The female corpse wasn't heavy, only around forty kilograms, but carrying it on my small frame was still a struggle, especially with the uneven ridges in the fields.The path up the mountain was mostly overgrown with weeds, and every step left some trace behind.Fortunately, Huang Jiu had called his disciples, and as I carried the corpse and the limping Huang Jiu led the way, seven or eight small weasels followed behind, smoothing out the crushed grass and trying to erase any traces we left.
The cave wasn't far, and after about half an hour, we arrived at the foot of a cliff. Huang Jiu pointed the way, and soon we found a hidden entrance.I didn't enter immediately but first checked the air inside the cave. After sensing no unusual presence, I carefully carried the corpse inside.
The cave wasn't deep, only about ten meters.I found a flat spot, cleared the stones, laid down a mat I'd brought, and added a clean sheet on top. Only then did I lay the female corpse down.By this time, it had already gotten dark outside.Huang Jiu sent his disciples away and buried the Buddhist relic at the entrance of the cave to block the smell of the corpse.
Seeing his actions, my brow furrowed.If a chicken or two people's favor made him so eager to help, I wouldn't believe it.This creature definitely had some hidden agenda.
Once everything was set up, Huang Jiu said, "Little Li, with the abilities of those Taoist priests, they'll definitely find the old house. Why don't you go down and scout the situation?"
"You're not going?"I asked calmly, my hand subtly reaching for the pouch at my waist.Inside were the remaining six yellow talismans.Regardless of his intentions, I didn't trust his unfamiliar wife, which made me uneasy.Only when Huang Jiu was with me would I feel safe leaving the female corpse.If he refused to go, I'd immediately act and deal with him.
Huang Jiu didn't notice my thoughts. He looked down at his injured leg and said helplessly, "With my condition, I'd just be a burden if I went."
"I'll carry you!"I gave him one last chance.
After a brief hesitation, Huang Jiu nodded and climbed onto my shoulder, hopping on with one leg.I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
I didn't bring much with me for the climb, just the yellow talismans and a few copper coins that had fallen from my money sword.Using the moonlight, I silently made my way back near the old house, crouching on a dirt mound to observe.I stayed in position for over an hour.I was worried about the female corpse and was tempted to return to the cave.But Huang Jiu advised, "Wait a bit longer. If they're coming for your wife, it's better to know their intentions. Knowing the enemy will help us defend ourselves."
That made sense.It would be much easier to deal with them if I knew what they were up to.
Around 9 PM, I finally saw an elderly man and a young boy appear on the path.Huang Jiu, concerned that I might not see them clearly, whispered to me.I responded quietly, "I can see."
Huang Jiu stared at me in surprise.It wasn't strange for an animal to have sharper senses than humans, but I couldn't possibly have night vision just because I had spiritual sight.He was clearly puzzled.But there were some things I hadn't shared with my family, and I certainly wouldn't discuss them with him.Let's just say my grandfather had fallen on hard times and hadn't obtained the final scroll of teachings.Otherwise, he wouldn't have been a half-baked practitioner.
Seeing that I really could see, Huang Jiu was about to relay their conversation to me, but I cut him off. "Quiet. I can hear them."
Hiss!Huang Jiu took a sharp breath, looked at me carefully, and asked, "Where did you learn these abilities?"
"I've already told you," I said with a smirk. "Even a Maoshan Taoist priest would have to kneel and bow before my grandfather." Since Maoshan was real, I might as well keep boasting about it.
Huang Jiu was half-convinced, falling silent after that.
Meanwhile, the elderly man and the young boy had arrived at the old house. As they entered, they immediately noticed the ashes scattered around the yard.The old man crouched down, grabbed a handful of ashes, and sniffed them. "There's the scent of a corpse. Looks like someone got ahead of us and knows a thing or two."
The young boy, around seventeen or eighteen, scoffed. "Master, this is just some country trickery. Nothing impressive. They probably won't hide the scent for long."
The old man didn't argue but nodded in agreement.I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. "Nothing impressive?"Once I mastered the techniques from the final scroll, I'll show you how impressive it can be.But the truth was, I hadn't understood much of the final scroll yet, and I wasn't sure when I'd be able to fully learn it.That thought made me feel a bit regretful and nostalgic for my grandfather.If he were here, he'd be able to teach me.
I couldn't help but think how, compared to people from real sects, I was like a rootless weed.
The old man, ever observant, quickly scanned the inside and outside of the house before stating, "The person hasn't left for long. They won't have gone far. When the scent of the corpse grows stronger, we'll be able to follow it and find them."
The old man then took out something resembling a compass and said, "Xiao'er, take this corpse-seeking plate and stay here. Don't act alone if you detect the scent of the corpse—wait for me to come."
The young boy took the device and asked, "Master, where are you going?"The old man replied, "I'm going to the village to take a look."
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that I had already moved the corpse to the old house. When I went to grab the chicken earlier, there was no trace of the corpse scent left.Otherwise, the old man's visit would have definitely led him to some clues, and he might cause trouble for my parents.
Once the old man left, the young boy was left alone in the yard.He set up a chair at the entrance, holding the corpse-seeking plate and waiting for the scent to appear.
I whispered to Huang Jiu, who was perched on my shoulder, "Can you use illusions to control him?"
Huang Jiu thought for a moment and replied, "The old man's too strong, but the young one should be easy to handle. However, we need to be within five steps to control him effectively."
Five steps!That should be manageable.
Huang Jiu then tugged at my collar and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do?" I grinned. "I'm going to take the corpse-seeking plate from him."
Since they were coming for the female corpse, I wasn't going to hold back.
Huang Jiu immediately warned me, "Kid, don't cause trouble. If you offend these big sects, no one comes out unscathed."
I replied, "If we don't take the plate, can you guarantee that the corpse scent won't leak? If they find us, you think there'll be a good outcome?"
Huang Jiu fell silent.I knew what he was worried about, so I asked him, "If my wife wakes up, do you think these Taoist priests will be able to do anything to her?"
It was a simple test, but when Huang Jiu heard it, he was even more excited than I was. He flailed his paws and shouted, "Damn it, let's do it!"
I furrowed my brow, pondering whether I should try to win the favor of the female corpse in the coming days.That way, when she woke up, even if she didn't remember anything, at least she might be grateful for the effort and reward me in some way.
Huang Jiu, eager to act, kept urging me.
Approaching someone within five steps isn't difficult—it's like just walking up to say hello.But given the current timing, walking up to him would surely raise his suspicion.Once he's on guard, Huang Jiu's illusions might not work as well.Earlier, I had thought it was simple, but now I realized I had rushed things.