Yellow Sparrow and Cicada

The Soul Herding Bell can herd spirits and ghosts, while the Corpse Driving Whip can herd physical bodies and fiendish fetuses. These two can be considered complementary, both being magical artifacts capable of growth.

Xu Qing thought, if he had a max-level Soul Herding Bell in one hand and a max-level Corpse Driving Whip in the other, wouldn't he be able to walk all over the Underworld?

Suppressing those seemingly unrealistic thoughts, Xu Qing's attention shifted elsewhere.

The remaining few rewards, similar to the devoted scholar's "Scripture," were all Cultivation and Skill Manuals.

The first, "Thirty-Six Corpse Driving Curses," recorded all the incantations a corpse driver might use when traveling, such as the Corpse-Raising Curse, which could make a corpse sit up in fright or stand bolt upright.

The Walking Corpse Curse could command corpses to walk on their own, and there were others like the Turning Curse, Downhill Curse, Bridge-Crossing Curse, and Mute Dog Curse.

After digesting the information, Xu Qing had his own understanding. These basic curses for controlling walking corpses were like the commands a rider shouts to a donkey or horse – telling it to go faster or slower, turn, or jump, each with its own method of urging.

The only relatively rare one among them was the last curse in the Thirty-Six Curses—the "Soul-Returning Curse."

While called a curse, it was more like an independent cultivation technique. Practicing it could allow a corpse's soul to possess its body. The deeper a corpse driver's Soul-Returning Power cultivation, the more souls they could allow to return to their corpses, making corpse driving easier.

Next, the "Funeral and Memorial Book." This was a discipline that taught Spirit Relocation and Tomb Opening and Worship Rituals. Corpse drivers who traveled the world often dealt with the dead, so they would generally have some knowledge of these matters.

As for the "Yingui Acupoint Locating Method," traditional corpse drivers wouldn't deliberately study it. After all, they were corpse drivers, not geomancers who sought out dragon veins and fixed acupoints to dig up ancestral graves.

That was too unethical!

This thing, frankly speaking, was a skill Liu Youdao secretly learned to improve himself and expand his corpse driving business, all for the purpose of better grave robbing and finding more "good sources."

These items were all icing on the cake for Xu Qing.

What truly offered timely assistance were the "Corpse Sayings" and the "Corpse Nurturing Scripture."

The "Corpse Sayings" contained methods for identifying and dealing with various types of zombies, as well as detailed classifications of zombie species and realms by cultivators. For example, Xu Qing's current state was the lowest level, a Wandering Corpse, but the unique difference was that he possessed a complete consciousness.

According to the "Corpse Sayings," zombies had five stages of cultivation and evolution: Wandering Corpse, Crouching Corpse, Unyielding Bone, Flying Corpse, and the legendary Corpse Immortal.

Among them, Wandering Corpses and Crouching Corpses each had three types and three transformations. The three types of Wandering Corpses were Ironclad Wandering Corpse, Silverclad Wandering Corpse, and Goldclad Wandering Corpse.

The three transformations of Crouching Corpses were Furred Corpse, Fire Corpse, and Black Corpse.

When a zombie reached the third major realm, it was called an Unyielding Bone. This was a qualitative change stage for zombies, where they would gain intelligence akin to a normal person, as if reborn.

So, his current state was having the intelligence of the Unyielding Bone stage and the physical strength of the Wandering Corpse stage?

Wasn't that like Lü Bu riding a dog?

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing focused his attention on the last two realms.

Flying Corpses, also known as Black Fiends or Sky-Soaring Yakshas, were zombies at this stage who could fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth. They possessed unfathomable divine power and profound cultivation, with very few things in the world capable of threatening them.

As for the legendary Corpse Immortals, they had reached a state of immortality and ascension.

The "Corpse Sayings" contained a record stating that in the near past, there was a loyal and righteous individual named Yan Qingping. He was an official who, during a campaign to suppress rebels, was unfortunately captured and subsequently hanged to death. After Yan Qingping's death, his body did not decay and remained lifelike. Fortunately, a high-level cultivator, moved by his loyalty and righteousness in life, passed on the path of corpse cultivation to him.

Yan Qingping cultivated for nearly a hundred years and eventually ascended to immortality and achieved the Dao on Luling Mountain.

To enter the Dao through a corpse, one could also become an immortal?

Xu Qing's heart pounded. Even living people were moved by the word "immortal." Now, as a Wandering Corpse, he learned that he had the potential to touch the immortal path, how could his heart not be stirred?

As for the methods of zombie cultivation...

Xu Qing's mind involuntarily turned to the last reward, which was the "Corpse Nurturing Scripture."

Logically, the "Corpse Nurturing Scripture" was a breeding manual used by Liu Youdao to cultivate zombies and improve their quality. However, based on the results, the "Corpse Nurturing Scripture" could elevate an ordinary Wandering Corpse to the level of a Goldclad Wandering Corpse, given sufficient environment and materials.

The only regret was that Goldclad Wandering Corpse was the cultivation limit of the "Corpse Nurturing Scripture," but not the cultivation limit of zombies.

"The materials required for the 'Corpse Nurturing Scripture' are mostly related to corpse driving. If I just lie down in any graveyard, I'm afraid it'll take ages to cultivate into a Gold Corpse."

"Besides, it might not even be safe in a graveyard."

Recalling the strange and bizarre incidents he encountered after leaving Linhe Fang, Xu Qing fell into thought.

Humans were already subject to the law of the jungle; who could guarantee that there weren't hierarchies among ghosts and zombies?

Looking at Liu Youdao's not-yet-cold corpse, Xu Qing suddenly seemed to realize something.

The reason Liu Youdao died, besides bad luck, was that he didn't adhere to the rules passed down by the older generation of corpse drivers, offending too many people and being forced to relocate here. Even if he hadn't encountered the Demonic Cultivators of the Tianxin Cult, he would have eventually died at the hands of others.

In other words, if Liu Youdao had followed the rules of corpse drivers, given the "standing" of corpse drivers in the martial world, it would have been difficult for him to provoke powerful individuals.

Performing Spirit Relocation and Burial, and Tomb Opening and Corpse Driving—people in the cultivation world looked down upon those who did such business, while ordinary people avoided them like the plague. Whether in times of peace or chaos, this profession could largely remain aloof.

The more Xu Qing thought, the brighter his eyes became!

Corpse driving, corpse nurturing, and guiding souls—when these things were connected, a bold idea formed in Xu Qing's mind.

Liu Youdao had no relatives or friends in his life, living alone. He could perhaps take his place, inherit his legacy, and return to that funeral shop in Linhe Fang. This way, he could avoid the harassment of the evil spirits outside the town and, by virtue of the profession's specialty, interact with the deceased to obtain resources through their salvation.

After all, who would ever suspect that a corpse driver was a zombie?

With the idea in place, Xu Qing began to scrutinize the feasibility of the details.

The biggest obstacle to returning to Linhe Fang and integrating into the secular world was his zombie identity.

However, there was a corresponding solution for this.

In the "Thirty-Six Corpse Driving Curses" book, there was a curse called the Mute Dog Curse. With the aid of some medicinal powder, it could confuse the senses of others, making it impossible even for dogs with keen senses of smell to detect a zombie's scent.

In addition, the "Corpse Sayings" and "Corpse Nurturing Method" also contained many ways to conceal corpse energy.

Furthermore, it's only natural for corpse drivers who frequently handle corpses to be slightly tainted by corpse qi, right?

Xu Qing took a gray cloth satchel from Liu Youdao. Inside were not only deodorizing powders to go with the Mute Dog Curse but also spiritual incense, talismans, ink-filled measuring lines, as well as cinnabar brushes and inkstones, a compass, a ritual furnace, gold and silver incense candles, and other items.

What caught Xu Qing's attention the most were a pair of Corpse Fang Pliers and a pair of Gold Corpse Shears.

As their names suggested, these were tools Liu Youdao used to trim the sharp fangs and claws of zombies.

Subconsciously touching his own canine teeth, which were about two chi long, Xu Qing hardened his heart. He picked up the Corpse Fang Pliers, which were of superior density, and snapped off all four of his canine teeth.

Next, he dealt with the sharp, elongated, mutated nails on his hands and feet.

After finishing these tasks, Xu Qing changed into the spare clothes from Liu Youdao's pack.

Grass-head shoes, a blue cloth robe, and a black sash tied around his waist – a complete set of corpse driver attire.

Something still felt missing. Xu Qing touched his empty waist and then his gaze fell back to Liu Youdao's corpse.

That's right, he hadn't taken the three Corpse-Driving Bells from the other man.

After taking the bells and tying them to his waist, Xu Qing, completely transformed from head to toe, finally broke into a smile of satisfaction.

Although these tasks seemed to take a lot of time, in reality, he had finished in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

After looting the body, he looked back at the line of zombies still standing motionless behind him.

In a flash of thought, Xu Qing abandoned the idea of helping these zombies cross over.

The white-robed man from the Tianxin Cult was unpredictable. He had used trickery to deceive the imperial pursuers, and then he had returned to kill Liu Youdao.

But Xu Qing didn't believe his scheme would work indefinitely.

Those two soldiers were by no means simple-minded individuals; otherwise, they wouldn't have tracked him all the way from the capital.

It was possible that the Baihu named Zuo Zixiong and his companion might discover the problem at any moment and turn back.

"It's better to avoid trouble than to create it. As for these corpses..."

A spark of inspiration struck Xu Qing. He took out the Corpse Driving Whip, a reward from the Duren Sutra, and flicked it a few times towards the motionless zombies.

The next moment, these zombies, who had been carrying stretchers, bolted like horses that had been spanked, racing towards the Yi Zhuang ahead.

Having done all this, Xu Qing didn't linger any longer and headed straight for Linhe Fang.

About twenty li north of the Liu Village Yi Zhuang, Zuo Zixiong, who had been fleeing at full speed, suddenly stopped.

"Not good! We've been tricked!"

Cui Yuanlong, who was following him, didn't understand and asked, "Zixiong, why do you say that?"

Zuo Qianxiong's brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "The Demonic Cultivator of the Tianxin Cult is extremely vicious and bloodthirsty. Since he was returning to the capital with the corpse driver, why didn't he kill the corpse driver to silence him? Instead, he left a loophole for us to discover?"

"Are you saying that scoundrel tricked us, and he never went back to the capital at all?" Cui Yuanlong's anger flared up upon hearing this. That demon was truly cunning!

"It doesn't matter. As the saying goes, the monk may run away, but the temple cannot. He took a blow from me, so he can't have gotten far. Let's turn back and continue pursuing him to the Tianxin Cult's branch. This time, no matter what, we must apprehend him and bring him back to the capital!"

At the same time, the quiet Liu Village Yi Zhuang came alive late at night.

About a dozen or so men and women, old and young, holding torches, looked on in utter disbelief as a group of zombies ran into the Yi Zhuang.

They weren't surprised when corpse drivers brought zombies here for storage or sale; they were accustomed to it.

But this was the first time they had ever seen a group of zombies running to the Yi Zhuang on their own, without a corpse driver leading the way.

"Guests have arrived. Don't just stand there. Quickly, escort our guests into coffins and let them rest well. We can deal with anything tomorrow."

The manager of the Yi Zhuang, seeing that he couldn't just let them be, ordered his master and apprentices to properly arrange these zombies, including the cold corpses on the stretchers.

As for the origin of these zombies, they wouldn't investigate.

After all, their business was to handle the storage, transportation, and burial of corpses.

Furthermore, there were so many deaths these days, and the clothes these corpses wore were not made of expensive fabric, indicating they were insignificant figures in life. There was no need to treat them specially.

In a few days, when an official came to go through the procedures, those who could still move would be sent to mine, and those who couldn't would be thrown into a mass grave and buried.

To be honest, the Yi Zhuang wished for free zombies to be sent there every day. After all, there was a bounty for every zombie sent to the mine. Who would refuse such a windfall?

The Yin energy was dense late at night. When this time came, all sorts of unclean things hidden in the mountains and forests would emerge.

Xu Qing walked on the path he had come from, but he didn't feel the cold. Instead, he felt a sense of exhilaration, like a fish entering water or a tiger returning to its domain.

"I've truly become one of those unclean things."

Xu Qing felt a pang of melancholy in his heart, but it only lasted for a moment before he perked up again.

"Didn't a heroic figure like Yan Qingping also cultivate the path of the corpse? And in the end, he achieved enlightenment and ascended. Isn't that better than those who live mediocre lives for decades and then completely vanish into smoke after death?"

"So what if I'm a zombie! I'm not eating your rice!"

Xu Qing instantly became righteous. When he was alive, he worked like an ox and horse. Now that he was dead, why should he still torment himself!

This is the downside of walking alone at night; one tends to think of all sorts of random things.

As he approached the mass grave he had passed earlier, Xu Qing glanced to the side and saw a Yellow Weasel carrying a chicken into a grave hole.

At that moment, he thought of the 'dirty thing' that had climbed onto his head to hitch a ride on his way here.

So it was you!

Xu Qing clicked his tongue. Seeing the yellow weasel disappear into the grave, he withdrew his gaze and continued on his way.

He hadn't gone far when he encountered another familiar "ghost."

A slender figure in red was carrying a ram on her shoulder, happily floating towards him.

Xu Qing moved aside to let her pass.

The female ghost glanced at him, let out a soft chuckle, and then vanished from her spot. When she reappeared, she was already several yards away.

Seriously, you actually stole one of the shepherd's sheep?

Xu Qing looked in the direction the red-clad female ghost had gone, then turned his gaze towards the wild mountain path leading to Linhe Fang.

Tsk, this night is truly lively. I wonder how many orioles and cicadas there are.

By the time the dirt road reached its end, Xu Qing hadn't encountered the old shepherd who lost his sheep again.

He passed through the woods, emerged onto the main road, and following his memory, returned to Linhe Fang not long after.

It was the fourth watch. Although there were few people on the streets within the town, Xu Qing could still clearly sense the "human vitality" contained within the houses and courtyards.

This was a predatory instinct that had formed after he became a zombie.

It was like a cat smelling a mouse deep within a hole, even from the entrance.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qing's stomach actually rumbled softly.

That's right, tonight was the new moon. After traveling for most of the night without the moon essence and lunar radiance to replenish his energy, it was no wonder he was hungry.

However, if one thought about it seriously, zombies were the most resilient to hunger. They could go for ten or even eight years without eating and still be fine. This was because their hunger wasn't the hunger of not having enough to eat, but the hunger to advance further and become a stronger zombie!

To avoid attracting trouble, Xu Qing took out the medicinal powder from his bag and sprinkled it on himself. At the same time, he began chanting the Mute Dog Curse from the Thirty-Six Corpse Driving Curses.

Perhaps it was because he was a zombie himself, but after casting the Mute Dog Curse, Xu Qing clearly felt its power increase significantly. The aura exposed on his body was completely retracted into his seven orifices in an instant!

He even sneezed a few times because his nasal orifice retracted too forcefully.

With his external aura gathered within his body and the special medicinal powder on his skin concealing his corpse qi, he truly appeared like a normal person!

Xu Qing followed his memory, like a treasure map. He first passed the street where the Cui Family Mill was located, then took many twists and turns, arriving at Well Street, the area full of funeral shops.