Anomaly

Perhaps in the past, when reading literary works, many people wished they could trade places with the protagonist, longing for some extraordinary encounter. Ji Yuan was no exception.

But at this moment, Ji Yuan felt a bit like Lord Ye professing his love for dragons—he was deeply uneasy, profoundly so.

From a god's-eye view, everything in certain literary and cinematic works seemed thrilling and fun, but when put in the actual situation, Ji Yuan's first thought wasn't excitement or luck; his mind was flooded with all kinds of unknown dangers—illness, natural disasters, man-made calamities, misfortune, everything...

This might be a world with backward laws and medicine, and the resulting tension and anxiety were so intense that Ji Yuan's thoughts were in chaos.

He had arrived in a world he knew nothing about, possibly facing extraordinary threats. Wild beasts would be the least of his worries; demons and monsters were utterly terrifying...

After the experience of watching a game of chess for a few minutes only to find himself transported across half a month, Ji Yuan couldn't assume that the world he'd crossed into was free of demons, monsters, ghosts, and goblins.

Worse still, Ji Yuan was practically useless right now—at least for the moment. His physical condition was worse than an ordinary person's; he had no means of self-defense. Even a rat could bite him to death.

The only thing that comforted Ji Yuan a little was that, though he couldn't move a muscle from head to toe, his sense of touch was still intact. True paralysis often meant losing sensation in certain body parts, so he probably wasn't paralyzed.

Ji Yuan was panicking like crazy. These strangers seemed kind-hearted enough, but would they take him along when they left? Find a local doctor to check on him?

There was no way Ji Yuan could stay alone in the deep mountains and forests—not even if he were healthy and full of energy, let alone in his immobile state.

This wasn't China in 2019. Dangerous animals were abundant in the mountains, and with his strange encounter before the chessboard, it was entirely possible he'd ended up in a world with monsters.

Reality wasn't some Japanese anime; monsters weren't cute and silly. In traditional tales, most demons and monsters were man-eaters.

If he could move at all, Ji Yuan would definitely beg for help.

Zhang Shilin fed the beggar in front of him a bowl of warm water. Seeing that, though the man's mouth twitched occasionally, he was still unconscious, Zhang Shilin could only shake his head, gently set the beggar down, and return to his companions.

"Brother Shilin, what about that beggar? Should we take him with us when we go down the mountain?"

Zhang Shilin sighed and shook his head.

"He's very weak. Probably won't last long, and he can't handle the jostling..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood the implication.

Thump!

Behind the nearby statue, Ji Yuan's heart sank.

The rain continued to fall. The traveling merchants chatted and rested, their topics not much different from friends chatting in the 21st century—gossip, strange tales, and some slightly lewd jokes about pretty girls.

From their conversation, Ji Yuan roughly gathered what these people did. He wasn't entirely sure, but these traveling merchants seemed similar to the peddlers he remembered from childhood, yet different—they made a living by traveling long distances on foot, trading goods.

With a bleak mindset, Ji Yuan listened passively, also hearing the world outside the Mountain God Temple through the pounding rain. It helped calm his mind.

They called him a beggar—did that mean his soul had possessed a beggar in this world?

What about his own body on Ox Head Mountain, found by the search team? Was he dead?

Right, half a month without food or water, he was probably dead...

Mom and Dad must be heartbroken when they hear the news. Grandma and Grandpa are so old, if they found out...

Ji Yuan's thoughts wandered, and two streams of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes on his dirty face.

Maybe because lying still didn't consume much energy, Ji Yuan didn't feel particularly hungry.

He didn't know how much time passed, but the rain outside gradually stopped. Ji Yuan's heart immediately lurched—he remembered the traveling merchants planned to leave as soon as the rain stopped.

"Brother Shilin, the rain seems to have stopped!"

It was the voice of the young man named Wang Dong.

"Yeah, but it's almost dark. Walking the night road in the mountains after rain is too dangerous. Let's spend the night here at the Mountain God Temple."

Zhang Shilin's voice followed.

Ji Yuan was momentarily stunned. It was already getting dark. Strangely, he felt a bit relieved—glad the rain had stopped late enough that these people wouldn't abandon him tonight.

After the rain stopped, some traveling merchants went out to gather slightly damp firewood near the temple, placing it by the fire to dry, ensuring enough fuel for the night.

Ji Yuan seemed to have been forgotten by everyone. After nightfall, no one came to check on him.

He really hoped Zhang Shilin or someone would change the cloth on his forehead, give him some water—not because he desperately needed it, but because it might show that the merchants wouldn't leave him behind.

But reality was harsh. He was nothing to them, just a dying beggar.

If this were his homeland in the 21st century, he would have been rescued by now. Ji Yuan thought this more than once.

"Oh, so many people in this rundown temple in the barren mountains! I don't have to be afraid now!"

A surprised, unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out from the temple entrance, making Zhang Shilin and the others turn to look. Some merchants stood up.

At the door stood a man dressed like a scholar. Seeing the people inside, he seemed delighted.

"It's great to see you all! I went into the mountains to sightsee during the day and got separated from my companions. I ended up lost, and then it rained heavily. I had to find shelter. The rain stopped, but it got dark. I was terrified, but then I saw the firelight here!"

The man walked in as he spoke.

"Even if you're bandits, I'd rather lose some money if you'd take me down the mountain. I dare not stay alone up here!"

Seeing the man's nervous but relieved expression, Zhang Shilin and the others smiled and relaxed. Just an unlucky scholar.

"Come warm yourself by the fire. We're not bandits!"

"Haha, you scholars sure have it easy, wandering into the mountains for fun! Have you passed the imperial exams?"

"Not at all, not at all... You flatter me, you flatter me..."

The Scholar's slightly nervous yet deeply relieved state was obvious to everyone, and the Traveling Merchants chuckled warmly at the sight.

Throughout the entire Mountain God Temple, only one person felt something was wrong.

Ji Yuan's spine went cold, his scalp tingling, and goosebumps rose across his body in wave after wave.

It wasn't until Zhang Shilin and the others began conversing with the Scholar that Ji Yuan realized there was an extra person inside the temple.

He hadn't noticed when this so-called Scholar had arrived at the Mountain God Temple—he hadn't heard a single footstep from the Scholar from beginning to end!

There was something wrong with this Scholar!