Chapter 20: The Head on the Ground

The female corpse scolded me once again.

To be honest, I am somewhat of a chauvinist. Being ordered around and reprimanded like this by a woman left me feeling rather uncomfortable. Furthermore, she is technically my fiancée—we haven’t even annulled our engagement yet—and for her to be so bossy made me feel as if I had no dignity as a man. But later, I realized that in the face of absolute power, what is dignity worth? A "kept man" life is both comfortable and sweet.

Seeing that the female corpse wouldn't tell me what was going on with the Second Granny’s family, I stopped asking. What was the point? I’d just get another scolding. For now, I had to get the female corpse back on her feet, and then I could bring up the engagement annulment. That would put my conscience at ease.

The problem was that due to its unique nature, obtaining the "coffin fungus" required opening the coffin lid first. If the fungus was indeed present, one would have to suck it out with their mouth and hold it there. It sounded easy enough, but the coffin fungus is an item of extreme cold—which is why it grows on coffins or skeletons, as corpses are inherently yin. It is best to have several people pass it from mouth to mouth to avoid being killed by the cold energy attacking the heart. Finally, one would transfer it into the female corpse’s mouth.

Since I was alone, it was clearly impossible to manage this on my own. It seemed I had to head down the mountain and find some help in the village. Otherwise, even if I found the fungus, it would be useless.

With this in mind, I stood up and headed off. The female corpse made no move to stop me, letting me do as I pleased. I really don’t know how she could be so calm; leaving such a massive task to a "half-baked" fortune teller who only knew the basics was a huge gamble. I had already waited fifteen years. It’s easy to say, but how many fifteen-year periods does a person have in their life? Still, I owed her, so I couldn't complain much. This trip up the mountain was primarily to settle that debt; otherwise, I wouldn't have had the nerve to bring up the annulment. I would have felt like a total scoundrel.

As I descended, I felt a sense of trepidation when I reached the mountain entrance. I had no idea what had become of that giant white rat or the Second Granny’s family, and I didn't want to run into them again the moment I appeared.

Fortune tellers actually know a few spells and incantations. In the yin-yang trade, whether you are a feng shui master or a ghost hunter, almost everyone knows some Taoist arts. After all, it’s all part of the Taoist tradition. Fortune tellers, however, are unique; you often see them knowing the skills of other professions, but others rarely know how to tell fortunes. After all, a high-level fortune teller can destroy others without ever showing their face, which is why they are highly respected in the trade.

But I hadn't prepared for this. I had originally intended to go up the mountain, help the female corpse revive, and be done with it. Who knew I would run into the mass grave of the Second Granny’s family? When I go back to get help, I’ll need to be prepared. There are too many secrets in Qingqiu Mountain to treat this lightly.

As these thoughts raced through my mind, I stepped onto the path down. I couldn't afford to dawdle this time. The female corpse had limited time, and since the first condition alone would take so long, I couldn't waste a single moment on the road. I took a deep breath and quickened my pace. Whatever was out there, nothing could stop me from finding that coffin fungus.

Having steeled my nerves, I quickly reached the halfway point, only to find blood splattered irregularly all over the path. And it was two different colors: red and green.

Green? I had read in books that once a corpse becomes a walking dead, no matter the level, its blood turns green. And this red blood didn't look like human blood; it was darker, looking more like animal blood. Could the Second Granny’s family have fought with that giant white rat?

The further down I went, the more blood I saw. Occasionally, white fur was scattered about—clearly from that giant white rat.

I, who had been walking quickly, suddenly stopped dead in my tracks!

In the path ahead, a severed head was staring straight at me, planted firmly on the ground. It was... the head of the Second Granny’s husband! His mouth was hanging open, and green blood, mixed with disgusting white foam, was slowly oozing out, seemingly still attached to bits of vascular skin tissue. As if chewing, clumps of it kept spilling out.

Seeing this, I was both terrified and nauseated. I nearly vomited, my stomach churning violently. I covered my mouth and steeled my heart, refusing to look at him again, and took off running down the mountain.

*Slap, slap, slap! Thump, thump, thump!*

I was so tense I couldn't hear anything else—only the sound of my own footsteps and my heartbeat. Just as I was about to pass the head, *snap!* I felt something grab my ankle!

I looked down sharply. A bloody hand was gripping my ankle, but the arm had no owner. The other end was a mass of exposed flesh and muscle lying on the ground—I have no idea where it got such strength. I nearly fell over.

Beside it, the head began to move, emitting a strange, wheezing cackle. The next second, it actually moved. Without any support, it began to scoot along the ground. A trail of green slime left a mark on the earth where it passed!

I panicked and tried to run, but the hand seemed to be working in tandem with the head. It tightened its grip, and an icy, chilling energy seeped through my skin. The force was immense. Seeing the head gnashing its teeth and "walking" toward me, I ripped a sickle from my waist! It was the only weapon I’d brought up the mountain in case of wild animals. The sickle was sharp—as farmers, every household has tools that are kept keen and bright.

The head seemed capable of thought. Sensing the threat, it sped up. Without a moment's hesitation, I swung the sickle at the arm clutching my leg.

*Slash! Slash! Slash!*

I hacked three times. The arm’s skin and flesh were turned inside out, a mangled mess, yet it still held on tight, as if it couldn't feel pain. Then, the next second, I was stunned: the head didn't just walk—it could fly!

The head launched itself into the air, mouth wide open, and flew toward me! I grew even more desperate. Putting all my strength into it, I swung wildly at the arm.

"Let go! Let go of me, I'll hack you to pieces!"

"Damn it!!!"

In those final seconds, I was so anxious I even started cursing.

*Slash, slash, slash...*

Finally, I hacked the arm into absolute mush. It finally went limp. I regained my freedom, but the head was already upon me.

*Slash!*

I instinctively swung the blade at the head!

*Crack!*

The head was split in two and fell to the ground. I gasped for air. The hand was still clamped onto my ankle; I tried shaking it off and prying it open with my hands, but it wouldn't budge. It was as if it had grown into my leg.

Meanwhile, the two halves of the head were still wriggling on the ground, as if ready to attack again at any moment!

I shouted in frustration, "Damn it, is there no end to this?!"