Volume 1 Chapter 7: Photophobia and Bloodthirst

Birds soared through the forest, the flapping of their wings echoing incessantly. Luo Bin sat on the threshold, his gaze fixed upon the Mountain God Temple, unmoved by the screams.

As his thoughts drifted, the realization that anxiety was useless allowed him to settle into a strange sense of calm. Today, in particular—while it seemed the village chief was testing him, was it really just the chief? Had Luo Feng also pushed the boat along with the current? After all, his suspicion of Luo Bin far outweighed the chief’s.

Beside him on the threshold lay a scrap of paper the size of a palm, trembling slightly in the breeze. Luo Bin did not change his mind; the inherent uncertainty surrounding Xu Kaiguo did not provide sufficient grounds for him to intervene. Moreover, the chief had made it clear: as long as outsiders kept to themselves, they would not die.

The fiery glow of the sunset stained the horizon the color of blood. As dusk descended, it began to swallow the daylight. Luo Bin cautiously closed the wooden door, and the room plunged into darkness, indistinguishable from the night outside. He struck a match and lit the wick; an orange flame danced within the rusted oil lamp. Feeling a bit more at ease, Luo Bin sat on the edge of the bed.

Beside the head of the bed sat an old, grimy, green-shelled thermos; at the foot lay a weathered red-and-white chamber pot. His pack, resting at his side, contained only a few changes of clothes, a dozen dried flatbreads, and a small jar of pickled vegetables. He ate his fill of bread and pickles, washed down with a small bowl of water.

Luo Bin collapsed onto the bed, eyes shut, forcing himself to sleep. Yet his mind remained unnervingly sharp. After tossing and turning for a long while, he ended up staring at the oil lamp hanging in the center of the room.

*It’s so blinding!* he thought. *With a light this bright, how can I sleep?*

As he sat up, a jolt went through him. *Didn't I drink the lamp oil last night and return to normal? Why is this happening again?*

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, forcing himself not to look at the lamp, but as he prepared to lie back down, his throat felt parched and burning. *I am so thirsty... If I don't drink some blood, I’m going to burst into flames!*

He sprang out of bed and, enduring the stinging glare of the flame, brought his mouth close to the lamp, his hands cupping the base. Could he drink it?

The answer, clearly, was no. Drinking the oil at home had already fueled the chief’s suspicions. If the oil level in this cabin dropped, he would be incriminating himself. His breathing grew heavy, his throat increasingly dry and searing.

He struggled to step away from the lamp and moved to the door. Through a crack, he could vaguely see the Mountain God Temple opposite. A sudden thought struck him: weren't there four people over there?

*No...* he thought. *If I drink blood, what does that make me? How would I be any different from those evil spirits?*

*What about drinking the oil in the Mountain God Temple?*

As for those four outsiders, why not just let them go? They would be killed by the evil spirits, and no one would ever discover his secret!

As he wrestled with his conscience, Luo Bin pinched his left pinky finger with all his might. The intense pain caused his vision to blacken, and he collapsed to his knees, his forehead pressed hard against the door. The pain brought clarity, but both methods were like drinking poison to quench thirst. It might solve the immediate problem, but he wouldn't survive the long term. He needed a way to permanently suppress his unnatural urges.

***

The dim candlelight was insufficient to illuminate the entire Mountain God Temple. The lower half of the clay statue was clear, while the upper half remained shrouded in gloom. A thin iron chain hung from the statue's arm. The lamp had been burning since the chief left.

Gu Yiren remained curled on the ground, unconscious. Her brow was furrowed, her expression pained; even in this state, the well-placed beauty mark near her eye made her look pitifully fragile. Xu Qi was grinding the ropes against his teeth; they were tied too tightly to be undone by hand. It was his only hope.

With a snap, the rope finally gave way. Once Zhang Li was free, he immediately helped the others. He then pressed his thumb into Gu Yiren’s philtrum, but she remained unresponsive.

"She’s in shock. We need to get out of the village and find a hospital," Zhu Qianqian said, rubbing her bruised ankle.

"Qianqian, stay here and watch Yiren. Zhang Li and I will go find a vehicle." Xu Qi spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and headed toward the temple door, with Zhang Li close behind.

As they reached the entrance, they stopped in unison. Xu Qi lunged forward, bracing his shoulder against the door and grabbing the latch, slamming it shut and locking it tight. Zhang Li recoiled in horror.

Outside the crack in the door stood four people, shoulder to shoulder. Had the villagers arrived for an inspection just as they were trying to escape?

The four outside locked eyes with them through the gap. One of them leaned in, pressing his face against the door, and said cautiously, "We're from a nearby village. We’ve been trying to stop cars since yesterday because we didn't want you coming here. You came anyway—this place is full of bloodthirsty bandits."

"We know where your car is hidden. You have to leave now. If you're discovered, it's over!"

Zhang Li felt a surge of hope and reached for the latch. Xu Qi grabbed his wrist, his face taut. "How do we know you aren't lying? What if you're from this village? The moment we open the door, you'll just tie us back up!"

Another person outside shook his head. "We have no reason to lie to you. If we did, we could just call a dozen men over and break this door down to tie you up anyway. You're too cautious—that's why you're in this mess. If you hadn't stopped your car so easily last night, you wouldn't have had to enter the village today, and we wouldn't have to risk our lives to save you."

"Xu, open the door..." Zhang Li said, pulling his arm away. Xu Qi remained paralyzed with hesitation.

"Don't open the door... I... I will..." a weak, delicate voice sounded.

Zhang Li turned around, stunned and delighted. "You're awake, Yiren?"

Gu Yiren walked toward the door with a slight stagger. Xu Qi still looked at her with doubt, unsure whether to open it. With a clatter, Gu Yiren pushed the latch aside. However, she didn't pull the door open; instead, she peered through the crack and whispered, "You may come in."

"If you want to escape, we're the ones leading the way. You should be coming out," the man at the crack replied.

"Open the door, and we will follow you," Gu Yiren remained unmoved.

"You woman, you've clearly got some issues. Strange and weird. If you don't trust us, fine. We don't need the trouble," the man at the door said, shaking his head. He turned and walked away, and the other three followed.

"Hey, wait! Don't go!" Xu Qi’s hesitation vanished. He shouted, threw the door open, and ran out in pursuit.

The four men, who had just descended the temple steps, turned back in perfect unison. A dark, intense smile bloomed on their faces.

Zhang Li started to follow, but with a loud *bang*, Gu Yiren slammed the door shut and, with lightning speed, threw the bolt back into place.

"Yiren, don't be crazy! We have to leave! We were wrong; they were here to help! They aren't village bandits!" Zhang Li tried to pull her away to reopen the door.

A scream suddenly erupted from outside!

"Ah!" Zhu Qianqian shrieked, collapsing to the floor in terror.

"What is it, Zhu?" Zhang Li panicked. He looked toward the crack in the door, and the sight that met his eyes made his scalp crawl and the world spin.

Gu Yiren did not turn around. She pressed her back firmly against the door, staring blankly at the Mountain God statue, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls. She murmured, seemingly repeating the same three words.