Gou Zai, a corpse sewn into a spirit in a mortuary during the Republic of China era, became a spirit

When Shen Qianjun and his group arrived at the banks of the Qinghe River, the sun was already higher, but the moisture in the forest had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of mist floated on the river.

The hunched-back, cloaked figure walked at the front, like an old dog sniffing around for the scent of blood. He eventually stopped near a relatively calm bend in the river, where there were obvious drag marks and trampling marks on the soil beneath his feet.

The cloaked figure stretched out withered, bluish fingers, picked up a small piece of dark gray woolen fabric from among the water plants, smelled it, and then handed it to Shen Qianjun.

Shen Qianjun took the rag and whispered a few words to the cloaked man.

The cloaked figure didn't speak, but simply nodded, then pointed to the misty river surface.

Following his gaze, everyone saw several pieces of gnawed, pale, and horribly shaped broken bones floating on the murky water not far from the shore, rising and falling gently with the ripples.

On one of the larger leg bones, a tattered strand of dark fabric still clung faintly.

Mr. Qing, who had been keeping his eyes slightly closed, slowly opened them. He let out a barely audible sigh, his voice steady yet carrying a cold certainty: "It's Mo Lan. The traces of blood and qi remaining on her bones... there's no mistake."

Shen Qianjun's fingers, which were gripping the shards of fabric, tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

"Go down there..." Shen Qianjun's voice was devoid of emotion, only lower and hoarser than usual, "Pull Mo Lan out! Something's not right in this river, be careful."

The deputy section chief surnamed Li immediately pointed to two soldiers.

The two soldiers whose names were called turned pale. They exchanged a glance but dared not disobey. They took off their outer garments and belts and gritted their teeth as they waded into the icy river. When the water reached their thighs, several strange fish with black backs and sharp teeth were indeed startled. They darted out like arrows and bit their legs, drawing blood instantly.

hiss!

The two soldiers groaned in pain, but dared not retreat. Enduring the excruciating pain and fear, they used their bayonets to push aside the fish, and with great effort wrapped the main bones in their clothing, dragged them back to the shore.

As soon as they reached the shore, the wounds on the two soldiers' legs were raw and bleeding profusely, but they didn't bother to bandage them and just gritted their teeth and endured the pain in fear.

Shen Qianjun glanced at it and casually instructed Deputy Section Chief Li beside him, "Take him away and apply the medicine."

Then, Shen Qianjun looked at the military blanket that had been temporarily spread out on the ground, on which were the bones that had just been pulled ashore, which could barely be pieced together to form a human figure.

A soldier quickly handed over a brand new white cloth.

Shen Qianjun took the white cloth, slowly squatted down, and carefully picked up the scattered bones one by one, wrapping them in the white cloth. When his fingers brushed over the hole in the skull, he paused for an extremely brief moment, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly.

After wrapping the bones, Shen Qianjun stood up, holding the white cloth, and faced the flowing river. His eyes were slightly red: "Mo Lan... your brother is taking you home."

"Back then... it was you who believed me, saying that the world had changed, and that women could also take up arms to protect the country and its people, and could also strive for a future and bring glory to their families... that's why you resolutely cut your long hair and joined the army with me."

"You have a fiery temper, you're tougher than anyone else when it comes to shooting, and you're more decisive than many men when it comes to solving cases... Your second uncle initially disapproved, but later he became proud of you. I thought... I could take you further and let you see bigger scenes."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

"We joined the army together, fought against warlords and tyrants in the north, and endured hardships together, drinking water from the vast sea. I've always considered you my own sister."

"Now that we've finally managed to get into Tianjin with the General, and our good days are just around the corner, how could you... just leave like that? Leaving me, your older brother, with... a few cold bones."

"Mo Lan, you're still so young. It's my fault for not protecting you properly..."

A single, murky tear, finally unable to be held back, slid down from the corner of his taut eye.

The surrounding soldiers stood at attention, each with a look of grief and indignation on their faces.

After a long while, Shen Qianjun slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, and that brief moment of vulnerability was replaced by something harder and colder.

He turned around, holding the white cloth, and faced all the soldiers standing at attention. His words, clear and distinct, echoed along the riverbank:

"Shen Molan, deputy head of the Special Affairs Section of the Governor's Office, was attacked by evil beasts in the mountains while on military duty, pursuing bandits, and retrieving important military supplies. She fought bravely and died a heroic death!"

"His loyalty and bravery are witnessed by Heaven and Earth! His heroism is admired by even ghosts and gods! He shall be treated in accordance with the highest standards of the Military Governor's Office's 'Regulations for the Compensation of Wartime Heroes and Martyrs': posthumously awarded the 'Loyalty and Bravery' Medal, his compensation shall be tripled, a monument shall be erected in the Tianjin Martyrs' Park, his deeds shall be reported to the Marshal, and his name shall be recorded in the garrison's register!"

He slightly raised his chin, his voice carrying an undeniable power:

"She was my cousin, Shen Qianjun's cousin, and a martyr of my warlord's mansion! Her blood will not have been shed in vain! Her life must be repaid a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"

After saying that, Shen Qianjun solemnly handed the white cloth wrapping to Deputy Section Chief Li beside him: "Please prepare the body properly. When we return to Tianjin, I will personally preside over her funeral."

Section Chief Li solemnly accepted the package with both hands. "Yes."

Shen Qianjun nodded slightly, the last bit of warmth in his eyes vanished, leaving only a chilling killing intent like that of a harsh winter: "Listen up, everyone, you must find that coffin and that skeleton."

Furthermore, that bastard who dared to kill a key official of my warlord's office... must be brought to justice today!

At a command, the twenty soldiers began to check their weapons and luggage, preparing for a thorough search of the mountain.

Shen Qianjun muttered a few words to the cloaked figure beside him, and the cloaked figure bent down again, sniffing the surrounding atmosphere more carefully.

A moment later, the cloaked figure stood up and shook his head.

The general idea is that the scent stops here; the interference from the water's edge is too great, and the strong, gloomy smell makes it impossible to distinguish.

Shen Qianjun frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the outcome. He then thought of the deceased Shen Molan and the twists and turns of this plan...

From the very beginning of Chen Daquan's affair, it was all orchestrated by Shen Qianjun. He planned to report to the Marshal only after the experiment showed some progress... and so far, all his actions have been kept secret from the Marshal.

If we go back empty-handed, we won't be able to explain it to the commander-in-chief.

Just then—

"Section Chief! Look over there!" A sharp-eyed soldier suddenly shouted, pointing to the woods on the riverbank upstream.

Everyone turned to look immediately.

At the boundary between the mist and the shadows of the forest, a gaunt skeleton was carrying a black coffin bound with iron chains, staggering towards the riverbank!

Dry bones carrying a coffin...

Even though these soldiers were elites specially trained by Shen Qianjun, they still felt a chill after seeing this scene.

Deputy Section Chief Li exclaimed excitedly, "The coffin! It's our coffin!"

The skeleton seemed to have spotted the crowd. It paused abruptly, then frantically strode towards the turbulent center of the river!

Shen Qianjun's pupils suddenly contracted, and all the grief and sorrow on his face were replaced by the purest hunting instinct at this moment.

He took a sudden step forward, his arm pointing like a sharp sword at the fleeing skeleton, and shouted the command:

"This is an opportunity that Mo Lan gave her life for. We absolutely cannot let these skeletons carry the coffin across the river. Once it enters the territory of Laojun Mountain, we'll be in big trouble."

"Machine guns ready! Teams one and two, flank from both sides! Mr. Qing, stop it!"

"At all costs—"

"Take it down! Live!"

……

"Fire! Stop it!" Deputy Section Chief Li roared the order.

"Da da da—!"

The Maxim machine gun, mounted high on the riverbank, was the first to spew fire, the scorching bullets lashing the muddy riverbed in front of the skeletons like whips, splashing up a series of turbid water droplets and mud.

Other soldiers also raised their rifles and fired, the gunfire echoing through the valley and startling countless birds into flight.

However, the skeleton carrying the coffin seemed completely oblivious to the whistling bullets, continuing its headlong charge towards the opposite bank of the river.

Since Shen Qianjun had given the order to capture them alive, the soldiers dared not fire directly at the skeleton, and watched as the skeleton walked to the middle of the Qinghe River.

"Damn it!" Seeing this, Deputy Section Chief Li shoved his rifle into the arms of a soldier beside him. "Follow me! We can't let it cross the river!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Deputy Section Chief Li's muscles bulged violently, and a deep hum emanated from his body beneath his robes—a sign that his copper tendons had been pushed to their limit. With a stomp of his foot, the riverbank pebbles exploded, and he shot out like an arrow, heading straight for the skeleton!

Almost simultaneously, Mr. Qing, who had been standing still like a pine tree, also moved.

He didn't have the astonishing momentum of Deputy Section Chief Li. He simply stepped lightly on the wet riverbank, and his whole body floated up like a feather. Yet he was incredibly swift, and he overtook Deputy Section Chief Li in just a few leaps. His withered hand reached out, his five fingers slightly bent, and with a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air, he grabbed straight for the skull of the skeleton!

The two, one in front and one behind, one forceful and one gentle, instantly blocked the path of the skeleton's forward charge and sidestep.

The skeleton seemed to sense a deadly threat, letting out a rapid "crackling" sound. It suddenly hurled the coffin on its shoulder toward the center of the river, while its skeleton twisted at an incredible angle, lunging toward Mr. Qing and Deputy Section Chief Li!

"snort!"

Mr. Qing's expression remained unchanged. He changed his outstretched hand from a grab to a slap, striking the skeleton squarely in the chest. Suddenly, with a muffled "bang," several ribs on the skeleton's chest cracked, and its forward momentum abruptly halted.

Taking advantage of this moment, Deputy Section Chief Li arrived, his right leg, imbued with the strength of copper and iron, swept across like a steel whip, kicking hard at the side of the boneless knee joint!

Click!

A piercing cracking sound rang out, and the skeleton's lower leg bone snapped in response. It swayed and fell to the side.

……

Hidden behind a tree in the forest, Xie An witnessed everything.

The hustle and bustle and fighting on the riverbank seemed like two different worlds from the tranquil forest where he was.

He crept through the shadows to a spot only fifty meters from the shore, his finger firmly on the trigger of his rifle, the muzzle silently aimed at Shen Qianjun.

For a soldier accustomed to using a rifle, fifty meters is a distance with a high probability of a headshot.

But Xie An had never fired a gun before... so he really wasn't confident.

If he couldn't kill Shen Qianjun with one shot, he would be in danger.

"I need to get closer to be confident of a headshot!"

Therefore, Xie An did not rush to fire his gun, but waited for the situation to become more chaotic before taking action.

After all, the mysterious cloaked figure with an amazing sense of smell was always standing next to Shen Qianjun, so he didn't dare to approach any further.

He hid behind a tree trunk, his eyes wide, like a seasoned hunter scrutinizing every detail ahead.

He saw that Mr. Qing and Deputy Section Chief Li had pressed the severed leg bone firmly into the river, and the bone's struggles were rapidly weakening. Several soldiers also waded over to help, using ropes to bind the bone.

While forcefully pressing down the skeleton, Deputy Section Chief Li called out triumphantly towards Shen Qianjun on the shore, "Section Chief! We've got it! The coffin too..."

However, before he could finish speaking—

Boom!

The earth shook, and the river surged skyward!

A huge, pale shadow suddenly burst out from under the river not far behind him without warning!

That was neither fish nor beast, but a "torso" made entirely of intertwined white bones, almost the size of a water vat. When it broke through the water, the towering waves it created crashed down like a white wall!

As the waves subsided, the full form of the white shadow was revealed—it was an enormous skeleton! Shaped like a python, it had no flesh or skin, only empty eye sockets and long, crisscrossing bone teeth like short spears! The part that protruded above the water was already more than three zhang long, and the pale, writhing torso underwater was of unknown length!

The moment it appeared, a sense of oppression from ancient times swept across the entire river bend like a tangible tide!