Of course.
If he went to find Wang Nian, Wang Nian might not be willing to let him move about freely during the day.
But if he didn't go, there was no chance at all.
In many cases, opportunities had to be fought for; often, they could only be seized by breaking the rules.
That was one reason people often said an honest child could never amount to much.
The next day.
Wen Jiu followed the others to the burial ground again. Before Wang Nian showed up, he saw a scene that left him utterly speechless.
Quite a few of the corpse buriers were actually gravitating toward those three of their own accord, showering them with flattery.
From their bragging, Wen Jiu learned about the trio's Spirit Roots. They were a little better than everyone else's, but not by much—Low-grade Spirit Roots. Still, even that small difference was like the gap between heaven and earth on the path of cultivation.
Their Qi absorption speed alone was fifty percent faster!
Cultivation was a long process. A fifty percent difference in Qi absorption speed meant a six-month lead after a year.
After ten years, it meant a five-year lead.
"So you need connections just to become an Apprentice Disciple?" Wen Jiu couldn't help glancing toward Corpse Peak.
This showed just how strict Corpse Peak was about taking on disciples.
As more and more people gathered around the trio, Wen Jiu simply stood to one side, quietly pretending not to notice.
Soon.
Wang Nian arrived.
Only then did the others disperse.
Wang Nian swept his gaze over the Yin Qi around them, then nodded thoughtfully and said in a low voice, "The Yin Qi is much thinner than yesterday. It won't hurt you... Why are you still standing around like idiots? Get moving!"
The corpse buriers hurriedly hitched themselves to their carts and headed into the Death Ground, but Wen Jiu stayed put. That displeased Wang Nian.
"Are you deaf, boy?"
Wen Jiu spoke up. "Senior, I'd like to discuss something with you and make another deal."
Wang Nian looked a little displeased. "Do you think that making one deal with me means you're one of my people now?"
Wen Jiu launched straight into his explanation. He had already thought it through. "Last night, I came to the Death Ground to nurture my corpse and encountered a Yin Soul. According to the Yin Province Corpse Nurturing Art, Yin Souls are drawn to the breath of the living. When they encounter a living person, they're bound to pounce... The Yin Souls hide during the day, but if we run into one, even if you arrive in time to help us, we'll still be sick in bed for ten days or half a month."
"What a joke. If you ran into a Yin Soul, would you still be alive?" Wang Nian didn't believe him. Not a single word.
An ordinary person encountering a Yin Soul—even one that had only just formed—would be killed.
Wen Jiu spoke up, though he was uneasy inside. But he had no way back now. All he could do was pray the heavens would bless him. "Senior, to be honest, my White Zombie saved me."
"A White Zombie?"
Wang Nian's face clouded with doubt.
He found it even harder to believe.
That was even more ridiculous than surviving an encounter with a Yin Soul.
Wen Jiu had only been here for how long?
Not even a month.
And he'd already raised a White Zombie capable of devouring Yin Souls?
"Senior, please come with me." Wen Jiu hurried toward the Corpse Nurturing Ground in a secluded spot.
Wang Nian followed, still unconvinced. "If you dare make a fool of me... don't blame me for refusing to spare your sister's feelings."
Wen Jiu said nothing.
When they reached the Corpse Nurturing Ground, shrouded in Yin Qi, he stamped his foot.
The White Zombie immediately let out two roars, revealing its surging corpse aura.
Wang Nian froze.
His expression stiffened on the spot.
Then he moved closer and carefully probed it with his Spiritual Sense.
His expression grew even more vivid after that.
"Its corpse aura is incredibly strong... It's almost become a Black Zombie, hasn't it?" Though he had never cultivated the Wicked Path, Corpse Peak did have Wicked Path Cultivators. Wang Nian knew enough to recognize what he was seeing. "You little brat..."
For a moment, Wang Nian didn't know what to say.
He only found himself more and more pleased with Wen Jiu.
"I didn't expect you to have a real talent for the Unorthodox Path... Tell me, what kind of deal do you want to make?"
Hearing this,
Wen Jiu was overjoyed.
He bowed and said, "Senior, Yin Souls are a great tonic for White Zombies too. Could I spend some time in the Death Ground looking for Yin Souls during the day? They're at their weakest in daylight, so it's the perfect opportunity."
"Fine."
Wang Nian nodded without hesitation.
Wen Jiu was both surprised and delighted.
Wang Nian continued, "Yin Souls are a real nuisance. I don't want to waste my Mana and talismans on them, so if you can deal with them, I'll leave it to you... But you can't spend the whole day roaming freely in search of Yin Souls. You still need to spend three shichen hauling corpses."
"Thank you, Senior!"
Three shichen of freedom.
That was enough!
He wasn't greedy.
With that, Wen Jiu bowed again.
He meant it from the heart.
He wasn't putting on an act.
Having lived two lifetimes, he knew how hard it was to meet a benefactor who could help him.
After Wang Nian gave him a few more instructions,
Wen Jiu began searching the Corpse Nurturing Ground for Corpse Remnants steeped in Yin Qi. He did that for three shichen straight.
Watching Wen Jiu carry out one Corpse Remnant after another, each oozing dense Yin Qi, Wang Nian looked quite pleased.
"With this kid helping out, I'll save a lot of talismans." Wang Nian smiled with satisfaction.
But the other corpse buriers watched in astonishment.
When they sensed the dense Yin Qi clinging to those Corpse Remnants, they couldn't help shivering and backing away several zhang.
If they were corroded by such dense Yin Qi, wouldn't they be sick for days? If this went on, their foundations would be ruined.
"What on earth did Wen Jiu do to offend Manager Wang?" one of them murmured in surprise.
The others joined in, whispering among themselves.
"What else? He cultivated the Unorthodox Path."
"No wonder."
"He had a perfectly respectable Qi Refining Method to practice, but instead he took shortcuts with the Unorthodox Path. He deserves to be targeted."
"Thinking he was clever, he figured he could use the Unorthodox Path to place among the top three in cultivation a year from now. Look at him now... He has to haul the Corpse Remnants with the heaviest Yin Qi. His foundation will be ruined in less than half a month."
For a while,
the corpse buriers wore looks of scorn and mockery.
Wen Jiu heard them.
He simply acted as if he hadn't.
Three shichen later,
after burying the last cartload of Corpse Remnants, Wen Jiu immediately summoned the White Zombie and began searching deeper in the Death Ground for Yin Souls.
The farther in they went, the colder it became.
Though it was broad daylight, a thin layer of frost had formed on the ground. With every step, it cracked beneath their feet. The surrounding Corpse Remnants were covered in frost too, making the scene look quite eerie.
But the White Zombie was very excited.
It kept hopping forward.
"Go find Yin Souls yourself." Wen Jiu gave it a reminder, then followed behind.
Newly formed Yin Souls were weak in daylight.
Their movements were slow.
As long as the White Zombie found one and locked onto it, it definitely wouldn't get away.
However, Wen Jiu didn't dare let the White Zombie search too far in, because the deeper they went, the heavier the Yin Qi became.
He was afraid there might be a true Yin Soul.
The White Zombie still couldn't deal with a true Yin Soul.
If they ran into one,
the White Zombie wouldn't be torn apart, but there was a good chance it would be injured.
After going about a hundred zhang deeper, Wen Jiu was cautiously watching their surroundings when he noticed the White Zombie suddenly stop. It grew extremely excited, behaving very strangely as it hopped in circles around a pile of Corpse Remnants.
"What's wrong?"
Wen Jiu hurried over.
His first thought was that there was a Yin Soul.
But if there were a Yin Soul,
the White Zombie would have already pounced.
Suspicious, Wen Jiu looked at the Corpse Remnants on the ground. They were all severed arms and legs. He picked them up one by one, but the White Zombie shook its body, indicating that none of them was what had made it so excited.
After letting the White Zombie inspect every Corpse Remnant on the ground, Wen Jiu realized that whatever excited it might be buried beneath them.
Wen Jiu immediately started digging.
He dug for about two shichen.
He was about half a zhang underground.
He still hadn't found anything.
But the White Zombie was hopping even more excitedly.
Wen Jiu hurriedly dug faster, and at last, a quarter of an hour later, his hoe struck something unusually hard.
He brushed away the packed earth around it and saw that it was a hand—one that was buried underground, yet completely spotless. A faint glow radiated from it. Only after he dug it out completely did he realize that the glow covered its entire body.
The glow concealed every trace of its aura, leaving only a great deal of Yin Qi exposed.
Through the glow, Wen Jiu saw that its clothes and accessories were very different from those on the Corpse Remnants aboveground.
As he examined it,
an information panel appeared before his eyes.
[Nameless Male Corpse] [Bone age: fifty-six; Qi Cultivation Great Perfection in life; Body Refining Seventh Level.] [Mutate?] [Unable to mutate!] [No mutation slots available!]
"An intact corpse of a Qi Cultivation Great Perfection cultivator!" Wen Jiu was overjoyed. He couldn't help looking back at the White Zombie, still hopping excitedly at the edge of the pit.
Good brother!
You found me a treasure.
With that kind of strength, he was probably among the very best even at the main peak of Corpse Peak.
An intact corpse of a Qi Cultivation Great Perfection cultivator—if it mutated into a zombie later, how high would its starting point be?
How high would its ceiling be?
How powerful would it become?
While Wen Jiu was marveling at this, the White Zombie suddenly jumped down, nearly crashing into him.
Though the White Zombie stopped hopping wildly after landing, it kept pointing at the chest of the Qi Cultivation Great Perfection cultivator's corpse again and again.
Before you continue