Tian Guoqiang was curled up softly in his bedding, a shrimp-like ball, shivering uncontrollably despite being wrapped in three thick layers of blankets. Yet, looking at his usually firm face, the pores were beaded with dense droplets of sweat, the size of soybeans, already tinged with black. Though his body was perspiring, he unconsciously mumbled, "Cold, cold, I'm so cold..."

Village Chief Tian followed closely behind, glancing at Young Master Liu with an expression that clearly said, See? Didn't I tell you?

"Uncle Tian, what exactly is wrong with Guoqiang?" Young Master Liu crouched down, finally managing to pull out Tian Guoqiang's arm, placing two fingers on his pulse as he asked.

Tian Guoqiang knew that while Young Master Liu was a bit of a slacker, he seemed to understand a bit of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Seeing his movements, he didn't stop him, only saying grimly, "I don't know either. He was fine when he came back yesterday. Then, in the dead of night, he suddenly shouted, scaring his mother and me awake. When we checked, he was like this."

"Damn, why is this pulse so weak? I can barely feel it on the surface, just a faint throb deep inside. And... and why is it so erratic!" Young Master Liu’s expression changed. He slapped his thigh. "Uncle Tian, you are truly muddled! Why didn't you call a doctor?"

"Who says I didn't!" Village Chief Tian felt more wronged than Dou E: "Last night, I dragged the village clinic doctor out of his wife's bed. But he just claimed Guoqiang caught a chill, nothing serious, prescribed a small packet of medicine, yawned a few times, and left. After giving him two pills, Guoqiang’s fever did subside for a while, but the relief didn't last even a few hours. Then it flared up again, even worse this time. Giving him more medicine did nothing. He just kept crying out that he was cold, and we didn't dare move him."

"It’s definitely not a chill," Young Master Liu shook his head decisively. "The Western doctor at the clinic is quite capable; their pills work fast. If it were just a chill, he’d have been better long ago."

"Then what sickness is afflicting him?"

"I don't know either. I haven't encountered this symptom in the medical texts left behind by my grandfather," said Young Master Liu.

"Here’s what we'll do. At least we can confirm he has interior heat and exterior cold right now. I’ll prescribe a formula to suppress it, and then we can figure out a better solution. Otherwise, if we just keep him hanging like this, the consequences could be dire." He pondered for a moment. "Uncle Tian, go find two liang of Chuanxiong, one qian of Honghua, and a few old ginger roots—the spicier the better. Stew them in a bowl of water and force Guoqiang to drink it down, pinching his nose if you have to."

"Done!" Village Chief Tian trusted Young Master Liu completely and agreed without a second thought, hurrying to the inner room to tell his wife to fetch the herbs.

"Little nephew, please wait a moment. Guoqiang's mother has gone to get the herbs and will be back soon. Neither of us knows this medicine well; we’ll need your help with Guoqiang later." Clutching onto a lifeline, Village Chief Tian immediately offered Young Master Liu the respectful demeanor usually reserved for superiors, even resorting to calling him "little nephew" through assumed kinship.

"Mhm, no rush. I’ll stay with Guoqiang today. If things don’t improve, we'll transfer him to a big hospital," Young Master Liu declared heartily, patting his chest.

"That would be greatly appreciated; I thank you on Guoqiang’s behalf," Village Chief Tian said with a smile.

"No need for thanks, Uncle. What kind of relationship do Guoqiang and I have, right? We’re sworn brothers—we’ve both sacrificed a chicken’s head and burned yellow paper in the City God Temple." Young Master Liu said, but as he trailed off, he suddenly connected something in his mind, his expression shifting between gloomy and bright.

Village Chief Tian was a cadre and naturally skilled at reading faces. Seeing the shift, he knew Young Master Liu had a thought. He quickly asked, "Little nephew, what is it? Did you think of something?"

"This..." Young Master Liu hesitated, then finally asked tentatively, "Uncle Tian, did you encounter anything strange at your house last night?"

"Strange things?" Village Chief Tian's smile froze. "What aspect are you referring to?"

"For example, did someone inexplicably shout and make a racket outside your door, burning inauspicious yellow paper?" Young Master Liu whispered, his voice as fine as a mosquito’s whine.

"What!" Village Chief Tian’s face drastically changed, his features filled with shock and inexplicable panic. He pointed a trembling finger at Young Master Liu’s nose and asked with a sharp tone, "How did you know?"

"Ah?!" Hearing the Village Chief's reaction, Young Master Liu’s face also underwent a dramatic change, like sudden rain under a clear sky. His astonishment was arguably even greater than the Chief's.

"You... you encountered it too." He ground out these words, letter by painful letter.

"Yes. Since you asked, I won't hide it. Near dawn last night, I heard someone calling outside, like a ghost. I opened the door and found a pile of yellow paper burning at the threshold. I was so angry I kicked it away, used a shovel to cover the fire with dirt, and buried the ashes along with the paper." Village Chief Tian recounted precisely. Then, sensing something was amiss, he couldn't help but ask, "Little nephew, could it be your family..."

Young Master Liu’s face looked uglier than if he were crying: "My family encountered it too."

"Who is playing such a malicious prank? If I catch them, I’ll hand them over to the organization for severe punishment!" Village Chief Tian exclaimed righteously.

"No, Uncle Tian, I feel like things have escalated beyond a simple prank by now." Young Master Liu shook his head, having already formed a strong suspicion in his mind.

"What do you know? Tell me," said the Chief.

"No rush. I need to confirm a few things first." Young Master Liu said, taking off the jade pendant around his neck, which he had restrung with red cord. It was still rustic and yellow, but the Pixiu carved on it seemed fiercely alive, its fangs bared as if ready to leap out. Young Master Liu placed the jade pendant on Tian Guoqiang's chest, then stood guard beside him, seemingly anticipating something. Yes, if his dream was accurate, the jade pendant changing would certainly indicate Tian Guoqiang had been afflicted by an evil spirit. But unfortunately, after waiting several minutes, the pendant did not blaze with white light as Young Master Liu expected, nor did it manifest its power to repel ghosts. It simply lay there quietly.

Dejectedly putting away the jade pendant, Young Master Liu muttered to himself, "Could this just be a coincidence?"

Just then, Tian Guoqiang’s mother returned with the herbs. Young Master Liu put aside his thoughts, wrapped the herbs in white cloth, tossed them into the medicine pot, and simmered them over low heat for half an hour, then carefully fed the brew to Tian Guoqiang. Indeed, the medicine seemed to have some effect; after drinking the large bowl, Tian Guoqiang’s sweat immediately doubled. After all, these few herbs were known for promoting blood circulation. Because of this, the exterior cold qi lessened considerably, and the frequency with which he cried out "cold" dropped noticeably. The gratitude of Village Chief Tian and his wife was overwhelming.

"It's nothing, Uncle; it’s what I should do. I’m going to check on Goudan and Xiaomazi’s houses now," said Young Master Liu.

"Leaving already? Didn't you say you’d stay with Guoqiang all day?" Village Chief Tian was bewildered, thinking: Is this kid too restless?

"Uncle Tian, you misunderstood. There's something I need to verify, so I must visit their homes. Don't worry, I'll be right back after I check." Young Master Liu assured him.

"Then I'll have to trouble you!" Village Chief Tian was reasonable enough; after all, he had no right to force someone to stay and act as a servant for his child—that would make him a capitalist!

Along the way, Young Master Liu was practically running. He dearly hoped that this was all just a prank, or perhaps a joke played by the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother because they were bored with him. However, sometimes things turn out contrary to one's wishes. The more you dread something, the more likely events are to progress toward the worst possible outcome.

Without exception, Goudan and Xiaomazi were also confined to their beds, desperately ill. Under Young Master Liu's repeated questioning, the parents of both boys admitted that the previous night, there had indeed been a pile of mysterious yellow paper outside their doors. Their symptoms were almost identical to Tian Guoqiang’s, making Young Master Liu momentarily wonder if some sort of epidemic had broken out.

Compared to Village Chief Tian, the parents of Goudan and Xiaomazi were much more perceptive. After all, three out of the four children who always hung around together in the village were now half-dead from a strange illness—only Young Master Liu remained unaffected. Even a fool could see there must be something sinister behind this. And Young Master Liu’s occasional fleeting look of panic only deepened the suspicions held by the parents.

Thus, when the parents of the three households gathered together, their gazes toward Young Master Liu were filled with a faint, yet slightly hostile skepticism, as if an invisible membrane separated them.

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