"Let's get to work!" said Young Master Liu, handing Tian Guoqiang a shovel. Their task was to clean up all the dog's blood around the house. It wasn't just that they couldn't stand the strong, bloody smell; if the villagers saw it, it would be a disaster...

The dog's blood was only on the surface, spread across the dirt, so cleaning it up was simple; they just needed to shovel away the top layer of soil. Under Young Master Liu's pressure, Tian Guoqiang began the work with extreme reluctance. In less than half an hour, all the blood in the vicinity was completely gone, leaving no trace.

As for the dead dog, Young Master Liu could have simply ignored it, but he worried it might frighten others, so he hastily buried it. Of course, he handled all this alone, as Tian Guoqiang was deathly afraid of dogs and refused to go near it, no matter how much he was pushed.

With their immediate task finished, the two went to visit Ma Xiaoyan's house. They stayed until the sun had set before reluctantly starting their walk home, only to notice Ma Xiaoyan trailing quietly behind them.

"Hurry up, hurry up!" Ma Xiaoyan skipped ahead on the path, constantly urging Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang, who were carrying the box between them. As they reached the outside of Young Master Liu's house, Ma Xiaoyan suddenly stopped dead, her smile freezing on her face. She saw that the area around Liu's dwelling was covered in bright red stains, looking like fresh blood and emanating a rank, metallic odor.

Ma Xiaoyan naturally had a home, but her father, Ma Sandao, had been severely traumatized by the loss of his wife and child. Several relatives discussed the situation and decided it wasn't sustainable, so they took him to the town center for a change of scenery and recovery, lest familiar sights trigger his grief. Living alone, Ma Xiaoyan naturally felt lonely, and as a young woman, she was somewhat fearful. Furthermore, there was Young Master Liu’s earnest invitation for her to stay, offering to "guard the door" for her. Given her relationship with him, she naturally didn't refuse.

"Xiaoyan, what is it?" Young Master Liu, who had been chatting cheerfully, noticed Ma Xiaoyan suddenly halt, staring intently at the ground, and grew curious.

"Look!" Ma Xiaoyan said, sounding quite agitated. "What is that on the ground? It's so disgusting!"

"What?" Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang were instantly alarmed and rushed over. After all the events of the past few days, both their nerves were taut; the slightest disturbance caused them to overreact.

"This..." Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang’s mouths fell open. They were intimately familiar with the substance on the ground: bloodstains.

"Not another pile of blood!" Young Master Liu’s face turned pale. He couldn't fathom who would play such a malicious prank, sprinkling blood around his house repeatedly.

"Bloodstains? What bloodstains?" Ma Xiaoyan looked utterly bewildered, then suddenly shrieked, "Did a murder happen here?" She immediately clutched tightly onto Young Master Liu's sleeve.

"No, it's dog's blood, black dog's blood," Young Master Liu surmised, recalling the tragic barking sounds from the previous night.

"Black dog's blood?" Ma Xiaoyan was even more confused. "Do you have something foul in your house?" Having grown up in the countryside, Ma Xiaoyan had certainly heard many legends about spirits and ghosts, and black dog's blood was known as a protective ward against evil.

"Uh-huh..."

"N-no... I don't know who's playing a prank and scaring you," Young Master Liu stammered, while simultaneously glaring fiercely at Tian Guoqiang, silently commanding him to keep quiet. Perhaps if Ma Xiaoyan knew less, she might be safer. More importantly, she was a girl, and he worried about her capacity to cope.

Young Master Liu's explanation only deepened Ma Xiaoyan's suspicion. What kind of depraved person would commit such an act? Old Man Liu was known for his simple, honest nature, and the Liu family held no known feuds in the village; it certainly wasn't someone seeking revenge. So who could it be?

"Y-Young Master..." Tian Guoqiang’s teeth chattered as he tugged at Young Master Liu's trousers.

"Go on..." Young Master Liu kicked him sharply from behind, signaling him not to utter a word.

"What's wrong with you two?" Ma Xiaoyan noticed their strange behavior. She saw that their faces had grown even paler than before; Young Master Liu looked distraught, and Tian Guoqiang was utterly panicked, almost unable to hold onto the baggage.

"N-nothing, Yanzi, you must be tired. Come inside and rest a bit."

"No, you are definitely hiding something from me, aren't you?" Ma Xiaoyan began to act spoiled; she was particularly willful around those she knew well, especially Young Master Liu. She understood him intimately and knew he rarely spoke in such a flustered manner. The only other times were when his grandparents passed away. Thus, she sensed something momentous must have occurred.

"It's fine, truly fine, just come inside quickly," Young Master Liu said, taking the box to unlock the door.

"Stop right there." Ma Xiaoyan commanded sternly. "Look me in the eyes." She knew that if Young Master Liu were lying, his gaze would surely dart away. Indeed, as Young Master Liu met Ma Xiaoyan’s eyes, his gaze flickered evasively.

"Tell me, what exactly happened?" Ma Xiaoyan demanded, hands planted firmly on her hips, her voice ringing with anger.

"The vi-village head is ill," Young Master Liu managed to stammer out, struggling to figure out how to placate Ma Xiaoyan at that moment.

"What? Qiangzi, your father is sick?" Ma Xiaoyan was shocked.

"Yes," Tian Guoqiang replied mournfully. "He's shivering violently at home, unconscious. He won't even open his mouth for porridge."

"What is wrong with you two? If he’s sick, why didn't you call a doctor?" Ma Xiaoyan grew slightly angry. From the expressions and actions of Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang, something significant must have happened, and it wasn't simple. She could accept Tian Guoqiang keeping silent, but the fact that Young Master Liu, with whom she was so close, was hiding things made her feel unexpectedly hurt.

"There was a slight complication; nothing worked out as expected," Young Master Liu explained. He knew that if he didn't reveal something to Ma Xiaoyan, she would relentlessly press him and might even become genuinely angry. However, he certainly wouldn't tell her about ghosts—whether he believed in them or not, he worried about her ability to endure such knowledge.

"What complication?"

"It's unclear, but he probably just caught a chill. A few days of rest at home, and he'll be fine."

Ma Xiaoyan tried to press further, but Young Master Liu gave her no chance. Placing the key in her hand, he pulled Tian Guoqiang toward the edge of the village. "Xiaoyan, wait here for a moment. We're going to check on the village head; we'll be right back."

"You two..." Ma Xiaoyan was so frustrated she couldn't speak as she watched the pair disappear into the distance.

The destination for the two was, of course, the Village Head's house. Although his medical skills were utterly inadequate for the Village Head's strange ailment, he at least needed to confirm that Elder Tian was currently safe, and secondly, locate Granny Fan before contemplating further steps.

They bolted, running out of the yard. As they rounded a corner, both men suddenly flew up. Yes, they were airborne, suspended momentarily before landing several meters away. Fortunately, the ground was soft earth, and they sustained no injuries. The reason they flew up was a collision; they had been moving too fast, and while turning the corner, they saw an old man also making a turn. They couldn't stop in time and slammed into the elder, sending both of them airborne.

The old man they had knocked into was none other than Zhang Enpu, who had moved into the village a few days prior, renting a small hut. He had lectured Young Master Liu at length about various philosophies then, so Young Master Liu remembered him clearly.

"Fortune teller, are you alright?" Young Master Liu scrambled up from the ground and immediately rushed to help Zhang Enpu up. Zhang Enpu was a man in his late fifties or sixties, and Liu worried that his impact might have caused serious harm.

Luckily, Young Master Liu and his companion had managed to slow down just enough, and the ground was soft mud; Zhang Enpu was unharmed. The moment Young Master Liu helped him, he stood up.

After helping Zhang Enpu up, Tian Guoqiang also approached. The two apologized profusely to the elder. However, after a moment, their expressions froze. They noticed that Zhang Enpu was clutching something wrapped in coarse hemp cloth. A furry object, undoubtedly an animal’s tail, dangled outside the wrapping. Both were certain.

"Ah, I know now." Young Master Liu’s expression turned somewhat agitated. He was positive he had found the culprit. He snatched the bundle from Zhang Enpu's arms, placed it on the ground, and unwrapped it. Inside the hemp cloth was indeed a dog, its fur pitch-black and lustrous as jade—it was the male dog from Third Uncle's family, Xiongfeng.

"Why?" Young Master Liu demanded through clenched teeth. Having blood scattered around his house was an intensely inauspicious act, and he was furious.

"Sigh!..." Zhang Enpu sighed deeply. "Since you have discovered it, I shall conceal it no longer. I did indeed kill the dog, and I scattered the blood around your house. I noticed that thing the first time it appeared, but its resentment was too potent, and my skill was insufficient to subdue it."

"What? You know about that female ghost too?" Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang were astonished. They hadn't expected this eccentric old man to have such hidden capabilities.

"That is no female ghost; it is a Hanba (drought demon), and there is a smaller one," Zhang Enpu said, letting out a slight cough. "I attempted to subdue them, but I was no match for them and was nearly killed in the process. For your safety, I was forced to scatter black dog's blood around your house. While it cannot subdue them, it can at least serve as a deterrent."

"Oh, so that's what it was for!" The two finally understood the purpose of the dog's blood around the house—it was something meant to save their lives. Simultaneously, they felt immense gratitude toward Zhang Enpu. If not for him, perhaps they would have been...