Ancient Times Had No Science!

Su Mo forcefully suppressed the urge to vomit, his suspicions deepening.

The coroner had not even arrived?

Were the Imperial Guard handling cases like this?

Shouldn't a coroner conduct an autopsy first, determine the cause of death, and register the case files?

Just as he was puzzling over it.

The three Imperial Guards each took out a kraft paper packet and quickly walked over to the piles of "offal." Without changing expression, they scattered the golden powder from the packets over them.

Something miraculous happened!

The stinking, blackened offal suddenly burst into flames and rapidly began to burn!

Amid the raging fire came shrill, miserable screams!

A tempestuous sea instantly surged in Su Mo's heart!

The other yamen runners did not react much better than Su Mo. All of them looked terrified. Only the two yamen leaders, Deng Tong and Zhong Sanyuan, fared slightly better, though their faces were somewhat grim.

"Ghosts!"

"This is... a world of gods and ghosts?"

Su Mo was certain he had not misheard!

There really were screams, as though living people were being burned alive!

Before he could figure out what was happening.

The green flame of the Corpse Oil Lamp amid the dried corpses suddenly swelled, shooting over a zhang high and nearly reaching the temple roof.

Green light actually shone from the eyes of the four dried corpses. Their joints cracked as they eerily stood up!

Su Mo felt his scalp go numb. A chill rose from his spine and shot straight to the crown of his head!

Corpses with empty chests, their flesh dried out by roasting!

Could still stand up?

Where were the laws of physics? Where was science? Where was Newton?

Where was Taoist Master Lam Ching-ying?!!

The dried corpses lunged at the three Imperial Guards!

The Imperial Guards had clearly witnessed similar scenes before. Their faces remained expressionless as they drew their long sabers like lightning.

They were not Spring Embroidered Sabers, but looked more like Tang Straight Sabers.

Their tips were straight and level, cold light glinting from their exceptionally sharp blades. There were even blood grooves along the backs—absolute weapons of slaughter!

The saber light streaked like a bolt of silk, slashing down upon the dried corpses with lightning speed.

The dried corpses were impossibly hard. Though the blows sent them staggering back again and again, they left only cuts half a finger deep!

Then they swung their arms and charged at the Imperial Guards once more!

Su Mo had no mind to continue studying the battle between the Imperial Guards and the dried corpses.

Because there were only three Imperial Guards.

But four dried corpses!

The fourth dried corpse twisted around and charged toward the yamen runners.

A young Assistant Servant stood frozen in terror, unable to dodge. The dried corpse's arm swept into him, sending him flying through the air as if he had been struck by a galloping horse. He slammed viciously into the stone wall of the temple and died on the spot.

Zhong Sanyuan and Deng Tong's expressions changed sharply. They roared in unison, "Fuck!"

"All of you, get up there!"

As they spoke, they brandished their waist sabers and iron rulers, taking the lead as they charged to meet the dried corpse.

Su Mo took a deep breath and gripped his iron ruler tightly.

Only now did he realize that the two yamen leaders were not useless sacks of meat. They had real skill.

That dead-fat Deng Tong weighed over two hundred jin, yet his movements were incredibly nimble. His waist saber moved so tightly that not even water could seep through, chopping repeatedly at the dried corpse.

Zhong Sanyuan, meanwhile, struck with tremendous force. His iron ruler whistled through the air, battering the dried corpse back again and again!

However, though their offensive was fierce, the dried corpse was even fiercer. The two were clearly at a disadvantage!

The leaders were fighting for their lives, so naturally the constables and militia had to grit their teeth and join them.

Chen Ping glanced grimly at Chen Gan and Old Yu, then said through clenched teeth, "Two old brothers, our future prospects and riches depend on today!"

"Captain Lin has spoken: if we distinguish ourselves in this battle, White Servants will be promoted to Assistant Servants, and Assistant Servants to Regular Servants!"

Having said that, he spoke no more and joined the battle with his waist saber raised!

Chen Gan's eyes rolled.

The dried corpses might be wickedly strange.

But three of them were tightly entangled by the Imperial Guards.

With over twenty yamen runners from the two shifts working together, taking down one dried corpse should not be much of a problem!

For an old Assistant Servant with over a decade of service, promotion to Regular Servant was an enormous temptation!

After thinking it through, Chen Gan took a deep breath and looked back at Su Mo. "Wait here!"

"Watch your third uncle earn himself a Regular Servant position!"

As he spoke, he gave a low shout, raised the iron ruler in his hand, and was just about to charge at the dried corpse!

Su Mo suddenly shouted urgently, "Third Uncle, wait!"

"Look at the Corpse Oil Lamp!"

He had been paying particular attention to the Corpse Oil Lamp.

Every time a dried corpse took a heavy blow, the lamp's flame dimmed somewhat, while the corpse oil in the bowl continuously decreased!

If the Corpse Oil Lamp were destroyed, could that solve the dried corpses?

Hearing Su Mo call out the words "Corpse Oil Lamp," Chen Gan bellowed, "Don't touch that lamp!"

Then he strode into the battlefield, raised his iron ruler, and smashed it viciously into the dried corpse. With a heavy bang, he actually knocked it back three or four steps!

Su Mo was instantly dumbfounded.

His crafty, lecherous old uncle was actually this formidable?

And the Corpse Oil Lamp was obviously the problem!

Why had Third Uncle told him not to touch that oil lamp?

Just then, an Assistant Servant suddenly swung an iron chain toward the Corpse Oil Lamp!

The chain wrapped around the Corpse Oil Lamp, but the lamp seemed to have grown roots in the ground, utterly unmoving!

The green corpse flame spread swiftly along the chain toward him!

In the blink of an eye, roaring green flames rose from the Assistant Servant's body, and he began to scream miserably.

In only moments, he turned into a dried corpse!

Su Mo gulped...

His old uncle truly was old ginger—the older, the spicier!

Fine, then.

He would honestly wave the flag and shout encouragement—no, hold the line!

Holding the line was one thing.

But he definitely could not stand here in plain sight.

Otherwise, tomorrow he would be fired for stepping into the yamen with his left foot first!

Su Mo looked around.

In the empty temple, there was only one place where he could hide and watch the battle!

The clay statue of the Locust God.

Su Mo waved his iron ruler as he moved toward the statue.

Once he reached the statue and saw that no one was paying attention to him, he immediately slipped aside and darted onto the stone platform behind it.