Chapter 1: The Haunted Forest of Demons (Part 1)

  A pitch-black expanse, impossible to tell whether it's day or night.

  Ding Lingxiu didn't know how much time had passed, nor did he know where he was. He only felt that he was standing in the endless darkness, but couldn't find his own sense of existence. He tried to feel around him, but couldn't feel his own body at all.

  The darkness grew thicker, and Ding Lingyu felt as if he was trapped in a dungeon, unable to move. Many familiar figures appeared one after another. However, no matter how hard Ding Lingyu tried to call out, it was like having a fishbone stuck in his throat, unable to make any sound. He could only sink into the darkness, gradually being swallowed up until he completely disappeared.

  Everyone in the black hole environment began to become transparent one after another, dissolving into a cluster of light halos until none were left. A tall and ugly woman appeared on the screen, with white skin, white hair, white beard, and white clothes. This pale woman almost occupied Ding Lingxiu's entire field of vision, but Ding Lingxiu still couldn't see her appearance clearly, only her emerald green eyes staring at him fixedly.

  Ding Lingxiu felt a chill run down his spine as he seemed to hear the mournful howls of the pale woman.

  Although he wasn't afraid, he still instinctively wanted to resist.

  The conviction of breaking free from shackles grew stronger, and the body that couldn't be sensed seemed to have a presence. He felt his own physique, pulse, and heartbeat. The fist that appeared again was clenched tightly by him, Ding Lingxiu's eyes stared dead at the woman who was getting closer and closer, aiming at her face.

  Binding

  The barbaric fist swung out, and the woman in white was hit right on the face by Ding Ling's punch, stumbling and falling to the ground.

  The surrounding darkness seemed to be pierced by this punch, and suddenly a light appeared, driving away the endless darkness, and everything became clear. Ding Lingxiu sat up straight, shocked to find himself on a hospital bed, with everyone around him staring at him in shock, as if they had been struck by lightning. On the ground, a white-clad nurse was lying down, covering her face in pain and muttering angrily.

  "You... you finally woke up." Zhang Shanyi gazed at Ding Lingxiu with a mixture of emotions, behind him were countless astonished eyes in the hospital room.

  "What's wrong with me? I just had a terrible nightmare." Ding Lingxiu looked at the IV bottles hanging from his body and said seriously, seemingly completely ignoring the nurse he had knocked to the ground.

  "You had a nightmare, why did you hit me?" The nurse pushed up her glasses, looking wronged.

  Although this nurse was severely hit by Ding Lingxiu, it's not hard to see that she is a beautiful and elegant girl with a pale and delicate body, which is similar to the female ghost in Ding Lingxiu's dream. The only difference is her clear and empty pupils, which are filled with anger.

  "Sorry, beauty, slept too dead, entered the play too deeply."

  Ding Lingxiu's face was filled with shame and guilt, thinking about the nightmare she had just had made her break out in cold sweat.

  "Beautiful lady, I'm really sorry about this, my friend didn't mean it." Zhang Shanyi said with a smile.

  "Nonsense! If he did it on purpose, I'll make his face swell even bigger!" The beauty rubbed her nose, stood up in anger and stormed towards Ding Lingxiu.

  "Hey, hey? Beautiful woman, I've already apologized, why are you still not forgiving me? Let's talk things over, don't...don't resort to violence." Ding Lingxiu felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the battered beauty walking straight towards him.

  Zhang Shanyi saw that things were not going well and also hid in a safe area at the first time.

  "Stop, stop, stop..." Ding Lingxu knew how terrifying it was when a woman got angry, and immediately became terrified, waving his hands in surrender.

  "Ah..."

  Ding Lingxiu's infusion needle was brutally pulled out, and a pig-like scream echoed in the ward.

  "Keep your voice down, this is a critical care area. Do you have some quality issues?" The nurse's words were calm and collected, but the hand that applied the bandage seemed to use all her strength.

  "Sister, I was wrong, it's all my fault." Ding Lingxiu said with tears in her eyes, looking at her with a pitiful expression.

  "It's all back to normal, stop being poor." The nurse gave him a white eye and walked out of the ward.

  At this time, Zhang Shanyi, who had been stunned, slowly sat back down.

  "Master Ding, life is short, mourn in moderation and adapt to change."

  "Damn it..."

  Ding Lingxiu was in pain, rubbing his hands, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. He reached out to touch it and only then did he discover that his neck was wrapped in a large bandage, like a white scarf.

  "Right, Zhang Zhenren, how did I end up here, in the inner courtyard?"

  Zhang Shanyi lowered his head and didn't speak for a while before saying:

  "Never mind, after you bit Nan Gong Ao Tian, he was furious and wanted to kill you. Luckily, I heard his painful cry when he was bitten and followed the sound to Mulan Valley, where I saw you both at the bottom of the valley. When he saw me coming, he didn't have the heart to fight anymore and escaped into the mountains with his injured leg. When I arrived at the bottom of the valley, I found that you were seriously injured, with blood still flowing from the wound on the back of your neck, so I didn't chase after him and rushed you to the hospital instead."

  "So that's how it is, the inner elixir was snatched away by him again?" Ding Lingyu's voice didn't fluctuate, although he was very disappointed, but it was also within his expectations.

  Although he can be calm after failure, in Ding Lingxu's creed, he can lose but will never admit defeat. No matter how strong the problem is, he absolutely won't tolerate himself giving up without a fight.

  "Yes, Master Ding, it's better to be young and wealthy, but preserving one's life is more important than anything else. Don't get so worked up over this little gain or loss that you fall ill," Zhang Shanyi comforted him.

  "Haha……" Ding Lingxiu burst out laughing, "We're not much different in age, why do you always look so worn out, Zhang Zhenren? My heart is big, anything that can't kill me will only make me stronger. And from now on, let's not be so polite to each other, treating each other with respect like we're customer service representatives isn't what brothers are for. I should be older than you, from now on I'll call you A Yi, and you can just call me Lingxiu, no need to keep calling me Young Master Ding, it sounds so awkward."

  "Haha, that's good too." Zhang Shanyi also smiled and continued: "Right, Brother Ding, you've been unconscious for two days. Although there's no major problem elsewhere, the injury on the back of your neck seems to need some more time to fully heal, so... why don't you stay in the hospital for a few more days?"

  Ding Lingxiu touched the back of her neck and shook her head, thinking for a long time before saying:

  "What you said makes sense, but I still have to leave tomorrow."

  "What? This is absolutely impossible! Your wound was just stitched two days ago and still needs to be changed, how can you leave tomorrow?"

  "It's nothing, I'm fine," Ding Lingxiu said, getting down from the bed.

  "Alright, since you're determined to leave, I won't stop you. However, why don't you come with me to see the hospital director? I know him, he's not only the director but also a chief surgeon of surgery department, his medical skills are superb, let him prescribe some medicine for you and change it on the way."

  "Alright, shall we go now?"

  "Brother Ding, it's almost midnight now. Even if he's off work, even if you find his home, this moment is still the time of a romantic tryst."

  "Oh dear, I don't know, but you said that with my current energy, I can even walk the Long March, what should I do?"

  "Alright then, just take it easy."

  "Are you coming together?"

  "Brother, I'll tell you, if you don't make a shocking punch, the whole ward will fall asleep!" Zhang Shanyi rubbed his sleepy eyes, and the nerves stimulated by Ding Lingxiu had relaxed again, restoring his tired face.

  "Heh heh, then I won't disturb you, I'll just go get some midnight snacks myself." Ding Lingyu scratched his head in embarrassment and looked around at the people nearby, only to find that pair after pair of surprised and resentful eyes were fixed on him.

  Ding Lingxiu finished speaking and quietly put on her slippers before walking out of the hospital room.

  The hospital corridor was dimly lit, and the pale green glow of the emergency exit signs added a somber atmosphere to the air.

  Hospitals have been imbued with a mysterious color as a popular scene for most horror movies.

  A place related to life and death of diseases is actually an excellent hunting ground for most demon hunters, and Ding Lingxiu is naturally used to it.

  Ding Lingxiu said he was going out to eat a midnight snack, but in reality, the moment he woke up, he realized that something was not quite right here. Because from what he saw of the nurse falling to the ground, a faint and eerie aura surrounded him. He didn't take out his demon-seeking compass, fearing that Zhang Shanyi would discover his true intentions and follow him. After all, Zhang had been keeping watch with him for so many days, and he still thought it was best to let Zhang get some good rest.

  The surgical ward for critically ill patients is on the fifth floor. The deserted corridor, even with slippers on, makes a lonely and frightening sound. The green light is very dim, and from time to time, there are groans from patients who have worn off their anesthesia and some intermittent sobbing sounds.

  Ding Lingxiu wandered aimlessly in the corridor, feeling light and refreshed after not leaving his bed for several days, yet full of energy.

  Just as he was looking around, a pair of hands patted his shoulders.

  He suddenly turned his head back and a pale woman's face with a gloomy light appeared behind him.