Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Everyone in and out of the cabin looked towards Wu Anxun anxiously, hoping he would rebut the theory.
Unfortunately…
“It’s true,” said Wu Anxun, his face livid. His next words boomed out through gritted teeth. “I wonder which sh*thead buried a corpse outside!”
Hum-
The throng was in an uproar.
“Corpse Puppets exist?!”
“But how? How could it have happened?”
“Who did it? Who did this?!”
“…”
Anger, fear, and unease filled the air.
No one doubted Wu Anxun’s words.
There wasn’t a point in telling a lie that would get exposed in no time.
Once Corpse Puppets appeared, they had to be eliminated. Otherwise, the minced remains of the patrol team that lay in the cabin would only be the beginning of a plethora of deaths.
Should they escape?
But Forestry Town was their home, and they had nowhere to go in the cities.
Sure, they could give up everything and pack up for the cities; but that would mean starting all over again.
Moreover, now that there was a Corpse Puppet breakout, there was no way the authorities wouldn’t intervene. They would surely send experts over to exterminate these things.
Even before that, Wu Anxun would conduct a raid on them.
He was the leader of the Security Team—the man responsible for all security-related cases.
Therefore, despite the turmoil, everyone’s gaze fell on Wu Anxun from time to time, waiting for his next move.
The wait wasn’t long; once his rage subsided, Wu Anxun jumped into action.
“Old Wang, run a check on everyone in the town right away. Make sure to find the dead before noon!”
“Understood!” answered Head Wang solemnly with a thrust of his big belly.
With that, he turned, left through the door, and ordered the staff members to get moving.
The crowd dispersed as well, running homebound to spread the word.
Corpse Puppets appearing in the woods was an emergency that had to be broadcasted to the entire town, so as to prevent anyone from entering the woods again.
There were more than five thousand residents in Forestry Town—a town with its own schools, supermarkets, hospitals, and amusement parks…
Identifying the missing person wasn’t a difficult task.
Of course, this was merely the first step. Wu Anxun’s next move was to order the security team to retrieve heavy firepower.
Ordinary firearms could barely tickle Corpse Puppets.
Every member on the patrol team that entered the mountains was equipped with firearms, and they were led by a ninth-grade martial artist.
Even so, they got completely wiped out and returned in pieces.
As for the third step, Wu Anxun ordered people to collect the blood of livestock as bait for the Corpse Puppets.
Corpse puppets were especially sensitive to blood; even from several lis away, they could smell it and speedily rush over.
The fourth step should have been reporting the matter to Qinghe City, which Wu Anxun seemed to have forgotten.
After giving the first three orders, he squatted down and gazed at the ten corpses in silence.
Su Jingxing was curious, but knew enough to keep his mouth shut.
Along with Gu Bo, they took down the particulars of corpses’ owners.
When they were done, they went to a corner outside the house for a break.
“You ever seen any of those Corpse Puppets, Team Leader Gu?” asked Su Jingxing.
“Nah,” said Gu Bo, shaking his head. He lit a cigarette and exhaled. “You think I’d be standing here if I ever saw one?”
“Well, I was just curious,” said Su Jingxing with a dry laugh. “Everyone thought they were killed by beasts, but you could tell it was done by Corpse Puppets at a glance. I dare say that there aren’t many in this city that can match your level of insight. You can totally be a consultant for the security team!”
“Stop buttering me up,” said Gu Bo irritably, puffing out a ring of smoke. “I’ve never seen a Corpse Puppet before, but I’ve seen what they did to their victims. Loads of them. That was over ten years ago, before I even came to Qinghe City.”
“Laugh all you want, but that’s the very reason I came here,” said Gu Bo with a sigh.
“It’s all in the past. We should always look ahead,” comforted Su Jingxing. Feigning excitement, he pressed the topic. “Tell me the secret, Team Leader Gu. Beast wounds and Corpse Puppets wounds—what’s the difference?”
“Well…” Gu Bo thought for a while, and rose.” It’s hard to explain in words. Follow me into the cabin and I’ll explain based on the wound.”
“But Team Leader Wu’s still inside,” reminded Su Jingxing.
“It’s fine,” said Gu Bo, tossing his cigarette butt. “Let’s just keep our volume down.”
“Besides, we have to talk to Team Leader Wu and see whether he wants us to bring these ten corpses back.”
“Huh? Isn’t it a must to bring them back to the crematorium?” asked Su Jingxing, puzzled.
“There are exceptions to everything—special circumstances,” explained Gu Bo, walking. “And this is one of them. Even though these corpses are all minced up, they have been out there in the mountains for a day and a night. No one can guarantee the Corpse-raising Insects hasn’t spawned in them. If there are eggs in them and we bring them back to the crematorium, they will burrow their way into the other corpses. What do you think is gonna happen then?”
Su Jingxing said nothing.
Bringing Corpse-raising Insect eggs into the morgue of the crematorium would no doubt lead to a catastrophe!
Given that these corpses could create new Corpse Puppets, the right thing to do was to burn them on the spot.
The two chatted as they returned to the cabin.
Wu Anxun was still squatting on the ground, gazing silently at the corpses.
Su Jingxing and Gu Bo called out to him, sotto voce. There was no response, but that didn’t bother them.
Starting from a corpse on the far end, Gu Bo pointed at its wound and explained the nuances in a low voice.
These were useful and practical knowledge, so Su Jingxing listened closely and memorized everything.
When Gu Bo was done explaining, the investigation was still underway.
Su Jingxing made an excuse to visit the bathroom.
In a cubicle, he took out the ten cards he extracted earlier and inspected them.
Five Essence Energy Cards, three Strength Enhancement Cards, one Internal Force Card, and one Requiem Card.
Another new card!
Requiem—a Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead?
Pleasantly surprised, Su Jingxing picked up the Requiem Card to receive its information.
Requiem Card gives Spirit Accumulation Pill(s).
Spirit Accumulation Pill: A type of pill that could increase one’s Soul Power.
Increase one’s Soul Power!
Wow, this was even better than Strength Pills or Internal Force Cards.
An increase in soul power clearly affected aspects like the spirit and the soul.
Crack!
With a soft crack, the Requiem Card unlocked itself.
A blackish-purple pill appeared in Su Jingxing’s palm.
Without hesitating, he swallowed the pill.
He didn’t feel anything, but soon enough, Su Jingxing realized his mind was getting clearer, sharper, and more analytical.
It was an indescribable, mysterious feeling.
At length, Su Jingxing completed the integration and got used to the feeling.
He kept the Essence Energy Cards and Strength Enhancement Cards, then unlocked the Internal Force Card to absorb the one-year worth of Internal Force within. By manipulating his Internal Force, he cleansed his internal organs and nourished his bones and meridians. In the past week, he had gotten even stronger.
A few more Strength Pills and I’ll have over 3000 catties of strength on each hand.
3000 catties of strength on each hand—one of the trademarks of an eighth-grade martial artist.
Su Jingxing took out three Strength Enhancement Cards and unlocked them. He got four Strength Pills in total, which he proceeded to gobble down like jellybeans.
…
By the time he returned to the cabin that stored the bodies, the investigation was already over.
“Team Leader! We have found out the identity of the missing person.”
“Who is it?”
