Chapter 60 – Soul Shocking

The candle flames in the room flickered simultaneously, their cores wavering as if brushed by an invisible hand, teetering on the verge of extinguishing. Yet, in this dim light, Wei Yang witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life. A slender black rope extended from the mouth of the humanoid monster, nearly a meter long, wriggling and squirming like the tentacle of some coelenterate.

His heart pounded fiercely. Although the Three Corpses were born as one, their forms differed. The Greed Corpse was round, the Lust Corpse sickle-shaped, and the Desire Corpse, which governed appetite and anger, resembled a long, thin chain capable of binding the internal organs, making escape impossible. This black rope was the Middle Corpse, Peng Zhi. But hadn’t Zhang Xiuqi said that the Middle Corpse had already merged with the Corpse Puppet? Why had it suddenly appeared?

Wei Yang’s heart was filled with doubt and fear. Outside, the faces of the few people guarding the room had also changed dramatically. Wang Wei tightly gripped the short knife in his hand: “Uncle Miao, what… what the hell is that?”

Miao Yun’s back was already drenched in cold sweat: “I don’t know, I’ve never seen it before. Why has it suddenly appeared… Ah!”

He let out a cry of alarm. Under everyone’s gaze, the long, thin black rope slowly fell to the ground and began to crawl forward. Directly in front of it was a rotating copper coin. The flickering candlelight made the coin look like a small whirlwind, seemingly capable of repelling everything around it. The black rope paid no attention to the glutinous rice grains scattered by the coin. It silently raised its head like a snake’s tongue ready to strike and lunged toward the coin with a whoosh.

It moved extremely fast, like a black lightning bolt. However, before it could touch the coin, it recoiled as if burned, retreating swiftly. A smell similar to burning leather filled the air, mixed with a faint fishy stench. Seeing this, many people felt a momentary relief. But the black rope didn’t stop. After writhing on the ground for a moment, it lunged at the coin again.

A strange, soft hissing sound gradually filled the room, like water droplets falling on a hot pan. As the black rope continued to strike, the copper coin seemed to spin slower and slower, swaying uncertainly, as if it might fall to the ground at any moment. Wang Wei could no longer hold back. He took two steps forward and shouted at Wei Yang, “Why aren’t you killing that thing yet? Hurry up and do something!”

Wei Yang didn’t respond. He silently took out two Yellow Talismans from his pocket. He still remembered the commotion when they had eradicated the other two Three Corpses worms. Even though Zhang Xiuqi had been injured at the time, it had still taken considerable effort. With his own meager preparations, there was no way he could eliminate Peng Zhi. No matter how long this Copper Coin Formation could hold, he had to wait until the formation was broken.

However, Wei Yang’s heart was as clear as a mirror. The bandits outside had no such clarity. Wang Wei’s eyes turned blood-red as he stared at the trembling figure on the bed, his teeth nearly grinding to dust. At this moment, Wang Tang’s emaciated face no longer looked human. A purplish-black tongue hung from his lips, and thick, yellow liquid dripped from his mouth, soaking the bedding beneath him. His bloated abdomen trembled rhythmically, as if something inside was rolling around, ready to burst out.

“Fuck your mother!” After watching the black rope for a while, Wang Wei suddenly roared and rushed downstairs.

Miao Yun was startled and quickly said to his subordinate, “Go stop him! Don’t let that idiot do something stupid!”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Wei Yang, his heart a mess of conflicting emotions. Now that the monster had appeared, why hadn’t Master Wei acted to exorcise it? Even the young man who had been making hand seals earlier had stopped moving. The three of them were like clay statues, unmoving. Could it be that they were planning to set them up? However, no matter how much he speculated in his heart, he didn’t dare to urge them rashly. If he disturbed the ritual and something went wrong, who would take the blame?

Though his heart was burning with anxiety, Miao Yun still forced himself to stand outside the door, watching as the black rope continued to attack the copper coin. Suddenly, another rooster’s cry came from downstairs, even more shrill and desperate, like a death struggle. His heart tightened, and he suddenly realized something, cursing inwardly. As expected, a moment later, the smell of blood wafted up the stairs, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Wang Wei rushed back upstairs, holding a sea bowl of steaming chicken blood, his face full of murderous intent as he charged toward the door.

“Wei Zi!” Miao Yun was both shocked and furious. He grabbed Wang Wei’s arm, “What are you doing? Master said we don’t need chicken blood now! Don’t be impulsive!”

“Impulsive? Me, impulsive? Uncle, can’t you see? Those bastards are clearly trying to kill my father! Fuck their mothers! If you won’t do it, I will!” With that, the reckless man exerted force and shoved Miao Yun aside. In two large strides, he crossed the cinnabar line at the door and barged into the room. With a swing of his hand, he splashed the entire bowl of chicken blood into the air!

The sudden turn of events happened too quickly. Wei Yang had no time to react before the chicken blood was already raining down in front of the bed. The strong smell of blood filled the air, and both the copper coin and the black rope were drenched. The coin let out a clink and stopped spinning, then fell to the ground with a clatter. Like a chain reaction, all the rotating copper coins fell to the ground at once, as if welded in place, no longer moving. Meanwhile, the black rope twisted and writhed violently, as if electrocuted.

“Stop!” Wei Yang’s heart sank, and he shouted. Chicken blood had a powerful effect against evil spirits, especially from an adult nine-catty yellow rooster. It was a common tool in rituals. However, each evil spirit was different, and using the same method to defeat them was wishful thinking. Using chicken blood against a powerful evil spirit was like pouring cold water into hot oil—it would only make the oil explode!

But Wang Wei wasn’t in the mood to listen to him now. Seeing the black rope convulsing, a look of delight flashed across his face. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, the sharp blade in his hand slashing down at the black rope!

The knife Miao Yun had given Wang Wei was different from the one he’d given Wei Yang. It was a genuine divine weapon, unearthed from a Tang Dynasty tomb. Most of the items from that tomb had been sold for a hefty sum, but this short knife had been kept aside because someone had taken a liking to it. Over the years, it had been meticulously maintained, its blade honed to a razor-sharp edge. Though it might not be able to split a hair, it wasn’t far from modern craftsmanship. Now that it had been used to kill a chicken and doused in chicken blood, it exuded an even more murderous aura. With this killing blade in hand, Wang Wei feared nothing. He swung the knife down with all his might.

His movements were indeed swift, even showing signs of specialized training. However, the black rope on the ground was even faster. Before the blade could touch its body, the black rope suddenly retracted, then shot up like a bolt of black lightning. With a clang, Wang Wei’s knife fell to the ground. He clutched the tail of the black rope with one hand, while the other trembled violently as if electrocuted. Somehow, more than half of the thin black rope had burrowed into the gap between his fingers. Blood dripped from his fingertips, splattering on the ground.

Before anyone could react, there was a loud pop, and the fluorescent light in the hallway exploded. The outside was instantly plunged into darkness. Someone screamed, followed by the sound of panicked footsteps and someone tumbling down the stairs. Although the candles in the room were still lit, the two men beside Miao Yun had already fled downstairs in terror. Miao Yun’s legs were also weak, but with both Wang Tang and his son trapped in the haunted room, how could he just run away?

His hesitation lasted only a moment, but the situation in the room had already changed subtly. Wang Wei’s trembling hand gradually stilled, and the black rope somehow slipped out from his tightly clenched palm, like a thin black stream, completely disappearing into the gaps between his fingers. Miao Yun let out a cry, “Wei Zi! What… what’s wrong with you?”

Wang Wei seemed not to hear him. He slowly turned his head to look toward the door. His eyes were no longer filled with the ferocity from before, but were instead dull and vacant, as if possessed by something. Then his feet began to move, slowly at first, then faster, as he lunged out of the room, his hands clawed, reaching straight for Miao Yun.

Miao Yun hadn’t expected this. The Yellow Talismans on the door were still intact, and the cinnabar formation on the ground was undamaged. Even the three masters were right there in the room. Yet Wang Wei had charged out, ignoring the three people sitting on the floor, the formations, and the talismans, and was now rushing straight at him. No matter how bold or ruthless he was, seeing his nephew’s twisted, grotesque face, the second-in-command of the criminal organization let out a scream and scrambled downstairs in a panic. Wang Wei didn’t stop. Following the scent of yang energy in front of him, he chased after Miao Yun. In the blink of an eye, the fourth floor was once again plunged into silence.

Wei Yang let out a soft sigh of relief and removed the hand he’d been using to cover Sun Muhua’s mouth. In front of the three of them, an unremarkable Yellow Talisman was emitting a faint glow. It was the “Evil Suppressing Talisman” that the Little Celestial Master had given him earlier. Among the Longhu Mountain talismans, this one had a unique effect. It was specifically used to conceal the yang energy of the living, providing excellent protection during exorcism rituals, ensuring that the evil spirits wouldn’t detect them. All it required was a drop of the caster’s blood.

Just moments ago, Wei Yang had bitten the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of true saliva onto the talisman, activating its power. He had then covered Sun Muhua’s mouth to prevent him from screaming. The two of them held their breaths, and with the protection of the talisman, the creature possessed by the Corpse Worm hadn’t targeted them. Instead, it had gone straight for Miao Yun at the door. The Yellow Talismans on the door and the cinnabar formation on the ground were both fakes, so how could they have stopped the monster?

However, even though the Corpse Worm had left, Wei Yang’s nerves were still on edge. His gaze slowly shifted toward the large bed in front of him. At this moment, an indescribable stench was emanating from the bed. The tomb raider leader had completely lost his human form. Chunks of rotting flesh were falling from his face and body, exposing purplish-black veins and turbid subcutaneous tissue to the night air. His bloated abdomen trembled rhythmically, and black blood oozed from it. His limbs began to move, like rusted machinery, slowly shifting his body. His rolled-back eyes twitched almost imperceptibly, as if observing the scene in the room.

After what felt like an eternity, a cloud of black smoke emerged from his nose and mouth, shrouding his decaying head. The Corpse Puppet’s feet finally touched the ground, and it stood up.

Wei Yang held his breath, his heart racing. He had asked Zhang Xiuqi in detail about this creature known as the Corpse Puppet. It was an evil entity born from a corpse that had undergone a transformation, often occurring in the bodies of pregnant women who had died unjustly. When a Mother and Child Evil mutated, it would give birth to a Corpse Soul within the corpse. If the Corpse Soul invaded a living person, it would turn them into a walking corpse, controlled by the Corpse Soul. Many of the so-called “wet zombies” from ancient times were actually Corpse Puppets.

But this Corpse Puppet was clearly different from the others. Watching as the Corpse Puppet slowly turned its neck, Wei Yang felt as though his heart was about to leap out of his chest. He suddenly realized why the Corpse Worm had appeared earlier and why it had hurriedly entered Wang Wei’s body, going berserk and attacking others. It was likely that the Corpse Puppet had reached the final stage of its formation, affecting the state of the Middle Corpse and causing it to develop a desire to escape. If that reckless thug hadn’t interfered, who knew what the Corpse Puppet would have become?

But even without the Middle Corpse, this Corpse Puppet was still something he couldn’t handle. Wei Yang’s breathing grew even fainter. He wished he could curl up behind the Evil Suppressing Talisman with the other two, but the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. The wound on his tongue, bitten earlier, was throbbing with pain, and the cut on his hand hadn’t healed, emitting a faint smell of blood. Seemingly drawn by the scent, the Corpse Puppet slowly turned its head, its pale, lifeless eyes locking onto them. Wei Yang felt a chill run down his spine, and his gaze fixed on the Corpse Puppet’s feet.

The Copper Coin Formation, though seemingly disrupted, had actually become more powerful due to the yang energy of the chicken blood. However, Wang Wei had been half inside and half outside the formation, giving the Corpse Worm an opening. But now, the Corpse Puppet was still within the formation… Wei Yang silently prayed in his heart, but the Corpse Puppet didn’t stop. With each slow step, yellow viscous liquid dripped to the ground, forming a small stream. This stream seemed to have a will of its own, winding its way forward, swallowing the remnants of the chicken blood, and stopping beside the copper coin. After a brief pause, it suddenly surged forward.

A soft hissing sound filled the air as the yellow liquid engulfed the copper coin, emitting a pungent, acrid smell. With this sound, the Corpse Puppet lifted its foot and stepped out of the circle of copper coins…