Three Corpses - Zhi

HP: 87%

The leopard-man monster's HP greatly surprised Chu Danqing.

From its appearance, it looked no different from being grievously wounded and on the verge of death, yet its HP showed that it had suffered no more than light injuries.

This meant that the wounds on the leopard-man monster were merely for show.

Chu Danqing's gaze continuously swept over the leopard-man monster, intent on finding some clue.

Da Bao and the Repeating Crossbowman's attacks were indeed steadily lowering the leopard-man monster's HP, but the monster's attacks were also growing increasingly ferocious.

At first, Da Bao's lifesteal effect could still keep pace, but as the enemy's attack speed increased, the lifesteal gradually became unable to sustain him.

Chu Danqing felt that he could not simply sit and wait for death either, so he immediately flung out an Energy Link.

The link emerged, but after sinking into the leopard-man monster's body, it slowly dissipated.

"Missed? That's impossible!" Chu Danqing watched the link dissipate. It had not been shattered by the opponent's attack.

A miss meant dissipation, while destruction meant shattering. The two were different.

"It's parasitism. Da Bao, find the main body." Chu Danqing understood. The Man-Faced Black Panther had died thoroughly; something was controlling its corpse.

The reason its HP had been dropping so slowly was because Da Bao and the Repeating Crossbowman had not been striking vital spots.

In online games, scraping at someone's feet might work, but this was reality. The semi-datafied system was for reference, not because the whole world had become datafied.

Hearing this, Da Bao gritted his teeth and began using Rending Claws to tear flesh from the leopard-man's body.

"Wrong spot. Change again." Chu Danqing watched the Combat Log. The damage had decreased, which meant they still had not found the right place.

Creak~

As Da Bao continued trying, he tore away the leopard-man's breastbone, revealing a strange creature hidden beneath it.

Chu Danqing used Scrutiny Technique once again and finally identified its name.

Three Corpses - Zhi

Naturally, Chu Danqing was puzzled when he saw the name.

He knew a little about the concept of the Three Corpses. It originated in Daoism, referring to informers dwelling within the human body and the source of evil deeds.

Beyond that, all he knew were fragments of ancient mythological settings, which had nothing to do with Zhi.

Having found the source, Da Bao's attacks immediately caused Zhi's HP to plummet.

One claw strike took away more than half its HP, and the second claw sent the strange creature on its way.

You killed Three Corpses - Zhi

With Zhi's death, it turned into a pool of pus on the spot.

The leopard-man monster's corpse emitted an intense stench. It did not smell like something that had just died, but rather the rotten odor of a corpse dead for several days.

At the same time, an Excellent Grade treasure chest appeared atop the corpse.

Da Bao grabbed the treasure chest and brought it back.

Chu Danqing casually stuffed it into his Storage Space.

He always felt that things were not so simple.

The contribution arrived, and the Trial Mission was completed as well.

Mission complete. You obtained: Return Qualification, Paradise Points ×1000, Attribute Points +1

Chu Danqing ignored Paradise's notification and instead pondered the fact that there should be three corpses. Why was there only one?

Perhaps there were some clues hidden within this.

"Attendant, you are truly formidable. That vicious beast is finally dead." Seeing the battle end, the steward hurriedly came over.

"Steward, do you know this leopard's origins?" Chu Danqing felt they could dig deeper.

Faced with Chu Danqing's question, the steward shook his head. "I don't know. I only know that it appeared recently."

"Have there been any similar strange beasts or other abnormalities nearby?" Chu Danqing asked again.

Seeing Chu Danqing question him one after another, the steward did not dare give a perfunctory answer and carefully searched his memories.

"There really was." The steward immediately said, "Lu San was the first person this vicious beast carried away."

"Lu San was an old miner. Usually, he pinched pennies and saved every coin, hoping to return home, build a house, and marry a wife."

"A few days before he was carried off, he became like a different person."

"First, he bought a new set of clothes, then went to the Spring Garden Brothel. Not only did he feast on fine wine and good food, he even hired three prostitutes to serve him for the night."

"Later, he lay drunkenly outside the mine pit and fell asleep. By the time someone saw him, he had already been carried away and eaten by the vicious beast."

"Attendant, would you say that counts as abnormal?" The steward summarized the situation.

The moment Chu Danqing heard this, he immediately said, "It does. Of course it does."

He did not know much about the Three Corpses, but this clue was far too obvious.

The Three Corpses' first host had not been this Man-Faced Black Panther, but the miner named Lu San.

"Then I'll immediately arrange for people to investigate it for you, Attendant, and see what happened." The steward said at once.

"Investigate it. I suspect someone may be targeting our Lu Clan." Chu Danqing was not speaking empty words; it was genuinely possible.

Zhi might be the name of one of the Three Corpses.

And the one he had killed might have been only one of the Three Corpses, with two still at large.

From the description, the Three Corpses could stir up the three desires of vanity, gluttony, and lust.

The Man-Faced Black Panther's frequent consumption of humans was one manifestation of gluttony.

Besides that, it should also be able to grant its host corresponding power.

"This vicious beast was originally nothing more than a mountain predator. It only changed so drastically after eating Lu San, whose temperament had transformed."

"Think about it. If that vicious beast had been replaced with Lu San, how many people do you think would have noticed?"

"This matter must be someone secretly plotting against the Lu Clan's mining operation here." Chu Danqing laid out his analysis.

Although it was also possible that it was a coincidence, Chu Danqing's speculation was reasonable.

After Chu Danqing put it that way, the steward was frightened out of his wits as well.

"Rest assured, Attendant. I will have people closely monitor the mine pit and report any abnormality to you at once."

"Investigating Lu San's matter will take some time. At the latest, I will deliver the results into your hands tomorrow morning, Attendant." The steward hurriedly made his stance clear.

This matter involved the Lu Clan, so for his own sake, the steward had to give it his all.

With a great tree at one's back, one could enjoy the shade. Without the Lu Clan, both his wealth and status would decline, so they would naturally protect the Lu Clan's interests.

The Lu Clan had endured for generations until today; naturally, their skill in managing the household was already consummate.

"Remember, do not publicize this matter. Handle it discreetly. If you startle the snake in the grass, it will be difficult to catch the person behind it afterward." Chu Danqing gave him a warning.

In truth, there was another possibility. It might not be an external threat, but internal trouble.

In a large family with vast holdings, there would always be people who were not of one mind.

Especially since Lu Yin, the Lu Clan's eldest legitimate son, was a medicine jar. No matter how one looked at him, he did not seem likely to live long.

"Rest assured, Attendant. This lowly one understands." After replying, the steward asked Chu Danqing, "Then shall I escort you back to the estate?"

"No." Chu Danqing said, "Take me to the Ji Estate."

"The Ji Estate is no ordinary household in Yangxian County. Without a calling card, it will not be easy for you to meet them." The steward tactfully reminded Chu Danqing that the Ji Estate's gates were not easy to enter.

Great households had the rules of great households. The Ji Family was nothing much; their Lu Clan was the one with truly cumbersome rules.