Liu Yuzhi hurried over and interjected, "Why don't we find that boy from the Liu family? See what this is all about, if there’s anything to discuss?"

Yang Baosan roared in anger, "What is it, what is it? What’s wrong? Didn't something just make a few noises? Something wrong! Something wrong! You never have a kind word to say! It’s just... it's just... If there is something, how can I swallow my pride and go find him? Although I wasn't entirely responsible for the death of his master, Daoist Zhang, I certainly participated heavily in the struggle sessions back then. It’s a miracle if he helps me!" After this outburst, the two fell silent and went to sleep. Throughout the night, there were constant movements outside the front and back of the house; strange noises would occasionally sound, terrifying the two educated youths who didn't sleep a wink. Yang Baosan was both alarmed and frightened, thinking: I haven't done anything truly bad, so why is something coming after me?

The next day after work, people from the Fourth Team came to report that Lin Anxing hadn't returned yesterday, saying his few relatives wanted to know what was going on with him. Yang Baosan was furious, saying, "You stole something and now you think you're in the right? That fellow has always been a good-for-nothing loafer; where has he gone? Why should I be held responsible?"

The captain of the Fourth Team apologized profusely, agreeing with everything Captain Yang said. Yang Baosan returned home in a foul mood, only to hear that the two educated youths hadn't come back today either; they had gone to sleep at Village Head Tian's place—that is, Tian Guoqiang's house. Yang Baosan erupted in rage: "Do these children have no sense of protecting their homes and country? Wherever there is danger, they are right there! These brats!" His wife grumbled, "So you admit there is danger!" Yang Baosan let slip a word and fell silent.

That night, after they lay down, the noises outside became much louder. They could hear something occasionally letting out a faint squeak from the rice paddies, and the few cats raised by the old mother next door were howling like mad, their cries more agonizing than those of mating cats. Liu Yuzhi was terribly frightened and held her husband tightly. The cats' yowling gave Yang Baosan a headache, and he muttered spitefully, "Why does that old woman keep so many cats? People can barely eat! Tomorrow, I'll smash every single one of them with a brick!"

As they were speaking, they suddenly heard footsteps outside, sounding as if someone were deliberately stomping with force, which made Yang Baosan jump. He quickly sat up and lit the lamp. Seeing the light brought him a small measure of relief.

Liu Yuzhi clutched onto his back, saying, "Good heavens! It sounds like someone is scratching at the door!" Yang Baosan's heart tightened. He strained his ears and indeed heard a frantic scraping sound against their front door, and the wooden bolt was rattling under pressure. This thoroughly terrified Yang Baosan, who thought, Could this be a ghost knocking?

Liu Yuzhi nudged him, saying, "You go look. We can't just let this noise continue!" Yang Baosan’s face went pale as he said, "It's easy for you to say! Do you know what's out there? If we open the door and it comes in, what then?"

Liu Yuzhi cursed him, "It's a wonder you're even a man!" Unable to take the goading, Yang Baosan got up, lit another lamp, and walked toward the door trembling. Liu Yuzhi grabbed a kitchen knife, which she kept under her pillow at night for warding off evil. She followed behind Yang Baosan, saying, "We have to see what it is! This constant commotion isn't sustainable. Today we must find out what is causing this mischief!" Though Liu Yuzhi was a woman, her courage was clearly greater than Yang Baosan's.

Yang Baosan wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, "What if it’s a black bear?"

Liu Yuzhi retorted, "I have a knife! At worst, we fight!" The two reached the front door and stared at the door being battered with a loud bang, their faces drained of color. Yang Baosan held his breath to listen, his speech suddenly slurred, "Oh, damn it, it sounds like a person crying outside!" Liu Yuzhi listened and confirmed it: a low, mournful wail.

The couple exchanged a look, both with legs trembling so much they could barely stand. The battering of the door grew more violent, and the mournful crying grew louder. Yang Baosan even shed a few tears. He snatched the kitchen knife from his wife and said, his voice shaking, "If it's fate, it’s not a calamity; if it’s a calamity, I can’t escape it! I’ve lived my whole life for the Party and the people without a guilty conscience! Today, I’ll see which demon or god has come to kill me!" With that, he pulled back the bolt.

A cold gust of wind rushed in, extinguishing the lamp in Liu Yuzhi’s hand...

Yang Baosan was so terrified he nearly screamed for help, but then he saw a gray shadow dart inside with a whoosh. He had already dropped the kitchen knife in his fright, screaming, "Oh, my ancestor..." Liu Yuzhi, slightly bolder, took a better look and exclaimed, "Oh, heavens! It scared me half to death! Isn't this our dog, Huizi? Why is this darn dog scratching at the door!"

When Yang Baosan saw that the intruder was indeed their dog, he was both angry and frustrated. Liu Yuzhi complained, "Why did you let it in? It could have made a sound outside to warn us!"

Yang Baosan shot her a look: "Warn us about what? With such a ruckus, it didn't make a single sound! Was it scared too?!" Liu Yuzhi shone the light on the dog and saw it tucking its tail tightly, its eyes wide open, its entire body hunched and shaking uncontrollably. It was utterly devoid of color. Looking lower, Liu Yuzhi gasped, "Oh no! This dog has wet itself!" Yang Baosan immediately turned his head; the dog was still dripping. Now both of them looked utterly terrified, murmuring, "I remember the Liu family's eldest son said that ordinary ghosts are afraid of dogs. Now even the dog is scared into urinating—what in the world is coming to us?"

Liu Yuzhi bolted the door shut again and turned to see Yang Baosan still sitting on the ground, scolding him, "Are you paralyzed with fright? Get up!"

Yang Baosan replied, "Well, I... I wet myself too. Help me up..."

Liu Yuzhi found him some dry trousers and said cautiously, "Maybe tomorrow we should go find Mr. Liu... This... this house can't remain unsettled..."

Yang Baosan, his face dark, after a long inner struggle, finally managed an "En." As the couple spoke near the door, they suddenly heard a commotion from the chicken coop; the hens began clucking and flapping inside their cage.

"Damn it, another chicken thief?" Yang Baosan instantly became alert. His affection for the chickens quickly overcame his fear. Grabbing a hoe, he ran toward the back courtyard. Fearing trouble, Liu Yuzhi followed with the lit lamp.

Yang Baosan pushed open the small back door and roared, "Which son of a bitch..." He choked off the rest of his shout as he saw a pale figure crouching in front of the chicken coop. Yang Baosan’s legs felt weak. In those days, almost no one wore white clothes—what was this white thing?

Yang Baosan peered closer, using the dim light from behind him, and instantly his knees buckled. He turned back to his wife and whispered, "My God! It’s a naked person, and... and... it has two heads!"

Hearing this, Liu Yuzhi's scalp tingled. She rushed forward to close the door, but daring to glance back, she said, "Oh! It is naked, but it only has... one head!"

Yang Baosan's legs gave out. He was leaning on the hoe, trying to step back inside. Hearing this, he turned to look, and indeed! The naked figure had only one head, still squatting by the coop, seemingly humming something. Seeing this, Yang Baosan’s courage increased greatly. If it truly had two heads, it would be best to hide right now, but it only had one!

Yang Baosan lifted the hoe and charged forward quickly, bringing the tool down in a hard swing. Fearing he might kill someone, he held the hoe upside down, striking the figure's back. A muffled groan was heard. The naked figure absorbed the heavy blow as if unaffected and slowly stood up, turning its face toward them.

When Yang Baosan saw the person, he was so scared he urinated again, falling backward onto the ground. The person was completely unclothed, covered in injuries that were dark blue and black. His eyeballs were nearly rolled up to the ceiling, his mouth was bloody, and there were a few chicken feathers stuck around it. In his left hand, he held a half-eaten chicken.

"Lin... Lin... Lin Anxing?" Yang Baosan stumbled back several steps and collapsed onto the ground. He knew this face too well. Wasn't this Lin Anxing, whom he had beaten the previous night?

Liu Yuzhi heard the commotion and, fearing for her husband, approached with the lamp in one hand and the kitchen knife in the other, shouting, "Get out! Get out! Or I’ll chop you!" As she got closer and saw it was Lin Anxing, she too froze: "Oh, Anxing, why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Lin Anxing opened his mouth and took another large bite of the chicken in his left hand, fresh blood dripping from his mouth. The sight disgusted the couple into silence. He gave a sinister smile and rapidly moved toward them. Yang Baosan snapped back to his senses, scrambling to his feet, ready to fight for his life. Suddenly, a shriek rang out—"Meowww..." A large cat leaped down from the wall and landed directly on Lin Anxing, clawing furiously at his body. Lin Anxing screamed once, hopped twice, and leaped over the meter-high wall before disappearing.

The large cat landed lightly, flicked its tail, and then turned and ran in the other direction. Liu Yuzhi and Yang Baosan stared at each other. Yang Baosan asked, "That... that cat... is it the one Mother raises?"

Liu Yuzhi replied, "It must be. Alas... Say, did you see Lin Anxing’s eyes? They were... they were glowing green..." Yang Baosan sputtered, "How could I not see that? He jumped that high...!"

As the couple stood in the courtyard, despite it being early summer, they felt a chill run through them. They looked at each other again and simultaneously uttered the same name: "Young Master Liu!"

After uttering this, Yang Baosan’s cigarette was almost shaken out of his hand. He said to Young Master Liu, "I heard the people from the Fourth Team say Lin Anxing hasn't been back these past few days... Oh, just thinking about it gives me the creeps. Mr. Liu, perhaps you should come over to my place and take a look! This matter can't be delayed!"

Young Master Liu had just returned home today and had already heard most of the story from Village Head Tian. He simply asked Yang Baosan, "Since you haven't been home the past two days, has anything strange happened inside?"

"Yes!" Yang Baosan’s voice dropped considerably. "The cats that my mother raises—one of them dies every day for the past few days, and we lost a dog too."

Young Master Liu was genuinely surprised, not by the deaths of the cats and dogs, but by the sheer number of animals the old woman kept. That must take up the food equivalent of a whole person! Yet, this old woman, who Yang Baosan usually fed only one meager meal a day, was supporting so many pets?

Upon hearing Young Master Liu's question, Yang Baosan sighed and said, "Well, you'll have to ask my mother about that. She's strange all day long, constantly bad-mouthing Yu Zhi and me. I don't even bother talking to her." He then added, "Tonight, Mr. Liu, you absolutely must come to my house! This can't wait any longer! I haven't had a decent night's sleep these last two days!" Young Master Liu inwardly wished to rest in his own house for one night, but as he was relying on this leading figure of the rebellion for his own reprieve, he had to suppress his resentment and, outwardly, dared not offend him. He quickly said, "Alright, alright, I'll go get ready." He informed Old Man Liu of his departure and took a few useful items before heading out with Yang Baosan.

Just as they reached the doorway, they heard a loud boom from the door, and someone shouted from outside: "Sister Lü, Sister Lü! Brother Ma!" Young Master Liu was curious. When he opened the door, it was Li Hong, Wang Sanlian’s wife from the team. Upon seeing Young Master Liu, Li Hong was overjoyed and rushed, "Oh, Mr. Liu! I heard you returned today, and it’s true when I see you here!"

Young Master Liu responded politely, "Auntie Li, what seems to be the matter?"

Li Hong became anxious at once: "Oh, Mr. Liu, my husband suddenly caught a strange illness today and can't get out of bed. He insisted he must find you!" Yang Baosan grew frantic, thinking someone was poaching his help. He roared, "Li Hong, if your husband is sick, shouldn't you find a doctor instead of looking for Young Master Liu?"

Li Hong had been focused on speaking with Young Master Liu and hadn't even noticed the team's highest-ranking leader standing there. Startled by the shout, she stammered, "Oh, Captain Yang... Oh, I didn't notice you... Your house is here too..."

Yang Baosan was preoccupied with his own household situation and snapped, "I knew it! All that time you spend studying and holding meetings is wasted! When something happens, you all still resort to the old ways! Looking for a master, dabbling in superstition, right?"

Li Hong grew fearful; that was a heavy accusation. She hastily replied, "Captain, no, it’s just that the illness is quite strange, so..."

Yang Baosan declared, "We must believe in science! Using superstition for illness is deadly!" Young Master Liu thought to himself: What he says actually makes some sense!

Seeing the argument escalating, he realized Captain Yang would naturally need his assistance first. Authority dictated that one rank higher suppressed the lower! He smiled at Li Hong and said, "Auntie, don't worry. I'll send our Yanzi over to take a look first. If anything urgent comes up, tell Second Company to relay the message to Yanzi, and I will come over as soon as I am free tomorrow!"

Seeing no other option, Li Hong reluctantly agreed. Young Master Liu felt something was off standing at the doorway; it was early summer, yet he felt a chill down his entire body. He called to Tian Guoqiang, "I'm going out on a call; you come as company!" Tian Guoqiang, who had been planning to ride his bicycle, was delighted and asked, "Captain Yang, could I borrow the bike again? I'll give Miss Xiao Yan a ride!" Yang Baosan was eager to get home and waved dismissively, "Don't crash!"

Ma Xiaoyan told Li Hong to go back first, promising to gather the necessary medicine after learning that Wang Sanlian only had a fever. To be honest, although Ma Xiaoyan was a bit afraid of traveling at night, she loved riding the bicycle, and having Tian Guoqiang escort her made her quite happy.

Yang Baosan, Young Master Liu, and Li Hong left together. Li Hong asked curiously, "Mr. Liu, where are you going with Captain Yang?"

The Captain grew impatient and said, "To help me fix my door! Your husband is sick, hurry back!"

Li Hong dared not ask further and hurried ahead. Yang Baosan urgently led Young Master Liu along a fast pace. Young Master Liu, having been up all night the previous night, was now yawning uncontrollably from the exertion.

Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoyan had prepared her medicine kit, and Tian Guoqiang was already circling around the rice paddies several times on his bike, anxious to leave. Ma Xiaoyan tidied up their place, hopped onto the back of the bicycle, and Tian Guoqiang pedaled hard. The bicycle carried Ma Xiaoyan through the small grove and onto the main road.

Once on the road, both felt a chill blowing against them. Ma Xiaoyan remarked, "For some reason, it's been so cold these past few days. Could it be what Young Master said—that something is emerging here again?"

Tian Guoqiang was focused on riding and felt a bit uneasy upon hearing her words. He said, "What could emerge? Even if something did, wouldn't it be at Captain Yang's house? This time, I'll have my father try to build a connection with him. He can't be criticized anymore; he needs to be transferred back from the construction site quickly!"

Ma Xiaoyan replied, "You can never be sure about that man, Captain Yang. People say he's like a dog with a face that forgets kindness; once he turns against you, he never looks back!"

As they spoke, they momentarily forgot their fear. The bike sped down the road, and soon they reached the woods behind the primary school. Turning a corner here and going down a slope would lead them to Wang Sanlian's house. Tian Guoqiang grew too cold to bear and slowed the bike down. Just as they reached the edge of the woods, they suddenly heard a noise from within, and something that looked like a stone flew out from the woods on the left, grazing Tian Guoqiang’s body before hitting the ground with a smack. Startled, Tian Guoqiang swerved the bike wildly and cursed, "Who the hell threw a rock?"

As soon as he cursed, he realized the woods were pitch black, with not a single shadow in sight! This terrified him, turning his face pale: "Yanzi, what is going on?"

Ma Xiaoyan felt a flicker of apprehension too, but having followed Young Master Liu for so many years, she was somewhat accustomed to strange things. She said, "I heard Young Master say that by the roadside there are things called Tula Zijing [Earth-throwing Spirits] that like to throw things at passersby at night, but they say they don't harm people." Tian Guoqiang felt utterly uneasy while riding, thinking: Why are there so many strange things in the countryside? As his mind raced, another noise came from the woods, and a stone flew out, landing right in front of the bicycle. Tian Guoqiang stopped the bike abruptly. Ma Xiaoyan jumped off, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it back, muttering, "Stop throwing! If you throw one more, I'll throw one back at you!" Tian Guoqiang asked, "Yanzi, who are you talking to? That sounds unsettling to me."

Ma Xiaoyan smiled slightly and said, "Young Master said not to be afraid of these petty troublemakers. If you push back, they won't dare to cause trouble anymore!"

Tian Guoqiang asked in surprise, "Is that true?"

Strangely enough, after Ma Xiaoyan threw the stone back, there were no more disturbances by the roadside. Tian Guoqiang continued riding the bike with Ma Xiaoyan, passing through the woods. After another turn, Ma Xiaoyan said Wang Sanlian’s house was just about a li ahead. But when Tian Guoqiang looked around, he gasped sharply. This road had a small hill on one side and a stretch of barren land on the other. Tian Guoqiang knew this area too well—wasn't this the new public cemetery area the brigade had established? How did they end up riding down this road?

Ma Xiaoyan jumped off the bike in fright, exclaiming, "Oh no! Get off, Qiangzi! How did we end up on this road?"