Linshan's Corpse Plague, First Display of Prowess

# Chapter 17: Corpse Plague in Linshan, First Test of the Blade

Linshan County lay in the northeastern part of Qingzhou Prefecture, a remote area of dense forests and rugged mountains. Li Yifan led the Seventh Squad, riding hard, and reached the county seat two days later.

The County Government had already been notified. The magistrate, a haggard middle-aged scholar, looked upon the arrival of the Xuntian Guard as if seeing saviors and hurriedly welcomed them inside.

"You lords have finally come!" the magistrate said, his voice tinged with panic. "In the past month, the villages under my jurisdiction—Blackwater Village, Stone Creek Village, and Kaoshan Village—have been attacked in succession. Nearly a hundred villagers are dead or wounded, and the livestock losses are catastrophic! The survivors all say the attackers were... walking corpses. Blades cannot cut them, they have immense strength, and they only hesitate slightly before firelight. They are utterly ferocious!"

Li Yifan asked in a low voice, "Is there a pattern to the attacks? How many corpse puppets are there? Has anyone seen a controller?"

The magistrate shook his head. "No fixed pattern. They mostly appear in the dead of night or at dawn when the fog is thick. Each time, there are three to five corpse puppets, varying in form—male and female, all in tattered clothes with blackened, festering skin. As for a controller... no one has ever seen one."

Li Yifan had the magistrate summon a few bold surviving villagers for detailed questioning. Combined with the case files, he gathered more information: the corpse puppets moved somewhat stiffly but were not slow. Their nails were pitch-black, sharp, and carried Corpse Poison. Anyone scratched would develop a high fever that wouldn't break, their wounds would fester, and they would even show signs of... corpse transformation! Additionally, the puppets were extremely sensitive to sound and the breath of living people.

"Corpse transformation?" Li Yifan's brows knitted tightly. This was no simple zombie outbreak—it looked more like an organized corpse-refining evil art. He gave orders: "Qian Xiaoliu, you're skilled at reconnaissance. Take Chen Feng and Zhang Tie to Kaoshan Village, the latest site of the attack, for on-site investigation. Stay safe. Look for any suspicious traces, especially footprints, residual aura, or unusual items. Zhao Xiong, Sun Shi, come with me to the Mortuary to examine the victims' bodies."

"Yes, Captain!" The squad split up and set to work.

Li Yifan led his men to the county Mortuary, where a chilling yin aura hung thick. The coroner nervously pulled back the white cloth, revealing several victims' bodies. Their faces were cyanotic, their wounds blackened and festering, reeking of decay. Li Yifan activated his Detection skill and examined them closely.

[Skill: Detection proficiency +10! Carefully observe the corpses, analyze wound characteristics.]

The wounds were mostly tearing injuries, deep enough to show bone—clearly not caused by ordinary beasts or weapons. More importantly, deep within the wounds, he sensed an extremely faint remnant of evil aura, similar to the chilling presence from the Mortuary case!

"There is a connection after all..." Li Yifan's heart tightened. This evil aura was more condensed and venomous than what he'd encountered before, and the method of controlling the corpse puppets was more sophisticated.

By evening, Qian Xiaoliu's team returned with crucial clues: "Captain, we found something abnormal on the back mountain of Kaoshan Village! There's a hidden hollow with extremely heavy yin aura. The ground is covered in chaotic footprints—neither human nor beast, varying in depth, with traces of heavy objects being dragged. At the edge, we found several broken black cloth scraps and this..." He handed over a piece of dark red jade, stained with mud, carved with eerie runes, and exuding a faint evil aura.

Li Yifan took the jade fragment. His Nine Yang True Qi reacted with a slight sense of repulsion! The supreme yang nature of the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique was exceptionally sensitive to such evil objects.

"Well done!" Li Yifan praised. "The target is likely in that hollow. Pass the order: rest for the night, advance into the mountains at dawn tomorrow! Zhao Xiong, Sun Shi, you're in charge of preparing torches, oil, and Ink Line. Qian Xiaoliu, handle security and ranged support. Chen Feng, Zhang Tie, provide backup. I'll take the lead."

"Yes, sir!" Seeing their captain's well-organized arrangements, the squad's confidence soared.

At dawn the next day, the sky was still dark, and mist filled the mountain forest. The Seventh Squad slipped silently into the back mountain of Kaoshan Village. Qian Xiaoliu led the way like a spirit cat, the others following closely.

The deeper they went, the thicker the fog grew. The light dimmed, and a faint stench of decay hung in the air. An eerie silence surrounded them—even the birds and insects had fallen quiet.

Suddenly, Qian Xiaoliu signaled—trouble ahead! Everyone took cover immediately. In the depths of the hollow, several slow-moving, stiff black figures could be seen wandering—corpse puppets! There were six of them!

Li Yifan observed carefully. These puppets were larger than described, with dark cyan skin, bulging muscles, hook-like claws, and faint green ghost-fire flickering in their eyes. Their aura was far more vicious than ordinary zombies.

"Prepare for battle!" Li Yifan barked, charging out first! He activated Spirit Fox Steps, his form like lightning, lunging straight at the nearest puppet! He knew they had to finish this quickly—if surrounded, the consequences would be dire.

The puppet sensed the living aura, let out a hoarse roar, and swung its claws! The wind from its claws was rank and venomous!

Li Yifan didn't dodge. He channeled Nine Yang True Qi into his right palm. His Scorching Sun Finger glowed red-hot like a branding iron, and he stabbed a finger at the puppet's wrist!

"Sizzle!"

Like a red-hot iron plunging into ice, the puppet's wrist smoked and it let out a piercing shriek, its movement faltering! The Nine Yang True Qi indeed had a restraining effect against it!

Li Yifan pressed the advantage. His waist saber flew from its sheath as he executed the Burning Wood Saber Technique. The blade gleamed like fire, carrying a scorching wind, and he slashed horizontally at the puppet's neck!

"Clang!"

A dull thud, like striking rotten leather! The puppet's neck was incredibly tough—the blade only cut an inch deep, failing to sever the head in one stroke! But the scorching saber aura had already invaded its body. The puppet smoked all over and slowed drastically.

"Tough defense!" Li Yifan thought with alarm. By now, the other five puppets had been roused and were closing in with roars!

"Form up! Protect the captain!" Zhao Xiong bellowed. He and Sun Shi raised their shields and blades, blocking Li Yifan's flanks to fend off the puppets' attacks. Qian Xiaoliu, at a distance, nocked arrows infused with faint true qi, aiming for the puppets' eye sockets and other weak points. Chen Feng and Zhang Xie wielded their long sabers, providing support by attacking the puppets' lower bodies.

Battle erupted instantly! The corpse puppets were immensely strong, with sharp claws and fangs, and ordinary blades couldn't harm them. Zhao Xiong and Sun Shi's shields rang out with heavy thuds as they were battered, barely holding. Qian Xiaoliu's arrows caused disruption but couldn't land a killing blow.

Li Yifan knew he had to break the deadlock quickly. He pushed his Nine Yang True Qi to the limit, heat steaming from his body, his saber technique growing fiercer and more violent! The Burning Wood Saber Technique at its perfected stage, combined with supreme yang true qi, dealt significantly increased damage to the puppets.

"Flowing Fire Style!" "Prairie Fire Style!" "Burning Wind Style!"

The saber light was like a flowing ribbon, blazing hot! One puppet took consecutive strikes to the chest. The scorching true qi penetrated, and it finally gave out—its chest exploded, and it collapsed into charcoal!

[Killed enhanced corpse puppet. Nine Yang True Qi shows significant restraining effect against yin evil! Burning Wood Saber Technique proficiency +15!]

The pressure eased slightly, and Li Yifan's offense grew fiercer. He seized an opportunity, suddenly striking with Scorching Sun Finger at a vital point on another puppet's back. The supreme yang force erupted, freezing the puppet in place, and Zhao Xiong cleaved its head apart with one blow!

On the other side, Sun Shi held the line steadily, creating an opening for Qian Xiaoliu, who shot an arrow through a puppet's eye socket and out the back of its skull! Chen Feng and Zhang Tie worked in sync, combining their efforts to cut down a slower-moving puppet.

The remaining two puppets, sensing the tide turning, turned and fled deeper into the hollow!

"After them! Don't let them escape!" Li Yifan made the snap decision and led the pursuit.

They pushed through a pile of rubble, and the sight before them made everyone gasp! At the deepest part of the hollow, there was a hidden cave mouth, exuding a dense, malevolent yin aura! The two puppets had fled straight inside.

At the cave entrance, more torn clothing and bones were scattered. The evil aura in the air was so thick it almost felt solid. Inside, it was pitch black, the depths unseen, like a gaping maw waiting to devour.

"Captain, the evil aura inside this cave is sky-high. There might be something even more dangerous..." Zhao Xiong's face was grim.

Li Yifan sensed the dangerous aura emanating from within—far stronger than the puppets outside. He pondered for a moment, then said, "We don't know the situation inside. Charging in blindly is too risky. Qian Xiaoliu, send someone back to the county immediately to request reinforcements from the magistrate, and dispatch a carrier pigeon to report to Commander Wang, asking for additional experts! The rest of you, set up defenses around the cave mouth and lay traps to prevent anything inside from breaking out and causing harm. We... need to wait for backup."

He made a cautious decision. As captain, he had to complete the mission, but he also bore responsibility for his squad's safety.

Everyone followed orders, busily fortifying the area around the cave mouth. Li Yifan gripped his saber tightly, his sharp gaze fixed on the deep, dark entrance. He knew the real challenge was likely still ahead. Behind this corpse plague in Linshan, a far greater conspiracy was surely hidden.