The Terror of the Heavens Begins with Gu

Chapter 249 Seeing the Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning and Detective Li's Plan

Continuing forward, Li Zhen saw a large number of corpses that were beginning to decompose in the woods.

There were not only human corpses here, but also numerous horse corpses, and various kinds of cold weapons could be seen among the corpses.

Judging from the tattered clothes on the corpses, these people were definitely not ordinary people.

These corpses had already begun to decompose, and their life essence had long been drained by the vampires, so they were of little value to Li Zhen or the vampires.

Ignoring the corpses, Li Zhen led Zhou Le'an and the other two, along with the vampires and others, forward.

The Jiang family was a well-known wealthy and influential family in Fukang County, and their courtyard was built in a very luxurious manner.

Once you leave the grove, you can see the Jiang family compound in the distance.

However, although the courtyard here is large, it is not very lively. At first glance, the black tiles and blue bricks look a bit like a haunted house, too gloomy.

Even from a distance, Li Zhen could sense the yin energy and corpse energy within the courtyard.

Without a doubt, the number of corpses hidden in this courtyard reached a level that surprised Li Zhen; it was not a haunted house, but it was even more haunted than one.

Even ordinary haunted houses don't have as strong an eerie atmosphere as this courtyard.

“That’s the Jiang family home,” Zhou Le’an said. “People in the county say that the first few wives the Jiang family married were all murdered. After they died, the Jiang family didn’t hold a funeral or buy a coffin to bury them, as if nothing had happened. Some people say that Master Jiang eats people, and that those people were eaten by Master Jiang.”

"Have you met Master Jiang?"

"I met him once. He has a long beard and a very serious expression; he doesn't look like a good person. What do you want to see this Master Jiang for? Will he help you? Is Master Jiang really that capable?"

"It's not about seeing him, it's about seeing someone from the Jiang family. Let's go."

Li Zhen was the first to walk towards the Jiang family's house.

Upon approaching the outer perimeter of the Jiang family's residence, he discovered numerous dead birds on the ground, their life essence drained.

Without a doubt, this must have been done by a flying zombie.

That thing really does suck blood at the sight of it, regardless of whether it's human or animal.

Upon arriving at this location, the vampire began to resist the order to approach the Jiang family's courtyard, clearly fearing what was inside.

Not just vampires, but also banshees and demonic fetuses.

Li Zhen glanced at the gloomy sky and continued walking forward.

The demonic fetus suddenly appeared before Li Zhen and said, "There seems to be something scary in here. I felt very frightened as soon as I got here..."

Li Zhen said, "That thing was hiding inside last night."

The demon fetus paused for a moment: "Then what are we doing here?"

"It won't come out during the day, so don't worry."

After walking through a long alley, Li Zhen and the others arrived at the Jiang family's door.

At that moment, a fat man dressed as a servant, who looked somewhat like Lin Xue, was sweeping the ground outside the gate.

The man glanced at Li Zhen and the others a few times, then said listlessly, "What are you here for? The master is in a bad mood lately and won't see any guests."

Li Zhen stared at the other person for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Which one of the wind, thunder, rain, and lightning is it?"

The man frowned and glanced at Li Zhen a few times: "Who are you? A fellow traveler? I don't think I've seen you before. You're so young and have such an air about you. If I had seen you before, I would definitely remember you."

Just then, a loud shout came from the courtyard.

The fat man outside the door turned his head to look inside.

Soon, three men rushed out of the door.

A man holding a compass said to the fat man, "Senior brother, something bad has happened! I just checked the compass and found that it's moving again! Look! It's pointing this way!"

"It's broad daylight, surely that thing won't be out and about, right?"

The fat man dropped the broom he was holding, quickly took the compass, and found that the needle inside the compass was indeed still moving.

He looked in the direction the pointer was swinging, and his gaze fell on the vampire standing behind Li Zhen, covered by clothes. His expression became even more serious.

The other three understood what was going on, exchanged glances, and all looked at the vampire on Li Zhen's body.

One of them whispered to the fat man, "Senior brother, who is this? The compass is reacting strongly; the other side... is terrifying..."

The fat man winked at the other three, then coughed lightly, clasped his hands in a fist and said to Li Zhen, "I am Feng, one of the three winds of wind, thunder, rain and lightning. I am a few years older and the eldest brother. These three are my junior brothers, Lei, Yu and Dian."

He pointed to each of the three men, and finally asked tentatively, "May I ask which path you have taken? And why have you suddenly found your way here?"

Li Zhen stated frankly, "You don't need to worry. The zombie behind me is one I raised; it won't hurt anyone. I encountered that flying zombie as soon as I arrived in the county last night..."

"Flying zombie?! Did I hear that right?"

Upon hearing the word "flying zombie," the four men's expressions immediately changed, and one of them couldn't help but interrupt.

Li Zhen nodded: "That's right, it's a flying zombie, otherwise my zombie wouldn't have been injured to this extent."

The eldest brother pointed to the wind behind him and said to Li Zhen, "This is not a suitable place to talk. Let's go inside and talk."

Knowing their background, Li Zhen had no worries and led the group and several evil spirits into the Jiang family's house.

A man wearing a melon-shaped hat and a long gown, dressed like a butler, just walked out of the living room inside the main gate.

Seeing so many people walk in, he immediately said with displeasure, "Why did you bring so many people in? Didn't the master say he didn't want to see guests?"

Wind and Rain, who were walking at the front, quickly explained to the steward that these were his poor relatives who had come to see him, not the master.

The butler frowned even more: "The Jiang family isn't a place where just any random person can come. If something goes missing inside, you won't be able to explain it clearly. Just let them leave after the meeting."

The fellow disciples nodded repeatedly, assuring that nothing unexpected would happen, and led Li Zhen and the others to turn left and head towards their residence.

The butler watched Li Zhen's figure disappear thoughtfully, then suddenly turned around and hurriedly walked out.

Upon entering a shabby room, Feng peered through the doorway. Seeing no one outside, he closed the door and eagerly asked, "Did you really see that flying zombie? Sit down and have some tea."

He walked quickly to the table and poured Li Zhen a cup of tea.

Li Zhen sat down without any hesitation and made no attempt to hide his experience: "Last night, as soon as I arrived in Fukang County, I encountered that flying zombie. It must have been foraging for food in the county town and sensed me, its delicious prey, as well as the powerful corpse energy of my zombie body. It wanted to devour us both, so it couldn't wait to find us. This young man is from Fukang County and saw that zombie with his own eyes last night."

The last sentence was said while patting Zhou Le'an on the shoulder.

Although he didn't recognize the four people in front of him, Zhou Le'an still mustered up his courage and said, "I saw it, it's terrifying, they can suck a person to death with a single breath!"

The fellow disciples exchanged glances again, and Lei, with his calm demeanor, said, "You saw that zombie and managed to escape unscathed?"

Li Zhen shook his head: "I didn't escape unscathed. My zombie was badly injured and hasn't recovered yet. If this young man hadn't lit a fire last night, I might not have been able to get out."

The youngest member, Dian, suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! So you were the ones who started that fire last night! We could see flames rising from our side last night!"

The facts matched up, and the two brothers had largely believed Li Zhen's words, but they still had doubts about Li Zhen's identity. Feng said, "After saying so much, I still don't know your name or where you come from."

They all wore queues, except for Li Zhen, who had short hair. He looked very strange to them, resembling some of the barbarians from certain legendary places, which increased their suspicions.

Li Zhen casually replied, "I come from western Hunan. I belong to the lineage of corpse driving and witchcraft. My surname is Li and my given name is Zhen, the 'Zhen' in 'investigation.' I just happened to be passing through Fukang County this time."

This identity explained the origin of the zombie, which relieved Feng Lei Yu Dian and the others.

After a pause, Li Zhen continued, "As soon as I stepped out, I heard that Master Ji of Maoshan was leading his disciples to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path all over the world, killing countless monsters and ghosts."

"I heard a while ago that Master Ji and his disciples went missing after encountering a powerful zombie in Fukang County. I happened to be in Fukang County this time, thinking that I might be able to see Master Ji. Who would have thought that I would encounter a flying zombie as soon as I arrived here."

"I know that you are all highly skilled and could not have been killed by zombies so easily. However, I am still somewhat surprised to see you all at the Jiang family."

Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning nodded.

This statement is somewhat unclear. For example, how would they know that the master and apprentice disappeared after encountering zombies?

However, it is still quite convincing overall.

In these turbulent times, with demons running rampant everywhere, it is common knowledge within the community that Master Ji of Maoshan led his disciples down the mountain to exorcise demons.

However, Feng Lei Yu Dian and the others were unaware that even Li Zhen, who was far away in the Miao village in western Hunan, knew about this matter.

This shows that what they did was not in vain, and the deaths of their many fellow disciples were not in vain. It is something to be proud of and happy about.

Thinking of his deceased master and many deceased junior brothers, Feng Lei Yu Dian felt somewhat melancholy.

After a moment, Feng perked up and asked, "Then what brings you to the Jiang family?"

Li Zhen countered, "That zombie is in the Jiang family's house, didn't you find it?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of the four people, leaving them feeling utterly chilled.

The youngest one hurriedly asked, "Are you sure?"

Li Zhen said calmly, "I fought it just last night, so it's impossible for me to mistake its aura. Didn't you sense even the slightest trace of its corpse energy?"

After exchanging glances with the other three, Feng said, "The Jiang family... the Jiang family has many corpses, and the aura of death is too chaotic."

"You mean those dried corpses?"

"You know about the Jiang family's preserved corpse?"

"The Jiang family's corpse-preserving techniques are renowned far and wide. As a corpse raiser, how could I not know about them?"

“Our compass can react to the aura of corpses. To be honest, we originally followed the aura of corpses to the Jiang family. Who knew that when we finally found the place using the compass, we found a room full of dried corpses.”

"That's terrible. After consuming a large amount of life essence, that zombie has developed a certain level of intelligence and knows that the Jiang family is a safe place to hide. It uses the Jiang family as its hideout and only goes out to hunt for food at night, so it's very difficult for you to find it."

These words made the expressions of Feng Lei Yu Dian and the others even more somber.

Originally, there were more than just these four Maoshan disciples who came to Fukang County together, but after encountering that zombie, only the four of them, who were close disciples, were left.

They knew all too well how terrifying that zombie was.

If that zombie really does develop some intelligence, the level of horror it would be unimaginable.

After a long silence, Feng said with a wry smile, "What...what are your plans?"

Li Zhen said frankly, "Naturally, we should try to get rid of that zombie as soon as possible, otherwise the entire Fukang County will become its hunting ground, and who knows how many more people will die."

"Since we've encountered a few of you here, it's truly a case of 'when all hope is lost, all hope is lost.' With your help and Master Ji's assistance, eliminating the flying zombie isn't impossible."

Feng sighed, "To be honest, on the day we discovered the zombie, Master lit the swamp gas in the cemetery where the zombie was buried in order to save us, intending to perish together with the zombie. When we went back to look for it later, we couldn't even find Master's body."

Li Zhen shook his head: "You lot are really confused. The zombie isn't dead, so how can you believe that Master Ji would have died there?"

Feng suddenly looked up: "You mean, you mean..."

Unable to contain himself, Dian blurted out, "Our master is alright?"

“The explosive power of marsh gas is limited; it's impossible for it to obliterate a person completely. Since you didn't find Master Ji's remains there, it means that Master Ji may have used the explosion to escape quietly,” Li Zhen said. “Just like what I did last night.”

He looked at the group of people in front of him and said, "To be honest, I have a natural sense of intuition. Before I tracked down the Jiang family, I had a feeling that something good was going to happen, so I came directly to the Jiang family and happened to meet you all."

"The same applies to the matter of Master Ji. Perhaps Master Ji is also looking for a few people."

Excitement was evident on the faces of the four: Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning.

"If only it were like that," Feng said.

Yu continued, "If that's the case, how can we find our master as soon as possible?"

Li Zhen said, "Every extra night we wait, the zombie will kill countless more people. I want to find a way to get rid of that zombie tonight, so naturally, the sooner we find Master Ji, the better."

"That zombie often hunts for people in the county town. Master Ji is very likely hiding in the county town. Why don't you all just give some money and find someone to put up a sign with Master Ji's name on it and wander around the county town? Master Ji will eventually hear it."

Feng slapped his thigh: "That's a good idea. Even if we don't track that zombie, Master will still need to find food, and there's a high chance it's in the county town."

He turned and said a few words to the other three.

Dian immediately said, "I'll do it!"

After saying that, he immediately ran towards the door.

At this moment, Feng asked Li Zhen, "That zombie is terrifying. I wonder what your plan is?"

Li Zhen said, "The plan to eliminate the zombie is secondary. The first thing to do is to find a way to clear away the Jiang family's shrouded corpses without disturbing the zombie."

"There are too many corpses, and they've been preserved for a long time. Under the influence of that zombie, they're very likely to turn into zombies, which would have a huge impact on us."

The Jiang family has too many undead corpses; if they were to turn into zombies, it would be truly terrifying.

This is a factor that needs to be considered.

Feng and the other two exchanged a few glances.

Lei, looking distressed, said, "Master Jiang has done nothing wrong to us. He keeps us here to work and pays us wages honestly. We should discuss this with Master Jiang first."

Yu said, "You're confused. How could Master Jiang possibly agree to clean up those preserved corpses? Don't forget who those corpses were in life—they were his ancestors or his relatives. It's obvious he wouldn't agree to what we're doing."

Lei scratched his head: "Wouldn't it be a bit unethical of us to keep this from Master Jiang? Putting aside the fact that Master Jiang kept us to work, just the fact that he promised to take me in as his godson and marry Shanshan to me shows that he hasn't wronged me at all."

Yu shook her head: "They just want a descendant with the surname Jiang. If that foolish young master hadn't died, would such a good thing have happened?"

Finally, Feng said, "Stop arguing, stop arguing. We still need to talk to Master Jiang about this. Whether he agrees or not, as long as we have a clear conscience, that's enough."

Yu sighed: "Master Jiang is too good at fighting. If he doesn't agree, things will get complicated."

(End of this chapter)