"The newly dead who run are called Shadow Walkers!"
"Thus, Shadow Walkers are also commonly known as 'Instant Walking Corpses.'"
But unlike ordinary zombies, the birth of a Shadow Walker was unpredictable.
It was as if they appeared out of thin air.
Shadow Walkers were more agile and more intelligent. Some of the more powerful ones could even blend into crowds for decades without being discovered.
"That's Monk Zhao!"
As the Shadow Walker drew closer, its features became clear through the mist.
A young monk beside Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help crying out in shock.
Monk Zhao, along with Yuanhui, Yuanjue, and Yuantong, was one of the four monks of the Imperial Awakening Temple.
All four were personal disciples of the abbot, Gao Bin.
But like Zhu Yuanzhang, Monk Zhao had entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng. Unlike the others, however, he had become a senior monk of the Imperial Awakening Temple as soon as he arrived.
"Even Junior Brother Zhao fell victim to it?"
Realizing who the Shadow Walker was, Yuanhui's pupils contracted.
But he quickly recovered.
"Demon! Take my magic treasure!"
Yuanhui shouted.
He pulled a gray clay jar from his robes and hurled it toward the Shadow Walker.
In midair, liquid splashed out of the jar, and its pungent smell filled the entire mountain path in an instant.
It was garlic juice!
The Shadow Walker was clearly wary of the garlic juice in Yuanhui's hand.
With a quick sidestep, it dodged the jar.
It also took several steps back in a row, carefully avoiding the splashing garlic juice.
It was evidently terrified of it.
"It really works."
Zhu Yuanzhang could hardly believe it.
"Looks like the monks of the Imperial Awakening Temple do have a few tricks."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself.
"Run!"
Yuanhui shouted.
He turned, grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang and the other two young monks, and ran downhill.
"I take it back."
Watching Yuanhui sprint away, Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth twitched. He asked,
"Senior Brother Yuanhui, can't you subdue demons?"
"Are you kidding—"
Yuanhui shot Zhu Yuanzhang a look as he ran, panting.
Though a little surprised that the other boy had so much stamina—his breathing hadn't even grown ragged—he still answered bluntly,
"Junior Brother Zhao had mastered a true technique. Apart from him, only Master Gao Bin in the temple had one... But I'm afraid even he might not be able to do much against that Shadow Walker."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced back discreetly at the Shadow Walker following them.
Something seemed off.
He had seen how fast a Shadow Walker could move when it went all out.
In his estimation, this one was not much weaker than the one he had encountered before.
If it were truly giving chase at full speed, it would have caught up with them long ago.
Instead, it seemed to be deliberately herding them toward some place.
"Junior Brother Zhao entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng, same as you. But unlike the temple's other disciples, he was taught the Sutra of the Buddha Speaks of the Soapberry Sutra as soon as he joined."
At this, Yuanhui's expression grew complicated. He sighed,
"As far as I know, he had already mastered this true scripture before he died. What a natural genius! In the entire history of the Imperial Awakening Temple, he's the only one who mastered a true technique in a year!"
"Couldn't Abbot Gao Bin subdue him? No matter how talented he was, Monk Zhao had only been in the temple for a year, hadn't he?"
A young monk beside them interjected.
Unlike Zhu Yuanzhang, however, he was already showing signs of fatigue.
"No. In terms of cultivation, Junior Brother Zhao could never surpass the abbot. The problem is that he turned into a Shadow Walker after he died."
The Shadow Walker behind them accelerated, suddenly lunging at the young monk who had just spoken.
Yuanhui had no choice but to throw another clay jar, forcing it back.
But the Shadow Walker was now less than five paces behind them.
"Into the cave! There's a warding array set up by the Imperial Awakening Temple's former masters—"
The cave stood halfway up the mountainside.
Two torches burned at its entrance, illuminating a pair of bright red couplets on either side.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked up and read,
"Reveal the subtle, elucidate the hidden; three forms and five precedents"
"Uphold the words with solemnity; praise and blame in a single character"
A plaque hung in the middle of the cave entrance.
Scripture Cave
Sure enough, once they entered the Scripture Cave,
the Shadow Walker stopped at the entrance.
Its pale eyes stared fixedly at the people inside.
Seeing that they were safe for the moment, the young monks simply collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Even Yuanhui leaned against the stone wall, his face pale as he repeatedly wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
Only Zhu Yuanzhang looked perfectly fine. He wandered around the couplets and the two torches at the entrance to the Scripture Cave, looking and touching everything as though it all fascinated him.
"Just as I thought... Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire. No wonder it drove the Shadow Walker back."
Zhu Yuanzhang dabbed a finger in the lamp oil and sniffed it.
A rich, cloyingly sweet scent wafted over him.
"Corpse Incense Tribute."
Zhu Yuanzhang understood.
He turned to look at the plaque and couplets at the entrance.
There was nothing special about the wooden plaque: ordinary wood, carved by the temple monks with ordinary skill.
But the couplets—
"Reveal the subtle, elucidate the hidden; three forms and five precedents. Uphold the words with solemnity; praise and blame in a single character."
They didn't seem suitable for a Scripture Depository.
"Junior Brother... you're in awfully good shape."
Watching Zhu Yuanzhang, Yuanhui struggled to his feet and came over to him.
"Oh... Senior Brother, you still haven't explained why the more powerful Abbot Gao Bin couldn't deal with this Shadow Walker."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked away from the couplets.
"A Shadow Walker is no different from an ordinary zombie. But if someone who had mastered a true technique dies and becomes one, it won't fear the true technique it mastered in life."
Hearing Yuanhui's explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang understood.
So that was it.
Then did the Shadow Walker that attacked me in the Secret History master the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Scripture when it was alive?
And—
Zhu Yuanzhang turned his gaze toward the Shadow Walker, which stood motionless at the cave entrance, staring at them.
Since it mastered the Sutra of the Buddha Speaks of the Soapberry Sutra in life, my Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire should probably work against it.
Just as they were resting,
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Footsteps came from the far end of the Scripture Cave behind them.
Monk Yuanhui warily got to his feet.
"Who's there?"
"Senior Brother Yuanhui? It's me, Zhao Zhen."
A candlelight appeared in the depths of the cave.
It revealed a pale, gloomy face.
When the owner of the face saw Yuanhui—and especially the few young monks who had entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng—a hint of joy immediately appeared on his face.
"Junior Brother Zhao, weren't you going down the mountain to bring the lay believers up here to take shelter?"
Seeing who it was, Monk Yuanhui breathed a sigh of relief, though he couldn't help asking in confusion.
"Just like you, I ran into that Shadow Walker and was forced to take refuge here."
After saying this, the monk named Zhao Zhen turned and headed deeper into the Scripture Cave, pulling Yuanhui along before he could react.
"Everyone's waiting for you, Senior Brother Yuanhui."
With the extraordinary eyesight granted by the Great Wisdom Zen Technique, Zhu Yuanzhang could see Zhao Zhen's smile in the darkness.
It was a sinister smile. Against his paper-white face, his rigid expression was chilling.
"Everyone... who's everyone?"
Yuanhui sounded puzzled.
"Senior Brothers Yuanjue and Yuantong, and all the other disciples."
Without changing expression, Zhao Zhen pulled a black object from his waist and held it up before Yuanhui.
"Everyone in the temple is here except the abbot... This is Master Gao Bin's token. He told me to lead the disciples here to take shelter until the crisis outside is over, then return to the temple."
Seeing the incense-wood token in Zhao Zhen's hand, Yuanhui visibly relaxed.
"In that case, lead the way, Junior Brother."
Something was wrong.
Zhu Yuanzhang watched this disciple, who had entered the temple in the third year of Zhizheng, just as he had.
He sensed a familiar fluctuation from Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen could fool everyone else, but not him.
It was the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique!
Before you continue