Chapter 39: The Peach Tree Demon's Bargain, The Tiger Demon Escapes!

"If there is a hidden treasure cave, why don't you explore it yourself? Besides, I am a zombie; treasures are of no use to me," Qin Feng said, unmoved.

"It is not just any ordinary treasure inside. There are many magical artifacts, evil artifacts, and more. It is only because the entrance is sealed by a restrictive formation set up by a Taoist master that I haven't been able to enter. Otherwise, I would have gone in long ago; I wouldn't have waited until now," the tree demon explained.

"Are you sure?" Qin Feng's interest was instantly piqued. Magical artifacts were useless to him, but evil artifacts might prove useful. There might even be talismans, which he could consume to increase his strength. As for the restrictive formation, he could deal with that once his aunt finished her cultivation; with the inheritance of the Wuji Heavenly Master, she might be able to break it.

"I am sure. I swear I am not lying to you," the peach tree demon said with a serious expression.

"Very well, I will help you with this," Qin Feng nodded firmly.

"Are you certain you want to help it?" The tiger demon's expression darkened, and a powerful demonic aura erupted from its body.

"Don't talk nonsense. You'll make a perfect sparring partner!" Qin Feng waved his right hand and drew the long sword from his back. He stepped into a Taoist footwork pattern, his body moving like lightning as he charged toward the tiger demon.

"Damn zombie! Since you want to meddle in other people's business, then go to hell!" The tiger demon furrowed its brows and swung its mace at Qin Feng. The strike was heavy and powerful, with force that did not fall short of Qin Feng's own. However, the moment the mace collided with the long sword, it was sliced into two.

"What!" The tiger demon's pupils constricted in terror.

*Swish!* Qin Feng flicked his blade and thrust toward the tiger demon.

"Roar!" The tiger demon let out a growl and scrambled to dodge. Qin Feng followed up with a horizontal sweep. The sharp blade grazed the tip of the tiger demon's nose, leaving a shallow cut. Immediately after, Qin Feng flipped his wrist and slashed toward the demon’s jaw.

"Sword techniques? You actually know sword techniques!" The tiger demon, feeling threatened, retreated rapidly. Having been a demon for many years, it had encountered Taoist practitioners before and recognized the style. It could tell at a glance that Qin Feng’s swordplay was exceptionally fierce.

Once it had retreated to a safe distance, the tiger demon gnashed its teeth at Qin Feng. "Damn zombie, if you have the guts, throw away your sword and let's have a fair fight." The zombie’s sword was too sharp, and its mastery of swordplay kept the demon from daring to get close.

"Why would I discard my sword? Do you think I'm a fool?" Qin Feng smiled with disdain and resumed his Taoist footwork, charging forward again.

"You even know Taoist footwork?" The tiger demon was shocked once more, its eyes bulging.

The peach tree demon, standing behind them, remained calm. It had already fought Qin Feng and knew his capabilities well. It assumed these skills must have been passed down by that female Taoist master; otherwise, how could a mere zombie learn Taoist techniques?

*Swish, swish, swish!* Qin Feng reached the tiger demon and unleashed a barrage of cunning and fierce sword strikes. Not daring to meet the attacks head-on, the tiger demon retreated desperately. Finally, with a roar, it revealed its true form—a magnificent, mottled tiger the size of a water buffalo. Its limbs were packed with explosive power, and its long tail whipped through the air.

Just as Qin Feng expected the tiger to fight to the death, it unexpectedly turned and fled, as if it regretted not having an extra leg to run faster. "Damn zombie, just you wait! This isn't over!" the tiger demon yelled as it vanished into the distance.

Qin Feng wanted to give chase, but the tiger demon was too fast. After all, it was a mid-stage Transformation Realm demon, equivalent to a mid-stage Purple Zombie. If it couldn't win, it certainly had the ability to escape.

"Brother Zombie, thank you," the peach tree demon breathed a sigh of relief as the tiger fled.

"Don't thank me. We are just getting what we need from each other," Qin Feng replied.

"Very well, I won't thank you then. Follow me; I will take you to the treasure cave," the tree demon said.

"What's the rush? We enter the cave only after my aunt wakes up," Qin Feng said, looking at the tree demon. The peach tree demon nodded, and with a faint scent of peach blossoms, it followed Qin Feng into the cave with a graceful air.

Inside, it glanced at Mu Ruxue, who was sitting cross-legged, then at the six zombies. "Brother Zombie, how did you get these zombies to follow your orders?" it asked, filled with curiosity.

"They were infected by my corpse poison; once they turned, they obeyed my commands. As for the specific reason, I am not entirely sure myself," Qin Feng answered honestly. He saw no reason to hide it; it was no longer a secret, and others like Wufeng and Daoist Priest Baihe already knew.

"I see. So, doesn't that mean you could mass-produce zombie subordinates?"

"It is possible, but I don't have that many people to bite. I had planned to steal some corpses from the city morgue, but I haven't had the time," Qin Feng said. He didn't dare return to the city; the Yiyang Sect and Daoist Priest Baihe might have set a trap for him, not to mention the police.

"There may not be many people, but there are animals. Have you tried biting animals?" the tree demon asked.

"That's right!" Qin Feng’s eyes lit up. He had never tried biting an animal. Even though animal blood provided little energy, if animals could turn into zombies, he could raise an army of zombie beasts in advance.

"You’ve reminded me. Let's go find an animal to test," Qin Feng said impatiently.

"Fine," the peach tree demon agreed. It had no choice; Qin Feng wouldn't leave it behind, and he couldn't risk leaving his aunt alone with the demon while she was receiving the inheritance.

Before leaving, Qin Feng instructed the six zombies to guard his aunt well and allow nothing to approach her. He then took the tree demon into a dense forest. Sniffing the air, he quickly locked onto the scent of a large beast. Following the trail, he found an adult tiger. It seemed he was destined to deal with tigers tonight—one demon had escaped, and now he had found a common one.

Without hesitation, Qin Feng charged. His speed was so great the tiger couldn't react, and he pierced its neck with his ten sharp fingernails. After killing the tiger, Qin Feng didn't drink its blood; animal blood was of little use to him, and he found the fur unpleasant.

"Aren't you going to bite it?" the peach tree demon asked.

"No need. My fingernails are infused with corpse poison," Qin Feng said.

"So we just wait here? As far as I know, turning usually takes a day or two. I can wait, but what about you? If you don't return before dawn, the sunlight will melt you into a puddle of pus," the tree demon kindly warned. It thought this zombie was clever, but its brain seemed to short-circuit at times.

"When they are infected by my corpse poison, it doesn't take that long. If it hasn't turned within five seconds, it’s not going to turn at all," Qin Feng said solemnly.

"Five seconds?" The tree demon looked stunned, sneering inwardly. *Five seconds to turn a corpse? How is that possible? Even a Golden-Armored Zombie King couldn't do that.*