Corpse Retrieval

Four people gathered on the riverbank.

Zhou Yang first looked at Zeweng and asked, "Is there still water on the snow-capped mountain?"

Zeweng immediately replied, "The snow is on the mountaintop, and the water is at the bottom."

"What kind of water do yaks drink?" Zhou Yang asked Zhima again.

"I won't drink muddy water, I'll only drink mountain spring water," Zhima replied nervously.

After that, Zhou Yang asked Jiekan similar questions.

The four exchanged the secret code and then smiled in relief.

After all, they were in a bizarre dream, Jiekan they dreamed of might not be the real Jiekan, and the Zhima they saw might not be the Zhima they thought she was. Therefore, Zhou Yang discussed with the three of them and came up with this set of codes.

Only the person who gives the correct code is the "real person".

"We've truly entered Sangsang River's dream..." Zeweng said, looking at the ripples in the river. "Now, how do we give her a sky burial?"

"Let's wait," Zhou Yang replied. "If she still wants us to send her away cleanly, she'll definitely appear in the river."

"Is Sangsang Tsen Demon, or is it this river?" Jiekan couldn't help but ask.

"Perhaps Sangsang is just Tsen Demon in this river, or perhaps Sangsang and this river have long been inseparable," Zhou Yang replied. "Wasn't Sangsang River originally named this river by the monks of Zongcha Gompa Temple to commemorate a woman named Sangsang who voluntarily sacrificed herself?"

Upon hearing his words, Zeweng and Zhima exchanged a glance but remained silent.

They knew all too well what "voluntary sacrifice" meant.

Therefore, they dared not discuss these matters with Zhou Yang at the moment.

After all, upstream of the Sangsang River, the watchtower of Zongcha Gompa Dharma Temple still stands tall.

Jiekan shook his head repeatedly. "I'm not willing to sacrifice myself!"

"Only a fool would willingly sacrifice themselves for the people in the temple—I've never seen anyone in the temple voluntarily sacrifice themselves for us..."

"Jiekan!" Zeweng's expression changed, and he immediately interrupted Jiekan with a stern voice, "You cannot insult monks or slander the esoteric school!"

"You'll be sent to the Vajra Hell, and you won't be allowed a sky burial after death!"

"Spit! Spit! You didn't say that before, and we washed our ears but we didn't hear it!" As he spoke, Zeweng and Zhima walked to the riverbank, trying to scoop up water from the river to wash their ears.

The secret cult has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in this region.

Even in their dreams, people like Zeweng and Zhima consciously followed all the rules of the secret religion.

Jiekan was also intimidated by Zeweng's stern expression, and he quickly said, "I never said what I said before, it was all nonsense..."

As he spoke, he spat forcefully onto the ground.

Zeweng squatted by the river and reached into the river to scoop up water.

He put his hand into the river, and as soon as he touched the icy cold water, goosebumps immediately rose on his arm!

This water is too cold!

It was so cold it felt like thousands of ice needles were hidden beneath the dark river surface.

Anyone who comes into contact with it will have their hands stinging from those ice needles!

Zeweng immediately sensed something was wrong and tried to pull his hand back. At that moment, the churning waves on the river surface suddenly calmed down, as if the entire river surface had been frozen.

Beneath the pitch-black river surface, a deathly pale figure floated to the surface! A putrid, salty stench assaulted Zeweng's nostrils!

"Splash!"

In an instant, the swollen female corpse at the bottom of the river burst through the surface!

Its hair spread out in the river like seaweed, and an extremely swollen arm covered with adipocere tightly gripped Zeweng's wrist!

A faint smile appeared at the corner of the female corpse's mouth.

Its eyes were tightly closed, and its body suddenly sank down.

As the body sank to the bottom of the river, the Zeweng it was clinging to was instantly half-submerged. He grabbed onto a bush on the bank with his other hand, trying to stop himself from drowning.

But as half of its body was dragged into the water, segments of arms resembling lotus roots suddenly grew out from beneath the surface!

Those arms scrambled to grab Zeweng's body as he fell into the water, frantically dragging him to the bottom of the river!

"Zhima, Zhima!"

"Aji-- "

Zeweng cried out in panic! Zhou Yang grabbed Zeweng's arm, Zhima held Zeweng's ankle, and Jiekan reached out and desperately tore at the pale arms that were dragging Zeweng's half-body!

With everyone working together, they finally managed to drag Zeweng ashore!

On the surface of the black water, the swollen and decomposing female corpse floated silently. The river swirled around its neck, turning its face to the crowd. A smile still lingered on its swollen face, as if asking, "Who will pull me ashore?"

Unable to calm his fright, Zeweng saw the female corpse on the river surface turn her face and "look" at him, and he retreated in terror!

Jiekan's face also showed some fear. "So many hands... and now they're all gone."

"They're all hidden beneath the surface!"

The female corpse floating in the river is extremely dangerous!

This is completely different from Quzha's description of retrieving a female corpse in his dream!

Zhou Yang carefully observed the female corpse and saw that its swollen body was covered with purple spots and bruises. Those scars seemed to be transforming into different faces.

The female corpse was that of the Tsen Demon who had escaped from his grasp earlier.

"I'll pull her ashore."

Zhou Yang finally said, "You all stay on the bank. If you notice anything amiss, immediately break free from this dream and wake me up." "You... you pull it ashore?" Zeweng looked at Zhou Yang in shock, then shook his head repeatedly, "No, no—there are many hands hidden in the water. If you get wet, it will drag you down and drown you!"

"The fact that it is still willing to emerge from the river and let us see it shows that it still has some hope for us."

"Do we really expect to be able to get it back completely clean?"

Zhou Yang shook his head, speaking as he kept his eyes glued to the female corpse floating on the river's surface:

"I am the only one who can make it return cleanly."

If it fails to seize this opportunity, it will be forever trapped in the turbid current, never to return to clarity.

Having said this, Zhou Yang ignored the advice of Zeweng and the others, walked to the riverbank, took off his outer robe, spread it out on the bank, then unbuttoned his inner garment and rolled up his trouser legs—

He then reached his hand into the river.

Beneath the surface, swollen arms resembling lotus roots suddenly emerged, attempting to grab Zhou Yang's hand.

But at that moment, a soft white light suddenly appeared on Zhou Yang's palm as he dipped it into the water.

At the same time, the Mindfulness between his eyebrows was touched once again.

Even now, as his mind is immersed in a dream, he still feels the presence of Mindfulness. This feeling is quite peculiar.

The arms that grew out of the water did not touch Zhou Yang's fingertips; they simply melted away like ice and snow upon contact with the white light emanating from Zhou Yang's palm.

Zhou Yang then stretched both arms into the water, parted the surface with his arms, and plunged into the river, swimming towards the female corpse floating in the middle of the river.

Countless swollen arms emerged from the water, attempting to pull Zhou Yang Zhou Yang, but each time they touched the warm white light surrounding him, they dissipated.

The pitch-black river water was gradually illuminated by the white light emanating from Zhou Yang.

The woman's body was still floating on the river in the distance.

On the not-so-wide Sangsang River, the distance between it and Zhou Yang seemed very, very far.

The putrid, fishy, and salty smell kept seeping into Zhou Yang's nostrils.

Zhou Yang focused solely on moving his body, swimming towards the female corpse that was getting further and further away from him.

Riverbank.

All the people saw was that after Zhou Yang went into the river, he kept swimming vigorously in the same spot.

He was only seven or eight steps away from the woman's corpse, but despite swimming for so long, he hadn't managed to shorten that distance even a fraction. Everyone's hearts were in their throats.

But gradually, perhaps because of Zhou Yang's movements in the river, the once tranquil surface of the river began to ripple.

The waves propelled Zhou Yang closer to the female corpse on the water's surface.

The female corpse on the water's surface was also being pushed by the waves, actively moving closer to Zhou Yang's figure.

Those seemingly insurmountable steps shortened and disappeared in an instant!

Zhou Yang embraced the female corpse in the water!

The pungent stench emanating from it transformed into a strange fragrance when illuminated by the white light manifested by Zhou Yang's Mindfulness.

The Corpse Bloat Form body seemed to have experienced a reversal of time—

All the bruises and scars have disappeared.

Her swollen figure has returned to its slender shape.

Zhou Yang saw her facial features clearly for the first time.

Her hair was very black and thick, and it was spread out around her cheeks, making her face look even smaller. Her small face had wheat-colored skin, curved eyeliner, and straight, long eyebrows.

This face is exceptionally beautiful.

Her neck was resting on Zhou Yang's arm, as if she were asleep.

Zhou Yang carried her and swam back to the riverbank.

As soon as they reached the riverbank, the female corpse was freed from Zhou Yang's arms, and immediately began to emit a strong stench of decay. Her once beautiful and slender figure began to swell.

Bruises and scars covered his entire body.

The Mindfulness emanating from Zhou Yang could no longer benefit her.

She would then turn back into that filthy and horrifying corpse.

In the eyes of Jiekan, Zeweng, and the others, the female corpse had always looked the same terrifying and horrifying as before, without ever changing.

Zhou Yang unfolded his outer robe and used it to completely cover the female corpse on the ground.

As he wiped the water droplets from his body with his undergarments, he asked the crowd, "I wonder what the monks of Zongcha Gompa did to Sangsang that led to her ultimate sacrifice?"

The female corpse was completely wrapped in a large Tibetan robe. Since the people couldn't see her, the fear on their faces lessened somewhat.

Upon hearing Zhou Yang's question, Jiekan opened his mouth to speak.

But then he remembered what had happened earlier, glanced at Zeweng beside him, and kept quiet.

Zeweng and Zhima both lowered their heads and remained silent.

"Although the identity of this female corpse is unclear, judging from the various signs she showed before, she should undoubtedly be Sangsang." Zhou Yang emphasized, "We will give her a sky burial, but we will not just cut open her body and offer her as alms to the Dakini, which would not be enough to send her off cleanly."

"Moreover, we must cleanse ourselves of the karmic entanglements that are binding her."

"Therefore, figuring out exactly how she died is also crucial."

After successfully burying Tsen Demon Zhuoma in the sky, Zhou Yang gained some insights.

These Tsen Demon are mostly fierce and vengeful souls that, even after death, still harbor immense obsessions.

Only by resolving their obsessions can they pass away peacefully.

Once you understand the obsession with Tsen Demon, Mindfulness is the key to establishing communication with Tsen Demon.

The people here, influenced by something unknown, mostly seem unable to cultivate "Mindfulness." This leads them to react differently when facing the Tsen Demon, either like Deqin, who uses various means to fight against it, or like Zeweng Gonpo Tsen Demon, who avoid the Tsen Demon at all costs.

Sangsang...

"Sangsang has been dead for many years. My father said when he was still alive that Sangsang had been dead for over a hundred years."

Zeweng kept his head down, but he finally spoke, muttering, "It is said that Sangsang was the daughter of a Chaba family. When she was sixteen, another Chaba gave her family some sheep, and she was betrothed to that family."

She herself had her eye on that family's son.

"But then one day, a monk from Zongcha Gompa came to chant sutras for her deceased mother. At that moment, she suddenly had an epiphany, felt the mystery of ' Esoteric Nature,' and single-mindedly followed the monk to Zongcha Gompa..."