Gorilla

Around noon, Ren Tingting and Qiusheng appeared together in the main hall of Ren Mansion.

At this moment, the hall was already crowded with people. Uncle Nine, Taoist Four Eyes, Wencai, and Ren Wei were in the middle of discussing matters.

Upon seeing Qiusheng and Ren Tingting arrive, they immediately pulled the two of them into the conversation.

"Everyone, after the events of the past two days, I believe you all understand the terror of the zombie."

"As of now, there is still an extremely terrifying zombie active within our Ren Family Town."

"And because that zombie's blood relative is still alive, his next target will undoubtedly be Miss Ren."

Uncle Nine looked at those present and spoke first.

"But Uncle Nine, wasn't that zombie severely wounded by you last time?"

"Why don't we take advantage of the fact that he hasn't recovered his strength yet, find him, and finish him off?"

Ren Wei looked at Uncle Nine and couldn't help but speak up.

"Finding that zombie is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Furthermore, if all of us go out to hunt for him, and he doubles back to strike, who among you could subdue him?"

Uncle Nine glanced sideways at Ren Wei, his words leaving him speechless.

"Therefore, all we can do now is remain unmoved to meet all changes, and wait for that zombie to come to us."

"Of course, if Captain Ren wishes to take the initiative, that is not impossible."

"How about this: Qiusheng, starting this afternoon, you will stay by Captain Ren's side and accompany him to search for the zombie's tracks."

"Yes, Master."

Hearing his master's instructions, Qiusheng naturally would not refuse. After accepting the task, he continued.

"Master, I would like for Tingting to stay at our Public Mortuary for a couple of days."

"After all, if that zombie recovers, his primary target will certainly be Tingting."

"If we encounter others in town during this process, it would be hard to avoid accidental harm. It would be better for Tingting to stay at our Public Mortuary."

"This way, you can protect her nearby, and it will also reduce the danger to the people in town."

As soon as Qiusheng finished speaking, Uncle Nine nodded immediately.

Qiusheng's thoughts coincided with his own; he had been thinking the same thing, though he hadn't known if Miss Ren would agree.

"Miss Ren, you...?"

"Uncle Nine, you can just call me Tingting. I will follow whatever arrangements Brother Sheng makes."

Hearing Ren Tingting's reply, a smile appeared on Uncle Nine's aged face, and he teased his disciple with a look.

It had to be said that his eldest disciple was truly capable; it seemed he had completely won over this young lady of the Ren family.

However, while Uncle Nine and his group were beaming with joy, Ren Wei looked as if a jar of vinegar had been overturned.

There was no helping it; the girl he liked was now nestled in someone else's arms like a bird. It would be a miracle if he were in a good mood.

However, having witnessed the methods of Uncle Nine and his disciple with his own eyes, Ren Wei felt that if it was a woman he loved, letting her go wasn't so hard to accept after all.

With that, once it was settled that Ren Tingting would stay temporarily at the Public Mortuary, Uncle Nine and the others began to pack and prepare.

As for Qiusheng, after eating a quick meal, he set off with Ren Wei and his men.

The first place they went to search was the site where Uncle Nine had battled the Zombie King the previous night.

When Qiusheng and the others arrived, Ren Wei and his subordinates looked at the terrifying crater in the ground, and one by one, they shrank their necks in fear.

"Qiusheng, do you know what happened to this crater?"

"I remember this thing wasn't here before."

Ren Wei looked at everything before him and couldn't help but lean in close to Qiusheng to ask in a low voice.

"Heh, this crater was left behind after a senior expert fought a fierce battle with a zombie."

"Just last night, you all must have seen the strange phenomena here, right?"

Qiusheng said nonchalantly, immediately drawing the attention of everyone around him.

"Oh, I know! Was the lightning from last night right here?"

"Captain, when I came out to relieve myself late last night, I vaguely saw countless bolts of lightning dancing wildly in this area, but I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."

"That's right, that's right! I saw the lightning and thunder last night too."

Hearing what his subordinates said, Ren Wei couldn't help but look at Qiusheng with newfound respect.

He had never known that people like Uncle Nine who practiced the arts could possess such terrifying power.

"Alright, everyone, stop whispering here. Let's get to work."

"Circle around this spot and keep searching the surroundings for any traces left by the zombie. The faster we find him, the less danger we will be in."

At Qiusheng's urging, everyone quickly dispersed and began searching the surrounding area.

Qiusheng, meanwhile, stayed right where he was with Ren Wei to take a rest.

"Qiusheng, do you think I could be initiated into Maoshan?"

"Hm?"

Qiusheng cast a sidelong glance at Captain Ren, reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, and gave a slight tug. As the mana within his body surged into the other man, the feedback he received made Qiusheng raise an eyebrow.

This Captain Ren before him was actually well-suited for cultivation, and if Qiusheng's senses were not mistaken, Ren Wei possessed a spiritual constitution, which left him utterly astonished.

"Your aptitude for cultivation is quite decent, but you have already missed the prime age for training. If you wish to achieve anything in the Dao, you will need to invest an immense amount of effort and time. Are you certain you want to join the ranks of Maoshan?"

No sooner had Qiusheng's voice faded than a sudden cry of alarm reached their ears before Ren Wei could even respond.

"Ah, help!"

Following this shout, a barrage of gunfire erupted, causing both Qiusheng and Ren Wei to shudder in shock.

They immediately looked toward the source of the sound and saw a gorilla of terrifying size chasing down the members of Ren Wei's squad.

Seeing this, Qiusheng's expression shifted instantly.

The moment he laid eyes on the gorilla, he knew it was no ordinary animal.

Judging by its height of nearly two meters and its blood-red eyes, he could tell this was a demonic beast—and one that had tasted human flesh at that.

With this realization, Qiusheng's body flickered as he moved rapidly toward the gorilla.

As he closed the distance, he shouted, "Everyone, cease fire and leave this place at once! This gorilla is a demon; the guns in your hands are useless against it!"

At Qiusheng's command, the first to react was Ren Wei, who stretched his neck and bellowed, "Stop shooting, all of you! Run! Everyone, get moving!"