“How’s your leg injury?” Bai Lixin glanced at Small Braid’s leg injury and changed the subject.
“Oh, it’s fine. I was lucky, it didn’t reach the bone. Although the wound looks pretty gruesome, it’s just a flesh wound. I can’t leave the village, but luckily we have a barefoot doctor here. He applied some herbal medicine, and now I’m not in as much pain.”
“After getting used to using prop cards, I sometimes forget that I’m just an ordinary, fragile human.”
“Sister Song got me a crutch. This injury will probably take about ten days or two weeks to heal.”
Small Braid pointed to the corner of the room, and Bai Lixin saw a makeshift crutch leaning against the wall.
“You seem to really like this Sister Song. Is there anything between you two?” Bai Lixin couldn’t help but ask, remembering the ambiguous atmosphere between them during the feeding earlier.
Upon hearing this, Small Braid immediately widened his eyes. “What are you talking about? I have a clean relationship with Sister Song. I just sympathize with her situation. Besides, isn’t it obvious that the problem lies with the men in this village? Gentle Village, why did it become Gentle Village? Because the men in this village are too dominant so the women can only endure and act gentle. Don’t be fooled by Sister Song’s gentle and smiling appearance. I once saw her crying under a tree at night.”
“These men take women by force or deceive them. Maybe those children were sold because these men didn’t have money. They don’t respect women; they think since women give birth to children, they can exploit them and make money. Isn’t that a possible thought?”
While they were talking, they heard a loud push on the door from outside, followed by an impatient male voice that reached their ears. “Ah, this is so annoying. I didn’t get to play cards again today. You damn woman, is my bathwater ready?”
Bai Lixin’s heart skipped a beat. He walked to the window and looked outside through the gap in the curtains. He saw a fat man in a vest rubbing his belly as he walked in. From the sound and appearance, he bore a striking resemblance to the person who had come out of Pan Pan’s house earlier.
The woman quickly came out of the kitchen and spoke in a cautious tone, “I… I forgot. I’ll get it for you now.”
The fat man immediately became impatient and, before Bai Lixin could react, he slapped the woman in the face. “Damn woman, if I go three days without hitting you, you start acting up. You can’t even have a child, and now you’re neglecting household chores. What’s this? Have you set your sights on that newcomer, the pretty boy? You two haven’t been up to some shady business behind my back while I’m away, have you?”
The woman was slapped and instantly fell to the ground.
She covered her face and explained with a pale face, “I take him as my brother. There’s really nothing between us; please don’t misunderstand.”
Small Braids, who had been resting on the bed, heard the commotion. He quickly got out of bed, ignoring the injury on his leg and didn’t even pick up his crutch. He limped to the door and shouted, “Hey, what are you doing? You’re a grown man, how dare you hit a woman!”
The man sneered, “I handle my own wife, what’s it to you? Why? Feeling sorry for her? And you still saying there’s nothing? How can you react like this if there’s nothing”
“Anyone would stand up when they see a man hitting a woman, even if she’s a stranger!” Small Braid limped to the woman’s side angrily, shielding her as he confronted the man in front of him: “The thing I despise most in my life is men who hit women. Do you dare to fight me?”
The fat man sneered and looked Small Braid up and down. “With your crippled look, I could beat you until you call me grandpa. If it weren’t for you being from the city, I would have beaten you up long ago. You’re just full of hot air…”
As the man talked, Small Braid couldn’t take it anymore. He rushed forward and punched the man square in the nose.
Player skill cards were ineffective, but the enhancement was still there. Although Small Braid appeared much thinner than the fat-headed man, in a real fight, the man was not Small Braid’s opponent.
Small Braid threw a punch, and the man curled up on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose and howling.
Only then did Small Braid help the woman up, looking down at the man writhing in pain on the ground. “I warn you, don’t let me catch you hitting a woman again, or I’ll beat you every time I see you. I might have broken your nose, go find the village doctor to treat it!”
The man got up from the ground, looking fearful and resentful. He shot a glance at Small Braid and cursed as he rushed out.
After the man left, Small Braid turned to the woman with concern. “Sister Song, are you okay?”
Sister Song covered her face. She looked at Small Braid with eyes filled with complex emotions, and suddenly burst into tears. “Why did you hit him?”
Small Braid panicked, “Sister Song, I was wrong. I hit him because I couldn’t stand seeing him bully you. I was trying to stand up for you and let off some steam.”
“You’ve hit him and I was saved for now,” Sister Song said with teary eyes. “But have you ever thought that you’ll leave one day, and after you’re gone, he might beat me to death. What should I do? I’m so scared.”
Bai Lixin stood quietly in the corner, watching the two in the yard.
Small Braid looked at the tearful woman and wanted to do something, but when he thought of their respective identities, he felt at a bit of a loss. “Sister Song, I was wrong. It was my fault for not thinking it through. I’ll go after him and let him vent his anger, so he won’t seek revenge on you!”
“Ah, stop!” Seeing that Small Braid was about to run out, the woman hurriedly caught up with him and blocked his way. “Look at your feet, they’re bleeding. Go back and lie down!”
Small Braid seemed to have just remembered his own injury. He lowered his head to see that blood had seeped into the white bandage during the intense activity.
He hesitated, looking at Sister Song in confusion, “But, that man…”
Sister Song sighed, “Forget about that man; he’s my husband. You can’t blame him for this; it was my fault from the beginning. When he comes back, I’ll explain to him again. We are innocent and we haven’t done anything. Although he has a bit of a temper, he’s still reasonable. As for you, go back and rest. I’ll apply some more medicine. If you run around with that injured leg, you might lose it. Come on, let me help you back inside.”
After hearing the woman’s words, Small Braid lost his previous momentum. With the woman’s support, he limped back into the room.
Bai Lixin followed the two into the room and sat quietly in the corner, watching the two of them get along harmoniously.
The woman took gauze and medicinal powder from Small Braid’s room drawer and skillfully helped him remove the bandage, applying the medicine again. She was gentle throughout the process and occasionally said a few words to comfort him. Small Braid sometimes lowered his head to gaze at the woman’s graceful neck, and the atmosphere gradually became ambiguous.
Bai Lixin: “…”
When the woman finished applying the medicine, she left the room to go do her own business.
Small Braid’s face had turned slightly red by the time she left. When the woman was gone, Bai Lixin finally spoke. “You seem to… really like this sister?”
Small Braid was still staring in the direction the woman had left, and when he heard Bai Lixin’s voice, he suddenly trembled and looked at Bai Lixin with a shocked expression. “You’re still here?!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Do I have such little presence now?’
Small Braid,: “Ahem, I’m a mature player; of course, I know they’re just NPCs in the copy. How could I be attracted to her? Besides, she’s a married woman. It’s getting late, and you should go back.”
Are you starting to chase customers now?
Bai Lixin stood up and started walking outside. When he had walked halfway, Small Braid called after him, “Bai Lixin, my leg is injured now, so I might not be able to complete the task. Anyway, this is a welfare copy. Just surviving for ten days and nights is enough. I don’t plan to complete the following tasks. You guys go ahead without me.”
Bai Lixin took a deep look at Small Braid. “Alright, I understand. Get some rest.”
As he walked out of the room, he saw the woman was in the yard fetching water. Her silky hair hung slightly over her shoulders, and behind that hair, Bai Lixin caught a hint of a smile.
Seeing Bai Lixin about to leave, the woman greeted him with a smile and gracefully returned to her room.
Not staying here any longer, Bai Lixin turned and left the courtyard.
When he returned to his own residence, the lights in the courtyard were already extinguished. However, under the dimmed lights, a faint kerosene lamp was still lit in the main house.
The difference now was that there used to be only the mute woman waiting there, but now there was another person sitting beside her.
As soon as Bai Lixin entered the courtyard, the man’s originally lazy eyes lit up. He immediately rushed over and gave Bai Lixin a bear hug. “Xin Xin, you’re finally back!”
Bai Lixin looked over Beast Eared Dijia’s shoulder and glanced at the main house. He saw the mute woman standing at the door of the main house, giving him a faint smile as usual. She had a cloth covering her and had got up to close the door just like before, but today, her smile seemed a bit forced.
After a glance at the mute woman, Bai Lixin dragged Beast Eared Dijia back to the room.
“Xin Xin!” As soon as they entered the room and locked the door, Beast Eared Dijia pouted and pressed close to Bai Lixin, skillfully swaying his waist. “Why were you out for so long just now?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Please don’t look at me like that; my willpower is weak.
Finally, I understand why King Zhou liked Daji.
Isn’t this like a King Zhou experience card?!’
*King Zhou was the last king of the Shang Dynasty. Daji was King Zhou’s favorite consort. She was a beautiful but wicked consort who was said to have bewitched King Zhou, leading to the downfall of the Shang Dynasty. She is often portrayed as a symbol of cruelty and debauchery in Chinese folklore.
“Xin Xin?” Beast Eared Dijia’s humanized black-and-white eyes stared at Bai Lixin, his legs rubbing against Bai Lixin. He leaned close to Bai Lixin’s ear, his voice sounding seductive as he whispered, “Do you want to touch my ears? Or my tail? Actually, the best place to touch isn’t the ears or the tail; it’s my belly. Would you like to try?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Today, I am King Zhou!
Who can resist this?’
————————————-
In the lives broadcast room:
[Who wouldn’t say it’s amazing when they see it?]
[Ding, King Zhou Experience Card.]
[A macho man acting coquettish is the most lethal.]
[This is a level of play I’ve never seen before.]
[Well, when it comes to playing, these two are masters. I never dreamed one could play like this. Thank you big bosses for introducing me to “Man and Nature.”]
[…I can’t look at the words “Man and Nature” the same way anymore.]
[God Xin! If you can endure this, are you even a man?! Go for it!]
[God Xin shouts, “I can’t handle this.”]
———————–
That night, Bai Lixin almost succumbed to Beast Eared Dijia’s entanglement.
But because he was worried that Beast Eared Dijia might go berserk, he suppressed his desire to touch and coaxed him to sleep.
When Beast Eared Dijia was sleeping, his ears and tail involuntarily revealed themselves, continuously rubbing against Bai Lixin’s body.
After enduring this for quite some time, Bai Lixin fell asleep in a daze.
In the latter half of the night, Bai Lixin was awakened by a commotion.
The sound was faint, but for those as cautious and sensitive as Bai Lixin and Beast Eared Dijia, it was enough to wake them.
The ‘tap tap tap’ sound came from the room next door. It sounded like footsteps, as if someone was searching for something.
The source of the sound was from the direction of the main house.
The two looked at each other, and after Bai Lixin signaled to Beast Eared Dijia, they stealthily left the room.
The main house had no lights on. Just as Bai Lixin was about to peek inside to see what was happening, a voice came from behind them. “Hey, you two, it’s late at night, what are you doing hiding in the corner of our room?”
Bai Lixin turned around and saw the old woman of this household standing behind him.
She was wearing shorts on her lower body and a simple shirt on the upper body, standing in the shadow not far from the room’s entrance.
Her pair of pitch-black eyes stared straight at the two. Her facial features were concealed in the darkness, and if you didn’t look closely, you could only see those striking eyes.
Bai Lixin: “I heard some movement just now.”
Old woman: “I got up to use the restroom, of course, there was movement. Your ears are quite sharp; you can even hear that.”
Bai Lixin: “I got used to being cautious in the city, practicing to guard against thieves.”
Odl woman: “We don’t need that here in our village. Thieves can’t get into our village.” The old woman hobbled with a cane and emerged from the shadows. A slight smile appeared on her lips, revealing her sharp white teeth. “You two should go back to your room and sleep.”
Bai Lixin: “Thieves can’t get in… Then why have children been disappearing here?”
The old woman’s smile froze instantly. Her face was already wrinkled, and the moonlight illuminated half of her face while the other half remained concealed in shadows. The alternating light and darkness made her face look strangely eerie in the night.
“Because the child abductor is not a human; it’s a mountain ghost from the mountains. It comes and goes without a trace. Even if the whole village mobilizes, we can’t stop it.”
Bai Lixin: “Why would the mountain ghost specifically target children from the village?” The stories of the mountain ghost abducting children had been circulating for a long time. If anyone knew about this, it was probably the village’s elderly residents.
As expected, the old woman immediately provided Bai Lixin with an answer he had never heard before.
“The mountain ghost was once a person. When she lost her child, she went insane and turned into a mountain ghost, specifically abducting other people’s children to make them her own. She’s a lunatic. Sje lost her own child, yet she wants to take others’. But there’s a saying, never argue with a lunatic, or when they go crazy, it might cost us our lives.”
Bai Lixin: “The mountain ghost used to be a woman?”
The old woman frowned, apparently not keen on discussing the topic of the mountain ghost. Nevertheless, she finally spoke, “Yes, she used to be a woman, and she used to live in this village.”
“When did that happen…”
“Who’s talking outside?” A impatient male voice suddenly interrupted Bai Lixin’s next question. “You keep chattering away, won’t you let people sleep?”
The old woman squinted her eyes and shouted towards that side, “I’m talking to the two comrades from the city. Did we disturb your sleep?”
The man’s voice, laced with drowsiness, responded, “Oh, dear mother, what are you chatting about in the middle of the night? Can’t we talk about it tomorrow? I’m begging you; I need to work tomorrow. Can you please go to sleep? Let me have some peace and quiet.”
Old woman: “Alright, alright, we won’t chat anymore. Go to sleep quickly.”
With that, the old woman glanced at Bai Lixin and then silently turned around, hobbling with her cane back to her own room.
Bai Lixin stood in the courtyard, faintly hearing the continuous chirping of cicadas.
The moon shone brightly and clearly in the sky, surrounded by a vast expanse of sparkling stars.
In this rural area far from the city, even the air felt refreshingly clean.
Just by the environment here, it could truly be considered a great place for a summer retreat.
When Bai Lixin returned to his room, he glanced at the main house once more.
He couldn’t help but feel that the sounds earlier didn’t come from the old woman’s footsteps.
The old woman had difficulty walking, and her footsteps would alternate in volume, but the footsteps he heard just now were heavy and clear, more like those of a younger person.
…
The next day, Bai Lixin was awakened by something furry and ticklish.
He opened his eyes, and what he saw were a pair of furry ears.
A sturdy head was nestled in his armpit, and those ears twitched from time to time, as if beckoning Bai Lixin.
—Come on, touch me.
—Quick, touch me.
He had just woken up and his head was a little unclear, so he reached out with both hands.
The next second, the wolf demon’s golden eyes snapped open.
Ten minutes later, after the mute woman had knocked on their door several times, Bai Lixin finally emerged from the room with his “younger brother”.
Beast Eared Dijia was in a great mood, and his invisible tail wagged behind him vigorously.
In contrast, Bai Lixin, who walked ahead, had red cheeks and looked like he had drank fake wine.
“How’s your leg injury?” Bai Lixin glanced at Small Braid’s leg injury and changed the subject.
“Oh, it’s fine. I was lucky, it didn’t reach the bone. Although the wound looks pretty gruesome, it’s just a flesh wound. I can’t leave the village, but luckily we have a barefoot doctor here. He applied some herbal medicine, and now I’m not in as much pain.”
“After getting used to using prop cards, I sometimes forget that I’m just an ordinary, fragile human.”
“Sister Song got me a crutch. This injury will probably take about ten days or two weeks to heal.”
Small Braid pointed to the corner of the room, and Bai Lixin saw a makeshift crutch leaning against the wall.
“You seem to really like this Sister Song. Is there anything between you two?” Bai Lixin couldn’t help but ask, remembering the ambiguous atmosphere between them during the feeding earlier.
Upon hearing this, Small Braid immediately widened his eyes. “What are you talking about? I have a clean relationship with Sister Song. I just sympathize with her situation. Besides, isn’t it obvious that the problem lies with the men in this village? Gentle Village, why did it become Gentle Village? Because the men in this village are too dominant so the women can only endure and act gentle. Don’t be fooled by Sister Song’s gentle and smiling appearance. I once saw her crying under a tree at night.”
“These men take women by force or deceive them. Maybe those children were sold because these men didn’t have money. They don’t respect women; they think since women give birth to children, they can exploit them and make money. Isn’t that a possible thought?”
While they were talking, they heard a loud push on the door from outside, followed by an impatient male voice that reached their ears. “Ah, this is so annoying. I didn’t get to play cards again today. You damn woman, is my bathwater ready?”
Bai Lixin’s heart skipped a beat. He walked to the window and looked outside through the gap in the curtains. He saw a fat man in a vest rubbing his belly as he walked in. From the sound and appearance, he bore a striking resemblance to the person who had come out of Pan Pan’s house earlier.
The woman quickly came out of the kitchen and spoke in a cautious tone, “I… I forgot. I’ll get it for you now.”
The fat man immediately became impatient and, before Bai Lixin could react, he slapped the woman in the face. “Damn woman, if I go three days without hitting you, you start acting up. You can’t even have a child, and now you’re neglecting household chores. What’s this? Have you set your sights on that newcomer, the pretty boy? You two haven’t been up to some shady business behind my back while I’m away, have you?”
The woman was slapped and instantly fell to the ground.
She covered her face and explained with a pale face, “I take him as my brother. There’s really nothing between us; please don’t misunderstand.”
Small Braids, who had been resting on the bed, heard the commotion. He quickly got out of bed, ignoring the injury on his leg and didn’t even pick up his crutch. He limped to the door and shouted, “Hey, what are you doing? You’re a grown man, how dare you hit a woman!”
The man sneered, “I handle my own wife, what’s it to you? Why? Feeling sorry for her? And you still saying there’s nothing? How can you react like this if there’s nothing”
“Anyone would stand up when they see a man hitting a woman, even if she’s a stranger!” Small Braid limped to the woman’s side angrily, shielding her as he confronted the man in front of him: “The thing I despise most in my life is men who hit women. Do you dare to fight me?”
The fat man sneered and looked Small Braid up and down. “With your crippled look, I could beat you until you call me grandpa. If it weren’t for you being from the city, I would have beaten you up long ago. You’re just full of hot air…”
As the man talked, Small Braid couldn’t take it anymore. He rushed forward and punched the man square in the nose.
Player skill cards were ineffective, but the enhancement was still there. Although Small Braid appeared much thinner than the fat-headed man, in a real fight, the man was not Small Braid’s opponent.
Small Braid threw a punch, and the man curled up on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose and howling.
Only then did Small Braid help the woman up, looking down at the man writhing in pain on the ground. “I warn you, don’t let me catch you hitting a woman again, or I’ll beat you every time I see you. I might have broken your nose, go find the village doctor to treat it!”
The man got up from the ground, looking fearful and resentful. He shot a glance at Small Braid and cursed as he rushed out.
After the man left, Small Braid turned to the woman with concern. “Sister Song, are you okay?”
Sister Song covered her face. She looked at Small Braid with eyes filled with complex emotions, and suddenly burst into tears. “Why did you hit him?”
Small Braid panicked, “Sister Song, I was wrong. I hit him because I couldn’t stand seeing him bully you. I was trying to stand up for you and let off some steam.”
“You’ve hit him and I was saved for now,” Sister Song said with teary eyes. “But have you ever thought that you’ll leave one day, and after you’re gone, he might beat me to death. What should I do? I’m so scared.”
Bai Lixin stood quietly in the corner, watching the two in the yard.
Small Braid looked at the tearful woman and wanted to do something, but when he thought of their respective identities, he felt at a bit of a loss. “Sister Song, I was wrong. It was my fault for not thinking it through. I’ll go after him and let him vent his anger, so he won’t seek revenge on you!”
“Ah, stop!” Seeing that Small Braid was about to run out, the woman hurriedly caught up with him and blocked his way. “Look at your feet, they’re bleeding. Go back and lie down!”
Small Braid seemed to have just remembered his own injury. He lowered his head to see that blood had seeped into the white bandage during the intense activity.
He hesitated, looking at Sister Song in confusion, “But, that man…”
Sister Song sighed, “Forget about that man; he’s my husband. You can’t blame him for this; it was my fault from the beginning. When he comes back, I’ll explain to him again. We are innocent and we haven’t done anything. Although he has a bit of a temper, he’s still reasonable. As for you, go back and rest. I’ll apply some more medicine. If you run around with that injured leg, you might lose it. Come on, let me help you back inside.”
After hearing the woman’s words, Small Braid lost his previous momentum. With the woman’s support, he limped back into the room.
Bai Lixin followed the two into the room and sat quietly in the corner, watching the two of them get along harmoniously.
The woman took gauze and medicinal powder from Small Braid’s room drawer and skillfully helped him remove the bandage, applying the medicine again. She was gentle throughout the process and occasionally said a few words to comfort him. Small Braid sometimes lowered his head to gaze at the woman’s graceful neck, and the atmosphere gradually became ambiguous.
Bai Lixin: “…”
When the woman finished applying the medicine, she left the room to go do her own business.
Small Braid’s face had turned slightly red by the time she left. When the woman was gone, Bai Lixin finally spoke. “You seem to… really like this sister?”
Small Braid was still staring in the direction the woman had left, and when he heard Bai Lixin’s voice, he suddenly trembled and looked at Bai Lixin with a shocked expression. “You’re still here?!”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Do I have such little presence now?’
Small Braid,: “Ahem, I’m a mature player; of course, I know they’re just NPCs in the copy. How could I be attracted to her? Besides, she’s a married woman. It’s getting late, and you should go back.”
Are you starting to chase customers now?
Bai Lixin stood up and started walking outside. When he had walked halfway, Small Braid called after him, “Bai Lixin, my leg is injured now, so I might not be able to complete the task. Anyway, this is a welfare copy. Just surviving for ten days and nights is enough. I don’t plan to complete the following tasks. You guys go ahead without me.”
Bai Lixin took a deep look at Small Braid. “Alright, I understand. Get some rest.”
As he walked out of the room, he saw the woman was in the yard fetching water. Her silky hair hung slightly over her shoulders, and behind that hair, Bai Lixin caught a hint of a smile.
Seeing Bai Lixin about to leave, the woman greeted him with a smile and gracefully returned to her room.
Not staying here any longer, Bai Lixin turned and left the courtyard.
When he returned to his own residence, the lights in the courtyard were already extinguished. However, under the dimmed lights, a faint kerosene lamp was still lit in the main house.
The difference now was that there used to be only the mute woman waiting there, but now there was another person sitting beside her.
As soon as Bai Lixin entered the courtyard, the man’s originally lazy eyes lit up. He immediately rushed over and gave Bai Lixin a bear hug. “Xin Xin, you’re finally back!”
Bai Lixin looked over Beast Eared Dijia’s shoulder and glanced at the main house. He saw the mute woman standing at the door of the main house, giving him a faint smile as usual. She had a cloth covering her and had got up to close the door just like before, but today, her smile seemed a bit forced.
After a glance at the mute woman, Bai Lixin dragged Beast Eared Dijia back to the room.
“Xin Xin!” As soon as they entered the room and locked the door, Beast Eared Dijia pouted and pressed close to Bai Lixin, skillfully swaying his waist. “Why were you out for so long just now?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Please don’t look at me like that; my willpower is weak.
Finally, I understand why King Zhou liked Daji.
Isn’t this like a King Zhou experience card?!’
*King Zhou was the last king of the Shang Dynasty. Daji was King Zhou’s favorite consort. She was a beautiful but wicked consort who was said to have bewitched King Zhou, leading to the downfall of the Shang Dynasty. She is often portrayed as a symbol of cruelty and debauchery in Chinese folklore.
“Xin Xin?” Beast Eared Dijia’s humanized black-and-white eyes stared at Bai Lixin, his legs rubbing against Bai Lixin. He leaned close to Bai Lixin’s ear, his voice sounding seductive as he whispered, “Do you want to touch my ears? Or my tail? Actually, the best place to touch isn’t the ears or the tail; it’s my belly. Would you like to try?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Today, I am King Zhou!
Who can resist this?’
————————————-
In the lives broadcast room:
[Who wouldn’t say it’s amazing when they see it?]
[Ding, King Zhou Experience Card.]
[A macho man acting coquettish is the most lethal.]
[This is a level of play I’ve never seen before.]
[Well, when it comes to playing, these two are masters. I never dreamed one could play like this. Thank you big bosses for introducing me to “Man and Nature.”]
[…I can’t look at the words “Man and Nature” the same way anymore.]
[God Xin! If you can endure this, are you even a man?! Go for it!]
[God Xin shouts, “I can’t handle this.”]
———————–
That night, Bai Lixin almost succumbed to Beast Eared Dijia’s entanglement.
But because he was worried that Beast Eared Dijia might go berserk, he suppressed his desire to touch and coaxed him to sleep.
When Beast Eared Dijia was sleeping, his ears and tail involuntarily revealed themselves, continuously rubbing against Bai Lixin’s body.
After enduring this for quite some time, Bai Lixin fell asleep in a daze.
In the latter half of the night, Bai Lixin was awakened by a commotion.
The sound was faint, but for those as cautious and sensitive as Bai Lixin and Beast Eared Dijia, it was enough to wake them.
The ‘tap tap tap’ sound came from the room next door. It sounded like footsteps, as if someone was searching for something.
The source of the sound was from the direction of the main house.
The two looked at each other, and after Bai Lixin signaled to Beast Eared Dijia, they stealthily left the room.
The main house had no lights on. Just as Bai Lixin was about to peek inside to see what was happening, a voice came from behind them. “Hey, you two, it’s late at night, what are you doing hiding in the corner of our room?”
Bai Lixin turned around and saw the old woman of this household standing behind him.
She was wearing shorts on her lower body and a simple shirt on the upper body, standing in the shadow not far from the room’s entrance.
Her pair of pitch-black eyes stared straight at the two. Her facial features were concealed in the darkness, and if you didn’t look closely, you could only see those striking eyes.
Bai Lixin: “I heard some movement just now.”
Old woman: “I got up to use the restroom, of course, there was movement. Your ears are quite sharp; you can even hear that.”
Bai Lixin: “I got used to being cautious in the city, practicing to guard against thieves.”
Odl woman: “We don’t need that here in our village. Thieves can’t get into our village.” The old woman hobbled with a cane and emerged from the shadows. A slight smile appeared on her lips, revealing her sharp white teeth. “You two should go back to your room and sleep.”
Bai Lixin: “Thieves can’t get in… Then why have children been disappearing here?”
The old woman’s smile froze instantly. Her face was already wrinkled, and the moonlight illuminated half of her face while the other half remained concealed in shadows. The alternating light and darkness made her face look strangely eerie in the night.
“Because the child abductor is not a human; it’s a mountain ghost from the mountains. It comes and goes without a trace. Even if the whole village mobilizes, we can’t stop it.”
Bai Lixin: “Why would the mountain ghost specifically target children from the village?” The stories of the mountain ghost abducting children had been circulating for a long time. If anyone knew about this, it was probably the village’s elderly residents.
As expected, the old woman immediately provided Bai Lixin with an answer he had never heard before.
“The mountain ghost was once a person. When she lost her child, she went insane and turned into a mountain ghost, specifically abducting other people’s children to make them her own. She’s a lunatic. Sje lost her own child, yet she wants to take others’. But there’s a saying, never argue with a lunatic, or when they go crazy, it might cost us our lives.”
Bai Lixin: “The mountain ghost used to be a woman?”
The old woman frowned, apparently not keen on discussing the topic of the mountain ghost. Nevertheless, she finally spoke, “Yes, she used to be a woman, and she used to live in this village.”
“When did that happen…”
“Who’s talking outside?” A impatient male voice suddenly interrupted Bai Lixin’s next question. “You keep chattering away, won’t you let people sleep?”
The old woman squinted her eyes and shouted towards that side, “I’m talking to the two comrades from the city. Did we disturb your sleep?”
The man’s voice, laced with drowsiness, responded, “Oh, dear mother, what are you chatting about in the middle of the night? Can’t we talk about it tomorrow? I’m begging you; I need to work tomorrow. Can you please go to sleep? Let me have some peace and quiet.”
Old woman: “Alright, alright, we won’t chat anymore. Go to sleep quickly.”
With that, the old woman glanced at Bai Lixin and then silently turned around, hobbling with her cane back to her own room.
Bai Lixin stood in the courtyard, faintly hearing the continuous chirping of cicadas.
The moon shone brightly and clearly in the sky, surrounded by a vast expanse of sparkling stars.
In this rural area far from the city, even the air felt refreshingly clean.
Just by the environment here, it could truly be considered a great place for a summer retreat.
When Bai Lixin returned to his room, he glanced at the main house once more.
He couldn’t help but feel that the sounds earlier didn’t come from the old woman’s footsteps.
The old woman had difficulty walking, and her footsteps would alternate in volume, but the footsteps he heard just now were heavy and clear, more like those of a younger person.
…
The next day, Bai Lixin was awakened by something furry and ticklish.
He opened his eyes, and what he saw were a pair of furry ears.
A sturdy head was nestled in his armpit, and those ears twitched from time to time, as if beckoning Bai Lixin.
—Come on, touch me.
—Quick, touch me.
He had just woken up and his head was a little unclear, so he reached out with both hands.
The next second, the wolf demon’s golden eyes snapped open.
Ten minutes later, after the mute woman had knocked on their door several times, Bai Lixin finally emerged from the room with his “younger brother”.
Beast Eared Dijia was in a great mood, and his invisible tail wagged behind him vigorously.
In contrast, Bai Lixin, who walked ahead, had red cheeks and looked like he had drank fake wine.
