Zombie Life Begins in Hongxi Village

The next morning, he had his adjutant, Chen, summon Long Nanguang's fifth concubine to the side hall.

The oldest of these five women was only in her early twenties, and the youngest was just seventeen. They were all women that Long Nanguang had brought into his household over the years through a combination of marriage and abduction.

Lin Yi didn't waste any words with them and directly had Lieutenant Chen bring up the prepared silver dollars.

They were given two hundred silver dollars each and sent away.

That very day, the five concubines packed their belongings, some returning to their parents' homes, others going to the provincial capital to stay with relatives. Soon, more than half of the side rooms in the backyard of the Marshal's Mansion were empty.

Michelle eventually became Lin Yi's second wife, which gave him a thrill similar to that of Uncle Nine the Bull.

The first wife was naturally Ren Tingting.

Ren Tingting didn't have any objections to this; on the contrary, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She also had to manage the Ren family's business and needed a woman to serve Lin Yi.

She's a strong, independent woman; she wouldn't want to be confined to the inner quarters by Lin Yi.

The two women started calling each other sisters after knowing each other for less than three days. Lin Yi saw this but said nothing.

In the following month, Yun County entered the era of forestry.

Lin Yi's first task was to clean up the mess left by the Independent Regiment.

He summoned all officers of company level and above in the regiment to the Marshal's Mansion for a meeting and discovered that the so-called "Independent Regiment" had a full roster of 1,800 people, but only less than 1,200 were actually present.

The remaining 600-plus people were all vacancies, with at least a third of them receiving salaries without working.

Lin Yi did not retaliate. He said he would let bygones be bygones and that meant he would let bygones be bygones. He had his adjutant Chen re-register the roster, ensuring that all those who received their dues received their dues and that any vacancies were cancelled.

One night, Zhang Biao hosted a drinking party in a small courtyard in the west of the city.

Besides Liu Da Huzi, the people who came included three other company commanders and eight deputy company commanders.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Biao slammed his wine bowl on the table and started cursing, his face red and neck thick: "Damn it, that guy surnamed Lin comes up here and starts checking for empty salaries. I've been receiving salaries for nothing for so many years, and he just checks whenever he wants."

And that accounting was made public—back when Commander Long was in charge, we brothers would swindle money from each other, and we could make this much in a month.”

He held up three fingers. "And now? What good is double the pay? I used to make ten times more money off the government!"

Liu the Bearded Man picked up the conversation, slamming his fist on the table, reeking of alcohol: "Brother Zhang is right! That Lin guy is just a pretty boy, relying on his relationship with the Ren family to get rich, but he doesn't know anything about leading troops!"

"Our men have been with us for years. Who the hell listens to him when we give the order? Let's just—"

He lowered his voice and made a beheading gesture with his hand, "Damn it! We brothers will rule Yun County ourselves!"

There was a moment of silence at the table after those words were spoken.

Then everyone chimed in, getting more and more excited and talking wildly. Some were already discussing how to divide the territory after the deal was done.

Then Lin Yi appeared.

They didn't come in through the door; they appeared directly in the middle of the table.

The wine bowls on the table were still swaying when, in a flash, a figure dressed in a general's uniform was already standing there.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating Lin Yi's face. His eyes glowed with a faint green light, and two fangs protruded from his upper jaw.

Zhang Biao was the first to react. His hand had barely reached for the pistol at his waist when Lin Yi had already grabbed him by the neck.

Fingernails pierced his skin, fangs plunged into his arteries, and in less than three seconds, Zhang Biao became a dried-up corpse.

Then came Liu the Bearded, and then the rest of the people.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, only the dried corpses lying haphazardly on the table remained.

Lin Yi threw the last mummified corpse on the ground, poured gasoline on it, and burned it completely.

The next morning, Lin Yi summoned all the soldiers of the regiment to the front of the Marshal's Mansion.

He didn't explain where Zhang Biao and the others had gone, but simply announced the new appointments—all five company commanders and eight deputy company commanders were replaced by squad leaders and platoon leaders who had performed well previously.

The newly promoted officers all climbed their way up from the ranks of soldiers, they don't have the bad habit of exploiting soldiers, and they all know in their hearts that their promotion is entirely due to Lin Yi's word. Their loyalty is much higher than that of the old hands.

Lin Yi, on the other hand, was quite self-aware.

He never considered engaging in any power struggles or separatist activities, because he knew very well what kind of people the Independent Regiment was.

This team, which was called an "Independent Regiment," was actually just a large security team.

The soldiers couldn't even stand in formation properly, let alone march in step; they would trip over their own feet if asked to march in step.

Their marksmanship was even worse—bullets cost money, and when Long Nanguang was alive, he couldn't bear to let the soldiers practice shooting.

Most people only know how to pull the bolt and cock the trigger; as for what the bullet hits after it flies out, that's entirely up to fate.

Deputy Chen also told Lin Yi an interesting story: last year, Long Nanguang fought a battle with Commander Xu from the neighboring county.

There were nearly three thousand people on both sides, and they fought fiercely for several days, but only eight people died on this side.

One of them was killed by Long Nanguang himself.

Both sides were firing haphazardly, and once they ran out of bullets, they each retreated and went home, without even moving their positions.

The only elite force was Long Nanguang's guard squad of a dozen men, all of whom were veterans who had followed him for many years and whose marksmanship was barely acceptable.

But even this "elite" force was wiped out by Lin Yi in the main hall of the Marshal's Mansion, one by one.

After listening, Lin Yi remained silent for a long time before coming to a conclusion: This kind of trash has no chance of winning any battles.

He suspected that a single regular company of our Party could crush his entire independent regiment to the ground.

He wasn't a military genius; he didn't understand infantry-artillery coordination or deep penetration, nor did he have the kind of charisma that Little Mustache had, able to move people to tears with a single shout from a high platform.

There were only two things he could do: first, distribute money and grain; second, establish rules.

His rules were simple: do not disturb the people. Soldiers were not allowed to engage in forced buying and selling, harass women, or trespass on private property.

Those who violate this rule will have their pay docked at best, and at worst, be executed.

In the past, during Long Nanguang's era, it was common for soldiers to take things from ordinary people on the street for free, and the vendors dared not speak out against it.

On his third day in office, Lin Yi dealt with a soldier in the street who had taken two baskets of eggs from an old man without paying.

He was fined a month's salary to compensate the old man, plus twenty strokes of the military rod. After the beating, his buttocks were so swollen that he couldn't get out of bed for a week.

After this news got out, the people of Yun County changed their opinion about the new commander overnight.

Merchants were the first to feel the changes.

Previously, Long Nanguang's soldiers would come to his door every few days to extort money, euphemistically called "collecting protection money." The money they were swindled out of in a year was more than the taxes they paid.

Now, instead of collecting money, Commander Lin's soldiers patrol the streets to maintain order, and anyone caught stealing gets a good beating.

With improved public security, more businesspeople came to do business. In just one month, shop rents in Yun County increased by 30%.

Ordinary people have a more direct experience of it.

Poor families who used to be exploited to the point of not even having enough to eat can now at least have enough food left, and no longer have to worry about soldiers coming to rob them of their food.

Although life was still poor, compared to the neighboring counties where they were frequently plundered by marauding soldiers, Yun County was like a paradise.

It's unclear who started it, but people began calling Lin Yi "Lin Qingtian" (a reference to a famous Chinese upright official).

Lin Yi was speechless upon hearing this—what a cruel joke!

He has taken at least dozens, if not hundreds, of lives on his hands. Only in this era of competing to be the worst would an ordinary warlord who doesn't kill indiscriminately or exploit the people be regarded as a benevolent and upright official.

Ren Tingting's business, riding on Lin Yi's momentum, grew even larger than when Ren Fa was alive.

The Ren family was already well-off. Although Ren Fa did some business when he was alive, he was unfortunately plagued by superficial ventures and always lost money.

Things are different now. With a powerful patron standing behind me, I can do business with complete impunity.

Ren Tingting now leaves home at six or seven in the morning and doesn't return until eight or nine in the evening, keeping her extremely busy.

Lin Yi lived a comfortable life, with the exquisite young woman Michelle serving him. When he was hungry, he would fly to the Little Life Occupied Area, pick out two lone night watchmen for supper, and fly back after he finished.

Michelle's life at the Marshal's Mansion was far more comfortable than she had expected, and Lin Yi's importance in her heart was growing.

Lin Yi treated her very well, with a sense of respect she had never felt before.

To put it bluntly, it's just that the mentality of a loser hasn't completely changed. They still have a filter on goddesses, so they can't stand up and kick them.

Moreover, Lin Yi is handsome. In his early twenties, his skin is smoother than hers, and his features are well-defined. He is a hundred times more pleasing to the eye than Long Nanguang, that old man in his forties.

Michelle did the math in private and felt that she hadn't really lost out; in fact, she might have even gotten a little advantage.

Mi Nianying adapted to her new life much faster than her sister.

Lin Yi takes good care of this fifteen-year-old girl, to the point that she has already started calling him brother-in-law.

The plot of the new Mr. Vampire hasn't progressed much, and I wonder if it will only be resolved with Uncle Nine catching a ghost.

……

That morning, Lieutenant Chen jogged into the backyard.

Lin Yi was leaning back in a deck chair under the grape trellis, squinting in the sun.

"General, General Xu is here."

Lin Yi put down the soup bowl and raised her eyebrows slightly.

Commander Xu?

The one in the next county?

He quickly went through the situation of the surrounding counties in his mind—east of Yun County is Huai County, and the garrison commander of Huai County is surnamed Xu, the same Xu who fought with Long Nanguang for several days.

Why would this guy come looking for him for no reason?

He got up and walked towards the front yard. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered something that his adjutant Chen had told him before: Marshal Xu seemed to have made a fortune recently. He had acquired a large number of antiques from somewhere and was looking for buyers everywhere.

Lin Yi didn't take it to heart at the time—antiques were worthless in chaotic times; a blue-and-white porcelain vase was worth less than a few guns and boxes of bullets.

But since they've come all this way, there's no harm in meeting them.

When Lin Yi arrived at the entrance of the main hall, Commander Xu was already sitting inside drinking tea.

Lin Yi's gaze fell on his face, and he paused for a moment—he knew this face all too well.

Xu Jinjiang.

No, it's Xu Jingjiang's face.

But Lin Yi knew what his face meant in zombie movies—

The face of the general and Old Xu.

Could it be... a demon eating human fetuses?

He had seen a summary of that movie on a short video platform; the plot wasn't complicated.

A warlord found a treasure in a cave that had been sealed away by five evil spirits.

After being brought back, the evil spirits parasitized the stomachs of several of the warlord's concubines, turning them into cannibalistic monsters. In the end, the entire warlord's mansion became a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

The warlord was played by Xu Jingjiang.

"General Lin! I've heard so much about you!" General Xu stood up, strode forward, and his voice was as loud as a bronze bell.

"General Xu, you're too kind. Please have a seat." Lin Yi calmly sat down in the main seat.

Commander Xu didn't beat around the bush; before he'd even settled in, he got straight to the point: "Commander Lin, I've come today to discuss a business deal with you."

A few days ago, my men discovered a cave in the mountains northwest of Huai County. The cave contained many valuable items—porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, gold and silver artifacts, all of which were antiques.

These things are just sitting there anyway, so I thought I might as well exchange them for some cash.

Everyone knows that Commander Lin is incredibly wealthy and powerful. Instead of going all the way to the provincial capital to find those stingy antique dealers, he'd rather come directly to you and talk."

Lin Yi's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. A cave, hiding antique jewelry—this setup was all too familiar.

The story of the demon-eating fetus begins with the discovery of a treasure in an ancient cave.

"Did you bring the things?" Lin Yi put down her teacup.

"I brought it! I brought it! Come on, bring the box up for Commander Lin!" Commander Xu shouted towards the door.

Two guards carried a heavy wooden box into the main hall, placed it on the ground, and opened the lid.

Lin Yi got up and walked to the box. A faint scent of sandalwood and camphor wafted towards her.

The box was neatly stacked with a pile of old objects—porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, jade, and a gold Buddha statue that was nearly 20 centimeters tall.

At the top were several scroll paintings. Lin Yi picked one up and unfolded it.

It is a landscape painting. The distant mountains are like dark eyebrows, the nearby water is shrouded in mist, and a few birds are outlined in ink amidst the swirling clouds and mist in the mountains.

At the bottom of the image are several vermilion seals, the characters of which are mottled but still faintly discernible—the two characters "Dong Yuan".

Lin Yi picked up several other volumes and began to unfold them.

One of them is a landscape painting by Fan Kuan, with vigorous and powerful brushstrokes used to depict the rocks.

Another painting is a portrait of a lady by Qiu Ying, with brushstrokes so fine they look like they were carved with a needle.

Tang Bohu's painting is a landscape painting of a river, with an inscription beside it. The inscription is written in a free and unrestrained style and is Su Dongpo's "Ode to the Red Cliff".

Lin Yi didn't know much about calligraphy and painting, but she did know the name Tang Bohu.

He rolled up the calligraphy and paintings and put them back in the box. Then he picked up a blue and white porcelain vase and turned it over to check the mark on the bottom.

The body is fine and delicate, the glaze is warm and lustrous, and the iron-red color on the base is clear and natural.

Although he didn't know how to authenticate porcelain, he had heard that the best porcelain was the blue and white porcelain from the Yuan Dynasty.

There were four or five blue and white porcelain vases of this quality in the box alone.

Two of them are particularly exquisite in their painting, and their decorative style is very similar to that of the Yuan blue and white porcelain jars he had seen in short videos before.

Lin Yi put the porcelain bottle back and her gaze fell on the golden Buddha.

He reached into the box and took the golden Buddha out, weighing it in his hand—nearly thirty kilograms, undoubtedly pure gold.

The Buddha statue depicts a Buddha seated in the lotus position, with high-piled spiral hair, a compassionate face, and his right hand forming the abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness) and his left hand forming the varada mudra (gesture of granting wishes).

The surface of the Buddha statue has turned dark gold due to oxidation over the years, but the gold's luster can still be seen where light shines through.

But Lin Yi wasn't interested in the gold.

The moment his fingertips touched the surface of the golden Buddha, an extremely faint fluctuation emanated from inside the statue.

The fluctuation was very slight, like a sleeping heartbeat, or like a clock still ticking in a box.

Ordinary people would never be able to sense it, but Lin Yi is not an ordinary person.

The feeling he experienced from this fluctuation was very similar to the energy he felt when he touched the ancestral tablet at Uncle Jiu's mortuary.

A pure, warm force field, imbued with some kind of religious ritual.

As expected, it really was a demonic fetus that ate people!

Lin Yi already had the answer in her heart.