Chapter 231: The Old Woman from Western Hunan

I had never seen anything like this before—a zombie that had been sealed with glutinous rice and had its corpse energy dispersed by a jade ruler still managed to stand up. Once again, this situation completely overturned my existing knowledge. The courtyard gate creaked open, and a young woman dressed in Miao ethnic clothing pushed it open. The sixth brother also quieted down, his red corpse energy becoming calm and peaceful.

The previously risen zombies began to spit out the glutinous rice from their mouths, pulled the nails from their chests, and finally straightened their clothes before standing in a row as if nothing had happened.

At this point, I felt like dying. After all the effort I had put into subduing these zombies, they were now back to their original state, completely unharmed. It seemed the zombies raised by the old woman of Western Hunan were truly extraordinary.

The girl walked up to me, her hat swaying slightly. Her bright eyes were like the moon, and her skin had an unusual glow. She frowned slightly and asked, “Why does your scent feel so strong? How did you end up here?” My legs felt weak as I stared at her, my mind a jumbled mess, unsure of where to even begin.

Because the girl standing before me was none other than—Guo Qiqi.

Leaning against the wall, I managed to stand up. “I don’t know how I got here either,” I said. Guo Qiqi’s expression was unreadable, her thoughts hidden. She had taken the bronze jar from me before, and now, meeting again under such circumstances, the awkwardness was beyond words.

Guo Qiqi stood at the gate, shaking a small bell in her hand. The seven brothers lined up and hopped out of the courtyard one by one. She turned to me and asked, “Are you coming with me?” The mountain paths were treacherous, dense with trees, and after the earlier ordeal, I could feel my body weakening. Bile rose in my throat, and my stomach growled loudly—I was starving.

By the time dawn approached, we arrived at a place called Chahuadong, about thirty kilometers southwest of Fenghuang County. Nearby was the legendary Wulong Mountain, where tales of PLA troops eliminating bandits during the Liberation War had inspired novels and TV dramas.

Chahuadong had a narrow road leading to Fenghuang County. Guo Qiqi locked the seven brothers in a small hut at the village entrance, placing a “Chenzhou talisman” on each door. The designs on them looked authentic.

As we entered the village, Guo Qiqi warned me, “It’s still the New Year season here, so customs are strict. Don’t ask unnecessary questions or touch anything—there might be gu worms on them.”

I shrugged. “Miss Guo, I’ll follow your lead. Right now, all I want is a bath, a good meal, and some sleep.”

Guo Qiqi gave me a few more warnings about wandering around before leading me to a wooden guesthouse in Chahuadong. The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere felt strange. She handed me clean clothes, cooked rice over a fire, and served me a plate of stir-fried cured pork.

After thoroughly washing myself and cleaning my jade ruler and golden compass, I sat down to eat. Guo Qiqi sat nervously beside me, no longer the confident woman I had met in Thailand. She had changed—so much so that I barely recognized her.

By the time I finished my third bowl of rice, polishing off every last drop of oil from the pork, Guo Qiqi led me upstairs to a room. Dawn was breaking. Suddenly, she asked, “How have you been these days?”

I forced a bitter smile. “Not great. I somehow ended up in Hunan from Hubei without even knowing how.” Guo Qiqi simply nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Exhausted, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

In the afternoon, I was awakened by a heated argument. Guo Qiqi’s voice was sharp, clashing with another, much darker tone. The dispute was about me—the old woman was furious at my sudden appearance and the injuries I had inflicted on her seven zombie brothers.

Guo Qiqi argued that I had been manipulated, that I carried gu worms beyond my control. Though she fought fiercely for my safety, her voice was laced with fear and pleading.

I pushed the door open and stepped into the main hall, where I saw Guo Qiqi and the old woman. The latter’s face was deeply wrinkled, her yellowed eyes betraying great age, yet her gaze was sharp and chilling, as if she could see right through me.

“I am the Old Woman of Western Hunan,” she declared.

Guo Qiqi immediately fell silent, stepping aside with her head bowed, nervously tugging at the hem of her skirt.

Shivering, I introduced myself, “I am Xiao Qi, the fifteenth-generation feng shui master of the Ghost Sect. I’ve long admired your reputation—meeting you today is an honor.”

The old woman scoffed. “Smooth talker.”

Guo Qiqi trembled. “Please spare him, Grandmother.”

The Old Woman of Western Hunan asked, “I’ve heard you’re a Five Elements Insect Master.”

I shook my head. “Not really. I don’t understand insects at all.”

She stood up, only slightly shorter than me. In her youth, she must have been a tall, striking woman—perhaps even charming enough to ensnare Ruan Jinluan. But now, her temperament matched her wrinkled appearance—unfriendly and unpredictable.

Suddenly, she clapped her hands. “No matter. If you can do one thing for me, I’ll spare your life.”

I forced a smile. “Are you threatening me, old madam?”

She nodded cheerfully. “Yes.” Despite her pleasant tone, the words were anything but.

Guo Qiqi protested, “Grandmother, let me handle whatever you need. He doesn’t understand insects.”

The old woman tsked. “Girls grow up and forget loyalty. Step aside.” She turned back to me. “You said you’ve heard of me. Did Wrinkled Skin send you?”

The feud between her and Wrinkled Skin seemed irreconcilable. As she spoke, a sharp pain shot through my stomach as if something were burrowing inside. I clenched my teeth, refusing to cry out.

The old woman chuckled. “Ah, so you are resilient.”

Gritting my teeth, I asked, “What kind of insect did you feed me?”

Ignoring my question, she pressed, “What is your relationship with Wrinkled Skin?”

I leaned on a chair for support. “He believed my master, Ye Guyi, killed Ruan Jinluan. He tried to kill me, but failed.”

The old woman turned to Guo Qiqi. “Bring an egg.”

Guo Qiqi quickly fetched one, rolling it over my palms. The pain subsided, and when the egg was cracked open, countless black insects wriggled out.

The old woman declared, “If you were Wrinkled Skin’s man, I would’ve killed you on the spot.”

Eventually, I learned what she wanted—a creature called the “Yin Snake,” found in an abandoned village. In exchange, she promised to remove the steel-wire worms inside me.

To my horror, I realized that only Insect Old Four or the Old Woman of Western Hunan could undo his curse. Worse, Insect Old Four had sent me here to test whether her seven zombie brothers had truly become invincible.

The old woman, it turned out, was also chasing the legend of “Seven Corpses Revealed, Immortality Achieved”—hence her creation of the seven brothers. But despite years of effort, the riddle remained unsolved.

…

On the fifteenth day of the lunar New Year, Yi Miao in Hubei finally received my call. He had nearly gone insane with worry. I assured him I was fine, though I still had no idea how I’d ended up in Chahuadong, Fenghuang—only that I’d been tricked by Insect Old Four.

Yi Miao was equally baffled. He promised to come to Fenghuang as soon as possible. I asked about the cases of Mayor Wu and Secretary Jia. He laughed—it had become national news. A leaked video showed them accusing each other of corruption, ending in a violent brawl. Mayor Wu’s face was disfigured, while Secretary Jia lost chunks of flesh from his “third leg,” rendering him harmless. The scandal of father and son fighting over a college student had destroyed their careers.

I sighed in relief. Zhen Yangzi and Insect Old Four hadn’t killed them—just ruined their reputations. Justice, in its own way, had been served.

Yi Miao traveled from Jiangnan to Jiangcheng, flew to Tongren in Guizhou, then rented a car to Fenghuang. A local guide, initially trying to overcharge him, immediately backed off upon hearing the Old Woman of Western Hunan’s name. “You’re guests of the Witch Granny? My apologies!”

The old woman’s full name was Ma Ruolan, while Wrinkled Skin was Bi Guihua. Their feud stemmed from Ruan Jinluan.

The Yin Snake I was to capture supposedly dwelled in an abandoned village where a massacre had occurred centuries ago. The soldiers responsible later died mysteriously. Guo Qiqi explained it happened during the Ming Dynasty, when a rebellious village was wiped out—now forgotten by most.

The next afternoon, Yi Miao arrived in Chahuadong, bringing along Lian Xiaoyao and my pets—Xiao Jian and Xiao Mao. The old woman’s eyes gleamed at the sight of my black cat and the refined Xie Xiaoyu. She demanded both—the cat for study (its eyes held secrets even she couldn’t decipher) and Xie Xiaoyu to join her zombie brothers.

I refused outright. The old woman merely smirked and dropped the matter.