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

My mother opened the slightly warped wooden door, and the hinges creaked open.

Standing outside was Xiulian's father, Old Wang.

He rubbed himself hard on the stone slab he used as a stepping stone at the doorway.

"I'm so sorry, Auntie."

Old Wang entered the door with a simple, honest smile.

"Qie came to my house and I really couldn't leave. It's been a long time since I've seen my old buddies. He's drunk and asleep right now, so I rushed over to take a look and bring some things to Xiulian on the way."

"Hey Lao Wang, look at you, you're being so formal! What kind of relationship do we have? Come on in, the kang (heated brick bed) is warm, have a couple of drinks to warm yourself up!"

My mother wiped her hands with her apron as she hurriedly ushered me into the house.

"Perfect timing! The pork stew with glass noodles is still simmering, and the pickled cabbage is flavorful!"

"No, no."

Old Wang waved his hand and stood in the middle of the outer room, not moving towards the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

His gaze swept around the room, passing over the greasy vegetable basin and steaming wine cup on the kang table, before finally landing on Xiulian and me. He grinned, revealing teeth yellowed from the smell of tobacco, and smiled.

"I still have other things to do at home. I've had too much to drink, so I have to go back and keep them company in a bit. I'm just here to deliver something, and I'll leave right away."

As he spoke, he pulled a red cloth bag from his pocket.

The cloth was the old-fashioned, faded home-woven cloth dyed red, about the size of a palm, folded neatly into a square, with the edges pinched shut.

He walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and handed it to Xiulian.

"Xiulian, this is from your Uncle Chen. He said it was a gift to mark our meeting. He's traveled all over the country over the years and has seen a lot. This little trinket is a lucky bean, made of jade, meant for peace and good fortune. Please keep it."

Xiulian quickly put down her chopsticks, wiped non-existent dust off her pants with her hands, and curiously took the food, her face showing a bit of confusion and helplessness.

"Father, how can we accept such an expensive gift? This is the first time Uncle Chen has seen this. Isn't this too much?"

"Uncle Chen is such a kind man, he insisted on giving it to me. It's a gift from an elder, I can't refuse it, so please accept it, it's a token of his appreciation."

Old Wang's tone was honest and simple, revealing the genuine sincerity of a farmer when facing the friendship of his old buddies.

"Hey, Brother Li. Thirteen, another day, another day I'll buy some meat, some wine, and a few dishes, and come over to my place for a meal!"

"Alright, Lao Wang, let's skip the formalities. Everyone at home understands. Okay, get back to work."

"Besides, isn't Xiulian here already?"

Old Wang nodded, pushed open the door, and went out.

Judging from his hurried figure, I figured he really missed his brothers back home.

Xiulian held the red cloth bag as if it were a hot potato, and looked at my parents embarrassedly.

The smile lines on my mother's face have become even deeper.

"Just take it; it's a kind gesture. Open it and take a look, let your auntie see what kind of lucky beans they are."

Xiulian gave a soft "hmm" and carefully unfolded the red cloth.

Inside lay a piece of jade, slightly larger than a thumb, bluish-white in color. The jade wasn't very translucent, with some cloudy, cotton-like patterns, but the carving was quite skillful. It was a plump, bulging bean pod, so full it seemed about to burst open, with a small bean leaf cleverly coiled around its edge, its veins clearly visible. A typical "lucky bean" design, symbolizing many children, abundant blessings, peace, and good health. A dark, almost brownish-red, thin cord passed through a small hole at the stem of the pod, tied with a simple knot.

"Wow, these beans are carved so well, they look so plump, just like the beans in our field that have been well-fertilized."

My mother leaned closer and examined it carefully in the light coming through the window, then commented.

My father tapped his pipe on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), glanced at it, and nodded.

"It's an old item; look at the patina, it's been around for quite a while. The owner really put a lot of thought into it."

Xiulian's cheeks flushed red, and her fingers unconsciously caressed the cool jade.

Just as I was thinking that the lucky bean looked quite decent, Huang Dalang's voice suddenly exploded in my mind. Unlike before, when it was wary or solemn, this time it was an urgent, almost low growl, and it was also accompanied by an uncontrollable anger.

"Thirteen! Keep that filthy thing away! Don't let Xiulian get her hands on it! Lucky beans? Bah! Look at the engraved patterns inside that jade! Those are 'ghost tadpole script' that gathers yin and filth! And that knot, see it? It looks ordinary, but that's the way 'soul-binding knots' are tied, three rings interlocking with nine locks, the most vicious kind! Now smell it carefully, doesn't that jade have a smell? Like an old coffin board mixed with rusty nails, plus some stale herbal dregs!"

His rapid, thunderous growls made my ears ring, and I instinctively held my breath, focusing all my senses on the direction of Xiulian's palm.

At first, my nostrils were filled with the smell of cattail mats, the rich aroma of stewed meat, the fermented smell of pickled vegetables, and the spiciness of my father's tobacco.

But when I focused my attention and tried to detect it, a faint, extremely unpleasant sour and fishy smell, just like sewage seeping from a sewer, drifted over.

The smell was strange and hard to describe, but just smelling it made people's skin crawl and their necks go cold.

The cold sweat on my back instantly soaked through the lining of my clothes.

Seeing Xiulian still holding the jade pendant in a daze, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the curve of the bulging bean pod, my heart felt as if it had been gripped by an icy hand, pounding wildly and making my chest feel tight.

"Big Wave Bro, what the hell is this thing? What do we do now?"

I asked anxiously in my heart, my voice trembling.

"That's a vicious and harmful thing! It's specifically targeting young women and married women!"

Huang Dalang's tone was resolute and carried a chilling undertone.

"This jade has been concocted using evil magic; it's sealed with something filthy! Wearing it close to the body will drain a person's vital energy and damage their spirit. Over time, a perfectly healthy person will become sickly and a walking pharmacy, and won't even know how they died! That 'Old Chen' who delivered it is utterly despicable!"

My mind went blank, and a surge of anger rose up, overpowering my initial fear.

That damned Uncle Chen, he really is an evil spirit! Did he give Xiulian this to kill her?!

Looking at Xiulian's delicate profile, flushed with a healthy blush of shyness and warmth, I couldn't wait to rush out and find that Uncle Chen, to strip him bare and see what kind of person he really was!

But no, we can't panic, and we absolutely can't frighten Xiulian.

Seeing that Xiulian was about to wrap the jade pendant back in the red cloth, and might put it around her neck at any moment, I had a sudden inspiration. I forced a fairly natural smile on my face and tried to keep my voice calm as I spoke.

"Xiulian, these lucky beans... they're carved quite exquisitely. Um... I feel a bit stuffy in here, the kang (heated brick bed) is burning too brightly. Shall we go out for some fresh air? I was thinking of saying this before dinner, the weather is so nice today, the sun is so warm, shall we take a stroll over to the threshing ground?"

"Thirteen, Xiulian isn't full yet, what's the rush!"

My mother rolled her eyes at me, annoyed.

Xiulian raised her head, her long eyelashes fluttering like small fans, my reflection shimmering in her clear eyes. When she heard I was going for a walk with her, her eyes lit up slightly, then a blush crept over them.

"Okay, sure. The threshing ground is sheltered from the wind, and it's warm in the sun."

My parents exchanged a glance. My mother's eyes were full of a smile that said, "This silly boy has finally come to his senses," and she waved her hand.

"Go on, go on! What are you young people doing cooped up inside all the time? You're always up to no good. Thirteen, take good care of Xiulian. Don't go too far, especially not to the riverbank. Come back soon!"

"Okay, Mother! I'll just take a walk around the threshing ground!"

As if granted a pardon, I quickly slipped off the kang (a heated brick bed), grabbed the coat drying by the head of the kang, and put it on. Xiulian also loosely wrapped the lucky beans in a red cloth, held them tightly in her palm, and followed me out of the room.

As soon as I pushed open the door, a rush of crisp, dry air rushed in, carrying the clean, chilly scent unique to early winter, instantly clearing my mind.

The sun was indeed shining brightly in the southeast sky. Although it wasn't very hot, the light was abundant and warmed the ground.

The village was quiet, with most houses' chimneys emitting varying degrees of bluish-gray smoke, and the air filled with the faint aroma of firewood and cooked food.

The occasional barking of dogs or crowing of roosters only accentuated the tranquility of this early winter afternoon.

I led Xiulian along the path toward the large courtyard at the east end of the village.

The area is high and open, and in autumn it is a place for threshing and drying grain. Now, there are seven or eight tall, round haystacks piled up there, like golden mushrooms.

In summer, this place is bustling, while in winter it becomes a playground for children to play ice games and hide-and-seek, as well as a place for village meetings and occasional open-air movie screenings.

I walked to the edge of the threshing ground and found a sunny and sheltered spot at the base of a haystack.

The dried straw stalks gave off a pleasant, sun-dried plant aroma.

We sat down against the haystack, the dry grass beneath us compacted and making a slight "crunching" sound.

There was no one around, only the distant plains and the outlines of dark blue mountains further away.

"It's so quiet here, and I can even bask in the sun."

Xiulian whispered, taking her hands out of her sleeves and spreading them out in the sunlight. Her fingertips were slightly red from the cold, and she breathed white breath on them.

"Um."

I gave a brief reply, my mind completely focused on the red cloth bag she was clutching tightly in her other hand.

This thing must be dealt with as soon as possible.

"Xiulian, can I take a closer look at those lucky beans?"

"Here you go, Thirteenth Brother."

Xiulian, without any suspicion, reached out her hand.

I took the small red cloth bag, and it felt surprisingly heavy in my hand. It wasn't the weight of the jade itself, but rather a kind of... indescribable weightiness.

I didn't open it immediately. I took a deep breath first, and then carefully, as if unpacking a package that might contain explosives, lifted a corner of the red cloth.

The lucky bean lay quietly in my palm.

Under the unobstructed winter sun, the bluish-white jade revealed its true texture. It was not warm and smooth, but rather had a waxy luster. Upon closer inspection, it appeared somewhat cloudy, as if covered with a layer of grime that could not be washed away.

I squinted, leaned in close, and carefully examined every line on the surface of the bean pod.

Sure enough, among those carved lines that mimic the natural protrusions and grooves of a bean pod, there are some extremely subtle, twisted engravings.

They don't seem like flaws, but rather like deliberate designs. They don't form patterns, but they are intertwined and interwoven. Looking at them for a while makes one feel dizzy and uneasy.

Looking at that reddish-brown thin rope again, the complicated twisting at the knot and the cleverly hidden end of the rope in the center of the knot, despite the ordinary knotting method, exuded an indescribable awkwardness and sinister quality, which was certainly not like the neat and tidy knots commonly used by people in the countryside.

What terrified me even more was that when I tried to use the method Huang Dalang had taught me to carefully probe the jade pendant with an extremely faint sense of "insider" feeling, the touch of my fingertips on the jade felt like an instant contact with a small piece of ice buried deep underground! It wasn't the cold of the outside world, but a sinister chill that seemed to directly suck away the warmth from my blood, creeping up my fingertips in wisps.

The faint, fishy smell seemed to have been dispersed by the wind in the open courtyard, but when I focused my attention, it stubbornly lingered at the tip of my nose, refusing to leave.

"Look at the part of the bean pod that's bulging, right in the middle, by the slit! Hold it up to the sun!"

Huang Dalang's voice rang out coldly, carrying an unquestionable commanding tone.

I suppressed the growing unease and nausea in my heart and did as I was told to turn the jade pendant to the side so that the carved slit in the swollen part of the bean pod faced the afternoon sun.

Sunlight filtered through the not-so-pure jade, faintly revealing its internal structure. And deep within the shadow cast by that crevice, I suddenly spotted something!

That was definitely not an impurity, crack, or water line in the jade! It was a living thing! Extremely tiny, smaller than the tip of the finest embroidery needle, its color almost completely blending into the surrounding jade. Without such strong light, such a specific angle, and such focused observation, it would be impossible to discover!

It was curled up there, its body translucent, like a drop of solidified, dirty grease, with a tiny, dark red spot the size of a pinhead visible inside, like its heart, beating and wriggling extremely slowly and slightly!

insect?

How could there be a live insect inside a jade pendant?

And it looks so eerie!

My scalp tingled and suddenly felt a chill run down my spine, from the soles of my feet to the top of my head. My hand trembled, and I almost threw the eerie jade pendant away.

"What the hell is this?!"

I screamed in my heart in utter horror.

"A corpse beetle! A 'Red-Core Corpse Beetle' fed with yin blood and resentment!"

Huang Dalang's voice was filled with disgust, as if he had mentioned the dirtiest thing in the world.

"This thing is incredibly malevolent; it specifically drains the life force of the living, especially the pure yin energy of unmarried women. Sealing it inside these tampered 'lucky beans' with evil markings and wearing it close to the body is like having a leech, slowly and silently siphoning the wearer's essence and spirit until the host is completely exhausted and emaciated. Then it's 'ripened,' and... Hmph, whoever gave this thing has ulterior motives! Such a vicious scheme, such a 'generous gift'!"