A Neighboring Corpse Has Just Grown

February, Deep Indigo.

Inside the Corpse Driver's Shop, a small, thin grey mouse with a tuft of white fur on its head was perched on a plate, gnawing on a piece of dried, hardened raw fish.

A ray of sunlight pierced through a gap in the window, illuminating the edge of the quiet workbench, and dust motes danced in the air.

Just as the surroundings were enveloped in this serene silence, the darkwood coffin, which had been motionless beside the workbench, suddenly emitted a soft sound. The dust-covered lid shifted, revealing a clear crack.

The little grey mouse, caught mid-snack, instantly froze. Its beady black eyes widened, and it stared like a statue in the direction of the sound.

"Clang!" The sound of the coffin lid being thrown open and hitting the ground suddenly rang out. Immediately after, a slender, newborn-like hand emerged from the coffin.

On the outstretched fingers, long, sharp fingernails protruded, resembling the protective finger coverings worn by the Empress Dowager.

"Hiss-ha—" A long-forgotten sound of breathing filled the air.

Xu Qing, who had been sleeping for a long time, felt as if he had dreamt. In his dream, he was a cocoon, hanging on an ancient, deep mountain, from a verdant old tree, surrounded by beautiful scenery and the songs of birds.

As days turned into weeks and spring warmed the land, he would break free from his chrysalis, transforming into a butterfly.

At that moment, he felt an indescribable lightness, as if a gentle flutter of his wings could carry him to the clouds.

Back in the Corpse Driver's Shop, Xu Qing, awakened from his deep slumber, reached out and gripped the edge of the coffin stake. As he straightened his back with a slight effort, the joints behind him audibly cracked.

He opened his eyes, and the world, now clearer, came into view. Not far away, a startled grey mouse squeaked and scurried into a corner.

He could even see the individual hairs on its body, as if it were right before his eyes.

"Did I get whiter?"

Xu Qing looked down at his arm. His skin, in the shadow, was exceptionally fair, but where the sliver of sunlight from the window hit it, it reflected a metallic sheen, like that of iron.

It was similar to the cold glint reflected when examining a sword by lamplight at night.

Instead of being alarmed, Xu Qing was delighted. The Corpse Sayings recorded that there were five stages of zombie advancement: Wandering Corpse, Crouching Corpse, Unyielding Bone, Flying Corpse, and Corpse Immortal.

Among these, Wandering Corpses were divided into three types, and Crouching Corpses had three transformations. The three types referred to the Ironclad, Silver Armored, and Gold Armored Corpses.

Under normal circumstances, it was difficult to distinguish these three types of zombies with the naked eye. However, there was a clever method: by exposing the skin to sunlight and observing the luster reflected by the skin's texture, one could discern the strength of a Wandering Corpse.

Sunlight, being the epitome of Yang and extreme hardness, was the polar opposite of the Yin-loving Wandering Corpse.

The luster reflecting off Xu Qing's skin at that moment was the mark of an advancement to an Ironclad Wandering Corpse.

Unlike the Ironclad Corpse, which emitted a cold, iron-like glow, the Silver Armored Corpse, when illuminated by the sun, would sparkle with points of light, like frost scattered on winter snow, resembling scattered silver stars.

The Gold Armored Corpse, on the other hand, would shine with the brilliance of inlaid gold and precious gems, utterly dazzling.

Fortunately, the Corpse Nurturing Scripture provided a solution for this situation. Simply sprinkling a medicinal powder, used in conjunction with the Mute Dog Curse, onto the body could prevent the issue of sunlight reflection.

Xu Qing recalled the entire evolutionary process. When he thought of a certain joint, his heart stirred, and his gaze involuntarily fell upon the two coffins covered by banners in the west corner.

After all, both Grand Ancestor Yang and Liu Youdao had been Corpse Drivers their entire lives. It was unlikely they would only raise ordinary Walking Corpses. Had they not attempted to cultivate Ironclad or Silver Armored Corpses?

Xu Qing put on his clothes and silently approached the two coffins.

The one on the left was still the same pitch-black darkwood coffin, bound horizontally twice and vertically thrice with red rope.

The one on the right was red-skinned with black edges. It wasn't bound with rope; instead, 'fake ropes' were drawn using a chalk line dipped in cinnabar water and rooster's blood, totaling eighty-one lines.

These two coffins appeared significantly more robust than ordinary ones. The various talismans pasted on them, regardless of the paper material used, remained as pristine as if they had just been drawn and affixed, even after such a long time.

Xu Qing had just personally experienced the process of refining an Ironclad Corpse. The scene of him cocooning inside the smaller darkwood coffin seemed to faintly overlap with the two coffins before him.

"Could Liu Youdao, that old fellow, have been raising two Gold Armored Corpses in my shop?"

If they were Ironclad Corpses, given his previous cocooning speed, these two should have already broken out of their coffins!

Even Silver Armored Corpses likely wouldn't have remained dormant for so long.

Xu Qing circled the two imposing coffins for a while, observing that all the seals, including the talismans, were intact. He felt a slight sense of relief.

The shop had been vacant and uncleaned for many days, and dust had clearly accumulated everywhere.

Xu Qing tidied up perfunctorily. On the counter sat the water clock he had specifically bought for timing; its water had long since dripped away.

Cultivation knows no seasons, enlightenment no years.

"Even evolving into an Ironclad Corpse took so much time. If I wanted to evolve into a Gold Armored Corpse someday, I might wake up to find the Great Yong Dynasty fallen!"

Amidst his musings, Xu Qing walked through the backyard, climbed over the wall, and went around to the front entrance. Wu Yaoxing, who was squatting by the paper-craft shop, making paper horses, suddenly froze.

"Brother Xu, you're back!"

Wu Yaoxing immediately put down his work and rushed over, scrutinizing him.

"You've gotten fairer, and not as thin. It seems the person who found your burial spot was quite wealthy. You must be eating meat and fish every day, right?"

Xu Qing smiled, opening the door. "You guessed right. That landlord had plenty of grain, and they took good care of me. They slaughtered sheep or pigs every few days. It's hard for me to lose weight!"

"It's good you've gained weight. When people see you're well-fed, they'll know your life is good, and it'll be easier to find a wife. Otherwise, if they see you looking pale and thin, who would want to marry you?"

"Speaking of which, Brother Xu, you should get married too. How about I have my family arrange a match for you?"

Xu Qing removed the two door panels. Dust mingled with sunlight streamed into the shop, stirring up a scent of old wood and earth.

"Forget it. You know me, I'm always running off to Youlan Courtyard or Cuiyun Tower. I want to enjoy myself for a few more years. If I got married, where would I find such freedom?"

What Xu Qing said was half true and half false. He did want to visit Youlan Courtyard and Cuiyun Tower, but not for leisure. It was merely to experience the local customs and traditions of Linhé.

Let's see if the humanistic care there is truly as attentive and thoughtful as the rumors say.

Furthermore, he had other reasons for not wanting to get married.

First was his zombie identity; if he married a woman and spent his days and nights with her, he would easily be exposed.

Second, zombies have no lifespan, and beauty fades quickly.

Women would slowly age after thirty. Would he have to kill his own wife while she was still young and refine her into a zombie too?

Even if he had such thoughts, it wasn't guaranteed the other party would agree.

This isn't Twilight, and he isn't a vampire.

Wu Yaoxing wanted to persuade him further, but Xu Qing changed the subject.

"Old Wu, has anyone come looking for me these past few days?"

"Yes! The fourth day after you left, some officers came to inspect the rooms. The leader was a coroner, carrying two pieces of cured meat. He said they had just arrived in Linhe, were old acquaintances of your master in Xiangyin County, and wanted to come over to chat and reminisce with your master."