Chapter 001: Death and Resurrection
He sat up reflexively
The half-person-deep pit has been dug, and the two individuals were preparing to place Li Mu's body inside. Upon turning around, they saw Li Mu sitting on the straw mat.
As he was about to descend the mountain, a faint call suddenly reached his ears
Li Mu's consciousness is fading away
The short detective glanced at the raised mound of graves ahead, unable to suppress a shiver, and said: "Let's dig quickly; once we finish burying, we can go back. This is not a good place; I always feel a chill at my back..."
What are these two people doing
The white fox lay on the grass, with blood still oozing from its wound, emitting faint animal sounds
He is really about to die
Li Mu is an atheist, but he has read many novels for leisure and is not unfamiliar with the concept of time travel
Li Mu once again lowered his head to look at his hands, a look of confusion on his face
Even if he can no longer afford to pay for medical expenses, it should not come to being buried alive
In the face of death, he did not feel much fear; rather than continuing to endure the torment of illness, death may not be an escape.
When Li Mu opened his eyes, he found himself in an unknown desolate mountain. Beside him, two men dressed in ancient uniforms were digging a pit
Zhouzhou
As Li Mu approached, its body began to struggle, yet it still could not break free; the wound tore open, spilling more blood.
Looking into the fox's despairing eyes, Li Mu felt a pang of compassion and shook his head, saying: "Rest assured, I will not harm you"
... ...
Thank you for the life-saving grace, young master
Li Mu tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and simply bandaged the wound. The white fox's injury stopped bleeding, and it rubbed its head against his hand, making a "yīng yīng" sound.
Defibrillator
Li Mu stood on the mountain path, taking a deep breath of fresh air, feeling the surge of power within his body, and remarked, "It is truly wonderful to be alive..."
The hind leg of the white fox was caught in a trap, and blood stained its fur, making it appear particularly striking.
Two individuals, one tall and one short, one stout and one slender, both dressed in light blue robes, walked all the way to the mass grave site, where they laid down a tattered straw mat. The taller of the two let out a long sigh and said, "We have finally arrived"
However, soon his footsteps became lighter
After a rustling sound, two figures walked down the mountain path
Waaah ... ...
The sound resembled a dog's bark, yet it was different; it contained an essence of suffering. Li Mu looked around and ultimately identified the source of the sound
His steps are slow and heavy, which is due to prolonged bed rest; he is still unable to adapt to walking like a normal person immediately
He had long been prepared for death
Uncertain if it was an illusion, Li Mu surprisingly perceived a human-like emotion in the fox's gem-like eyes; it was a gaze filled with despair, which reminded Li Mu of his own condition deteriorating day by day, as he could only lie on the hospital bed, helplessly watching the days march towards death.
He should have already died; even if he hasn't, he should be in the hospital. What place is this?
Prolonged illness and bed rest had rendered him unable to perform this action six months ago, yet at this moment, he felt a long-lost strength within his body
... ...
The skin on both hands is rough, there is a callus at the base of the right thumb, and the scar on the back of the hand, caused by an accident in childhood, has disappeared—this is not his hand
Oh my!
He clenched his fist, feeling the strength within his body, which means that his soul had taken possession of another's body
barren mountain
Li Mu had no relatives and was destitute, unable to afford a coffin. Considering the bond formed through their daily work together, the two of them pooled their money to buy a straw mat to handle his funeral arrangements, which was already a display of utmost kindness and righteousness
"In broad daylight, what are you afraid of?" The tall man sat down with a thud, comfortably leaning against a tree, and said, "I'm exhausted; let's take a break first. How did we end up with such a miserable task..."
... ...
His body has indeed died, but his soul has occupied another body. Li Mu has just acquired some fragmented memories of this body and learned that this person is also named Li Mu, just over eighteen years old, and is a constable who has just died today. As for the cause of death, Li Mu has not yet recalled it.
In front of the mass grave, a few sparse poplar trees stand there, their leaves rustling in the autumn wind, while crows circle in the sky several times before landing on the raised mound of earth.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that there was a fox in the grass. This fox was entirely snow-white, with two black, bright eyes. In its gaze directed at Li Mu, there was an expression of extreme fear.
Li Mu was astonished, as this fox was surprisingly intelligent. He extended his hand, forcefully prying open the animal trap, and rescued the white fox from within.
Once again
He opened his mouth, just about to ask something, when a sudden sharp pain pierced through his eardrum
The leaves rustled in the wind, evoking thoughts of terrifying demons. The short man felt a chill in the air and quickly said: "Stop talking, let's get to work and finish early to go back..."
Then there was a moment of astonishment
Li Mu waved his hand and spoke lightly to the picture book. In the next moment, his hand's movement paused, and the smile on his face gradually faded away
"Let's go, remember to be a little more careful in the future..." Li Mu patted its head, just about to leave when suddenly a melodious voice of a young girl reached his ears
Zhou State
His mood gradually calmed down; having experienced life and death, what other incomprehensible matters could he not face?
These matters, I am afraid, will require someone to confirm before knowing. Li Mu looked around and discovered that this was a mass grave, surrounded by raised mounds of earth. Even in broad daylight, it sent chills down one's spine. He oriented himself and began to walk down the mountain.
Resurrected!
At a certain moment, the crow foraging on the grave suddenly took flight, flapping its wings and soaring into the sky
He left the mountain path, walked a dozen steps to the left, parted a dense patch of grass, and what came into view was a mass of white
He lowered his head and took a look, discovering that his attire was quite strange, resembling the costumes of constables or yamen runners in a television drama, identical to the clothing of the two men beside him
Everyone, hands off
Since the passing of his parents, he has been unburdened in this world
The tall man swallowed and said, "Isn't it always said by the storytellers in the brothels that the three souls and seven spirits of the living are a great tonic for demons and evil beings? Some demons and evil beings specifically lure and consume human souls to cultivate their power, and even the coroner cannot determine the cause of death; if it is not the mischief of demons and evil beings, then what is it..."
This is a place called Da Zhou, specifically whether it refers to the Zhou Dynasty, Northern Zhou, Later Zhou, or Wu Zhou, Li Mu does not know
Given the attire of those two individuals and his own, the likelihood of him being in the modern era is quite low
You are welcome
Two individuals picked up shovels, selected a vacant piece of land, and began to dig a hole
It seemed that he had realized something, and he began to scrutinize his own hands
"Don't say that..." The short man looked at the corpse on the ground, sorrow welling up within him, and said: "Li Mucai was so unfortunate; he was fine just yesterday, how could it suddenly..."
The anxious shouts of the doctor gradually faded away, and Li Mu's consciousness sank into an endless abyss
With two loud clanks, the two individuals dropped their shovels, shouting as they rolled and crawled out of Li Mu's sight
After a long while, a figure finally appeared on the mountain path
... ...
Northern County
CPR
The tall figure glanced around and mysteriously said, "I heard that someone had their soul enticed by a malevolent spirit..."
Li Mu also turned to look at them
Do you want to bury him alive
"Evil spirit?" The short man was taken aback and asked, "Who did you hear that from?"
Li Mu's face still bore a hint of confusion, but he had already come to understand what had transpired
The white fox's body trembled, as if it understood his words, and surprisingly, it ceased to struggle