Chapter 3

A light coughing sound echoed, and Lin Tian opened his eyes, which were filled with confusion. The dilapidated scene before him remained unchanged. When he saw the clay statue of the deity, his eyes widened, and he immediately pushed himself up from the ground, running out while shouting.

"Ah..."

Looking at the bright sky and the dry ground outside, Lin Tian was puzzled, "Didn't it rain?"

Why was there no standing water on the ground?

Looking through the light into the ancient temple, he saw no anomalies. Lin Tian couldn't help but wonder, "Was I dreaming?"

While deep in thought, Lin Tian didn't notice that the purple and swollen marks on his face had silently disappeared.

It must have been a dream. I must have been hit so hard by Hu Zi and his gang that I got confused.

I should hurry home; if I don't, I'll miss lunch.

Lin Tian rushed down the small path leading to Houshan Village.

"Strange, climbing this small mountain path usually isn't tiring, but it's never been this easy. It feels like I didn't even try."

Standing halfway up the mountain, Lin Tian looked back at the winding path and muttered to himself.

This mountain path is the last leg of the journey to Houshan Village. The small village ahead, with its smoking chimneys, is his home, "Houshan Village."

"Huh..."

"Why is no one cooling off under the big tree at the village entrance today?"

Seeing the deserted village, Lin Tian was puzzled.

Seeing his home within reach, Lin Tian pushed open the tightly closed door and called out,

"Mom, I'm back."

Lin Tian pushed open the gate, ignoring the dog Ah Huang wagging its tail, and called into the inner room.

"Xiao Tian is back. Why are you so late?"

A middle-aged woman, who was picking vegetables, looked up and smiled at Lin Tian.

"The rain delayed me. I slipped a few times on the mountain path."

Lin Tian, sitting next to his mother and helping her pick vegetables, didn't even look up as he spoke.

"Rain? Didn't the weather forecast say there wouldn't be any rain recently?"

Lin Tian's mother asked, puzzled.

"Even if it did rain, how come you're not hurt at all after slipping on the mountain path?"

"How can I not be hurt?"

Lin Tian, who was helping his mother pick vegetables, looked up and pointed to his face, "Look at my face. I got a few bruises. Such a handsome face, now it's all messed up."

Seeing his mother's stunned expression, Lin Tian waved his hand in front of her face.

"Mom, what are you looking at? Am I that handsome?"

Lin Tian thought to himself, "It's just a beating, and my face is bruised."

"Xiao Tian, why do you seem different from before?"

Lin Tian's mother, who had recovered, stopped her work and carefully examined Lin Tian's face.

"How am I different?"

Lin Tian asked, puzzled.

He quickly got up and walked to his room, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Lin Tian, who had been relaxed a moment ago, suddenly changed his expression.

His face, which had been bruised and swollen, was now smooth, and even the acne on his nose had disappeared. His face was now as smooth and tender as a freshly peeled egg.

Logically, Lin Tian should have been happy, but the trembling of his lips reminded him of what had just happened.

"That... wasn't a dream."

"Those... were... real."

Thinking about sleeping in the ghost den, Lin Tian couldn't help but feel a chill and let out a scream.

Hearing Lin Tian's scream, Lin Tian's mother, who was busy outside, quickly came in and asked with concern,

"Xiao Tian, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Turning around, Lin Tian saw his mother's worried face and felt a wave of dizziness. He quickly grabbed the table beside him. This all happened in an instant, and even Lin Tian's mother, standing at the door, didn't react.

When Lin Tian recovered, he looked at his mother standing at the door, but the scene before him left him stunned.

A faint red light emanated from his mother's body, and a slight red glow reflected from the center of her forehead.

A data-like text flashed in Lin Tian's mind.

Zhang Xiulan, female, Han nationality, born in 1964.

Full forehead, red glow at the center, slightly protruding cheeks, a sign of wealth.

"Xiao Tian, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Lin Tian's mother walked up to him, looking at him with concern and shaking his dazed face anxiously.

"What... the hell... is going on?"

Lin Tian, in a daze, said these words, which made Lin Tian's mother frown and scold, "Xiao Tian, don't swear."

"Mom, you're thirty-four this year?"

Lin Tian asked uncertainly.

"Xiao Tian, I never told you that. How did you know? Did your father tell you?"

Lin Tian was also surprised.

"Uh..."

"It must have been Dad who told me."

At this moment, Lin Tian was completely stunned and didn't notice the flaws in his answer.

Lin Tian's mother didn't pay attention to what he said and smiled.

"Xiao Tian, let's eat. I have some good news to tell you."

Lin Tian's mother turned and walked to the kitchen.

Lin Tian was still in a daze, his face blank, but deep inside, he felt like a volcano was erupting, making it impossible to calm down from this inexplicable scene.

The joyful barking of Ah Huang and a deep male voice snapped Lin Tian out of his daze.

"I have to keep this a secret, or I might be treated like a lab rat by the authorities."

Lin Tian, who had calmed down, said softly.

Just as he stepped out of the room, he met his father, who looked wind-worn.

Seeing the faint golden light emanating from his father's body and the obvious red glow at the center of his forehead, the same information flashed in Lin Tian's mind.

Lin Chong, male, Han nationality, born in 1962.

Raised forehead, red glow, a sign of wealth and good fortune.

Although the previous scene had made Lin Tian gradually adapt, seeing the same scene in his father's mind still left him shocked, and he even forgot to greet him.

"Kid, you're quite something."

"Now you don't even greet your old man."

Lin Chong laughed and scolded, seeing Lin Tian's dazed face.

"Dad..."

"What's got you so happy?"

Lin Tian, startled by Lin Chong's scolding, quickly said, "I'll tell you during dinner. I need to keep it a secret for now."

At this moment, Zhang Xiulan, holding a bowl of rice, came out of the kitchen and called to the two of them.

During the meal, Lin Tian, who usually spoke without restraint, seemed to have changed his personality. He ate silently, not speaking.

"Xiao Tian, we have 300,000 yuan in savings."

Seeing Lin Tian eating silently, Lin Chong teased.

"Ah..."

Lin Tian, who was drinking porridge, spilled it all over, accompanied by a coughing fit.

"Cough... cough..."

"Xiao Tian, are you okay?"

Zhang Xiulan asked with concern.

Lin Tian, ignoring Zhang Xiulan's worried face, looked at Lin Chong in disbelief.

"Dad, is what you said true?"

It's no wonder Lin Tian didn't believe it. In 1998, a few thousand yuan was a huge sum for an ordinary family, let alone 300,000 yuan.

It's like if your parents suddenly told you, "Son, we have a few million in savings."

Seeing his son's disbelief, Lin Chong said, a bit unhappy,

"Why would I lie to you?"

"A few days ago, I was fetching water on the back mountain and found a piece of porcelain in the water. A passerby from out of town happened to see it."

"That person examined the porcelain for a long time and offered 200,000 yuan to buy it, saying he would go to the town to get the money. I thought he was a scammer and refused to sell it, then took the porcelain home."

"Unexpectedly, the person came back with 300,000 yuan the day before yesterday. I was stunned by the amount of money and didn't even notice when he left."

"Now the news has spread in the village, and everyone, young and old, is searching the back mountain."

Lin Tian suddenly understood, "That's why I didn't see anyone when I came back. They're all looking for treasures."

"They won't find anything. After selling the porcelain, I went back to search, but found nothing."

Lin Chong said, sipping his porridge leisurely.

...

Found...

Er Niu found a treasure.

A joyful shout echoed outside.

Lin Chong, who had been relaxed a moment ago, now had a look of shock on his face. He put down his bowl and rushed out.

"Mom, stay here. I'll go with Dad to check it out."

Seeing Lin Chong rush out, Lin Tian told Zhang Xiulan, who was equally shocked.

Without waiting for a response, he followed Lin Chong out.