Chapter 77: Suppressing the Corpse! (1)

Everything was ready, and knowing where the vampire was, it was time to launch the rescue operation.

Liu Dashao and Tian Guoqiang each carried a bucket of black dog blood, and before leaving, they even killed the remaining two black dogs. Ma Xiaoyan carried a bundle for Zhang Enpu, who said it contained ritual tools used to subdue zombies. Zhang Enpu himself walked at the front, empty-handed.

The neighboring village of Xiushui was called Xiushan Village. Its name sounded elegant, suggesting picturesque mountains and clear waters, but in reality, it was a remote, impoverished place. The only redeeming quality was its simple and honest local customs. Alan’s grave was located near a dilapidated meadow close to a dam. The area was overgrown with weeds and littered with dry branches and fallen leaves, completely deserted. The four of them knew exactly where to go, so they headed straight there.

Ma Xiaoyan was pretty, Liu Dashao had clear, refined features, and Tian Guoqiang was tall and handsome. Each of them carried a large bag, following behind the disheveled old man, Zhang Enpu. Naturally, they drew attention. Everyone they passed stopped and pointed at them.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

At this moment, Zhang Enpu, who was walking ahead, coughed lightly a few times, signaling everyone to hurry along. Tian Guoqiang noticed the old man looked at least eighty years old and might even have dementia, so he probably wouldn’t be able to get any useful information from him. He turned and left.

The four arrived at the foot of the mountain where Alan was buried. Zhang Enpu gestured for everyone to stop, then took the bundle from Ma Xiaoyan and opened it, pulling out various items—robes, hats, swords, talismans… all the tools of a Taoist priest.

After dressing, Zhang Enpu looked dignified and majestic. His yellow Taoist robe had a Bagua symbol printed on both the front and back. The front of his square hat bore an image of an old man dancing with a peachwood sword. The peachwood sword itself carried a faint yellow hue, exuding a chilling aura.

Once fully dressed, Zhang Enpu waved his sword and headed straight up the mountain.

Under normal circumstances, Liu Dashao would have teased the old man, but now he was deeply concerned about his cousin’s safety. He had no time for jokes and obediently followed Zhang Enpu alongside Ma Xiaoyan.

The small hill wasn’t completely without a path, but years of disuse had left it overgrown with weeds. Zhang Enpu led the way, skillfully cutting through the underbrush and thorns. Soon, they approached Alan’s grave. Alan’s grave was nothing more than a mound of earth, without even a stone tablet. This unsettled Liu Dashao and the others greatly.

Surrounding the grave were towering trees, and the path was nearly completely hidden by weeds. The only thing that stood out was a patch of freshly turned soil not far away.

Through the Mirror of the Round Light, they had seen the vampire’s small earthen mound. But now, at the dam, there was no sign of a grave—only weeds. Moreover, they were surprised to discover that the environment seen through the Mirror of the Round Light showed small trees around, not the towering ones present now. They were puzzled—could it be that Zhang Enpu’s technique was flawed?

As they marveled, Zhang Enpu snorted coldly, “Just a minor trick.” He then swung his sheathed sword with his right hand, formed a mystic gesture with his left, stepped in a ritual pattern with his feet, and began chanting incantations.

Zhang Enpu’s movements resembled a dance, but Liu Dashao and the others had no heart to laugh. They stared tensely around.

“Taishang Laojun, follow the command swiftly!” After chanting for a while, Zhang Enpu took out a packet of white powder from his robe and scattered it into the air, shouting, “Break!”

“Ahhh…”

With Zhang Enpu’s shout, a mournful cry came from the grave. At the same time, the surroundings changed. The previously towering trees shrank into small, uneven saplings, spaced far apart. The weeds were no longer as thick as before. In the middle of the freshly turned soil, a small mound appeared—undoubtedly the vampire’s resting place.

“There it is, I see it!” Liu Dashao’s eyes lit up, and he immediately ran forward.

“Stop!” He had only taken a couple of steps when Zhang Enpu blocked him. “Do you want to die?”

“I…”

“Something’s wrong!” Suddenly, Zhang Enpu shouted. As if on cue, the previously clear sky turned dark with clouds, and it was about to rain. The weather changed too quickly. Liu Dashao quickly shielded Ma Xiaoyan behind him, while Tian Guoqiang nervously clung to Zhang Enpu.

“It’s the demon’s illusion magic. Everyone, stay focused and don’t be deceived by appearances,” Zhang Enpu warned loudly. He then took out a talisman from his robe, flicked it with his left hand, and it burst into flames. As the burning talisman soared into the air, it emitted a golden light that illuminated the entire sky. When the talisman burned out, the sky cleared again, bright and cloudless.

Once everything was ready, Zhang Enpu set up the altar. He lit a stick of incense and placed it in the rice on the table. He instructed Liu Dashao to watch it carefully. “Under no circumstances must it go out, or we’ll all die tonight.” Liu Dashao nodded nervously, not daring to refuse. Zhang Enpu then glanced at the offerings on the table—rice, yellow paper, an image of the Celestial Master, coins to subdue zombies, and two red candles. Everything was in place.

Zhang Enpu closed his eyes, muttered some incantations, and said softly, “Remember what I told you: the incense must not go out, the image must not fall, the candles must not be extinguished, the talisman must not rise, the bell must not ring, and the rice must not spill. These are matters of life and death—do not be careless!”

Liu Dashao wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded. “Alright, alright!”

“Once the ritual begins, if I haven’t regained consciousness within fifteen minutes, you must quickly pack up and leave. Otherwise, we’ll all be in mortal danger. But during these fifteen minutes, none of you must leave your current positions. If the Five Elements shift, we won’t even be able to run.”

Liu Dashao quickly replied, “Alright… alright… I’ll do exactly as you say.”

After hearing Liu Dashao’s assurance, Zhang Enpu finally began the ritual to subdue the zombie. Liu Dashao’s yin-yang eyes noticed dark streams of energy gathering, forming into massive ghostly hands that rushed toward them. But as they touched the ritual formation, they cracked like spiderwebs and shattered. This repeated over and over, and soon the light barrier around the formation began to waver violently.

Minutes passed, though to Liu Dashao and the others it felt like an eternity. Zhang Enpu still sat motionless with his eyes closed, while Liu Dashao dared not move, staring intently at the incense and candles, afraid of making a mistake that might cost Zhang Enpu his life.

About ten minutes later!

Zhang Enpu’s expression finally changed. His brows furrowed tightly, his face contorted in pain.

As for Liu Dashao and the others, the oppressive aura had caused their breathing to quicken, their faces turning red.

Possibly from the pain, his half-closed eyes suddenly flew open. He clenched his teeth and stood up. “I’ve traveled all over China for years, mastering nearly every ghostly matter in this world. Yet I never expected that a small village would give rise to such a powerful and malevolent aura!”

As he spoke, Zhang Enpu bent his thumb, lit a flame, and flicked it repeatedly, lighting seven small lamps—thus forming the Seven Stars Lamp. Then, with swift movements, he took a yellow paper and quickly cut it into a small human figure. Using a brush dipped in cinnabar, he drew a talisman on the paper figure and stamped it with the official seal of the Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountains.

After completing these steps, Zhang Enpu took out another piece of yellow paper, about half a meter in both length and width.

With his brush dipped in cinnabar, he began drawing again. This time, it was a Bagua diagram, but each of the eight directions was replaced with talismans. Around the diagram were written strange characters. This diagram took Zhang Enpu three full minutes to complete, indicating its complexity.

What Zhang Enpu was drawing was no ordinary talisman—it was a symbol capable of connecting the realms of yin and yang.

On the left side of the Bagua was a large character for “Yang,” surrounded by phrases like “Ordered by the Patriarch of the Zhengyi Sect to travel to the underworld.”

On the right side was a large character for “Yin,” surrounded by phrases like “Ordered by the Ten Kings of Hell to travel to the mortal world.”

After completing these, Zhang Enpu added the names of deities who governed the yin and yang realms around the Bagua.

Finally, he stamped the diagram with seals like “Seal of the Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger,” “Seal of the Underworld Bureau,” “Original Talisman Seal,” and “Earth Emperor Seal.” Of course, Zhang Enpu didn’t possess all these seals, but he could write the names in their place, a common practice.

After finishing all this, Zhang Enpu placed two small bowls filled with incense ash on either side of the Bagua diagram, about ten centimeters apart.

“Bridge!” A bridge connecting the yin and yang realms!

Zhang Enpu then took two chopsticks and inserted them into the bowls, pointing them toward each other. If the chopsticks stood upright without falling, the bridge was successfully formed. If they fell, it meant the ritual had failed, and the zombie would not be subdued. There was only one chance—no second attempt would work.

Needless to say, Zhang Enpu succeeded.

As the chopsticks stood upright without falling, Zhang Enpu’s face lit up with excitement. Though he was happy, he didn’t stop working.

He placed the small paper figure between the two chopsticks, then positioned the Seven Stars Lamp beside the Bagua diagram.

After completing these steps, Zhang Enpu formed a mystic hand seal and began chanting, “Heaven is clear and the earth is pure. Soldiers and generals follow the command. Soldiers follow the seal, generals follow the order. I, by the decree of Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, summon the yin soldiers to subdue the evil spirits. Follow the command swiftly!”

He repeated this incantation several times, calling upon the yin soldiers and generals to serve as his enforcers, specifically to suppress the vampire before it could rise and unleash its fury.

It takes time to walk, let alone summon yin soldiers from the underworld. But as long as the incantation continued, there was hope they would arrive. Once they did, everything would be resolved. No matter how powerful the vampire was, it would be defeated.

But would Zhang Enpu live long enough to see the yin soldiers arrive?

Only time would tell.

At this moment, Zhang Enpu continued chanting, but the thickening malevolent aura caused his face to flush red, and his breathing became increasingly rapid, like a severe asthmatic.

“Ah…”

Possibly due to the aura’s influence, Zhang Enpu’s body began to tremble, but he continued chanting and forming seals. Liu Dashao and Tian Guoqiang, seeing his condition, grew extremely anxious. After all, they were all tied together—if Zhang Enpu died, they would all perish.

“Uncle Zhang!”

Thinking this, Liu Dashao shouted and rushed forward.

But in his haste, Liu Dashao caused a disaster worse than an own goal.

His sudden movement created a gust of wind that extinguished the middle wick of the Seven Stars Lamp.

As the wick went out, Zhang Enpu’s body shuddered. He opened his eyes wide, staring at the lamp, his face turning pale. One lamp extinguished meant the entire ritual formation was broken. Immediately, the two chopsticks fell with a loud crash.

“You two, quickly take the black dog blood and pour it directly onto the grave!” Zhang Enpu urgently instructed, trying to focus and suppress the vampire rising from the coffin.

“Grandpa, should we pour it all or save some?” Liu Dashao thought to ask.

“Ugh, at a time like this, who cares how much! If you wait until the vampire rises, we’ll all be doomed!” Zhang Enpu gripped the hilt of his sword, veins bulging on his neck. “Hurry! Pour as much as you can—soak every inch of this soil! Delay will bring disaster!”

At the edge of the hillside grave, white banners fluttered. Throughout the chaotic burial ground, eerie blue-green ghost flames floated like fireflies. Frogs and crickets had ceased their songs, and only the sound of wind rustling through the grass remained, creating a terrifying and eerie scene.

“Sssshhh…”

At that moment, the newly turned earth emitted a sound of soil cracking open. In the otherwise silent environment, it was startling. The freshly filled earth suddenly trembled violently, as if something was trying to break through.

Slowly, the strange “sish” sound grew more frequent, and the mound began to pulse violently, like a beating heart.

Zhang Enpu’s face turned pale, as if witnessing the most terrifying thing of his life. He quickly pulled out the sword he had kept sheathed—the Celestial Master’s sword—and began chanting, “By the command of the Supreme Sage, I summon all spirits. The heavenly generals command the heavens, beat the heavenly drums, raise the heavenly banners, wield the golden stars, and cast the fire bells to capture the unseen and search for the silent!”

“Swish!” The steel sword swept past the candle, igniting the flame. The flame roared to life, and with a “Puff!” the talisman hanging from the sword tip caught fire. The talisman, made of yellow paper and soaked in strong wine, burned instantly. But as thin as the paper was, the fire only lasted a moment before dying out, leaving the cinnabar-written talisman on the sword blade glowing eerily.

He retracted the sword. With his left hand, he formed a mystic gesture, touching his forehead, then the sword tip. The ashes from the talisman scattered like stars, then gathered into a small black ball. With some embers still glowing, fine threads of fire writhed within the ball. He pointed the sword at the mound of earth, and the ashes shot out like a thread, directly hitting the meadow.

Upon contact, the earth began to boil like a pot. The dry grass and leaves were pushed outward, and from the center of the soil, a large splash erupted, as if a spring had suddenly opened in the grave, continuously spewing water.

Zhang Enpu took a bowl of wine that had been infused with talisman and spat it onto the sword. The sword flared like a torch. With his left hand gripping the blade, he wiped from the hilt to the tip, extinguishing the flames. The cinnabar characters on the blade glowed one by one. He shouted, “Follow the command swiftly!”

Before his voice faded, a low but distinct rumble drowned out the rustling grass. In their field of vision, a dark coffin burst from the earth. Upon closer inspection, the coffin was about two meters long and one meter wide, covered in translucent, tennis-ball-sized bumps. In the sunlight, the coffin shimmered with reds and greens, like a water blister on human skin. The coffin lid was half open, and the large coffin nails, as thick as a thumb, had all been pried loose, clinking and swaying like a group of emaciated old men in the wind, ready to fall at any moment.

Strange indeed—this vampire, the source of the drought in Xiushui Village, had caused the land for miles around to crack like a turtle’s shell, and all the trees and plants to wither and die. Yet its grave was oddly wet. Inside the deep pit where the coffin lay, a small puddle had formed, and the coffin itself was soaked, as if freshly pulled from water.