Chapter 124: Luring the Flying Corpse

"What? Zuo Zhi is alive?" Upon hearing Baozi’s words, Mu Chen raised his hand to check Baozi’s forehead. Before he could, Zhou Yi pushed him aside. Everyone peered closely and realized the humanoid creature with a snake’s body was none other than Zuo Zhi.

"Zhou Yi!" The man-headed, snake-bodied monster frowned upon seeing Zhou Yi, his voice identical to Zuo Zhi’s.

"Is that you, Zuo Zhi?" Despite his confusion, Zhou Yi frowned as he asked. He couldn't help it; back in the depths of Changbai Mountain, Zuo Zhi had clearly breathed his last. His appearance now defied all logic.

Flashback: After Zhou Yi killed Zuo Zhi, he leaned against the giant python to recover. Once the python spat its inner core into the wound on Zhou Yi’s chest, the beast’s body began to shrink rapidly. After Zhou Yi left, the python, having lost its core, needed to feed. It swallowed Zuo Zhi’s corpse, only to let out a miserable shriek. Zuo Zhi was a practitioner of the Dao; his soul had not left his body upon death. The weakened python’s act of consumption gave him the perfect opportunity to seize control of the creature’s body. After months of recuperation in the depths of the mountain, he had transformed into this grotesque, neither-human-nor-ghost abomination.

It was no wonder Zhang Xiaochu’s divination in Shanghai had failed; strictly speaking, Zuo Zhi had not died, but had merely continued to exist in a new vessel.

"Ha! This wretched form I’m in is all thanks to you! Now that you’ve delivered yourselves to my doorstep, don’t blame me for being ruthless." With that, Zuo Zhi slithered forward, charging at Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi dodged, and Zuo Zhi lashed out with his snake tail.

Baozi and Mu Chen, unwilling to watch Zhou Yi fight alone, drew their weapons to join the fray. Seeing the odds were against him, Zuo Zhi knew he couldn't defeat all three; continuing the fight would only lead to his second death. Choosing not to be a fool, he used his tail to push off the ground and vaulted over the wall. By the time they pursued him, he had vanished. Having stayed there for some time, Zuo Zhi knew the terrain well, leaving them with no trail to follow. With Zuo Zhi gone, the "haunting" of the residence naturally ceased.

"What if he comes back after you leave?" Fu Gege asked, trembling. This was to be her and Xiao Cui’s home. If Zuo Zhi returned after the three men left, they would be in grave danger.

Zhou Yi and his companions could not stay long, as the matter of the Flying Corpse was urgent, and the two locations were too far apart to manage both. Taking the two women with them would be arduous and perilous. They couldn't be in two places at once.

Just as Zhou Yi was fretting, he spotted a savior. Exclaiming, "Heaven never blocks one's path!" he ran toward the newcomer.

"Jiechen, wait!" Jiechen was rushing southward, his purpose unknown. He was Zhou Yi’s savior; whenever Zhou Yi was in trouble, he appeared.

"Amitabha, Master Zhou!" Jiechen heard the call, turned, and smiled upon seeing Zhou Yi.

"Our country is still too small; I bump into you everywhere!" Zhou Yi laughed, hurriedly ushering Jiechen back into the courtyard.

"Is this your residence?" Jiechen asked, looking around.

Zhou Yi smiled. "Don't call me Master anymore; I am only at the Deep Blue cultivation level. Where are you headed, Master Jiechen?"

They talked for a long time. It turned out Jiechen had been honoring the teachings of Mingkong before his passing, traveling to subdue demons. Zhou Yi told him about the monster, suggesting he guard the house. Since this aligned with Jiechen’s mission, he readily agreed. With Jiechen guarding the residence, Zuo Zhi would find no advantage there.

With affairs settled, the three men set out to deal with the Flying Corpse. Zhou Yi was determined to uncover the truth about Lei Zhen during this trip to Phoenix Mountain. Xun Feng did not follow, as there were places she disliked and could not assist with, so Zhou Yi left her at home to keep Fu Gege and Xiao Cui company. After exchanging goodbyes—for temporary separation is but a prelude to the next reunion—they departed.

By noon the next day, they reached Phoenix Mountain and entered the cave. The small bats recognized Zhou Yi and did not attack, allowing them to reach the Blood Pool unhindered.

"Now, tell us, how do we fish out this Flying Corpse?" Baozi asked, itching for action. Mu Chen had mentioned using the two large bats as bait but had never explained the method.

Mu Chen grinned and whispered instructions to the bats. Once finished, he led the others into the shadows of the cave.

The Bat King and the male bat flapped their wings and hovered over the Blood Pool. When the Flying Corpse didn't emerge, they grew tired and hung from the cave ceiling, their eyes darting nervously—they feared that if the temptation failed, they might be eaten instead.

A long while passed. Just as Baozi was about to speak, Mu Chen covered his mouth and gestured for silence. They looked at the Blood Pool; it was bubbling—the Flying Corpse was rising. Seeing the creature, the bats dared not stay on the ceiling; they landed by the pool and leaned in to drink the blood, just as Mu Chen had instructed.

A moment later, the Flying Corpse leaped from the pool, reaching out to grab the bats. The bats were prepared; they dodged and flew directly toward the three men.

Watching closely, they saw that most of the black hair on the corpse’s body had fallen off. If it all shed, it would transform into a Drought Demon. The Flying Corpse needed Yin energy, and the two bats were potent nourishment. Taunted repeatedly, the creature could no longer resist and leaped from the pool, chasing the bats toward them.

The men held their breath, fearing the creature would turn back. But at ten meters away, it stopped. It sniffed the air, sensing the presence of living humans. Even with its nascent intelligence, it couldn't distinguish who was there, but it didn't hesitate to charge. To the corpse, human blood was far more potent than the pool’s fluid.

Mu Chen waited for this moment. He pulled a talisman from his robes, holding it between his fingers. The corpse was incredibly fast, reaching them in an instant. Mu Chen lunged from the shadows, slapping the talisman onto the creature's forehead.