Chapter 2 - Xingu Village

The middle-aged man, overcome with emotion, didn't catch what Xiao Xianyu said the first time. Xiao Xianyu had to repeat himself. The man looked at him in confusion and asked, "What did you say? You... you can cure her?"

Xiao Xianyu smiled gently and replied, "Uncle, please move auntie to a flat surface first."

The man, realizing this, let out an "oh," hurriedly picked up his wife, and laid her on the bed. The young man followed to the bedside and stood quietly by.

The man watched him, full of suspicion. First, he worried that his wife’s body had already begun to stiffen—surely it was too late to save her now. Second, this youth was so young—how could he possibly cure such a grave illness?

He stared intently at the young man but never saw how the silver needle appeared between the youth’s fingers. In the next instant, the youth flicked his right hand and drove the needle into the woman’s chest.

He twisted it gently a few times, then withdrew it. Strangely enough, the moment the needle came out, the woman was seized by a violent coughing fit. She suddenly spat out a black, wriggling thing from her mouth.

When it hit the ground, it squirmed around like a living creature, trying to escape. But the youth's right hand flicked again, and the silver needle pinned the thing directly to the floor.

He then turned calmly, picked it up, and, unnoticed by the shocked husband, slipped it into a small black gourd at his waist. The silver needle vanished back up his left sleeve.

Having confirmed that his wife was truly out of danger, the man hurried to Xiao Xianyu, saying, "Young man, thank you! Thank you so much!" His words tumbled out in his excitement.

The youth just smiled and replied, "Uncle, you needn’t thank me. It was nothing, really."

"No, young man—no, benefactor! For you it may be nothing, but for us, it’s as if you’ve given us new life. Wife, hurry and thank our benefactor!"

The man called loudly to his wife.

Xiao Xianyu smiled and said, "Uncle, Auntie, truly, there’s no need for thanks."

Just then, Xiao Xianyu's stomach let out a loud rumble.

Only then did the man recall that he had brought this youth home for a meal and some water. Never did he imagine that a simple kindness would save his wife’s life. He was certain the village’s barefoot doctor could never have managed such a feat.

He asked his wife, "How do you feel now? Are you able to cook?"

"I’m fine now, I can cook, I can cook!" she answered at once.

The couple bustled into the kitchen to prepare lunch for their guest. Xiao Xianyu offered to help, but they insisted he rest outside.

Seeing he couldn’t win, Xiao Xianyu sat at the table outside. Bored, he took out the little black gourd, removed the lid, and shook it a few times.

The black thing he had put inside earlier fell out onto the table with a soft thud.

He picked it up and saw it was an insect—pointed head, long antennae, pincers at the front, a barbed tail at the back, its body shiny and black.

As Xiao Xianyu studied the bug, his brows furrowed. "Isn’t this the 'corpse-eater' Master told me about? Why would it attack Auntie?"

The corpse-eater, as its name implied, fed on corpses—especially human bodies. It was ferocious and venomous.

Auntie had been on the verge of death because the insect had already burrowed into her. Because she was not yet dead, the corpse-eater lay dormant. Stimulated by Xiao Xianyu’s needle, the insect was forced out.

"Corpse-eaters only appear where dark energy gathers, places of great misfortune," he thought. "Could some disaster be about to strike this village?"

He took the silver needle from his left wrist and pricked the bug several times. Strangely, after a few jabs, the corpse-eater dissolved into a black mist, which lingered in the air before him. Xiao Xianyu opened the black gourd, and the mist was drawn inside.

After a while, lunch was brought to the table.

Though this was a humble farmhouse, and even their best fare amounted to nothing more than chicken and fish, to Xiao Xianyu—who was no scion of wealth—such dishes were a rare treat. In the mountains, he lived on greens and bamboo shoots, rarely tasting meat.

The couple urged him to eat more meat and less vegetables, overflowing with gratitude.

Xiao Xianyu smiled and said, "Uncle, Auntie, please—no more thanks. My master always said, 'Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-storied pagoda.' To ignore the suffering of others—what kind of person would that be? I simply acted according to my master’s teachings and my own heart."

He then asked, "Uncle, what is this village called?"

The man replied, "This is Kindling-Guard Village. Among the surrounding villages, ours is one of the larger ones, with over a hundred households."

Xiao Xianyu nodded and asked, "Do you and Auntie have no children?"

At this, both the man and his wife’s faces dimmed.

He sighed, "We used to have a child. About a month ago, he died suddenly of a mysterious illness."

Their expressions changed abruptly. They stared at Xiao Xianyu.

Xiao Xianyu realized something and asked, "Did your child’s illness resemble Auntie’s episode today?"

The man shook his head. "He was fine when he went to sleep. In the morning... he was gone, just like that. We didn’t think much of it at the time, but in light of today, it does seem similar."

The woman’s tears began to flow. "If only we’d met you sooner, our child might still be alive..."

The man sighed deeply. "It’s fate, I suppose."

Xiao Xianyu frowned, thinking, "It seems Kindling-Guard Village is indeed facing trouble. After lunch, I must look around."

With this in mind, he asked, "Uncle, Auntie, I have a small request. May I trouble you with it?"