Liu Dashao was just about to praise Tian Cunzhang for his swift, accurate, and powerful kick, saying it truly carried the legacy of the old Red Army soldiers, when suddenly Tian let out a desperate cry for help and his body abruptly lunged toward the female ghost.
Liu Dashao looked again and nearly burst into tears. What happened? Tian’s kick had been too forceful—his foot had become stuck deep inside the female ghost’s skull, unable to pull free, and his entire foot was now bleeding from the bone scraping.
This was truly a technique with a twist—apparently, the female ghost had used a “bitter flesh strategy”!
The only remaining eyeball on the female ghost’s face had been squeezed out, and she screamed in pain, wildly scratching with her hands. Her fingernails were as sharp as blades, slicing through flesh with every swipe. Tian’s lower body was now a horrifying mess from her attacks. Fortunately, she hadn’t reached his most sensitive area, but it was clear he was barely clinging to life, breathing in but unable to breathe out.
Liu Dashao no longer had time to worry about the dead child, rushing forward to grab Tian around the waist and pull him backward. Tian was also desperately trying to free his foot, but his breathing had become labored, and his efforts made little difference.
The dead child clinging to Tian’s back was crushed between the two, its mouth wide open trying to scream but unable to, its pink little hands waving helplessly in the air. The creature was slimy and slippery, like a piece of rotting meat, complete with facial features but moving in an indescribably nauseating way.
The dead child had now crawled onto Liu Dashao’s chest, cold and clammy against his neck, reaching out its hands to slash at his face.
Just at that moment, the jade pendant on Liu’s chest suddenly emitted a brilliant white light, and the vividly carved pixiu roared with a sound so mighty it seemed to shake mountains and overturn seas.
With that deafening roar, the dead child fell to the ground with a series of popping sounds, slowly crawling away.
It was nothing short of a savior! Overcome with emotion, Liu let go of Tian and grabbed the jade pendant shouting, “Pixiu, save me!”
At that very moment, Tian suddenly screamed in agony. Liu turned his head in alarm—bad news! The female ghost had already dragged Tian backward in a reverse grip.
Just then, a figure abruptly appeared at the doorway—it was Grandma Fan! She leaped into the air, executing a “Kuixing Kick,” her small foot landing precisely on the female ghost’s face, causing her to stagger backward. Tian rolled free.
But the female ghost hesitated only briefly before abandoning Tian and lunging toward Grandma Fan. Seeing the ghost’s hands coming straight at her, Grandma Fan swiftly raised her peach-wood sword from below, blocking the attack. However, the ghost suddenly twisted her hands, changing the strike into a claw aimed directly at Grandma Fan’s throat. Grandma Fan quickly gripped the ghost’s wrists tightly with both hands. For a few seconds, they were locked in a stalemate. The ghost was strong, her fingers gradually closing in on Grandma Fan’s throat. In desperation, Grandma Fan leaned back sharply, her body airborne as she kicked both feet into the ghost’s chest. It felt as if she had kicked a thick, solid wall—she was immediately repelled backward, crashing to the ground. Though somewhat disheveled, she had escaped danger and quickly flipped back to her feet.
When she looked up again, the female ghost had already vanished. Squinting, she could barely make out the ghost’s hopping figure in the distance, moving at an incredible speed, far beyond what any adult could match.
Grandma Fan muttered a breath of relief, leaning on her peach-wood sword and panting heavily, “Are you alright, young man?”
“Fine, I’m not dead,” Liu Dashao wiped his mouth and stood up from the ground, “but Tian Cunzhang’s injuries are pretty bad—he took quite a beating.”
“Oh?” Grandma Fan walked over to Tian and examined the wounds, her expression immediately darkening, “He’s been poisoned by a corpse.”
“What? Corpse poison!”
“Hmm,” Grandma Fan nodded solemnly, “Fortunately, I brought some aged glutinous rice—it should come in handy.” She then pulled out a handful of white glutinous rice from her pocket and applied it to Tian’s wounds.
“Whoosh!” At that moment, the rice caught fire! But the flames didn’t burn—it instead generated a warm current from the wound where the fire burned. Within seconds, the originally white rice turned into blackish-gray charred remains, covered in ashes.
Something strange then occurred—the area around Tian’s wound now bore a large black scar, the color resembling an allergic reaction. Yet even the most medically ignorant person would never mistake this scar for a simple allergy.
“Oh no, this isn’t a zombie—it might be a Handa!” Grandma Fan slapped her thigh.
“What? Could it really be a Handa? No wonder the village has been suffering from drought lately,” Liu Dashao said.
“It’s very likely,” Grandma Fan nodded.
Liu Dashao said anxiously, “If it’s really as you say and a ‘Handa’ has appeared, then we ordinary people won’t be able to deal with it. The ‘Handa’ can even kill dragons—what chance do we mere mortals have?”
Grandma Fan smiled slightly, “What I’m saying isn’t necessarily correct—I’m just analyzing based on what I’ve read. However, considering the severity and scope of the drought in Xiushui Village, if there really is a ‘Handa,’ it must still be in its early stages. If we find it and burn it, everything should be fine.”
After listening to her explanation, Liu Dashao seemed to realize something interesting and said, “Great! I don’t have anything else to do right now, so let’s go look for it. But I wonder where this ‘Handa’ might be and how we should go about searching for it?”
Grandma Fan replied, “According to the books, places where zombies are buried have several characteristics. Most often, these areas are devoid of sunlight year-round and completely barren. Additionally, they usually have a layer of lime. If a location meets these conditions, it’s likely a place where a corpse is buried, known as a ‘corpse-nourishing ground.'”
In scientific terms, there’s also an explanation for “corpse-nourishing ground.” Generally, areas with zombies have soil with severely imbalanced acidity and alkalinity, making it unsuitable for organic life. Therefore, no insects, bacteria, or other decomposers can survive, and a corpse buried there can remain intact for centuries, with muscles and hair not decaying.
Liu Dashao asked, “Grandma, if I understand you correctly, as long as we find a place with lime layers, no sunlight, and completely barren soil, then it must be one of those places, right?”
Grandma Fan nodded, “That should be it. Honestly, I don’t have much experience myself—I can only follow the book’s descriptions and imitate what’s written.”
Grandma Fan said that Tian’s injuries couldn’t be healed quickly and needed careful planning. She herself had to go back to think it through.
“Alright, I’ve given you the book—read it carefully and learn to think critically. A teacher can guide you to the door, but the cultivation is up to you. Whether you can master the skills depends entirely on yourself,” Grandma Fan lovingly patted Liu Dashao’s head.
“I understand, Grandma.”
“My good grandson, Grandma has to go back now,” Grandma Fan smiled.
“Goodbye, Grandma.”
“Wait a moment…” Grandma Fan stopped in her tracks.
“Is there something else?”
Grandma Fan didn’t turn around, “Child, in this world, Grandma doesn’t have many loved ones left. My only grandson was ungrateful and left me behind, passing away. But you—you’re the one I love most, my little comfort, my precious heart. Remember, no matter what happens in the future, Grandma will always protect you—even if the sky falls, Grandma will hold it up for you. Grandma’s abilities may be limited, but I promise you this: even if it costs me my last breath, no one will ever harm you again.”
“Grandma…”
“Oh! Can you call me ‘Grandma’ one more time?” Her voice trembled.
“Grandma!”
“My dear, my dear…” Grandma Fan’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Liu Dashao waved his hand, watching Grandma Fan’s hunched back disappear into the distance, blinking his eyes. He didn’t know why Grandma Fan had said those words to him. He didn’t know that this farewell was no longer a temporary goodbye—it was a final one.
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