While Ji Yuan still struggled with dizziness and weakness from sitting up, a voice suddenly approached from outside the temple.

"Shilin-ge!!! Shilin-ge!!!"

The people inside became agitated.

"It's Wang Dong!! Wang Dong's back!"

Sure enough, Wang Dong's figure soon ran into the mountain temple from outside, immediately surrounded by the tense Zhang Shilin and others.

"Wang Dong, why are you alone? Is Old Jin alright? Where's the scholar? Did you hear the tiger's roar earlier?"

Zhang Shilin fired off a series of questions, desperate for answers from Wang Dong.

Wang Dong panted heavily, his complexion unnatural. He refused the water bowl offered, glanced at Zhang Shilin then looked away. After catching his breath, he began:

"Old Jin and the others are with Mr. Lu. We found the mountain king ginseng smoothly, but..."

"But what? Spit it out!!"

"Don't interrupt!" Zhang Shilin shouted, staring at Wang Dong's pale face. "Continue."

"The ginseng was on a slope. When we heard the tiger's roar, Old Jin, Mr. Lu and Liu Quan slipped and fell!"

"What? Fell down?"

Zhang Shilin grabbed Wang Dong's arm. "How's Old Jin? How high was the slope?"

The shaking seemed to sober Wang Dong. "The slope wasn't steep. They only sprained their ankles. Old Jin sent me to get help. Li Gui's watching them."

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"Let's go then!"

Zhang Shilin immediately prepared torches. "I'll take Xiao Du and Ahua with Wang Dong. The rest guard the temple."

Ji Yuan felt ice-cold numbness spread across his scalp. Though Wang Dong's voice sounded normal, his approach had been utterly silent. Through Ji Yuan's blurred vision, Wang Dong appeared as overlapping shadows - one normal, the other with a broken neck twitching grotesquely.

"Stop!!" Ji Yuan's clear voice rang out unexpectedly. "Wang Dong's dead! He's a ghost leading you to the tiger!"

The merchants froze. Wang Dong turned stiffly, his movement making Ji Yuan's scalp tingle.

"Shilin-ge, let's go! Don't listen to this beggar!"

As Wang Dong stepped closer, torchlight revealed his face - pale skin stretched over a forced smile.

"Don't approach!" Zhang Shilin raised his torch defensively.

Before anyone reacted, Wang Dong's form dissolved into smoke and drifted away.

"Ghost!!"

Screams erupted as the merchants scrambled back into the temple, clustering around Ji Yuan and the deity statue.

Outside, wind howled through trees. Heavy pawsteps vibrated the ground, accompanied by bestial growls.

Ji Yuan swallowed hard, his back soaked with cold sweat. "Stay quiet. It's coming."