Chapter Seven: You Have Been Cursed with the Venom of Restraint

But that shadow did not reply. In an instant, it disappeared into the woods, vanishing from our sight.

Tong Tianwang asked Sister Jiu what we should do.

Sister Jiu said, "Ignore him, let's focus on our own business."

The graveyard of the Old Hen Woman was densely packed with tombs, bumps of all sizes everywhere, eerie and frightening.

As I passed Junjun’s grave, I saw the earth covering it was thin, and a pair of feet stuck out. Unable to help myself, I went over and added two handfuls of soil, covering his feet as I muttered, "Junjun, don’t come play with me anymore. My sister is fierce, she’ll beat you to death."

Sister Jiu chuckled, reached out, and stroked my head.

After circling the burial ground, Sister Jiu led us to a low-lying spot, where water had pooled and lush aquatic plants grew.

Sister Jiu, a little embarrassed, said to me, “Xiao Pi, lie down here.”

I asked why.

She replied, “You have a heavy aura of yin, which can attract the Old Hen Woman. She will lead us to the Snow Dragon.”

I was terrified, saying the Old Hen Woman would eat my flesh.

Sister Jiu explained that was nonsense spread by the villagers. The Old Hen Woman was a creature that could traverse both the living and the dead realms. She liked graveyards, yes, but didn’t eat corpses—only corpse flowers.

Tong Tianwang asked what corpse flowers were.

Sister Jiu explained: corpse flowers are plants that grow from decaying bodies, any plant that sprouts from a corpse can be called corpse flower. At heart, the Old Hen Woman was not a carnivore. Perhaps villagers saw her eating corpse flowers and thought she was gnawing on the bodies, hence the rumor that she ate rotten flesh. “Xiao Pi, don’t be afraid. The Old Hen Woman is no match for your sister.”

Still, the image of the red-eyed, shaggy, squat specter that could cause hallucinations made me shudder. I shook my head desperately. “I can’t, I can’t.”

Sister Jiu sighed deeply, “Coward.”

Her sigh, I don’t know how, pierced my young heart, as if it infused me with boundless courage, like I had been injected with adrenaline.

I didn’t want to disappoint Sister Jiu. Gritting my teeth, I said, “Sister, I’ll do it!”

Years later, I realized that impulse was the deep admiration and obedience I harbored for Sister Jiu as a child.

Sister Jiu nodded approvingly and told me to just lie still; they would watch from the side. If the Old Hen Woman came, she would catch her immediately.

I closed my eyes and lay down.

I heard Sister Jiu and Tong Tianwang’s footsteps receding, then silence—they must have hidden themselves.

A bone-chilling cold crept up my back. I was frightened but endured, not wanting to let Sister Jiu down.

All was silent.

I could only hear my own heavy breathing. I don’t know how long passed—almost dozing off—when my nose caught the strong, earthy scent of the Yellow River. Strange footsteps approached. Thinking the Old Hen Woman had arrived, I opened my eyes, only to be utterly stunned.

Ping’s wife stood there, naked, her hair disheveled, eyes full of resentment fixed on me.

I cried out for Sister Jiu to save me.

Ping’s wife seized me in a flash, lifting me off the ground and taking off at a run.

I flailed helplessly, arms and legs thrashing in the air.

Her body was caked in thick mud and sand, reeking as if she’d been buried at the bottom of the Yellow River for years and suddenly dredged up. As she ran, mud and sand fell away from her skin.

I didn’t care anymore and bit down hard on her hand.

She yelped in pain and let go.

I tumbled to the ground, dizzy and shaken, but managed to scramble up and bolt, screaming, “Sister, Ping’s wife is going to kill me!”

But Sister Jiu and Tong Tianwang didn’t come.

I kept running, Ping’s wife chasing behind, shouting, “Xie family child, you’ve been cursed with the suppression bug…cursed with the suppression bug…”

I don’t know how far I ran, but soon reached a pond and leapt in with a splash. Ping’s wife followed, grabbing my leg and giggling, “Xie family child, you’ve been cursed with the suppression bug…” As she spoke, she pushed me under.

A crushing weight pressed on my shoulders, dragging me down. I gulped water, choking, barely conscious as the Yellow River’s muddy stench filled my nose. The pond water turned pitch black, like ink. Ping’s wife lunged to bite my neck. At that moment, I couldn’t even cry—just flailed desperately, trying to push her away.

“Splash! Splash! Splash!”

Three strange sounds came from the surface. Faintly, someone on the bank seemed to be whipping the water—probably Sister Jiu.

The crushing pressure on me vanished instantly.

Ping’s wife’s bloodless face twisted in terror, blood trickling from her mouth. She glanced back, then, like a water ghost, dove frantically into the river bottom. A few ripples broke the surface, and she vanished completely. The pitch-black water cleared as she disappeared.

Sister Jiu and Tong Tianwang rushed to drag me out.

I burst into tears.

Sister Jiu held my soaked body, soothing me gently.

Breathing in her pleasant scent, I slowly calmed down.

Looking up, I saw Tong Tianwang tying a snow-white earthworm with a red string. It was as thick as a thumb and as long as a chopstick. That must be the Snow Dragon Sister Jiu had mentioned.

Sister Jiu was deeply remorseful. “Xiao Pi, it’s all my fault. You attracted the Old Hen Woman, and I was so focused on chasing her and catching the Snow Dragon that I forgot about you. I didn’t expect Ping’s wife hadn’t left, nearly got you killed.” As she spoke, her eyes grew red.

I was a little angry she’d forgotten me, pouting and refusing to speak to her.

Sister Jiu continued to comfort me, “But don’t be afraid, she’s already been struck by my Chaotic Whip.”

Tong Tianwang, seeing my sulking, scolded me: “You little brat, Jiuye used the Chaotic Whip to save you—almost spent her life. Hurry up and thank her!”

I had no idea what the Chaotic Whip was, so I stood up, half annoyed, and asked Sister Jiu, “Is Ping’s wife human or ghost? Why didn’t you finish her off?”

Sister Jiu thought for a moment. “Neither human nor ghost—it’s complicated.” After saying this, she seemed exhausted, face pale, sweat pouring from her forehead, trembling as she stood.

I was worried and asked what was wrong.

Tong Tianwang wanted to explain but was silenced by a glare from Sister Jiu, forcing him to swallow his words.

The three of us supported each other as we walked out.

Third Uncle and Uncle Duan saw us in our miserable state and were curious. “Did you dig up someone’s grave? That’s sure to bring thunder down on you.”

We ignored them and went straight to the old village chief’s house.

When we knocked and entered, we found Uncle Chang Geng lying on the bed, barely alive, so thin he was skin and bones, as if a touch would finish him.

Sister Jiu asked the old village chief to bring a large green porcelain bowl filled with clear water, then took out four things from her person, each a different color: red, brown, white, and milky.

The brown was dog bezoar; the white, Snow Dragon.

The red item looked like a tiny pouch, tinged with purple—probably the skin of the Scarlet Toad. The milky thing was a bead the size of a corn kernel, crystal clear with a strange glow—most likely the Thousand-Year Night Sand.

After placing all four items into the bowl, Sister Jiu instructed the old village chief to stew them.

We waited inside.

After a while, a bowl of thick, black broth was brought out.

The old village chief’s wife fed it to Uncle Chang Geng.

After he drank it, he suddenly sprang from the bed, vomiting and retching for half an hour, filling the room with a foul stench.

Tong Tianwang couldn’t stand it and tried to leave, but Third Uncle and Uncle Duan forced him back at gunpoint.

They were probably uneasy, afraid something might go wrong.

We had no choice but to bear the stench and wait.

The old village chief, anxious, paced back and forth.

After vomiting, Uncle Chang Geng lay back, groaning with a grating, dry howl until, suddenly, his eyes widened and he screamed, “Mother!” with a terrible cry, then collapsed.

The old village chief’s wife, always at the bedside, hurried to check his breathing. Upon doing so, she burst into sobs, “Chang Geng, why did you go so suddenly? White-haired sending off black-haired…”

I was utterly bewildered.

Had Uncle Chang Geng been killed by the treatment?

The old village chief’s face changed drastically, veins bulging on his forehead. He shouted, “Third Uncle, slaughter these monsters!”