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

The dark figure squatted on the wall for a long time, like an old hawk peeking out, pacing back and forth.

I sneered inwardly; it seemed this thing was quite cautious.

After a long time

The dark figure flipped over and landed lightly on the ground without making a sound.

I thought to myself, this guy really can't hold his temper anymore.

I held my breath, pressed my body tightly against the cold wall, and followed the shadow with my eyes.

The dark figure hunched over, tiptoed, and slowly moved to the door, its movements so slow it was agonizing.

I couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the original owner has arrived?

After all, judging from the way that shadowy figure moved, it was no different from an ordinary person.

He reached out and carefully pushed the slightly ajar door. With a soft creak, he slipped inside.

I crouched down, like a night fox, and darted to the doorway in a few steps, peeking inside.

There were no lights in the main room, only a tiny, dim yellow light emanating from the crack in the door to the inner room.

By the light, I saw a figure with his butt sticking out, hurriedly stuffing something into his arms. Judging from his figure, it was definitely not the stiff figure of the old man in gray!

My heart skipped a beat; something was wrong!

Could there be someone else?

I didn't care about anything else, I rushed in and shouted.

"Who?!"

The figure shuddered in fright, and the things in his arms fell to the ground with a "clatter." They were several white steamed buns and a small piece of "daotou cake" that hadn't been completely burned and was placed on top of the coffin!

Then I looked at the person's face.

That wasn't some old man in gray clothes at all; it was clearly Li Baocai, the village's 50-something-year-old bachelor who was always stealing chickens and dogs and couldn't resist the sight of young women and wives!

My head buzzed, and a surge of anger shot up to the top of my head!

I waited anxiously for half the night, as tense as a spring in my step, but I wasn't waiting for this filthy bastard!

"Li Baocai! You old bastard!"

I cursed in a low voice, but I couldn't control my anger. I stepped forward and grabbed the collar of his greasy, tattered cotton-padded jacket.

He reeked of cheap tobacco and the stench of someone who hadn't bathed in years, making me frown.

"Are you fucking tired of living? Uncle Wang just passed away, the seven-day mourning period isn't even over yet, and you dare to sneak in and steal offerings? Aren't you afraid Uncle Wang will come and nag you in the middle of the night?!"

I grabbed Li Baocai so hard that his toes almost left the ground. He was so frightened that his face turned pale and his lips trembled.

"Thirteenth...nephew, please...please don't! I...I was just so hungry, and I was thinking...thinking that no one would eat these offerings, and it would be such a waste to waste them...I was wrong, I was really wrong! Please forgive me this time!"

Li Baocai begged for mercy repeatedly, but I had no intention of letting him go easily.

My plans were all ruined by his interference.

Are you starving?

I was so angry I laughed.

"We just had a huge feast today, didn't you stuff yourself to death with cabbage and vermicelli? Are you hungry or just craving something? Are you craving this food, or are you thinking about something else?"

Xiulian's father is dead, and Xiulian is all alone in this house. The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

Fear mixed with anger made him put even more force into his hands.

"Tell me! Is it because there are no men in Xiulian's family anymore that you've started having ulterior motives? Hmm?"

No! Absolutely not!

Li Baocai almost burst into tears, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

"Even if you gave me eight lives, I wouldn't dare! Everyone knows Xiulian is engaged to you, how could I dare? Thirteenth Prince! I was truly blinded by greed, wanting to steal a bite... I swear, if I had even the slightest other thought, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

Huang Dalang's voice echoed in my mind, carrying a hint of disdain and wariness.

"Thirteen, this old guy smells weird. Besides the stench of scum, it seems... there's something else on him. Take a closer sniff."

Upon hearing this, I sniffed. Beneath the stench emanating from Li Baochai, there was indeed a faint, almost imperceptible earthy smell, along with a hint of... the dry, grayish-white powdery scent found in caves. But this smell was so faint that it was almost indistinguishable, masked by the other person's scent.

Liu Ruoyun's cool voice also came through.

"His spirit was terrified, and his yang energy was weak. He hesitated on the wall for a long time, which did not seem like a simple intention to steal. But judging from his appearance, he was definitely a living person, and there were no obvious signs of possession or control."

Is it just a coincidence? Did this old bachelor happen to come here tonight, carrying the "aura" that the old man in gray might have left behind, to steal the offerings?

I stared at Li Baocai's terrified old face, my mind racing.

Should we take him away?

Making too much noise would alert the enemy.

Let him go?

I felt really suffocated and worried.

Just as I was pondering this, the door to the inner room creaked open.

Liu Ruoyun, dressed as "Xiulian," stood timidly at the door, wearing an outer garment and looking at us with a pale face and a trembling voice, as if she were about to cry.

"Thirteenth Brother... Thirteenth Brother? Uncle Bao Cai? What... what are you doing? It's the middle of the night, you're terrifying..."

She acted so convincingly; her panicked and helpless appearance was truly pitiful.

When Li Baocai saw "Xiulian" come out, he was so ashamed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and begged for mercy repeatedly.

"Niece Xiulian, I'm no human! I've been bewitched! Just ignore me and let me go! I'll never do it again!"

Looking at his pathetic state and then at "Xiulian," I had an idea.

The hand gripping his collar loosened slightly, but not completely, and she said coldly.

"Li Baocai, I'll let you off this time for the sake of my parents and Xiulian."

Li Baocai felt as if he had been granted a pardon, bowing and scraping.

"Thank you, Thirteen! Thank you, Xiulian!"

"Don't thank me!"

I interrupted him, my gaze sweeping over him like a knife.

"After you get out, keep your mouth shut! Don't let a single word of what you saw or heard in this yard tonight escape your lips..."

I leaned closer to him, lowered my voice, and added a touch of cold, intimidating power that a shaman could honed and that was effective even against the living.

"I'll show you what 'ghost pinching green' really means! Uncle Wang isn't far off yet!"

Li Baochai trembled all over, his face turned even paler, and his crotch seemed to be a little wet. He hurriedly swore an oath.

"I won't tell! I'd rather die than tell! I'm leaving now! I'm leaving now!"

I let go of his hand, and he scrambled out of the main room without looking back, climbed over the low wall, and disappeared into the night much faster than when he came.

The courtyard returned to silence.

I walked to the door and looked in the direction where Li Baocai had disappeared, my brows furrowed.

Huang Dalang jumped off the roof beam and landed at my feet, sniffing.

"They're gone, scared out of their wits. But Thirteen, that lingering scent on him..."

"Yeah, I can smell it too."

I squatted down, picked up the "daotougao" that had fallen to the ground, looked at it carefully, and smelled it. Apart from the smell of grain and incense, there was nothing special about it.

Liu Ruoyun resumed her cool tone and walked to my side.

"The timing of this person's appearance is suspicious, and the residual aura on his body is also subtle. However, the clues are too complicated at the moment, making it difficult to determine whether he is related to the old man in gray. Perhaps, he was just accidentally tainted by the lingering gloom of this place."

I stood up, dusted my hands off, and the frustration of being tricked hadn't dissipated.

"Whether it's him or not, tonight's 'bait' has been wasted. The real culprit is slippery enough."

"Old people are shrewd, and old ghosts are clever. There's a saying about that."

"Thirteen, I think you'd better go home and check on things. I have a feeling something's going to happen tonight."

Huang Dalang reminded me.

Li Baocai ruined the plan I set up tonight.

I know Li Baocai well; he really has the guts to do those petty thefts.

An old bachelor, barefoot and unafraid of those wearing shoes.

Is there anything they can't do?

In addition, there was something off about his scent, even though it was very faint.

My eyebrows are all tangled up.

He strode towards my house.

I walked quickly, the night wind brushing against my face, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

The journey from Xiulian's home to Zhujiakan wasn't short, but it wasn't far either.

Normally I could find my way back with my eyes closed, but tonight the road felt exceptionally long and dark.

The rage in his heart subsided slightly as the cold wind agitated him, but Huang Dalang's words were like a thorn, pricking him more and more the more he thought about them.

That old bastard Li Baocai had a very faint earthy and powdery smell about him.

And the timing of his appearance tonight, is it really just because he was "starving"?

Once inside Zhujiakan, the village was eerily quiet; even the usually boisterous stray dogs were silent.

Only the sound of my own footsteps, "rustling," echoed clearly on the dirt road.

I could see my three mud-brick houses in the distance; the window paper was black, and the courtyard wall outlined a silent silhouette in the moonlight.

But something was off about that silence.

The courtyard gate was ajar.

My heart tightened, and I slowed my steps, stepping sideways to the door.

Before I could even reach out to push, a suppressed and anxious growl came from inside.

It's an old dog!

I hadn't paid any attention to it since what happened last time, and I never expected it to be in my house tonight.

Judging from its roar, it was clearly not a normal cry.

I gently pushed open the courtyard gate.

In the courtyard, my mother and Xiulian stood side by side at the door.

My mother held an old flashlight in her hand, but dared not shine the beam directly, only vaguely shining it on the ground in front of her feet, the light trembling violently.

Xiulian was wearing my mother's old cotton-padded jacket. Her face looked even paler in the dim light of the flashlight. She held my mother's arm with one hand, and her other hand seemed to be instinctively protecting her.

Their gazes were fixed on the northwest corner of the courtyard.

The open space between the outhouse and the woodpile.

The old dog stood a few steps in front of them, its four legs seemingly nailed to the ground, its front half lowered, its neck fur standing on end, its tail held stiffly upright, and it continued to emit that threatening growl.

The direction it roared was that corner, obscured by the shadows of the eaves and the stacks of firewood, which was indistinct from view.

"Mother! Xiulian!"

I whispered something and quickly walked over.

Both of them trembled at the same time, turned around abruptly, and when they saw it was me, their faces showed a mixture of relief and deeper fear.

"Thirteen! You're finally back!"

My mother's voice was choked with sobs as she grabbed my arm; her fingers were icy cold.

"I was terrified... This dog, the one we brought back last time, started barking about half an incense stick's time ago, barking at that spot, no matter how much I scolded it, it wouldn't stop or go over there..."

"Thirteenth Brother..."

Xiulian also spoke, her voice timid.

I patted my mother's hand, shielding her and Xiulian from the back, and sharply scanned the direction of the old dog's growl.

The moonlight in the courtyard was just right, but that corner was right in the shadows, piled with some broken furniture and leftover coal from winter, a dark mess that made it impossible to see anything clearly.

"Where's my dad?"

I suddenly realized that the family was missing its pillar of support.

"Your father..."

My mother took a breath before speaking hurriedly.

"Not long after we returned from your Uncle Wang's house, Teacher Wang from the village came to our house. He said he was harvesting corn tonight and needed help, so he wanted to ask your father for assistance. Your father thought that Teacher Wang was an educated man and it wouldn't be easy for him to ask, so he agreed. Well, he hasn't returned yet."

Teacher Wang?

I thought for a moment, and it was that somewhat old-fashioned but decent teacher from the village primary school.

The reason is quite common; helping each other with work is a regular occurrence.

But I didn't hear the sound of a corn-threshing machine on my way back.

It was very quiet the whole way?

Logically, my dad should have come back after harvesting the corn, but why hasn't he come back yet?

My nerves were on edge. Dad wasn't home, and Old Dog was acting like this...

"Big Wave Bro".

I silently recited it in my heart.

"Here I am, Thirteen."

Huang Dalang's voice immediately rang out, carrying an unusual seriousness.

"This courtyard has a faint 'passerby' feel to it, not like it's been there for a long time. I didn't expect this old dog to be so reliable at this time, but what exactly it is, it's too well hidden, or it's already gone, leaving only a few traces, I can't tell at a glance. That corner has the heaviest yin energy."

Liu Ruoyun added in a cool, clear voice.

"I also sensed a lingering, eerie fluctuation, very faint, like a ripple on the water's surface, easily lost in an instant. The old dog's reaction was so intense; it's probably not the passing of an ordinary wandering spirit."

Are they not long-term residents, but merely "passersby"?

Did they even specifically choose a time when their father wasn't home?

I stared at the dark corner, my hand slowly reaching for the shovel beside the door.

When the old dog saw me approaching, it stopped growling, turned its head to look at me, and let out a "woof" in its throat, as if warning me.

"Thirteen, be careful..."

My mother called out worriedly from behind.

"Mother, you and Xiulian go inside and close the door. No matter what noise you hear, don't come out."

I gave the order without turning my head, my tone leaving no room for argument.

We must find out.

Whether it's bad luck brought by Li Baocai or some other "thing" taking advantage of the situation, it can't be left in the house.

I took a deep breath, preparing to step into the shadows to find out what was going on.

Suddenly, the old dog's bark rose sharply, turning into a series of threatening howls!

Almost simultaneously, a shadow flashed past behind the pile of broken furniture, seemingly even darker than the surrounding darkness. It skimmed along the ground and swiftly darted toward the low wall, flipping over in a "whoosh" and disappearing into the night outside without even a sound.

The old dog made a move to chase after me, and I gave a low shout.

"Stop chasing, they've escaped."

The old dog could naturally understand what I was saying, but at this moment Huang Dalang became sarcastic.

"Heh, you old dog, you haven't quite digested what you did to that guy? Or are you just putting on a fresh face but pretending to be young?"