Zombie Life Begins in Hongxi Village

Literary talent.

A classic character in Mr. Zombie, one of Uncle Nine's silly apprentices, responsible for comedy and dragging everyone down.

He looks even worse in person than in the movie, with a kind of dim-witted look in his eyes.

"Who are you looking for?" Wen Cai looked him up and down and spoke in Cantonese.

Even if Lin Yi didn't speak Cantonese, she could understand this sentence.

"I came from the provincial capital. I heard that Uncle Jiu here is a highly skilled master, so I came here specifically to pay him a visit."

Lin Yi lifted the box of snacks in her hand and answered in fluent Cantonese.

Wencai understood, and his gaze fell on the box of pastries, his eyes lighting up instantly.

Mingyuexuan's pastries!

This stuff is notoriously expensive in Renjia Town; ordinary families can't even afford to buy a box for the New Year.

The last time Wencai ate Mingyuexuan's pastries was last year. His master, Uncle Jiu, was handling a religious ceremony for a wealthy family, and they gave him two boxes. He secretly ate one and a half boxes and was punished by Uncle Jiu with a ruler.

Someone who can afford to give away such pastries must be no ordinary person.

Wencai's attitude immediately became warm: "My master just finished a ritual, please come in." He then stepped aside to open the door.

"Wencai, who's here?" A strong voice came from the courtyard.

"He's a guest who came to visit you because of your reputation," Wen Cai replied casually, then took the pastry box from Lin Yi and led him inside.

Lin Yi stepped across the threshold, her first impression was—cleanliness.

A mortuary should, in theory, be a gloomy place, with white banners hanging everywhere, coffins lying around, and the air filled with the stench of decay.

But Uncle Jiu's mortuary was kept in a neat and tidy manner, with the bluestone floor swept spotlessly, and several clumps of unknown flowers and plants blooming with small purple flowers in the flowerbed in the corner.

In the middle of the courtyard stood a large black coffin, still bearing traces of soil; it must have been Old Master Ren's coffin.

Directly opposite the main gate is the main hall. Inside the main hall is a statue of the founder of Maoshan, and incense is still burning in the incense burner, with wisps of smoke rising upwards.

Aside from the smell of incense and paper money, there was only a very faint stench of decay in the air, which ordinary people could not detect at all.

Lin Yi's zombie nose could smell it, but the scent was so faint it was almost negligible—which shows how much care Uncle Jiu had taken to prepare it.

A person walked out of the main hall.

Lin Yi finally met the legendary Master of All Realms.

Uncle Nine looked exactly like in the movie—around forty years old, of medium build, wearing a gray-blue long gown and black cloth shoes.

His features weren't particularly handsome, but he had a dignified and upright air about him, especially his eyes, which were as bright as two stars and full of energy.

Lin Yi's first reaction was—this person's blood smells so good.

The blood of the forty-odd people who were sucked at the military police station yesterday was, in Lin Yi's perception, just ordinary food. Some of it was fishy and smelly, some was bland, and some was slightly sweet, but in general, it was just enough to fill her stomach.

But Uncle Nine's blood is different.

Lin Yin could smell the scent of blood beneath Uncle Jiu's skin—an extremely pure aroma, like top-quality Longjing tea brewed with mountain spring water, or like aged wine buried deep in the mountains for decades.

Compared to Uncle Nine's blood, the blood of those little days yesterday and the blood of the puppet army are like the difference between a pre-cooked meal and a Michelin three-star restaurant.

Lin Yi even couldn't help but swallow.

A thought suddenly popped into his head—if he had encountered Uncle Nine when he had his blood craving flare-up last night, Uncle Nine might be dead.

It's not that Uncle Nine isn't powerful enough, but rather that he's not an ordinary zombie. He's immune to Taoist magic and can teleport. Even Uncle Nine would be helpless against him.

The thought only flashed through his mind, but Uncle Nine didn't feel so relaxed.

The moment Lin Yi swallowed, Uncle Jiu felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast.

His hair stood on end from the top of his head to his heels, his heart skipped a beat, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out from his back.

He had only experienced that feeling once in his life—when he went to western Hunan with his master for training, he encountered a flying zombie in an ancient tomb.

That flying zombie had at least a thousand years of cultivation; the mere aura of death it emitted made his legs go weak.

In the end, it was his master who risked his life to reseal the flying zombie.

But the young man in front of him gave him a feeling that was even more terrifying than that flying zombie.

The danger of flying zombies is menacing; it's something you can see and touch.

The danger of this young man is subtle, like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath. You don't know when it will be drawn, but you instinctively know that once it is drawn, it will be fatal.

Cold sweat trickled down Uncle Nine's temples.

Although Lin Yi's gaze only lingered on him for a moment, it felt like a year had passed.

"Hello, Uncle Jiu. My name is Lin Yi."

Lin Yi withdrew her gaze, put on a polite smile, and said:

"I've always been interested in supernatural and mysterious things."

"I came all the way from the provincial capital to ask Uncle Jiu for some knowledge about ghosts and monsters, so I won't be caught off guard if I encounter anything like this in the future."

Uncle Nine snapped out of his daze and gave Lin Yi a deep look.

What he was thinking was: With the feeling you give me, what kind of demons or monsters would dare to appear in front of you? They'd be too busy hiding to even get close!

But he didn't show it on his face.

He was, after all, a worldly man, and knew that the world was full of wonders. Some people were born with extraordinary talents, some were reincarnations of gods, and some had extraordinary bloodlines. As long as they were not evil or demonic, there was nothing to be surprised about.

He glanced at the ancestral tablet in secret—there was no reaction.

He secretly probed again with a magic incantation—this young man named Lin Yi had no evil aura or corpse aura on him, and was as clean as an ordinary person.

It is not a demon or evil spirit.

Uncle Nine breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't some kind of evil spirit, that made things much easier.

As for why an ordinary young man could make him feel such a strong sense of danger, he attributed it to the fact that the other party might be the reincarnation of a powerful being or a naturally gifted individual. Although such people are rare, they have existed in history.

He dared not be negligent, so he straightened up, performed a standard Taoist salute, and said politely, "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. I dare not presume to ask for your guidance, but exchanging a few words is certainly possible."

Lin Yi chuckled inwardly—Uncle Jiu was indeed just like the characters in the movies, a person with a cold exterior but a warm heart.

Although he has a serious and stern face, he actually can't stand being flattered and praised by others. The more polite you are, the more embarrassed he is to refuse you.

So Lin Yi seized the opportunity and said with a smile, "Then thank you very much, Uncle Jiu. I happen to have nowhere to go these few days, I wonder if I could stay at the mortuary?"

Uncle Nine's expression froze for a moment.

To be honest, he didn't want to keep such a dangerous person around.

Although the ancestral tablet did not issue a warning, and the other party did not possess any evil aura, the oppressive feeling from that single glance was so intense that even this old Taoist priest, who had cultivated Taoism for decades, felt lingering fear.

Leaving such a person living in the mortuary feels like sleeping with a ticking time bomb.

But it's not easy to say no—they've come to visit so politely with gifts and said they just wanted to ask some questions, so why should you turn them away?

Uncle Nine was hesitating when his foolish apprentice spoke up.

"Don't worry, there are plenty of rooms in the mortuary," Wencai said eagerly, his smile as bright as a flower.

"My master is the most hospitable person. He always teaches us to be kind to others and to help others. You can stay here as long as you like."

As he said this, his eyes kept darting around Lin Yi.

Look at that suit, look at those shoes, and look at the Mingyuexuan pastries he brought—this guy's a real tycoon!

If he were to stay, given how generous this man is, even a small amount of his money would be enough for him to eat meat for half a month.

Moreover, if his master were to accept this wealthy man's order, he could also live a life of luxury by performing some kind of ritual or selling a few talismans. Where else could you find such a good deal?

"Literary talent!"

Uncle Nine glared at him, annoyed. This idiot, so shallow! Do you even know who you're keeping around? If something happens, will your life be enough to pay for it?

Wen Cai shrank back under his master's glare, but still muttered, "That's true. They came all the way from the provincial capital, and our mortuary is the only place in town where people can stay. We can't expect them to stay at an inn, can we? Inns are so expensive..."

Seeing Uncle Jiu's expression, Lin Yi subtly revealed a hint of disappointment: "Uncle Jiu, you're unwilling?"

Uncle Nine's heart skipped a beat.

They've already gone this far; if he refuses, he'll seem petty.

If the other party turns against him, he won't be able to stop them. At such close range, he doesn't even have time to ask the patriarch to possess him.

He coughed lightly, forced a smile, and chuckled awkwardly.

"Of course I'm willing! If you don't mind the mortuary being considered unlucky, you can stay as long as you like."

Lin Yi smiled: "Then thank you very much, Uncle Jiu."

Uncle Jiu asked Wencai to prepare a side room. Wencai went happily, and before leaving, he didn't forget to hug the box of pastries from Mingyuexuan to his chest, as if afraid that someone would snatch it from him.

Lin Yi took the opportunity to stroll around the courtyard.

The mortuary was larger than he had imagined. In addition to the main hall, there were rows of side rooms on both sides, and there was an open space in the backyard where some vegetables were grown and a few chickens were raised.

Several coffins sat in the corner, all unburied. The lids were nailed shut and covered with yellow paper talismans. The faint stench of decay wafted from these coffins.

Uncle Nine followed behind him, chatting with him intermittently, mainly trying to find out more about him.

"Is Fellow Daoist Lin from the provincial capital?"

"No, I'm from Xichuan. I used to do some small business in the provincial capital."

Lin Yi made up an origin story on the spot. He couldn't very well say that he had traveled from the 21st century.

"Xichuan?" Uncle Jiu was somewhat surprised. "The journey from Xichuan to Lingnan is quite long."

"Yes," Lin Yi replied vaguely.

Uncle Nine asked a few more questions, which Lin Yi answered flawlessly.

He said his family was in business and he had been interested in Taoist arts and magic since he was a child. This trip was a special one to travel around, visit masters, and broaden his horizons.

Uncle Nine listened with some skepticism, but didn't press the matter further.

In a short while, Wencai tidied up the room.

It was a small room on the west side, but it was well-lit. The window faced another room, where you could see rows of coffins.

There was a bed, a table, and a chair in the room, and the bedding was clean, showing that Wencai had put a lot of effort into it.

Lin Yi put the box under the bed, then took out ten silver dollars and handed them to Wen Cai: "Take this, go buy some groceries, and use the rest for your food and lodging for the next few days. Oh, and remember to buy some pig's blood; I like pig's blood porridge and pig's blood soup."

He said this without batting an eye. Eating pig's blood won't cause diarrhea. It's better than not eating or drinking and arousing suspicion.

Wencai took the ten silver dollars, his hands trembling.

Ten silver dollars! How much can you buy in Renjia Town with that? Pork is only two cents a pound, and rice is five cents a bushel.

Ten silver dollars was enough for him to buy meat and vegetables for a month with some left over. Pig's blood was even cheaper; a couple of cents could buy a big basin of it, practically free.

With the extra money, he could go to the tailor shop in town to make a new outfit.

He had his eye on a piece of navy blue fabric last time; it would definitely look impressive if made into a short jacket. When he stood in front of Ren Tingting, she would surely give him a second glance.

As Wencai pondered this, a grin unconsciously spread across his face, revealing a set of uneven teeth and an extremely lewd, foolish smile.