You kid! You don't have to be so low-key! !

An endless chill pervaded the young man's mind; he was consumed by a desire to escape, unable to muster the slightest resistance, his heart filled with boundless fear.

Perhaps it was too cold, the suffocating feeling pulled him out of despair. As his consciousness returned, the bewildered young man wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his gaze unfocused. The night gradually faded, and the wooden door of the pharmacy was closed at some point. The charcoal fire beside him was now just a pile of ashes and a few glowing red embers.

The white mist in my mouth was too thick, the heavy blanket couldn't provide warmth, and the sprained ankle was excruciatingly painful.

The moon was bright and the stars were few, making the world seem even colder. Patting his head, the young man smiled bitterly: "Have I become addicted to dreaming of being an immortal? How come even an immortal would be so pathetic, drowning in a swamp? Indeed, even in dreams, I'm not cut out to be an immortal."

The charcoal fire was reignited, bringing a bit more warmth. Changqing dared not sleep any longer. Watching the light shining through the door of the pharmacy grow brighter and brighter, he finally made it through another day.

This winter seems to be particularly difficult for him.

As they dismantled the door panels, the daylight was not yet bright, and the shop was too quiet. Changqing walked out and, panting, faced the lingering moonlight. As if by telepathy, they gazed into the distance at the quiet street.

The tall, slender figure in the orange robe stood straight, standing out against the dim light of the open sky, and his gaze seemed to be fixed firmly on Changqing.

The two stared at each other for a long time, and Changqing got goosebumps: Could it be some kind of ghost? It is said that ghosts and demons like to harm people at night. It is not yet dawn, so it must have seen him!

Changqing hurriedly retreated back into the shop, closed the door, and even the pain in his feet had subsided. As he was busy, he heard a sneer in his ear.

Another hour passed, and the sky was fully bright, but the feeling of being watched lingered; it was as if he were truly being targeted by a ghost!

When Han Zijin woke up and came out, he saw the exhaustion in Changqing's eyes. He wanted to say something, but he only opened his mouth and did not make a sound.

The door was slowly opened, and the blinding sunlight shone into his eyes, making him instinctively want to close them. But Changqing, wrapped in a blanket, visibly shivered. Across the street, a man in orange brocade robes, with a stubble beard and disheveled hair, was huddled in a corner, his hands hidden in his sleeves, looking rather disheveled.

Hearing the wooden door open, the man straightened his clothes, stood up silently, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness of the shop, landing on the young man wrapped in a blanket. The corners of his mouth were upturned, and his eyebrows were curved. He was trying his best to suppress his laughter, as if he had seen a joke, but more than that, he was scrutinizing and curious.

The man was momentarily distracted and ended up next to Han Zijin, startling the latter as well.

"Is the customer here to buy medicine?"

"Exactly!" The man walked into the shop, looked around, and finally his gaze fell on Changqing: "I need a prescription for medicine to cure my cowardice!"

Changqing breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the other person's shadow cast by the winter sun. A shadow means a person. He was surprised that he had been so startled. He grabbed a thick blanket and said rather irritably, "Sorry, a customer's heart problem needs a heart remedy. I can't sell that kind of medicine here!"

In the morning light, Changqing finally saw the newcomer's face clearly. Although his face was slovenly, he was still quite handsome. Judging from his clothes, he should be a wealthy person. It was really a shame that he had dressed himself up like this. However, the man's face was very familiar, and a sense of disgust arose spontaneously. It was as if his senses were telling him to stay away from this guy, because there was a trap!

"I see~" the man said slowly, not annoyed as he warmed himself by the fire.

"It's alright, it's alright." The man didn't seem to care, still as if he was suppressing a laugh, but he was clearly more cautious, as if he had seen the problem with Changqing, and his words became more serious.

I happen to have some medicine here:

Slaughtering millions of demons, can that ignite your ambition?

Is it truly satisfying to toy with the powerful at will?

The voice was soft, yet it struck his heart like a thunderbolt. A chill ran through him; Changqing looked at the person before him and involuntarily furrowed his brow, a wary expression creeping in—it seemed like an instinctive reaction.

Han Zijin, who was dismantling the door panel, suddenly stopped. Ten finger marks were quickly left on the panel, penetrating deep into the wood. Had the time finally come?

Upon seeing the familiar face, the man sensed something was amiss. He glanced at Changqing a few more times, then feigned realization and softened his tone:

"So, you can be afraid too, so fragile and vulnerable. What are you afraid of? The responsibilities you don't want to bear, the deceit and scheming? Are you just willing to sink into the mire of this mortal world?"

The man stood up and walked outside. As he approached the threshold, his mood seemed to darken, and he said in a deep voice, "Wake up. Someone is waiting for you. We need you back. The world would be much less fun without you..."

The man disappeared into the cold winter wind, and by the time Han Zijin chased after him, he had already vanished.

The figure in front of the counter stared blankly at the howling wind on the street, scratched his head, and looked on inexplicably...

A day is short, surprisingly short, as if time is stolen away in the midst of busyness.

At night, he finally felt much better in his ankle and was able to walk with difficulty. He was helped back to the thatched hut by Han Zijin and Han Zisi.

The drowsiness lingered, persisting throughout the day. In the afternoon, I dozed off countless times, and each time I closed my eyes, I saw countless ferocious beasts and demons in the swamp, grinning menacingly at me and licking their lips.

He kept waking up in fright, which made his medicine preparation a complete mess. Fortunately, Han Zisi helped him and prevented any major problems.

Han Zisi, unusually, did not go up the mountain to see Zuixianlou. Today, while talking with the villagers, he heard that Boss Xie, Boss Yun, Ling Wuzong, and Zhong Zhentang had all disappeared, which must be related.

At this moment, the courtyard was not as desolate as I had imagined. There were no fallen leaves on the ground, and the stone table was spotless, as if someone had taken good care of it.

Before I could think much of it, an oil lamp lit up the wooden door as it opened, revealing a familiar face and the lively scene behind it.

Her face seemed to show a moment of surprise, but when she saw the disheveled state of the person who came, it quickly dimmed, and the "Master" that came out of her mouth quickly turned into a coquettish retort: ​​"It's you, you still know how to come back?"

"Thank you for your concern, Boss. I'm so glad I'm alive!" Changqing smiled awkwardly.

Tsk tsk tsk~~~ Behind Jie Xinyu, a figure emerged from the shadows, as if watching a good show, unusually mischievous: "He's still alive, but I think he's lost more than half of his life. Look at this blackness, and look at those panda eyes, just like the iron-eating beast from the Bamboo Sea Academy in the Central Region! And how did he become a cripple?"

Dressed in flowing brocade, like drifting clouds, with exquisite features, he was none other than Boss Yun.

"Fairy Sister!" Han Zisi ran forward, her eyes filled with even more longing than before. The woman she had been separated from for so long in her memory had returned.

Seeing Changqing looking at his faded clothes, trying his best to walk normally, and unconsciously revealing his shame, the woman also noticed something was wrong. She opened her mouth, looked at her own clothes, and instantly realized that she had done something wrong, revealing a few helpless expressions.