Old Man Yang said, "To be frank, we see you carry two baskets of apricots and you really seem to want to eat them. I suspect, however, that you might have another use for them. How about this, brother, you use the apricots as currency, and we’ll count them as one copper coin each. You won't lose out, right?" Ma Sandao was overjoyed; he truly couldn't believe such good fortune existed in the world. Without another word, he performed a somersault and sat up from the ground, settling himself at the table.

The moment the dominoes were in his hands, tears welled up in Ma Sandao's eyes from emotion. These hands, for the past few months, had either been busy toiling in the fields or intimately engaged with his wife. Now, gripping these Pai Gow tiles, the smooth, rounded sensation felt no less exquisite than his wife’s flesh.

The five men played for a while. Initially, Ma Sandao won quite a bit, but soon his luck took a sharp turn, and he was left holding nothing but mismatched tiles. The apricots quickly vanished as he lost them all. Once greed took hold and his gambling fervor flared, he completely forgot that his wife back home was looking forward to eating those apricots. Seeing how the apricots held no value as money, losing them brought him no heartache whatsoever.

After losing several hands consecutively, Ma Sandao became utterly lost in the game. The white light from the lamp overhead seemed to spin before his eyes, making him dizzy. Old Man Yang laid down his tiles, covered them with his hand, and blew a puff of air before secretly flipping one over. He saw only red and white—a six of reds and a six of whites—the Heavenly Hand! Only then did he settle down, but he carefully kept his expression completely devoid of joy. The stakes for this round were high for everyone. When it came to Ma Sandao’s wager, he realized his baskets of apricots were nearly empty. Panic seized him, breaking out in a cold sweat: "I... can I bet the cloth instead?" Old Man Yang gave him a cold look. "What use would the rest of us fellows have for a woman’s decorative cloth?" This threw Ma Sandao into a frenzy. He finally held a winning hand, but now he was without anything to bet!

Then, Zhang Bao spoke up: "Hold on, brother. If you agree to do one thing for me, we’ll count your wager as paid, and we can even return those apricots to you!"

Ma Sandao quickly urged, "What is it? Tell me quickly."

Zhang Bao said, "If you win, all the money and apricots on this table are yours. But if you lose, you must agree to one thing for me: that I can be your son." Ma Sandao let out a laugh. "Are you joking with me?" But Zhang Bao’s face held no trace of a smile. "It is exactly as I said, not a joke in the slightest." Old Man Yang interjected, "Isn't this an enormous advantage for Brother Ma!"

It is true what they say: once a person sits at the gambling table, he ceases to be an individual; he becomes a dedicated gambler. Ma Sandao could think of nothing else; his vision contained only the word 'win.' He declared, "Fine, fine! To become someone’s father by losing—how could I possibly refuse?" Delight shone in his eyes. The four men offered a few forced chuckles, but their faces remained completely humorless. Ma Sandao was supremely confident. He glanced around at the four men, then suddenly flipped his tiles: "Heavenly Hand! Heavenly Hand! Hahahaha!" His face was already twisted in triumphant laughter.

The four stared at him coldly, not saying a word. A chill ran through Ma Sandao, and he suddenly sensed something was wrong. The lamp was so glaring; after playing for so long, Ma Sandao had felt in his gut that something was amiss, yet he couldn't recall what it was. Seeing the four staring at him coldly now, he suddenly remembered: the lamp had hurt his eyes, yet these four people hadn't seemed to blink once. He looked again at their eyes—more white than black, the irises a dull, hazy gray. These were not the eyes of living people!

Ma Sandao looked closely under the light. On the necks of the four men was a thin black line, like congealed blood. Old Man Yang had two such lines on his wrists! A chilling miasma filled the room, thick with the stench of decay. Ma De broke out in goosebumps. "Damn it, haven't I run into those things again?" Zhang Bao stared fixedly at Ma De and pronounced, "You lost!"

Flipping over the tiles revealed a mess of mixed small tiles—it was a Supreme Treasure hand. A cold dread filled Ma De’s heart. He watched as the heads of the four men simultaneously snapped backward, rolling off their necks. Zhang Bao’s head tumbled right to Ma Sandao’s feet, his eyes fixed on him with mocking contempt, and black blood suddenly bubbled from his mouth. The light in the room instantly extinguished.

This was the third time Ma Sandao had wet himself that night. A cold wind brushed his body, instantly sobering him. He found himself standing in a small hollow in the area known as Black Stone Slope. His carrying poles were still beside him. A faint line of light was visible on the horizon; dawn was surely approaching. Recalling the events of the previous night, a nameless fear gripped Ma Sandao. He snatched up his burdens and hurried home.

He couldn't quite articulate what he feared, only that he needed to see his wife quickly, yet he was also terrified of seeing her. He inwardly cursed himself for being unable to control his urges once gambling was involved.

Around midnight, seeing that his father, Li Sandao, had still not returned, Ma Xiaoyan grew restless, repeatedly opening the door to peer outside. Her mother was even more frantic, constantly urging Ma Xiaoyan, "Yanzi, why don't you walk along the road to look for him? Perhaps in the dark he became disoriented."

Ma Xiaoyan told her mother, "Mother, it’s so late. If Father isn't back, I think he might just be staying the night in town. With so many relatives in town, surely they have a bed for him to sleep in?"

Xiaoyan's mother considered her daughter’s words and agreed. "Then you go to sleep. No need to wait for your father."

Ma Xiaoyan returned to her room to sleep, preparing to blow out the lamp and rest. Just as Old Mother Zhang puffed out her cheeks to extinguish the light, a knocking sounded outside the door, and the big dog, Wangcai, in the yard began to bark fiercely.

Mother Zhang called out to Ma Xiaoyan in the adjacent room, "Yanzi! Who could be calling at this hour? Hurry and see if your father is back."

Ma Xiaoyan replied from her room a few times before getting out of bed to open the door.

As Ma Xiaoyan unlocked the door, she spoke crossly to the person outside: "So you finally remembered to come back? What, did the relatives in town refuse to let you stay at their place?"

There was no movement outside the door.

Ma Xiaoyan didn't pay it much mind, thinking perhaps her father was stung by her words, and she opened the door.

But the doorway revealed only vast, impenetrable darkness—nothing at all. The big dog, Wangcai, in the yard suddenly stood up, barking incessantly into the blackness, continuously backing away.

Ma Xiaoyan, hearing Wangcai's incessant barking, snapped at the dog, "Wangcai, stop barking!"

Wangcai didn't cease its cries; instead, it rushed to the threshold, baring its teeth with fierce light in its eyes.

Wangcai's action thoroughly irritated Ma Xiaoyan, who was about to close the door. Ma Xiaoyan raised her foot and kicked at Wangcai, cursing, "Are you blind? There’s nothing out there, so why are you barking your head off? Scram!"

Wangcai was kicked several meters back, whimpering and looking at its owner with an expression of pure grievance, as if asking Ma Xiaoyan: What did I do wrong?

As the saying goes, a good dog doesn't bite its own family. Ma Xiaoyan cursed the dog again as it got up from the ground, "Bark again, and I’ll break your legs!"

The big dog stopped barking but remained wary of the doorway.

Mother Zhang, hearing the commotion outside, called out from inside, "Yanzi! Who is at the door?"

Ma Xiaoyan smiled and replied to her mother inside, "Nothing, Mother. Perhaps I misheard."

"Oh," Mother Zhang responded, then asked, "Then why is Wangcai still barking so much?"

Ma Xiaoyan answered, "Mother, I don't know what’s wrong with Wangcai today. It gets agitated every time I open the door."

Mother Zhang came out of the house and called Wangcai’s name. Wangcai glanced back at Mother Zhang, then turned and continued to stare fixedly at the doorway.

Thoroughly enraged, Ma Xiaoyan glared fiercely at Wangcai, then slammed the door shut. A gust of wind swept in, causing Ma Xiaoyan to shiver involuntarily. She failed to notice the terror in Wangcai’s eyes.

As dawn broke, Ma Sandao reached the village entrance. Home was not far now, and he wiped the sweat from his brow, quickening his pace. Reaching the large tree, he saw Granny Fan practicing her skills alone by the roadside. Ma Sandao knew this Granny Fan, but being a man who didn't believe in ghosts or gods, he considered her nothing more than a charlatan, a deceiver who claimed supernatural powers. Thus, though they lived close, they had little contact.

This was the first time Ma Sandao had seen Granny Fan practice. She sat cross-legged, facing east. A sound emerged from her throat as she expelled and inhaled breath. After several exhales, she suddenly inhaled sharply, like a dragon swallowing water, causing a large bulge to swell in her throat, which was immediately swallowed down. Then, she leaped up, and a wooden sword instantly appeared in her hand. With this single jump, she sprang over ten feet high, shaking the sword until it hummed loudly. As soon as she landed, she charged forward, seemingly without touching the ground, her sword slicing through the air with an almost audible sound of wind and thunder. It was then that Ma Sandao realized this old woman was far more than a simple trickster.

With one leap, Granny Fan arrived before Ma Sandao. She stared at him for a long moment, making him uneasy. "Th-this... Granny Fan, what's wrong..." Ma Sandao kept his head down, unsure why he felt guilty. He could only force trivial conversation: "Those movements just now were truly remarkable, real skill!"

Granny Fan ignored him and suddenly asked, "Could I trouble you for one of those apricots to taste?" Ma Sandao’s heart relaxed, and he forced a smile. "Immortal Maiden, you can have as many as you like. If it weren't for my wife wanting to eat them, I'd give them all to you without a second thought."

Granny Fan took one, bit into it, and suddenly spat it out: "Pah! Brother, why do your apricots smell so foul?" Ma Sandao’s heart tensed. She didn't look like she was joking. He quickly picked one up and tasted it, immediately spitting too, "What the hell is this fishy stench? Ptooey, ptooey!"

Granny Fan gave a cold smile. "You smell foul yourself, can't you notice it?" Ma Sandao was utterly perplexed. When he bought the apricots yesterday, he had tasted about ten, nearly bringing the seller to tears. Hearing Granny Fan speak to him like this, he quickly offered a placating smile, "That must be from the few times I relieved myself last night." He blushed before he even finished the sentence.

Granny Fan frowned and said, "Your face is shrouded in ghostly energy; you must have encountered something evil!"

Ma Sandao was immensely impressed. This Taoist must truly be a living immortal! However, at this moment, his family concerned him more. He quickly said, "No, no, Granny. If there’s nothing else, I need to go home and check on my wife." Granny Fan stated, "Your body carries heavy Yin energy; I think you bumped into something, though you don't realize it yourself. That being the case, go home first. If anything happens, come find me. This won't take your life in two or three days, though!" Hearing this, Ma Sandao’s heart skipped a beat. He hastily bid farewell, hoisted his poles, and hurried home. Granny Fan watched his retreating figure, deep in thought.

In the early morning, after Ma Sandao’s chance encounter with Granny Fan and tossing out the pile of rotten apricots, he rushed back home. Upon arrival, he heard Zhang Zhaodi let out a weak moan from the inner room. Ma Sandao panicked, dashing into the room. He saw Zhang Zhaodi lying pale on the bed; she couldn't even get up when she saw him return. Ma Xiaoyan was frantically pacing nearby.

"You’re back... I’m a bit unwell today, couldn't get up... Breakfast hasn't been cooked yet..." Her voice trembled slightly, as if she feared something. Ma Sandao immediately pulled his wife into an embrace. "I'll cook breakfast myself. Stay up if you feel unwell." Zhang Zhaodi looked at him, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "Husband, last night, last night..."

Ma Sandao quickly asked, "What happened last night?" Zhang Zhaodi held him tightly, trembling slightly, "I had a terrible dream last night!" Hearing this, Ma Sandao grew anxious and pressed her, asking what she dreamed of. Zhang Zhaodi buried her head in his chest and recounted the dream.

Zhang Zhaodi dreamed she was by a vast, misty marsh, walking alone on the bank, unable to see the end ahead or the path behind. The marsh was shrouded in thick fog. Filled with dread, a man suddenly ran towards her, as if chased by someone, panting heavily. Back then, women were reserved, so she stepped aside to let him pass. Who knew the man would drop to his knees before her, crying out for help. Zhang Zhaodi was too frightened to speak. She saw the man was only about thirty, with a fierce countenance. She turned away, saying, "Who are you? I am just a woman, how can I save your life..." She heard the sound of hooves approaching from a distance, as if someone were riding an animal. The man's fear intensified, and he said, "Then I shall borrow your belly for a moment!" This horrified Zhang Zhaodi, turning her face deathly pale. "How can I lend you my belly? If you pester me further, my husband will surely beat you to death when he arrives." The man looked pleased and smiled, "Your husband already agreed to it for me. Why should the young mistress be afraid?" With that, he bent down and lunged into Zhang Zhaodi’s stomach. She felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and immediately doubled over.

The sound of hooves arrived right in front of her. Zhang Zhaodi looked up to see a heavily pregnant woman, dressed in the style of a young bride from old times, riding a small donkey without a bridle. The woman’s face was pale and ashen. She asked, "What are you doing here? Did you see a man pass by?" Zhang Zhaodi, unnerved by the woman’s lifeless face, lied, "I didn't see a man; I’m waiting for my husband!" The woman gave a cold laugh and pointed a hand toward the marsh, "Your husband? Look over there, isn't that him?" Zhang Zhaodi followed the direction of her pointing finger—sure enough, it was Ma Sandao, carrying his poles, walking in the water. Panicked, Zhang Zhaodi was about to cry out. Suddenly, the small donkey behind them let out a strange cry, startling Zhang Zhaodi so much that her legs went weak, and she fell right into the marsh.

She woke up then, her stomach aching and her body feverish. She had been worried that her husband wouldn't return until evening, but unexpectedly, he was back early that morning. Ma Sandao held his wife close, filled with heartbreak. He ran to find a local doctor and asked the neighbor to help boil some sugary eggs. The doctor examined Zhang Zhaodi’s illness, diagnosing it as a common cold. He advised letting her rest, as medicine was unsuitable during pregnancy.

Ma Sandao couldn't sit still. This was his child, after all. After last night's ordeal, a terrible realization began to dawn on him. As he was feeling uneasy, the doctor said, "Ma Sandao, forget your wife for a moment, what is wrong with you?" Ma Sandao was confused. The doctor handed him a small glass mirror. When Ma Sandao looked into it, he nearly dropped it in shock. In the reflection, his eyes were dark, and his face was covered in a sickly greenish tint—clearly a man near death. He looked as if he didn't have many days left to live.

Ma Sandao quickly gave instructions to the elderly aunt who had come from next door to help, knowing this couldn't be delayed. He turned, took out a little money, and headed toward Granny Fan's house. Halfway there, he saw Granny Fan walking toward him carrying a large bundle. Ma Sandao thought, This is bad; perhaps she has a Dharma service to officiate. With no concern for his dignity left, he rushed forward and immediately dropped to his knees, just like in the opera, shouting loudly, "Living Immortal! Save me! Granny Fan, save me!"

Granny Fan pulled him up. "Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have saved you. I knew something was terribly wrong with you this morning just by looking at you; I feared there was no time to waste. See, I came over as soon as I finished breakfast." Ma Sandao quickly pulled the money from his pocket and sensibly offered it, "Granny, this is a small offering for your services." Granny Fan burst out laughing. "We spiritual cultivators don't speak of such things." Before she finished speaking, she snatched the money, then suddenly looked perplexed. "Only this little bit..."

Along the way, Granny Fan listened intently as Ma Sandao recounted everything that happened the previous night, her eyebrows tightly knitted. She said, "Now that you mention it, you are in deep trouble." Before Ma Sandao could panic further, she added, "It seems to be Fetal Theft!" Ma Sandao understood the term Duotai (Fetal Theft). His legs instantly went weak, and he nearly collapsed onto the ground.

The two quickened their pace and arrived at Ma Sandao’s house. Zhang Zhaodi was already deeply asleep. The elderly aunt from next door, seeing Ma Sandao return, left without having been thanked. Ma Sandao, too anxious to express gratitude, pulled Granny Fan immediately to see his wife. Upon approaching and examining her, Granny Fan broke out in a sweat. When she took the pulse, she declared plainly, "Evil Spirit Fetal Theft!"

Ma Sandao’s body weakened, and he immediately knelt by the bedside. "What? What? Evil Spirit Fetal Theft... Theft of what?" In his agitation, his tongue tangled with his teeth. Granny Fan was also stressed, "When a normal woman is pregnant, her pulse feels like pearls slipping through the hand—each one smooth. Now the pulse is alternately dry and elusive, sometimes completely untraceable. Isn't that a ghost pulse?" She paused. "How did you attract those things? Most people can't encounter them even if they try." She then stared at Ma Sandao, who was already sobbing with snot and tears running down his face, and asked, "Could you perhaps be an oppositional person?"

Ma Sandao was desperate. At a time like this, who cared about being an 'oppositional person'! He only asked Granny Fan if there was still a cure. "I still have money; I can borrow more..." He wiped his tears, "I’m almost fifty years old, I have one daughter, and I was counting on this last pregnancy to finally have a boy, Immortal Maiden!" Granny Fan also had a headache; there were no guarantees in a matter like this. She said, "You must come with me back to that place. You have your wife entrust her care to someone for another night."

And so, Ma Sandao went nearly a hundred li without sleep for a full day and night. He didn't rest for a moment before setting off again. As they traveled, he realized Granny Fan's cultivation was profound; reaching that small hollow seemed effortless for her. Ma Sandao nearly crippled his feet keeping up. But since it was for his family, he felt no bitterness or fatigue.