Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Chen Ji was about to say more when his number was called. He pocketed his phone and entered. Inside, a doctor in his thirties greeted him, "Number, please? What's the problem?"

Chen Ji handed over his registration slip, medical record, and his hand, explaining, "It's been like this since I woke up. No pain, no itch, no insect or snake bites, and it doesn't affect my movement."

From the moment Chen Ji extended his hand, the doctor's gaze hadn't wavered. After probing a few spots, he immediately wrote a referral for a blood test. Chen Ji went to pay, and about an hour later, when the results came back, the doctor stared at the perfectly normal blood work on the computer. After a long silence, he said, "Please wait here for a moment."

With that, the doctor left. Soon, he returned with a doctor in his fifties. The middle-aged doctor naturally took the main seat, while the younger doctor stood beside him, looking sheepish. The middle-aged doctor shot the younger one a glare, then began examining Chen Ji’s right hand, repeatedly questioning him about the blood test results: "Are you sure you didn't bump into anything? Did you crush your hand? Any symptoms like dizziness, headache, fatigue, or nosebleeds?"

Chen Ji shook his head, then a thought struck him: "Does having a few fevers over the past half-month count?"

The middle-aged doctor's expression grew serious. After checking Chen Ji’s age on the report, he said, "My recommendation is a bone marrow puncture to confirm the diagnosis."

Just then, the middle-aged doctor’s phone rang. He was about to hang up but hesitated when he saw the caller ID. "One moment, please," he said.

He answered, "Hello... Professor, yes, yes, I'll be right there... Oh, Professor, there's a patient in the outpatient clinic I'm unsure about. Could you possibly take a look?... Yes, only twenty-six years old. Blood work is completely normal, but his hand is entirely bruised. Professor, please just come and see!"

Chen Ji thought: "..." Is it really that serious?

System Cat chimed in: [They suspect you might have acute leukemia.]

Chen Ji: [Honestly, I thought the same thing.]

He knew his previous fevers were due to contact with supernatural entities, causing an imbalance of yin and yang, with malevolent yin energy entering his body. But he wasn't sure if frequent exposure to such entities might have triggered a more serious illness.

Just then, Chen Ji felt a sharp prick in his back, as if jabbed by a needle. Before he could react, System Cat said: [I just ran a quick bone marrow analysis on you. The values are quite normal.]

The middle-aged doctor hung up, his face etched with concern, and continued examining Chen Ji’s hand and test results. About ten minutes later, an old man, at least seventy-five years old, entered, supported by a young doctor. The middle-aged doctor immediately stood up, bowing deferentially, "Professor, you're here! It's this young man..."

The senior doctor glared at the middle-aged doctor, then sat beside Chen Ji and began, "Young man, don't worry. Let me take a look first. It shouldn't be anything serious."

He put on his reading glasses to examine the report, then told Chen Ji, "Young man, lay your hand flat. Let me take your pulse."

Chen Ji obediently followed the senior doctor's instructions, extending his hand and sticking out his tongue when asked. After a moment, the senior doctor said, "Young man, did you touch something very cold with your hand yesterday for an extended period?"

Chen Ji hesitated and shook his head—was that it? Perhaps it was from contact with the fox yesterday? But the fox's shadow was small, and he had been lying on Second Master Huang's Dharma Form without any issue. Why was only this hand affected? Could it really be from drawing talismans?

Chen Ji didn't quite believe it. The books were orthodox; it was unlikely that simply copying them could cause such a condition. He was more inclined to think he might have encountered some yin energy without realizing it.

Seeing his hesitation, the senior doctor understood. "Don't be afraid. It's just stagnant blood. Let me treat your hand first, then you can get a bone marrow puncture. If the report is clear, then there's nothing to worry about... Don't be scared, we're not suspecting leukemia, it's just a precautionary test."

The middle-aged doctor interjected, "Professor... This..."

The senior doctor waved him off: "Less talk!"

The middle-aged doctor instantly fell silent.

"Alright, I'll do as you say." Chen Ji also found the bruise on his hand unsightly and thought it would be good to get it treated quickly. The senior doctor pulled a cloth bundle from his pocket. Unfolded, it revealed a row of intimidating long needles. He selected a pentagonal one, about the width of a finger, with five needle tips at the end.

While he sterilized the needle, the middle-aged doctor applied iodine to Chen Ji’s right hand. Soon, the senior doctor approached, his expression kind, and said, "Young man, don't be afraid. This needle looks scary, but it won't hurt."

"Really?" Chen Ji asked instinctively. His words still hung in the air when the senior doctor, swift as lightning, pricked and withdrew the needle from the side of Chen Ji’s wrist. Only when blood welled up did Chen Ji feel the pain.

The senior doctor chuckled, "See? Doesn't hurt, does it?"

Chen Ji looked at the plum blossom-shaped wound: "...It doesn't hurt."

The young doctor had already brought a tray and gauze to collect the blood. For a moment, everyone in the room, including Chen Ji, focused on the blood. The freshly flowing blood was bright red and oozed slowly. The senior doctor, seeing this, flipped the needle and tapped the back of Chen Ji’s hand.

After this tap, the bright red blood suddenly turned dark. The blood traced a dark red line across Chen Ji’s bruised skin, dripping into the tray. The senior doctor watched for a while and said, "We need two more pricks."

Chen Ji nodded. The senior doctor pricked him once below the tiger's mouth and again three inches below the wrist. Dark red blood immediately flowed from these spots, and Chen Ji’s skin visibly regained its normal color.

After two minutes, the bleeding began to slow. The senior doctor used gauze to press on the back of his hand until bright red blood flowed normally from the puncture sites, then had him hold the gauze against the wounds. He asked, "Do you still want to do the bone marrow puncture?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "It was probably just an anomaly. If it happens again, I'll come back for it."

System Cat had already performed the analysis for him, using pure machine detection, so there was no need to repeat it.

The senior doctor gave Chen Ji a meaningful look but didn't press him. Instead, he advised, "Young man, get more sunlight, avoid staying up late, and exercise more. Your constitution is a bit weak."

Chen Ji thanked him repeatedly and left to pay the bill. System Cat couldn't help but say: [I keep feeling that senior doctor's gaze was somewhat strange.]

[Medicine and Taoism have been intertwined since ancient times.] Chen Ji wasn't surprised: [He probably could discern something.]

System Cat sighed: [Maybe I should read some TCM books too. If something similar happens again, I can perform bloodletting for you.]

[That works too.] Chen Ji paid the fee. It was just noon, so he took System Cat to a hotpot restaurant near the hospital and indulged in a hearty meal, justifying it as necessary replenishment after losing so much blood.

After eating, he was considering whether to visit the secondhand car market when Uncle Liu suddenly called. Uncle Liu said he had pulled an all-nighter at the hospital, had just woken up, and hurriedly called Chen Ji to say he probably wouldn’t be able to work for the next couple of days. Chen Ji looked at the hospital building and asked, "Uncle Liu, are you at First People’s Hospital too?"

"Yes, yes," Uncle Liu said. "Xiao Chen, what's up?"

Chen Ji said, "I'm at the hospital. Which floor are you on?"

Uncle Liu gave the bed number—it was on the second floor. Xiao Wang, Aunt Xiao Wang, Second Uncle Wang, and the old man were all in the internal medicine ward on the second floor. Three beds plus an extra bed just enough for one room, making it convenient for family care.

Chen Ji quickly found the room, knocked, and was about to enter when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if he was being watched. He didn't look back—it wouldn't be good to do so. With people coming and going and in broad daylight, nothing unusual would happen. He pushed the door open calmly. Uncle Liu and Aunt Wang stood up happily with relieved expressions to greet him. After exchanging greetings, Chen Ji went to check on everyone.

Aunt Xiao Wang, Second Uncle Wang, and the old man had woken up in the morning but, probably exhausted from yesterday's ordeal, had fallen asleep again after eating. Only Xiao Wang hadn’t woken up at all. Chen Ji went over to look and asked about his condition: "Uncle Liu, Aunt Wang, what did the doctor say about Xiao Wang?"

"The doctor said Xiao Wang is fine, just unconscious." Uncle Liu and Aunt Wang looked worried as they spoke. Chen Ji casually placed his hand on Xiao Wang’s blanket but suddenly pulled it back as if electrocuted. Uncle Liu and Aunt Wang, who had been about to ask about the gauze on Chen Ji’s hand, forgot their question and quickly asked, "What’s wrong, Xiao Chen? Is there something still off about Xiao Wang?"

If not, then it probably isn’t that kind of problem?

Chen Ji decided to try again. He lifted Xiao Wang’s blanket. Under the hospital gown, the arm was deathly pale. Chen Ji lightly touched it with his index finger, and the same chilling yin energy sensation transmitted through—Chen Ji trusted his instincts. Was it hidden somewhere he couldn’t detect?

As he thought this, a black mist suddenly emerged from the skin he had touched, trying to latch onto Chen Ji’s finger. Chen Ji’s first reaction wasn’t to retreat but to grab it!

Let him see what kind of garbage dared to hook his hand!

The moment Chen Ji grabbed, his fingers passed through the black mist. He caught nothing, his fingers clenching into his palm. A sharp pain followed. Chen Ji opened his hand to see two crescent-shaped marks on his palm—his fingernails hadn’t fared well either. Two nails had white lines where they had almost bent backward.

Uncle Liu asked nervously, "Xiao Chen, are you okay?!"

"I’m fine." Chen Ji looked up and spotted a smoke detector in the center of the ceiling—fortunately, it was on the other side, not above Xiao Wang.

He said, "Uncle Liu, go check the door. Close it and don’t let anyone in."

Uncle Liu immediately nodded and went to close the door. Aunt Wang asked anxiously, "Xiao Chen, what can I do to help?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Aunt Wang, please close the curtains."

Aunt Wang complied. Chen Ji took out the white paper he had drawn talismans on for practice yesterday from his backpack. He didn’t know if it would work, but he decided to try. System Cat was also curious, eagerly watching intently as Chen Ji prepared to act, when Chen Ji asked, "Xiao Ba, search how to use yellow talismans?"

"..." System Cat rolled its eyes: "Stick it on the body, burn it, burn it and don’t drink it... You drink it, not Xiao Wang!... But are you sure even white paper drawings work?"

"Just give it a try—you never know." Chen Ji chuckled lightly. "I’m not *that* unhinged, am I?"

System Cat mumbled quietly, "Hard to say."

Chen Ji held the white paper talisman in one hand while using the other to touch Xiao Wang’s arm again. The black mist coiled sinuously outward, attempting to hook his fingers. Though Chen Ji felt no physical contact, the mist clung to his fingertips, writhing against them in a way that made his skin crawl.

System Cat was thoroughly creeped out. "Seriously—no sensation at all?"

"None," Chen Ji replied. "Just holding it doesn’t seem to do anything."

System Cat suggested, "Maybe try chanting an incantation?"

As it spoke, System Cat played an animation for Chen Ji: the protagonist held a yellow talisman, shouted *“Ji ji ru lü ling!”* (“Quickly, as by law commanded!”), and the talisman burst into flames, followed by dazzling special effects summoning a divine general.

Chen Ji: "..."

He fell silent. Ten years ago—at sixteen—he wouldn’t have needed prompting; he’d have bellowed it himself. But now, a decade later, he simply couldn’t bring himself to shout it aloud.

System Cat giggled softly before clearing its throat. "Hurry up and try! A life is on the line!"

With no choice, Chen Ji murmured *“Ji ji ru lü ling!”* in an almost inaudible whisper. Yet the talisman neither ignited nor produced any spectacular effect. When he reached out again, there was still no sensation upon contact with the black mist.

An awkward silence settled over the hospital room—emanating almost entirely from Chen Ji.

If he hadn’t been wearing shoes, his toes would surely have dug ten holes into the floor today.

"Ahem…" Seeing Chen Ji utterly deflated—and barely suppressing laughter—System Cat said, "Looks like cartoons are all lies. Maybe just light it on fire."

Chen Ji withdrew his hand expressionlessly and silently pulled out a lighter to ignite the talisman.

The moment the flame touched the white paper, it flared to life—bursting into a fireball. Chen Ji instantly let go; the talisman slipped from his fingers. Simultaneously, he felt a mysterious, indescribable sensation—subtle, elusive, yet unmistakably real: the talisman had taken effect.

He wiggled his fingers. The flame had licked at him; the fireball had nearly engulfed his entire hand. In that instant, he’d felt searing heat—but in reality, his hand remained completely unharmed, not even a trace of redness on his skin.

[Wow—!] System Cat exclaimed excitedly. [Quick—try it now!]

Chen Ji placed his fingertips on Xiao Wang’s arm once more. Suddenly, a sharp chill washed over him. The black mist—which moments earlier had seemed harmless—now radiated a heavy, oppressive force that instinctively urged him to recoil.

But having committed to trying, Chen Ji didn’t retreat. After all, the City God Temple wasn’t far. Worst case, System Cat could call the temple’s Taoist priest for emergency mystical intervention right here in the hospital.

A dry, soft, icy sensation suddenly transmitted from his fingertips straight into his mind. The black mist coiled around his fingers, rubbing against them. That friction made Chen Ji frown in disgust. He slightly closed his fingers—as if pinching the mist itself.

In that instant, he seized the black mist—and yanked it out!

A sound like tearing silk echoed as a strand of black mist was pulled from Xiao Wang’s body. The farther it extended, the thicker it grew. The portion Chen Ji held was only pencil-thin—but the section still anchored to Xiao Wang was as thick as an arm.

—No one could guess how much more remained inside.

The tip of the black mist writhed against Chen Ji’s palm, producing a faint, tongue-like sensation. Fighting nausea, Chen Ji tightened his grip. The dry, soft mist felt serpentine in his hand—the tip coiling up his arm while the other end stubbornly clung to Xiao Wang.

Even the tip began burrowing into Chen Ji’s sleeve.

Chen Ji jerked violently and shook the mist off with force. It flopped limply back onto Xiao Wang’s body. System Cat: [Yuck—! That’s disgusting—!]

[I thought that King Cobra was dead for good! Could it be *it* again?!]

Calmly, Chen Ji glanced at the black mist lying on Xiao Wang—then rolled up his sleeve. Where the mist had directly touched his skin, a faint blue mark had appeared. Slightly thinner than before, its shape was nearly identical to the inexplicable “Fire Dragon Coil” that had previously manifested on his body.

The young man looked down at the slender blue mark, his cold, pale skin breaking out in goosebumps. His lips pressed into a tight, grim line.

He knew—it was the same entity.

The one that had haunted him ever since he returned to Little Green Mountain—capable of ignoring Grandfather Mountain’s protection.

Why target Xiao Wang?

Could it be because Xiao Wang frequently climbed the mountain—drawing its attention?

Sharing his perception, System Cat easily guessed his thoughts. [If that’s the case, isn’t it actually good? If it attaches to Xiao Wang, maybe it’ll leave you alone.]

Chen Ji replied calmly, "But conventionally speaking—if it devours someone and grows stronger, the next victim might still be me."

[You could leave the mountain during its digestion period,] System Cat’s voice turned serious. [I just want you to help me complete the task—not get you killed… Chen Ji, you should understand—Little Green Mountain isn’t normal.]

[If all you need is relief from the nightmares, you’ve already found experts. You could leave with Second Master Huang, cooperate with Zhang Cheng—or even the Taoist priest at the City God Temple would do… I can assign you elsewhere. You don’t *have* to stay in Little Green Mountain.]

[Chen Ji—you’re an ordinary person. In my world, I’m just an ordinary tech product. Don’t burden yourself with some grandiose mission.]

Chen Ji’s expression remained unchanged. [Xiao Ba—you’ve misunderstood.]

[Earlier, I refused you because my sixth sense told me: if I left Little Green Mountain again, I’d die immediately.]

[At the time, I figured you wouldn’t believe me—so I said nothing.] Chen Ji’s gaze turned cold. [Before, the dreams could be dismissed as mere nightmares. But now—dare you still call them *just* nightmares?]

About three years ago, Chen Ji began having nightmares. At first, it was endless running through boundless fog—as if being chased. Then ghosts and monsters appeared. They hunted him, playing cat-and-mouse—locking his neck just as he thought he’d escaped, choking him until he woke gasping for air; stabbing his eyeballs with blood-red nails; binding him to a wooden frame to burn; tearing out his heart…

Occasionally, he managed to escape. In those dreams, he’d flee back to Little Green Mountain—and everything would vanish. He’d become a child again, with his grandfather waiting at the temple gate, leading him inside, patting his head and saying, “Don’t be afraid—the monsters are all driven away.” Then he’d take him to offer incense to Grandfather Mountain, bow, and cook him a delicious meal.

If it had happened only once or twice, Chen Ji might have blamed stress. But nightly recurrence—how could he not suspect he was haunted by something unclean?

Later, System Cat appeared. Chen Ji thought he was developing schizophrenia. He sought medical help everywhere, bowed at Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, begged various experts to save him… Nothing worked. So eventually, he accepted it all as real—System Cat, the ghosts… He brought System Cat back to Little Green Mountain.

Only—after returning, the nightmares stopped. And nightmares became reality.

System Cat fell silent for a moment. It watched as Chen Ji stepped forward again and seized the black mist. The mist twisted around his arm. This time, Chen Ji didn’t resist. The black mist seemed to grow more excited—attempting to climb entirely onto his arm.

System Cat muttered, [Alright, alright… As long as you’re not afraid.]

Suppressing its own goosebumps, System Cat asked, [So—what now?]

They couldn’t just let this black mist cling to him forever, could they?

Chen Ji smiled faintly. He pulled a yellow talisman from his pocket. Vivid cinnabar depicted intricate patterns across it—the characters for “Five Thunder” clearly visible. Holding it between his fingers, he said to System Cat, [Here—light it up.]

System Cat: [One point! No cheating the system!]

[Deduct it.]

In the next instant, the Five Thunder Talisman ignited without wind. Flames curled around it, unfurling in midair. Chen Ji felt enveloped by countless static charges. Suddenly, five differently colored electric arcs flashed before his eyes. Roars and screams flooded his mind. He didn’t close his eyes—he wanted to see it all with his own eyes.

The five-colored arcs converged on Chen Ji’s right arm. A sharp, burning sting erupted instantly. The black mist writhed and struggled on his arm. In the blink of an eye, several blue marks appeared on his cold, pale skin. Chen Ji stood firm. An explosive sound echoed—and the black mist abruptly dispersed, vanishing completely.

Chen Ji closed his eyes for a moment, letting them rest.

When he opened them again, the pallor had vanished from Xiao Wang’s face. His youthful body quickly regained color—finally showing signs of life.

System Cat: [Incredible—! Chen Ji! Learn this—!]

"Alright." Chen Ji lifted the curtain and said to Uncle Liu and Auntie Wang, who were staring anxiously, "It's fine now. Buy him some nutritious food—make sure he eats and drinks well."

Uncle Liu and Auntie Wang still wanted to ask more, but Chen Ji simply waved them off and left.

...

He didn't go far.

He went downstairs and got another appointment.

Not long after, the senior doctor arrived, out of breath. Seeing the bruises on Chen Ji's arm, he pushed up his reading glasses and said with a complicated expression, "...Maybe you should go get a bone marrow puncture done?"