Chapter 50: The Corpse Monster

In *Zi Bu Yu* (What the Master Would Not Discuss), corpses are classified into eight distinct levels: Purple Corpses, White Corpses, Green Corpses, Hairy Corpses, Flying Corpses, Wandering Corpses, Prostrate Corpses, and Undissolving Bones.

This ranking system is not entirely accurate, as many corpses undergo various mutations due to environmental and external factors.

However, their general states do not deviate too far from these eight tiers.

Hairy Corpses are already considered quite formidable among the undead.

Once a corpse grows white hair, its body becomes as tough as copper and iron, impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire. Furthermore, it possesses boundless strength and agile movements, making it exceptionally troublesome to deal with.

The tall corpse leaped directly toward Yang Sheng, a surging wave of Yin energy instantly rushing toward his face.

Blood-Drawing!

His vital energy and blood surged as the Imperial Guard saber flashed in a continuous slash!

Accompanied by a clanging sound like striking metal, Yang Sheng was actually forced back several steps by this Hairy Corpse.

Despite the sharpness of the Imperial Guard saber, it could only leave a few white marks on the Hairy Corpse, completely failing to destroy its body.

"Let me handle this!"

Chen You rushed toward the corpse with great excitement, moving with agility and flexibility that bore no resemblance whatsoever to a Daoist priest.

The ink-line in his hand resembled a large net. As he leaped and dodged the corpse's attacks from left to right, the net gradually began to weave itself.

Finally, tightening both hands, he directly trapped the corpse within the massive web of ink-lines.

When facing the ghost infant previously, Chen You's ink-lines had been able to restrain it directly.

Yet dealing with this corpse proved exceptionally difficult.

As the corpse struggled desperately, the ink-lines snapped one by one.

However, countless yellow talismans flew out from Chen You's wide sleeves, hurtling along the ink-lines toward the corpse.

In an instant, the talismans detonated. No less than a hundred talismans exploded simultaneously, the sheer spiritual might of which made even Yang Sheng cast a sidelong glance of astonishment.

With the explosion of a hundred talismans, the corpse's entire body was instantly blasted into a tattered state.

Yet the creature seemed almost unaffected, its legs flexing as it leaped directly in front of Chen You.

A mouthful of scalding-hot blood met the oncoming corpse. Mid-air, the blood transformed into a talisman, blooming with a golden radiance that plastered itself across the corpse's face.

Exorcise Evil!

The corpse let out a shrill roar. Chen You drove a peachwood sword—its blade smeared with seven purple talismans—straight into the corpse's chest, piercing all the way out through its back!

Yet the corpse still retained spare strength, its arms instantly clamping onto Chen You's throat with a death grip, causing the priest's face to flush red.

By this time, Yang Sheng had already circled behind the corpse. With a single leap, he wrapped his legs directly around the creature's neck.

Biting his hands until they bled, he drew talismans with his blood. The symbols condensed in mid-air, and with each palm strike he delivered, thunderous lightning burst forth!

In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Five-Thunder talismans slammed down, nearly obliterating the corpse's head entirely.

Yang Sheng drew his Imperial Guard saber, rapidly traced a Five-Thunder talisman upon the blade, and plunged it straight from the top of the corpse's head down into its spine!

"Boom!"

A violent, explosive roar echoed from within the corpse's body. Only this final blow forced the corpse to loosen its grip on Chen You's throat. Its Yin energy dissipated as it collapsed heavily to the ground.

"Obtained: Borrowed-Magic Spiritual Seal Soil."

Chen You stood up, rubbed his bruised neck, and complained, "Why didn't you wait until I was choked to death before stepping in?"

Yang Sheng spread his hands in an expression of pure innocence. "I was waiting for the right moment. Besides, Brother You, you were acting a bit too overzealous, insisting on going blow-for-blow with a thick-skinned, blade-proof corpse. Why put yourself through that?"

Knowing he had indeed acted a bit rashly, Chen You let out a soft huff and went over to check on Aunt Mei.

After a moment, Chen You spoke with a darkened, despondent expression, "Aunt Mei is dead.

She had spent who knows how long nurturing Uncle Dong's corpse. Given her advanced age, dwelling in the same room as an intensely Yin and malevolent corpse had long since caused her vital energy and blood to decay.

That mouthful of blood she spat by biting her tongue earlier was her very last shred of life force. Once she spat it out, there was no turning back for her."

"Was this corpse her husband in life?"

Chen You nodded. "Aunt Mei was a truly pitiful soul. She and Uncle Dong worked hard for half their lives to raise three children—two went to England, and one went to Australia. Years passed without a single visit back to see them.

The two elderly people depended entirely on each other. Now that one has passed away, the other could not live on much longer either.

Yet I never expected her obsession to run so deep that she actually wished to resurrect Uncle Dong in the form of a corpse."

Chen You gently closed Aunt Mei's eyes and said in a deep voice, "I will handle Aunt Mei's remains. How is your practice coming along with the Soul-Suppressing talisman from the Maoshan incantations?"

Yang Sheng pondered for a moment before replying, "My speed at drawing talismans in the void is faster than before, but the Soul-Suppressing incantation is too specialized, and it's the one I've spent the least time visualizing. Consequently, my speed still cannot match Exorcise Evil or the Five-Thunder talismans."

"Starting tonight, go back and focus entirely on practicing the Soul-Suppressing talisman. You'll need it tomorrow night."

Yang Sheng froze for a moment. "Brother You, do you know what we'll be encountering tomorrow night?"

Chen You sighed. "You'll find out when tomorrow night arrives."

Seeing that Chen You had no intention of elaborating, Yang Sheng did not press further. Instead, he returned directly to the guardroom to begin cultivating the Soul-Suppressing technique.

Since Chen You was the local expert here, it was best to leave the cleanup to him.

Yang Sheng immersed himself entirely in visualization, losing all track of time, only interrupting his focus when hunger struck, at which point he would go to You's eatery for a meal.

Chen You had not shown his face since the previous night, leaving only the taciturn helper named Ah Cheng behind to stir-fry the glutinous rice.

When asked where Chen You had gone, the boy claimed complete ignorance to every question.

As night fell once more, Chen You finally sought out Yang Sheng of his own accord.

"What is this, Brother You? Are you wholesaling talismans?"

Yang Sheng watched in surprise as Chen You lugged over a burlap sack bulging entirely with talisman paper.

Chen You spoke in a grave tone, "Don't let your guard down. What we're dealing with this time is extremely perilous; I need to set up a talisman array in advance.

On your first day here, when Uncle Shui took you on patrol, did you notice a room on the sixth floor covered entirely in talismans?"

Yang Sheng nodded.

Chen You sighed heavily. "I set those up a few years ago.

The original resident of that room was a girl named Ah Mei, a deeply devoted soul.

Unfortunately, she fell for the wrong person, was defrauded of all her savings, yet stubbornly believed that scoundrel would return to her. She ended up starving herself to death inside that very room.

Her lingering resentment failed to disperse, merging with her corpse to transform into an evil entity that combined a vengeful spirit with a corporeal monster, making her exceptionally difficult to handle.

At the time, I was unable to vanquish her immediately, so I chose to seal off that room and had Uncle Shui lock the door tightly.

History has proven that making that decision back then was a mistake; I should have risked injury to grant her ultimate liberation.

Over the past few years, Ah Mei's resentment has continuously expanded, and I can no longer gauge the extent of her growth.

Whenever I sensed Yin energy leaking out, I had to reinforce the talismans—starting from once a year, down to needing it every month or two recently.

With the sudden eruption of malevolent entities within Jinxiao Building lately, I feared something might go wrong with Ah Mei's room, which would be disastrous.

Since you're here, let's thoroughly resolve this issue once and for all tonight."

As he spoke, Chen You led Yang Sheng up to the sixth floor, arriving before the talisman-covered door.

Outside the entrance, Chen You retrieved a bagua compass and placed it on the floor, arranging the burlap sack's contents in a precise circle following the bagua's eight trigrams around the outer perimeter of the compass.

"Your vital energy is robust. I need to borrow some of your blood."

Chen You tossed over a small rooster bowl.

Seeing the cracked porcelain bowl, Yang Sheng was slightly lost for words. "Why didn't you just bring out a washbasin?"

Chen You snapped impatiently, "Why so much chatter? With a build as big as yours, a bowl of blood won't kill you. At worst, I'll boil you a bowl of pork-blood soup tomorrow to build your strength back up."

Complaining all the while, Yang Sheng nevertheless bled a full bowl for Chen You.

Using Yang Sheng's Yang-infused, vital blood to trace two massive talismans across the corridor floor and ceiling, Chen You wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Kid, open the door. Be careful."

Yang Sheng nodded, testing the keys on the ring Uncle Shui had given him one by one until he finally clicked the padlock open.

With a gentle pull from Yang Sheng, the talismans plastered across the doorway tore apart, and a surging rush of freezing Yin energy hit them head-on.

The City God's golden avatar activated automatically, yet even its blinding golden radiance failed to completely block the torrent of Yin energy, serving only as a passive defense.

Any entity that forced Chen You to exercise such caution must be unimaginably terrifying; Yang Sheng had already mentally prepared himself.

Yet when he finally laid eyes upon the entity within the room, he still could not help but draw in a sharp breath.

The entire chamber was filled with countless writhing, twisting, tumor-like masses of flesh. Veins as thick as a man's arm crawled across the tumors, some even translucent, through which a thick, viscous crimson fluid pulsed.

Amidst these utterly repulsive flesh-tumors sat a single, shriveled head, resembling a bare skull with nothing but a thin layer of skin stretched tightly over bone.

"Where is he? Tell me, where is he?!"