Zombie Life Begins in Hongxi Village

After breakfast, Lin Yi led Ren Tingting and Ma Dayong toward the Hanging Coffin Cliff.

The funeral procession moved slowly, weeping and wailing along the way, stopping and starting frequently. They arrived at the bottom of the cliff almost at the same time as the procession.

Maoshan Jian was setting up an altar with several disciples in an open space, placing the offering table, incense burner, token, and ritual ruler one by one.

Ah Guang was waiting nearby with a basket of winter melon and tofu in his arms. When he saw Lin Yi walking over from a distance, he quickly waved.

"Master, that's Commander Lin!"

Ah Guang jogged over to Mao Shanjian and excitedly recounted how Lin Yi had been so kind and loving to the people yesterday, and how he had spent two silver dollars to buy talismans.

"Let me tell you, Master, Commander Lin is truly down-to-earth, far better than that previous town mayor. He even praised your talisman-drawing skills!"

As Mao Shanjian listened to his disciple's incessant praise, the expression on his face grew increasingly stiff.

His gaze shifted from Ah Guang's face to Lin Yi—

To be precise, it landed on the string of amber beads around Lin Yi's neck and the palm-sized rattle drum in her pocket.

Human skin Thangka and Sister Drum.

After these two evil artifacts devoured the souls of 1,500 Japanese soldiers in Huaqing County, their evil aura had become so intense as to be terrifying.

To Mao Shanjian, a Taoist priest with enlightened eyes, the pendant hanging around Lin Yi's neck was emitting a continuous stream of black, malevolent energy, as thick as ink poured into clear water.

That unassuming rattle drum wasn't much better; you could see the dark red, menacing light emanating from its surface even through the clothes.

Two malevolent energies intertwined and rose from Lin Yi's body, appearing particularly dazzling in the morning light.

Mao Shanjian's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Having lived half his life, he wasn't unfamiliar with evil artifacts—the century-old general ghost in the haunted house in Hanging Coffin Town was already considered fierce, its ghostly aura so strong it could make ordinary people sick.

But compared to these two evil artifacts, the General Demon is like a newborn kitten.

The density of malevolent energy and the concentration of resentment on these two evil artifacts are at a level that would only be achieved after they have devoured at least a thousand lives.

What's even more alarming is that this seemingly smiling young general actually carries these two extremely dangerous items with him.

It's as if what's hanging around your neck isn't a time bomb that could blow up the entire hanging coffin at any moment, but an ordinary decoration.

What kind of kind person could be capable of subduing such a powerful evil weapon?

Mao Shanjian cursed A Guang in his heart—

This foolish disciple was blinded by the smiles of others and lost even the most basic vigilance of a Taoist priest.

He secretly regretted not bringing out the talisman that Zhang Tianshi had personally drawn.

That was the most prized possession of Maoshan Academy, said to be one of the last batch of talismans left behind by Zhang Tianshi before his ascension, and it had an extremely strong suppressive effect on evil spirits and heretics.

While it might not be able to suppress this unfathomable young man in front of me, it can at least give me some courage.

Lin Yi saw Mao Shanjian's reaction clearly; the old Taoist priest must have figured out the trick to the Thangka and the Sister Drum.

But there was no way around it; after these two magical artifacts devoured the small life of Huaqing County, their evil aura grew too rapidly, and the esoteric Buddhist artifacts left behind by the Qinghai monk could no longer suppress them.

He tried using a kapala bowl and a golden Buddha to suppress it at the same time, but it could only suppress it for half a day at most. After half a day, the evil energy would start to seep out again.

If he hadn't carried those two evil artifacts with him, staying at the Marshal's Mansion in Yun County would have been even more dangerous—

If the evil energy of the Thangka and the Sister Drum suddenly erupts, turning the entire Marshal's Mansion into a demonic realm, then when he returns, all he can do is collect the corpses.

Only the Thousand Ghost Banner, a magical artifact completely bound to his soul, allowed him to remain safely in the dry well.

"Master, I'm going to clean the cave."

Mao Shanjian's apprentice, Fu Shui, was carrying a broom and a dustpan and was about to crawl into the largest cave on the cliff.

The cave was about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) above the ground, and the entrance was partially obscured by several loose rocks, making it impossible to see what was inside.

Lin Yi looked in the direction of the sound and immediately recognized the unlucky guy—

In the movie, this hothead ran deep into the cave, broke through the stone wall, alarmed King Ai of Zhou, and turned into a zombie himself.

"Master, Master." Seeing that Maoshan Jian did not react, Fushui stepped forward and tugged at his sleeve.

Maoshan Jian suddenly came to his senses and found that his back was completely soaked, and his Taoist robe was cold and sticky against his back.

"I have long admired Master Jian of Maoshan. Meeting you today, I can attest that seeing is believing." Lin Yi stepped forward, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting.

"You flatter me. May I ask what brings you to Hanging Coffin Town, General?"

Mao Shanjian's heart was in his throat. This place was a corpse-raising ground, a cliff of hanging coffins, a place where yin energy gathered, a veritable paradise for practicing evil arts.

The handsome man in front of me had an evil weapon hanging around his neck, but he was dressed in a respectable suit and had an innocent smile—this kind of person was the most difficult to deal with.

"What, do I need to report to you when I come to inspect my own territory?" Lin Yi's face hardened, and he narrowed his eyes.

Mao Shanjian's facial muscles twitched slightly.

He glanced at his daughter and apprentices standing behind him, who looked completely bewildered.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing the fear in his heart, and raised his head to look directly at Lin Yi:

"Heaven cherishes life. If you intend to practice evil arts here, General, I, Maoshan Jian, will stop you even if it costs me my life."

The atmosphere at the scene froze instantly.

Mao Shanjian's daughter and disciples finally noticed something was wrong, their faces turning pale as they didn't know what to do.

Da Sha's family members forgot to cry and stared blankly at this side.

Ma Dayong swiftly drew his pistol, the dark muzzle pressed against Mao Shanjian's forehead:

"Old man, how dare you speak to our commander like that? Believe me or not, I'll shoot you dead!"

Mao Shanjian's neck stiffened.

The do-or-die spirit they had just displayed vanished completely, as if someone had pulled the plug.

His slightly hunched back shrank back under the gun barrel, and a smile that looked more like a grimace instantly spread across his face. His tone, which had been impassioned just moments before, took a sharp turn, becoming soft and rapid:

"Let's talk this out, please don't shoot! Dude, hold that gun steady, don't let it go off accidentally!"

As he spoke, he kept bowing to Lin Yi, his face full of fawning wrinkles. "General, I had a fit of hysteria just now and was talking nonsense. I apologize to you here."

"Don't worry, I, Maoshan Jian, am not someone who doesn't know what's good for him. Do whatever you want, just please give the villagers some time to leave. They are all innocent—"

This change of expression was so smooth that Mao Shanjian's disciples were dumbfounded.

Mao Shanjian's daughter instinctively covered her mouth, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

Lin Yi glanced at Ma Dayong and waved her hand.

Ma Dayong reluctantly put the gun away, but his eyes were still glaring at Mao Shanjian.

Lin Yi put away the gloom on his face and lingered on Mao Shanjian's face for a moment.

His earlier statement, "I'll risk my life," wasn't an act—

As he said this, Mao Shanjian's heartbeat changed from rapid to steady, and his breathing changed from panicked to long and deep—physiological changes that only occur when a person is determined to face death.

As for his sudden surrender later, it wasn't because of Ma Dayong's gun.

How could a Taoist priest who dares to risk his life to stop evil cultivators be intimidated by a pistol?

Seeing his apprentice and daughter present, along with so many innocent villagers attending the funeral, he suddenly realized that a direct confrontation would implicate everyone, so he instantly changed his strategy.

He was willing to be shameless just to give his fellow villagers a new way to make a living—this old man was not a pedantic person.

Lin Yi had the idea of ​​subduing him.

Qian Youcai's magic leans towards invoking deities, while Maoshan Jian specializes in talismans. Although their directions differ, both are highly skilled professionals capable of handling any situation.

If we can subdue him, we'll ask him if he has any talismans to help Ren Tingting activate her bloodline.

Most importantly, he has talismans drawn by the Celestial Master himself, which are really precious treasures!

In order to attract talent, Lin Yi decided to put on a good show.

He took out his sister's drum and removed the human skin thangka from his neck.

The moment the two evil artifacts were revealed, the surrounding air instantly cooled down by several degrees.

Mao Shanjian instinctively jumped back half a step, reflexively spreading his arms to shield his daughter behind him, his eyes filled with wariness and fear as he looked at Lin Yi.

"The Taoist priest must have discovered them before he said those things," Lin Yi said calmly, holding the two evil artifacts in his palm.

"I snatched this from an evil monk."

Although I have used them, they only killed ordinary people. I swear, I have never used them to harm a single innocent compatriot.

He looked straight into Maoshan Jian's eyes, his eyes slightly red, and said, "Our country is weak and our family is poor. We can't even gather a decent set of weapons. Without some extraordinary measures, how can we resist foreign aggression?"

I'm just a mediocre feng shui master, not a Taoist practitioner, and I don't have your kind of obsession with cleanliness.

As long as I can kill the enemy, I don't care whether they are good or evil. I only seek to resist foreign aggression—I, Lin Yi, will bear all the consequences alone.

He emphasized the last four words very heavily.

A fierce and indomitable spirit emanated from him, suppressing the chilling aura of the two evil artifacts.

Ah Guang's eyes reddened as he listened, while Mao Shanjian's daughter's eyes lit up.

Even Ma Dayong unconsciously straightened his back.

Mao Shanjian's expression shifted several times, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Yi for a long while before he suddenly said, "General, would you be willing to allow this old man to use his Observation Technique to investigate?"

"Why not?" Lin Yi spread her hands, her attitude frank.

But in his heart he was thinking: See, see. If you really see something bad and harbor hostility, then don't blame me for turning my back on you and treating you like a blood donation bag.

Mao Shanjian was completely unaware that his entire sect was hovering on the brink of death. With his left hand he formed the Ziwei Bagua seal, and with his right hand he formed the Lingguan finger, secretly channeling his spiritual energy through the meridians of his eyes while silently reciting the Guanyin Mantra:

"The Supreme Lord commands, that all beings in the netherworld be thoroughly investigated. The Three Officials record the deeds, clearly distinguishing good from evil. Quickly open your eyes of wisdom to observe their karmic forms. Do not disobey; obey the divine incantation. So be it!"

After reciting the incantation, he made a wiping motion in front of his eyes, as if wiping dust off a mirror.

When he opened his eyes again, his vision had changed—

The karmic marks that ordinary people would have more or less on their bodies were completely absent on Lin Yi.

Instead, a thick layer of cyan light appeared, soft and not dazzling, yet so dense it was almost tangible, enveloping Lin Yi entirely, as if she were wearing an invisible armor.

The surface of that cyan light faintly contained countless fine air currents flowing within it, each one seemingly a tiny, saved life whispering its gratitude.

Humanitarian merit.

Mao Shanjian's mind went blank for a moment.

Humanitarian merit comes from the gratitude and redemption of all living beings in the mortal world.

The thickness and density of the blue light directly reflect how many people this person has saved and how many lives they have protected.

The thickness of the blue light before him was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life—no, it was something he had never seen or even heard of before.

To accumulate such a great deal of humanitarian merit, how many Japanese pirates would one have to kill?

This achievement is enough to make him a god even after he dies.

Mao Shanjian stood there blankly, his eyes suddenly stinging.

Just now, he was wary of the other person, thinking he would back down first and then go back to the mortuary to get a Celestial Master's Talisman to die together with the other person.

The other person's good deeds are so numerous they're almost drowning in them, yet he's judging a gentleman by his own petty standards.

"See? I told you long ago that Commander Lin was a great man."

Seeing the guilty look on his face, A-Guang knew perfectly well that Commander Lin had passed his master's test. He proudly approached Mao Shanjian and patted him on the shoulder.

"Master, you are judging others by your own petty standards."

Mao Shanjian's face flushed red.

Enraged, he grabbed Ah Guang's ear and twisted it hard.

"You insolent brat, how dare you speak of your master like that? What do you mean by 'petty-mindedness'? This is called caution! Don't you understand the meaning of caution?!"

Ah Guang was twisted until he grimaced and begged for mercy.

Maoshan Jian loosened his grip, turned around, straightened his Taoist robe, and bowed deeply to Lin Yi, his tone solemn:

"I have misunderstood you, General. If you ever need my help, Maoshan Jian, just say the word and I will do my best without hesitation."

Lin Yi didn't know what he had seen—he himself couldn't see the concept of human virtue and merit, but the result was undoubtedly good.

He waved his hand and smiled, "Since you put it that way, Daoist, I won't stand on ceremony. My residence happens to be short of an advisor; I wonder if you would be willing to take the position?"

Mao Shanjian was taken aback. Was it really that direct?

But the words have already been spoken, and you can't go back on your word on the spot.

He sighed, "I am honored by your high regard, Commander. I am willing to serve you."

Now that they were on the same side, Lin Yi didn't hold back in her speech.

He walked to the foot of the hanging coffin cliff and pointed to the densely packed coffins on the cliff face:

"Master Jian, your skill in talismans is indeed solid, but I'm afraid you are lacking in the art of feng shui."

He recounted his previous analysis of the feng shui layout from the beginning—

How did this mountain range form an extremely yin energy vein? How did the corpse energy accumulate underground? And how has the yin energy begun to leak out?

If not addressed promptly, the negative energy will swell to a critical point within one or two weeks to a month.

At that time, the town of hanging coffins will surely be transformed into a mountain of corpses and a ghostly realm.

As Mao Shanjian listened, the cold sweat that had just dried on his back began to seep out again.

He knew the Hanging Coffin Cliff was dangerous, but he didn't expect it to be this dangerous.

Lin Yi's points were so precise that he couldn't refute them.

He used to think of these anomalies as scattered and localized, never connecting them into a complete picture.

Now that Lin Yi has revealed the truth, he realizes that Hanging Coffin Town has been sitting on a powder keg for who knows how many years.

At the same time, he was thinking to himself: You're just a half-baked feng shui master?

Lin Yi then turned her gaze to the blessed water, pointing to the cave into which the blessed water had just been prepared:

"Master, the cave your disciple was trying to clean just now contains a feng shui formation that resembles a black dragon nodding its head."

This kind of layout breeds evil spirits; there must be something extremely dangerous inside. If this young man, Fu Shui, had gone in just now, he probably wouldn't have come out alive.

Mao Shanjian's expression changed, and he quickly walked to the bottom of the cave and looked up carefully for a while.

Although he was not as proficient in feng shui as Lin Yi, he still knew the basic art of observing qi.

He had seen descriptions of the black dragon nodding in Maoshan classics before, but he had never witnessed it in person.

Only when Lin Yi pointed it out did he notice that the shape of the rocks around the cave entrance, the direction of the airflow, and the concentration of the malevolent energy were exactly the same as those recorded in the ancient texts.

He looked back at Fushui again—a horizontal line was faintly visible between his brows, a harbinger of impending bloodshed.

"Thank you, General, for saving my apprentice's life."

Mao Shanjian, looking terrified, bowed to Lin Yi. Fu Shui even knelt down before Lin Yi, who pulled him up.

"I have already sent people back to mobilize troops, and they will arrive with tools and materials by tomorrow at the latest."

At that time, I will set up a feng shui formation around the cliff, clear the damaged yin veins, and plant peach trees on the nine earth vein acupoints to draw yang energy to nourish yin, thus completely resolving this ominous situation of raising corpses.

"We'll need the Taoist priest's help then."

"How dare I disobey!" Mao Shanjian said with a serious expression.

Subsequently, under Lin Yi's guidance, Mao Shanjian chose a new cave with abundant yang energy and stable earth veins to bury Da Sha.

After everyone dispersed, Lin Yi told Ren Tingting and Ma Dayong to return to the inn, while he walked to the cave where King Zhou Ai had buried his body and lightly jumped into the cave.