Dragon Serpent's Shadow

"Xia Manor"

This luxurious and grand residence was once the property of Chu Shiqing. After Chu Shiqing's death, all his assets were confiscated. Thus, Xia Qi'an purchased this manor.

During this period, Jinling's Wei Dao Si saw significant improvements in personnel treatment due to the business of scented soap and refined salt. This has, in turn, invisibly elevated Xia Qi'an's standing within Jinling's Wei Dao Si.

Xia Qi'an had been cultivating peacefully at home for some time. Later, finding it too monotonous, he accepted a mission from Liu Qing, considering it a way to get out and relax. Coincidentally, the mission location was Xia Qi'an's hometown, Lishan County.

Several months had passed since Lishan County experienced flooding. Most of the displaced refugees who had scattered elsewhere had also returned home to recuperate. And Xia Qi'an was using this mission as an opportunity. He planned to return to Xia Family Village to pay respects to his grandfather, the old blacksmith surnamed Xia, and also to pay respects to Xiao Cao's parents.

After the flood, almost everyone in Xia Family Village had perished, with only a handful of survivors.

"There probably won't be anyone living here anymore!"

Gazing at the collapsed houses all around, overgrown with weeds amidst the ruins. The dry mud and sand left behind by the receding floodwaters stirred a myriad of thoughts in Xia Qi'an. He held no particular attachment to this place; his only concern was the kind old blacksmith.

Not far from the village. On a small hill, there were numerous grave mounds of varying sizes. These grave mounds didn't even have tombstones.

Xia Qi'an arrived at his grandfather's grave. He silently arranged the offerings of fine wine, lit three sticks of incense, and kowtowed several times. Then, he pushed aside a patch of weeds and sat down next to a grave mound.

Blacksmith Xia was born unable to speak and was also dull and honest, which is why he never married in his lifetime. Fortunately, there was still one person in this world who remembered him.

In Xia Qi'an's memory, his grandfather was a simple old man who could only communicate through gestures. Having lived together for a long time, Xia Qi'an could quickly understand the meaning of his gestures, and daily communication wasn't too problematic.

He remembered one time when Blacksmith Xia took Xia Qi'an to the county town for a market day. The sun was scorching that day, and the air was filled with the noisy chirping of cicadas. Five-year-old Xia Qi'an sat in a basket, wearing a large straw hat, carried on his grandfather's shoulder. On the other side of the basket were iron farming tools to be sold in the city.

"It was so hot that day...!" Xia Qi'an murmured softly, as if conversing with his grandfather. At this moment, memories of his time with his grandfather kept surfacing in his mind. Those daily trifles were as plain as a bowl of plain water. Most of the scenes were blurry and indistinct. However, before he knew it, Xia Qi'an's eyes were filled with tears.

After paying respects to Old Master Xia and Xiao Cao's parents, Xia Qi'an decided to bring the ashes of Old Master Xia and Xiao Cao's parents back to Jinling. This place was too desolate, and being near the Cang River, if it were to be flooded again in the future, he might not even be able to find a place to pay his respects.

Subsequently, Xia Qi'an rode his horse to Lishan County town and found several craftsmen specializing in grave relocation. After a series of earth-moving rituals, the craftsmen began to dig out the remains from the grave mounds, set up fires on the spot, and cremate them. Then, the ashes were packed into porcelain urns separately.

Xia Qi'an secured the urns containing the ashes and called the leading grave relocation man forward to question him: "Recently, within Lishan County, have you heard any rumors of the dead turning into zombies and causing trouble?" Seeing Xia Qi'an in his official attire, the man dared not be negligent. "Reporting to Your Excellency! It is indeed true... we..." Upon hearing this, Xia Qi'an threw them ten taels of silver, settling their wages for relocating the graves. He then asked, "Tell me the specifics!"

The man happily put away the silver, then thought for a moment and said, "There have been rumors like this all around Lishan County recently. Some newly deceased people, after being buried, have turned into zombies and are harming people. Several villages have already been massacred by zombies..."

Xia Qi'an frowned upon hearing this, "What you're saying... did you see it with your own eyes?"

The man, who usually engaged in grave robbing, felt a bit guilty at this moment and replied, "Reporting to sir... I... I indeed saw it with my own eyes."

"My companions and I are in a business that deals with the dead, and we actually saw a zombie run into Burial Ridge."

The Burial Ridge the man mentioned was naturally the Burial Ridge Mountains.

And Lishan County was located at the foot of the Burial Ridge Mountains.

Xia Qi'an's trip to Lishan County this time was twofold: firstly, to relocate graves, and secondly, to investigate the reason why dead people were turning into zombies.

Seeing that no useful information could be extracted from the man.

Xia Qi'an immediately mounted his horse and left.

Based on the intelligence provided by the Snake Guards, Xia Qi'an headed to the villages where zombies had appeared and investigated them one by one.

However, the investigation results were consistent with what the grave relocation man had said.

The clues indicated that the rampaging zombies had indeed fled into the Burial Ridge Mountains.

This discovery was highly unusual.

Generally speaking, newly born zombies lacked intelligence and would only act like headless flies, acting erratically and harming people according to their instincts.

Now, these zombies had all, without exception, entered the Burial Ridge Mountains.

It was as if they were being guided by some mysterious force.

At the foot of the mountain.

Xia Qi'an dismounted and looked up at the imposing, dark green mountain before him.

Instantly, he was struck by the grandeur and mystery of the towering mountain.

The mountain range lay there like a coiled dragon, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

He had only seen the Burial Ridge mountains from afar before and had never entered them.

But now, standing at the foot of the mountain, the feeling was completely different.

Standing at the foot of the great mountain, Xia Qi'an felt as insignificant as an ant, as if he could be swallowed by this majestic mountain at any moment.

The Burial Ridge Mountains stretched endlessly, as if without end.

Some said that the Burial Ridge Mountains were one of the dragon veins of You Province, a land full of legends.

After the arrival of the End of Dharma era, the feng shui of the Burial Ridge Mountains changed drastically, eventually turning it into a forbidden land that mortals should not approach, and where demons and monsters ran rampant.

Entering the mountain.

Xia Qi'an followed the traces left by the zombies.

For safety reasons, he also left markers along the way.

He didn't know how long he had walked in the mountains.

Pushing aside vines, he suddenly found himself facing a dark, tranquil pool.

The pool was surrounded by thick red maple trees, their leaves occasionally falling like dancing butterflies into the water.

The surface of the water shimmered with a deep blue light, which seemed to be intoxicating.

Serene, deep, and mysterious.

This was how Xia Qi'an felt being in this place.

Xia Qi'an gazed at the deep blue water surface, lost in a trance.

Whether it was the strangeness of the water or that he was truly captivated by the scenery, Xia Qi'an was momentarily unable to move.

However, just then.

He suddenly smelled a faint, fishy odor coming from behind him.

As a martial artist, Xia Qi'an's senses were sharp, and his heart immediately sank, his hair standing on end.

Yet, at this moment, he realized with alarm that his body was no longer under his control; he couldn't move an inch.

In a moment of desperation, Xia Qi'an bit his tongue hard. The pain made him tremble, and he finally snapped back to his senses.

Suddenly, he spun around.

He saw a giant red snake head, as large as a millstone, lunging at him with its gaping maw, intending to swallow him whole.

The snake's four huge fangs and the red flesh within its mouth were clearly visible.

"Plop!"

His heart leaped.

Despite being startled, Xia Qi'an didn't panic.

His reaction was incredibly fast as he clamped his hands on the snake's jaws like iron vises.

However, the size difference between him and the giant snake was too great. Even with his hands holding the snake's jaws.

He was still pushed backward by the snake and fell into the pool.