Deep in the Living

Chapter 705 Missing
The red passageway deep within the corpse-refining shop.

The maid walked over barefoot with light steps.

The wax dripping from her body would be automatically absorbed by the ground and solidify into red wax on the wall.

She held a wooden tray in her hands, filled with carefully prepared dishes.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The maid paused slightly as she entered, because the lady before her was chatting animatedly with a young scholar, completely unlike her usual serious demeanor. If the master were to see this, it would be quite a scene.

A sumptuous meal was served.
Unlike Roddy's crow blood dinner last night, today at Madam's place we were able to enjoy bright red braised pork, red mustard greens, red abalone soup, and red rice.

Before the maid turned to leave,
Suddenly, the lady reached into the back of her head and pulled out some kind of waxy substance, which was then rubbed and put back in.

As a result, she had no recollection of delivering food that evening, nor of Roddy being there.

"Eat up~ Since you're working for me now, there's no need to rush to turn into a zombie... Besides, you were just pretending to turn into a zombie anyway."

"I'll take care of this body for you then; I won't need to drink crow's blood to make it stiff."

As she spoke, the lady reached out and picked up the leather pouches stacked on the chair. Being a skilled craftswoman, she knew the pouches' uniqueness and complexity with just a touch.

"Who crafted this body of yours, making it so exquisite! Inside, there truly is a sprouting monster, with a complete pituitary gland, perfectly nested within your flesh."

I am in charge of the main work of corpse refining at the Jiang family mansion, and I have never seen such a body before.

"My girlfriend made it. She's also a plant maturer and a member of Whirlpool Town. We were both originally invited by Uncle Zhou, but she had some personal matters to attend to recently, so I came alone."

I suppose the Jiang family doesn't have a good reputation, which is why I thought of disguising myself first.

The lady didn't seem to care about Luo Di's words. She turned her gaze to the window. "The disguise was the right thing to do... I didn't expect there to be so many capable young people in this corner. I haven't left here in a long time. Let's eat first. The food will get cold soon. Don't worry, these aren't corpses."

"Row."

Luo Di picked up a piece of braised pork, and it was unexpectedly delicious.

There was no further conversation for the time being; Roddy was completely absorbed in the meal, and his body grew warmer and warmer.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Madam. I'll head back now and come back tomorrow morning."

"Wait... chat with me for a while."

Tell me about what's happening outside, tell me about Vortex Town. You don't have to tell me anything involving organizational secrets; I just want a general overview. I haven't been out in a long time.

This was the second time the lady had emphasized that she hadn't left the house in a long time, so Luo Di took the opportunity to ask, "Is it impossible for the lady to leave the Jiang residence?"

"Yes, from the moment I married the master, it was destined that I would spend most of my life in the Corpse Refining Shop. Currently, my soul is bound to the Corpse Refining Shop, and it will stop working once I leave here."

Since the master has lost his physical body, I need to stay here day and night.

Furthermore, with the recent disappearance of my dispatched housekeeper, it's even less likely that I'll leave.

“I see. Then let me tell you about some recent events in the corner, including some of my personal experiences.”

Roddy patiently recounted his experiences in the corner, the various organizations he encountered, and the current state of Vortex Town.

The lady listened with great interest, resting her head on her hands and leaning her whole body on the table.

Although his face was covered with a red cloth, his eyes remained fixed on the young man.

She could tell that the other person wasn't lying and was genuinely telling her about the outside world and their own bizarre experiences.

When the story was finished, the lady poured tea again and helped Roddy clear his throat. It seemed like it had been a long time since she had treated him with such sincerity.

Perhaps the recounting of this experience reminded the lady of the past, or perhaps it was because she hadn't had a conversation like this with anyone in a long time, she slowly began to tell her story.

"Women named Wu Wen are so lucky, unlike me~ I've never been able to get such things... I was just an ordinary monster who suffered severe burns in my previous life, and therefore I'm afraid of candles."

It's not particularly powerful; in fact, it's just one of the weaker monsters.

I was left with broken arms and legs as soon as I arrived at the corner. I happened to run into Uncle Bo, who took me back after seeing that I was of Chinese descent.

At that time, the corpse-refining shop was managed by another old steward who repaired my injuries. I quickly completed the transformation from a zombie and became a servant in the Jiang family.

From this perspective alone, I am very grateful to the Jiang family, which is one of the reasons why I have always been willing to stay here.
Because my fear trait perfectly matched that of the corpse-refining shop, I was recruited as an apprentice. Unexpectedly, I actually had quite a talent, and by the time my plants matured, my mastery of corpse-refining techniques had surpassed that of the old steward at the time.

When the master learned of this, he immediately married me.

However, the wedding was essentially a binding arrangement, allowing me to stay at the corpse refining shop and manage everything there, while also facilitating the transmission of the essence of the Jiang family's corpse refining techniques. From the first day of our marriage, I moved here to live.

The master comes occasionally, but we never have sex. After all, as the manager of the corpse refining shop, my yang energy only grows stronger, and the two bodies are extremely incompatible.

Even if someone had such thoughts now, that old man wouldn't be able to.

I had wanted you to stay with me tonight.

"Alright then~ Remember to send me an invitation on your wedding day."

"You still don't know the lady's name?"

"exquisite."

"Alright, I'll come to visit again first thing tomorrow morning... I'll try my best to find out more about the butler's disappearance."

……

【Sin City - Southern Exit】

The dilapidated post station remains here, but the efficiency of recruiting new staff has decreased due to the disappearance of some dispatched stewards.

Uncle Liang, the dispatched butler mainly in charge of the City of Sin, could only work overtime.

Once he has gathered twenty people, he will send them directly to the Jiang residence. After sending them off, he will return to his original location as soon as possible to prevent any newcomers from missing out.

At this time,

A series of heavy footsteps slowly approached, so heavy that the entire post station trembled slightly as they drew near.

A mysterious man, completely shrouded in a trench coat and wearing a tall hat, arrived at the post station. He was over three meters tall and could not be contained in an ordinary coffin.

He stood at the entrance of the post station, holding a recruitment notice for new employees.

At the same time,

A cloth shoe appeared silently behind the burly man.

"Ahem! I'm sorry, the Jiang family only recruits Chinese people, and you don't have the corresponding bloodline scent... Also, please don't tear down the notices we post next time."

As punishment, please be my lunch; this journey has been quite tiring.

Uncle Liang immediately bit down on the man's neck.

Little did I know that this bite felt like biting into a metal plate. Although I managed to bite through it, there was no blood or life inside.

suddenly,

The mysterious man turned around and swung his hand.

Uncle Liang tried to dodge but it was too late; he could only raise his hand to block... *smack!* The sound was deafening!
Half of Uncle Liang's body was slapped open, leaving his skin torn and bleeding, but this was not his true body.

In an instant, the entire post station began to tremble, multiple giant arms rose from the ground, the post station door transformed into a mouth, and Uncle Liang revealed his true monstrous form.

Half an hour passed.

The already dilapidated post station is now even more run-down, with foul-smelling black blood flowing from the damaged walls.

However, Uncle Liang emerged victorious.

A humanoid life form with stitches all over its body lay before me, much like the famous Frankenstein's monster.

"We must bring this back to the Jiang residence! By tracing it back to the source, we can find out who is behind this... I didn't expect them to find us so quickly, they are truly impressive."

Just as Uncle Liang was carrying the heavy corpse back to the post station, preparing to return to the Jiang residence, he suddenly noticed something was wrong with the coffin inside his body.

"Wait! There were already nine newcomers placed in coffins, but now there are only eight... Could it be that!"

The voice just fell.

A dark figure was already standing at the entrance of the post station, seemingly carrying a hand axe.

hum!
It felt like something was slashing towards us.
Uncle Liang's vision was stained crimson.

Immediately afterwards, the already dilapidated building split open from the middle, accompanied by a violent wail, and the post station turned into a pool of pus emitting black smoke, completely dead.

(End of this chapter)