Chapter 48: The Spirit Corpse

At that moment, Zhang Xiaofan and Zhou Jiajia both gasped in shock, for they saw that the old man's entire body was flat. Previously, the old man had emerged slowly from the shadows, so they could only see his front; at first glance, nothing seemed amiss. But when he turned around, the truth was plain to see.

Zhou Jiajia clutched Zhang Xiaofan’s hand, trembling. “Let’s go…” she whispered.

Zhang Xiaofan cursed Liu Yu inwardly: "Why didn’t you tell me he was a ghost earlier?"

Liu Yu replied, “I found it strange myself—he doesn’t seem like a ghost.”

“How is that possible? Look at him! Isn’t he obviously a ghost?” Zhang Xiaofan retorted.

Liu Yu said, “You deal with ghosts often; you should sense the aura they carry. But this one has none. I suspect he’s something else—a spirit corpse.”

“What’s a spirit corpse?” Zhang Xiaofan asked, pulling Zhou Jiajia back.

“A spirit corpse is a type of monster formed from a corpse. For some reason, after death, the soul remains inside the body, but the person is dead. To survive, the spirit corpse must consume human flesh and blood to maintain its own energy.”

“So, it’s like a vampire, a zombie, or the walking dead?” Zhang Xiaofan recalled movies he’d seen.

“Not quite. Vampires and zombies are the same species, created by infection with a vampiric virus. Those creatures can cultivate like humans, and blood isn’t always necessary for them. Their intelligence is nearly human, so they’re considered higher beings. Spirit corpses, on the other hand, exist solely to kill,” Liu Yu explained.

As they spoke, Old Yong—the spirit corpse—sensed their retreat. He turned his head, tea cup in hand, and chuckled, “Why so scared? Stay and have some tea.”

“No, we’re leaving,” Zhang Xiaofan said, hastily stepping back. He asked Liu Yu, “Where’s the spirit corpse’s weakness?”

“It’s simple: destroy his body so his soul has nowhere to hide.”

“And the soul?” Zhang Xiaofan pressed.

“That depends on its strength. If it’s weak, a few talisman papers will do,” Liu Yu replied.

“In that case, help me!” Zhang Xiaofan shamelessly requested.

“Get lost! I’m not your muscle,” Liu Yu snapped, then fell silent.

Zhang Xiaofan made use of Liu Yu’s reluctance.

Just as they were about to reach the door, a figure burst in—a man with a long tongue, flicking it wildly as he charged at them, much faster than the crushed Old Yong.

Zhou Jiajia’s eyes widened in terror, and she fainted on the spot. Zhang Xiaofan cursed bitterly; he regretted bringing her along—what a nuisance now.

He quickly dragged her onto a sponge mat to the side, then summoned flames in his palm. Though powerful, this move drained his mental energy, so he knew he had to finish quickly.

Whoosh!

The long-tongued corpse lunged. Zhang Xiaofan dodged, then hurled fire at it, sending the creature writhing on the ground in pain.

Old Yong’s spirit corpse pounced immediately. Somehow, his claws had grown long and sharp, stabbing straight at Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan unleashed fire, but didn’t expect the long-tongued corpse’s tongue to coil around his neck, pulling him back tightly.

The creature was ablaze, but Zhang Xiaofan could hardly breathe. He reached for his pocket, pulled out a folding knife, and sliced through the tongue.

Bang!

Old Yong crashed into him, leaving a black claw mark on Zhang Xiaofan’s back.

“Damn—do you think it’s poisonous?” Zhang Xiaofan shouted.

“Of course! Burn them, quickly!” urged Liu Yu.

Zhang Xiaofan thought: As if I didn’t want to. But his mental energy fluctuated oddly—sometimes he could summon a blaze, other times it lasted only seconds. He resolved to look into this later.

He hurled a small fireball behind him. Flames erupted on Old Yong’s paper-thin body. Both monsters, now fire-wreathed, rushed at Zhang Xiaofan.

In panic, Zhang Xiaofan spotted a large prop knife nearby, grabbed it, and swung with all his might.

With a crack, the blade sliced into Old Yong’s shoulder; then, with a sweep, his head flew off.

“Damn, finally killed one!” Zhang Xiaofan exclaimed, triumphant. But the next instant, a cold wind swirled from Old Yong’s body.

Liu Yu screamed, “That’s his soul hiding in the corpse—use the talisman papers!”

Zhang Xiaofan quickly threw two talismans. With two bangs, the evil spirit vanished.

“That was just the soul of a newly-formed spirit corpse—too weak,” Liu Yu said.

Zhang Xiaofan hadn’t expected the spirit corpse’s soul to be so weak. Clearly, these monsters depended on their bodies; once stripped of that, the soul posed little threat.

The remaining spirit corpse, still burning, was nearly spent. The flames had devoured most of its flesh, and its earlier resistance had used up all its strength. Now, as the fire burned, his skin was already roasting.

Zhang Xiaofan stepped forward, severed its head, then tossed ready talisman papers on the bodies. Both corpses collapsed.

Fearing a fire, he absorbed the flames, clicking his tongue. “This trick’s quite handy—absorbing fire. Maybe I should consider being a firefighter.”

Liu Yu said, “Fire is a kind of energy. Because your energy was depleted, you could absorb it. Try it when your energy is full—you’ll burn yourself out.”

“Alright, but you really know a lot,” Zhang Xiaofan said.

“I’m a level-four ghost; of course I do.”

“You’re so capable, yet you didn’t help me earlier.”

“For your own good. I’ll only stay by your side for a month, then I’ll leave.”

“Hmm, but why do they want us to carry out these tasks?” Zhang Xiaofan wondered aloud.

“No idea, but there must be a purpose,” Liu Yu sighed. “So you’d better cultivate well during this time. Not all ghosts are as easy to talk to as I am. Also, when I’m not around, make sure to address any, uh, physical needs…”

“Get lost!” Zhang Xiaofan snapped.

“I’m serious. Young men with strong energy easily attract female ghosts, who’ll drain your vitality.”

Zhang Xiaofan ignored her and walked over. “Those two spirit corpses guarded this place so fiercely—there must be something here.”

He ventured inside, where the scent of blood hit him. Looking closer, he saw three mutilated bodies lying among the props.

“These must have been the guards—never expected them to die so directly,” Zhang Xiaofan said, covering his nose.

“Something’s off. Normally, the spirit corpses’ bodies would be sent to the hospital, so how did they end up here, killing three people?” Liu Yu muttered.