Chapter 31: Spreading Heretical Nonsense

The female corpse lay right before me. I stepped forward, grabbed her by the shoulders, and prepared to press my lips to hers. There was no room left to worry about whether this was my first kiss or whether it was embarrassing; the cold was simply too unbearable. Looking at her delicate, slightly upturned thin lips, I leaned in and kissed her. Surprisingly, the female corpse didn't utter a sound.

Just as our lips were about to meet, a sharp cry rang out!

"Stop!!!"

It startled me so much that I halted instantly, my lips stopping just a centimeter from hers. The voice spoke again.

"Young man, do you realize you are aiding a villain? Do not be bewitched; do not help this demoness!"

The voice belonged to a middle-aged man. I looked up, my mouth still stuffed full. A man dressed in Taoist robes stood before us, holding a horsetail whisk, his face adorned with a pair of handlebar mustaches. Isn't this the Taoist who performs spirit-calling rituals? I had seen him once before when he brought Second Granny's soul down the mountain.

I frowned, wanting to ask him why he said that, but with my mouth full and stiff from the cold, I could only mumble incomprehensible sounds. Seeing my state, the Taoist grew more anxious.

"Young man, this woman must never wake up. Once she does, it will bring devastation to all living things, and you will become a sinner in this world! Do you understand what I mean?" He looked at me with an expression of earnest sincerity.

My face was pale, and ice crystals were beginning to form in my mouth. "Mmph, mmph-mmph?"

The Taoist frowned again. "I don't know what you're saying, and it doesn't matter. Listen to me: this woman is devious and is tricking you just so you will save her. Listen to me, do not feed her the coffin fungus. I went to all the trouble of performing this ritual to contain that fungus—how could you have taken it out?"

I tried again: "Mmph, mmph-mmph!"

The female corpse remained silent, offering no defense. Finally, unable to hold on any longer, I bowed my head and pressed my lips against hers, using my tongue to push the fungus into her mouth. I felt an immediate sense of relief. The biting, piercing cold—holding an unmelting chunk of ice in one's mouth—was simply too much for anyone to endure. Only then did sensation begin to return to my lips.

Her lips were soft and surprisingly sweet. Looking at her face at such close range, I found myself entranced. She was as beautiful as a celestial being; it was as if the world around us had come to a standstill. Just as I was staring at her, she suddenly opened her eyes!

The shock made me recoil instantly. Our lips parted, and I felt a pang of guilt, not daring to meet her gaze, fearing I had taken advantage of her. But once I composed myself, I realized that other than opening her eyes, she showed no reaction; she wasn't even looking at me. She remained exactly as she had been. I tentatively shook her body, and after confirming she wouldn't move again, I let out a long breath and wiped the corner of my mouth.

I looked over at the Taoist. He was frantic, slapping his thigh and shouting, "You young fool, why wouldn't you listen? I told you not to give it to her! Now it's over—three souls have merged into one, and her power has been restored! You! You are so young, you must not be obsessed with female beauty!"

Seeing him like this, I set the woman's body down and stood up. "Look, Uncle, I was trying to ask you the whole time: if I didn't feed it to her, what was I supposed to do with the stuff in my mouth? You kept lecturing me, but you never told me where to spit it. This thing is precious; I couldn't just spit it on the ground, could I? I couldn't stand the bone-chilling cold anymore, so I had to spit it into her mouth!"

The Taoist froze. Then, he slapped his own forehead. "Oh, right! I forgot that it's an object of extreme cold! My fault, my fault. But fortunately, only one soul has returned. You must listen to me from now on—no matter what this woman asks you to find, you must not..."

"As if you are worthy of bewitching my person!!!"

The woman's sharp, piercing voice finally rang out. I didn't know if she had been busy digesting the coffin fungus earlier, but now that she had spoken, I could clearly feel that she was full of vigor—far more overbearing than before. It was hard to imagine: with all three souls returned, would this woman turn into a tigress?

Upon hearing this, the Taoist raised the brass bell in his hand and shouted into the air, "Audacious demoness! How dare you cast spells here? Do you realize this is an act of rebellion against heaven!"

The female corpse sneered, "Heh! Rebellion against heaven? I don't need a piece of trash like you pointing fingers at me!"

*Whoosh!*

A powerful, chilling wind whipped up. The Taoist was lifted into the air and then slammed heavily onto the ground.

I could feel that the woman's strength had indeed surged. After hitting the ground, the Taoist performed a kip-up, rising instantly. He shook his brass bell, bit his fingertip, and sprayed blood into the air.

"Ice cold throughout the ages, all things remain still. Heart, intent, and spirit are calm; I look to my own soul. Mind and spirit as one, the breath follows suit. If there is a void between us, let all changes be met with composure. Grant!"

A flash of purple light flickered, and a faint fragrance drifted to my side.

"Carry me away from here. I am not strong enough to deal with him right now. Hurry!"

Hearing the female corpse's words, I hesitated. The Taoist had just said she was a demoness whose awakening would bring disaster, and she herself had previously mentioned burning down the village. I didn't know who to believe.

"Why are you just standing there! Carry me away!" The woman’s voice was laced with a hint of pain.

"Ugh," I stood up and shouted at the Taoist, "What is going on? Why do you say she is a demoness? You have to convince me, otherwise, I cannot let you hurt her!"

I felt the source of that fragrance hide behind me. The Taoist grew urgent. "You blockhead! You have no relation to her; why are you helping her? Get out of the way! My spell only lasts for a minute!"

I remained unmoved. "If you don't tell me the reason, I'm afraid I cannot comply. She has helped me, and I, Han Tiangang, always repay my debts!"

Seeing my stubbornness, the Taoist shouted, "Fine, fine! I'll tell you. This woman once..."

He stopped halfway, his expression changing. He frowned, ceased shaking his bell, and looked behind him. His ears twitched, and he turned around and fled. I was left bewildered. He hadn't even finished his sentence—wasn't he supposed to be ridding the world of demons? Why did he run the moment something approached?

Then, I heard voices coming from below.

"Senior Brother, Second Master told us to come here and keep an eye on that demoness. How long until they arrive?" It was the voice of a young girl.

A steady, young male voice replied, "They should be here soon. Let's watch first, to prevent any trouble..."

More people? Since when did our village become so busy?

Just as I was stunned, the female corpse's voice sounded: "Hurry, carry me to your village ancestral hall!"