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

I lay there, staring at the soles of Xiulian's shoes.

She sewed quickly, with tight stitches, leaving no detail overlooked.

It was already completely dark outside. A small, forty-watt light bulb was on in the ward, casting a dim, yellowish light that made people's faces appear indistinct.

The iron stove in the corner was turned on by Nurse Wang in the afternoon. It was burning with coal briquettes, glowing red-hot, and occasionally crackling and popping a few sparks.

"Xiulian".

"Um?"

Are you cold?

She looked up at me, smiled, and gave me a quick glance.

"It's not cold. The stove is on, and it's much warmer inside."

She lowered her head and continued sewing the soles of the shoes.

The needle pierced the hemp rope with a hissing sound. The sound was reassuring.

I suddenly remembered something.

"Xiulian, what you said during the day...were you telling the truth?"

She looked up at me again, her eyes reflecting the dim yellow light of the light bulb.

"What did you say?"

"About... the bride price and such."

She didn't say anything, and continued sewing the shoe soles. After a few stitches, she finally spoke.

"Thirteenth Brother, we grew up together, when have I ever lied to you?"

"Our marriage was arranged by my father and your father. As I said, although there were some unpleasant things that happened, good things come to those who wait, and now things are going well, aren't they?"

I opened my mouth, and then said.

"Well, Xiulian, what I really wanted to say is that I admire what you said."

"What do you admire about me? When my father was alive, he often said that Thirteen was a kind and reliable boy. Our Xiulian couldn't bear to be mistreated by him."

She didn't look up as she spoke, her hands continuing to sew. But I could hear the tremor in her voice.

I didn't say anything. I didn't know much about Xiulian's father, Old Wang, but judging from the fact that he could do something like breaking off an engagement, he couldn't be anything reliable.

Fortunately, Xiulian is a good girl. Her father is dead, and as for what he said, I won't think about it too much.

"Xiulian".

"Um?"

"From now on, I'll be leaving bicycles to ride around with you."

She looked up and smiled at me. That smile looked especially beautiful in the dim light.

"Oh, I don't know how yet."

"I don't know how to learn, I'm just afraid you can't carry me, haha!"

"Thirteenth Brother, what are you saying?"

The wind outside picked up, and you could hear a whooshing sound as it seeped in through the cracks in the window, making the light bulb flicker.

The shadows on the wall swayed, sometimes long, sometimes short.

I lay there, staring at my leg wrapped in a cast, and suddenly remembered the day I fell off the ladder.

That morning, when I woke up, the sky was overcast, with low-hanging, leaden clouds that looked like it was going to snow. My mother told me to go up to the roof to shovel snow, saying that the snow was too thick and might damage the roof. As I carried the ladder to the backyard, I felt a little panicked.

That feeling of panic was indescribable, like something was watching me from the shadows.

I didn't take it seriously at the time.

Since becoming a shaman, I've helped many people with their problems, but I haven't paid much attention to my own.

As I was thinking, I suddenly felt a chill on my leg.

That kind of coolness doesn't come from the outside; it comes from the inside out. It's like there's a piece of ice stuck between your bones.

I shuddered.

"Thirteenth Brother, what's wrong?"

Xiulian put down the sole of her shoe and came closer to look at me.

"No...it's nothing."

I kept saying I was fine, but my heart was pounding.

That coolness felt off.

As a shaman, I've seen countless strange things and been tainted by countless unclean things. I'm all too familiar with this kind of chill.

Something is following me.

That day on the road, I felt like something was watching me.

Now, that thing is inside my leg.

"Thirteenth Brother, you don't look well."

Xiulian stood up and touched my forehead with her hand.

"Does he have a fever?"

I grabbed her hand.

"Xiulian, go turn off the lights."

"what?"

"Turn off the lights."

She glanced at me, a hint of panic in her eyes, but still walked over and pulled the pull switch on the wall.

Snapped.

It was dark inside.

The frost flowers on the windowpane reflected the light of the snow outside, giving them a pale white hue. A streetlamp in the yard cast a dim, yellowish glow from afar.

I lay there, listening intently.

There was no sound at all.

The only sounds were the crackling of burning coals in the stove and the wind outside.

But the chill is still there.

Right inside my leg, which was wrapped in a cast, came waves of sensation, like a heartbeat.

"Thirteenth Brother..."

Xiulian's voice rang out in the darkness, trembling.

"Don't be afraid."

I gritted my teeth, reached under the covers, and pressed my hand against that leg.

Close your eyes.

"Brother Dalang, I'm in trouble today. Let me see what's following me."

The chill suddenly intensified, feeling as heavy as if a stone were pressing down on it.

I hissed in pain, and sweat broke out on my forehead.

But just then, I heard a voice.

"Thirteen."

Huang Dalang.

I felt a sense of relief.

"Big Wave Bro".

"Looks like you haven't quite sorted things out yet, kid."

"What's wrong? What hasn't been resolved? I broke my leg this time."

"You broke your leg? You think it was just a regular fall?"

The voice paused for a moment, then rang out again.

"That's because someone pushed you."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Who?"

"Do you remember Widow Wang from your village?"

I paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered.

Widow Wang, before, her chickens died for some reason. Later, my mother noticed that she hadn't left the house for several days, so I went with my mother to visit her. That time, she was somehow infected with corpse poison. I took the five-emperor coins from the beam of her house to appease her. I remember, I also had my father burn her with peach wood branches.

"Is it her?"

It's her.

"Wasn't she infected with the corpse virus and killed by me? And my father burned her body with peach wood branches? Why did she push me?"

"Thirteen, it was my fault back then. I was careless. This widow Wang was infected with corpse poison. Her physical body was burned, but her remnant soul was still there, and..."

"Moreover, judging from this incident, someone helped her behind the scenes. In other words, someone not only refined her remnant soul but also gave her independent consciousness. This is very difficult!"

I felt a chill run down my spine when I heard that.

"Then...then why is she still following me? It's not like I'm the one who infected her with the corpse virus, and besides, I didn't provoke her, so why is she following me?"

"She wants you dead."

The voice was raspy, and one could not discern whether it was joy or anger.

"She won't let your leg heal. While you're resting these past few months, she's been watching from the shadows, waiting for her chance to strike again."

I clenched my fists.

"Brother Dalang, what should I do?"

"I'll protect you. But I can't come to this hospital often. This is a deserted place with strong yang energy; every time I come, I lose some of my cultivation."

My heart sank.

"That……"

"That thing wouldn't dare to make a move here. Ghost messengers frequently come and go from the hospital; he'd have to hide. Just focus on recovering; we'll talk about it after you're discharged."

The sound gradually faded into the distance.

I opened my eyes, and the room was still pitch black, with only a little white light coming in through the window. Xiulian stood by the bed, holding my hand tightly, her palms sweaty.

"Thirteenth Brother, were you... were you talking in your sleep just now?"

I took a breath.

"It's alright."

"Your face is frighteningly pale."

"It's really nothing."

I asked her to turn on the light. The light bulb came on, casting a dim yellow light on her face, and I saw tears welling up in her eyes.

"Xiulian, why are you crying?"

"I...I'm scared."

I reached out and touched her face; it was cold.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

She nodded, but tears still streamed down her face.

That night, Xiulian didn't sew shoe soles anymore. She just sat on the edge of the bed, holding my hand.

I wasn't asleep either; I kept my eyes open, staring at the ceiling and at that crack.

His mind was racing, pondering what Huang Dalang had said.

The remnant soul of Widow Wang was refined by someone and has now followed me.

She pushed me down, and that wasn't all; she wanted to kill me.

The next morning, when Nurse Wang came to take my temperature, she noticed that I had dark circles under my eyes and asked me a question.

"What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"good."

"Does your leg hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt much."

She nodded, made a note in her notebook, and then touched my forehead.

"Your temperature is normal. Take good care of yourself, and you'll be discharged in a few days."

After she left, Xiulian went to fetch hot water. I lay there alone, staring blankly out the window.

Some of the frost on the windowpane has melted, and I can see the sky outside. It's still a hazy gray; the snow has stopped, but the clouds haven't dispersed, and it looks like it'll snow again.

Just then, the door opened.

A man entered; it wasn't Xiulian, but a man in his forties, wearing a faded blue cloth jacket and a dog-skin hat.

There were scattered snowflakes on her body.

Just as I was wondering, the man spoke.

"What? Don't you recognize me?"

I just felt that the person in front of me looked familiar, but I couldn't remember who it was for a moment.

"Thirteen, don't you recognize me? I'm Third Donkey!"

"What?"

I sat up immediately.

Three donkeys?

I buried Sanlu myself. Later, he turned into a corpse demon and was eaten by the old dog. How come there's another Sanlu? And judging from his appearance, he seems to be in pretty good spirits.

I looked closely and it did resemble Sanlv somewhat, but not quite.

"Alright, you must be still half asleep. Alright, it looks like your leg is fine now. I have things to do, and I didn't buy anything. Here's 100 yuan, take it."

The man, who called himself Sanlv, stuffed a hundred yuan under the blanket, got up, and left.

"Hey, Brother Sanlu, Brother Sanlu!"

No matter how I called out, the man who called himself "Three Donkeys" didn't turn around.

It wasn't until the door closed that I realized I was lying in bed. My hand unconsciously reached into the blanket and pulled out a hundred yuan note, but when I saw what it was, I was dumbfounded.

This is not 100 yuan.

It's clearly a counterfeit bill with a face value of 10 yuan.

My body was trembling, but then the door was pushed open again.

"Thirteenth Brother, come here, let me wipe your face."

Xiulian pushed the door open and came in. I quickly stuffed the ghost ticket back into the quilt.

"Sure, this will give me a boost."

Xiulian wiped my face, and it started snowing again outside.

The snowflakes were small, fine and dense, falling like flour through a sieve.

I lay there, staring at the snow outside the window, and before I knew it, I was drifting off to sleep.

In my dream, I saw that person again.

He stood in the mist, staring at me with cold, piercing eyes.

"Mind your own business."

He spoke, his voice hoarse, like a broken gong.

I wanted to speak, but my throat felt blocked, and I couldn't make a sound.

He took a step forward.

"You remember this, this isn't over, it's not over..."

He took another step forward.

I suddenly woke up.

I opened my eyes to find the room pitch black. It was already dark outside, the snow was still falling, and the windowpanes were covered in frost. The fire in the stove had gone out, and the room was as cold as an icebox.

Xiulian lay on the edge of the bed and fell asleep.

I took a breath, my heart pounding.

The look in his eyes in my dream was so real.

It looks just like the real thing.

As I was thinking, I suddenly heard a voice.

It wasn't the kind of sound you hear in a dream; it was real, coming from outside.

Crunch, crunch. That's the sound of footsteps on snow.

Someone is walking in the snow.

I listened intently.

The sound grew closer and closer, stopping at the window.

I stared out the window, and a sudden, inexplicable fear welled up inside me.

The windowpane was covered in frost, so I couldn't see anything. But I knew there was something outside.

That thing was standing under the window, staring at me.

I clenched my fists, my palms were sweaty.

creak, creak.

The sound rang out again, then gradually faded into the distance.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but my heart was still in my throat.

Xiulian stirred, raised her head, and looked at me groggily.

"Thirteenth Brother, what's wrong?"

"It's alright."

"Your face has turned pale again."

"It's really nothing."

She stood up, walked to the stove, and added a few coal briquettes. The flames leaped up, making her face glow red.

"The stove went out; no wonder it's so cold."

As she spoke, she walked back, sat on the edge of the bed, put her hand under the covers, and took my hand.

"Thirteenth Brother, don't be afraid. I'm here."

I looked at her and suddenly felt like crying.

But I didn't cry. I'm a man, I can't cry.

"Xiulian".

"Um?"

Are you scared?

She paused for a moment, then smiled.

"What's there to be afraid of? With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

My heart warmed, and I held her hand tightly.

That night, Xiulian sat there, not closing her eyes all night. I didn't sleep either; I just lay there with my eyes open, staring at the window, staring at the layer of frost.

It snowed outside all night.

The next morning, when Nurse Wang came to take our temperatures, she noticed our dark circles and sighed.

"What's wrong with you two? Staying up all night, are you keeping them up like hawks?"

Xiulian smiled but didn't say anything.

Nurse Wang walked to the bedside and touched my forehead with her hand.

"You're a little hot. Do you have a fever?"

She took the thermometer out of her pocket, shook it, and then had me tuck it under my arm. After a while, she took it out and looked at it.

"37.5 degrees Celsius, low-grade fever. Normal, often seen with fractures. Drink more hot water."

After she left, Xiulian went to fetch hot water. I lay there alone, staring at the ceiling.

My mind was a jumbled mess. One moment I was thinking about that dream, the next I was thinking about the crunching sound of snow outside the window last night, and then I was thinking about what Huang Dalang had said.

That thing wouldn't dare to operate in a hospital.

But he stayed outside guarding the place.

Wait until I'm discharged from the hospital.

Just as I was thinking this, the door opened again.

It was my father who came in.