Chapter 2, The Ghost Knocks on the Door

The little demon saw the ornate carriage enter the courtyard and hurriedly bowed to step aside. Two giant demons swayed as they pulled the carriage to about ten feet in front of Li. Their bodies suddenly straightened, and they tilted their heads to the sky, roaring: "Aow..." These two shouts were deep and resonant, filled with a violent aura that permeated the entire small courtyard. Li was startled, her spirit unsettled, but at that moment, a cool voice emerged from within the ornate carriage: "Nonsense!"

Li was unable to move, only able to watch in panic as he heard the sound of drums and music approaching from the front, growing louder and closer. In the dim, gray world, various lanterns flickering with blue flames appeared, casting a blue glow that revealed a group of ghosts. Leading the group were two giant-like demons, each with a bald head and a body as dark as coal, towering at least three zhang high. Their eyes burned with a fiery red, exuding an eerie aura. Each had a bridle around its mouth, crawling forward on all fours while pulling a luxurious carriage, their large nostrils flaring as they breathed heavily.

Li felt a moment of calm, silently reciting "Amitabha" in his heart. However, he found the entire world shrouded in a gray haze, devoid of stars and the moon. In the courtyard, he could see nothing, and a chilling cold enveloped him. He realized he was being pressed by a ghost, but while others experienced this phenomenon lying in bed, how was he standing? Confusion filled Li's mind, intensifying his fear, yet his thoughts were remarkably clear. He had heard that when encountering sleep paralysis, one could wake up immediately by grinding their teeth, so he made an effort to clench his jaw tightly.

The temple is located on the small Yin Mountain. This mountain is small, and Lin Laoshi often goes up the mountain to chop wood, yet he has never seen this temple. However, he believes what his wife says. The two of them, with sincere hearts, searched everywhere. Little did they know, after seven consecutive days, they had almost turned the entire small mountain but still did not find the temple.

However, Lin, being honest, was pushed to his limits and became stubborn. He felt that no matter what, he had to find the fox that stole the chicken from www.hetushu.com and teach it a lesson. An honest person in a fit of anger is even more terrifying, far more obstinate than an average person, and without any regard, he headed towards the back mountain.

The white fox had just eaten a hen from Lin Laoshi's family and was lazily feeding its two cubs when it unexpectedly found itself being chased here. By the time it noticed Lin Laoshi, it was already somewhat late. In a panic, it darted aside, but Lin Laoshi's axe had already come down, severing half of the white fox's tail.

Upon reaching this point, Lin Laoshi could not help but feel a sense of surprise and excitement, striding quickly towards home. However, in his haste, he slipped on the downhill path and stumbled, falling to the ground. The two fox cubs he was holding were flung away, landing right against a tree. Dazed from the fall, he hurriedly got up to retrieve the two cubs. Upon picking them up, he found that one had been knocked unconscious, while the other had suffered a fatal injury, dead beyond recovery.

Days passed one after another, yet unexpectedly, a month later, Li felt nausea and vomiting. Upon having her pulse checked, it turned out she was pregnant. Lin, naturally, was overjoyed, his happiness evident. However, Li felt a sense of unease in her heart, constantly recalling the strange dream from that night.

The back mountain is high and densely forested, making the search for the chicken-stealing fox akin to finding a needle in a haystack. However, it just so happened that a light snow fell last night, and although the snow was not heavy, the fox's footprints were clearly discernible. Along the way, there were also some scattered chicken feathers, leading Lin Laoshi to a remarkably large old tree.

The colorful carriage is quite delicate, surrounded by various kinds of ghosts and monsters. Some hold lanterns, some play the suona, others play the sheng, while some beat drums, strike gongs, carry trays, and hold incense... The variety is endless, and this scene is as lively as the wedding of Zhong Kui's sister.

The little demon stood no taller than three feet, with a green face and sharp teeth, its skin a shade of green. It was clad only in a piece of beast hide, making faces at her. Li was startled and, in her panic, attempted to close the door, but to her dismay, her body felt as if it had been struck by a paralysis spell, rendering her unable to move. She wanted to call out loudly to Lin Laoshi, but no matter how hard she tried, not a sound escaped her throat.

Old Lin, still seething with anger after encountering the white fox, smashed the fox den to pieces and furiously emerged from the tree hollow, holding two fox cubs in his hands

At that moment, hundreds of ghosts and monsters were brandishing their claws, dancing with abandon, and laughing in unison, as if celebrating something. Li was taken aback and let out a cry of surprise. She turned over and realized she could move, but there were still ghosts and monsters before her. She found herself still lying in her own bed, with Lin Laoshi snoring loudly beside her.

However, ever since she became pregnant, the household has been peaceful. Li felt that she might have been overthinking. She recalled the encounter from that day and feared that it was a divine manifestation sending her a son. Remembering the vow she had made, she felt compelled to fulfill her promise. She shared the events of that day with Lin Laoshi, and the couple bought some white flour, steamed a pot of buns, purchased a pound of meat, prepared several dishes, and set out to find the small temple to repay their vow

Lin Laoshi was both anxious and felt guilty towards the Li family. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He grabbed a short axe used for chopping wood and tucked it into his coat, following the bloodstains up the back mountain. At that time, the villagers held a deep respect and fear for the Five Immortal Families. The so-called Five Immortal Families referred to the five immortals: Hu, Liu, Bai, Huang, and Hui, which were the fox, snake, hedgehog, yellow weasel, and mouse. Especially in the village near the mountains, they dared not provoke them lightly.

In front, on a high pile of withered leaves, three white foxes are lying. One large fox is nursing two small foxes, while two old hens are present; one has been reduced to mere bones, and the other is stiffly standing to the side, presumably left for the foxes' next meal

Old Lin walked around the tree and noticed a large hole behind it, from which white vapor was faintly rising. Upon closer inspection, he found that the area around the tree hole was surrounded by withered weeds, and there was no accumulated snow nearby. The fox tracks led to the side of the tree hole but then disappeared without a trace.

This old tree is likely several hundred years old, yet it is of no use as timber. Not only is it twisted and gnarled, but its trunk is also lumpy and half-dead. This tree is known as "completely useless," which means that a boat made from it would sink, a coffin would rot, utensils would break, doors would not fit properly, and pillars would be eaten by insects. Even when split for firewood, it is somewhat too hard, hence the name.

The white fox yelped in pain and jumped up, not even caring for its two cubs. By the time Lin Laoshi turned around, it had already dashed out of the tree hole. Lin Laoshi found a vine to tie up the two fox cubs and went to check on the remaining old hen with mottled feathers. At this point, the old hen had long since died, with deep bite marks from the fox on its body, making it unsuitable for his wife to eat.

Strangely, this tree hole did not have the foul and rancid smell typical of other fox dens; on the contrary, it appeared quite clean. Lin Laoshi did not think much of it, pushed aside the branches and weeds that were blocking the entrance, and crawled inside. Upon entering the tree hole, Lin Laoshi was momentarily stunned, for the interior was remarkably spacious, even larger than his own house. The ground was piled high with plump and thick matsutake mushrooms, and around it were various flowers and fruits of unknown names.

Seeing the tragic state of his two native chickens, Lin Laoshi was instantly filled with rage, his anger surging like a tide. He shouted furiously, "What a thieving fox, stealing my wife's food to nourish your young!" He pulled a short axe from his bosom and lunged forward, aiming to strike the white fox.

Li was both regretful and fearful, not understanding how this evil deity had entangled itself with her. Just as she was filled with confusion and uncertainty, she heard the young man cheerfully say to her: "Do not be afraid, today when you come to worship me, it is also fate. How about I become your son?" As he spoke, he transformed into a beam of white light and entered Li's belly

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, three months have passed, ushering in winter. Early that morning, Lin Laoshi went to the chicken coop to collect eggs as usual. He reached out, but not only were there no eggs, there were also no hens to be found. Lin Laoshi's heart sank, realizing something was wrong. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a few scattered chicken feathers beside the coop, two pools of chicken blood, which had already coagulated, and some white feathers.

As the cold wind blew out of the tree hole, Lin Laoshi calmed down, lowering his head to look at the two small foxes in his hands that were chirping incessantly. He noticed that these two little foxes were pure white, without a single stray hair, their eyes filled with fear, and it seemed that tears were glistening in their round little eyes. Seeing the two little foxes in such a pitiful state stirred something in Lin Laoshi's heart. However, poverty limited his ambitions. These two small foxes, being entirely snow-white and without a single stray hair, could be sold to wealthy families. Although they might not be enough to make a fur collar, they could certainly be made into two pairs of gloves, which could fetch a few taels of loose silver, certainly worth more than his two old hens.

The couple, feeling helpless, ceased their search and gradually forgot about the matter. The Lin family was impoverished, unlike other families that could afford meat to nourish the wife during her pregnancy. Although Lin Laoshi did not speak of it, he understood in his heart that his wife needed to eat better. Therefore, he worked hard for two months, taking on labor for others from dawn till dusk, and bought two laying hens. Each day, he would gather two or three eggs to help Li Shi regain her strength

With a forceful grind, her upper and lower teeth clashed, producing a creaking sound that echoed in the silent night. The noise of her teeth grinding was exceptionally loud, startling even Li Shi herself. However, no matter how much she ground her teeth, she remained frozen at the door. The little ghost looked at her and chuckled, saying, "It’s useless for you to grind your teeth; my master will be here soon."

The two old hens with fluffy feathers were clearly taken by a fox. Lin Laoshi was filled with indignation and said, "This thieving fox, why does it not steal from Wang Decai's house where there are dozens of chickens? It must be afraid of the fierce dog there, yet it chooses to steal from me. Am I to be bullied just because I am poor and honest? Without these two hens, what will my wife use to nourish herself?"

This group of ghosts numbered in the hundreds, swaying and clawing as they squeezed into the small courtyard of Lin Laoshi's home. The courtyard itself spanned only a few dozen steps, and even ten people standing there would seem lively. Yet, with so many spirits arriving now, the Li family felt no sense of crowding; rather, it appeared there was still ample space.

These two words were not loud, yet they were exceptionally clear and pleasant, instantly suppressing the rampant atmosphere of violence. Following this, the curtain of the ornate carriage was drawn open, and a young gentleman emerged from within. This gentleman wore a radiant smile, donned a colorful robe, and had a royal crown upon his head. He was none other than the unknown evil deity that the Li family had paid homage to today in order to seek shelter from the rain.

It was merely a nightmare, yet the dream felt all too real. Li was still somewhat dazed, having not dared to sleep again throughout the night. Thus, he endured until the rooster crowed at dawn, and no further strange occurrences took place.