Chapter Thirty-Five: The Golden Body Technique

“Hm?”
The black Buddha statue uttered a questioning sound, as if it too was bewildered by the scene before it.
The golden light grew even more intense, piercing through the gaps between the statue’s fingers, dazzling the eyes—it was as if there were a sun beneath its palm.
“Swish!”
Countless flashes of gleaming blades swept past, and the black Buddha’s hand recoiled swiftly.
The statue paused, its gaze cold and sinister as it looked at what lay within.
Suddenly, a figure wrapped in golden light stepped out,
And from within that radiance, the figure’s voice echoed—
“I gambled correctly, ha ha ha!”
Fang Mu laughed heartily, a cold murderous intent flickering in his eyes.
As for the corpse fiends, they could be directly touched. Moments ago, Fang Mu had tried his luck, treating a dead horse as a live one, and unexpectedly triggered the Corpse Touching Technique.
[You touched the Corpse Chief, obtained the Golden Body Formula. True energy transforms into golden light, protecting your entire body.]
[You touched the Corpse Chief, obtained a letter, effects unknown.]
“Buddha! Buddha!”
The black statue cried out, its voice tinged with fear.
“Buddha?”
Fang Mu glanced at his current golden legendary aura, as ostentatious as fireflies in the night sky, giving off a distinct “Master, I have attained enlightenment” vibe.
Yet... the Corpse Chief was actually afraid. Truly, a bizarre monk.
“Buddha! Death!”
The fear lingered on the statue for but a moment, then transformed into boundless ferocity, directed squarely at Fang Mu.
The black hand, shrouded in sinister energy, swept toward Fang Mu once more.
“Boom!”
A deafening crash rang out as the black palm struck Fang Mu.
The Golden Body Formula stood firm like a sturdy wall; Fang Mu remained unmoved beneath the force of the black hand.
“Weak!”
After uttering a single word, Fang Mu’s butcher knife turned into countless blades of light, enveloping the black hand.
The murderous intent from the butcher knife surged, spreading cracks from the palm outward.
“Die!”
The black Buddha no longer retreated; its twin palms, carrying icy winds, struck Fang Mu relentlessly.
Blades of light and black palms—only these two forces remained within the entire temple.
The black palms struck Fang Mu, but were blocked securely by the Golden Body Formula.
The blades slashed at the statue, causing its fissures to grow denser.

As the tide shifted, the cracks began to spread across the Buddha’s face.
The temple shook violently, finally unable to withstand the battle, and collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Both sides continued their assault, unaffected by the destruction.
A Bai crawled out from the ruins, silently retreating two steps.
His master’s aura was terrifying!
Under the golden light, the frenzied attack contrasted sharply, filling A Bai with dread.
This was a side of his master he had never seen, one that inspired awe and fear.
“Crack!”
A sharp sound of breaking echoed, prompting Fang Mu and the statue to halt.
The golden light slowly faded from Fang Mu’s body, and with a swish, the butcher knife returned to its sheath.
“Boom!”
Starting from its head, the black Buddha statue shattered into fragments and fell to the ground.
It was over.
Fang Mu exhaled deeply and relaxed.
“Meow—”
At that moment, A Bai struggled over, spewing black mist to envelop the statue’s fragments.
Moments later, the black Buddha vanished, and A Bai grew noticeably larger.
The beast that devoured the uncanny grew stronger by consuming anomalies; clearly, A Bai had become much more powerful.
The ruined temple was now nothing but rubble; nothing else remained.
Fang Mu extended his hand, and a letter appeared out of thin air.
This was what he had just acquired. The envelope was professional, with writing on the outside, though the sender seemed not to intend delivery, as the text had been blacked out.
It had come from the black Buddha statue, its effects unknown.
Fang Mu opened the envelope and read its contents—
“Buddha, I am guilty!”
These four words greeted his eyes, their strokes twisted and uneven, likely reflecting the emotional turmoil of the writer.
Fang Mu frowned slightly and continued reading.
“Why have you not come yet? The technique you gave me has gone awry! I am afraid!”
“I am now unbearably hungry, craving human flesh, desperately so—no, I have already eaten!”
“Three men, two women, I lured them all into the temple and devoured them. Do you know what I’ve done?”
“I am a monk, yet I have committed murder, and even worse, I have eaten humans! After consuming them, they turned into anomalies, just as you said, and entered my body!”
“You said the technique would grant me longevity, but why does it have such severe side effects?”
“Yesterday, just yesterday, I found half my body rotting. I am terrified. I confessed before the Buddha statue, but it was useless.”

“You said I cannot contact you further—I understand, after all, you and I are not the same!”
“I am dead. I can feel it. I have gone mad, eaten myself, and even as a vengeful ghost, I will kill you!”
Here the letter ended.
The writer was that half-human, half-ghost monk; but who was the ‘he’ mentioned in the letter?
Fang Mu could not discern, so he put the letter away and searched the ruins for a while longer. Finding no more clues, he stopped.
“Meow—”
A Bai leapt onto Fang Mu’s shoulder, nuzzling affectionately.
“It’s time to move on.”
With the anomaly slain, the surrounding fog had lifted, and under the moonlight, Fang Mu could continue his journey.
He did not linger; once his true energy recovered, he left the ruined temple with A Bai.
After Fang Mu departed, a figure suddenly appeared.
Clad in a black robe, the figure gazed at the ruins, voice brimming with anger: “Useless!”
Just two words, yet sinister energy surged all around.
After speaking, the figure looked toward Fang Mu’s direction and muttered, “Time... is running out. I can no longer follow him.”
Beneath the moonlight, the figure slowly faded away...
...
Meng County, far from Jinglong County, was much larger and more prosperous.
When Fang Mu arrived, dawn had already broken.
After the long journey, his true energy was depleted. He relaxed momentarily, and once his energy was restored, began searching in his own way.
In an unfamiliar place, with no leads, how should one begin? The answer was simple: find the county office.
After asking a local for directions, Fang Mu arrived at the county office gates.
The officers on duty guarded the entrance; seeing Fang Mu approach, they stepped in front of him.
“Who are you?”
“Coroner from Jinglong County.”
“Hm? What’s a Jinglong County coroner doing in Meng County?”
“A murder case in Jinglong County is connected to Meng County.”
The two officers exchanged glances, signaling each other.
One asked, “Do you have any proof of identity?”
“None.” Fang Mu shook his head, then opened his wooden box, revealing his professional tools. “But my instruments prove my identity. If you don’t believe me and delay the case, you’ll bear the consequences.”