Dead Man Wu Daochao

Dead Man Wu Daochao

Looking more closely, that talisman paper carried an indescribable sense of evil. It was definitely nothing good.

"What is a Soul-Suppressing Talisman?" I hurriedly asked.

Fine beads of sweat seeped out along the edge of Xiao Yudao's black headscarf. She said, "A Soul-Suppressing Talisman means suppressing a soul forever. This talisman pattern is the kind used by Meishan Sect Daoists here in the Miao Borderlands. It's an extremely evil talisman. Using this kind of Soul-Suppressing Talisman seals away the dead person's soul, leaving them unable to reincarnate for all eternity. But this evil Daoist art disappeared completely more than ten years ago. I never expected it to appear here."

Daoism had many branches. Aside from the famous Quanzhen Dao, Longhu Dao, Lingxiao Sect, and Neidan Sect, all across the country Daoism had also merged with local folk beliefs. The Meishan Sect was a Daoist branch within Hunan, blending certain Daoist arts, shamanic arts, and gu arts, as well as talisman arts and curse arts. It had the nature of a folk shamanic religion, but also carried the shadow of Daoism.

I recalled the paper figures I had seen last night, as well as the Great Gu Master afterward, and said in shock, "Looks like every one of these paper figures had a soul suppressed inside it by a Soul-Suppressing Talisman. They used the ghost power of the soul to drive the paper figure to run, but there was absolutely no way for it to leave the paper body. The Great Gu Master was the same. He couldn't leave the paper body, and with his soul sealed by someone, he had no way to speak."

The paper figure before us had fallen to the ground, and there was no soul in it either. It had to be the Blood Infant's handiwork. Greedy by nature and frighteningly powerful as a ghost, he had chased it down, pounced on the paper figure, and eaten the soul inside it.

Xiao Yudao said, "That's right. That's exactly it. Last night, I thought it was only ordinary ghost-driving art, something any common shaman could do. But this Soul-Suppressing Talisman has changed my view. Drawing and making a Soul-Suppressing Talisman isn't something an ordinary person can accomplish. Sealing a ghost into a paper body—whoever did it is absolutely a top-tier expert."

I hurriedly asked, "Do you have anyone in mind?"

Xiao Yudao thought for a moment and said, "There is one person who could do it. But more than ten years ago, that person already died. After he died, no one else could draw a Soul-Suppressing Talisman, much less use one!"

I asked, "What was this person's name? Are you sure he's definitely dead?"

Xiao Yudao said firmly, "Speaking of him, this person has some connection to both you and me. His name was Wu Daochao. He was the eldest senior brother of your master Hei Moyun and my father. This man was precisely an expert of the Meishan Sect, and he also knew the shamanic arts of the Miao Borderlands. He often moved about the Miao stockades and Dong villages. Later, he became obsessed with evil Daoist arts—raising ghosts, raising Blood Zombies, refining corpses, using gu insects to steal people's lifespans. In the end, he died. When he died, my father witnessed it with his own eyes. There's absolutely no mistake."

Xiao Yudao spat out those final words one by one, enough to show that Wu Daochao was definitely dead.

Master had never mentioned his past to me. Not long ago, I had learned about Ma Huoxin, and only today did I learn that Wu Daochao was already dead. The three senior and junior brothers: the eldest was proficient in shamanic and Daoist arts, the second was a gu physician who healed the sick and saved people, and the third was a corpse driver.

When Master was young, he must have had his glory days.

Ma Erlei said, "Wu Daochao is already dead, yet a Soul-Suppressing Talisman that shouldn't appear is right in front of us. No matter how you look at it, this makes no sense."

The man was already dead. Yet something impossible was happening. Wasn't this one of the most unsolvable riddles in the world?

Xiao Yudao reached out and grabbed the black bundle wrapped in the Soul-Suppressing Talisman, tearing it straight off. She cut through the connected black threads with her hatchet and tossed it directly into the bamboo basket.

Xiao Yudao lifted her head and glanced ahead, saying worriedly, "There's only one explanation. After Wu Daochao died, he turned into a zombie. Then he hid in Chiyou Valley and made all these paper figures to run errands for him. He has to keep himself hidden and not let outsiders know."

This was currently the only reasonable explanation.

If I hadn't fled for my life together with Xiao Tianxing, if I hadn't seen eight walking corpses leaping along, I would definitely have thought Xiao Yudao was telling a story.

Since Wu Daochao was skilled in shamanic arts and proficient in Daoist arts, becoming a zombie after death might be extremely difficult for others, but for him, it was a trifling little matter.

Ma Erlei's throat bobbed, and he said cautiously, "Are there really zombies in this world? We can handle poisonous insects, but if we really run into a zombie... can the three of us deal with it?"

Xiao Yudao gave a cold laugh and said, "I thought Wu Daochao was already dead. I never expected that even after death, he still wouldn't behave himself. Since he's run into me today, I'll definitely make him pay."

A resolute light shone from Xiao Yudao's pitch-black eyes, even carrying a hint of hatred. I had seen that look not long ago. When she blamed me for blinding Ma Huoxin and came to settle accounts with me, that was the look she had.

Only today, that look was even sharper, and I could feel anger burning in it.

I could almost conclude that Wu Daochao had some deep entanglement with the death of Xiao Yudao's mother.

"Xiaodao, you need to stay calm. Erlei is right. Even if you add up the ages of the three of us, I'm afraid they still wouldn't be as much as Wu Daochao's. We may not be his match." I advised Xiaodao. Right now, the safest course was to leave Chiyou Valley immediately and return to Camellia Village to call for help.

Xiao Yudao sprang up and searched for a narrow path to run forward. Standing five meters away, she turned back and shouted at Ma Erlei and me, "If you two want to go back, then go back. I won't stop you. We barged into Chiyou Valley, chased after the Black Flower Herb, and caused such a huge commotion. Wu Daochao already knows. If we retreat now, we'll only find empty air when we come back."

Ma Erlei and I exchanged a glance.

I said, "Since the three of us came together as companions, how could we leave you here alone?"

Ma Erlei also said, "Xiaodao, the three of us advance and retreat together."

Xiao Yudao quickly started running, the hatchet in her hand chopping down as branches fell to the ground. I had never imagined that such terrifying fighting power could erupt from Xiao Yudao. Along the way, we encountered another three paper figures smashed into a pulpy mess.

"Brother Kunlun, looks like your Gu Spirit has very strong fighting power. It took out four paper figures," Ma Erlei said.

"If he took out four paper figures and then came back, he'd have reunited with me by now," I said worriedly. "But if he blindly keeps chasing inside, he might fall into Wu Daochao's hands. This Gu Spirit really makes people worry."

The farther we went into the valley, the taller the trees became, and the dimmer the light grew. Yin winds kept blowing over. The poisonous insects in the forest also grew more and more numerous. Swarms of centipedes coiled together, and there was also a patch of golden-tailed scorpions. All of it made clear that this place was extremely dangerous.

More than a hundred meters away, a wooden hut appeared, built from logs. It leaned beneath the mountain wall, with towering trees overhead, almost not a single thread of sunlight shining down.

If it were a living person, they would absolutely never build a wooden hut in a place like this.

Only a zombie would choose such a location.

When the three of us drew near, the venomous scorpions and poisonous centipedes began to move, gathering together and piling into two mounds more than a meter high, even taller than we were.

My palms were covered in sweat. If so many centipedes and scorpions climbed onto us, in less than a minute, we would be eaten clean, without even bones remaining.

The way these centipedes and scorpions piled up was the same as how Master had raised centipedes and scorpions in the Gu God Temple. I became even more certain that Xiao Yudao's guess was correct.

"Wu Daochao, is this how you treat guests?" Xiao Yudao shouted loudly, her sharp voice carrying a long way. "You think these centipedes and scorpions can block our steps forward?"

No sound came from the wooden hut.

Xiao Yudao shouted, "Erlei, light a fire and burn them to death. Da Xiao, activate the Three-Corpse Snake Gu. We'll break through. These poisonous insects are just a little appetizer." Between Xiao Yudao's brows, heroic spirit blazed.

Ma Erlei took down the torches he was carrying on his back and lit them with a fire striker. He ran a few quick steps, and the torches flew one after another toward the centipede pile and the scorpion pile.

I took a deep breath, placed my hand on the Three-Corpse Snake Gu, closed my eyes, then abruptly opened them and shouted, "When I was playing with scorpions and centipedes, you lot hadn't even grown up yet! If you don't want to die, get out of my way!"

Red vapor drifted out from the mouth of the Three-Corpse Snake Gu jar, spreading instantly. Several torches landed on the centipede pile and scorpion pile. Thick smoke scattered, and a scorched smell spread.

But the centipedes and scorpions were not afraid of death. Wave after wave, the front fell and the rear pressed on, using their bodies to smother the burning torches. I strode forward, with Xiao Yudao and Ma Erlei following behind me.

Between the centipedes and scorpions piled like mountains, a path opened up. Every muscle in my body was taut, and cold sweat poured straight from my forehead. Facing such a powerful enemy, I felt the Three-Corpse Snake Gu forcefully driving the poisonous insects away. I felt it as if it were happening to me, too—my whole body exerting strength.

Sweat soon soaked through my clothes. My face went a little pale, and I gasped for breath in great mouthfuls; even the soles of my feet were sweating. This was also the first time I had ever felt such a strange sensation.

Maybe this was what Master had meant: after the Three-Corpse Snake Gu had drunk my fresh blood, it would slowly become linked with my bloodline, connected to my thoughts. Today, I had finally taken the first step toward that.

"Get lost!" I suddenly clenched both fists and shouted, feeling hot blood surge through my chest. A powerful force radiated from the jar.

The restless centipedes and scorpions were struck by an invisible force and shrank back two meters away, not daring to come forward. A few blind venomous centipedes advanced anyway, only to be hit by the Sha Qi released by the Three-Corpse Snake Gu!

Killed in one blow!

We passed through the swarms of centipedes and scorpions, and finally stopped in front of the wooden hut. My head was covered in sweat. I had overexerted myself, and my head swam a little. Ma Erlei came forward to support me.

Xiao Yudao shouted, "Wu Daochao, roll out here! I'd like to see what you look like after turning into a zombie!"

There was no response from inside the house, but I sensed corpse qi surging.

Xiao Yudao took a bag from the basket on her back and pulled something out. It was the Yin Gong Ma Huoxin had used. The sound this Yin Gong made when struck was specifically meant to deal with zombies.

Clang, clang, clang! Xiao Yudao struck it rhythmically. Each blow used a subtle, skillful force.

"How true that every generation brings forth new talents!" A deep voice came from inside the house. "The Three-Corpse Snake Gu has come, and the Yin Gong has appeared as well. Since you've delivered yourselves to my door, I truly have no way to refuse... hahahaha... hahahaha..."