Kill Order

Kill Order

Ma Huoxin's expression was grave, his breathing rapid. He looked extremely nervous.

I nodded and took the Yin Gong. A chill rushed over me, making me shudder.

It seemed driving zombies was not as easy as I had imagined. This Yin Gong alone was not something an ordinary person could hold.

After walking for more than ten minutes, we arrived beside a mountain stream.

The eight Walking Corpses and I stood in a row while Ma Huoxin walked to the stream and stood with his hands behind his back.

"You failed!" a sinister, ghostly voice called out.

The voice came from nowhere, yet there was no sign of anyone. Could it be some evil ghost or Grudge Spirit?

Ma Huoxin shouted, "Xiao Tianxing was an exceptional zombie. I did my best, but he still got away."

They had met here because of the big zombie. I thought to myself, So the big zombie's full name is Xiao Tianxing. Next time I see him, I can tell him.

"We had an agreement. You give Xiao Tianxing to me, and I tell you the secret," the voice said eerily. "Only he knows that child's whereabouts. Without Xiao Tianxing, there is no need for us to cooperate any longer."

Ma Huoxin said, "Since you're here, why not come out and meet me?"

As he spoke, five Black Centipedes slipped from Ma Huoxin's sleeves and landed on the ground, silently scattering in different directions.

I was familiar with all kinds of centipedes. The Black Centipedes Ma Huoxin had released were definitely among the most venomous species. It looked like he intended to use poisonous centipedes to force that voice to reveal itself.

A full minute passed without any movement. Ma Huoxin's body began to tremble slightly.

"Ma Huoxin, you think a few Life-Taking Centipedes can force me to show myself? You think far too highly of yourself," the ghostly voice said again.

Then came a crisp chewing sound—the sound of teeth chewing live centipedes.

I had roasted centipedes and eaten them before, but I knew I could never eat venomous Black Centipedes raw. This was truly bizarre. Cold sweat poured from my palms.

I listened carefully, but I could not determine where the voice was coming from.

Ma Huoxin said, "I know you like poisonous insects. The deadlier, the better. These venomous centipedes are a snack for you."

Anyone who liked eating highly poisonous creatures had to be a monster. I swallowed hard, sweat pouring down my forehead.

The moment Ma Huoxin finished speaking, he suddenly broke into a run toward a large boulder beside the stream.

Ma Huoxin was fast. Just as he reached the side of the boulder, a bloody shadow flashed beneath the moonlight.

Ma Huoxin hurriedly stopped himself and rolled to the side.

The bloody shadow landed atop the boulder. Looking closely, I saw that it was a large blood-red mantis, emanating a deadly, violent aura.

Strange. Mantises were usually green. How could there be a blood-red mantis in this world? It definitely did not look like a species born from nature.

Sensing danger, Ma Huoxin took two steps back and said, "A Blood Mantis Gu with such a deep crimson color is truly rare. You've got some skill."

It was a Gu insect. My eyes lit up! That was right—only a Gu insect could possess such a deadly, violent aura. It was my first time witnessing a Gu insect attack and kill someone, and I could not help craning my neck. I wanted to see how a Gu insect killed, and I also wanted to see Ma Huoxin's formidable native Gu.

At that moment, the Blood Mantis Gu sprang forward, spraying red liquid as it charged at Ma Huoxin again.

Ma Huoxin retreated repeatedly, flinging his hands and constantly releasing Black Centipedes. The Blood Mantis landed, and after only one exchange, the extremely venomous Black Centipedes died on the spot upon touching the red liquid.

My heart pounded wildly. Gu insects truly were formidable. At this rate, Ma Huoxin was in trouble.

I could not help thinking, The Blood Mantis is already this powerful. The owner of that hidden voice must be even stronger. Should I strike the gong now?

I decided to wait a little longer.

After the Blood Mantis Gu killed the Black Centipedes, it sprang again like a ghost and landed squarely on Ma Huoxin's bald head.

I nearly cried out.

After the Blood Mantis landed on Ma Huoxin's bald head, Ma Huoxin raised both hands in surrender and stood completely still. "There's no need to exterminate me completely, is there?"

"You're still too green to fight me!" A man in black leaped down from a tree on the other side of the stream and landed lightly on the ground. "With a flick of my finger, the Blood Mantis Gu can burrow into your crown."

He had actually jumped down from a tree. I was faintly astonished. The man in black had hidden the Blood Mantis on the boulder while concealing himself in the tree. That was truly clever.

Ma Huoxin said, "You can't bear to kill me. If you kill me, no one will collect Walking Corpses for you, and no one will help you track down Xiao Tianxing."

After landing, the man in black took several steps forward.

I could not see his face clearly, but I could sense the unusual gloom in his eyes. He did not possess the slightest trace of a living person's presence. He felt like a walking humanoid mantis.

The man in black said, "Ma Huoxin, your life is already in my hands. You don't get to negotiate with me."

Hearing that, I did not dare act rashly. Before the Walking Corpses could seize the black-clad figure, the Blood Mantis might already have killed Ma Huoxin.

Ma Huoxin said, "We've dealt with each other several times, yet I still don't know your name."

As Ma Huoxin spoke, he walked forward, getting closer and closer to the man in black. The Blood Mantis on his head began burrowing inward.

The man in black seemed somewhat surprised. "You're a tough man. But you're not qualified to know my name. I made an exception by coming out to meet you today. That already gives you plenty of face."

"Kunlun, strike the gong!" Ma Huoxin suddenly made his move, lunging straight at the black-clad figure.

I made my decision at once and struck the gong heavily three times in rapid succession. The eight Walking Corpses instantly leaped forward.

A sharp dagger appeared in Ma Huoxin's hand, and he thrust it directly at the man in black.

The man in black swept him with his gloomy gaze and curled his lips slightly. "Kill him!"

This was an order for the Blood Mantis Gu.

Master had said that Gu cultivators and their Gu insects were connected by blood. Once they reached a certain level, they could control their Gu insects from afar.

Naturally, the man in black could command the Blood Mantis to kill.

With a swift sound, the Blood Mantis burrowed straight into Ma Huoxin's crown.

"Uncle Ma, be careful!" Having been tormented by the Innate Poison Insect, I knew how terrifying Gu insects were. Seeing the Blood Mantis burrow in, I could not help shouting.

Ma Huoxin gave a low grunt, but his movements did not change in the slightest. His dagger stabbed forward with lightning speed, and he was already in front of the man in black.

So fast!

Such agile movements!

A flash of blood—his dagger pierced the man in black's left chest, and blood sprayed out.

The man in black's pupils widened as he viciously kicked out with his right leg.

Ma Huoxin blocked with one hand and staggered back several steps. With a wail, he spat out a mouthful of black blood. The dagger in his hand was dripping with blood.

The man in black said, "Ma Huoxin, the Blood Mantis's poison acts with a speed rarely seen in the world. For a secret that has nothing to do with you, you're actually seeking your own death. Utterly foolish."

Ma Huoxin coughed violently, covering his mouth with one hand as black blood poured from his nostrils and mouth. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me." With a wild roar, he ordered the eight Walking Corpses to surround him.

I rushed over and supported Ma Huoxin. "Uncle Ma, are you all right? Your head is about to turn into a red lantern!"

After the Blood Mantis burrowed in through his bald head, the first thing affected would be a person's head.

Ma Huoxin had grown much weaker. "I killed a Green Mantis Gu before. But this time, it's a Blood Mantis Gu. Cough, cough... It's far beyond my abilities. I'm afraid I'm done for."

Only later did I learn that to create a Mantis Gu, one had to seal a female mantis and seven male mantises inside a vessel. After the female mantis devoured the males one by one, the last surviving one would become a Green Mantis Gu.

As for the Blood Mantis, the surviving mantis had to be soaked in the blood of a child who had died young for seven times seven, forty-nine days.

Not only was the Blood Mantis highly venomous, it also carried the evil resentment of a dead infant.

Before I could speak, something even more terrifying happened. Ma Huoxin's hands began turning blood-red as well.

"Kill him!" Ma Huoxin was practically issuing the command with his life.

The eight Walking Corpses swarmed forward, kicking wildly with hands and feet. Though the man in black had been stabbed in the chest, his movements had not slowed. Other than jumping, the eight Walking Corpses had no particularly refined fighting skills, so their destructive power was limited.

The man in black dodged and shifted repeatedly, retreating in an orderly manner. Then he leaped across to the other side of the stream, raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and shouted, "Ma Huoxin, don't think I won't find Xiao Tianxing or that child without you. Let 'Little Zombie' die with you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man in black clenched his right hand into a fist, then turned and vanished into the pitch-black mountain forest.

"Kunlun, run..." Ma Huoxin shoved me aside with all his strength. "He gave the Blood Mantis a kill order. Once it kills me, you're next."