The shape of that puddle was quite interesting, forming a circle but with the center empty. It looked as if a person was crouched at the doorway, with water dripping along the hem of their clothes in a circular pattern. The only thing was, there were no feet underneath those clothes...

Yin Wushu glanced at Xie Bai when he woke up, then withdrew his gaze, casting a casual glance towards the doorway. The circle of water was slowly spreading and dissolving, as if new water kept dripping down, indicating that whatever it was, it was still there, not leaving.

The wind from outside sneaked in through the temple door. Despite sitting in a relatively sheltered corner, Xie Bai still felt a chill. It wasn't the kind of chill from dampness or humidity, but mixed with a gloomy atmosphere, as if carrying a deathly aura from the underworld.

Xie Bai, already weakened and sensitive to the cold, felt even more drained by this chilly atmosphere. His fingers supporting his head turned pale and icy cold, with a thin layer of frost forming on the fingertips.

He straightened his posture, rubbed the back of the little black cat in his arms, and discreetly rubbed his fingertips a couple of times to shake off the thin layer of frost that had formed, coughing softly twice.

Yin Wushu heard it, turned his head to look at him again, and then moved his fingers twice. The flames that were originally floating in the four corners of the old temple shook the tips of their tongues and gathered around Xie Bai, forming a circle around him, leaving the rest of the temple dim.

Once the doorway darkened, the silhouette of the thing standing there gradually became visible. The rules in this area were that spirits come out in the early morning, leave in the daytime, and ghosts roam at night. Those appearing at this time outside the temple were naturally yin ghosts.

There were two of them, wild ghosts.

One was a man, standing at the doorway with his sleeves rolled up. He had a slightly curved back, but it wasn't the kind of hunchback that comes with old age. On the contrary, the man didn't look old, probably in his forties. His whole body looked swollen and unnatural, with disheveled hair sticking to his face, clothes torn in several places, making it hard to make out their original appearance, and soaked through, dripping with water.

The other was a woman, standing behind the man, leaning against his back. She wasn't wet, and her clothes were tattered but neat. However, she was so thin that her form was skeletal, almost stripped of flesh, causing her clothes to hang loosely on her body like an oversized sack.

They were called wild because they both had a straw ring tied around their left wrists and ankles. The rings were made of six layers of withered grass, about a finger wide, snugly encircling their wrists and ankles, each bearing a handprint.

This was a marker made when one's lifespan had ended, and the underworld emissary came to collect them. Normally, when the Yin Cha received the soul, they would immediately take them away for reincarnation or punishment. They wouldn't just let them wander around without reason.

(NT: Yin Cha:  official from the Underworld. They are responsible for tasks such as guiding souls to the afterlife, judging the deceased, and maintaining order in the Underworld)

But the woman's attire looked like it was from a hundred years ago, definitely not modern clothing.

The two of them looked around the darkened temple door, a little nervously, and after a while, cautiously crossed the threshold and tried to come in.

Xie Bai didn't know what their purpose was and furrowed his brows slightly, moving his fingers.

"It's okay, my lord." Li Dong, who was sitting beside him, noticed his movement and waved his hand, whispering softly, "They're just coming in to pay respects to the land god. I recognize them."

"You recognize them?" Xie Bai repeated.

"Yes," Li Dong nodded. He pinched an octagonal bronze bell, he had taken out more than once, and explained to Yin Wushu and Xie Bai as he pricked his fingertips and dotted blood on each corner, "About a hundred years ago, when I had a good relationship with this fat land god, I used to come to this temple occasionally."

"At that time, I hadn't entered the realm of Tai Xuan Dao yet, and didn't have many responsibilities. I had a lot of free time and often spent whole days chatting here. Once, I happened to see this man come to the temple to kowtow to the land god. I was quite surprised at the time because not far from here, there is actually a temple with a spacious courtyard. At that time, the people in the nearby villages preferred to go to that temple to burn incense and worship Buddha when they encountered trouble. This land temple only received offerings on specific days of the year. So when this man came in, both the fat land god and I were stunned for quite a while."

Li Dong gestured towards the woman behind the man and continued, "He said his wife was seriously ill, and even after seeing a doctor, there was no improvement. She lay at home barely clinging to life. He came to ask the land god to bless her, to let her live a little longer. He said she had suffered a lot since childhood and couldn't leave after just a few good days. He was willing to exchange his own lifespan for hers. If it worked, he would come to thank and worship every year, and would also instruct his descendants to continue offering incense for three hundred years without interruption."

"Did it work?" Xie Bai asked, whilst glancing indifferently at the two ghosts who had sneaked in.

Li Dong nodded, "Yes. At that time, the fat land god wasn't doing too well either. As you know, demons can rely on cultivation, but for us spiritual beings born and raised on earth, we rely on the offerings of incense from the human world. Essentially, we depend on the thoughts of the people in the human world. If people believe, we exist; if not, we dissipate. Rarely did someone come seeking refuge, so the fat land god was quite pleased. He bestowed all the accumulated blessings and life force in the temple upon this man, although it wasn't much, it still had some effect."

"Later, I heard that his wife's condition slowly improved, and she lived another year. They had a fairly good year, and he came to the temple to burn incense and kneel in prayer every time. After his wife was able to get out of bed, she also came with him." Li Dong patted the belly of the land god again and continued, "But later, there was a flood in the village, and the man accidentally fell into the river. The water was too swift, and he couldn't resurface. He was only pushed to the riverbank by the water the next day, already lifeless. His wife was too weak to lift him. She cried by the river all day, unable to catch her breath, and she also passed away."

Xie Bai almost guessed the follow-up, "Did they have any children?"

"No, but this couple were honest people. They said they would offer incense for three hundred years without interruption, and they really came every year. I've seen them around this area a couple of times since then, but only from a distance. They never came close. It has almost been three hundred years now."

"Three hundred years..." a slightly hoarse voice followed Li Dong's words, sounding somewhat cautious.

It was the man with the hunched back. He slowly moved his wife forward, inch by inch, towards the statue of the land god.

Perhaps because of Xie Bai and Yin Wushu's presence, the two of them shrank back a bit, trembling slightly as they knelt before the statue of the land god, their hands trembling slightly as they touched the ground.

Li Dong stepped aside from the foot of the statue, standing aside to let them kneel in peace.

The couple kowtowed heavily three times, but because they were insubstantial, their heartfelt gestures made no sound when they fell to the ground. It was as if their commitment to offer incense for three hundred years had still not kept the fat earth god from dissipating.

Because the offerings and incense of ghosts have no effect on the land god.

"How many years have you circled with the yin escort?" Yin Wushu leaned his elbows on the armrest of the wooden chair, his ten fingers loosely intertwined, and suddenly asked.

The couple turned their heads nervously to look at him, and replied, "Three hundred years, the day is about to dawn."

They glanced at the straw rings on their hands and feet and continued, "This is the last time my husband and I will come. Before dawn, if we don't leave, our souls will scatter."

"Yes, it's not easy to wander for three hundred years without rest. It's time to go." Li Dong patted the belly of the land god again and said, "People who keep their promises will be blessed, as the old fat man always says."

Upon hearing the words "blessing", the woman nodded repeatedly, softly agreeing, "Yes, blessed, blessed. Recently, the mountain has been in turmoil, but we two helpless ghosts always manage to avoid it, as if the land god has returned to protect us."

"The mountain? Turmoil?" Li Dong looked at Yin Wushu and then at Xie Bai, preemptively asking, "Are you talking about this mountain?"

The woman almost thought she had misspoken. She glanced at her husband, then hesitated before speaking, "Yes, it's in this mountain range. Ahead, there's a deep valley with a lake below, and by the lake, there's a cave. In recent days, there has been trouble there, with constant strange noises all night. My husband and I have passed by there several times, and twice almost lost our souls."

Xie Bai frowned upon hearing this and looked at Yin Wushu, who pondered for a moment, then tapped the table and said, "Let's go take a look."

Actually, if it were a demonic spirit causing trouble, it would be the responsibility of the Tai Xuan Dao, and Xie Bai didn't need to intervene. He could have simply parted ways with Yin Wushu at this point. But perhaps influenced by the emotions in his dream just now, he remained silent for a moment after hearing Yin Wushu's words. Then he stood up, raised his hand, and extinguished the four fireballs surrounding him in his palm.

He stood in the temple holding the cat, looking at Yin Wushu. Although he didn't say anything, it was obvious that he was waiting for them to set off.

Li Dong waved his hand to signal the couple, "Lead the way, please."

The couple said, "Let us take you there."

Before leaving, Li Dong took out his phone and checked the time. There was still more than half an hour until two in the morning.

At this time, it was the peak time for ghosts to roam on the Three-Third Road, and the heavy Yin aura brought up from the Yellow Springs was pervasive. Although the mountain they were in was not on the main road, it was very close. Influenced by the scattered Yin aura, the evergreen grass and trees in the mountains now looked somewhat withered, with branches and leaves drooping down.

Xie Bai clenched his fist, pressing it against his lips, coughing softly.

The little black cat in his arms was not affected by the Yin aura, still warm like a stove. However, it remained quiet and calm. Hearing Xie Bai coughing, it nudged him gently, rolled over in his arms, stretched out its claws, and hooked onto Xie Bai's coat, using its warm belly to protect Xie Bai's heart.

With the warmth from the cat's belly covering his heart, the chilling sensation that had been scratching at his chest and causing him to cough incessantly gradually dissipated. He felt much better.

Xie Bai patted the cat's buttocks casually.

Yin Wushu, who was walking in front of him, glanced back, then turned away. After a moment, he waved a mist towards him. Xie Bai paused his steps, subconsciously wanting to move aside, before realizing that it was Yin Wushu's gesture and it wouldn't harm him.

The mist completely merged into his body, and a warm airflow immediately flowed slowly along his blood vessels. After circulating once, every part of his body had some warmth, and it was no longer as frosty as before.

As soon as Li Dong stepped out of the temple gate, he flicked his fingers twice, shaking out the octagonal bronze bell around his finger. He looked up at the dark sky, murmuring a few words softly while shaking the bell under his palm twice, then pausing for a moment before shaking it six more times.

The sound of the bell was light and airy, barely audible from a few steps away, but it dispersed like water vapor, blending into the night.

As soon as the bell stopped ringing, the dark sky, which had been gloomy for a long time, suddenly began to sprinkle fine snowflakes, gently falling and melting upon contact with clothing, not even accumulating on the ground.

Everyone looked up, and Li Dong retrieved the bell into his arms, then solemnly said to everyone, "The time has come, and the solar term should change. From today, you are all welcome to call me 'Xiao Xue'." (NT: 小雪light snow, reference to the 20^th of the 24 solar terms, 22nd November-6th December)

Xie Bai: "..."

Yin Wushu: "..."

Unknown object: "Blargh—"

Li Dong angrily exclaimed, "Who vomited on me?"

The ghost couple hurriedly waved their hands, trembling as they distanced themselves, "It wasn't us, it wasn't us."

Xie Bai patted the little black cat's buttocks and said, "It's vomited by it."

Li Dong: "..."

The little black cat still hung onto Xie Bai with its four claws, burying its head in Xie Bai's chest, facing away from the others, pretending to be dead without making a sound.

Dealing with this little black cat, Li Dong really had no way to argue, so he could only complain, "What's wrong with Xiao Xue? Isn't it quite pleasant to hear?!"

Yin Wushu snorted and said, " You have been using this name Li Dong for over a hundred years. Why change it? Who has the time and elegance to play with you and change names every now and then?"

Li Dong naturally responded, "Feng Li, when he first came, he called me Frost Fall."

Yin Wushu: "Oh?"

Li Dong immediately sighed, "I had to beat him up before he changed it."

Xie Bai: "..."

The people in the Tai Xuan Dao were a bit influenced by Yin Wushu, all a little bit quirky.

Actually, at the very beginning, as far as Xie Bai knew, there were two people in charge of managing the solar terms, one responsible for spring and autumn, and the other for winter and summer. However, over time, some of the solar terms began to fade away, unable to support the existence of two people. So they gradually merged into one person, which was now Li Dong.

(NT: The 24 solar terms, based on the sun's position in the zodiac, were created by farmers in ancient China to guide the agricultural affairs and farming activities. The 24 solar terms reflect the changes in climate, natural phenomena, agricultural production, and other aspects of human life, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation. Source: China highlights)

Therefore, he felt particularly sorry for this disappeared land god, because he could relate to it.

The group climbed up the mountain along the winding path, feeling the snow like rubbing salt. When they reached the top of the mountain, the ghost couple pointed to a deep valley surrounded by the west side, "It's over there."

Looking at the valley from here, the route was clear, and they wouldn't go wrong. So Li Dong advised the ghost couple to descend the mountain and enter the Tongyin River (NT: River that spirits have to cross to reach the Underworld) along the main road as soon as possible.

The ghost couple bowed respectfully to each other, supporting each other as they floated down the mountain, soon disappearing from sight.

Xie Bai and the others hurriedly followed, arriving at the steep cliff surrounding the deep valley.

Looking down from above, the deep valley was extremely quiet, with no strange cries heard as mentioned by the ghost couple.

"I can't see any problem here." Li Dong peered into the deep valley, "I can't even sense any demonic aura."

Xie Bai's initial reaction near the deep valley was almost the same as Li Dong's, but he quickly felt something was wrong. He reached out and held his hand in the void in front of the cliff for a while, saying, "It's not that there's no demonic aura, it's that there's no airflow at all."

Normally, the wind in a valley at night would blow from top to bottom, following the mountain walls. But Xie Bai's hand, suspended in the air, didn't feel any wind in any direction, not even a trace.

This was not a normal situation.

Yin Wushu made a sound of agreement, apparently noticing the same situation as Xie Bai. However, instead of reaching out to explore the edge of the cliff, he lifted his foot over the edge of the cliff and stepped out directly. With his tall stature and long legs, each step covered a considerable distance. He stepped directly into the void with one foot, followed closely by the other.

Li Dong sucked in a breath beside him, turning his head to mutter, "Those afraid of heights really can't watch."

Xie Bai: "..."

He had never seen a demon afraid of heights, Li Dong was the first.

Perhaps it was because he grew up following Yin Wushu, their courage was inherited from each other, daring to step anywhere without knowing what "fear" meant.

Yin Wushu didn't use any wind manipulation, yet he stood steadily in the void above the deep valley. He lifted his left foot and tapped the ground beneath him, then turned to Xie Bai and said, "Oh, it seems that there has been some movement these days. They know they need to restrain themselves, so they've put up a barrier."

After speaking, he simply lifted his foot and walked towards the center.

With each step he took, the void beneath his feet rippled like waves, creating barely discernible patterns.

After reaching the center, Yin Wushu stopped. He raised his right hand and drew a symbol in the void, with a golden light flowing through the path traced by his fingertips, like flickering flames.

After finishing the drawing, he clapped his hands, and the talisman suddenly scattered into nearly a hundred pieces, flying towards the surroundings.

Identical talismans landed one by one on the edge of the barrier, forming a circle around the steep cliffs of the mountainside. Suddenly, flames a meter high surged up, resembling a coiled fire dragon.

At the moment when the heads and tails of the fire dragon intertwined, Yin Wushu, standing in the center of the void, casually lifted his right foot and tapped twice with his toe.

The previously quiet valley suddenly emitted countless brittle sounds like glass cracking. Countless lines tinged with golden light spread out like cracks from Yin Wushu's feet, swiftly extending like winding fissures. In the blink of an eye, the invisible barrier above the valley was covered with golden cracks.

With a heavy step from Yin Wushu, there was a deafening roar. The entire barrier instantly exploded, accompanied by countless sections of the fire dragon breaking apart, falling like rain into the deep valley.

Xie Bai tightened his grip on the little black cat in his arms and then jumped down from the cliff.

Li Dong: "...This is too evil...another jump."

 

Translator : DarNan