A Viral Check-In Spot

Perhaps because the spiritual power Yu Zhi had just released had killed quite a few Corpse Bugs, and because Zhang Qiling cultivated the Ice and Fire Qilin Art, the bugs were afraid of them. Not a single Corpse Bug remained beside the boat.

"Let's go over to those bodies. Xiaoguan, keep your spiritual power fluctuations under control." Yu Zhi steered the boat toward the dead men as he spoke. Corpse Bugs crawled thickly over their bodies. Anyone with trypophobia or a fear of bugs would surely faint on the spot at the sight, but none of these three were ordinary people: two were accustomed to such sights, while the third was practically bursting with curiosity and excitement.

When Hei Xiazi saw the deranged excitement on Yu Zhi's face, he felt in his heart for the first time that anyone who could get together with Mute really was no normal person.

Zhang Qiling, on the other hand, was unfazed. He thought Yu Zhi was cute no matter what he looked like. He wanted to kiss him.

Yu Zhi simply wasn't afraid of bugs, and he was a little excited to have arrived at the legendary viral check-in spot, that was all.

"Here it comes. Focus. It's the red one that can fly. There's a Hexagonal Bell on this Corpse Bug King's tail. It can cause hallucinations," Zhang Qiling warned the other two.

"Mm. Xiaoguan, use your fire spiritual power to restrain it. Don't kill it; leave it alive for him to devour. Oh, and crush that bell. There's no use keeping it."

"All right," Zhang Qiling answered.

Yu Zhi was wondering why Hei Xiazi hadn't made a sound. He turned around and, good grief, the man had gone completely vacant. Yu Zhi mocked him without mercy. "You little noob, your cultivation really isn't up to scratch."

Yu Zhi stepped up and punched him twice in the face, controlling his strength precisely enough to leave no wounds or marks while still making it hurt. As he hit him, he said, "Wake up. Stop fucking sleeping. Keep sleeping and your money will be gone."

He absolutely, positively was not using the opportunity to settle a personal grudge!

"Ow, ow!" Hei Xiazi cried, clutching his face.

"All right, stop howling. Hurry over and circulate your cultivation technique to devour it. Xiaoguan's already beaten it half to death." Yu Zhi hurriedly stopped Hei Xiazi from carrying on. He was just too noisy.

Hei Xiazi eagerly scurried over and took in the Corpse Bug King. He felt his spiritual power rise sharply. Having someone feed him right to his mouth was just so thoughtful, so damn satisfying.

"Let's go see how many of that lot are still alive," Hei Xiazi said, as blackhearted as ever.

"Wait."

Yu Zhi took two Voice-Transmission Jade Slips from his storage space. They were the two jade pendants he had carved earlier at the Zhang Family ancestral residence, now threaded with black cords. The cords had also been tempered with spiritual power and were made of the same material as the Black Gold Ancient Saber, making them sturdy and durable. After recording their auras, he put one around Zhang Qiling's neck, then put the other on himself.

"Xiaoguan, with this we can communicate directly. It's easy to use. You just need to use spiritual power to inscribe a voice message. But the straight-line distance can't exceed five thousand li. It has a location function, too."

What Yu Zhi had made was a defective product. It wasn't that his skills were lacking; the materials and usable resources were simply limited. He had made it work like a mobile phone's calling function, with none of the other features, such as projection. The advantage was that it didn't need charging or phone credit, and it was discreet and couldn't be tapped.

"Where's mine? Where's mine?" Hei Xiazi hurriedly asked, watching the two of them act all lovey-dovey with their necklaces. He was afraid that if he was too late, he wouldn't get a share of this good thing. This was a treasure!

As it happened, Yu Zhi really hadn't prepared one for Hei Xiazi. He had only thought to take them out now because they might run into trouble and get separated later, with no way to contact each other. He hadn't prepared one for Hei Xiazi at all.

Seeing Yu Zhi remain silent, Hei Xiazi was already preparing to throw a tantrum and roll on the floor.

"Don't howl. I'll make you one right now." Yu Zhi quickly took out the materials and began forming hand seals to make it.

It was the first time either Hei Xiazi or Zhang Qiling had seen something so miraculous. Yu Zhi's fingers flew and spiritual power surged. It took him about ten minutes to finish, after which he used spiritual power to bore a hole in one corner, threaded it with some leftover black cord, and handed it to Hei Xiazi.

"There. Hurry and put it on."

Hei Xiazi took it and examined it in his hand, then quickly reached out and pulled at the one around Zhang Qiling's neck. As he compared them, he muttered,

"Xiao Yu, if I'm not mistaken, why does mine look so much like a scrap left over from you two? Yours have qilins and portraits on them. Mine's a weird shape, and it doesn't even have a pattern."

"You're lucky you got one at all. It has all the same functions inside. Time was short and the task was urgent, so don't be too picky." Yu Zhi tried hard not to laugh.

"You're the scrap," Zhang Qiling remarked coolly from the side.

Hei Xiazi was so angry he wanted to curse him out, but then he took in their surroundings and quietly sent Zhang Qiling a message through the Voice-Transmission Jade Slip. It was also a chance to test how to use it. "Well, well, Mute. The dog that bites really doesn't bark. You're so cruel."

When he saw Zhang Qiling start cursing him with his expression, he knew the other man had received his warm greeting. He then tucked the slip into the innermost layer of his clothes like a precious treasure.

Yu Zhi could understand Zhang Qiling's expression, because at such a short distance, he had heard Hei Xiazi curse him twice.

"Get serious. We're getting close. They've been entangled by a Corpse Charm. Xiaoguan, don't make a move later." Yu Zhi didn't want Zhang Qiling to let his blood. Though he did want to see that famous kneeling scene, Zhang Qiling would surely radiate such domineering power that Yu Zhi would be utterly captivated!

"Got it."

"Mm."

The farther they went, the larger the cave opening grew, and the stream began to widen. They could stand up in the boat now. Scattered bones began appearing on both sides of the waterway, some human and some animal. Judging by their age, most were from a very long time ago. Gradually, rotting corpses began to appear ahead, eerie green ghost flames flickering around them. The stench of their decay lingered in their nostrils, making Yu Zhi retch and vomit into the water. It was too overwhelming, and he hadn't been prepared. Although he had held his breath in time, he had already smelled it.

When Yu Zhi looked up after vomiting, he saw the crystal coffin suspended against the rock wall. It was empty inside. The Corpse Charm had probably gone after that group.

"Wu Sansheng, what do we do? The way ahead is blocked."

The female corpse in white had originally been lying in the coffin. Somehow, she had suddenly gone ahead and blocked the exit. Her white robes billowed, and her hair reached her feet. They couldn't tell which side her face was on.

"Careful. This thing looks like a zongzi from the Western Zhou dynasty." Huo Ling had noticed it and spoke up.

Everyone in their group was in the business, and once she pointed it out, they all recognized it. The ornamentation on the belt did seem to be a pattern used only during the Western Zhou.

"We can't go any farther. Qi Yu, do you have a way?"

"There is a way. This is a Corpse Charm, and she wants to follow us out of the cave. We just need to tie someone up facing backward, and none of us can look back." Qi Yu held a compass and examined it closely. His words sent a chill through the group.

Everyone understood: he meant for the Corpse Charm to possess that person. Once she had found a body, she wouldn't go looking for anyone else. But they had just lost three capable hands to the Corpse Bugs. Only fifteen people had set out, and they had lost a quarter of them before even reaching the tomb. What were they supposed to do next?

For a moment, the air froze. It went without saying that the person would surely die, or even suffer a fate worse than death.

When Yu Zhi heard this, he hurriedly signaled the other two to get ready. They were about to go out. He couldn't let the Corpse Charm, such a great tonic, get away. Once she possessed someone and got out, catching her again wouldn't be easy.

Just as the group was hesitating, they noticed another boat approaching from behind. Everyone looked over. There were only three people aboard: one had a face so fresh it looked as though water could be squeezed from it, and the other two looked icy. All of them were very young, and one had even come in wearing white. Wu Sansheng and the others glanced at one another, exchanging a look: it seemed someone looking for death had arrived.

The men in the boat also breathed a sigh of relief. Now that there were other people, they wouldn't have to throw their lives away for nothing.