Slaying the Corpse

Just as Shi Mu was filled with astonishment, the humanoid monster let out a low growl and lunged toward him, reeking of a foul stench.

Shi Mu took a deep breath, casting aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind. Without a word, he darted forward, flicked his wrist, and his single blade transformed into a vast, chilling shadow that swept outward.

Bang! Bang!

The blade struck the monster's chest four or five times in an instant, but it was like hacking into dead wood; it only left a few shallow wounds from which faint green blood seeped, causing no real harm.

Instead, the humanoid monster spread its two arms and lunged down to grab Shi Mu in a fierce embrace.

Shi Mu was horrified, but the effects of his recent training—running wildly through the mountains while wearing the Black Armor—manifested fully at this moment. Although he had not yet practiced any agility techniques, he spun on his heels and narrowly dodged the two thick arms, appearing behind the monster. With a flash of his blade, four or five more shallow wounds appeared on the creature's waist.

"Roar!"

Though the monster wasn't seriously injured, it was clearly enraged. Its body twisted violently, and its upper torso performed an eerie 180-degree turn. It swung its arms like cartwheels, smashing down toward Shi Mu's head and face with wild abandon.

Boom!

The monster's attack caught Shi Mu completely off guard. It was too late to dodge, so he could only hold his blade with both hands and cross it in front of him, only to be sent flying like a sack of grain.

Shi Mu slammed heavily into a thick stone pillar, his body shuddering to a halt. By the time he flipped over and jumped back up, his vision was darkening, and he swayed unsteadily.

But the humanoid monster had no intention of letting him go. It kicked off the ground, raised its arms, and lunged forward again, carrying a foul wind.

Shi Mu let out a low roar. Instead of dodging, he flicked his wrist, and his blade suddenly manifested six shadows as he slashed straight out.

A muffled thud!

The youth felt a heat in his five fingers as the blade was knocked from his grip. It whistled through the air and embedded itself deep into the hall's crossbeam, while Shi Mu himself stumbled backward, thud, thud, thud.

The monster also let out a shrill cry as it was forced back by the blade shadows. Not only were there four new gashes on its arms, but two long cuts had appeared across its face, spraying a large amount of green blood.

"Young man, the zombie's head is its weak point! Attack there!" the middle-aged man on the other side finally remembered and shouted in a panic.

His shout immediately drew the monster's attention.

It now knew that the youth in front of it was not to be trifled with, but filled with burning rage, it didn't even think before roaring and turning to lunge toward the campfire.

"No!"

The middle-aged man was terrified out of his wits at the sight. But with his daughter behind him, there was no time to dodge. He could only grit his teeth, hurl the short sword in his hand at the zombie, and then turn to wrap his arms tightly around his daughter.

He used his own body to shield the young girl.

Pfft.

The monster flicked one arm, batting the short sword aside. Its other hand, with its exceptionally sharp fingers, pierced through the man's clothing on his back without the slightest difficulty, burying itself halfway into his flesh.

The man let out a great cry as a torrent of blood sprayed out.

"Ah!"

The girl, held by her father, turned deathly pale at the sight and let out a piercing scream.

Just then, an incredible scene unfolded.

The humanoid monster, which had lowered its head and opened its foul-smelling mouth to bite the man's neck, suddenly trembled at the girl's scream. It let out a miserable wail, yanked its arm from the man's back, and stumbled backward while clutching its head in extreme agony.

Whoosh! A gust of wind swept by as Shi Mu rushed behind the monster with astonishing speed. He leaped a zhang high, flicked both arms, and slammed his fists into the sides of the monster's skull.

Boom!

His fists struck like iron hammers with such force that they triggered a sonic boom. The monster's head burst open like a watermelon, and countless droplets of green blood splattered everywhere.

Shi Mu stomped his foot on the ground and vaulted several steps backward, narrowly avoiding being drenched in the green blood.

The monster's headless corpse swayed twice before crashing heavily to the ground.

Shi Mu stood firm with his fists clenched and took a deep breath, though his face remained slightly pale.

The exchange had lasted only an instant, but this zombie was far more terrifying than any wild beast he had ever hunted. If it hadn't been for the girl's scream inexplicably interfering with it, he never would have succeeded in a single strike.

Of course, this also had much to do with his thousand-jin strength and the fact that he had cultivated the Crushing Stone Fist to near-perfection. Otherwise, even if the monster's head was a weak point, an ordinary Martial Disciple would never have been able to inflict such damage with bare hands.

"Father!"

Only then did the girl's heart-wrenching cry come from the other side.

Shi Mu finally had the chance to look over and saw the girl half-prostrate over the man, using both hands to desperately plug the massive, gaping hole in his chest. But the blood kept gurgling out, and there was no way she could stop it.

"Young man... young man..."

The middle-aged man's face was devoid of all color, yet he ignored his daughter's actions and desperately beckoned for Shi Mu to come over.

"Father, stop talking! I'll find a doctor to stop the bleeding..." the girl said, weeping.

"It's useless. Xiu'er, I know a bit of medicine myself. My heart meridian is severed; I'm afraid I'll be gone in a moment. I've enjoyed everything I was meant to enjoy in this life, so I have no regrets even if I leave now. The only thing I cannot let go of is you," the middle-aged man said with a bitter smile, looking at Shi Mu with expectant eyes.

The girl was even more heartbroken upon hearing this.

"Uncle Zhong, is there something you wish to say to me?" Shi Mu sighed and finally walked over, crouching beside the man.

Although he had a premonition that trouble might follow, he couldn't just walk away in a situation like this.

"Young... young man, that you and my daughter could... meet here is a great stroke of fate. I am about to pass, but I cannot... leave Xiu'er alone in this world. I want to... entrust her to you," the middle-aged man said, gasping for breath.

"Entrust her to me? That shouldn't be necessary. Your daughter seems to have a marriage contract with the Wu Family; I can take her to them," Shi Mu said, slightly stunned.

"The Wu Family... hehe... heh... If I were still alive, I would naturally have a way to make them accept her, but now... the Wu Family will never acknowledge this marriage. If you take... take my daughter there, it will only... only..."

"If that is the case, I can take Miss Xiu'er to stay with other relatives," Shi Mu said, frowning and interrupting him.

"Ever since the Zhong Family fell into decline, we... we have had no relatives left. Xiu'er, listen well... your marriage to the Wu Family is hereby cancelled... Young man, I can see you are no ordinary person... I do not ask that you take my daughter as your main wife, but if you promise to take her as a concubine and ensure she lives a life free from want, I can close my eyes in peace. Since you are a martial artist, this heirloom of the Zhong Family should be of use to you; take it as her dowry. If you ever do anything to wrong my daughter, I, Zhong Ming, will not let you go even as a ghost." The middle-aged man spoke these final words with the rapid intensity of a dying flare, then pulled a small wooden box from his robes and shoved it into Shi Mu's hands. With a final cry, he breathed his last.

"Father!"

The young girl had been so stunned by her father's words that she had forgotten to cry, but seeing him truly pass away, she collapsed onto his body and began to wail once more.

Shi Mu stood to the side, holding the wooden box in one hand, utterly dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

"Young Master, I fear my father was not in his right mind before he passed. You need not take his words to heart. Once we reach Feng City, I would trouble you to take me to the Wu Family after all," the girl said after a long silence, her eyes red and swollen as she spoke to Shi Mu, who had straightened his posture.

"Miss Zhong, I also feel that your father's final words were indeed inappropriate. You should keep this item," Shi Mu replied with a sigh of relief, feeling awkward as he held the wooden box out toward her.

"I have never seen this object before, but since it was a gift from my father's own hand, I will not take it back. Besides, if you had not personally slain that monster, I would not have been able to save my own life," the girl said, shaking her head.

"Miss Zhong, there is no need to call me Young Master. My surname is Shi, and my given name is Mu. Let us do this: the rain outside seems to have stopped, so I will help you bury your father first. Otherwise, it will not be long before the mountain beasts are drawn here," Shi Mu said, hesitating for a moment before pulling the wooden box back.

"Then I will trouble you. Brother Shi, you may simply call me Zhong Xiu from now on," the girl said. Despite her fragile appearance, she seemed to have grown much stronger after her outburst of grief.

A quarter of an hour later, on the hillside behind the ancient temple, the girl knelt before a mound of earth, forcing herself to endure the pain in her heart as she kowtowed three times before following Shi Mu away, looking back with every step.

When the two returned to the temple, the corpse of the humanoid monster remained where it had fallen, but its skin was decaying at an alarming rate. Thick, green fluid seeped from the body, filling the entire hall with an unbearable stench.

Seeing this, Zhong Xiu dared not approach any further, but Shi Mu frowned and said:

"This thing is too bizarre to be left here like this. Miss Zhong, wait here a moment; I will dispose of it."

The girl nodded repeatedly.

Shi Mu turned and walked out of the hall. A moment later, he returned carrying several thick, banana-like leaves and strode over to the monster's corpse.

He bent down, quickly wrapped the body in the leaves, and lifted it up with both hands, preparing to carry it outside.

Clatter.

Something fell out from within the leaves.