.

This jacket belongs to my dad; he usually doesn't wear it.

It's only worn when someone is holding an event or when visiting relatives during the Chinese New Year.

As dusk fell, I began to prepare things.

A shaman needs the right tools to get things done.

But my family is poor, and we don't have any proper religious implements.

I can only make do.

I scooped up some wood ash from under the stove, wrapped it in yellow paper, picked up the longest rooster tail feather from the chicken coop, and finally found a red string, twisted it, and put it in my pocket.

These things are unremarkable, but they are enough to deal with ordinary wandering ghosts.

I went out when the moon rose.

The west end of the village is not far from my home. Just cross two dirt roads and then a dirt slope.

Zhujiakan was very quiet at night. All the lights were off in every household, and only the dogs occasionally barked.

The moonlight made the dirt road appear white, while the cornfields on both sides were pitch black. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled, as if someone was walking around inside.

I walked steadily, and although I always felt like someone was following me, I wasn't afraid at all.

The further west you go, the cooler it gets.

It wasn't the coolness of a night breeze, but a chill that seeped into your bones.

Below the earthen slope was the dilapidated temple.

The temple is not big; in the early years when it was very popular, it only had three tiled houses.

Now half of the temple wall has collapsed, the temple gate is missing, and a large section of the roof tiles are missing.

There is an old willow tree in front of the temple. Its trunk is so thick that it takes three or four people to encircle it. Its canopy is like a large, open umbrella, casting shadow over half of the temple.

I stood on the earthen slope and looked down.

The dilapidated temple lay quietly in the moonlight, like a sleeping wild beast.

I took a deep breath and started walking down.

As soon as I stepped down the earthen slope, I sensed something was wrong.

It's too quiet.

There wasn't even a chirping of insects.

Only the sound of my own footsteps was exceptionally clear in the silent night.

As we approached the temple gate, the chill in the air intensified.

I rubbed my arms, stepped over the threshold, and entered the temple.

Moonlight shone through a hole in the roof, illuminating the center of the temple.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of dust, and the footprints were messy, some human and some animal.

The offering table was long rotten and leaned against the wall. The incense burner on it had fallen to the ground and was full of incense ash and cobwebs.

On the wall directly opposite the door, where there should have been a Buddha statue, there is now nothing but a blurry mark.

I stood in the center of the temple, closed my eyes, and calmed my mind.

A cool sensation emanated from between his brows and flowed outwards through his eyes.

In an instant, the scene before my eyes changed.

The temple is still the same temple, but many things have been added.

Wisps of black mist rose from every corner of the temple and swirled in the air.

These black wisps varied in density, some as thick as ink, others as thin as smoke. They intertwined and repelled each other, emitting a faint, sigh-like sound.

A lost soul, without a master.

These are the yin energies manifested by unclaimed, wandering souls.

They have no consciousness, only instinct. They gather here because the yin energy here is heavy and suitable for them to live in.

I opened my eyes, took out some wood ash from my pocket, scattered it in a circle on the ground, and surrounded myself in the middle.

This is the simplest way to protect yourself. Wood ash is the essence of the earth and has the effect of warding off evil spirits.

Then I took out the rooster's tail feather.

Roosters are considered yang in nature, and their crowing at dawn is believed to dispel evil spirits at night.

This tail feather is the part of the rooster's body where yang energy is strongest.

I pinched my tail feathers and drew a few lines in the air.

The images of those talismans in my mind naturally surfaced.

"When heaven and earth are clear and bright, yin and yang are in order, and wandering souls return to their rightful places."

I chanted a spell, and the tail feather in my hand swayed with the incantation.

The dark energy inside the temple began to stir.

As if disturbed by something, they quickened their circling speed, and their sighs turned into low moans.

A few wisps of black smoke tentatively drifted towards me, hitting the circle of wood ash and making a "sizzling" sound, like red-hot iron hitting water.

They retreated, but more black energy gathered.

The light from the plant ash circle began to fade.

My heart tightened, knowing that although these wandering souls were unconscious, there were too many of them, and the incense ash circle wouldn't last long.

We need to find the source.

These wandering spirits wouldn't gather here for no reason; something must have attracted them or trapped them.

I closed my eyes and mobilized that energy again, this time not to see, but to sense.

The energy surged from between the eyebrows, spreading outwards like ripples on water.

Every inch of the temple was within my perception.

Under the altar, in the cracks of the wall, in the hole in the roof...

Suddenly, I sensed a different kind of energy coming from behind the temple.

The gas wasn't black, but yellowish-brown, with a fishy, ​​foul smell, and it seemed to be aware of me, spying on me.

Yellow Demon!

I suddenly opened my eyes and looked behind the temple.

That place used to be monks' quarters, but now half of the wall has collapsed, and the moonlight can't shine in; it's pitch black.

"Come out."

I spoke to the darkness.

"I know you're there."

no respond.

Only the sobbing of the lonely souls in the temple could be heard.

I held the rooster's tail feathers and walked step by step toward the monks' quarters.

I can't leave the circle of plant ash, so I can only walk outside of it.

The moment I stepped out of the circle, the coolness enveloped me instantly, as if I had fallen into an ice cave.

I shivered, but I didn't stop walking.

I stopped in my tracks when I reached the entrance to the monks' quarters.

It was too dark inside; I couldn't see anything.

I pulled out a match from my pocket, which I had grabbed before leaving, and struck it with a "whoosh."

A faint light illuminated a corner of the monks' quarters.

There was a pile of rotten straw on the ground, a broken earthenware pot in the corner, and a yellowish-brown thing squatting next to the pot.

The creature was about half a meter long, covered in yellow fur, with a pointed snout, a slender body, and a fluffy tail coiled around its side.

A pair of eyes, the size of mung beans, gleamed with an eerie green light in the firelight.

weasel.

But this is no ordinary weasel.

Its yellowish-brown aura was very thick, almost solidified, and flowed slowly around it.

Moreover, the way it looked at me wasn't the bewilderment of a wild beast, but rather scrutiny, wariness, and even a hint of... curiosity?

I was facing off against it.

The match was almost burning my finger. I shook it, and the flame flickered. The weasel's eyes blinked too.

"Is it you causing this?"

The weasel didn't move, but a shrill voice rang in my mind.

"Haunting? Hmph, little brat, watch your mouth."

Didn't your parents teach you to greet your elders?

The voice seemed to come from a very distant place, or perhaps it rang directly in my mind, carrying an air of arrogance.

It really is a yellow demon that has come to life.

"These wandering souls gathered here, weren't they brought here by you?"

I stared at it.

"Attracted?"

Huang Yao's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"They came on their own. There are things buried under this dilapidated temple, and it's filled with yin energy. They like to stay here. What's it to me?"

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I?"

The yellow demon stood up, its movements light and graceful, like a yellow cloud floating up.

"I'm practicing my spiritual cultivation here. It's a quiet place, and no one will bother me."

It circled the broken clay pot once, its tail swaying gently.

"But you, little brat, carry the aura of the Liu family. What's your relationship with that white snake?"

I was startled.

It could actually see the White Snake Immortal's inheritance on me?

"The White Snake Fairy is my guiding spirit and also my family's support."

I didn't hide anything. In this line of work, there's a connection between spirits that can't be kept secret, and there's no need to hide it.

"A guiding deity?"

The yellow demon moved closer, and I could smell its strong, fishy odor.

"That white snake from the Liu family actually chose a greenhorn like you as her disciple? How strange, how strange."

It looked me up and down, its beady eyes gleaming.

"But you, kid, have a rather special destiny. You were stupid for many years, but suddenly you had a breakthrough and even inherited the Liu family's legacy... Tsk tsk, interesting."

I felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, but I forced myself not to move.

"You said there's something buried under the temple, what is it?"

Compared to the Yellow Demon, I'm more interested in what it said about the things underground in the temple.

The yellow demon flicked its tail.

"How would I know? I don't dig up graves. Anyway, it's a place with heavy yin energy, which isn't good for you humans, but it's a good place for these wandering ghosts."

It pointed to the black mist swirling inside the temple.

"As long as they stay here, at least they won't scatter. If I weren't here to keep them under control, they would have run off and caused trouble long ago. Tell me, am I causing trouble, or am I helping you?"

I really didn't expect what Huang Yao said.

What it said... seems to make sense.

These wandering spirits have no consciousness. If they are allowed to roam freely, they might possess a weak person, just like Gou Dan did.

With the Yellow Demon here, they dare not run around.

"Then why didn't you explain it to the villagers?"

"Explain clearly?"

Huang Yao seemed to have heard a joke.

"If I told people I was a weasel spirit, here to keep the wandering souls at bay, you'd either beat or kill us, or at the very least, call in a shaman to exorcise us. Do you think I have nothing better to do?"

It is true.

Over the years, when villagers saw a weasel, they would either chase after it or run away in fear. If they knew there was a weasel spirit here, they probably would have called someone to deal with it long ago.

"So what are you trying to achieve by telling me all this now?"

Huang Yao fell silent.

It crouched back down next to the earthenware pot, its tail curled up, its eerie green eyes staring at me.

The match had burned out, so I quickly struck another one.

Amidst the flickering firelight, the Yellow Demon spoke.

"Judging from your destiny, we are destined to be together."

"you mean………"

The White Snake Fairy told me that the yellow demon in the temple and I were destined to meet.

"I have been cultivating here for 320 years."

Huang Yao's voice became low.

"When this dilapidated temple was thriving, I would eavesdrop on the monks chanting sutras here, and gradually I gained spiritual insight. Later, the temple fell into disrepair, and I continued my spiritual practice here, guarding this land."

"But I've reached a bottleneck in my cultivation and need an opportunity to break through. That opportunity is with you."

It looked at me with a serious expression.

"I want to join your shrine and become your shaman, Li Shisan's spirit medium. You offer me incense, and I'll protect you and help you with your affairs. What do you say?"

I was stunned.

Huang Yao is willing to join my gang?

This...this is so sudden.

Why did you choose me?

It was almost instinctive, a subconscious thing that I blurted out.

"You little rascal, you seem a bit slow."

Everything in this world has a cause and effect.

"How can this be explained clearly and concisely?"

"The thirteen years you spent in a daze were actually during the digestion of the White Snake's life essence. Now that the essence has returned to its place, you are not only clear-headed, but you have also opened your third eye and opened your spiritual aperture."

"Your encounter with the White Snake was a matter of fate, isn't it the same for me?"

"and……"

Huang Yao paused.

"I'm also tired of practicing alone. Joining the shamanic tradition, accumulating merit, and gathering incense offerings are also the right path."

I remained silent.

My mind raced.

Weasels are clever little animals, but they are also petty and hold grudges.

They are the type to hold a grudge and are difficult to please; this is something that most people living in rural areas have heard of.

"It seems to have sensed my doubts," Huang Yao said again.

"Don't worry, people are divided into good and bad, and demons are also divided into good and evil. If I were to harm you, it would be tantamount to cutting off my own path of cultivation. Since the White Snake has lured you and become your family's support, she can naturally sense me. Otherwise, why would you be standing in front of me? We would have already started fighting."

Just as I was about to say something, the voice of the White Snake Fairy echoed in my mind.

"Thirteen, you don't need to worry. The Huang family is destined to be with you, and you can join their shrine. They have cultivated in this area for a hundred years and are familiar with the yin and yang of this place, which will be helpful to you in the future."

Since the White Snake Fairy has said so, what else do I have to doubt?

"it is good."

"If you join my temple, I will offer you incense. But there is one condition: you must not harm anyone, and you must not do evil."

The yellow demon's tail stood up.

"That's natural. I cultivate the righteous path. Although our Huang family holds grudges, we also remember kindness. If you treat me with respect, I will treat you with even greater respect."

It stood up from beside the earthenware pot and walked up to me.

The moonlight shone through the broken roof and fell directly on it.

Its tawny fur gleamed, and its eerie green eyes reflected the flickering light of a matchstick.

"Now that I've joined your shrine, I'll take care of these wandering souls for you."

"What should we do?"

I have some doubts.

"Send them to where they belong."

Huang Yao turned around and faced the temple.

It raised its head and let out a sharp, long whistle.

The sound didn't resemble the howl of a weasel; it sounded more like some kind of ancient incantation.

With a whistling sound, the black mist swirling inside the temple began to churn violently.

As if drawn by something, they all surged toward the yellow demon.

The yellow demon opened its mouth, and the black mist was sucked in.

Its body began to swell, and a yellowish-brown aura surged from it, intertwining with the black aura.

I watched nervously.

This scene is too eerie.

A weasel, under the moonlight, was devouring the lonely souls in the temple.