The motel room was dimly lit. Sam tossed and turned, the mattress springs squeaking in protest. Outside, wind swept sand against the glass. Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold crept up from the foot of his bed, dragging him into a chaotic vision-
In a gloomy forest, mud covered his feet. A middle-aged man in a khaki fishing outfit was bound to a tree with hemp rope. His hands were red from struggling, his face paper-white, drool hanging from his mouth as he pleaded incoherently, "Don't kill me! I didn't do anything! Please!" Dean stood opposite him, his shotgun pressed steadily against the man's chest. His usually smiling eyes were as cold as Siberian ice, without the slightest ripple. His finger pulled the trigger without hesitation-bang!
The gunshot jolted Sam upright. Cold sweat ran down his temples, soaking the neck of his T-shirt, his heart pounding. He gasped for breath, clutching the sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Another nightmare, Little Sammy?" Woken by the noise, Dean rolled over in the neighboring bed, his voice carrying its usual teasing note. But when his gaze swept over Sam's pale face, it softened involuntarily, his brows drawing together slightly.
Sam swallowed, his voice trembling. "Not a nightmare. A vision-Dean, you killed someone, in Rivergrove, Oregon!" He gestured with his hands. "The guy wore a khaki fishing outfit with frayed cuffs. Even that scratch on your gunstock from hitting a rock-I saw it all clearly!"
On another bed, Bai Haorui lay sprawled out, drool still at the corner of his mouth. After spending the afternoon practicing shooting and fighting with Dean, he was dead tired. Roused by their commotion, he opened his eyes groggily and rubbed them, muttering, "Kill who? Dean, what idiot did you get into it with this time? Let's go! You start the fight, I'll jump right in!"
Dean ignored him, his brow knotted. "I wouldn't kill someone for no reason, but your visions haven't been wrong yet." He sat up and grabbed the jacket draped over the chair. "So, shall we take a look?"
Bai Haorui smacked his lips, rolled over, and went straight back to snoring. Sam got up and drank a large bottle of water. "Okay. We'll check it out tomorrow. Let's get some sleep first."
Early the next morning, the Impala was already tearing down the highway, AC/DC's rock music making the cabin vibrate. Staring at his laptop, Sam suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!" and pointed at the screen. "Look. Rivergrove stands on the site of the Roanoke Colony from 1587! Legend says all the colonists suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving only 'Croatoan' carved into a tree. Supposedly, a demon cursed them, making people bloodthirsty and violent."
"A colony? If it was a colony, it wasn't necessarily a demon's doing." Bai Haorui lay across the back seat, playing with the Five Emperor Coins, which clinked crisply together. "The town hasn't reported any strange deaths or murders, either. Pretty weird."
"We'll know when we get there." Sam shook his head.
Dean pressed the accelerator, picking up more speed, a rakish smile curling his lips. "Whatever monster or demon it is, let's dig up the truth first."
Sam watched the trees race backward outside the window, thinking, These visions are getting more and more real. Dean would never kill indiscriminately. What secret is that man hiding? He unconsciously touched his chest, where the burning sensation of the Yellow-Eyed Demon's mark seemed to linger. Unease welled up inside him. Is this aimed at me again?
Dean appeared focused on driving, but his eyes kept flicking toward the passenger seat. Sam's tense profile and tightly pressed lips weighed on him. I'd never kill an innocent person, but Sam's visions have never been wrong. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed a scratch on the steering wheel as he thought, That bastard must have done something. Why else would I shoot him?
Seeing that both brothers had something on their minds, Bai Haorui deliberately leaned forward to tease them. "Dean, think Sam's next dream might be about you getting it on with some girl?"
"Shit!" Dean glared at him, though the corner of his mouth twitched despite himself. "Can't you wish for something good for once?"
Sam's lips curved slightly, and the oppressive atmosphere in the car finally eased a little. But Bai Haorui knew that nothing good ever came of Sam's visions. He quietly pocketed the Five Emperor Coins and brushed his fingertips over the peachwood sword, ready to act at any moment.
The sun was directly overhead when the Impala entered Rivergrove, yet the town was as quiet as a grave. The streets were deserted. Wind blew along the empty road, stirring a few dead leaves with a rustling sound that made their scalps prickle. Shattered storefront windows littered the ground with glass that reflected the glaring sunlight. Several cars had crashed haphazardly along the roadside, faint bluish smoke still rising from their engines, as though a chaotic traffic accident had just occurred.
Dean hit the brakes and tested the radio. Nothing but static came through. He pulled out his phone, too, but the signal bars were empty. "Communications are down. No cell signal, either. This place is completely cut off."
"Something's wrong." Bai Haorui pushed open the door, frowning as soon as his feet touched the ground. "There's barely any reaction from the yin energy."
Just then, a loud crash of breaking glass came from a nearby convenience store. The three exchanged glances and immediately tightened their grips on their weapons. Dean held his shotgun, Sam gripped his silver knife, and Bai Haorui drew the peachwood sword from his bag. They approached cautiously, keeping their footsteps light.
Peering through the gap in the convenience store door, they saw a man in a blue clerk's uniform hunched over a shelf, frantically tearing at packaged food with his teeth. Strange, hoarse sounds came from him, dark red blood stained the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were entirely scarlet, without a trace of pupils. As though sensing movement outside, he whipped his head around, let out a beastlike roar, flung aside the food in his hands, and lunged at them.
"Watch out!" Dean sidestepped, turned his wrist, and slammed the shotgun butt into the back of the man's head. The man staggered and fell, his head striking the step with a dull thud. But as though unable to feel pain, he immediately climbed back up, baring bloodstained teeth, ready to lunge again.
"What the fuck is this thing?" Dean swore, dodging a swipe. Bai Haorui raised his hand and flung the Five Emperor Coins. All five copper coins landed precisely against the man's chest, instantly blazing with red light. The man screamed, his movements visibly slowing for a beat as his whole body convulsed.
Now! Dean's gaze sharpened, and he pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bullet struck the man squarely in the chest. His body jolted, then fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and soon went still.
The three stepped forward to examine him. Dried blood filled the gaps beneath his fingernails. A small wound marked his neck, the surrounding skin an unnatural bluish black, giving off a faint smell of sulfur.
"It's in the blood." Sam crouched and pointed at the wound. "Exactly like the accounts of the Croatoan demon from the Roanoke Colony."
Bai Haorui leaned closer and sniffed, his brow furrowing further. "Demons are definitely involved. That sulfur smell doesn't lie."
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. A woman in a white coat ran toward them with two figures behind her. She carried a first-aid kit; the middle-aged man behind her had a rifle over his shoulder, and a young nurse brought up the rear. "Careful! There are plenty more of those lunatics!" The woman stopped before them, her chest heaving. "I'm Amanda, the doctor here. This is Sarge, and this is Pam, our nurse."
Amanda quickly looked the three over, her gaze passing over their weapons. She checked them for wounds as well, only breathing a sigh of relief once she confirmed they were unharmed. "These infected people started appearing three days ago. At first they were just irritable. Then they became bloodthirsty and violent, biting anyone they saw. Some unknown force cut off communications and the roads. We couldn't call for help, so we had to retreat to the clinic in the town center."
Sarge leaned against a roadside lamppost, gripping his rifle with both hands. He studied them warily, his tone openly distrustful. "Who are you? Why did you come here?"
"We're hunters. We clean up supernatural messes like this." Dean lowered his shotgun, his tone direct. "If you want to live, you'd better lower that gun. We're here to help."
Sarge snorted. Instead of lowering his rifle, he tightened his grip, resting a finger on the trigger. "In a situation like this, you can't trust anyone." His gaze swept over their faces, as though judging whether they were lying.
Amanda sighed and tried to smooth things over. "Enough, Sarge. They don't look like bad people." She turned to the three. "We still have supplies at the clinic. Let's go there first. It's too dangerous outside." As she spoke, she gathered up the first-aid kit on the ground, her eyes full of exhaustion and helplessness. "I tried treating the infected, but the virus spreads too fast. Nothing worked. All I could do was watch them turn into monsters."
Bai Haorui took several Clear Heart Talismans from his backpack and handed them to Amanda. "These are Taoist Clear Heart Talismans. I don't know whether they'll work, but they might buy some time for people who aren't fully infected." He considered the situation. The virus had clearly been spread deliberately, and demons must be controlling things behind the scenes. They needed to find the source as soon as possible, or there was no telling how many more people would suffer.
The clinic's doors and windows had been reinforced with boards secured by thick nails. Some canned food and drinking water were piled inside. It was already dark when they reached the clinic, and they decided to take turns keeping watch. Sarge leaned against the wall by the door, never letting go of his rifle. Pam sorted medical supplies, Amanda studied blood samples from the infected, and Sam sat in a corner, repeatedly recalling the scene from his vision, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Don't worry. We'll get through this." Pam approached with a cup of water, a gentle smile on her face, though her eyes flicked toward Sam's wrist. As she handed him the water, her fingernail seemed to "accidentally" scrape across his wrist, with just enough force to open a tiny cut. Beads of blood immediately welled up.
Sam froze briefly and instinctively pulled his hand back. Pam immediately looked guilty and hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to."
But alarm bells instantly rang in Sam's mind. That movement had not been an accident; the pressure of her fingertip had been deliberate. He quietly wiped away the blood with the hem of his shirt, then looked up and signaled Bai Haorui with his eyes. Understanding, Bai Haorui discreetly touched the Five Emperor Coins in his pocket, his gaze settling on Pam with increased wariness.
Before long, Sam began to feel dizzy. His temples throbbed, his temperature started rising, and his whole body felt burning hot. Looking down, he saw that the skin around the wound on his wrist had already turned bluish black, exactly like the infected man earlier.
"Damn it. I'm infected." Sam cursed under his breath, his voice trembling slightly.
Hearing him, Dean immediately came over, grabbed the povidone-iodine from the nearby table, unscrewed the cap, and poured it over Sam's wound, his brow furrowed deeply. "Amanda, is there anything you can do to suppress the symptoms?"
Amanda hurried over to examine him, taking his temperature with a thermometer and checking the wound. She shook her head, her voice heavy. "There's no specific treatment. All we can do is observe. If his symptoms keep worsening, he might become a lunatic like the ones outside."
"No!" Sarge immediately raised his rifle and aimed at Sam, determination in his eyes. "We have to throw him out or kill him! Otherwise, it's too dangerous!"
"Just try touching him!" Dean instantly stepped in front of Sam and raised his own shotgun, aiming at Sarge. His eyes were fierce as a wolf's, his pupils contracting slightly as killing intent radiated from him.
Just as the two faced off, the tension so thick the air seemed about to freeze, Bai Haorui quietly circled behind Sarge. He suddenly reached out, seized Sarge's gun wrist, and forced it upward while pressing the tip of his peachwood sword against Sarge's throat. His voice was frighteningly calm. "Move again, and I'll kill you."
With the sword tip against his throat, Sarge could feel the peachwood's cold sharpness. He froze, his face flushing red, not daring to move.
"Calm down!" Amanda hurried forward to intervene, pressing one hand against Dean's gun and pulling Sarge with the other. "He hasn't lost control yet. Let's wait a little longer. Things might turn around!"
Watching the scene before him, Sam took a deep breath and reached toward Dean. "Dean, Haorui, calm down." A trace of despair filled his eyes, but they were unusually resolute. "If I really lose control, kill me. Don't let me hurt anyone."
"Shut up!" Dean lifted the iodine bottle and hurled it hard to the floor, his voice rising with suppressed fury. "Don't give me that bullshit! We'll find a way. You're not going to die!" His eyes were slightly red, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. He was clearly frantic.
Bai Haorui pulled out a Clear Heart Talisman and quickly pressed it against Sam's chest. The paper immediately glowed faintly gold. Turning to stare at Pam, he asked accusingly, "Nurse Pam, wasn't your hand a little too 'clever' when you handed him that water?"
Pam's eyes shifted, and she hurriedly lowered her head, her voice aggrieved. "It really was an accident. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She tightened her grip on her cup, not daring to meet Bai Haorui's eyes.
Sam leaned against the wall and drank the water Bai Haorui handed him. His dizziness eased slightly, but fear and confusion still churned inside him. Am I really going to turn into a lunatic? People corrupted by demonic power always seem to end up losing control... He watched Dean's straight-backed figure, his heart aching. Dean sounds so certain, but if it really comes to that, could he bring himself to do it?
Dean gripped his gun tightly, his back drenched in cold sweat. His father's dying words echoed in his ears again. "If Sam loses control, kill him." But how could he possibly do it? This was his little brother, the person he had protected since childhood. He looked at Sarge, fury burning inside him. Anyone who dares hurt Sam, I'll kill them. I don't care who they are!
Bai Haorui pretended to organize the tools in his backpack while actually watching Pam's every movement out of the corner of his eye. There's definitely something wrong with this woman. She deliberately infected Sam. She must be working for a demon. He quietly took out the Five Emperor Coins and moved them around near Pam. Faint black energy immediately rose from the coins, further confirming his judgment. He considered how to draw information out of her and discover what the demon behind this was trying to do.
Watching Sam's condition worsen, Sarge struggled inwardly as well. Sacrificing one person to save everyone was the most rational choice, but Dean's attitude, and that boy surnamed Bai's... He frowned, watching Sam with a complicated expression. His fingers still unconsciously rested on his rifle, ready to act at any moment.
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, a faint cry for help suddenly came from outside the clinic, intermittent and barely audible with weakness. "Is anyone there? Help me..."
Dean and Bai Haorui exchanged glances, signaling each other to stay alert. Then they carefully moved to the door and slowly opened it a crack to look outside.
A man in a khaki fishing outfit lay curled up beside the road outside, covered in mud. His hair was disheveled, his face dirty and haggard, and he looked utterly exhausted. Hearing the door, he slowly raised his head, revealing a pale face and cracked lips. His voice trembled. "Please, help me. I came here to fish. After I got here and saw those lunatics, I kept hiding. I really can't hold out much longer."
Dean studied him carefully for a while. Only after finding no wounds or signs of infection did he open the door and tell him, "Come in. It's safe here for now."
Overcome with gratitude, the man climbed to his feet and staggered into the clinic, nearly falling. Amanda quickly handed him a cup of water and a few canned crackers. He wolfed them down, saying repeatedly, "Thank you. Thank you. I thought I was a dead man."
Dean's heart lurched at the sight of his fishing outfit. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen it somewhere before. After finishing his food, the man's gaze casually passed over Sam's wrist. Something flickered in his eyes before his pitiful expression quickly returned. He introduced himself. "My name is Duane Tanner. Thank you for taking me in."
Watching him, Bai Haorui also sensed something wrong. He quietly used anchor energy to analyze and sense him. The energy in this man comes from exactly the same source as the Yellow-Eyed Demon's! He's no lost fisherman. He's a demon's pawn! Remembering Sam's current condition and fearing he might alert the enemy, he could only quietly signal Dean and whisper, "Something's off about this fisherman. Keep an eye on him."
Dean caught the signal and nodded discreetly, keeping his gun within easy reach at all times. On the surface, he chatted with Duane, asking what had happened after he got lost. In reality, he carefully watched his every movement, trying to find a flaw.
That afternoon, Sam was resting against the wall with his eyes closed when he suddenly realized his dizziness had vanished, and his body no longer felt hot. He raised his hand and touched his wrist. The wound had actually begun to heal, and much of the surrounding bluish-black discoloration had faded.
"Amanda, could you check me again?" Sam called.
Amanda hurried over and took out her equipment to test his blood. Her expression grew increasingly astonished until she suddenly cried out, "The sulfur is gone! You're completely immune to this virus!"
"Really?" Dean immediately came over and took Sam's wrist to inspect it. Only after seeing the healing wound did a smile finally appear on his face. He patted Sam's shoulder. "I knew you wouldn't go down that easily."
Sam looked at his wrist, filled with confusion. Why am I immune? Does this have something to do with Yellow Eyes' mark? What exactly does he want to do to me? The fear of being controlled rose inside him, chilling his entire body.
Meanwhile, Duane excused himself to use the bathroom. He locked the door behind him, took a silver cup from his pocket, and slit his wrist without hesitation, letting blood flow into it. The moment the blood entered the cup, he began reciting an obscure, incomprehensible incantation in a low, eerie voice.
The blood in the chalice began bubbling, giving off black mist that gradually gathered into a blurry shadow. Duane's eyes instantly turned pure black, without a trace of white. His tone was cold and emotionless. "Lord Yellow Eyes, the experiment succeeded. The younger Winchester son is completely immune to the demonic virus, just as you expected."
The shadow shifted, and the Yellow-Eyed Demon's deep voice emerged. "Good. Keep observing him. Nothing can go wrong with the 'special children' plan."
"Yes," Duane replied respectfully. He ended the communication, wiped the blood from his wrist, opened the door, and left the bathroom.
He had just returned to the main room when a strange sound came from outside the clinic-like countless feet stepping on the ground, synchronized and eerie. They ran to the door and looked outside. All the infected seemed to have been summoned by some force. They stopped what they were doing and headed toward the woods at the edge of town, their steps stiff and utterly unhesitating. Soon they vanished into the depths of the forest without a trace.
"Where... where did they go?" Pam's face turned white with fright, and she clutched Amanda's arm.
Dean frowned, a bad feeling rising inside him. "This is definitely a demon's work. Are they covering their tracks?"
Bai Haorui looked toward the woods, knowing this was only the beginning. They had only just glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of the Yellow-Eyed Demon's plan.
Not long after the infected disappeared, Dean tried his phone and found that it actually had a signal. After calling the police, Amanda and Pam packed their belongings, preparing to leave the nightmarish town.
Sarge approached Dean and Sam, scratching his head apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was too rash earlier. I shouldn't have thought about giving up on you."
Dean waved it off, his tone easy. "It's fine. In your position, I might have done the same."
Duane packed his things as well and said he needed to go home, bidding them farewell. "Thank you for taking me in. I'll be leaving now." He turned and headed out of town. His steps seemed slow, yet he quickly put distance between them.
Watching him leave, Sam suddenly seemed to remember something. His eyes widened, and he turned to Dean. "Dean! That tied-up man you killed in my vision-his fishing outfit was exactly like Duane's!"
"Shit!" Dean slapped his thigh, realizing at once. "I knew something felt familiar. There's definitely something wrong with him!" He immediately drew his gun and started to give chase, but Duane had already disappeared beyond the end of the road. It was too late to catch him.
The three drove out of Rivergrove in silence.
After they had driven for an unknown length of time, Dean suddenly braked and pulled over beside a river. He switched off the engine and sat silently for a while before finally speaking. "Sam, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."
Dean reached out and gripped Sam's shoulder tightly, his gaze exceptionally firm, his words emphatic. "Don't ever say that stupid crap about killing you again. I won't kill you. Never. All you're doing by saying that is hurting me."
Bai Haorui leaned back in the rear seat without speaking. Watching the brothers from behind, he was filled with conflicting feelings. With our current strength, changing Sam's fate of being possessed by Lucifer would be almost impossible. No! Maybe that method could do it!
Sam looked into Dean's pained yet determined eyes, his heart aching with bitterness. He nodded in agreement.
Bai Haorui got out, took two beers from the trunk, and held them out to the brothers. "Don't overthink it. If there's a problem, we'll solve it. We're the invincible trio, after all." His tone was teasing as he tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
Dean and Sam accepted the beers, pulled off the caps, and tipped their heads back for a drink. The cold liquid slid down their throats, washing away a little of the bitterness in their hearts.
The car started up again and headed toward the setting sun. Sam leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the scenery pass outside. Though his heart was heavy, he could no longer run from what made him special. He had to find out what Yellow Eyes was planning as soon as possible and protect Dean, Haorui, and the people around him.
Dean held the steering wheel, occasionally trading jabs with Bai Haorui in an attempt to dispel the heaviness in the car. "Next time we run into a virus like that, should we all have some Clear Heart Talismans ready? Save us from scrambling around again."
Bai Haorui raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a haughty note. "At least you've got some taste. But these talismans aren't that easy to draw. They take some work."
Sam smiled and turned to Bai Haorui. "Surely that's no challenge for our great genius Bai."
"Of course. You do nothing but speak the truth all day~" Bai Haorui patted his chest, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
Their laughter echoed through the car.
Bai Haorui played with the Five Emperor Coins, thinking, If I want to fight increasingly higher-level evil forces, with my current abilities, all I can do is speed up my cultivation. The breathing method has been going fairly smoothly lately, but my control over my mind and emotions is still lacking. I can't rush it. I have to take it one step at a time.