Chapter 22:
Tormented by an Evil Spirit (Part 5):
Dogs Aren’t Human, But in Its Eyes, Chen Henian Was…
Chen Henian stood in the dark night. The black dog, perched on the roof, barked several times, its howls echoing through the silent night, reaching only Chen Henian’s ears.
The dog’s silhouette was a dark mirror of the crescent moon. Its pale eyes fixed on something in the distance, its barks fading into low growls before disappearing into the night.
The dog had left.
Chen Henian couldn’t help but remark, “It didn’t even try to attack me.”
“Oh?” The mirror ghost swirled around him, its voice a playful whisper. “Is your little heart hurt because a ghost doesn’t want to eat you?”
“No, it’s here for revenge.” Chen Henian paused. “I’m more curious about its resentment.” He rotated his wrist, his fingers clenching, the tendons in his hand standing out.
The mirror ghost quickly moved away.
Dogs weren’t human, but to them, Chen Henian was a tasty bone. This dog, however, didn’t want the bone; it wanted to bite. Its hatred outweighed its hunger.
When Chen Henian returned to the house, Li Gang had cleaned and bandaged Li Xiaoqiang’s wounds, changing him into clean clothes. The boy sobbed in his mother’s arms, his eyes swollen, on the verge of unconsciousness. Chen Shu suggested taking him to the hospital. The wounds were deep, almost to the bone.
Li Gang was about to call the hospital when Chen Henian stopped him. “Don’t take him to the hospital.”
“Why not?” Li Gang paused. “We need a doctor to look at him.”
“He’ll die if you take him to the hospital, unless you bring the doctor here.” Chen Henian explained, “Hospitals are filled with yin energy, with death. He’s weak, his yang energy depleted. He’ll be easy prey for the underworld officials. And those aren’t ordinary scratches. Listen to me, get some cooked glutinous rice and apply it to his wounds to prevent infection.”
The couple, seeing the logic in his words, nodded. Chen Shu said, “I’ll take him upstairs to rest.”
“Wait,” Chen Henian stopped them. “I need to ask him something.”
Chen Shu was puzzled. “What is it? He’s in this state, does it have to be now?”
“It’s about his life.” Chen Henian grabbed Li Xiaoqiang, pulling him aside.
“What’s the deal with that dog?”
“What did you do to make it hate you so much?”
Li Xiaoqiang’s voice was weak, his eyes averted. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Chen Henian scoffed. “How can you not know? It wanted to rip you apart. Playing innocent won’t help you now.”
“Little Master, how can you speak to a child like that?!” Chen Shu was angry. “He’s only fourteen, what could he have possibly done?”
Ignoring her, Chen Henian grabbed Xiao Qiang by the collar, lifting him off the ground like a sack of potatoes, and dragging him a few feet.
He threw him onto the floor. “How did you harm it? What did you do to that dog? Tell me now.”
“Tell me—!”
Chen Henian’s cold demeanor frightened Xiao Qiang, who burst into tears, clutching his legs. “I don’t know! Mother, I’m scared! Mother—!”
Chen Shu rushed forward, glaring at Chen Henian. “What are you doing?! He’s just a child! What dog? It’s just a dog! What’s the big deal?! A dog’s life isn’t more important than a human’s! Mind your own business! Just catch your ghosts!”
She tried to pull her son away, her nails scratching at Chen Henian. He let go of Xiao Qiang, not wanting to touch her.
“Little Master, be reasonable,” Li Gang intervened, stepping between them. “My son doesn’t know anything. The ghost is a dog? Then it should be easy to handle, right? You have a way to get rid of it, don’t you?”
Chen Shu comforted her son, while Li Gang, trying to maintain his composure, said placatingly, “As long as you can solve this, we’ll add another 10,000 to your fee.”
“Alright,” Chen Henian agreed.
He stood there, a faint smile on his face, half his body shrouded in shadow, looking at Li Xiaoqiang from a distance. “Tell me when you’re ready to talk.”
His voice was calm and indifferent.
“Good, good, we’ll do that.” Li Gang, relieved by his apparent willingness to cooperate, said, “Honey, let’s go upstairs.” They were still in their pajamas, looking disheveled and tired.
Li Xiaoqiang met Chen Henian’s gaze, then quickly looked away. Those eyes, bright and cold, sent shivers down his spine. He hurried upstairs with his mother.
Chen Henian watched them leave, Li Xiaoqiang not daring to look back, hurrying despite his pain.
When they were gone, only two people remained in the living room. Li Xiaoxiao put down her mop and approached Chen Henian.
“I… I know that dog,” she said.
She knew he wasn’t approachable, but she gathered her courage.
“The man outside, the one always at the gate, the dog is his. He’s not a bad person, and the dog isn’t bad either.” She pleaded, “My parents don’t know. They only care about my brother. Because they only care about him, they don’t care about anyone else. Please, don’t hurt the dog, just chase it away.”
“No,” Chen Henian replied.
Xiaoxiao’s face fell, her courage crumbling. Chen Henian’s voice was cold and dismissive. “Help yourself, no one will teach you. Save yourself, no one will save you. I won’t listen to you.”
He turned to leave.
Xiaoxiao couldn’t follow. She hadn’t finished mopping the floor. Her mother would scold her if it wasn’t clean. With Chen Henian’s refusal, she had lost her chance. She watched him leave in silence, picking up her mop.
As the night deepened, the house fell silent.
Li Xiaoqiang slept in his parents’ room, squeezed between them in their large bed, his injured leg propped up on a pillow.
He soon had a nightmare. He dreamt of the black dog gnawing on his other leg.
He woke up screaming, the pain in his leg keeping him awake, like insects biting his flesh. He whimpered softly.
He had the same nightmare every night, hearing phantom barks during the day, the meat on his plate turning into a dog’s head, staring at him. He felt like he was losing his mind.
Li Gang shifted in his sleep, the bed creaking.
The sound startled Li Xiaoqiang.
It wasn’t just the bed. A buzzing sound filled his head, the image of the black dog lunging at him replaying endlessly. He didn’t dare close his eyes, nor open them, afraid of seeing the dog’s gaping maw and sharp teeth.
He didn’t want to die. He really didn’t want to die. His heart pounded in his chest. He needed to pee, but he couldn’t go to the bathroom. He curled up, squeezing his eyes shut, then heard a rustling sound. His parents hadn’t moved. It was coming from under the bed.
Just the wind? But they had closed the windows and doors before sleeping.
His mind raced. He felt something tugging at his clothes, pulling him towards the edge of the bed.
Something was there. It hadn’t left! That useless master hadn’t caught the ghost!
“Mother…”
His voice was barely a whisper. The sound grew closer. His nerves were on fire. He opened his eyes, seeing his father’s back, dark and still.
He was about to relax when the shadow moved.
It was the dog’s fur and its eyes.
The black dog was perched on his father’s shoulder, staring at him.
He met its gaze, his breath catching in his throat.
“Ah—!” He screamed.
The dog lunged. He scrambled off the bed, screaming, but his parents slept on. He landed on the cold, hard floor, his injured leg throbbing, the wound bleeding again. He cried out in pain.
The dog sat on the bed.
Li Xiaoqiang stared at it, scrambling to the furthest corner of the room.
The dog was smiling.
“You lied,” the dog spoke, licking its fur, its claws and teeth glinting in the dim light.
“I’m going to tear you apart…”
“I’m going to eat you. No one can save you. You’re going to die.”
“No, no—!”
“Stay away from me!” Li Xiaoqiang, his pain forgotten, watched the dog approach, tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Please, spare me, please!”
The dog pounced, its claws tearing into his stomach. He saw a gaping hole in his body, his screams echoing through the room.
“Son! Don’t scare me!” Chen Shu and Li Gang knelt beside him, but his eyes were fixed on something they couldn’t see, his arms flailing wildly.
“Get help!” Chen Shu yelled.
“The door is locked!” Li Gang tried the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. He threw his weight against the door.
Li Xiaoqiang watched as the dog ripped his intestines out. The pain was unbearable, his body convulsing, his hands and feet cold.
Chen Shu slapped his face, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Son—! Don’t scare me! Wake up! Mother is here!”
Li Gang, unable to break down the door, fell back, the couple huddled around their son, their faces filled with despair.
Then, a knock.
Someone was knocking on the door.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Henian’s calm voice was like music to their ears.
The door suddenly opened. He stood there, tall and slender, a beacon of hope. Li Gang’s eyes filled with tears. “Look at my son! He’s dying!”
Blood flowed from Li Xiaoqiang’s leg, staining the floor. He had wet himself, his appearance pitiful.
“Don’t worry,” Chen Henian glanced at him, a faint smile on his lips. “He’s just having a nightmare.”
“He’s clearly not alright!” Chen Shu yelled. “Can you save him or not?!”
Chen Henian obliged, waving his hand. “Done.”
“Done?”
The couple stared at him in disbelief.
A black mist emerged from Li Xiaoqiang’s body. The mirror ghost waved and returned to Chen Henian’s side.
Li Xiaoqiang’s body twitched, his eyes regaining focus. He was recovering. When he fully regained consciousness, his eyes were swollen from crying, his voice hoarse. He touched his stomach, realizing he was unharmed. The dog hadn’t gutted him.
He looked up and saw Chen Henian.
Chen Henian leaned closer, his gaze sharp.
Li Xiaoqiang saw his face clearly, his eyebrows raised, his eyes cold and indifferent, his lips curved into a slight smile. “Do you have anything to tell me now?”
“I can solve your problem, but you only get…” Chen Henian held up a finger. “One chance.”
Li Xiaoqiang, hearing his words, looked at Chen Henian as if he were a deity, a divine being appearing before him. He wanted to cling to his legs, to beg for mercy.
Tears streamed down his face, his voice choked with sobs. “I’ll tell you everything, please save me…”
