Chapter 433: Ghostly Figure on the Snowy Mountain

Three people arrived, two men and a woman.

Two sky-burial masters and a Tibetan woman.

They carried the corpse from the car and placed it on the Tibetan woman’s back. Then they began climbing a nearby mountain, the two sky-burial masters walking one in front of the other, both holding miner’s lamps.

“What are they doing?” Su Xue whispered softly inside the car, unable to hide her curiosity.

Shui Miao rested his chin in his hand. “Looks like they’re trying to carry the corpse of the sky-burial master to the northern side of the mountain. The north side is always covered in snow, filled with yin energy. And the corpse still has that Dragon-Scale Blade hidden in its clothes. I think they’re planning some kind of dark magic.”

“Could they be trying to create a zombie?” Su Xue felt a chill.

Shui Miao leaned forward. “Do you know something?”

“Yes,” Su Xue nodded. “I know that at night here in Tibet, the yin energy is extremely strong. If a corpse lies on the ground, it won’t take long before it turns into a zombie that harms people. I’ve even seen a stray dog’s corpse transform once. You know why Tibetan homes have such low front doors? It’s actually a design meant to keep zombies out.”

Shui Miao had seen many Tibetan homes on his travels, each with doors so low you had to bend to enter. At first, he’d found it strange, but now Su Xue’s explanation made everything click. So this beautiful, peaceful Tibet was actually a fertile ground for zombies?

But now, looking around, the yin energy didn’t seem that intense. It felt no different from other places. Maybe it was just not yet midnight?

Shui Miao knew the strongest yin energy came at the stroke of midnight.

Seeing Shui Miao fall silent, Su Xue continued, “Shui Miao, I think this is serious. If what you say is true, and the Dragon-Scale Blade carries yin and killing energy, and it’s now placed on the corpse of a sky-burial master, then the corpse will surely transform into a zombie soon. If that happens, many innocent people will suffer.”

“Don’t worry, I’m here,” Shui Miao replied, surprised to find Su Xue so concerned for others. “Don’t worry, I won’t let them harm anyone. But now isn’t the time to stop them. I want to see exactly how the corpse transforms, and how powerful it becomes.”

“You mean we have to stay here and watch the whole thing?”

Su Xue felt cold. She had only planned to take a short walk before returning.

“Let me take you back first. Even a zombie won’t transform that quickly. Then maybe we can contact the local police to help deal with this,” Shui Miao suggested. He wasn’t in a hurry to act—he was eager to witness the transformation process firsthand.

Su Xue shook her head. “Shui Miao, I think you shouldn’t contact the police. Too much red tape, and it might bring trouble.”

“What do you mean? Is there something wrong with the local police?” Shui Miao trusted Su Xue completely. After all, she was an experienced tour guide who had worked in Tibet for years—perhaps even knew more about the region than the locals.

“Well… most of the local police are native Tibetans. They tend to protect their own. We’re outsiders, and this is a strange, supernatural case. Do you really think they’ll listen to us? Also, the sky-burial master died this afternoon, and police and ambulances arrived on the scene. Now the body has reappeared here. Doesn’t that seem suspicious?” Su Xue sighed. “Shui Miao, I think we should handle this ourselves. Within our abilities, we do what we can.”

Shui Miao nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

He started the car quietly, without turning on the headlights, and drove back through the darkness.

Back at the hotel, Su Xue invited Shui Miao to her room.

As Shui Miao entered Su Xue’s room, the red-haired young man happened to catch a glimpse. He was overjoyed, feeling like he had uncovered a huge secret. His gossip-loving mouth couldn’t help but blurt out loud, and he rushed back to his room to share the news. But just as he opened his mouth, an invisible giant hand suddenly slapped him hard across the face! The shock left him frozen in fear, and he dared not speak another word.

Of course, that slap was just an illusion created by Shui Miao.

After all, late at night, a woman bringing a man to her room did seem a bit suspicious.

But Su Xue had no reservations about Shui Miao. To her, he was like a younger brother.

Besides, if Shui Miao had any ill intentions, he could have acted long ago in the car. There was no need to wait this long.

Shui Miao entered Su Xue’s room not for any mischief, but to see the photos she had mentioned.

As a tour guide, taking pictures to record beautiful scenery and the highlights of each tour group was a must.

Since there were still several hours until midnight, Shui Miao decided to kill time by looking through the photos.

Su Xue had stored the photos on her laptop. She turned on the computer, brewed two cups of coffee, and began recounting her experiences as a tour guide over the years. Each photo told a story, each group had its moments of joy and frustration. Being a tour guide could be both difficult and easy. Su Xue was a simple, honest, and innocent person. While other guides around her had become rich, she had always stuck to her basic salary, earning the least. The only regret she had was that, in order to obtain the Dragon-Scale Blade, she had often taken her groups to a certain shopping center.

But now, her heart was at peace. She had grown fond of her horned curved knife.

Shui Miao clicked on a folder labeled “Gore,” and opened it. Suddenly, a dog’s photo appeared on the screen. The dog’s body was bloody and mangled, yet it bared its teeth in a snarl. White maggots crawled on its body. It looked like a corpse already rotting, yet it was still alive!

“This is the zombie dog I told you about.”

Su Xue turned away. Every time she saw this photo, she wanted to delete it. But she knew it was one of a kind—if she deleted it, she’d never find another like it. So she forced herself to keep it, despite the nausea it brought.

Shui Miao felt a chill run through his scalp. He clicked to the next photo and saw images of sky burials.

He flipped through quickly until the last photo—a plain shot of a snow-covered mountain.

“This one seems out of place,” Shui Miao casually remarked. “Did you put it in the wrong folder?”

Su Xue looked out the window, unable to bring herself to look at the screen. She took a deep breath. “This photo is actually the scariest. Look closely. See what’s in the snow?”

“Really?”

Shui Miao studied it carefully. As he did, he noticed a figure resembling the ghost from *The Ring*!

“Haha, what’s scary about that? It’s just a snowy mountain. You’re imagining things,” Shui Miao said casually. But suddenly, beneath the figure, he spotted a skeleton—its eye sockets glowing blood-red!

“Su Xue, where was this photo taken? Is it some kind of prank?”

Su Xue’s voice trembled. “Mount Everest—the Himalayas. This is a real photo. I took two. The second one was normal. That’s why I believe in ghosts. I was so scared I only ran tours in Lhasa after that. Later, the company assigned the Himalayan route to a male colleague. He only went a few times before he died.”

“Died? Was it at the same location?”

Su Xue nodded. “The first time he went, he saw exactly what I saw. I privately warned him not to go back, but he insisted for the money. Then he died there—under very strange circumstances.”

“What happened?”

Shui Miao’s curiosity deepened.

“He was walking normally, his shoelace suddenly came undone. He bent down to tie it, and his upper body plunged into the snow—and he died instantly.” Su Xue exhaled heavily, shaking her hands. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. Just thinking about it makes my heart race. Let’s talk about you instead. Why are you here alone?”

“Me?”

Shui Miao smiled faintly. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“How do you know I won’t? I might believe you more than anyone else,” Su Xue said, now deeply curious about him.

Shui Miao, never one for lies, glanced at the time on his phone. “Forget it. You should rest. If people see us in the same room, they might talk.”

“No way! You’re not changing the subject. Answer me first!” Su Xue stood up, blocking his path.

Shui Miao joked, “Wait, are you trying to seduce me?!”

“You’re such a bad guy!”

Su Xue blushed and playfully swung her fists at him.

Shui Miao dodged with the speed of a rat, “Whoosh!”—he was already at the door. By the time Su Xue realized what happened, he had already slipped out.

Left alone, Su Xue touched her burning cheeks, thinking to herself: *This man isn’t at all flirtatious. He’s playful, kind, responsible, rich, and mysterious. I’m falling for him… no, I think I already have.*

※※※

Back in his room next door, Shui Miao thought: Su Xue was a kind-hearted soul. People like her shouldn’t be caught in dark, yin energies. He had helped her this time, but who would help her next time?

“Wait, I’ve got an idea!”

Shui Miao suddenly thought of a solution. He channeled his yang energy into his horned curved knife, planning to give it to her later as a gift to protect her from evil.

Goodness lies in a single thought.

And nature follows the will of the heart.

Shui Miao followed his heart, doing what felt right—freely, joyfully.

As midnight approached, Shui Miao opened his door and hurried out.

Stepping into the parking lot, he immediately saw Su Xue, wrapped in thick clothes, waiting by her Hummer in the cold night air.

Seeing him, she sniffled. “Hmph! Finally here! You’ve got me involved now—you have to take me with you.”

“Could this be another peach blossom tribulation—Peach Blossom劫—again?”

Shui Miao smiled to himself. Once more, fate had entangled him in a romantic entanglement.