The weather was very cold. The school didn't even have dorm buildings, so students had to rent houses outside.

Ma Lin and five classmates had rented an old house that was drafty everywhere. They installed an air conditioner, but now it was broken, which made Ma Lin's feet feel icy cold whenever he slept.

It was New Year's Day, and all five roommates had gone out to have fun, with no clue when they'd be back.

Ma Lin browsed the internet until two in the morning before going to bed.

Then he felt completely unable to sleep.

All sorts of thoughts, some ambitious, others negative views about society, drifted through his groggy mind.

He didn't know how long he had slept.

Suddenly, he thought he heard a voice calling him, "Ma Lin!"

Startled, he tried to get up but couldn't. His ears buzzed, his head felt groggy, his eyes wouldn't open, and he couldn't move his arms or legs.

Was this sleep paralysis?

"Ma Lin!"

The voice called him again.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

He wanted to answer but couldn't speak at all.

"Do you hear me?"

I do hear you, but I can't talk!

"Good. Ma Lin, I am your master, and you are my servant."

Servant my ass, Ma Lin thought.

"I like your spirit. My dear servant, please do something for your great master."

Master my foot!

"That's the spirit I saw in you, the same temperament as mine. I am a great immortal demon known as Chicken Egg. I possess unparalleled supernatural powers, but now I've run into a problem. I left my sleeping cap at home, and since I'm too great, my world can't contain me anymore, I can't go back. Please, run an errand for me and bring me my sleeping cap."

A long string of obscenities ran through Ma Lin's mind.

Chicken Egg, why not Duck Egg, or Dog Egg? Asking me to fetch your sleeping cap, how delusional! Why not ask me to clean your toilet while you're at it?

"As expected of my servant, you can clean my chamber pot as well."

"I refuse."

"I am the incredibly great Chicken Egg, a demon so immense that even the world cannot hold me. Serving me will lead to great fortune. Other demons kneel and beg for this chance, but I've refused them all. If you serve me well, I can impart my understanding of the Origin Power to you. Perhaps you'll master three or four layers, and then you'll be able to summon storms and cause mischief in your world."

I have no interest in causing mischief.

"Alright, alright, my servant. I like keeping pets as stubborn as you. Go fetch my sleeping cap for me; I'm bald, and it's over two hundred degrees below zero here. If you were bald and slept in this weather without a sleeping cap, wouldn't your head freeze?"

I sleep with my head covered.

"Alright, my servant, go fetch my sleeping cap and empty the chamber pot. Don't make me angry; you wouldn't like the consequences."

This threat is so feeble.

For some reason, Ma Lin felt his situation was extremely bizarre. What on earth was happening?

"Don't you have a father? Nearly sixty years old? If you dare refuse me, I'll make sure he gets a terminal illness. But if you obey me, I'll ensure he lives a long and healthy life, with good teeth, no backaches or leg pains, enjoying his meals, and even dancing in the square. How about that?"

Ma Lin felt extremely foggy, as if someone had whacked him on the head. This sleep paralysis was really strange, even causing auditory hallucinations. Too weird.

But for some reason, when he heard the voice speak of his dad being healthy and living a long life, he felt slightly better.

"You idiot, how can I fetch your sleeping cap?" he thought to himself.

"Just say, 'Great master, I am willing,' and then you'll be able to fetch my sleeping cap and empty the chamber pot."

"Moron, if you really can make my dad live a long life, then I'm willing to fetch it for you."

"Of course I can. We can make this deal: I'll ensure your dad lives a long life, and you'll fetch my sleeping cap and empty the chamber pot."

Ma Lin thought to himself, is this a fortunate encounter? Definitely a win. Fetching something in exchange for my dad's longevity? Not bad at all.

"I'm willing."

"Say, 'Great master, I am willing.'"

For his father's long and healthy life, it wasn't too big of a deal to verbally humble himself.

He said, "Great master, I am willing."

Until now, he had been in a state of sleep paralysis, unable to speak or even move, but suddenly he could speak again, and he said the sentence very loudly.

"My servant, you are so loud, you've really moved me."

Ma Lin seemed to see a contract drifting near the ceiling of the room, inscribed with strange, tadpole-like characters. Somehow, he knew it was demonic script. The contract was burning, signifying the completion of a ritual, and the words he had just uttered seemed to carry the weight of a cosmic law, unalterable from then on.

What is this? Did I just sign my life away?

He was utterly bewildered when suddenly he felt the bed beneath him begin to spin, faster and faster.

A voice came to his ears.

"My bumbling oaf of a servant, hurry up and fetch my sleeping cap, your great master's bald head has already turned to ice."

The voice became more and more distant.

His head spun so violently, he felt waves of nausea, and the bed's rotation grew even more intense, enough to make even trained pilots vomit.

The ringing in his ears worsened.

This sleep paralysis was truly fucking terrifying.

Why would this happen during the New Year?

He was in a really bad mood. I am so not pleased!

While his thoughts were a jumbled mess,

he felt the spinning slow down, and the dizziness lessen.

It took quite a while, but he felt that he had found his equilibrium.

Then he felt a chill beneath him and opened his eyes.

Holy shit.

There was a demon in front of him!

On closer inspection, it wasn't a demon but a statue, a statue of a demon.

He quickly got up, feeling an intense cold all over his body, especially his feet.

He was standing in a mountain cave about five or six meters deep, wearing only a shirt and underwear, his feet bare.

The cold wind howled through. The cave was about three meters high inside, while the entrance was roughly one and a half meters high.

It was snowing outside.

The sky was gloomy, and he had no idea what time it was or where he was.

Inside the cave was a wooden bed that seemed to be made by a particularly inept carpenter.

But underneath was a layer of animal skin that looked incredibly warm at just a glance.

There was another piece of somewhat smaller animal skin that seemed usable as a blanket.

He couldn't help but jump onto it, covering himself with the blanket. It was truly warm, but the blanket was too short to cover his head.

The weather was really cold. He just wanted to warm up for a bit.

Casually, he put on a sleeping cap that was beside him, right on his forehead.

Instantly, a 'ding' sounded in his head, followed by the cold voice of a woman, "You have now obtained one of master's sleeping caps."

The voice was so loud it almost scared him into leaping up.

What was going on?

After catching his breath, he removed the sleeping cap and thought, is this the Great Demon Egg's sleeping cap?

Is this great demon really that powerful, or is it all just a sham? Why has it become my master? Have I been majorly scammed? Demons love to con people, especially by harvesting souls in this manner. Have I been duped?

It was then that he noticed a crudely made earthenware pot at the end of the bed, lopsided and twisted. When he looked closely, he saw writing on the pot, all in tadpole script, but somehow he could understand it.

"Master's urinal."

Master?

Ma Lin inexplicably felt a chill down his spine, his whole body got cold, and then he grew extremely angry.

To hell with the master.

The blanket-like animal skin had a few strands of yarn sewn onto it. He thought for a moment, wrapped the "blanket" around himself, and tied it with the yarn.

It then transformed into a large fur coat. When he shook himself, the coat began to shrink and tighten, fitting his body perfectly.

He thought to himself, what's going on? This is kind of amazing.

Then he realized the coat had pockets, which he hadn't noticed before.

Reaching into a pocket, he first pulled out two fuzzy items. Upon closer examination, they were woolen socks.

His feet were very cold, so he put them on and found that the socks began to morph and tighten upon touching his feet, fitting him perfectly.

After walking a couple of steps, he realized the thickness of the socks was sufficient even to serve as shoes.

Continuing to search the pocket, he then pulled out a gold chain with a red stone attached, a stone that wasn't a gemstone as it lacked any luster.

The stone was very warm, as if radiating heat.

Not understanding why it was generating heat, he still wore it around his neck, with the stone resting against his chest, warm and comforting.