The boundless dusk gathered from all directions, pressing heavily upon this small hilltop. An endless sea of clouds stretched far into the distance like surging black waves, interweaving with the remnants of the day’s last light and burning into ash.
A gust of wind swept through, scattering a flock of crows into the sky.
In the courtyard of Bai E’lai’s home, the wooden gate creaked back and forth in the evening breeze, slamming against the walls with a loud clatter.
The entire courtyard had already been covered in a thick layer of aged sticky rice, each grain over three years old—an extravagant luxury in an era still reeling from natural disasters. Some villagers grumbled at the waste, but Zhang Enpu stood firm in his explanation: this zombie had become a malevolent spirit, feeding on human blood and growing far more powerful than before. If not destroyed now, it would doom both villages. After hearing Zhang Enpu’s reasoning, the village heads, Tian and Zhao, exchanged glances. The old Taoist priest did seem to carry an air of mysticism, far more credible than the usual charlatans. With a sigh, they agreed to give it a try, fearing that if the priest abandoned them, they would be left with no options. Thus, they gritted their teeth and wholeheartedly accepted Zhang Enpu’s request, and those large sacks of sticky rice were the result of their tireless efforts gathering grain from house to house.
Zhang Enpu’s second demand was for four strong helpers from the village. Knowing the zombie’s strength, Zhao Village Head selected four tall, muscular young men and even offered the village’s only two hunters. More hands were better than fewer, and Zhang Enpu gladly accepted. Now, the two veteran hunters lay quietly on the roof of Bai E’lai’s house, wrapped tightly in thick cotton coats, silently gripping their rifles polished with pig fat, their eyes narrowed into slits, waiting for the target to appear.
A closer look would reveal four young men crouched behind the straw stacks around the courtyard. Bai E’lai was among them. He had not only offered his own yard for the operation but had also volunteered himself. Bai was a man of simple mind and pure intentions, determined to rid the village of this plague. His two adopted daughters, both orphans, had been temporarily placed with a kind villager. Glancing at the men around him, Bai tightened his grip on the bamboo pole in his hand and silently vowed, *“Tonight, I’ll avenge the widows and smash that damned zombie to pieces.”*
Another man shared the same thought—Wang Weizhen, also known as “Half-Immortal Wang,” the old lover of Grandma Fan. Clad in a gray Taoist robe, two peach-wood swords crossed on his back and talismans tied around his waist, he was fully armed. Wang knew his own limits well, but he had convinced Zhang Enpu to let him stay. Though not an official Taoist, he was still better than the ordinary villagers. Truth be told, Wang was not a brave man—he was, in fact, quite timid. Yet now, his eyes burned with a fiery red, filled with only one word: *Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!*
The small courtyard was filled with a deadly aura. The entire village of Xiushan was unusually silent, so quiet that even the fall of a needle could be heard clearly. The villagers had obediently hidden in their homes, locked their doors, barred the windows, and trembled in fear on their heated beds. Zhang Enpu was pleased with this, for in his view, the best help was not getting in the way. Village Heads Tian and Zhao, along with Tian Guoqiang, had been gently persuaded by Zhang to retreat to a neighboring house under the pretense of “battle command,” supposedly for their safety during the fight.
Outside the courtyard, basins of animal blood had been scattered, emitting a strong, pungent stench. With this bait, Zhang Enpu was confident the vampire would come.
“Master Taoist, will that thing really come?” Liu Dashao murmured from inside the house, glancing out the window. Midnight was approaching, and the air had grown colder. He quickly wrapped himself in a robe and sat beside Zhang Enpu, who smiled gently, his white beard swaying slightly in the night breeze, occasionally brushing against Liu Dashao’s cheek.
“The demon has a single-minded goal and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Unlike humans, it doesn’t know how to retreat or use intelligence. Unless you kill it or trick it with a false goal through Taoist magic, it won’t stop. Ordinary zombies have no intelligence—they only attack those with yang energy based on scent. I believe this vampire, after feeding on so much human blood, has become a Vampire King. But with enough preparation and manpower, I have a way to deal with it,” Zhang Enpu said confidently.
Liu Dashao nodded, then rummaged through his bag and finally found a bamboo tube filled with black dog’s blood and a stack of yellow talismans that Zhang had prepared over the past few days. They had been熏ed for twelve hours before the ancestral altar. Though not as potent as authentic talismans from Mount Longhu, they were still better than nothing.
As Liu Dashao handed the talismans to Zhang Enpu, the old master nodded and took out a black compass from his bag, placing the talismans on the edge of the table to prevent them from being blown away by the cold night wind. At that moment, loud snores echoed from the roof—evidently, the two elite hunters had fallen asleep. Zhang Enpu shook his head in disappointment.
After finishing preparations, Liu Dashao sat beside Zhang Enpu again. The robe barely covered both of them, so Zhang gently pulled it over Liu Dashao’s entire body, leaving his own arm exposed. Liu didn’t mind, smiled, and began closely watching the doors and windows, his ears twitching at every faint sound outside. Zhang Enpu, eyes fixed on the compass, remained silent for a while before closing his eyes slightly and activating his “Yin-Yang Eyes,” entering a meditative state.
The mountain wind rattled the trees in the village, sending leaves flying against the windows with a crisp sound. The livestock had grown quiet, occasionally interrupted by the faint chirping of insects in the wind.
Midnight was the moment when yin and yang energies clashed most intensely. Yang energy rested, and yin energy ruled the heavens. And as Zhang Enpu had predicted, the creature finally lost patience.
Inside Bai E’lai’s house, darkness reigned. The cold mountain wind shook the fence around the courtyard, making it seem fragile yet surprisingly intact. Some leaves, carried by the wind, nearly touched the window but were blown away by a sudden gust.
A dark shadow stood at the village entrance, exuding a chilling aura. With the moon hidden and the wind howling, the shadow gazed at the pale moonlight for a moment before letting out a low, eerie sound and leaping into the air. Its eyes suddenly glowed a sinister red. At that moment, the wind blew the clouds away, revealing a half-moon that illuminated the figure like a grim messenger of death from the underworld.
Two large yellow dogs, just finished mating and about to sleep, sniffed the air and raised their heads, trembling in fear as they retreated into their kennels, whimpering. From deep within the mountains came the long, mournful howls of wild beasts.
Inside Bai E’lai’s courtyard, Liu Dashao was struggling to keep his eyes open, his head nodding down and then jerking back up. He had no idea about the strange sounds carried by the wind, which seemed to exist only in his dreams.
Suddenly, the yellow talismans on the table fluttered violently, like birds desperate to escape. The compass needle swung wildly. Zhang Enpu’s sharp eyes caught every ominous sign.
“It’s here…” Zhang Enpu said solemnly, his long sleeve revealing a peach-wood sword. He gripped several talismans tightly, sitting still like a statue waiting for a rabbit.
Liu Dashao was jolted awake by Zhang’s slight movement. Still drowsy, he opened his eyes and was about to ask if it was dawn, when he suddenly remembered this was no ordinary day. He rubbed his eyes hard and nervously asked, “Master Taoist… is it here?”
Zhang Enpu almost laughed out loud. This kid had just woken up, unaware of the danger right at the door. If it weren’t for him, Liu Dashao would be like meat on a chopping block, a lamb before a tiger. He didn’t answer, steadied himself, and continued listening intently.
Inside the room, the wind had stopped, but the flame of the old oil lamp flickered wildly, as if pulled by some invisible force. The shadows of the old and young man danced across the walls.
Realizing something was wrong, Liu Dashao quickly rummaged through his gear, pulling out the necessary tools and handing them to Zhang Enpu with an awkward smile.
Outside, the wind ceased for about half a quarter of an hour, then suddenly resumed with greater force than before. The old wooden window groaned under the pressure. Zhang Enpu remained calm—he knew this was the demon’s warning: *”Stay out of this.”* Or perhaps, all evil spirits enjoyed creating eerie noises before attacking, hoping to weaken their opponent’s determination.
But to Zhang Enpu, it was like a hair pulling at his skin—no fear at all, only amusement. The demon feared him. Liu Dashao, however, was already sweating nervously.
He had seen many small ghosts and spirits in the mountains and temples, but the chilling aura from the vampire outside was already enough to make him tremble. Combined with the eerie sounds, this was a true test of his courage. Terrified, Liu Dashao instinctively edged closer to Zhang Enpu, silently praying for this to end soon.
Outside, Wang Weizhen’s small triangular eyes suddenly widened, flashing with sharp light. Glancing at the howling courtyard gate, he carefully moved and gently woke the four drowsy men.
“What… what’s going on?” Bai E’lai had been dreaming of marrying a bride, nearly at the wedding night, when someone slapped him awake. He jumped in fright.
“Shhh!” Wang signaled with his eyes and motioned for silence, pointing toward the door.
Bai E’lai immediately understood, covering his mouth and whispering, “Master Wang, could it be the vampire…”
Wang nodded heavily. The four men’s hearts raced like fifteen buckets in a well, their skin crawling with goosebumps, their hairs standing on end. One man couldn’t handle the pressure and began trembling uncontrollably.
“Don’t panic. When it comes in, follow my orders. Don’t make any mistakes,” Wang instructed, glancing toward the inner room. Seeing Zhang Enpu and Liu Dashao’s shadows already by the window, he smiled slightly, moved his hand behind his back, bent his spine, and drew out a peach-wood sword soaked in black dog’s blood, holding it ready.
Suddenly, the two wooden doors were sucked shut by a gust of wind with a loud bang. Then came a wave of blood-soaked stench that climbed over the walls and seeped inside. The men tried to cover their noses, but the smell was overwhelming. Some curled into balls on the ground, coughing violently. Wang’s face turned a deep purple, but he did not relax for a moment.
“It’s here. Form the formation!” Wang roared, flipping midair. With a flick of his right hand, the second peach-wood sword flew from its sheath, aiming straight at the door. With a loud *“thud,”* the sword struck the shadow at the entrance, piercing deep. Wang didn’t care how deep—it rolled his body into the exact center of the sticky rice field, spun the sword in a dazzling arc, and shouted, “Tie it up!”
“Let’s go!”
“Let’s go!” Bai E’lai and the others leapt from the straw stacks, each holding a large coil of rope in one hand and spinning the iron-hooked end like a windmill, ready for the vampire to approach.
“Giggle… giggle…” The vampire cackled, a sound like a needle scraping the ear. Her long, disheveled hair and pale face with two sharp fangs made the once bold men tremble, their legs shaking, teeth chattering. One man, Heishan, fell to his knees, crying, “Oh my god, this vampire is too scary!” Thinking of the villagers it had killed and Li Fei’s corpse, he prayed silently, *“Don’t bite me! Don’t bite me!”*
“Pathetic!” Wang cursed, nearly wanting to die himself. Zhang had planned everything but hadn’t considered the villagers’ weak nerves. No choice—he had to act. Spitting into his palms, Wang gripped his sword and swept it in a half-circle, flinging sticky rice at the vampire. The creature tried to dodge but stepped on the rice-covered ground. A scream echoed as white smoke rose, the rice turning black where it touched her feet, the air filled with the stench of burning.
“Take that!” Wang laughed, flinging more rice. This time it hit the vampire directly. He grinned, knowing rice was a vampire’s weakness. But the vampire kept advancing, each step turning the rice beneath her into black footprints.
“Damn it!” Wang panicked. This thing was too strong! Could it even be a real vampire? But he quickly regained composure and shouted, “Hey, what are you waiting for? Move!”
“Okay, okay, move!” The men finally snapped out of it, each taking a cardinal direction and swinging their ropes. Bai E’lai threw his hook first, which latched onto the vampire’s waist, wrapping around her tightly. The others followed, and soon the vampire was bound like a rice dumpling. The four men pulled hard on the ropes, immobilizing her.
“Roar!” The vampire screamed, abandoning Wang and lunging at Bai E’lai.
“Change formation! Change formation!” Wang shouted desperately. Without needing orders, the four men, trained by Zhang Enpu, quickly adjusted. The two men opposite Bai E’lai pulled harder, anchoring the ropes on their shoulders like oxen. Bai and Heishan stepped back, tightening the slack rope. Once again, the vampire was held in place.
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