Zombie Cannibalism

The midsummer night was dry and hot, with insect chirps hidden in the quiet.

The night breeze, slipping through the cracks of the doors and windows, carried the sounds of patrolling soldiers, but it offered no sense of security to the residents of Changlan City.

Even in the sweltering summer heat, every household kept its doors tightly shut.

This was especially true in the western part of the city.

Deep within a humble alley, behind a tightly closed bamboo door, it was pitch black.

The bright moonlight, filtering through the door seam, cast a patch of light on a hard cot, illuminating a figure sleeping with his chest bared, snoring like thunder.

Suddenly!

On the mud-plastered wall, ripples spread like a fish kissing the water's surface, and a pale, bloodless head emerged.

It was a human head, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with deathly pale skin and spreading rigor mortis.

Its cloudy, gray-white eyes reflected every corner of the humble room.

After confirming that everything was as usual, it opened its mouth and exhaled a puff of green smoke.

As soon as the green smoke emerged, it grew thicker and thicker, filling the entire room in an instant and completely expelling the last trace of light.

It also seeped into the man's nose and mouth on the hard cot.

Instantly, the thunderous snores ceased abruptly, and the man fell into an even deeper, deathly slumber.

The corpse-spotted head was satisfied.

It extended two arms, also covered in corpse spots, from the ripples, propping itself against the walls and slowly pulling its body out.

—This was actually a zombie!

However, for some reason, this zombie was missing a section of its foot.

But this did not hinder its movement.

Like a ghost, it floated to the side of the hard cot, grabbed the man's shoulders with both hands, and slowly opened its mouth.

The mouth opened wider and wider, even exceeding the limits of its jawbone. Like a gluttonous giant python, it swallowed the man's head into its mouth, and then, with extreme smoothness, swallowed its entire body.

"Crack..."

A chilling cracking sound came from the zombie's stomach.

However, the sound was crisp, unlike human bones.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, the zombie's face contorted, and it violently opened its mouth, spitting out the man it had just swallowed.

"Splash splash..."

Unexpectedly, the zombie had swallowed a person, but what it spat out was... a lifelike paper effigy?!!

The sticky stomach fluid stained the paper effigy's ink, blurring its face, as if mocking the man-eating zombie that had repeatedly succeeded in its crimes like a clown.

"Does my paper figure, which I made myself, taste good?"

A teasing laugh came from outside the door. It was Daoist priest Yi Qian.

Upon hearing the sound, the zombie's expression changed drastically. It suddenly rushed towards the wall, opened its mouth, and spewed out green smoke.

[Spray Transformation]

—There is a saying that spraying an object can cause it to transform.

Unexpectedly, the spray transformation technique, which had always worked, failed today.

The mud wall, after being touched by the green smoke, quickly lost its color and turned into a paper house with painted doors and windows.

"Since you've enjoyed the paper figure, why not stay in this paper mansion for a few more days?"

Daoist priest Yi Qian's mocking voice echoed again.

At the same time, within the paper mansion, golden light suddenly erupted, and strands of Daoist scriptures flowed within, attempting to refine the zombie.

"Roar—"

This zombie clearly possessed intelligence. Hearing this, it let out a furious roar and raised its hand to grab.

The paper mansion that had blocked its spray transformation technique could not stop its sharp claws, and a huge crack immediately appeared.

The clamor of Changlan City surged in.

"Not good, this fiend is too ferocious! Don't let it escape!"

Daoist priest Yi Qian's voice changed drastically.

"I'll do it!"

An enraged roar echoed!

Accompanying it was the sound of a saber cutting through the night sky!

The zombie, which had just broken free from the paper mansion, looked up and saw a Zhanmadao, with a blade three feet long and a hilt four feet long, whistling towards it!

"Whoosh—"

The zombie opened its mouth and spat out a breath of green smoke.

Unexpectedly, the long saber seemed to anticipate this, suddenly changing direction. It dodged the green smoke and missed the zombie's face entirely.

Concealed by the green smoke, Luo Feibai's eyes turned bloodshot. He widened his eyes, staring at the zombie with a shocked expression.

His lips trembled: "...Jialiang."

—Jialiang was his eldest son, who had been eaten by a spirit monster.

"Roar!"

As if hearing this, a hint of mockery flashed in the zombie's eyes. It let out a low growl and unleashed a venomous claw!

Instantly, Luo Feibai was sent flying backward. He landed and coughed up blood uncontrollably.

Having dealt with the immediate threat, the zombie opened its mouth again and spat out another breath of green smoke. The smoke seeped into the ground, withering plants and killing insects.

However, the change the zombie desired did not occur at all.

The prophecy had been fulfilled!

—Even a yellow-skinned creature seeking recognition would expend one's lifespan and life. How much more so a reanimated corpse?

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Just then, countless whistling sounds filled the air. It was the Buddhist martial monks who had arrived in full force!

Sabers, swords, halberds, clubs, staffs… various weapons hacked and slashed.

"Roar—"

The zombie let out a furious roar, no longer holding back its human aura. Black fur erupted from its body, making it as massive as a wild black bear. It withstood the eighteen types of weapons with its bare flesh.

Ignoring everything else, it locked onto a direction, dropped to all fours, and charged.

"Bang!"

Although these Buddhist martial monks possessed a sliver of mana, how could they be a match for this great demon who had cultivated sorcery?

Immediately, several monks were sent flying backward after being rammed, creating a gap in the encirclement.

The zombie did not linger to fight. It broke through the crowd and charged directly at the mud wall, not even bothering with the wooden gate. It was truly cautious and cunning!

Little did it know, the Buddhist martial monks' mission was not to kill the enemy.

That momentary obstruction had bought Abbot Tianbao enough time!

"Amitabha!"

A Buddhist chant, a golden light.

As the zombie turned its head at the sound, it saw a golden, furious light in the form of a Buddhist seal descending from the sky.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle..."

The Buddhist seal entered its body like a branding iron on snow, burning and emitting rolling white smoke. The pungent, foul odor made one's head spin.

Yet, the zombie, with the seal embedded in its body, acted as if nothing had happened. Its body didn't move an inch. Agile as a cat, it scaled the mud wall and broke through.

"Not good! This zombie might have become a great demon. Quickly, fire the warning flares!"

Abbot Tianbao's face changed drastically after his attack failed. He immediately shouted a warning.

Flares shot up into the sky one after another.

The vast city was illuminated as if it were day!

At this moment, the vast Changlan City suddenly fell silent.

Countless martial artists looked up at the night sky in astonishment.

The brilliantly colored flares rising into the sky stained the city and painted everyone's faces in hues of red and green.

It was like the colorful ambitions and desires!

"Hahaha, the evil creature has appeared!"

"Quick, quick, let's go!"

"Tonight is the night to achieve merit, secure a wife, and have descendants!"

Instantly, the city erupted in clamor, a boiling cauldron of noise.

Countless skilled martial artists' eyes turned red, and they desperately charged towards the location of the fireworks.

"Bang!"

Another firework shot into the sky, marking the direction of the beast's escape.

"Hurry, hurry! Don't let others get the first move."

Seeing more fireworks shoot up, the people's anxiety grew. What were these, if not fireworks?

They were clearly the embroidered balls of wealthy young ladies!

"Fellow Daoist, this old monk will take his leave first!"

In the small courtyard on the west side of the city, Abbot Tianbao called out and then led his Buddhist disciples rushing away.

He went to chase the zombie.

As for Daoist priest Yi Qian, he didn't even say goodbye before disappearing without a trace.

One moment, the small courtyard was as noisy as a bustling market; the next, it was as silent as a deep mountain forest.

Mo Chuan, who had witnessed all of this from beginning to end, sighed with a face full of emotion.

No one had expected that the meticulously set trap wouldn't be able to contain this great demon.

No wonder it could come and go like the wind in Changlan City, abducting countless people!

It turned out that Abbot Tianbao, a local, after visiting and investigating, discovered that the missing people in Changlan City all had extremely Yin or extremely Yang birth charts!

Although he didn't know the malevolent creature's objective, it didn't stop him from setting a trap based on this information.

And so, the scene before them unfolded.

He had invited Mo Chuan because of his reputation, to share some of the risk.

Fortunately, Mo Chuan had stated early on that he was skilled at dealing with ghosts. Since he hadn't made a move against the zombie this time, it wasn't a breach of trust.

"Reverend, cough cough... is that, is that my son?"

A bitter voice drifted over.

The courtyard wasn't empty.

Luo Feibai, looking like a corpse, staggered to his feet, leaning on his zhanmadao, and looked hopefully at Mo Chuan.

"What did you say?"

Mo Chuan's pupils contracted sharply. The image of the zombie's missing foot flashed in his mind.

If that zombie was Luo Feibai's son, and he had only died a day ago, where would he have gotten such immense power?