sat beside her. Just two people for such a large table“Oh, my niece heard that you were coming here for dinner and insisted on coming. She said she hasn't seen you in ages and should be here soon.”...Mu Wanchen held my hand and instead of walking outside, he walked toward the grove of trees behind the village.

"...There's a problem there, are you still going in" I resisted the urge to retreat.

Don't be afraid, I'm here.

"I'm afraid I'll hold you back," I muttered.

"Since I knew the Dragon King was making a move here, I might as well destroy it. It'll stop him from becoming more arrogant and acting recklessly... But I can't leave you alone here, so I'll have to drag you in with me." Mu Wanchen said frankly.

I definitely wouldn't stay alone. It's creepy here with ghosts and wandering corpses. I'd follow Mu Wanchen to hell and back—as long as I wasn't by myself.

"Driven by anger and bloodlust, they are the walking corpses... These monsters should only be a small part. If you're right, they first lured away the elders, then tried to lure away the able-bodied men..."

"Um... so you're saying there's a group of 'young and strong' walkers still in this forest" I swallowed hard.

"Well, it's highly likely these things were made to deal with me. Even if they weren't intended for me, they're still resources he's using to build his power and cause chaos. Now that I've come across them, I might as well destroy them before things get worse."

The night is long, dreams are many.

This was the first time I heard him speak with such a cold, resolute tone.

His expression didn't seem like he was joking, and he didn't consult with me. It looks like he was serious about doing this.

"Right now, you're the only one with the fighting power. Can you do it If these guys keep stalling…"

"How many more could there possibly be Judging from the size of this village, it's no more than a thousand people. Even if they all became corpses under the Dragon King's command, there's nothing to fear. The main concern isn't eliminating the zombies, but those who orchestrated this... Whoever is capable of handling these matters for the Dragon King must be his right-hand man." Mu Wanchen said in a deep voice.

My view of him has been refreshed again. Though he is gentle and accommodating towards me, when it really comes down to it, decisive action is his way of thinking.

He felt the threat and believed he had to crush this danger in its infancy, or else it would harm his tribe.

So now what I say doesn't matter, there are some things he has to do.

He was holding my hand tightly, so I wasn't as scared when we walked into the darkness.

"....Little Luo'er, I loosen my hand." He suddenly pulled me into his chest, letting me hold his waist, and he freed his hands to make gestures.

Several faint palace lanterns flickered to life around them. The air was thick with an eerie presence, and the dim glow of the lanterns cast a pale blue hue, illuminating the surrounding mist in shades of green.

It feels like walking into poison gas.

"Can you really fight with me Can we summon Golden Armored Warriors here" My heart pounded with fear, and my voice trembled as I spoke.

"No. In a realm without faith, everything is constrained." Mu Wanchen replied.

"That...that if a horde of zombies attacked us, what would we do"

"Don't be afraid, be afraid of them."

"Why"

“Whether it’s gu, poison, or witchcraft, using these things in front of me is like showing off in the master's house. Ordinary toxins can't hurt you or me, there's no need to worry, I just need to protect you.” He replied calmly.

Whoosh—

A sudden, jarring noise came from ahead, causing me to jump.

The dim glow of palace lanterns illuminated the path ahead, where a figure hunched low, moving through waist-high weeds.

Is there a line jam

I nervously gripped Mu Wanchen's arm. He raised his sword in a swift arc, the blade slicing through the weeds ahead. I saw an outfit that looked vaguely familiar—

The olive green uniform belonged to the thin, long-faced officer at the border inspection station.

He was now pouncing on a ragged, fleshless corpse, tearing at it with savage glee. The creature's head had been almost completely ripped off, exposing its ghastly white bones.

"...This is, Long Xiao's zombie. On our way to escape, this color official tried to molest me, and as a result, he grabbed the poisoned needle on my body and died himself. Long Xiao just 'pushed' him onto the car, saying maybe it would be useful..." I whispered.

Mu Wanchen pressed my head against his chest, frowning slightly. "Since it was his method, this zombie appearing here means he also fled into the woods."

“He might have said he wanted to seek revenge from the Dragon King,”

"What grudge does the Dragon King have against him"

"...He seemed to be some kind of chieftain, very skilled at dealing with corpses. He'd also heard your name. Then the Dragon King set a trap for him, poisoned him, making him mute, and even wore his collarbone, he was tortured quite badly. The Dragon King probably wanted to interrogate him or use him to find out some secrets."

"Surname Long..." Mu Wanchen pondered for a moment.

I nodded. "Yes, his last name was Long. He also mentioned something about white magic and black magic, and said their city was empty..."

“…King Miao.”

"Do you recognize this"

“I’ve heard whispers that they also hid within the Dharma Gate, but they began to scatter and decline decades ago… It seems the Dragon King’s plan is not simple…”

Mu Wanchen frowned and said, “I heard that there is only one corpse immortal in the world today, and it's in Miao Wang City.”

Corpse Immortal...

"Heaven, earth, gods, humans, and ghosts, those who understand the Dao and overcome tribulation all have a path to immortality. Whether they walk the righteous path or the demonic path depends on their personal disposition and comprehension. Although Corpse Immortals sound puzzling, they do exist. It's extremely rare for someone to achieve such a state." Mu Wanchen led me around the corpse controlled by that official on the ground.

The color official bit at something on his lip corner, it was unclear if it was cloth or skin, very disgusting, but he didn't attack me.

When it comes to taming these stiff corpses, Long Xiaoge obviously has a natural advantage. This high-ranking official had just died recently, so his physical functions were much better than these withered zombies. Once they got violent, these zombies wouldn't be his opponents.

"Ooh... ooh..." A muffled horn sounded suddenly from the depths of the forest.

The alarm… this must be the alarm from that “retirement home” deep in the woods.

"Come on, let's see what the Dragon King is up to here."

Mu Wanchen directly carried me up. This kind of carrying-a-sack posture was uncomfortable, but he was very skillful, and I just endured it without making a sound.

"In a Macau hotel, who drugged me" I asked.

"...it must be the Dragon King himself."

"What Myself"

"Well, when I rushed over, the entire floor hallway was filled with a sinister aura, it was nearly impossible to enter. It was the Dragon King's Gu spirit, filling every corridor of this floor."

"...What kind of Gu spirit could be so big... Could it be a giant snake He, he has such a big Gu spirit I thought only Bai Ni could become this big!"

It suddenly struck me, back to that first time I felt something was off about the hallway.

It was as if a surging undersea current had rushed past, the aura so oppressive it made one struggle to breathe... Was that when his Gu Spirit passed through

"Hmph..." Mu Wanchen sneered, "Otherwise If he didn't rely on this Gu Ling Snake King, how would he dare to call himself 'Dragon King'"

"So... that fat man, he really is the Dragon King" I couldn't think of anyone else.

Mu Wanchen didn't answer me, only walked quickly forward. All I could see was his back. I don't know what kind of magic he used, but the wind in my ears grew faster and faster.

When he set me down, in the valley before us there was a cluster of bamboo houses built into the hillside, only a few lanterns glowing in their windows.

This is what they call a "nursing home," huh

There are many tattered fabrics, scraps of cloth, and even grayish-white bones scattered on the ground at our feet, illuminated by the glow of the palace lanterns.

Mu Wanchen frowned deeply and said in a cold voice, "Qidi Lao, it is against human ethics."ed for a moment, but I was too weak."Mu Wanchen, if you don't let go of me, I'm going to get angry!"He loosened his arms a bit, and I immediately seized the opportunity to turn around —It turns out I...