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

"But I'm not you, Thirteen. My help to you is limited. Your body is yours, and I won't bind you unless absolutely necessary. Now you have to hold on by yourself."

I pushed off the ground and shot forward.

It wasn't a human leap; it was like a wild beast, crawling on all fours, arching its back, springing its leg, and pouncing in front of Brother Sanlv in a flash.

I grabbed Brother Sanlu's belt, twisted his waist, and swung him up, slamming him against the courtyard wall with a bang.

A section of the adobe wall collapsed with a crash, and Brother Sanlu fell into the rubble. His arms and legs were still moving, like a beetle that had turned over, struggling to flip itself back over.

I suddenly felt something moving behind me.

I turned my head and looked around; the old dog was still lying at the gate of the yard.

But it stopped shaking.

With its four legs supporting it on the ground, its head lowered, and the fur on its back standing on end, each hair standing upright like a hedgehog.

It's whirring.

It's not aimed at me, it's aimed at Brother Sanlv.

The snoring grew lower and deeper, sinking into one's heart, making it hard to breathe.

Then it stood up.

It's not like a dog standing up; it's like a dog kicking off with all four legs, leaping its whole body upwards, and twisting in mid-air.

It fell to the ground.

It's a person.

A burly man.

It was cold and night, and he was only wearing a black fur vest.

The arm, as thick as a tree trunk, was exposed to the cold wind, its veins bulging, and I could almost see the restless blood gushing beneath them.

He was barefoot.

The soles of his feet were a dark purple, the same color as Brother Sanlu's fingers.

He turned to look at me.

Those eyes were neither like a dog's eyes nor like a human's. The irises were a bright yellow, and the pupils were vertical, like a cat's or a snake's.

Under the moonlight, it seemed as if two flames, a greenish glow, were burning within those two yellow eyes.

"you……"

My throat felt like it was stuffed with a ball of hemp thread, and I could only squeeze out this one word.

He didn't say anything.

He turned his head and looked at Brother Sanlu, who had just crawled out of the rubble.

Brother Sanlu stood up straight now, the two white porcelain balls facing the old man, his head slowly tilting as if recognizing him.

The old man lifted his foot.

Just one step.

Stepping out, he was already in front of Brother Sanlv.

He stretched out his hand.

The hand was large and strong, like a crab claw, and it landed on Brother Sanlu's forehead, making Brother Sanlu freeze instantly.

Its mouth was open, but the black soup stopped flowing.

His arm was raised, and he didn't move.

It looks like a clay sculpture, poking at that spot.

The burly man turned to look at me.

"Kid, you still need to practice?"

His voice was like sandpaper grinding against a stone, harsh and grating.

Then he took his hand off Brother Sanlu's forehead.

Brother Sanlu is still stuck there, not moving at all.

The burly man turned around and walked towards me. He walked differently from Brother Sanlu; his knees and ankles were bent, but he made no sound. His soles trod on the loose soil and the withered branches made no noise at all.

He walked up to me and stopped.

Those two yellow eyes looked me up and down, then landed on my shoulder.

"Why don't you recognize me, kid?"

I was taken aback, but my body was now under my control.

"Thirteen, this man is Old Dog. I never thought he could transform into a human. It seems he really improved a lot that time."

"Are you an old dog?"

I can't believe dogs can do this.

Perhaps it was because it was my first time seeing one, but I was incredibly shocked. The main thing is that although I haven't known the old dog for very long, I've had a lot of contact with dogs in my daily life.

In the countryside, who doesn't keep a dog or something?

People came and went, and there was some commotion.

"Hey, you rude kid!"

"A dog's year is equivalent to a human's seven years. I've lived for eighty years, which is five hundred and sixty years."

"I'm qualified to be your ancestor."

"You still call me an old dog?"

My mind went blank.

"What the heck? Five hundred and sixty years? This…"

"Old dog, don't scare Thirteen."

"Bullshit, is telling the truth considered scare tactics?"

"But you, you weasel, what's wrong? You're having so much trouble with a mere corpse demon?"

"Hmph, I didn't contribute anything, okay? I need to rely on Thirteen's body. What if his body is damaged? Do you think you're in his shoes? You don't need to think so much."

The two of them continued bickering as usual, while I ran towards the yard.

The curtain was lifted, and there was my mother's half-shoe sole still on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and my mother was still on the kang. Her eyes were open, her eyeballs didn't move, but the eyeballs under her eyelids were still moving slowly, as if she were dreaming.

Xiulian stood next to her, her face deathly pale, her lips bloodless, her chest rising and falling slightly, indicating she was breathing.

My dad.

My father was inside the kang (a heated brick bed), his face turned toward the roof beam, his eyes wide open, completely still.

I reached out to check his breath.

It's cold.

It's not breathing.

But his eyes, as I looked at them, seemed to move slightly?

It wasn't the kind of movement where you turn your head; it was more like something flashed in your pupils.

Like moonlight shining on well water, shimmering and swaying.

"father……"

My throat feels choked up.

A muffled thud suddenly came from outside, like something hitting the ground.

This was followed by Huang Dalang's shout.

"Thirteen!"

"Don't panic, it's just a fake death. Once your soul is retrieved, you can be back to normal."

Yes, bring the soul back.

I let out a silent scream.

But outside, the chewing sound was extremely jarring.

I stood at the doorway, where the burly man, who was actually the old dog, was breaking Brother Sanlu's body to pieces and stuffing it into his mouth.

His teeth crunched through the bone with a loud cracking sound.

In no time at all, there was no trace of Brother Sanlu; only a pile of ashes remained.

"Sorry, I'm a little hungry."

The old dog turned to look at me, and I vaguely saw him let out a burp.

I turned my head away, not daring to look at the puddle on the ground anymore.

Old Dog wiped his mouth with his sleeve, leaving black and red bloodstains on his face. He didn't wipe them off, just stared blankly at me.

"Kid, scared?"

My throat tightened, but I didn't say anything.

"Don't try to scare him! Thirteen, don't listen to his nonsense. That old geezer is just like that, showing off when he's full of himself."

The old dog grinned, with bits of meat stuck between its teeth, clearly visible in the moonlight.

My stomach churned, and I almost threw up.

"Thirteen! Don't stand still! The souls of your parents and Xiulian are floating around the village, as if they're being pulled towards the old forest in the western mountains by thin hemp ropes! If you delay any longer, their souls will be dragged into the underworld and never be retrieved!"

I turned to look at Xiulian, who lay on the kang like a sheet of gold paper, and my mother, whose eyes were fixed but who was not awake. My heart felt like it was being gouged out by the northwest wind from the northeast, and I could hardly breathe from the pain.

A burly man, resembling an old dog, blocked the doorway. His massive frame was wrapped in a black fur vest, his thick arms were crossed over his chest, and his sallow, vertical pupils swept across the room. His rough, hoarse voice, like sandpaper grinding against stone, mumbled.

"Let's go. Your soul has been controlled; they're deliberately leading you to Old Forest. We have to go through this trap, even if it's a trap."

In the winter nights of Northeast China, the cold can freeze your nose off. The northwest wind whips up snowflakes that feel like tiny knives cutting your face.

As soon as we left the village, a thick white fog rolled in. At first, it was as thin as gauze, but the closer we got to the old forest in the western mountains, the thicker the fog became. In the end, it became so thick that it was impossible to disperse, and just a blur was visible three steps away.

"Thirteen! Keep your mouth and nose closed, and don't inhale this white mist!"

Huang Dalang's voice trembled with urgency, echoing in my mind.

"This isn't mountain mist, it's a bewitching miasma! If you absorb too much of it, it can scatter your soul! It's a smokescreen cast by the evil entity controlling your family's souls!"

I've braved this white fog, and I know how formidable it is.

The old dog stayed half a step away from me, his bare feet on the frozen dirt road, snowflakes clinging to his dark purple soles, without even shivering.

He walked without making a sound, his back as straight as an old pine tree, his bright yellow vertical pupils shining menacingly in the white mist, occasionally scanning his surroundings. That beastly vigilance etched into his bones at least calmed my heart, which was clenched in knots.

With this 560-year-old thing following me, I truly feel at ease.

Just now, the image of him chewing up Brother Sanlu was still making my stomach churn, but at this moment, he is my strongest support in this eerie night.

The entrance to the old forest in the western mountains was right in front of me, the dark pine branches sticking out of the white mist like the gaping fangs of a giant beast. Without the slightest hesitation, I stepped into the forest.

The white fog instantly tightened, and the forest became eerily quiet. There wasn't even the rustling of leaves in the wind; only my heavy breathing and the pounding of my heart could be heard.

"To the left! Your mother's soul is floating to the left front, being pulled and swaying!"

Huang Dalang's voice was filled with panic.

"Never touch the white figures floating in the mist; they are all illusions created by a bewitching miasma. Touching them will steal your mind!"

But that's how it is; even if you don't touch it, it will touch you.

If it hadn't happened once, I wouldn't have been in such a sorry state in the white fog.

The old dog leaned forward, its large, hot palm gently resting on my shoulder. The heat was like burning coals, instantly dispelling the chill from my body.

"Don't be afraid."

His voice was hoarse, and his vertical pupils were fixed on the depths of the white mist.

"With me here, what evil spirits dare to touch you? I'll chew them up."

I nodded, gritted my teeth, and followed Huang Dalang's directions.

The white mist clung to my face, cool and refreshing, yet carrying the same stench of decay as Brother Sanlu.

I had just taken two steps forward when a white shadow suddenly floated out of the mist, light and airy, exactly like my mother's figure.

"Thirteen... Mother is cold..."

The voice was soft and gentle, exactly the same tone my mother used when calling me for meals. I immediately stopped in my tracks, and my heart skipped a beat.

Huang Dalang was getting really anxious in my mind.

"Don't listen! It's an illusion! It's a bewitching spell to lure you into thinking about it!"

But I just couldn't look away. The white figure stretched out its hand, and its fingertips were almost touching my face. It was as cold as ice.

My mind went blank for a moment, and the image of my mother steaming buns by the stove flashed before my eyes. I almost couldn't hold back my tears.

Just as I was about to reach out and grab the white figure, I suddenly felt a weight on my shoulder.

The old dog's hot, large hand pressed down on me hard, with such force that it almost crushed my bones, forcefully pulling my wandering soul back to reality.

"Open your eyes! Look carefully at what that thing is!"

The old dog's voice was like sandpaper grinding against stone; its roar made my ears ring. Its vertical pupils shone frighteningly bright in the white mist, their golden light like two small lamps, piercing directly through the fog before my eyes.

When I looked closer, it wasn't my mother at all. The white figure had half a bluish-black tail trailing behind it. When I got closer, it was just a skin without features, floating vaguely in the mist, only maintaining its human form thanks to the bewitching miasma.

I was so startled that I stepped back, my back slamming directly into the old dog's hard chest.

"Kid, you shaman, you can't even withstand this little bit of mental demon?"

The old dog snorted coldly, and with his other hand he reached forward, his large palm gripping the white shadow like an iron clamp. With a gentle twist, a strange "sizzle" was heard, and the white shadow instantly turned into a pool of foul-smelling black water, seeping into the frozen soil and disappearing without a trace.

Huang Dalang took a breath.

"Luckily, that old dog was quick! This bewitching miasma is best at targeting people's softest spots; your parents, Xiulian, are its targets. Don't take it to heart!"

I gritted my teeth and nodded, steeling my resolve, staring intently at the ground, no longer looking at the shadows drifting in the fog.

But this white fog was very strange. More and more sounds came from my ears. Sometimes it was my father calling me "Thirteen", sometimes it was Xiulian crying softly, and sometimes it was the sighs of the dead old people in the village. The sounds circled around my ears and drilled into my bones.

My head started to spin, my steps felt light and unsteady, like I was walking on cotton, and my vision blurred in waves, as if I would fall headfirst into the fog and never wake up again if I took just two more steps.

"Stabilize your acupoints! Return to your divine position! Guard your acupoints! I, Huang Dalang, am here! Which evil spirit dares to disturb my disciple!"

Huang Dalang's voice suddenly became incredibly authoritative, no longer the usual playful banter, but carrying a sharp, menacing aura unique to the Weasel spirits, crashing straight into my mind. I felt a heat on the top of my head, a warm rush of energy rising from my dantian, instantly clearing my head.

Seeing this, the old dog released his hand from my shoulder, took a step forward, and stood in front of me.

He stomped his bare, dark purple feet on the ground, the dull sound echoing through the deathly silent forest. The muscles in his back tensed, and he exuded the ferocity of the king of beasts.

"Ugh!"

He let out a deep, beastly roar from his throat—not a dog's bark, nor a human voice, but like a ferocious beast that had lived for a thousand years in the deep mountains and forests, shaking the white mist to both sides. The white shadows and phantom sounds that drifted over, upon encountering this roar, retreated with screams as if they had seen their nemesis, and most of them instantly dissipated.

"It's just a mind-altering miasma, yet it dares to show off its limited skills in front of me."

The old dog didn't even turn his head, and gave the order in a rough voice.

"Follow in my footsteps, and don't make a single mistake."

He walked forward, and with each step he took, the white mist around his feet would automatically recede a circle, his bright yellow vertical pupils precisely avoiding the evil spirits hidden in the miasma within the thick fog.

I stared intently at his back, following his footprints step by step. The auditory hallucinations were still lingering in my ears, but I was already resolute in my heart—Huang Dalang was protecting my divine sense on my left, and Lao Gou was blocking the evil spirits outside on my right. As long as I held on, I would never fall here.

Suddenly, a bluish-black hand emerged from the mist, its nails frighteningly long, and lunged straight for my heart with incredible speed, leaving only a blur. I instinctively dodged to the side, but the hand seemed to have eyes, circling back to catch up.

"act recklessly."

The old dog didn't even turn his head. He swung his arm back and his large hand precisely grabbed the wrist of the dark blue hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Click."

The crisp sound of bones cracking was particularly jarring in the forest.

A sharp shriek came from the fog, and the hand went limp and turned into a pile of rotten flesh. The old dog casually flung it away, and it smashed into a tree trunk, turning into a pool of black blood.

My heart was pounding. I had just breathed a sigh of relief when Huang Dalang suddenly shouted urgently.

"Hurry! The cave entrance is just ahead! Take a few more steps, and the bewitching miasma will weaken! Your mother's soul is right at the entrance, about to be dragged in!"