Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

The night wind blew, and the leaves rustled.

Master Simu walked ahead, giving instructions without turning his head.

"Apprentice, perk up!"

"That weasel is the most vengeful beast. Those few that escaped last night must have gone back to get reinforcements."

"The road is probably not going to be safe tonight."

Lin Chen nodded.

"Don't worry, Master, I'll kill as many as they come."

The two men led the zombie horde into the old forest ahead.

The moon was obscured by clouds, and the mountains and forests were pitch black.

The Taoist priest with four eyes carried a lantern that emitted a faint yellow light, illuminating only a few steps ahead.

Lin Chen followed at the back of the group, looking around.

This forest is so quiet.

There wasn't even the chirping of insects or the calls of birds; only the orderly footsteps of the zombies could be heard.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Footsteps echoed through the woods.

As they walked, the Taoist priest with four eyes in front of them stopped.

"Master, what's wrong?" Lin Chen quickly stepped forward.

Master Simu raised his lantern and shone it on a crooked tree next to him.

There was a fresh sword mark on the tree trunk.

"We just passed by this tree half an hour ago." Master Four Eyes' face was grim.

The sword mark was something Lin Chen had casually made earlier.

The two kept circling in the same spot.

"A ghost wall?" Lin Chen asked.

Master Simu shook his head.

"There's a ghostly maze here, but there isn't. It's a bewitching maze set up by spirits."

Master Four Eyes took out a compass from his robes, and the pointer spun wildly.

"The magnetic field is disturbed, and the compass is no longer accurate."

A pale yellow mist rose from the surrounding woods, carrying the pungent smell of animals.

Lin Chen held his breath.

"Master, there's miasma!"

Master Simu covered his mouth and nose.

"It's the weasel's stench! Those beasts really came looking for revenge!"

The yellow fog thickened, reducing visibility to less than three meters.

The surrounding woods rustled, and many feet moved on the fallen leaves.

Lin Chen closed his eyes and sensed his surroundings.

He could see the situation in the yellow fog clearly; a dozen or so weasels were hiding behind trees and in the grass.

They surrounded the two men and the zombie horde.

On a large blue stone directly in front of them stood a weasel the size of a calf, standing upright like a person.

It wears a tattered straw hat on its head and has its two front paws behind its back.

Looking at Lin Chen and Daoist Simu.

"Master, there's a big one on the rock ahead," Lin Chen pointed ahead.

Master Simu looked in that direction, but his vision couldn't penetrate the yellow mist.

"Disciple, what did you see?"

Just as Lin Chen was about to speak, the weasel wearing a straw hat spoke up, its voice sharp and piercing.

"Two Taoist priests, do I look more like a human or a god to you?"

Master Simu lowered his voice.

"You weasel demanding an official title! Don't say anything out of line!"

"To say it resembles a person is an understatement; it has lost all its spiritual power and is determined to fight us to the death."

"If we say it's like a god, it can use our words to become a demon and cause endless harm. We'll be held responsible for that karma!"

The weasel's method of demanding an official title is disgusting; no matter how you answer, you'll get into trouble.

Seeing that the two remained silent, the weasel wearing a straw hat took two more steps forward.

"Two Taoist priests, do I look more like a human or a god to you?"

The voice carried a hint of threat, and the surrounding yellow mist churned even more violently.

Lin Chen stepped forward and looked at the pair of bright green eyes in the yellow mist.

"You look like a golden, crispy, sizzling roasted sweet potato to me!"

Master Simu gasped.

"Damn, apprentice, you've got a sharp tongue!"

The weasel wearing a straw hat was stunned. It had cultivated for decades and sought titles from many people.

Some said it looked like a human, some said it looked like a god, and some were so scared they wet their pants.

This is the first time I've ever said it tastes like roasted sweet potato.

"squeak!"

The weasel screamed in agony, its attempt to obtain a title thwarted, and then it was interrupted by these words.

Its arduous cultivation backfired, and the tattered straw hat on its head exploded into pieces.

The weasel fell off the rock and rolled on the ground, breaking the surrounding maze and restoring the compass needle to normal.

The pale yellow miasma began to dissipate.

"Well done!" Master Four Eyes was very pleased.

He took a handful of glutinous rice from his cloth bag, mixed it with cinnabar, and sprinkled it out.

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands! Break!"

The glutinous rice was thrown into the surrounding bushes, making a crackling and popping sound.

The weasel hiding in the shadows was blown up and screamed wildly, scattering in all directions. The large weasel that suffered the backlash also got up.

It glanced at Lin Chen, then turned and disappeared into the bushes.

Lin Chen did not chase after him.

Chasing weasels deep in the mountains is a bad idea. You also need to bring ten zombies with you; you can't afford any unnecessary complications.

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy." Master Four Eyes stopped Lin Chen.

"You've destroyed half of this beast's cultivation; it won't recover in eight to ten years."

"Hurry up and get out of this forest!"

Lin Chen took out the exorcism talisman he had drawn during the day from his pocket and activated the telekinetic technique by making hand seals.

Several exorcism talismans flew into the air and spontaneously combusted without fire. Golden light illuminated the forest, dispelling the remaining yellow mist.

Master Simu shook the Three Pure Ones Bell, and the sound became more urgent than before.

The ten zombies sped up their jumps in time with the bell, and two people, one in front and one behind, escorted the zombie team through the woods.

The rest of the journey went smoothly. The weasels were intimidated by Lin Chen's methods and did not cause any more trouble.

In the middle of the night, the mountain road came to an end.

A wide dirt road appeared ahead, with large tracts of farmland faintly visible on both sides.

Master Simu breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've made it out."

"Pingyang Town is just ahead, and the employer's charitable estate is located at the west end of the town."

The two quickened their pace, and as dawn approached, they could see the outline of Pingyang Town.

The town is small, but lined with shops, much better than the previous deserted village.

The two chased the zombies, avoiding the main streets of town and choosing instead to walk through secluded alleys.

After walking for a while, we arrived at a courtyard that occupied a rather large area.

Two white paper lanterns hung at the gate, and the plaque above the gate read "Chen Family Charitable Estate".

The gates of the Chen Family Charity Estate were tightly closed.

Master Simu stepped forward, grabbed the copper ring on the door, and knocked three times.

"Thump, thump, thump."

After a while, dragging footsteps came from inside the door. The door creaked open a crack.

A middle-aged man with a mustache and wearing a coat peeked out. When he saw Si Mu's apricot-yellow Taoist robe, his expression brightened.

"Oh, Master Four Eyes, you've finally arrived! Our master has been so worried these past few days that his hair has turned white."

The man quickly opened the door.

Master Simu put on airs, his face stern as if he were a master.

"Manager Chen, we encountered a small problem on the way and were delayed for two days, but don't worry, all the goods are complete and intact."

Si Mu shook the bell in his hand.

Ten zombies lined up and jumped into the yard, stopping in the middle.

Manager Chen carried the lantern and walked to the front of the zombie procession.

"You've worked hard, Taoist priest. You know the rules. I need to inspect the goods first."

Manager Chen beckoned, and two employees came over carrying torches.

Si Mu felt a little uneasy and secretly glanced at Lin Chen.

Lin Chenchong nodded.

Manager Chen held a lantern and shone it on each zombie's face, starting with the first one.

"Hmm, this one is fine."

"This one hasn't changed much either."

Manager Chen examined it carefully, even looking at each of the zombie's fingernails.

He walked up to the zombie whose corpse energy had been absorbed by the weasel, brought the lantern closer, and frowned as he stared at the zombie's face.

"Master Four Eyes, something doesn't seem right about this body?"

Master Simu's heart pounded.

"What's wrong?"

Manager Chen pointed at the zombie's face.

"Although his face is white, there is a faint bluish tinge between his eyebrows. His aura of death looks a bit weak."

Manager Chen was an expert and spotted the problem at a glance.

Si Mu's mind raced, and he began spouting nonsense with a straight face.

"Manager Chen, you don't understand. After a long journey, crossing mountains and valleys, even zombies can easily become unaccustomed to the environment. This is called returning to one's true nature, with the corpse energy being contained within, which is an excellent omen."

Manager Chen looked at Si Mu with a face full of suspicion.

"Returning to simplicity? I've never heard of that before."