Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 24 Cleansing the Corpses

It was much faster than the other two zombies, disappearing into the darkness in a few leaps.

Zhou Ning did not pursue.

He crouched down to examine the two zombies lying on the ground.

The "exorcising talisman" on Old Wang's forehead was still glowing, but its body was no longer moving.

A large hole had been ripped into the chest of the tall male corpse, and black blood was flowing all over the ground.

Zhou Ning took out two "purification talismans" from his bag, pasted them on the two zombies, and recited purification incantations.

The talisman ignited with golden flames, burning the two zombies to ashes.

He stood up and exhaled a long breath.

There were three zombies; two were killed, and one escaped.

The runaway widow Zhang must be found as soon as possible, otherwise she will continue to harm people.

Zhou Ning returned to the village entrance and continued his night watch.

In the latter half of the night, no more zombies appeared.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the village head brought several villagers to find him.

"Brother Zhou, last night... last night we heard some noise..."

Zhou Ning nodded: "There were three zombies. We killed two, and one escaped. Village head, do you know where Widow Zhang lived before she died?"

The village head nodded: "I know. It's at the west end of the village, behind her house there's a bamboo grove."

Zhou Ning said, "Take me to see."

The group arrived at the west end of the village, at the home of Widow Zhang.

It was a low, thatched hut with its doors and windows tightly shut.

The yard was overgrown with weeds, and it looked like no one had lived there for a long time.

The village head pointed to a bamboo grove behind the house and said:

"That's it. Widow Zhang used to go to the bamboo forest to dig for bamboo shoots before she died."

Zhou Ning walked into the bamboo forest and examined it carefully.

The bamboo forest was dimly lit, the ground was damp, and covered with moss.

He crouched down and found a series of footprints on the ground.

The footprints were large and didn't seem to belong to a woman.

However, there was some black slime around the footprints, the same as what we had seen at Liu the carpenter's house before.

"They're zombie footprints," Zhou Ning said.

"It ran into the mountains."

He stood up and said to the village head:

"Village head, you all go back first. I'll go look for it in the mountains."

The village head quickly said, "Brother Zhou, would you like to call a few more people to accompany you?"

Zhou Ning shook his head: "No need. Too many people will only get in the way. You all wait in the village, I'll be back before noon."

He carried his Qingfeng sword and followed the footprints into the mountains.

The mountains grew deeper and the trees grew denser.

The sunlight was blocked by the tree canopy, making the forest dark, damp, and filled with a putrid smell.

The footprints disappeared at the entrance of a cave.

Zhou Ning stopped and looked at the dark cave.

The entrance to the cave was about the height of a person, and the inside was pitch black, with no way of seeing how deep it was.

A cold, damp wind blew out of the cave entrance, carrying a nauseating, putrid stench.

"Another cave."

Zhou Ning frowned, pulled out an "evil-repelling talisman" from his waist and held it in his hand, while holding the Qingfeng sword in his other hand, and slowly walked into the cave.

The cave was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Zhou Ning channeled his inner energy into the Qingfeng Sword, causing the blade to emit a faint blue light that barely illuminated a few feet ahead.

The cave is very deep, and the further you go in, the more open the space becomes.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a huge stone chamber appeared ahead.

In the center of the stone chamber, dozens of skeletons were piled up.

Some have weathered and turned yellow, while others still bear dried bloodstains.

In the center of the pile of bones, Widow Zhang was squatting on the ground, tearing at something.

Hearing footsteps, it turned its head sharply.

His greyish-white eyes were fixed on Zhou Ning, and bits of flesh and blood still clung to the corners of his mouth.

"Aww!"

It let out a roar and pounced on Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning was prepared. With a swing of his Qingfeng sword, a streak of azure sword energy shot out and headed straight for its head.

Widow Zhang dodged the sword energy to the side with a speed far exceeding Zhou Ning's expectations.

Unlike other zombies that move slowly, it is as agile as a living person.

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine and dared not be careless. He channeled his inner energy into his legs and began to fight against it.

Widow Zhang's attack method was very simple.

Pounce, bite, scratch.

But it is incredibly strong, and each of its attacks is accompanied by a whooshing sound. If you are hit, you will be seriously injured even if you don't die.

Zhou Ning fought and retreated, leading it to an open space in the center of the stone chamber.

"Now."

He suddenly pulled out three "evil-repelling talismans" from his waist and threw them out at the same time.

Three golden rays of light, arranged in a triangular shape, surrounded Widow Zhang.

"disease!"

The talisman burned simultaneously, transforming into three golden rays that struck Widow Zhang.

"what!"

Widow Zhang let out a scream as her body burst into golden flames.

It struggled and tumbled in the flames, eventually turning into a pile of ashes.

Zhou Ning slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

Finally solved.

He stood up and looked around.

Inside this stone chamber, dozens of skeletons were piled up.

Some are complete, some are scattered.

Judging from the shape of the bones, there are both human bones and animal bones.

"These are the remains of corpses that underwent transformation after being contaminated by the aura of death."

Zhou Ning frowned: "If this isn't dealt with, it will cause more problems later."

He took out more than a dozen "purification talismans" from his bag and pasted them on the four walls and floor of the stone chamber. Then he formed a mudra with his hands and recited a purification incantation.

"Heaven and earth, in their natural state, disperse all impurities. Within the cave lies profound mystery, radiant with the primordial energy..."

The talisman paper simultaneously emitted a golden light, illuminating the entire stone chamber as bright as day.

From the pile of bones, wisps of black smoke rose and dissipated in the golden light.

The purification process lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

When the golden light dissipated, the putrid smell in the stone chamber had disappeared, replaced by a faint freshness.

Those bones turned into ordinary white skeletons and no longer emitted a chilling aura.

Zhou Ning exhaled a long breath and walked out of the cave.

It was nearly noon when we returned to the village.

The village head and villagers were anxiously waiting at the village entrance. When they saw Zhou Ning return, they cheered.

"Hey Zhou, how's it going?"

Zhou Ning nodded: "It's resolved. Widow Zhang's zombies have been eliminated, and the remains in the cave have been purified. There shouldn't be any more trouble in the future."

The villagers were overjoyed and knelt down to kowtow.

Zhou Ning helped the village head up and said:

"Grandpa, there's one more thing I need to remind you of."

The village headman quickly said, "Please speak, young man."

Zhou Ning said, "Baihe Village is located in a mountain valley, where the yin energy is heavy, making it prone to corpse transformation. From now on, when people in the village die, they must be cremated and not buried. Otherwise, the accumulated corpse energy will cause problems."

The village head nodded repeatedly:

"I've got it, I've got it."

Zhou Ning added, "In addition, every year during the Qingming, Zhongyuan, and Hanyi Festivals, you should burn incense and pray at the village entrance to commemorate the deceased. This will appease the resentment of those in the underworld."

"Definitely, definitely."

Zhou Ning was finally relieved.

He declined the villagers' offer to stay and embarked on his journey back to Lanruo Temple.

It was already evening when we returned to the temple.

Yan Chixia was meditating in the main hall when he heard footsteps and opened his eyes.

"Resolved?"

Zhou Ning nodded: "The three zombies have all been eliminated. The skeletons in the cave have also been purified."

Yan Chixia nodded slightly:

"Not bad. Did you use the jade talisman your master gave you this time?"

Zhou Ning shook his head: "No. This disciple resolved the issue using only talismans and swordsmanship."

A hint of approval flashed in Yan Chixia's eyes:

"It seems your skills have indeed improved."

He paused, then continued:

"However, the zombie transformation in Baihe Village is merely a symptom. The real root cause lies in the inner core of that zombie king."

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine:

"What does Master mean?"

Yan Chixia said, "The inner core of that Corpse King is the source of the corpse energy. If it is not thoroughly purified, the corpse transformation in Baihe Village will recur sooner or later."

He stood up, hands behind his back, and paced back and forth:

"Rest for a few days. Once you've recovered, I'll teach you how to purify that inner core."

Zhou Ning solemnly replied, "This disciple understands."

He left the main hall and returned to his residence.

He placed the Qingfeng sword on the table, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to regulate his breathing.

The internal energy circulated slowly, bringing a warm feeling.

These past few days of experience have given him a deeper understanding of the word "spiritual practice".

Cultivation is not just about sitting in meditation, practicing breathing exercises, drawing talismans, or wielding swords.

More importantly, one must temper one's character in the mortal world and strengthen one's resolve in the face of life and death.

His resolve had never been so firm.