Just now, after hearing the fox speak and now witnessing this bizarre scene, James Thompson was startled. He instinctively took a few steps back and looked down at the spot on his chest where the white light had struck, but found nothing unusual.

A tall woman in a green dress stepped out from the crowd, her expression slightly tense. She looked James Thompson up and down before finally breathing a sigh of relief and shaking her head, saying, “He’s not possessed by a demon.”

Another young man, holding a palm-sized compass, circled around James Thompson and said in surprise, “How is this possible? I checked him this morning—he was clearly already dead…”

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man who had been staring at James Thompson slowly withdrew his gaze. The ghostly light in his eyes gradually faded as he said, “The three souls are still present, so it should just be a temporary separation from the body. But we still need to confirm…”

After speaking, he looked at James Thompson again and asked, “What is your name?”

James Thompson answered honestly, “James Thompson.”

The middle-aged man continued, “What is your identity?”

James Thompson replied, “Constable James Thompson of Yangqiu County Office.”

The middle-aged man pointed at the young woman and asked, “Who is she?”

James Thompson said, “Emily Thompson, chief…”

Of all the people here, James Thompson only remembered this young woman. She was the original body’s direct superior and also the one he had secretly admired for a long time. Perhaps that was why James Thompson remembered her alone.

“And them?” The middle-aged man pointed at several other constables.

James Thompson shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

The middle-aged man glanced at James Thompson and finally asked, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

“I don’t remember that either.”

The middle-aged man took a bronze mirror from his robe and said to James Thompson, “Look at this.”

James Thompson looked at the bronze mirror, and a handsome face was reflected on its smooth surface.

The middle-aged man raised his hand and sent a beam of white light into the mirror, then stared intently at it. Seeing that nothing changed for a long time, he finally relaxed, put the mirror away, and said, “Though the three souls leaving the body is rare, it does happen from time to time. There’s no demonic aura on you, the magical tool didn’t react, and you can recall past events. You’re not possessed by a demon, nor is this a case of body-snatching reincarnation…”

He looked at James Thompson and said again, “If the three souls are separated for too long, you’ll lose some memories. But in any case, it’s good that you’re alive. For now, rest at home for a few days—you don’t need to come to the county office.”

With that, he waved to the other officers and said, “It’s fine now, everyone can go back…”

After confirming that James Thompson wasn’t possessed, everyone’s mood visibly lightened. Two constables, one fat and one thin, walked beside James Thompson. The short, chubby one put a hand on James Thompson’s shoulder and asked, “James Thompson, do you still remember us?”

James Thompson shook his head.

“What? You’ve even forgotten us!”

The chubby constable looked disappointed. “And here we went to all the trouble of collecting your body, even bought you a straw mat, and carried you up the mountain, working ourselves to death. You have no idea, that straw mat was expensive—fifty coins for one! Do you know how hard it was for me to get those fifty coins yesterday…”

…

On the way back, James Thompson learned the names of the two constables.

The chubby one was called Michael Bolton, and the tall, thin one was David Thompson. Like James Thompson, both were constables at the county office, and they had handled James Thompson’s funeral arrangements.

Although he was nearly buried alive by the two of them, it was all a misunderstanding. James Thompson cupped his hands to them and said, “Thank you both for your trouble…”

“We’re colleagues—it’s only right.” Michael Bolton waved his hand, then added, “Speaking of the straw mat, one mat costs fifty coins…”

“Did we mention the straw mat just now?”

“We didn’t?”

…

Weaving through the bustling crowds on the street, James Thompson looked a bit dazed.

An hour ago, he was still in a hospital room filled with the smell of disinfectant, surrounded by modern medical equipment. Now, all he saw were ancient buildings, people in traditional clothing, and a lively marketplace…

It was as if he were in a dream.

If this really was a dream, James Thompson hoped he would never wake up. The real world was even more cruel to him.

Michael Bolton and David Thompson followed beside James Thompson, since James Thompson had to go home to repay them for the straw mat.

The reason James Thompson let them come along was, first, because it was only right to repay a debt, and second, because he honestly couldn’t remember where his home was.

Of course, there was another important reason: he needed to ask them about James Thompson and about this world.

James Thompson’s background was simple. His mother died when he was young, and his father was a constable at the county office. Two years ago, his father died in the line of duty, and James Thompson followed in his footsteps. A year ago, he became colleagues with Michael Bolton and David Thompson.

As for this world, through James Thompson’s subtle questioning, the scattered memories in his mind were gradually confirmed.

This was a strange and fantastical world, where cultivators pursued immortality and could wield magical powers, and where demons and ghosts roamed, using their own supernatural arts…

There were ten continents and three islands on the sea. The Zhou Kingdom was located on the ancestral continent. Among the ten continents, besides human nations, there was also the Ghost Domain of Youdu, the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, and within the Four Seas, the territory belonged to the aquatic clans…