A young girl was crouching by the river, her sleeves rolled up high, and she was vigorously beating her clothes on the stones with a mallet.

This small river, which meanders from afar, is a source of water for the nearby villages.

In the early spring season, everything sprouts, grass has grown along the river, and the trees are covered with a layer of green.

Not far away, something floated in.

It had just rained in this mountain forest, and the fog had risen, and it was impossible to see it from afar.

The girl stared at the object that was slowly floating not far away, and wiped the water stains on her hands.

The thing became clearer and clearer, vaguely taking on the shape of a human being.

The girl chuckled in her heart, and watched as the humanoid thing floated slowly and floated in front of her face.

It was a wizened boy, scrawny like a hungry man fleeing the famine for many years.

His eyes were deeply sunken, his lips were purple, and his neck looked hideous and terrifying with a layer of white folds due to long-term soaking.

The girl slowed down from her stupor, shouted, took three steps and made two steps, and ran into the distance.

A few steps after she had run away, the girl suddenly realized that her clothes were still by the river, but the body was stuck next to the stone where she was pounding clothes.

The girl stared at the hideous figure for a moment, and hurried back to her village.

After a while, two middle-aged men hurriedly walked over, holding weapons such as sticks in their hands for self-defense.

"Oda, is it just ahead?" asked a gray-haired uncle.

"Uh-huh. The girl frowned and looked at the river, "It's floating there." ”

"Don't be afraid. A middle-aged man with a somewhat heroic appearance looked at Xiao Tian, who was holding his clothes tightly, and patted Xiao Tian's hand with a smile.

"Dad, that corpse is terrifying. Xiao Tian clutched his father's clothes tightly and refused to let go, as if he was afraid that his father would be in danger.

"Haha, your dad hasn't seen anything, I'll tell you. The gray-haired tree leaned over to Xiao Tian and whispered, "Your father has eaten dead people." ”

"Ahh

"Hahaha......"

The two of them burst out laughing.

"Okay, village chief, Xiao Tian is still young, don't keep scaring her. The middle-aged man, who looked a little heroic, scratched his head and looked at the horrific corpses floating in the river.

"Lao Tian, go over and take a look, I'll protect your daughter. The gray-haired uncle pulled Xiao Tian to his side, no matter how Xiao Tian pinched his uncle's meat, it was useless.

"The village chief. Lao Tian looked at the gray-haired uncle helplessly, "I can't go alone, right?"

"Or else?" the village chief glanced around, pointing to an empty place, "Why don't you let it go?"

"Ahh

The village chief was in pain, and hurriedly let go of Xiao Tian, "Lao Tian, you have to take care of your girl, and you won't be able to bully your husband every day when you get married in the future." ”

"It's your business!" Oda said angrily.

Lao Tian looked at the girl who ran over, rubbed Xiao Tian's head with a smile, and walked towards the river.

"You're hiding behind me. Lao Tian's expression instantly became serious, and he held the spear in his hand tightly.

Oda cautiously hid behind his father and secretly aimed at the river.

The village chief stood behind the father and daughter, carefully observing the surroundings.

The corpse in the river was still floating quietly, and the skin on its face had been soaked in the river for a long time, and it had already appeared one after another wrinkles, which looked quite terrifying.

Lao Tian gently poked the corpse with a hoe rod, and seeing that there was no reaction, he looked at the village chief with a solemn face, "It seems to be a child." ”

"Fish it up and take a look. The village chief spat out the tobacco he was chewing in his mouth and motioned for Oda to walk back.

Oda hurriedly ran behind the two of them and looked at his clothes with a worried expression.

Lao Tian's hoe rod was inserted into the clothes on the corpse's body and lifted it out vigorously.

The water fell on the clothes that Xiao Tian had washed, which made Xiao Tian feel quite uncomfortable.

The emaciated corpse lay flat on the grass.

Lao Tian and the village chief looked at the corpse and looked at each other suspiciously.

The village chief crouched beside the corpse, carefully pressing his head against the corpse, as if listening carefully to something.

Xiao Tian looked at the village chief with a look of disgust, "What's so nice about a dead man. ”

"Shhhh Lao Tian made a silent gesture to his girl.

After listening for a moment, the village chief slowly stood up, "It seems that there is a heartbeat." ”

Lao Tian looked serious and was about to walk over, but when he turned his head, he saw his daughter pulling his cuffs tightly.

"It's fine. Lao Tian smiled and knocked the girl's hand off.

Lao Tian squatted beside the corpse, and a faint heartbeat slowly came from the corpse's body.

The sound is very faint, but it is rhythmic and very stable.

Lao Tian pressed his hand on the corpse's neck, and a strong pulse was clearly transmitted to Lao Tian's fingers.

Lao Tian and the village chief glanced at each other.

The village chief nodded silently.

Lao Tian looked at his daughter, smiled and said, "This person is still alive, you go and take your clothes back, here I and the village chief can just watch." ”

Hearing this, Xiao Tian nodded and asked, "Is he still alive?" This river is so cold, he can't stand it for half a moment, how is he still alive?"

"I don't know, but he still has a heartbeat, go and take your clothes back, take your clothes and hurry home." Lao Tian admonished.

Oda took three steps and two steps, walked to the river, carefully lifted his clothes, and after hesitating for a moment, he took out the clothes soaked in the river and put them in the basket.

"I'll go first, Dad, and I'll go first, the village chief. Oda stood in the distance, "Be careful. ”

"Uh-huh, let's go back. Lao Tian smiled and watched his daughter disappear into the distance, and then looked at the village chief with a frown.

"Is this a human?" the village chief took out some broken cigarettes from the cloth bag around his waist, put them in his mouth and chewed them.

"I don't know. Lao Tian scratched his head, "But ordinary people will definitely not survive for so long if they are soaked in water, and they will freeze to death a long time ago." ”

"Could it be an immortal cultivator?" the village chief said in a low voice as he looked at the thin figure on the ground.

"Do you say he's an immortal?" Lao Tian leaned over to the corpse's face and observed it carefully, "but it looks very small, even smaller than Xiao Tian." ”

"This has nothing to do with age, some people are born as immortal cultivators. The village chief chewed the tobacco in his mouth loudly, and some saliva flew out from time to time.

"If it's an immortal cultivator, then he might be able to protect our village. Lao Tian said in a deep voice.

The village chief glanced at Lao Tian and gently pressed the thin body.

Some river water overflowed from the corners of the body's mouth, and some gurgling sounds began to come out of its throat.

The village chief lifted the thin body up and slapped his back hard.

A mouthful of river water spat out, and the thin body suddenly began to breathe rapidly.

The village chief and Lao Tian glanced at each other and brought the emaciated body back to the village.

......

The sunlight in the room was a little dazzling, Shi Ming opened his eyes slightly, and there was a tingling pain in his eyes, so he turned his head to the side.

A vague figure appeared in front of him, and the back image was very much the image of someone in his memory.

"Third Uncle......" Shi Ming muttered softly.

The vague figure heard the sound, walked over quickly, and stood beside the bed, "Are you awake?"

The face of the blurred figure appeared clearly in front of him, it was not the third uncle, it was an extremely unfamiliar face.

Shi Ming sighed slowly, and there was a pain in his head, so he closed his eyes and twisted his head aside.

Lao Tian glanced at Shi Ming and disappeared into the room.

After a while, Lao Tian walked in with a bowl of hot soup and shook Shi Ming gently.

"Let's have a drink. Lao Tian helped Shi Ming up.

Shi Ming leaned against the wall and opened his mouth.

Lao Tian poured all the hot soup into Shi Ming's mouth.

A warm current spread from the abdomen to the whole body, and the feeling of sleepiness in the body disappeared a lot.

The air in this environment is very fresh, and there is a lot of cyan vitality in the air.

Shi Ming did not deliberately urge the natal energy, but the cyan vitality between heaven and earth seemed to be attracted, and slowly merged into Shi Ming's natal vitality.

"Lie down a little longer. Lao Tian helped Shi Ming to lie down on the bed lightly and turned to leave.

In the evening.

Xiao Tian returned home humming a cheerful song, and as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw a thin figure standing in the room, not knowing what he was looking at.

Xiao Tian stood in the courtyard, staring blankly at the figure in the room, and the figure suddenly looked at Xiao Tian.

It was a hideous, ugly face, with deeply sunken eye sockets, a face that seemed to be pressed against bones, folds crawling over every inch of skin, and a sickly withered yellow.

"Ahh

Hearing this, the figure slowly walked over.

Xiao Tian hurriedly crawled towards the entrance of the courtyard, his legs seemed to be paralyzed, and he couldn't exert his strength.

"Ahh

Shi Ming looked at Xiao Tian as if he had seen a demon, and couldn't help touching his face.

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Shi Ming's face.

"Well, I'm human. Shi Ming hadn't spoken for too long, and his voice was hoarse, like two pieces of wood rubbing against each other.

"You're a fart!" Oda didn't know where he got the courage, and his legs suddenly burst with strength, and he ran away.

As soon as he rushed to the gate of the courtyard, he bumped into a person's arms.

"What's wrong?" Lao Tian looked at Xiao Tian who was covering his head, and hurriedly rubbed Xiao Tian's head.

"Dad, that man is alive!" Xiao Tian said hurriedly.

Lao Tian looked at Shi Ming who was standing in the courtyard, "Don't be afraid, Dad is here." ”

I saw the father and daughter walking slowly towards him.

Shi Ming didn't know what to say for a while, and scratched his head, "Uncle, thank you." ”

Lao Tian's vigilance was a little less, and he said slowly: "Go back to the house and say, you just woke up, and your body is still quite weak." ”

Shi Ming nodded, watched the father and daughter walk into the house, and walked in with a shuffling pace.