Chapter 1

In 1989, it was a year of unpredictable scorching sun. My mother got lost on her way to the hospital and ended up giving birth to me in a graveyard late at night.

People say that those born under such circumstances have a life as cheap as a dog's, but they are destined to become dragons or tigers in the future.

However, after I was born, I would always fall ill for no apparent reason. Even the big hospitals couldn't do much for me. I had so many critical condition notices that I could fold them into exercise books.

To keep me alive, my mother visited many people and tried all sorts of folk remedies and treatments. Eventually, she found a fortune-teller who could predict and manipulate fate.

The fortune-teller said that before I was born, someone had already planned everything out: the year, month, day, and time of my birth were all associated with yin, and I was even delivered by a yin ghost. I was born with a heavy yin aura, attracting evil spirits. He called this a "yin corpse ghost" fate, which was incurable. No matter what, I wouldn't live past seven years old. After I died, I would be cultivated into a blood-clothed ghost by someone with evil intentions to harm others.

My mother was stunned when she heard this. The thought of me turning into a ghost to harm others made her shudder. She quickly begged the fortune-teller to save me, but after he calculated with his fingers, he immediately packed his bags and fled.

My mother fainted several times in tears. Finally, she remembered her mother, who could exorcise ghosts and cure illnesses.

My grandmother was a famous shaman. During the Cultural Revolution, to avoid persecution, she fled into the deep mountains and forests, disappearing without a trace.

Determined, my mother carried me, who was critically ill, and walked for three days and nights along the old path my grandmother had taken into the mountains. Despite the hardships, she finally found my grandmother's residence, thanks to the mercy of heaven.

My grandmother took me from my mother's arms, tears streaming down her face. But after calculating with her fingers, she immediately stomped her feet and cursed.

"Which little brat dared to harm my precious grandson!"

My mother thought she was cursing her and fell to the ground in fear, crying uncontrollably. Of course, this was her description later. Given my grandmother's calm nature, it's uncertain if it really happened that way. However, every time she exaggerated the story, I would feel a deep admiration for my grandmother's powerful presence, which might be why I always felt close to her.

Understanding that I had been cursed, my grandmother immediately set up an altar to perform a ritual, but not to exorcise the ghost or cure my illness. Instead, she arranged a marriage for me with a young girl.

Regardless of whether my grandmother's method was right, I never fell ill again and lived a peaceful life.

Many people might think I'm ungrateful for using the term "self-arranged." After all, in today's world, there are many people in their thirties and forties who have never had a girlfriend. I had a wife before I even grew any hair, so what more could I want?

However, I had my reasons. My young wife was not what people might imagine. It wasn't because she wasn't pretty or old, but because I had never seen her in all these years!

But my grandmother said: "She has always been by your side."

Later, when our neighbors installed satellite dishes and could receive several TV channels, I watched many period dramas and gradually understood what a young wife was.

A young wife was a畸形 arranged marriage in old times, where poor families would sell their daughters to wealthy families to be brides for their children. The age difference was usually significant, and the young wives were often treated well.

But my young wife was invisible, which was strange!

At the age of seven or eight, I thought, if I had a sister-wife, shouldn't I at least be able to see her?

So I asked my grandmother many questions about my invisible sister-wife, but she always smiled gently at the empty space beside me, leaving me puzzled.

Once, frustrated that no one helped me when I fell, I joked with my grandmother: "Grandma, you say I have a young wife, my legitimate wife, but I've never seen her. When I fall, no one helps me. It's just a name without substance. If I find someone I like in the future, I'll definitely marry her as my real wife!"

I remember my grandmother's face changed immediately, and she quickly told me not to speak nonsense, saying that even if I found someone I liked, I could only take her as a concubine, not a wife.

Of course, I, being stubborn, was not pleased: "If I can't marry her, which girl would be willing to be my concubine?"

My usually calm grandmother was taken aback by my stubbornness.

But soon, I suffered. A cold wind suddenly blew around me, and I almost died of fright, quickly running to hug my grandmother.

Finally, my grandmother made me admit that I was joking, and the eerie feeling disappeared.

From then on, I began to feel that there was indeed something invisible around me, and I couldn't sleep for many nights.

The first time I saw her, I think it was when I was twelve and started school in town.

The summer in the south was particularly hot, and the town was like a steamer. After school, we children liked to go to the nearby rivers and streams to swim.

That day, Zhang Yidan and I, along with six or seven children from other classes, went to a river near Huang Dong's house to have a swimming competition, as suggested by Huang Dong.

Zhang Yidan, like me, was from the small village where my grandmother lived. His real name was Zhang Yuanyi. Because he was mischievous as a child and often ran around naked, his friends noticed that one of his testicles was particularly large, covering the other, so they called him Zhang Yidan. He didn't mind and even took pride in it.

His somewhat foolish personality had its benefits, as it helped him make many friends in his class.

I, on the other hand, inherited my mother's stubbornness. Under my grandmother's influence, I became more patient and composed, which made it hard for me to connect with my classmates.

However, Zhang Yidan was very perceptive. He knew I was known for being mysterious and always escaping danger, so he often wanted to play with me. Of course, he wouldn't leave me out of activities like swimming.

We passed through a dense fruit orchard and arrived at the river near Huang Dong's house.

This stream was a branch of a river from Vietnam, calm but deep and wide. However, it was no challenge for us, who were skilled swimmers.

Upon arrival, everyone stripped down to nothing.

I was about to take off my clothes and get into the river, but I felt a cold wind on my back and shivered.

This situation had only happened a few times since I was old enough to understand, but each time, it made my hair stand on end and put me on high alert.

But I saw a few children already in the water, playing and splashing around, and even with my usually calm temperament, I felt a bit restless.

Zhang Yidan, completely naked, pulled me to get into the water: "Brother Tian, let's go!"

Normally, if I felt a cold wind on my back, I would immediately turn around and leave. But today, I was not in the mood. At twelve or thirteen, teachers say this is the rebellious age. Why shouldn't I be a bit rebellious?

Huang Dong, the class leader from the neighboring class, saw Zhang Yidan, the leader of our class, calling me "Brother Tian" and looked down on me for hesitating to get into the water: "Xia Yitian, what's wrong? Can't you swim? Or are you afraid of dying?"

"Huang Dong, are you trying to pick a fight? Is Brother Tian afraid of dying?" Zhang Yidan glared, but he glanced at me cautiously.

I didn't want to back down. I hesitated, looked back, and then took off my clothes, following Zhang Yidan into the water. However, I didn't start swimming immediately but stood in the shallow water, watching them play.

"Damn, this kid is just afraid of dying, right, Brother Dong? Or is it that Brother Dong is braver?"

"Heh, no need to say." Huang Dong glanced at me disdainfully and swam deeper with the other kids, turning back to say: "Zhang Yidan, are you afraid on someone else's turf? Dare to team up with Brother Tian and race us across the river?"

"Stupid, dare to race us across the river?" Zhang Yidan was angry. He was known as the "flying fish" in the village for his fast swimming, and I was also a good swimmer. We had never lost a race, so he immediately wanted to team up with me.

I was about to go with Zhang Yidan, but suddenly, a strange force pulled me. I felt cold hands pulling my underwear, deforming it.

I reached back to cover my almost exposed buttocks, and with a rip, my underwear almost tore. I turned around, ready to curse the person who was messing with me, but there was nothing there.

But when I turned back, I immediately saw a red figure in the water behind me, pulling me. The water was rippling from the children's play, so I couldn't see her clearly, but it was enough to scare me.

I immediately tried to grab Zhang Yidan and stop him from going in: "Yidan, don't go over there. Quick, get out of the water."

Zhang Yidan, who had already gone in, saw my pale face and immediately ran over: "What's wrong, Brother Tian? Are you okay?"

I felt something was off. "Look, isn't the river too quiet?" I looked around the riverbank but saw nothing that could stop me from getting into the water.

Zhang Yidan, knowing about my grandmother's reputation, immediately followed my lead, scared: "Brother Tian, what did you see?"

"I don't know, but let's get out of the water right now." I repeated.

"Hey, class! Everyone, get out of the water!" Zhang Yidan immediately called to the other two classmates.

"Haha, the kids from Class 138 are all cowards!" Huang Dong saw our class getting out of the water and immediately mocked us.

"Talking about a water battle? What a joke, go home and drink milk." Huang Dong's friends also mocked us.

The two classmates, though they looked down on me, didn't dare to disagree with Zhang Yidan and quickly got out of the water.

I ignored their mocking and got out of the water. The eerie feeling dissipated, and I panted, looking back into the river. I saw a pair of pale hands, like they were surrendering, floating up and down in the water near Huang Dong.