“My grandfather in the mountains must be so worried. I have to go back,” Yun Jiuge said and climbed out of the coffin.
“Is Brother Yun Jiu’s grandfather known as the Old Hunter?” Yun Shili looked at Yun Jiuge with an odd expression.
“How do you know my grandfather’s name?” Yun Jiuge raised an eyebrow. She had assumed that the identity she’d taken on had been randomly cooked up by Zi Shang. She did not think that such a person actually existed.
“Your grandfather passed away a few days ago. The people in your village pooled some money and hired us to send him back to his hometown to be buried.” The Heifeng Village had accepted this job about ten days ago.
Apparently, the Old Hunter had left behind some money before his death, along with a message for the villagers. He’d asked them for help in persuading the Heifeng Village’s Vampire Corpse Controlling Masters to send him back to his hometown so that he could be buried with his wife, who had died ten years earlier.
At that time, Yin Shili had asked about the background of the Old Hunter.
He knew that the Old Hunter had a grandson, who had died in the mountains while hunting some time ago. The body was never found. It seemed to him, therefore, that the demonic-looking youth in front of him was, in fact, the grandson.
“My grandfather is dead?” Yun Jiuge wanted to appear heartbroken and sad, but because of the poison in her face, she was unable to show too many emotions. Only her eyes turned red and watery.
“You have my condolences, Little Brother.” Yin Shili sighed, then told Yun Jiuge seriously, “The tomb cave is a dangerous place. Why we get out of here before deciding what to do next?”
Yin Shili might be the Secondary Steward of the Yin Corpse Sect, but he wasn’t a bloodthirsty murderer.
He took note of Yun Jiu’s appearance. It looked like the boy was suffering from Corpse Poison, so he wanted to save his life.
“No. I am unable to leave,” Yun Jiuge objected with a shake of her head. Her eyes revealed fright and shock. “He will kill me.”
“Who is he?” Yin Shili asked in confusion.
“The most perverted, wicked, and scary man in the universe,” Yun Jiuge replied as she shot a glance behind her.
Rats! Why hadn’t that a** Zi Shang made his appearance? Her acting talents were stretched to the limit.
Suddenly, there was a gust of Yin wind inside the tomb cave. It carried a scent with a hint of sweetness.
The next moment, Yin Shili went flying, struck by a strong force. An invisible grip held him in midair by the throat.
He struggled fiercely and saw a beautiful Living Corpse appear behind Yun Jiu.
His hair and pupils were ash-gray, and there was a speck of red between his eyebrows. This figure standing in the eerie and scary ancient tomb cave made the surroundings look like a painting.
Yin Shili was so stumped looking at Zi Shang that he forgot that his life was in the hands of the Living Corpse.
“Let go of him!” Yun Jiuge slapped Zi Shang’s arm, hard, telling him to be careful not to kill Yin Shili for real.
Zi Shang expressionlessly released his hold, and Yin Shili flopped down to the ground.
“Are you alright, Brother Yin?” Yun Jiuge asked with concern.
“Cough, cough, cough!” Yin Shili hacked for a while, then looked at Zi Shang warily. “Is that the scary man you mentioned just now?”
“That’s right. It was him who kidnapped me from the Wicked Wind Cave and kept me here,” Yun Jiuge stated. Then, she sent a kick toward Zi Shang’s bum, leaving a large footprint on his clothing.
Inside, Zi Shang was seething. Sadly, because he was pretending to be a Living Corpse, he could show no emotion. There was no way for him to teach Yun Jiuge a lesson. He could only remember this humiliation and settle the score with her another time.
“I see.” Yin Shili understood instantly.
The Living Corpse in front of him was most probably one of the thousand-year-old Corpses from the legends.
The legends told of Living Corpses that were very nimble and had a bit of intelligence. They were able to select a partner with abundant Yang Qi and bring that partner back to forge a contract. The youth, Yun Jiu, was most likely the partner that the Living Corpse had selected for itself.
Looking at the youth, Yun Jiu, he thought that the youth was good-looking indeed. He had been a hunter in the past, so his physique wasn’t too bad. No wonder the Living Corpse was interested in him.
“I beg you, Brother Yin, please save me! He does not allow me to leave the tomb cave and keeps drinking my blood,” Yun Jiuge touched her neck, where there were teeth markings, which Zi Shang had made on purpose.
“He has already drunk your blood?” Yin Shili was shocked. He continued in a grave tone, “I have a very private question for you. It may be intrusive, but I hope Little Brother will answer it honestly because it could mean life or death for you.”
“Please ask, Big Brother,” Yun Jiuge replied seriously.
“Have you had any intimate physical contact with the Yin Corpse?” Yin Shili asked sternly.
Yun Jiuge’s pale face revealed an awkward expression.
What intimate physical contact? She was forced by Zi Shang into dual cultivation practically every night.
Seeing Yun Jiuge’s expression, Yin Shili got his answer.
He sighed and told her, “Seeing Little Brother’s expression, you’ve probably already had some intimate relations with him. I’ve heard rumors before. The Yin Corpses, after they gain intelligence, they suck blood and have intimate relations with their chosen partner because of their thirst for Yang Qi. That’s probably why your appearance had changed, and you’ve become like you are now.”
“So, you mean that my non-human, non-ghostly appearance is all the fault of the Yin Corpse?” Yun Jiuge realized that Yin Shili was very helpful. Without much urging, he had already helped her think of an explanation for her appearance.
“That’s right. You have been poisoned with the Corpse Poison. If you do not deal with it soon, your life will probably be in danger.” Yin Shili was not trying to frighten her. Having controlled Vampire Corpses for so many years, he had seen his fair share of people die from Corpse Poison.
“Then what should I do? Can’t you help me deal with him?” Yun Jiuge asked.
“Little Brother, the Yin Corpse has already gained intelligence and formed a blood contract with you. It is locked in on you. I’m afraid this is out of my hands,” Yin Shili answered regretfully.
He was also very tempted to gain ownership of the Living Corpse.
But Living Corpses who had formed a blood contract were very possessive of their partners. Even if he killed Yun Jiu, he would not be able to control the Living Corpse. Instead, he would be chased and killed by it.
“Then, I can only wait for death?” Yun Jiuge screamed in her heart, hurry and give me a recommendation for the Yin Corpse Sect!
“That is not necessarily the case. There are many techniques in this world, and there is one very suitable for countering the Yin Corpse. It is the technique of the Yin Corpse Sect, one of the five great Black Magic Sects.
“Your Brother here happens to be the Secondary Steward of the Yin Corpse Sect. If Little Brother wishes to go there, I can give you a recommendation to join the Sect. When you’ve learned our Sect’s highest technique, you will be able to suppress the Corpse Poison and live a long life,” Yin Shili said.
He was very confident about that. No matter this young man’s potential, with the Yin Corpse at his side, he would definitely become someone prominent.
“Yin Corpse Sect. It sounds very strange.” Yun Jiuge molded her expression into one of hesitance and ignorance about the world.
“Little Brother, it isn’t that Elder Brother wants to laugh at you. But the experience you’ve just had is far stranger than the Yin Corpse Sect,” Yin Shili laughed awkwardly.
Being raped by a thousand-year-old Corpse and treated as its wife was rare, even in the Yin Corpse Sect.
“Elder Brother is right. Please give me a recommendation!” Yun Jiuge tried to make it look as if she were going to the Yin Corpse Sect as a last resort.
“In that case, I will teach Brother Yun Jiu a technique for controlling corpses first. You will lead the Living Corpse and follow me down the mountain. Then, we will discuss the rest,” Yin Shili answered. Then, to get the Living Corpse to cooperate with her, he taught Yun Jiuge to drop blood on Zi Shang’s forehead and communicate with him through Spiritual means.
Before they had even come here, Yun Jiuge had researched a few techniques for controlling Corpses. She knew that the Yin Corpse Sect technique was the best, so she followed Yin Shili’s instructions.
Zi Shang absorbed Yun Jiuge’s blood and pretended to cooperate by obediently following her down the mountain.
