However, even though Yu Xing had strong endurance, after walking such a long distance, his wound should have reopened by now, but it didn't. The bleeding stopped and the wound didn't reopen, so the shaman who realized this looked up at him.

He could see clearly that a faint smile appeared at the corner of the shaman's mouth.

What's so funny? Why does she seem so satisfied?

The process of applying medicine ended in Yu Xing's active mind. By this time, it was already completely dark.

The shaman walked to the door. "Change into your clothes and come out. I'll take you to a temporary place to stay."

"Okay." Yu Xing obediently agreed on the surface, but actually carefully checked his clothes.

It was a set of cotton long shirt, with a pure black top and a white pair of pants. However, the style was not old-fashioned, with many small modifications that made the clothes look very well-designed.

This seems to be... Yu Xing felt that he could recognize the applicable era of the clothes, but his mind was empty, and this feeling was too uncomfortable, as if he clearly had something, but it was completely covered by a thick cloth.

Forget it.

Yu Xing felt that he was forcing himself to remember something, but he subconsciously affirmed that this was the kind of clothes that only a family with good economic conditions would make. The shaman just said that it belonged to her man... so she must have come from the town.

He put on each piece of clothing, not daring to waste time to look at the things in the plate that made him curious, and walked out of the room.

Search "pawread.com" for the original.

The shaman's gaze immediately swept over, and she seemed to nod in satisfaction, then said, "Follow me."

...

The shaman took Yu Xing to a house in the center of the village.

Yu Xing found that this village was much larger than the small village where Old Zhang was located, and it seemed to be inhabited by at least a few hundred people.

The standard of living also seemed to be much higher, at least the house in front of him had a small courtyard.

The shaman knocked on the door, and there was silence inside for a while. Then there was the sound of wood hitting the ground, and after about ten seconds, a stooped figure came out.

It was an old granny who was just over four feet tall, leaning on a wooden cane. When she saw the shaman, she was excited. "Great shaman, why are you here?"

"This is our new companion, who will stay at your house temporarily. Is that okay?" Facing the old granny, the shaman's expression was indifferent, giving a sense of superiority, far less than her attitude towards Yu Xing.

"No problem, no problem!" The old granny's speech was a bit slurred, and she seemed to have just noticed that there was another person at the door. She looked at Yu Xing and was visibly stunned when she saw the clothes he was wearing.

"How should I address this person?"

Yu Xing was about to say that he didn't have a name, but the shaman lightly coughed and looked at him, saying, "Anyway, you don't have a name, but you still need a way to address you. Let's call you Shi Wei."

Yu Xing thought for a moment. "What's the significance of this name?"

"It sounds pleasant." The shaman was succinct.

The old granny, who clearly knew nothing, agreed from the side, "Good name, the shaman must have thought of it, it must contain the spirit of the gods. Shi Wei, Shi Wei is good."

Yu Xing: "... You really are thoroughly brainwashed."

The shaman smiled. "You will stay here. If you want to eat, ask Granny Li to make it. Granny Li's house is big, and her grandson didn't want her anymore and left, so there's a room that's been empty for a while, perfect for you."

She just said Granny Li's sad story like that, and Granny Li didn't refute it, so it was settled.

After the shaman left, Yu Xing followed Granny Li into the house. He saw Granny Li walking unsteadily, with a frail figure and loose clothes draped over her, as if she could fall down at any moment.

Strange, the conditions in this village are better, so why are the villagers all so frail?

The men and women he saw at the beginning were the same, not as strong as Old Zhang and his wife.

"Granny Li," Yu Xing spoke up.

Perhaps feeling that the shaman's attitude towards Yu Xing was different, and she had given him such decent clothes, Granny Li's attitude towards Yu Xing was equally respectful, even with a hint of awe and eagerness. When she heard Yu Xing call her, she quickly replied, "Yes, what is it?"

"I'm hungry and want something to eat."

"No problem, there's plenty of leftovers for dinner. I'll heat it up for you right away, and I'll make you something fresh tomorrow!" Granny Li happily hobbled to the kitchen, leaving Yu Xing alone in the main hall.

He saw a stone statue in the center of the main hall, exactly the same as the one in Old Zhang's house.

Upon closer inspection, the statue was not a full body, but a half-body of a man, with a blurry face, long hair, and a wide robe with smooth lines. There was no carving below the hips, only a slightly wide circular base.

It looked as if the man had emerged from this base.

In front of the stone statue was a plate, but this plate was empty, washed clean, and it was impossible to tell what had been placed on it.

Yu Xing remained silent, and quietly retreated, sitting at the dining table, waiting for his dinner by the light of the kerosene lamp.Granny Li quickly brought over the meal; the aroma of white rice mixed with the stir-fried vegetables and meat was tantalizing.

Yu Xing was famished. Although he had some questions he wanted to take the opportunity to ask, he decided to focus on eating first.

One bowl wasn't enough.

He served himself another bowl of rice.

Granny Li sat beside him, chuckling as she watched him eat, looking very leisurely. It was hard to guess what the old lady did with her time on a regular day.

It wasn't until Yu Xing had almost finished eating and his hunger had subsided that he asked, "Granny Li... everyone calls you a 'shenpo,' where does this title come from? I heard that there's a divine official blessing the village?"

"Shenpo didn't tell you? Maybe she was a bit busy today and didn't get around to it," Granny Li said, covering her heart with her thin, skin-and-bones hand, her face full of piety. "The people in our village, we've all escaped the clutches of the Black and White Impermanence, and we've been removed from the book of life and death."

"Huh?" Yu Xing pressed, "What do you mean?"

Granny Li sighed, "You're still young, you probably haven't thought about it, but when you're old and about to die, the Black and White Impermanence will come with their chains to ensnare your head. Everything you've gained in this world, doesn't it all become someone else's in the end? I'm already so old, but I still don't want to die. I want to live forever, and everyone in this village wants to live forever and ever."

"Shenpo, she's the one who helps us deceive the soul-reapers, allowing us to live forever among the living. She's the spokesperson for the gods, guiding us in pleasing the deities, telling us what to do. She is the most revered person in the entire village!"

Yu Xing: "…Oh."

This wasn't just brainwashing; it was almost like a cult.

He glanced at Granny Li: "Granny Li, how old are you this year?"

Granny Li, who looked to be in her seventies, said, "I'm already a hundred years old this year, all thanks to the blessings of the divine!"

Yu Xing raised his eyebrows in surprise.

A hundred years old? To be a hundred and still so mentally agile, that was unexpected.

Could Shenpo really have such power?