Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Last time in the forest, Chen Ji was dragged into a ghost realm by a king cobra and nearly died. At the critical moment, it was the man before him who saved him.

The man claimed Chen Ji had hallucinated from eating poisonous mushrooms, but Chen Ji knew better. Though the other party had somehow made it so that even his clothes showed no signs of being torn by a giant snake, what had happened, had happened.

Chen Ji didn’t have time to overthink. He immediately bent down to rescue the man. With the sound of dripping water, Chen Ji lifted the man from the pond. He was somewhat surprised—a nearly 1.9-meter-tall grown man was unbelievably light. The next moment, however, large patches of crimson made Chen Ji’s eyes darken.

The pale pink bloody water was quickly covered again by deep red, soaking Chen Ji’s clothes along with the pond water.

The man’s clothes were tattered, each tear accompanied by a wound, with flesh torn and exposed. Especially on his legs—a huge gash stretched across both thighs, nearly severing them. Chen Ji lowered his head to check the man and, seeing the chest still rising and falling slightly, confirmed he was still breathing.

Chen Ji laid the man flat on the ground. "Look up first aid procedures."

Last time, the other party probably thought he was just an unfortunate passerby, so after saving him, he made up a random excuse to dismiss him without intending to get involved further. Even if Chen Ji tried to keep him, it wouldn’t have worked. This time, whatever the reason, Chen Ji was determined to save him.

Even if it was just doing his best and leaving the rest to fate—any normal person with such wounds, soaked in water like this, would have bled to death long ago. Chen Ji wasn’t even sure if the man before him was human.

"OK, found it. You can start by tying a tourniquet near the proximal end to stop the bleeding."

"Where exactly is that?" Chen Ji asked.

"Above the wound," System Cat replied quickly.

Chen Ji tore off the man’s soaked clothes, draped his own jacket over him, wrung out the water from the torn garments, and ripped them into strips to tie around the man’s upper thighs. Finally, Chen Ji took out his phone to call the police, but as soon as he put it to his ear, a hand suddenly gripped his wrist. Chen Ji looked down and saw the man had woken up at some point, saying to him, "No need… I can… myself…"

Chen Ji instinctively continued, "No need to call the police, you can heal yourself?… Is that what you mean?"

The man nodded with difficulty before falling unconscious again.

Seeing this, Chen Ji didn’t insist. After all, this kind of person defied normal explanation, and calling the police might just cause trouble—what if the police arrived, maybe even in a helicopter, but the man had disappeared? How would he explain that? He couldn’t exactly cut himself and claim the injury was his own, could he?

Chen Ji took out the remaining offerings, quickly arranged them, lit incense, and kowtowed three times toward the pond, silently reciting, "It’s an emergency, please forgive me, old one." He didn’t even bother with the bamboo basket, hoisted the man onto his back, and headed home.

Luckily the man was light, otherwise Chen Ji wouldn’t have been able to carry him for long.

Blood dripped from the man’s wounds, flowing down Chen Ji’s wrist, so hot it made his wrist itch. Normal blood isn’t cold, but it doesn’t feel scalding either. Chen Ji gritted his teeth, couldn’t help but glance back, and saw the man’s pale face, bloodless lips tightly pressed together, his weak and irregular breathing faintly revealing his dire condition.

Forget it.

Getting home quickly was what mattered.

***

Chen Ji laid the man on the bed. Nearly an hour had passed. Chen Ji removed the tourniquet from the man’s leg and, seeing blood start to flow again, immediately pressed clean gauze against it while asking System Cat to fetch the medicine bottle.

The bottle contained Yunnan Baiyao. Chen Ji took it and sprinkled it generously over the wounds, asking, "Xiao Ba, quickly look up what to do next. Should I tie it again?"

System Cat came over for a look. "You should keep pressure for another five minutes… Wait for the blood to circulate before reapplying the tourniquet, then add more powder. Don’t you have adhesive bandages? Use those to close the wound."

Chen Ji nodded and asked System Cat to help boil a pot of hot water.

No joke, if anyone walked in now, they’d think the mud-and-blood-covered Chen Ji was a murderer, and the man on the bed was the victim.

While applying pressure to the wound, Chen Ji wondered what else he could do to treat him. His eyes suddenly landed on the bedside table—inside was the box of yellow talismans left by his grandfather, including what seemed to be illness-warding talismans?

Should he give it a try?

But illness-warding talismans needed to be burned and turned into talisman water to drink. Chen Ji looked at the man on the bed and decided against it. After all, this was his lifesaver—he shouldn’t mess with him like that.

Forget it, he’d take it out and try it anyway, see if wearing it had any effect.

With that thought, Chen Ji found the illness-warding talisman. By then, five minutes had passed. Chen Ji carefully lifted the gauze and saw the bleeding wasn’t as severe as before. But just as he thought that, blood trickled from the edge of the wound, leaving a red line on the man’s pale skin.

The bloodstain on the bedsheet continued to spread.

Professional tourniquets worked much better than torn clothes. As soon as he fastened it, the bleeding stopped. Chen Ji did the same for the other leg.

"What are you doing?" A voice suddenly sounded in the room.

Without looking up, Chen Ji replied, "Stopping the bleeding."

He finally fastened the tourniquet and breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly realizing something, he looked up and saw the unconscious man had woken up. His gaze was cold… no, not cold so much as flat, devoid of any emotion.

The man’s eyes drifted lightly over Chen Ji’s face as if looking at a complete stranger.

Chen Ji followed the man’s gaze downward and saw the other’s knee still resting on his arm. Silently, he lowered the man’s leg, removed the blood-soaked gauze, and replaced it with a clean one to wipe the blood from the man’s leg. "Should I apply some hemostatic powder now?" he asked.

The man nodded slowly without speaking.

Chen Ji applied more Yunnan Baiyao.

After a flurry of activity, Chen Ji finally finished. The man said softly, "Thank you."

"Want some water?" Chen Ji asked.

The man nodded again. Chen Ji poured a cup of warm water for him. The man took it, his long, elegant fingers holding the rough ceramic cup, exuding a refined and serene beauty.

Instead of drinking, the man looked toward the table where Chen Ji had placed the yellow talismans earlier. Noticing his gaze, Chen Ji asked, "Can that heal your wounds?"

The man paused, then nodded. "Someday, I will surely…"

He trailed off here, the next word barely a breath, left unspoken. Chen Ji had already fetched the talisman and handed it to him. "Take it and use it. I don’t really understand these things."

The man thanked him and reached out to take it. Chen Ji only saw the talisman flip in his hand before being tossed into the air. The next moment, it spontaneously ignited mid-air like a fluttering butterfly, swaying gently before falling into the teacup.

Without changing expression, the man drank the talisman water in one go, not even furrowing his brow.

Chen Ji: "…"

Perhaps because Chen Ji’s astonishment was too obvious, the man fell silent for a moment before saying, "It’s very useful."

Chen Ji let out a long breath. "Good, as long as it helps."

"Do you need anything else?" Chen Ji continued. "Something to eat? Or any medicinal herbs? I’ll try to find them for you."

The man seemed about to say something, but Chen Ji waved his hand. "Just lie down and rest properly—you saved me before, no need to stand on ceremony."

The man paused, then said, "…I’m hungry."

"Alright, wait a moment." Chen Ji responded and turned to leave. At the door, he stopped and asked, "The tourniquets on your legs need to be loosened soon, otherwise blocked blood flow could have serious consequences."

The man nodded to show he understood.

Only then did Chen Ji leave. System Cat was waiting outside the door and immediately followed him. "Chen Ji, Chen Ji! Was that yellow talisman really effective?!"

"Not sure." Chen Ji bent down and lifted System Cat onto his shoulder. "It worked when he used it, but it might not work if I tried."

Just like when he saved him on the mountain and told him it was mushroom poisoning—what if the man had his own abilities and just used the talisman as an excuse? Or maybe he had some special skill to make the talisman work, like that trick of making it ignite spontaneously—something Chen Ji couldn’t do.

System Cat tilted its head and nuzzled vigorously against Chen Ji's face: "It's fine, we'll definitely learn it too, meow!"

Chen Ji smiled and patted System Cat's plump rump: "Hopefully."

Chen Ji entered the kitchen, opened a large box of ready-made Buddha Jumps Over the Wall stew, and casually tossed in a handful of ginseng and red dates before heating it up. System Cat was already having a heart attack: "Ack?! Why are you cooking the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? Didn't we agree to save it for celebrating after the temple is repaired?!"

This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was crazy expensive, costing a full three thousand yuan. Chen Ji was comfortable financially, but only for daily expenses. A three-thousand-yuan pot of soup was a luxury item, and even Chen Ji winced at the price. They had bought two boxes because System Cat had scored a buy-one-get-one-free coupon and begged Chen Ji for a long time before he agreed.

They only had two boxes. The first one had been cooked by Chen Ji as soon as it arrived home. It was true that you get what you pay for—the pot was packed with abalone, sea cucumber, trotters, and scallops, the broth a rich golden hue, a blend of the freshness of all the ingredients. According to System Cat, one taste of it made their hard work pay off.

"He saved my life. Forget one box of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall; by tradition, I should be carrying a whole sheep and a whole pig, with a brass band to his door, kowtowing in thanks, and even acknowledging him as a sworn relative." As Chen Ji spoke, he felt the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall wasn't enough and went to the fridge to pull out ready-made dishes of preserved vegetable with pork belly, beef ribs, and curry chicken, warming them all up. He insisted on fixing enough for five people, afraid his savior wouldn't have enough to eat.

While plating the food, Chen Ji suddenly thought of something and asked with concern, "Xiao Ba, did you record earlier? Just in case he really drinks the talisman water and dies, I'll have video evidence for the police."

System Cat swished its tail: "Recorded, don't worry! I'll definitely prove your innocence!"

"And in this remote wilderness, worst case, we can just toss him back where we found him. I'll take care of the cleanup, guarantee when they find him, the autopsy will only show he was killed by a wild animal."

"...?" Chen Ji: "That might be a bit much."

The two shared a knowing joke. Chen Ji first set aside portions for System Cat and himself in small bowls for dinner, then found a large tray to carry the food to the inner room—one advantage of ready-made meals was having a hot three-dish, one-soup meal ready in fifteen minutes.

Chen Ji could tell his savior was introverted, and people like him, who were into supernatural stuff, probably didn't like being disturbed. So after setting down the food, he left, only saying to leave the dishes aside when finished, and he'd collect them later.

The savior nodded and thanked him.

About an hour later, Chen Ji knocked on the door and entered after receiving a response. He saw the man lying there fine, and the food on the table had been completely cleaned out. Though he knew he shouldn't question supernatural things, he couldn't help but glance at the man's stomach.

The man's previous clothes, filthy with mud and blood, had been taken off by Chen Ji and changed—they weren't worth washing. Now he was wearing Chen Ji's bathrobe. He was taller than Chen Ji, but Chen Ji happened to prefer looser-fitting sleepwear, so it didn't look tight.

The bathrobe wasn't tied tightly, revealing a flat, firm abdomen—where had all that food gone?

Chen Ji suddenly snapped out of it and realized the other man was also looking at him. For a moment, Chen Ji felt awkward, but the next instant, he walked over and said openly, "How're your wounds holding up? Do they need more attention?"

The man shook his head slightly: "No, thank you."

Chen Ji explained, "I mean, since you were unconscious earlier, I could only do some basic patching up. Would you like me to help you clean up? It wouldn't be good if the wounds got infected."

Chen Ji paused, then added, "Or if you're uncomfortable with that, I can bring a basin of water and a towel, and you can clean yourself?"

Chen Ji's suggestion was reasonable. The man initially wanted to refuse, but when he looked down and saw the bathrobe had turned gray, he subconsciously agreed, "Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome." Chen Ji raised his eyebrows slightly as he collected the dishes. Soon, he returned with two thermoses of hot water, mixed the water in the bathroom, and unwrapped a new towel.

The steaming towel was hot to the touch, but it felt truly comfortable on the skin. The man pursed his lips. Chen Ji, at just the right moment, asked, "Shall I help?"

"...Okay." The man's lips moved: "Thanks for going to the trouble."

His lips were thin and quite nice-looking.

Chen Ji suddenly thought.

"You're welcome." Chen Ji stepped forward, deftly pulled down the collar of the bathrobe, and ran the towel firmly over the neck, lightening up around the wounds.

Chen Ji used his fingers to press the towel and gently wipe around the wound edges. The man couldn't help but let out a soft grunt. Chen Ji said, "Does it still hurt? The talisman seems very effective."

Chen Ji wasn't lying; the talisman worked like magic. The wound, which had been at least two centimeters deep, now only had a shallow crack, as if the flesh had rapidly regenerated to fill it in.

"Not bad." the man said.

After a pause, he added: "Chang Xu."

"Your name?" Chen Ji rinsed out the towel and continued wiping his back: "I'm Chen Ji... I might not look like a local, but I lived here as a child. My grandfather was the Temple Keeper of the Mountain Lord temple."

"I know." Chang Xu said softly.

Chen Ji finished cleaning his back. Overall, the injuries on Chang Xu's upper body were much less severe than those on his lower body. Combined with the "talisman's" boost, they were almost healed. The lower body should have been his own task, but Chen Ji wanted to see the results, so he pretended not to know and guided Chang Xu onto the bed: "Lie down, it's easier for me."

Chang Xu lay down without resistance, closing his eyes as if tired.

When Chen Ji pressed him down, he didn't cover him back up with the bathrobe. After cleaning his arms and chest, Chen Ji covered the area below Chang Xu's waist with the blanket and pulled out the bathrobe. The next moment, the bandages on both legs were clearly visible to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji thought, "Oh no, why didn't he remove these bandages himself?" But he couldn't blame Chang Xu—he was just a patient.

It wasn't too late to remove them now. Chen Ji immediately took off the bandages and vigorously wiped his legs with the towel: "Feeling better?"

"Mm, thank you." Chang Xu said with his eyes closed.

Chen Ji went to change the water, brought a clean bathrobe, and while wiping, examined the wounds on Chang Xu's legs. Under the adhesive tape, the wounds hadn't reopened. He gently wiped around the edges: "Really okay?"

Chen Ji couldn't just peel off the tape to inspect the wounds, so he continued wiping nonchalantly. Once the grime on the legs was cleaned, Chen Ji tucked his ankles under the blanket, picked up the water basin, and said, "I'll be sleeping next door, Chang Xu. Call me if you need anything."

Chang Xu seemed asleep and didn't respond.

Chen Ji said nothing more, took the things, and left. Before going, he glanced at the window but decided against opening it—the room seemed a bit warm, and Chang Xu's ears were red... but better not open the window for someone injured. He could always kick off the blanket if too hot.

After a busy day, Chen Ji felt exhausted. He took System Cat to the next room, which he had already tidied up. It was originally his grandfather's room—shabby, but at least it had a bed. The weather was mildly cool, so sleeping there for a few days would be bearable.

***

That night, Chen Ji suddenly woke from his sleep. The room was pitch black. Staring at the dilapidated ceiling, he seemed to see white shadows twisting and swirling in the darkness. Blinking, the shadows vanished—probably just a hallucination from suddenly opening his eyes.

He tried to move, but his body felt paralyzed, unable to twitch a single finger.

Chen Ji was familiar with this—usually called "ghost pressure," it's actually sleep paralysis. The mind wakes up, but the body doesn't, and usually, after a while, you either fall back asleep or fully wake up and can move again.

Chen Ji's heart pounded, a side effect of the sudden awakening.

He closed his eyes, focusing on his pinky finger. Based on experience, moving any finger could wake the whole body.

Something smooth and delicate brushed against his arm. Chen Ji thought resignedly that System Cat, that little ingrate, was awake but didn't wake him.

Suddenly, something brushed his arm again. Before Chen Ji realized something was wrong, a heavy weight seemed to press down on him. Chen Ji couldn't struggle, feeling an almost suffocating pressure.

This isn't normal.

"Xiao Ba? Xiao Ba?" Chen Ji called out in his mind, but System Cat didn't respond. He called several more times: "Xiao Ba?! Ba-ba, wake me up, I can't breathe."

But his mind remained silent, as if System Cat had never existed.

Calm down, calm down. Maybe it's all just my imagination?

Chen Ji focused again on moving a finger to break free, but the lack of oxygen in his chest brought a stifling pain. Survival instinct took over. He struggled to open his mouth, trying to breathe more air. But the moment he opened it, something cold and slippery forced its way between his lips, delivering oxygen while tangling with his tongue.

"Mmph!" Chen Ji let out a barely audible moan. Some irresistible force made him lift his head, allowing the cold, snake-like thing in his mouth to invade more freely, licking every part of his mouth, even reaching deep inside.

Chen Ji wanted to vomit but couldn't. His senses were amplified infinitely—faint sounds of water and breathing lingered in his ears, colorful hallucinations appeared before his eyes, indescribable yet resembling everything.

He knew who it was.

Chen Ji was acutely aware of this.

Ever since he returned to the Mountain Lord Temple, something had been happening to him; each time, it left marks on his body resembling "a fire dragon coiled around his waist," with no other consequences for now—or perhaps there were consequences he simply wasn’t aware of.

The first time was likely in a dream, the second time in a half-awake state, and now, this third time, he was fully conscious.

Chen Ji’s intuition told him that the other party was gradually growing stronger.

At first, when he saw the marks, he thought it was a snake or vine-like creature. But the second time, he'd distinctly felt a human-shaped form lying behind him, pressing tightly against him. And this time? He was awake now—should he try to see it?

If the other could move freely within the Mountain Lord Temple, that meant it was even more powerful than Grandfather Mountain. Given his current abilities, he shouldn't look—the less he knew, the safer he would be.

Chen Ji endured for a few breaths, only to feel a hand pressing against his waist… But why? If there's a grievance, find the source; he had to see what it really was!

He had to see… Chen Ji’s eyelids felt as if they were glued shut, making it impossible to open them. Chen Ji realized the other was preventing him from looking.

Chen Ji lay like a compliant doll, subject to the other's manipulations.

The sheets were tangled by an invisible force, leaving winding patterns like snake trails, creeping steadily up Chen Ji’s body. A faint blush gradually surfaced on Chen Ji’s skin, only to slowly fade, growing paler and paler…

…

On the other side, Chang Xu, lying in bed, suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. He pressed his hand to his lips, coughing silently. Lifting his head, he looked toward the window, where a humanoid figure composed of countless tendrils of black mist stood outside, silently gesturing to him.

"Shh."