Chapters 8–9

With an "ow," the short robber spun around three and a half times on the spot before finally landing on his buttocks. Clutching his face in confusion, he had clearly been dazed by the slap.

Guan Heng snorted. "I wouldn't care if you robbed this kid." He casually pointed at York, then said viciously, "But you dared insult me. That's an unforgivable crime."

Amid punches and kicks, Guan Heng said, "Die! Die!" Of course, he kept his strength under control. Otherwise, someone would have died.

A few minutes later, Guan Heng stepped on the robber's horribly swollen face and asked, "I'm a reasonable man, right?" The other man nodded desperately.

Not stopping there, Guan Heng grabbed York, who was trembling like a leaf, and said darkly, "And you! You've been dining and dashing at the restaurant where I work. This month alone, you ate twenty-three plates of fried rice and pan-fried dumplings. Go settle your debt tomorrow, or else—" Smack! Guan Heng's fist killed a mosquito on York's face. "Otherwise, I'll be smacking flies and mosquitoes on your face all the time. Understand?"

The man's legs had gone weak with fear. Trembling, he nodded again and again. The two Agents following them simultaneously raised their middle fingers. "Petty and vindictive. Born Villain."

Early that morning, the sky was still dim and star-filled when a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility came under attack. Naturally, the attackers were their old rivals, Hydra. In barely ten minutes, a fierce firefight and a one-sided massacre had taken place.

Bang! Bang! After the final two gunshots, the last surviving guard was killed. The Killer leading the group threw up his arm. "Get in there! Clean everything out!" After Saying That, he kicked the iron door in front of him open.

Then, guided by an insider, the bandits looted everything in the facility. Whether it was office documents or the jars and bottles in the storage rooms, they left nothing behind. When they departed, faint words could still be seen on the crooked sign: Superpowered Being and Mutant Blood Sample Cold Storage Room.

When Nick Fury arrived with a large team, all that remained were corpses strewn across the ground and empty rooms. Fury crushed a spent shell casing underfoot, fury blazing from his single eye. "Damn it! I was one step too late!" Yet he wondered in confusion, This place stored the Superpowered Being and Mutant blood samples collected by the agency over the years. Why would Hydra steal them? And this facility was so well hidden—how did the bandits find its exact location?

Elsewhere, at a secret Hydra base.

A figure completely wrapped in a black robe laughed wildly. "Excellent! The insider deserves great credit this time. With these blood samples, I can create a large number of superpowered and mutant Clones. Though their lifespan is only fifteen days..." He stroked an old thread-bound book on the table before him. "The secret Huaxia Corpse Refining method I obtained can increase the Clones' strength, turning them into Super Zombies and providing me with countless subordinates."

The black-robed man was still somewhat dissatisfied. It's a pity that so many Ancient Text experts could only decipher a small part of this book's corpse-refining techniques. Huaxia's ancient writing is far too profound. If only I could master all of it.

Muttering to himself, he picked up a communicator and contacted his subordinates. "Hello? Immediately exile all our Experimental Subjects into New York City's underground sewers. I want to test its power." As the black-robed man spoke, the hood covering his head slowly slipped down, revealing half a face that resembled Red Skull. He was not dead.

Early in the morning, Guan Heng changed into a brand-new T-shirt and stood before the mirror. "Haha, I'm still pretty handsome. Fresh Meat, one hundred percent."

Today was the day he had arranged to visit the Arthropod Exhibition with Peter. Naturally, he had to dress up carefully to witness the arrival of a historic moment.

"What? You want time off?" Old Man Gao shook his head like a rattle drum. "No way! Do you know how busy the shop has been these past few days? You still want to sneak out for a stroll? No!" He calculated inwardly, Guan Heng is fast as lightning. He can deliver takeout and packages without even riding a bike. That'll save me quite a bit of money.

"I have an important life event today. I must take leave. Even the Jade Emperor himself can't stop me." Guan Heng spoke firmly to his boss. "At worst, I'll work for free for half a month without pay. You have to give me this vacation."

Guan Heng roared inwardly, To witness the historic birth of Spider-Man with my own eyes, who gives a damn if I lose a little pay?

Old Man Gao frowned. "No. At least one month of free labor." Seeing that Guan Heng was determined to take leave, he took the chance to name an outrageous condition. It was practically extortion. Truly the nature of a thoroughly unscrupulous businessman.

"Deal!" Guan Heng no longer cared about anything else. He agreed to the tyrannical terms with his boss, then took off running before Old Man Gao could say another word. In the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

At the entrance to the exhibition hall, Guan Heng paced excitedly back and forth. "Today is the day Spider-Man is born. Or maybe I should catch that bug and let it bite me. Then I could become Spider-Man too." Lost in such wild thoughts, Guan Heng subconsciously touched the Chengying Sword on his back. His mind was unsettled today, and he felt vaguely uneasy, so he had even brought his weapon just in case.

"Hey, Guan Heng! You got here early!" Peter spotted him from afar and hurriedly waved. He also brought two friends over and introduced them to Guan Heng.

"This is Mary Jane, and this is Harry Osborn," Peter introduced them enthusiastically. Guan Heng shook both their hands. "Nice to meet you."

Mary Jane was youthful, beautiful, friendly, and easy to talk to. Although Harry was the son of a wealthy family, he did not have the arrogance of a rich second-generation heir. They chatted happily and entered the exhibition together.

"Look at that spider! It's crawling so fast!" Peter pointed at the little creature and spoke to Guan Heng.

A guide explained to the visitors nearby, "This is one of the world's most venomous spiders. It—"

But Guan Heng paid no attention to what anyone else was saying. He simply stared at the tiny eight-legged arthropod, practically drooling. This was the precious little thing that could create Spider-Man. His eyes sparkled like stars. "Tsk, tsk. What a mesmerizing color."

At that moment, a sudden change occurred. A heaven-shaking Loud Noise rang out as the manhole cover over the underground sewer at the exhibition entrance was blasted upward by tremendous force.

Whoosh! The manhole cover came crashing down on Peter and the other two. "Watch out!" Guan Heng leaped up and kicked. Bang! The cover twisted out of shape and clanged to the ground.

"Guan Heng, did you see—" Witnessing Guan Heng's astonishing strength, Peter seemed to realize something and was about to question him, but Guan Heng stopped him with a wave. "Don't ask anything right now. Once this crisis is over, I'll explain everything to you in detail."

A beast-like howl slowly rose from underground. Two enormous, pale hands with long, sharp nails stretched out from the sewer opening and gripped its edge.

"Damn it, my bad premonitions are getting more and more accurate. Maybe I should become a fortune teller." Guan Heng muttered, then Shouted, "Peter, you three, hurry and evacuate the crowd! Then hide somewhere far away with everyone else. Don't come out and get yourselves killed!"

Because this thing was a whole level stronger than the trash Corpse Soldiers from Bone Town. Guan Heng's mind raced. The Corpse Lord had evolved by relying on the blood of over a hundred strong humans, along with ordinary Corpse Soldiers.

The huge body, nearly two meters tall, had now completely climbed out of the sewer. It still had a pale face, sunken cheeks, and exposed Fangs, but it was twice as large as an ordinary Corpse Soldier. Dangerous energy radiated from every inch of its body.

Mary Jane was frozen with fright and Shouted in terror, "Monster!" The physically strong Harry picked up a folding chair and was about to rush forward to fight the Corpse Lord. He truly knew no fear because he knew nothing.

Guan Heng casually grabbed the back of his collar and tossed him behind himself. Harry staggered and nearly fell onto the ground. "Don't act rashly. This thing is poisonous all over. It'll be trouble if it injures you," Guan Heng said in a low voice. "Go evacuate the crowd. If you waste any more time, it'll be too late."

As he spoke, Guan Heng glanced at the Corpse Lord's waist. A shabby, inconspicuous bag hung there. The Corpse Lord could release underlings to fight for it.

From this point on, Chapter 9 begins.

Realizing that staying behind would not help and would only become a burden to Guan Heng, Peter and the other two finally turned to evacuate the crowd before hiding themselves.

With its arms spread wide, the Corpse Lord lunged at Guan Heng in a crazed attack. One Iron Fist sent Guan Heng flying. Guan Heng cried inwardly, What a hard body! The Corpse Lord was no trivial opponent. Its strength far surpassed Jiangshi, Guan Heng's old foe from that world. Although Jiangshi had been called a corpse general, which sounded one rank higher than a Commander, he was old and cowardly, utterly without threat.

But this Corpse Lord before him was powerful. Thanks to evolution, it possessed a trace of intelligence beyond the Corpse Soldiers that only wandered around and bit people.

Furthermore, there was a strange item at the Corpse Lord's waist. It was called a Corpse Storage Bag. Every Commander-level zombie carried one. No one knew where such objects came from; they only knew that when a Corpse Soldier evolved into a Commander, one would automatically appear on its body. It contained a strange space for storing lower-level Corpse Soldiers, which could be summoned to assist in battle when necessary.

Strangely, Huaxia Taoist priests, whose lineage had been passed down since ancient times, could also use these Corpse Storage Bags by binding them with blood. They could not only store corpses but also release Corpse Soldiers. Zombies, however, only knew how to release them and not retrieve them. To zombies, Corpse Storage Bags were disposable items. Once the Corpse Soldiers inside had all been released, the bag was useless.

But in the hands of exorcist Taoist priests, a Corpse Storage Bag could be used indefinitely. These things came in different grades, however. Low- and mid-grade bags could only store a few zombies, while high-grade ones might store dozens, though those were rather rare.

Guan Heng once had a low-grade Corpse Storage Bag, seized from Jiangshi, but there had only been Jiangshi himself in that world. The bag was completely useless to him. Moreover, the low-grade bag could only store Corpse Soldiers, not Jiangshi, so Guan Heng had long since thrown it away somewhere years ago.

Times were different now. In Guan Heng's eyes, this Corpse Storage Bag was an unquestionable treasure. With it, he would not need to use up his dwindling Corpse Control Talismans whenever he captured zombies. Once he subdued one, a wave of his hand would naturally put it into the bag. It was incredibly convenient.

Guan Heng mused inwardly, If I take that bag, I can catch a few zombies to study and find out how to destroy and control them. This is a treasure falling from the sky. This Corpse Lord has become a delivery boy bringing me treasure. Hehehe.

First, he had to find somewhere without people. Otherwise, if the Corpse Lord grew tired of fighting one-on-one and suddenly summoned all its subordinates, a group of Corpse Soldiers would run wild through such a spacious exhibition hall. Guan Heng did not want to go through the trouble of dealing with them one by one.

A sudden sweeping kick made the Corpse Lord stagger unsteadily. Furious, it growled and pounced, thrusting both arms straight at Guan Heng's chest.

Guan Heng dodged nimbly. "Hehe, can't hit me." He did not forget to taunt it. Then suddenly, behind him came a series of sounds: bang, crack, crash.

Guan Heng turned around and instantly cursed. "Damn it! The spider breeding enclosure! What did you do?"

Only then did he remember that, because this damned zombie had interrupted everything, Peter had not yet been bitten by the spider. He could only watch helplessly as that alluring little bug crawled out from the wreckage of the breeding enclosure, then marched cheerfully and gracefully into the Corpse Lord's ear and remained there without moving.

Zombies did not feel insects. An ordinary person would have been scared stiff long ago.

Guan Heng grabbed at his hair in anger. "You pig-brained zombie! Of all things, why did you have to smash the breeding enclosure? That was Peter's hope—and mine too!" Stomping and cursing was useless. He could only immediately think of a way to get the Radioactive Spider back. He had to knock down the Corpse Lord and take its bag as well.

Touching the few talismans left in his pocket, Guan Heng grimaced in distress. "Damn it. If I'd known I couldn't replenish them here, I wouldn't have used talismans so freely against zombies before. In this inexplicable world, I can get Cinnabar and Yellow Talisman Paper, but several special mixed ingredients are impossible to find."

Once he used up these talismans, Guan Heng would have nothing but his fists and the Cheng Ying on his back, which could not be drawn from its sheath. He would have to fight zombies like a complete amateur.

A plan formed in an instant. Guan Heng casually picked up several sturdy little glass bottles and stuffed them into his pocket. Pointing at the Corpse Lord, he said, "Grandson, if you've got the guts, chase this Taoist master!" Afraid it would ignore him, he patted his Buttocks at the zombie. "You filthy thing, come on! Come on!"

The Corpse Lord was enraged. You think I don't know how to screw someone from behind? What's so hard about that? Howling, it lunged forward. Guan Heng pushed off with his Toes. Whoosh, whoosh! In the blink of an eye, he jumped into the sewer opening, with the Corpse Lord close behind.

Inside the sewer, Guan Heng finally found a relatively spacious open area with few escape routes.

Swinging the Chengying Sword, bang! A Corpse Soldier flew sideways. Guan Heng rushed forward and used the sword to smash both of its leg joints. To conserve Corpse Control Talismans, he could only use such methods to subdue them as much as possible, rendering them unable to move first.

This was already the sixth underling summoned by the Corpse Lord. After that, the Corpse Lord merely chased Guan Heng in circles, clearly having reached its limit. The Corpse Storage Bag was empty.

Guan Heng kicked a zombie beside him into a corner, dodged the Corpse Lord's Sneak Attack from behind, then turned and prepared to punch its head hard. Suddenly, his fist stopped short in an emergency brake. The spot he was about to hit was the ear hole where the Little Spider was hiding. He had nearly turned the little thing into pulp.

Having lost the initiative, the Corpse Lord tilted its head and quickly bit toward Guan Heng's arm. Fortunately, he pulled back fast enough. Otherwise, he would have gained two large holes. Guan Heng cursed furiously, "Damn your mother!"

Making up his mind, he thought, I've been stingy long enough. Might as well be generous this once. He thrust the Chengying Sword into the ground and charged forward with talismans in both hands.

Forehead between the brows, smack. Both shoulders, smack, smack. Heart, smack. Both ribs, smack, smack.

Guan Heng used every Corpse Control Talisman in his hands in one go. The Corpse Lord's body trembled slightly. It wanted to move, but could not move at all.

"The chance is here!" Guan Heng took out a glass bottle and flicked its bottom toward the zombie's ear. Startled, the Little Spider blindly crawled into the bottle. Smack! Guan Heng twisted on the cap and Breathed a Sigh of Relief.

Guan Heng casually tore the Corpse Storage Bag from the Corpse Lord's waist and weighed it in his hand. "So shabby. It's probably only low-grade." With a thought, the Corpse Lord remained where it was without shifting at all. Guan Heng sighed. "It really is low-grade, but better than nothing."

Then he beckoned toward the Corpse Soldiers he had just subdued. One of them vanished from the spot in a flash. With another thought from Guan Heng, the Corpse Soldier appeared again, lying before him.

When he tried to store the second one, it would not go in. Guan Heng suddenly understood. This Corpse Storage Bag was truly garbage. It could only hold one zombie.

"Forget it." Guan Heng shook his head. "It's still much better than getting nothing. Besides, I have this." Looking at the Little Spider in the glass bottle, he said, "I'll give it to Peter."

Looking at the trembling Corpse Lord and the remaining Corpse Soldiers still trying to regain their freedom, Guan Heng touched the only two Blazing Fire Talismans left in his hand. They were his last remaining stock. Hardening his heart, he used one of them. In an instant, it ignited the zombies. He watched them crackle in the fire until, shortly afterward, they turned to ash. Guan Heng hung the Corpse Storage Bag at his waist, rested the Chengying Sword on his shoulder, and strode toward the exit.

As he passed a hidden sewer opening, he suddenly heard the sound of pebbles rolling. Guan Heng was startled. "Could there still be a zombie that slipped through the net?" He hurried forward to look and saw a girl locked inside the tunnel, trembling violently.

Guan Heng was greatly surprised. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" "Don't come closer! Don't come closer!" the girl cried in terror.

Only then did he notice that she had black hair and black eyes. She was actually a Chinese girl. Her clothes were dirty and tattered, and her little face was covered in grime. It seemed she had been hiding in the sewers for several days.

The girl's terror suddenly turned to rage in an instant. "I will never wait helplessly for death!" A multicolored plasma energy ball abruptly appeared in her palm, and she hurled it with all her strength at Guan Heng's face.

Quick-handed, Guan Heng swung the Chengying Sword on his shoulder. Smack! It blocked the energy ball. The energy, which should have exploded like fireworks, was suddenly absorbed completely by the blade.

While Guan Heng was still astonished by the sight, the girl cried out and pulled out a sharp knife as she rushed forward. Guan Heng reached out and gripped the hand holding her knife, allowing her to pierce his palm. He only said gently, "Don't be afraid. My name is Guan Heng. I'm not a bad person. You look exhausted. Let me take you away."

Guan Heng's warm blood ran along the knife hilt and dripped onto the girl's hand. The girl suddenly felt her entire body relax. Her head tilted to one side, and she fainted in Guan Heng's arms.