The Terror of the Heavens Begins with Gu

Chapter 265 Confrontation and Zhou You's Indecisiveness
The child was just grabbing the bald man's hand and shouting to Li Zhen, "Master, there really are demons!"

A man who also seemed to be one of the bald man's disciples hid behind Zhou You: "It's a bit scary, Master..."

Li Zhen looked into the child's eyes.

The malice emanating from Li Zhen's eyes made the child's heart pound, and the intense feeling of falling made him feel as if he were being sent to hell.

Before he knew it, he was trembling all over and covered in cold sweat.

The bald man quickly shielded the child behind him.

The child seemed to wake from a dream, and his eyes turned to fear as he looked at Li Zhen.

Zhou Le'an said unhappily, "You are the demon, your whole family are demons! Don't you know what kind of people you are?"

"May I ask who you are?" The bald man looked at Li Zhen, who was clearly the most terrifying of the four.

Li Zhen sized up the bald man a few times and asked, "Are you Zhou You, the Celestial Master of Xuanxu Temple?"

Zhou You raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, and asked, "You know me?"

Yu then bowed to Zhou You: "Yu, a disciple personally taught by Master Ji of Maoshan, greets Master Zhou."

Dian also bowed and said, "Dian greets Master Zhou."

Zhou You clearly recognized the two men, and then smiled and said, "So you are two of the direct disciples of Master Ji. I heard a while ago that Master Ji was traveling around with his disciples, subduing demons and monsters, and bringing blessings to the region. He is truly admirable. I wonder where Master Ji is now?"

Without hiding anything, Yu said, "My master brought us to Fukang County a few days ago, where we encountered a zombie and was seriously injured. He is now recuperating in the county town."

Zhou You frowned and said solemnly, "There are actually zombies that can seriously injure Master Ji? I wonder if there's anything I can do to help Master Ji?"

Yu hesitated for a moment before glancing at Li Zhen.

Zhou You noticed this look and turned to Li Zhen, saying, "Are you also a direct disciple of Master Ji? Judging from your appearance..."

Li Zhen smiled and said, "My surname is Li, and I come from the Xiangxi Corpse-driving lineage. I have no relation to Master Ji. I came to Fukang County by chance and encountered a terrifying zombie. I had no choice but to join forces with Master Ji to eliminate the zombie."

Yu explained, "Master Zhou, please don't misunderstand. This is not a demon. The reason he became like this is because he was almost killed by a zombie during a life-or-death battle, which is why he is like this."

"If it weren't for this Master Li, my master and we would probably have been killed by that zombie by now."

Zhou You had met Master Ji many years ago and knew that Master Ji's skills were extraordinary. When he heard that Master Ji was injured, he already felt that the zombie was very powerful.

Then he heard that Master Ji and his disciples had almost been killed, which made him realize how powerful the zombie was. His heart skipped a beat and he began to have some bad thoughts.

He tentatively asked, "Where did this zombie come from that's so powerful?"

Yu said, "Xuanxu Temple is only two or three hundred miles away from Fukang County. Master Zhou should have been here before, so he would know that this place is a feng shui treasure land and is suitable for burial."

"That day, when Master brought us here, we found a corpse that was about to turn into a zombie in a general's tomb that had been dug up. Just as we were about to burn the corpse, the zombie turned into a zombie."

"Having absorbed the earth's energy for an unknown period of time, that zombie was terrifying from the moment it appeared. It could absorb life essence from a distance, burrow underground, and fly."

"Later, by chance, we met this Master Li and joined forces with him to deal with the zombie."

"Under Master Li's guidance, we finally managed to suppress that zombie, and we were just waiting to beat it to ashes."

Hearing that things had not turned out the way he had imagined, Zhou You breathed a sigh of relief.

But then Yu said, "Who knew that at the last moment another zombie came and swallowed the corpse energy of the zombie we had crippled in one gulp."

"The zombie that appeared later was even more terrifying. What's even more frightening is that it still had reason and could use some Taoist magic."

"If it weren't for Master Li's attempt to sacrifice himself at the last moment to destroy the zombie, resulting in both of them being severely injured, we would probably all have been killed."

Hearing this, the young man standing behind Zhou You nudged Zhou You's arm and whispered, "Master, you're not talking about..."

Zhou You raised his hand, interrupting the disciple, and said to Li Zhen, "There was quite a twist in the story. Your actions are admirable. My two disciples were ignorant and offended you. Please forgive them."

He dragged his two disciples out and scolded them, "Aren't you going to apologize?"

Seeing his serious expression, the two disciples sheepishly apologized to Li Zhen.

Li Zhen smiled, indicating that he accepted the apology, and then asked, "I sensed some fluctuations in the aura here. It seems that Master Zhou is fighting with someone?"

Zhou You slapped his disciple on the back of the head again and said sternly, "Aren't you going to thank Master Li for being so magnanimous and not blaming you for talking nonsense?"

The two men thanked Detective Li again.

At this moment, Zhou You said, "When I arrived here, I felt a strong aura of death. Seeing that it was about to get dark, I wanted to use my magic to dispel the aura of death in front of me. I didn't expect to disturb you all."

Li Zhen looked into Zhou You's eyes: "Is that really true?"

Zhou You, his expression unchanged, said, "That's how it is. I see that your body has an excess of yin energy and a lack of yang energy, which keeps your body in this state of neither life nor death. I wonder if you need any help?"

"My Xuanxu Temple's Taoist practices are quite famous. If you need help, you can come back to Xuanxu Temple with me, and I will do my best to help you."

Li Zhen patted his clothes: "I would like to go back to Xuanxu Temple with Master Zhou for a chat, but that's not the most important thing right now."

He lowered his gaze: "The zombie behind us isn't dead yet. He's more dangerous and more terrifying. Although he's possessed by a zombie and has absorbed its corpse energy and remnants, he still retains his sanity and can use Taoist magic. He's far more terrifying than an ordinary zombie."

"Furthermore, Master Zhou should know that this zombie was born with a special gemstone..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You's expression changed slightly.

Li Zhen continued, "The reason this zombie is so powerful is that it keeps absorbing the special substance from that gem."

"Now that we've finally managed to cripple him, once he comes into contact with that special substance, he'll recover very quickly."

"It's not just about recovery; it might even go further and become one of the most terrifying zombies."

"At that time, not only Maoshan and Xuanxu Temple, but the entire human world will face a catastrophe."

"Master Zhou saw that zombie at its peak and knew I wasn't lying."

His words terrified the two disciples behind Zhou You.

"Master, is it that scary?" The young disciple tugged at Zhou You's sleeve.

Upon hearing what Li Zhen said, Zhou You realized that Li Zhen knew everything.

The reason they didn't say it explicitly was simply to protect the reputation of their Xuanxu Temple.

After a moment's thought, he said, "This trouble was brought about by my Xuanxu Temple. I will find a way to resolve it."

Upon hearing this, Yu and Dian, who had already heard Li Zhen's account of the zombie's origins, immediately understood that what Li Zhen said was true.

Li Zhen nodded: "Did Master Zhou really not see that zombie?"

Zhou You shook his head: "I really haven't seen it."

"To be honest, I came south following the scent, all for that zombie. However, I've only just arrived here and haven't found it yet. If I do see it, I'll definitely tell you all."

Li Zhen didn't say anything.

The room suddenly fell silent. Li Zhen, his neck wrapped in clothing, twitched slightly, causing his head to tilt upwards a little.

A terrifying, sinister aura emanated from his body.

Stimulated by Zhou You, the several dormant demons within him also began to react.

A powerful malice emanated from him and spread outwards continuously.

Rain and electricity sensed the anomaly and quickly pulled Zhou Le'an backward.

Zhou You, on the other side, also sensed this malice.

His expression changed slightly. He made a hand seal and chanted a spell. Then, he touched his forehead with the index finger of his right hand, which was making the hand seal.

A phantom golden talisman appeared in front of him, shielding him from those evil thoughts and protecting him and his disciple behind him.

"Your method is too evil and may harm your health, which is also detrimental to your current condition," he said in a deep voice.

Li Zhen didn't say anything.

The atmosphere grew increasingly somber and oppressive.

The wild grass between Li Zhen and Zhou You was suddenly blown down by a strong wind.

Suddenly, Li Zhen's aura slowly subsided.

He looked into Zhou You's eyes and warned him, "Master Zhou should understand that he has become a zombie. No matter what he says, it is not credible. Otherwise, Master Zhou and Xuanxu Temple will be the first to suffer."

Li Zhen turned and left.

Rain and Lightning wanted to say something, but didn't. After saying "Farewell" to Zhou You, they followed behind Li Zhen and walked back the way they came.

After Zhou You and his apprentice could no longer be seen, Dian couldn't help but say, "The zombie's corpse energy clearly disappeared in that direction."

Yu glared at him: "Do you want to fight Zhou Tianshi? Did you see him drawing talismans in the air? Even Master's skill in talisman magic is not as good as his. We may not be able to beat him."

Dian looked at Li Zhen.

Li Zhen shook his head: "In my current state, I am exactly countered by his righteous techniques. If we were to fight, I might not be able to defeat him."

His body has not recovered, and the only thing he can use now is the Flying Head Curse.

After absorbing so much fresh corpse oil, his Flying Head Curse became even more terrifyingly voracious, but in a real fight, he might not necessarily be able to defeat Zhou You.

The other party put a lot of pressure on him.

Dian said unwillingly, "Are we really leaving? If that zombie really is his senior brother, and he's protecting him, then all the price we paid will have been for nothing. What if that zombie comes back with his head down..."

Rain and Lightning both looked at Li Zhen, waiting for him to give his opinion.

“Master Zhou is a kind person, but he is inevitably indecisive when it comes to matters concerning himself. Otherwise, that zombie should never have been born.” He glanced at the sky and continued walking forward. “No rush. If that zombie hides over there, it will definitely be the master and his disciples who suffer. He will be exposed.”

Dian curled his lip: "If it were my master, no matter who it was, even if it were the four of us, once we turned into zombies, we would most likely be cut in two if there was no way to save us."

Yu said speechlessly, "In your heart, is Master so heartless?"

Dian added, "Of course, Master must have been in tears when he was chopping us down."

……

Zhou You kept watching the backs of Li Zhen and the others.

His older disciple wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said to Zhou You, "Master, is this person really a righteous person? His aura is so sinister and frightening."

Zhou You withdrew his gaze: "The Xiangxi corpse-driving lineage is full of evil energy and abnormal? What is the distinction between good and evil? A righteous heart is the righteous path, and an evil heart is the evil path. How could this person, who can work with Master Ji and pay such a price to eliminate zombies, possibly be on the evil path?"

After saying that, he looked at a small mound not far away: "Alright, everyone's gone, you can come out now."

The mound burst open, and the vampire slowly crawled out. Its gaze swept over Zhou You's two disciples, scaring them into shrinking behind Zhou You.

The zombie's blood-red gaze fell upon Zhou You, causing Zhou You to frown.

"Senior brother, wake up! Don't let the zombies control your mind!" Zhou You reminded him, shielding his disciple behind him.

The vampire's eyes flickered with struggle, and it uttered two indistinct words: "Help...me..."

Seeing that the zombie was in pain, Zhou You immediately flew out, making a gesture in the air with his hand, and finally tapped the zombie several times.

A talisman shimmering with a faint golden light surrounded the zombie.

The zombie's expression was even more pained.

Zhou You pressed down on the zombie with one hand and pulled it outward, pulling a somewhat illusory human figure out of the zombie.

The figure had long hair, and his face had completely recovered from the effects of the zombie transformation, restoring his original appearance. He was Zhao Jun, who looked very much like Fan Shaohuang.

Although part of his soul was pulled out of the zombie, the malevolent energy in his soul did not disappear, and he was still inextricably linked to the zombie body.

To the naked eye, one can see a faint trace of corpse energy connecting the fragmented soul and the zombie's body.

Zhao Jun quickly regained his composure.

His eyes flickered, and he said to Zhou You, "See, I didn't lie to you. That man exudes an evil aura; he's clearly not a good person!"

"Don't be fooled by their words. I came here only because I was attracted by that zombie and wanted to absorb the corpse energy from it. I had no intention of harming anyone."

“They attacked me directly, and even after I regained consciousness and explained what happened to them, telling them that it was not what I wanted to do, they still didn’t want to let me go.”

"Even heading south wasn't my idea; it was actually driven by the zombie possessing me..."

This account shares some similarities with Detective Li's version, but the meaning is entirely different.

Zhou You clearly didn't quite trust Zhao Jun's account: "What Master Ji's disciple said is somewhat different from what you said."

Zhao Jun gritted his teeth and said, "Junior brother, do you not believe what I say, but instead believe outsiders?"

Zhou You's youngest disciple shouted, "If we believed you, Master would have been killed by you long ago!"

Zhou You shielded his disciple behind him.

Zhao Jun smiled bitterly and said, "I know that what I did before was not human. I have realized my mistakes and I want to... to turn over a new leaf. But if you don't help me, Junior Brother, I will definitely be reduced to ashes and won't even have the chance to be reincarnated."

Zhou You remained silent.

Zhao Jun sighed, "I have failed my father's teachings, and I deserve to have come to this point. If you don't help me, junior brother, I have nothing to say."

The word "father" pierced Zhou You's heart, and all sorts of beautiful memories flashed through his mind, breaking down his defenses.

He sighed as well: "Junior brother, it's a good thing that you've truly turned over a new leaf. How should I help you?"

Zhao Jun replied without hesitation, "I want the Qilin Stone! The Qilin Stone can help me!"

(End of this chapter)