Wu Chou also mingled among the corpse drivers. They were all uglier and stranger than ordinary people, and they were also very tall. At first glance, they looked like a dozen brothers.
The corpse-drivers circled the rows of corpses, placing their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, and hopped and jumped around the corpses, making strange movements as they did so.
The two corpse-drivers at the front and back of the procession each held a bell, which they swayed left and right before ringing it.
The other corpse drivers chanted obscure incantations. A person stood inside the corpse, holding a peach wood sword with talismans stuck in it, aiming at the most terrifying-looking corpse, which was only one step away from becoming a zombie.
While chanting incantations, the talisman spontaneously combusted without fire.
[Music Festival Train Ride: Fragrant Tree Village Version]
Holy crap, if these corpses had consciousness, wouldn't they think these people are so enthusiastic? Hahahaha!
The villagers gathered around to watch, and everyone seemed completely unfazed by the sight, showing no fear of the corpse.
Pu Sang asked the old woman next to him curiously, "Grandma, what is the significance of this ceremony?"
"Oh, it's to dispel ghostly energy."
The old woman explained, "Those zombies have been terrifying lately. They're always jumping around the mortuary, and they've tainted these ordinary corpses with ghostly energy. I'm afraid they might suddenly turn into zombies again."
"That serious?"
Pu Sang scratched his head thoughtfully, then leaned closer to Si Yan, " Brother Yan, your eyes are practically popping out of your head."
Si Yan withdrew her gaze, pursing her lips in frustration, " Nuonuo's ignoring Zhou Yize, not me."
"It's simple. Just prove to Brother Nuo that you're more useful than President Zhou, and he'll pay attention to you."
Despite being a young adult and not yet in a relationship, Pu Sang, with his wealth of theoretical knowledge, offered this advice.
Before Si Yan could come up with a good solution, the corpse-drivers, who had just been circling the corpses, suddenly changed direction and began to jump and sway their bodies around the group of guests.
The guests were surrounded by them. Because the corpse drivers had banners stuck behind them and were tall, they almost formed a wall.
Jiang Nuo had been staring at their faces, but the corpse-drivers ran faster and faster until his eyes were blurry.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Si Yan grabbed Jiang Nuo's hand and wouldn't let go, still looking dejected.
"Don't be afraid!" He Jiu's voice came from outside the human wall. "This is a unique welcoming ceremony in Fragrant Tree Village, which is said to remove bad luck from people from other villages."
"Really?" Jiang Nuo touched her eyes thoughtfully. "What about Wu Chou? Is he from this village?"
It's said that Wu Chou's master is from Fragrant Tree Village, so he himself shouldn't have any connection with this village.
Seemingly upon hearing his own name, Wu Chou suddenly looked down at him, his pupils deep and dark, like those of a ghostly soldier from hell.
"Hey, you're glaring at me."
Jiang Nuo looked up and glared back without hesitation, and that glare revealed a problem.
"Why are Wu Chou's eyes so lifeless?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the corpse-driver who had been running around them stopped.
After running for so long without even taking a breath, he sprinkled a few drops of water seeping from the talisman onto the guest group.
Jiang Nuo also tossed back a few talismans as a token of politeness.
Zhou Yize shook his head, feeling dizzy. He was about to speak when he saw that the others were acting as if nothing was wrong.
Especially Si Yan, who looks so delicate and frail, but is actually more energetic than anyone else.
He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and waited for the dizziness to pass; neither of them had lost.
" Master Jiang, our ceremony concludes here. However, tonight... the zombies might return to the mortuary; these corpses are truly dangerous."
The village chief approached, bowing respectfully to the group of guests as if seeking their help, "May I trouble you to send some men to guard the mortuary tonight?"
"Ideally, the number of people should be equal, and the other team will stay at my house to prevent zombies from appearing in the village."
Ah! The "separate characters in a horror movie are doomed" principle!
"That's not a good idea. Places with corpses are bound to be haunted. Who would want to go there?"
[Blind guess! It's a young couple and President Zhou! Their complicated relationship is so entangled that no one can separate them!]
"Guarding the mortuary..." Jiang Nuo muttered to himself, nodding thoughtfully.
To be honest, now that he knows his Love Soul won't be on the show, he's really not interested in these tasks anymore.
However, this task awards quite a lot of points.
Jiang Nuo successfully convinced herself and raised her hand, indicating, "Then I'll go."
Si Yan immediately said, " Nuonuo, I'll stay with you."
He nudged the Pu Sang on the shoulder, and the latter reluctantly raised his hand, "Okay, I'll go too."
While Si Yan Zhou Yize hesitated, Si Yan quickly pointed to Wu Chou, " Wu Chou is a corpse driver, he's more familiar with corpses, so he'll come with us."
There were already four people going to the mortuary, and Zhou Yize absolutely refused to go with them.
Seemingly sensing that Si Yan was deliberately targeting him, Zhou Yize shrugged and said nothing.
He valued his life and didn't want to spend the night with a bunch of corpses.
Zhou Yize touched his head again; he was so dizzy that he could barely walk.
He thought he was the only one feeling unwell and didn't notice that Li Ta was scratching his neck frequently, getting increasingly rough, as if he was unbearably itchy.
Lin Yu observed their appearance, turned his back, and rolled up his sleeves. His arms were covered with dense rashes, the tips of which were yellowish and transparent, like blisters.
His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly relaxed them when Jiang Nuo looked at him, and turned to leave as if nothing had happened.
--
Night fell.
Inside the mortuary, only a dim light was lit in the outer room, with the power cord hanging in the air, swaying precariously in the wind.
The coffin was still bound by iron chains and suspended on the wooden stool. The corpse that had undergone the exorcism ritual during the day was returned to the coffin.
The four of them had a makeshift dormitory next to a pile of coffins, with a simple bamboo bed, where they could observe any movement around them at any time.
Si Yan is sensitive to the cold, especially the damp chill of the night. Wearing a coat didn't help, and she huddled in the blankets, her face pale.
He clung to Jiang Nuo's arm, not daring to cross the line, for fear of being disliked or scolded again.
Pu Sang yawned, propped his chin up, and continued counting the stars in the yard, his tone utterly resigned, "Are we really going to have to endure this until dawn?"
Jiang Nuo: "Why don't you invite some zombies out to play?"
"... No need!" Pu Sang immediately straightened up.
" Nuonuo... I need to go out for a while."
Si Yan nudged Jiang Nuo, who was sitting on the outermost side of the dormitory-style bed, in a very soft voice.
Jiang Nuo glanced at him, but didn't ask where he was going. She jumped off the bamboo bed and let him out, but her eyes followed him the whole time.
Si Yan had walked several meters away when he turned back to report.
"I'm going to the bathroom. If I don't come back for a long time, Nuonuo, remember to come and rescue me."
Jiang Nuo said sarcastically, "I wouldn't dare. You think you're so great? You're the young master of the Dao Xuan Association!"
Si Yan: "..." sobs
I told you we couldn't let our identities slip!
He left angrily, passing through the outer room to the toilet.