As I gazed into the distance, Ma Ruoxing was desperately trying to suck the last breath from Madam Liu’s throat while avoiding her bite and dodging her tongue. Compared to Ma Ruoxing, I felt like I had the upper hand.
The demonic aura arrived swiftly. The mountain boar spirit, Yang Pao, originally roamed the border between Hubei and Jiangxi. Could it be that his girlfriend or someone similar was coming?
I wasn’t entirely sure.
Gu Zijue suddenly let out a fierce cry, leaping out from the center of the Five Elements formation. His black burial shroud was torn halfway, revealing half of his body covered in thick, dark hair—a sight hard to forget after just one glance.
I swallowed hard and shouted, “Uncle Ma, put in more effort!”
Ma Ruoxing also sensed the danger. Gu Zijue’s first target would be him. Since ancient times, there have been only two unforgivable grudges: killing one’s father and stealing one’s wife. Gu Zijue charged forward, ready to fight to the death, and his primary target was Ma Ruoxing. Comparatively, I was still somewhat safer.
Gu Zijue jumped out, emitting two sharp cries—like a grown man whose throat was being choked—filled with rage. He leaped five meters in one bound, surpassing Huang’s three-meter limit. Clearly, he was furious.
I gripped the jade ruler in my hand and shouted, “The fifteenth-generation disciple of the Ghost Sect is here! Surrender now!”
One of the jade ruler’s techniques for subduing zombies was to attack their chrysanthemum (anus). There was some logic to this. In modern medicine, there are two spots on the human body most vulnerable to attack: the eyes (hence the infamous “eye gouge” in martial arts) and the anus. Legend has it that the martial arts master Huang Feihong was once defeated by a teenage girl who used an “eagle claw” technique—digging two fingers into his anus and pulling out his intestines—leading to his humiliating and agonizing death.
Zombies were no exception. Since their eyes had already transformed beyond functionality, the only remaining weak spot was the anus. Thus, the Ghost Sect’s ultimate move was precisely this—an attack on the chrysanthemum. Some might think the Ghost Sect’s technique was too simplistic, but the truth was:
If there were too many “ultimate” moves, they wouldn’t be ultimate anymore.
Just like Li Xunhuan’s legendary “Flying Dagger,” there was only one. The Ghost Sect’s move was developed after studying both human and zombie physiology. Neither the Maoshan Sect, the Shaolin Sect, nor the Lingxiao Sect had ever considered such a tactic.
The simplicity and transcendence of this move were beyond words.
Gu Zijue, with half of his dark, hairy body exposed, stared at me with his white, lifeless eyes. His nostrils twitched—he could still sense my breath and the power of my jade ruler. After leaping five meters, he was right in front of me, and his next move would take him to Ma Ruoxing.
My self-introduction had enraged Gu Zijue.
Before dealing with the “other man,” Ma Ruoxing, Gu Zijue decided to take me on first.
I suddenly felt a pang of guilt—why had I become a scoundrel protecting a homewrecker?
I yelled, “Senior, I’m sorry! It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but your wife did this willingly!”
Gu Zijue’s fingers were unnaturally long. With his arms outstretched, the moonlight glinted off his nails—each capable of piercing a man to death with a single thrust.
His main targets were two spots on my body: the carotid artery in my neck (a fatal strike) and my heart (an instant kill if pierced).
Gu Zijue lunged at me. I countered with a kick, sending him flying several meters back. Undeterred, he leaped at me again, even angrier this time. His corpse aura grew thicker, and the black hair on his body seemed to writhe more violently.
Panicking, I shouted, “Ma Ruoxing, hurry up!”
Ma Ruoxing yelled back, “She bit my tongue!”
*She bit his tongue?*
Something about that sentence felt off.
*Alright, maybe I’m overthinking it. Ma Ruoxing definitely didn’t deliberately stick his tongue in there. Definitely not a French kiss.*
*What has the world come to?*
Gu Zijue’s speed increased. Even after being kicked away repeatedly, he kept charging forward—clearly not the brightest.
After two kicks, I was drenched in sweat.
Finally, Gu Zijue changed tactics. He leaped upward, trying to jump over my head. *Did he really think he could defeat me that easily?*
He soared over two meters high. I reached up and grabbed his legs midair. Gu Zijue let out a pained cry as he crashed heavily to the ground.
I found it odd—why was this black zombie so fragile?
Suddenly, a numbing, dark sensation spread from my hand. I shouted, *Careless! So careless!*
The black hair growing from Gu Zijue’s body had entangled my arm, and half of my body was already losing sensation. The hair clung to my skin like dark corpse energy, yet also felt like fine, prickly fur.
I tried scraping it off with the jade ruler, but the black hairs only multiplied.
“Uncle Ma, save me!” I screamed.
After two shouts, I realized Ma Ruoxing had gone silent. Turning my head, I saw that the spot where he had been trying to suck out Madam Liu’s corpse energy was now empty—replaced by a black, oval-shaped mass. Through the gaps, I could just make out the corpse-suppressing talisman I had stuck on Madam Liu’s arm.
*What kind of black zombie is this? This ultimate move is too brutal!*
Gu Zijue, now fully entangled with me, locked his white eyes onto mine. I forced a smile. “It’s the New Year. I’ll just head home now. Could you let go? I’m still young and foolish—don’t take it to heart. It’s cold out here.”
Gu Zijue opened his mouth, exerting force—half of my body went limp as he dragged me closer. His jaws parted, aiming for the artery near my nose, where my fresh blood pulsed. *Must smell delicious.*
A few hedgehogs scurried into the courtyard. Known for their taste for human brains, they must have caught the scent of the zombie’s decaying head. Or maybe they were here to feast on my brain once I died.
Just then, a bloodcurdling scream came from the outhouse.
Madam Su had broken free of her restraints and dashed out, clutching two earthen eggs in her hands. She vaulted over the courtyard wall—only to be hurled back inside by an unseen force.
Gu Dun chased after her, his left ear bitten and bleeding profusely.
Meanwhile, Gu Zijue’s jaws were inches from my face. With my last ounce of strength, I twisted sideways and thrust the jade ruler into his mouth.
A blue glow seared his mouth, forcing the black corpse energy to recoil. I regained control of my paralyzed half. One of Gu Zijue’s fangs snapped off under the force, sending him hopping around in pain.
This was the critical moment. With a roar, I formed the *Liu Ding Liu Jia* talisman and struck. The ground beneath me shifted as I circled behind Gu Zijue.
*We were never on the same path. I’m sorry.*
*Sorry—this might hurt a little.*
It reminded me of how nurses would reassure children before injections: *”It won’t hurt at all! Be brave!”*
I yelled, “It won’t hurt at all! Be brave!”
With all my might, I drove the jade ruler straight into Gu Zijue’s anus.
Madam Su lay sprawled on the ground as a figure descended into the courtyard. Moonlight illuminated his handsome yet cold and lonely face.
A man.
But what kind of man?
I had no time to ponder. The jade ruler struck true. Gu Zijue’s body erupted in black flames—beautiful against the moonlight.
Yes, in the darkness, flames always bring hope—no matter their color.
The fire spread from Gu Zijue’s anus, consuming his entire body. He collapsed, twitching, until his blackened flesh withered away, leaving only bones.
The hedgehogs chittered around us.
The handsome man stepped forward, flicking his horsetail whisk against the black sphere. “By the decree of the Jade Emperor!” he intoned, slamming his palm down. The sphere of corpse energy disintegrated into ash.
He yanked Ma Ruoxing free and pinned Madam Liu down, slapping two spirit talismans onto her. “Release!”
The black corpse energy dissipated from Madam Liu’s body, leaving behind two corpses.
I sheathed my jade ruler. “Yi Miao, didn’t expect to meet you here.”
The man—Yi Miao—tucked his whisk into his belt and rubbed his nose lightly. “Indeed. I happened to be passing by.”
Yi Miao’s clothes were torn, and his hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in twenty days.
I asked, “Last time, you were chasing the Silver-Armored Corpse. Any leads?”
Yi Miao shook his head. “None.”
Gu Dun cradled Madam Su. “Master, how is my wife?”
Yi Miao glanced at her. “Possessed. I knocked her out—she’ll be fine.”
I ground Gu Zijue’s fang into powder and forced it down Ma Ruoxing’s throat. He woke up, gagging violently, as if vomiting up rabbit meat from two days ago.
Yi Miao frowned. “What happened?”
I smirked. “Got pinned by a female zombie. Might’ve been a tongue kiss.”
A cold wind blew—carrying a demonic aura.
Yi Miao’s face paled.
“Save me.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage