There weren't many elders surnamed Hou in the town, and given his profession, Feng Tian only knew one, whom he rarely met, so he paused for a moment before recalling the name. "Something happened to him?" Feng Tian set down the book and looked at the old Daoist priest.

The old Daoist nodded slightly and said, "His wife came to the temple early this morning looking for me, saying Old Hou was taken to the hospital. For some reason, when they found him, he was unconscious right at the gate of his workplace.

They revived him after treatment at the hospital, but the fever won't break, and he keeps rambling nonsense, as if possessed. According to the person who found him, his workplace looked like it had been ransacked.

I gave his wife a calming talisman to burn and mix with water for Old Hou to drink; that should restore his senses. I was originally going to send a disciple over to check, but since you arrived, I thought it perfect.

Your practical experience is superior to theirs, so it's quite suitable for you to go take a look. The talisman in the book is for Old Hou's future self-protection." Feng Tian grimaced but still asked again, "Is he still in the hospital now?" "Presumably," the old Daoist wasn't entirely sure.

Feng Tian tilted his head towards Kuang Feifan, then said to the old Daoist, "I'll go over now. I think I have his number in my phone.

Do you happen to know what exactly happened to him?" The old Daoist shook his head. "His wife didn't know the specifics when she came; it must be related to his work.

After all, it's unlikely someone would go to his place to steal things." At this point, Kuang Feifan had already walked out of the side room and turned back, waiting for Feng Tian, taking in the view of the backyard while he was at it. Truthfully, there wasn't much scenery to speak of in the Daoist temple's backyard.

The courtyard was paved with blue bricks, and along either side of the gate stood rows of wooden structures, likely where the Daoists resided. Suddenly, he noticed something amiss.

The room where the old Daoist stayed was right beside the courtyard gate, yet directly across the courtyard from his own door was a solitary brick structure. It was square, and looking straight at it, he couldn't see any door or windows.

Curiosity piqued, he was about to approach for a closer look when Feng Tian emerged from the room and waved a hand at him, "Let's go." Kuang Feifan glanced one last time at the peculiar building and followed Feng Tian out of the Daoist temple. After getting into the car, Kuang Feifan asked him, "Where does this Elder Hou work?" Feng Tian waved a finger dismissively, pulled out his phone, scrolled for a moment, found a number, and dialed.

Kuang Feifan couldn't be bothered listening to the call; he rolled down the window and stuck his head out to catch the breeze. A moment later, they heard Feng Tian raise his voice, "Let's drive; he's still at the hospital." Kuang Feifan, while starting the car, shot Feng Tian a questioning look.

Feng Tian slapped his forehead in realization, "Right, you asked where Elder Hou works. It's actually right behind the hospital where he's staying now." "Uh..." Kuang Feifan froze.

Feng Tian curved his lips into a knowing smile. "The hospital where he's staying is the largest one in this town; it's also a teaching hospital affiliated with a medical college.

Have you figured it out now?" Kuang Feifan frowned, and a sudden spark ignited in his mind. He softly exclaimed, "The morgue?" Feng Tian snapped his fingers.

"Bingo. Correct answer." It turned out that Elder Hou, sixty-three this year, had always been a handyman at that affiliated hospital.

After reaching retirement age, to supplement his income, he proposed a "gap compensation." After some deliberation, the hospital arranged a graveyard shift watching the gate, and the gate he guarded was the rear entrance to the hospital's morgue. In the hospital's intensive care unit, Feng Tian and Kuang Feifan saw Old Hou lying in the bed.

The old man, who was usually quite spry, now looked utterly like a "candle in the wind." His eyes were vacant, his gaze cloudy, the wrinkles on his face like shriveled orange peel, his appearance withered to the bone, causing a pang of sadness in the onlookers. Seeing his state, Feng Tian's expression shifted, and he quickly moved to the bedside to examine Old Hou closely.

Old Hou's wife sat by the bed, her face etched with worry. Though she hadn't met Feng Tian before, knowing he was introduced by the old Daoist priest gave her some measure of reassurance, despite Feng Tian's youthful appearance.

To everyone's surprise, Old Hou's actual mental state was better than his appearance suggested. As Feng Tian leaned close to his head, Old Hou seemed to notice him, blinking his listless eyes as his head slowly turned towards Feng Tian.

When they first saw him, Kuang Feifan suspected he had severe dementia. Now seeing him move and observing that his eyes seemed to recognize Feng Tian, they wondered if he could still speak.

Feng Tian remained silent, reaching out to rest his fingers on Old Hou’s wrist, ostensibly taking his pulse. Kuang Feifan cautiously greeted him in a low voice, "Elder Hou, hello!" Old Hou startled them once more.

He suddenly lifted his hand, pushed away Feng Tian’s fingers resting on his wrist, waved his hand, and said in a raspy voice, "I'm... fine..." Everyone around the bed gasped, even his wife, who stared at Old Hou with wide eyes and stammered, "You...

you..." Old Hou closed his eyes, took a few breaths, and quietly said, "I want water..." His wife scrambled to pour a glass of water, helped him sip a few mouthfuls slowly, and then settled him back down. Her expression suddenly changed, and she scolded him, "When did you wake up?

You didn't tell me! Do you know how worried I was..." Old Hou sighed, not directly answering his wife’s question.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Feng Tian’s wrist, trying to speak, but then stopped, opening his mouth only to pause. He glanced at the other two in the room, then told his wife, "I'm hungry.

Go get me something to eat; not the hospital food." The old lady grumbled a few more complaints before mumbling her way out of the room. Old Hou then looked at Kuang Feifan.

Feng Tian said, "He came with me; he's one of us." Kuang Feifan managed to hold back a laugh and turned back to close the door to the ward. The two sat by the bedside, and Feng Tian finally asked him, "What happened?

Are you ill, or is it..." Old Hou's face changed, and his whole body stiffened. Feng Tian and Kuang Feifan saw intense fear in his eyes.

He grasped Feng Tian’s wrist and whispered in a low voice, "The morgue had a jiangshi last night..." "Uh..." Feng Tian flinched, not from fright, but because Old Hou's grip on his wrist hurt. Kuang Feifan's expression became utterly strange.

It wasn't that he disbelieved Old Hou. Given what he had experienced lately, a reanimated corpse seemed like a relatively minor incident.

He was even puzzled that an elderly man like Old Hou, guarding the morgue daily, wouldn't have a higher chance of encountering such a thing, yet still be terrified to this extent? Indeed, Feng Tian found it somewhat odd as well.

He couldn't help but ask Old Hou, "It shouldn't be this bad. You've encountered jiangshi before, haven't you?

Besides, I recall you obtaining a protective talisman from the old Daoist priest. Could it be..." Old Hou shook his head, his expression filled with terror, and sighed, "If it weren't for the Daoist charm, I probably would have perished.

After so many years, haven't I experienced things like this? It's just last night...

the ferocity, it was truly too fierce..."