Chapter 22: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Part 1

Last time, Chen Ji had been dragged into the Ghost Path by a Spectacle King Cobra deep in the woods, nearly losing his life in the process. At the critical moment, it was the man before him who had saved him.

The man had claimed that Chen Ji was hallucinating from eating poisonous mushrooms, but was that really the case? Didn’t Chen Ji know better? Even though the other party had used some unknown method to erase every trace of the giant snake’s bite—even on his clothes—what had happened was real.

With no time for further thought, Chen Ji bent down to rescue him. Water splashed as he lifted the man from the pool. Chen Ji was somewhat surprised at heart; a grown man nearly six feet tall should not have felt quite this light. In the next instant, however, large swaths of crimson stained the water, causing Chen Ji’s eyes to darken.

The pale pink water was swiftly overtaken by deep red blood, soaking into Chen Ji’s clothes along with the lake water.

The man’s clothes were in tatters, each rip accompanied by a ghastly wound with flesh torn open. His legs bore the worst of it—a massive gash spanning both thighs, nearly severing them entirely. Chen Ji lowered his gaze to the man and noted the faint rise and fall of his chest, confirming that some breath still lingered.

Chen Ji laid him flat on the ground. 【Check how to do emergency aid.】

Last time, the man had probably thought Chen Ji was just some innocent unlucky fellow. After saving him, he’d tossed out a casual excuse and brushed him off, with no intention of getting further involved. Chen Ji’s attempts to keep him around hadn’t worked then. But this time, regardless of the other’s motives, Chen Ji was determined to save him.

Even if it meant doing what he could and leaving the rest to fate—a normal person with such wounds, soaked in water like this, would have died from blood loss long ago. Chen Ji wasn’t even sure if this man was human.

【OK, got it. You can use proximal ligation to stop the bleeding first.】

【Where do I tie it?】 Chen Ji asked.

【Above the wound.】 The System Cat replied quickly.

Chen Ji tore the man’s sodden clothes, draping his jacket over him for cover. He wrung out the water from the rags, then ripped them into strips and bound them tightly around the man’s thighs. Finally, Chen Ji pulled out his phone to call the police. But just as he brought it to his ear, a hand gripped his wrist as if guided by some unseen force. Chen Ji looked down to see that the man had woken up at some point. “No need… I can… handle it myself…”

Chen Ji instinctively continued, “No need to call the police? You can recover on your own… That’s what you mean?”

The man nodded laboriously before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Seeing this, Chen Ji didn’t insist. After all, someone like this was hardly ordinary; calling the cops might just create more trouble. What if the police arrived—maybe even by helicopter—and the man vanished? How would Chen Ji explain that? He couldn’t very well cut himself to fake it.

Chen Ji pulled out the remaining offerings, swiftly arranging them. He lit incense and kowtowed three times to the Water Pool with resounding thuds, murmuring in his mind about the emergency and begging forgiveness from its venerable spirit. He didn’t even bother grabbing the bamboo basket before hoisting the man onto his back and heading home.

Luckily, the man was so light, or Chen Ji wouldn’t have lasted long.

Blood trickled from the man’s wounds, sliding down Chen Ji’s wrist. It burned hot against his skin—far warmer than ordinary human blood, which was never cool but also never this scalding. Gritting his teeth, Chen Ji couldn’t help glancing back. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the man’s pale face, lips pressed tightly together without a trace of color, his faint and erratic breaths hinting at his dire straits.

Forget it.

The priority was getting home fast.

Chen Ji placed the man on the bed. Nearly an hour had passed. He removed the makeshift tourniquets from the man’s legs and saw fresh blood welling up immediately. Grabbing clean gauze, he pressed it down firmly while directing the System Cat to fetch the medicine bottles.

The medicine was Yunnan Baiyao. Chen Ji took it and dusted the wound generously, asking all the while, 【Xiao Ba, quickly check the guide. What next? Tie it again?】

The System Cat leaned in for a look. 【Better press for another five minutes… Once the blood circulates, reapply the tourniquet, sprinkle more powder, and use that adhesive bandage to close the wound.】

Chen Ji nodded and had the System Cat help boil a pot of hot water.

No joke—if anyone walked in now, covered in mud and blood like Chen Ji was, they’d peg him for the murderer while the man on the bed looked every bit the victim.

As he held pressure on the wound, Chen Ji racked his brain for other ways to treat him. His gaze suddenly locked on the bedside table—inside was the box of yellow talismans his grandfather had left behind. Wasn’t there a Disease Expelling Talisman in there?

Should he try it?

But Disease Expelling Talismans had to be burned into talisman water to drink, right? Looking at the man on the bed, Chen Ji decided against it. He was his savior, after all; no need to troll him like that.

Forget it. Better take it out and see if wearing it helps.

With that in mind, Chen Ji retrieved the Disease Expelling Talisman. Five minutes were up. He carefully peeled back the gauze and saw that the bleeding had indeed slowed compared to before. Just as the thought crossed his mind, blood rolled from the wound’s edge, tracing a line across the man’s pale skin.

The bloodstain on the bedsheet continued to spread.

Chen Ji quickly pressed it back down. With his left hand still holding pressure, it was awkward to work, so he reached into the medical kit with his right, grabbed a proper tourniquet, slipped his arm under the man’s knee to lift his leg, and buckled it tight with difficulty.

The professional tourniquet worked far better than rags; the bleeding stopped the moment it cinched. Chen Ji repeated the process on the other leg.

“What are you doing?” A voice suddenly sounded in the room.

Chen Ji didn’t look up. “Stopping the bleeding.”

He finally secured the last buckle and let out a breath of relief. Only then did he realize something and glance up. The previously unconscious man was awake, his gaze utterly flat—not cold, exactly, but devoid of emotion, as if Chen Ji were a total stranger.

Chen Ji followed the man’s line of sight downward and realized the other’s knee was still draped over his arm. He silently lowered the leg, peeled off the bloodied gauze, and wiped the thigh clean with a fresh piece before asking, “Want some hemostatic powder now?”

The man nodded slowly, saying nothing.

Chen Ji applied more Yunnan Baiyao.

After a frantic scramble, everything was sorted. The man murmured, “Thank you.”

“Water?” Chen Ji asked.

Another nod. Chen Ji poured a cup of warm water and handed it over. The man’s long, elegant fingers contrasted strikingly with the rough ceramic mug, lending him an air of refined detachment.

Instead of drinking, the man glanced at the table nearby. Chen Ji had set the yellow talisman there. Noticing his gaze, Chen Ji asked, “Can that heal your wounds?”

The man paused, then nodded. “One day, I will surely…”

He trailed off on a breathy note. Chen Ji fetched the yellow talisman and offered it. “Here, use it. I don’t really know how these work.”

With a word of thanks, the man took it. Chen Ji watched as the talisman flipped in his hand and soared into the air. The next moment, it ignited spontaneously, fluttering down like a dancing butterfly into the teacup.

Without so much as a flinch, the man drained the talisman water in one go.

Chen Ji: “…”

Perhaps because Chen Ji’s shock was so obvious, the man fell silent for a moment before saying, “It’s very effective.”

Chen Ji let out a long breath. “Good as long as it works.”

“Do you need anything else?” Chen Ji continued. “Food? Or specific herbs? I’ll do my best to get them.”

The man seemed about to speak, but Chen Ji waved him off. “Rest up. You saved my life before—no need to stand on ceremony.”

After a pause, the man said, “…I’m hungry.”

“Got it. Hang on.” Chen Ji turned and headed out, pausing at the door. “Loosen those tourniquets on your legs later, or poor circulation could cause serious problems.”

The man nodded to show he understood.

Only then did Chen Ji leave. The System Cat was waiting outside and trotted after him. 【Chen Ji! Did that yellow talisman really work?!】

【Who knows.】 Chen Ji scooped the System Cat onto his shoulder. 【It might work for him but not for me.】

Just like how the man had saved him on the mountain and blamed mushrooms—maybe he had his own abilities and was just using the talisman as an excuse. Or perhaps special skills were required to activate it, like that trick with spontaneous combustion, which Chen Ji certainly couldn’t do.

The System Cat tilted its head and nuzzled Chen Ji’s face enthusiastically. 【No worries, we’ll learn it too!】

Chen Ji chuckled and patted its plump rear. 【Here’s hoping.】

In the kitchen, Chen Ji unpacked a large box of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall pre-made dish, tossing in some ginseng and red dates before heating it up. The System Cat immediately fretted. 【Ow?! Why are you stewing the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? Weren’t we saving it to celebrate fixing the temple?!】

That stuff cost a fortune—three thousand bucks a pot. Chen Ji wasn’t short on cash for daily needs, but this was luxury territory. Even he felt the pinch buying it. He’d gotten two boxes thanks to the System Cat snagging a buy-one-get-one coupon and begging endlessly.

They’d cooked the first one right away upon arrival, and it lived up to the price: packed with abalone, sea cucumber, pig’s trotters, and dried scallops in a golden broth brimming with umami. As the System Cat put it, one sip made all the hard work feel worthwhile.