The next morning.
As the first ray of sunlight fell into the room and onto Yan Feng's face, he groggily woke up, realizing he had spent the entire night on the floor with his shirt off.
Remembering the terrifying sensations from last night, he hurriedly got up and checked himself in the mirror. His spine was still swollen, and he could feel pain in multiple bones, though it wasn't as severe as the night before.
"Why hasn't the pain disappeared like usual when the sun comes up today?" he murmured to himself, pressing his hand against the swollen area, wincing in pain.
He didn't think too much about it. First, he went to the bathroom, then took a shower and changed into fresh clothes before heading out.
There was a small vegetable market near his apartment in Mu Cuo, just a short walk away.
Although the swelling had reduced considerably, the strange hunger pangs still persisted.
He stopped by a stall to get a double portion of his usual breakfast, but after eating, the hunger hadn't decreased at all.
Not wanting to overeat and upset his stomach, he quickly paid and prepared to head to the hospital for his test results.
As he passed a fresh goat milk stall, he suddenly stopped, staring at the female goat with an intense focus. The strong smell of goat meat and milk flooded his senses, and the sight of the dangling udders caused him to take an instinctive step closer.
As he got closer, his body seemed to stir with excitement. He had a sudden impulse to tackle the goat and bite into it.
The hunger surged again, stronger than before!
The stall owner, an older woman in a red shirt, noticed his stare and approached with a warm smile. "Young man, would you like some milk?"
Finally snapping out of his trance, Yan Feng quickly replied, "No, thank you," and hurried away.
Even after leaving the market, the image of that goat lingered in his mind, and he even considered going back to take another look.
"Damn it, am I losing my mind?" he muttered to himself.
He cursed under his breath, not daring to linger. He hailed a taxi and went straight to the hospital.
The previous Saturday, after his initial tests, he had a bad feeling and had done some online research, subtly suspecting what his illness might be. Despite having had a health check last year with no major issues, he still held out hope, unwilling to believe it.
At 9:30 AM, Yan Feng arrived at the hospital and received his pathology report.
When he saw the diagnosis, his heart sank.
It was bone cancer!
Even though he had suspected it, the reality of it was hard to accept.
The doctor who attended to him was Dr. Lai Changjian, an elderly man with white hair and a stern expression.
After reading the report, the doctor looked at him with pity and said, "Bone cancer, and it's already started spreading!"
"Is there any chance of a cure?" Yan Feng asked, holding onto a small hope.
"At this stage, it's terminal. There's no cure. We can only use chemotherapy, radiation, and biological treatments to alleviate the pain and extend your life."
"But my checkup last year was fine. How could this happen in less than a year?" Yan Feng asked, still in shock.
"The exact cause of bone cancer hasn't been pinpointed yet. It could be that it wasn't detected last time, or it could be due to other factors, such as a genetic mutation or viral infection."
Genetic mutation? Viral infection?
Yan Feng fell into thought.
"Didn't your family come with you?" the doctor asked.
"They're not here," Yan Feng replied with a sigh, then continued, "Dr. Lai, I always get these strong hunger pangs when my pain flares up, especially today. I ate double my usual breakfast but still feel like I haven't eaten at all. Why is that? Also, why do I only feel pain at night? During the day, it's not that bad, and today it's only a little painful in the afternoon, but nothing compared to the evenings."
"Persistent hunger usually has two causes: low blood sugar or stomach heat. In your case, it's probably due to stomach heat. As for why it hurts more at night…" Dr. Lai paused, furrowing his brow before continuing, "How about you get admitted for observation so we can track it more closely?"
Yan Feng thought for a moment before replying, "Let me discuss it with my family."
He wasn't yet unable to take care of himself, so he didn't want to stay in the hospital unless it was absolutely necessary. Moreover, if he had to be hospitalized, he'd prefer to go back home, not stay here.
"Okay. I'll prescribe some painkillers for you. Make sure to rest and eat nutritious foods. It's best to notify your family so they can take care of you. If the symptoms worsen, come to the hospital for treatment. This will help ease the pain and extend your life."
"Mm." Yan Feng nodded, taking the report and preparing to get the medication. Before leaving, he asked, "Dr. Lai, how much longer do I have to live?"
The doctor hesitated and replied, "That… depends on you. If you maintain a good attitude and engage in moderate exercise, you could live longer."
"Alright. I understand," Yan Feng said quietly.
Since he was a single child, the thought of dying left him with mixed feelings. He was not particularly afraid of death itself, but how would his parents cope if he suddenly passed away?
Feeling his mind in turmoil, he numbly collected his medication and left the hospital.
At the hospital entrance, he watched the passing cars, unsure of where to go next.
Should he call his parents? He didn't have the courage.
Should he tell his friends? He didn't feel like it.
Wandering the streets for over half an hour, he finally hailed a cab back to his apartment.
Once back in his room, he closed the door behind him, tossed the medication and report aside, and collapsed on the bed.
He pulled out his phone, intending to search for more information online, but a WeChat message from his former apprentice and now colleague, Tong Feifei, caught his eye.
"Master, are you off today?"
"Yes."
"Where are you? Did you go out?"
"At home."
"Oh, you're taking three days off?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll be off tomorrow too. 😊"
Yan Feng read the message but didn't reply. He locked his phone and tossed it aside. He no longer felt like engaging with this woman, especially not in his current state of mind.
All his life, Yan Feng had felt unsure about his future, even somewhat lost. Now, with terminal bone cancer, he finally had a sense of direction: he would quit his job and go back home to be with his parents.
He decided that the next day, he would resign and pack up to go home.
After returning from the hospital, he stayed in his rented room, only leaving for lunch. He ate a large steak and two bowls of rice, but once again, the strange hunger persisted—like he hadn't eaten at all, even though his stomach was full.
The entire afternoon, the image of the goat from the morning lingered in his mind.
At around 5:30 PM, as the sun began to set, his hunger intensified to an unbearable level.
Although he usually ate simple meals to maintain his figure, right now, he couldn't care less about that.
He left his apartment, intending to eat, but somehow ended up at the same goat milk stall in the market.
The stall owner had already taken the goat home. Standing there, inhaling the lingering scent of the goat, Yan Feng's body seemed to tremble with excitement.
At that moment, he was overcome by an urge that seemed uncontrollable. As he passed by a poultry stall, the blood smell from the chickens made his whole body buzz with an unnatural intensity.
Forcing himself to resist, he managed to tear himself away from the poultry shop and went to a nearby braised food stall, buying chicken legs and pig's feet to take home.
Back at the apartment, as the smell of the food reached Youfu, the dog appeared, wagging its tail and eagerly licking the air.
When Yan Feng saw Youfu, an uncontrollable feeling washed over him. He briefly thought, It's been so long since I've eaten dog meat. With how fat Youfu is, it must taste great.
At that moment, Youfu was innocently staring at him, unaware of his thoughts.
But Youfu is just like my own pet. How could I think like this? Yan Feng quickly snapped back to his senses, dismissing the idea.
He left Youfu standing at the door and walked back to his room, ignoring the dog's disappointed whines as it followed him to the fourth floor.
Inside his room, he gave in to his body's urges. Without resisting anymore, he devoured the pig's feet with savage intensity, like a wild beast.
The entire time, he hadn't noticed the change in his demeanor, or how Youfu had been sitting outside the door, still watching.
Suddenly, without warning, the transformation began. His mouth opened wide, revealing sharp fangs that grew longer and more menacing. Black fur started growing on his face, his eyes shifted from brown to bright amber, and his pupils began to dilate.
As his body expanded, muscles bulged with terrifying power, and his hands turned into monstrous claws.