Chapter 9: When Corpses Whisper in the Dead of Night

The moon was mottled, and wisps of blue smoke drifted above the hill of Gu Mo's small courtyard.

As the camera panned down, three figures were sitting on a rock beneath a large tree.

Hoo~

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, an elderly man in his sixties was puffing on a long-stemmed tobacco pipe, gazing toward Gu Mo's small courtyard.

Suddenly, a vigorous and resonant voice rang out.

"Old Ghost, why did you fake your death?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the smoke-puffing old man did not even turn his head as he replied, "Nothing... just for fun!"

Hearing this, the old man speaking on the left let out a deep sigh, raising his head to look at the interlacing moonlight.

Illuminated by the hazy moonlight, the speaker was none other than Old Master Chu, who lived next door to Gu Mo!

At present, Old Master Chu was dressed in a silver-white martial arts suit, his slender frame seeming to harbor boundless energy.

Then, the wind blew and the clouds shifted. Another figure appeared within the frame.

(Seeing this old man, Yelang immediately burst out laughing.)

The old man appeared to be around fifty years old, and his attire was extraordinarily rustic.

If someone called him a scavenger, it would be a painfully accurate description...

The school uniform, washed countless times, fit him poorly and looked awkwardly like cropped trousers. A pair of faded yellow rubber shoes had long been ruthlessly tormented by the passage of years. A coarse hemp rope served as his belt, tied tightly around his waist.

Protruding from his back was a scale pole over two meters long, looking exceedingly bizarre!

How did that saying go?

Yellow rubber shoes and cropped trousers, the close-combat mage Liu Haizhu!

Immediately after, the old man in yellow rubber shoes beneath the tree shadows looked at Gu Mo returning to the small courtyard and let out a cold snort.

"Hmph! Four of the eight Underworld divine artifacts have already been claimed, and you still have the mind to play games? Have you forgotten the death of Yaojiu!"

Hearing this, Gu Yanzhi, puffing on his tobacco pipe, let out a cold laugh.

"When Great Yu regulated the waterways, he focused on dredging rather than blocking. You'll never understand that, Number Six!"

As it turned out, this old man in yellow rubber shoes was none other than the swordsman who had severed Yaojiu's tail eighty years ago!

Seeing this, one could not help but feel a deep chill running down their spine, overwhelmed by a profound sense of dread.

Hoo~

Gu Yanzhi, sitting squarely on the rock, took another puff of smoke, looked toward his own house, and slowly spoke.

"That little Taoist priest in the house truly possesses the demeanor of Uncle Ba back in the day. I wonder what Fourth Sister would think if she saw him."

With that, Gu Mo's grandfather, Gu Yanzhi, paused slightly and said in a clear voice.

"Number Six, find some time to knock some sense into him."

……

Good times always pass by in a flash.

Just as Gu Mo reached the front of the courtyard, he suddenly caught a strong scent of blood.

Gu Mo was currently entirely like a frightened bird, possessing an acute sensitivity to any abnormalities in his surroundings.

Abruptly, Gu Mo pulled out the gluttonous spirit furball and swiftly retrieved three Underworld divine artifacts from its abyss-like mouth.

A quick glance showed Gu Mo gripping the Heaven-Measuring Ruler tightly in his right hand, while the Soul-Drawing Gourd had already been shoved down the front of his pants. Meanwhile, the Soul-Burning Lamp was held in front of him with his left hand.

Whenever any unclean entity was nearby, the Soul-Burning Lamp would instantly flicker with a gloomy green ghostly flame. This gadget was far superior to any GPS!

At the same time, the King of Hell, Jiang Jingsue, beside him also furrowed her brow and opened her left hand, ready to cast ghost arts at a moment's notice.

After making their preparations, the newlywed couple exchanged glances and walked slowly toward the small courtyard.

As the couple drew closer, the bloody stench permeating the air grew heavier and heavier.

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Stepping onto the stone steps, the Soul-Burning Lamp in Gu Mo's hand still showed no reaction whatsoever.

Seeing this, Gu Mo's heart was instantly filled with confusion.

Since the Soul-Burning Lamp in his hand had no reaction at all, could it be that this wasn't the work of wandering ghosts and spirits?

Overwhelmed by intense doubt, Gu Mo could only extend his hand with stealthy steps.

Creak~

When the wooden door of the living room was slowly pushed open, an atmosphere of terror instantly permeated the space, gnawing at Gu Mo's fragile little heart.

Then, gripping the Heaven-Measuring Ruler tightly, Gu Mo took a careful sniff, only to realize that this rich scent of blood was actually coming from Xiao Yulou's room.

Plagued by doubt, Gu Mo could only tread cautiously toward the bedroom door.

In his mind, an image of Xiao Yulou meeting a gruesome end with his head separated from his body flashed before his eyes.

Otherwise, this reeking scent of blood simply could not be explained!

With a breath, Gu Mo furrowed his brow, stared into the darkness before him, and unleashed a torrent of curses in his mind.

'Damn it~ How can my mind wander like this? Even if this scruffy bastard Xiao Yulou is greedy for money, wretched, frivolous, and unrestrained in his ways, no matter what, there's no way he can just die!'

Having brushed shoulders with death together several times, Gu Mo had long since regarded Xiao Yulou as a sworn brother in his heart.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Mo slowly pushed open the bedroom door.

Coming into view, a pitch-black figure appeared to be sitting cross-legged on the floor. A rich scent of blood, mingled with the smell of lamp oil, rushed into his nostrils.

Gripping the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, Gu Mo used his left hand—which was holding the Soul-Burning Lamp—to blindly feel along the wall for the light switch.

With a snap!

Orangey-yellow light instantly flooded the entire room.

At this moment, Xiao Yulou sat cross-legged on a yellow cattail mat, his head slumped heavily, his life or death uncertain. His black Taoist robe was lightly stained with his own blood, and the precious jade hairpin he treasured like life itself was still inserted into his topknot.

Looking around, the bedroom was splattered with vast amounts of blood. It felt as though the entire room had been painted over with gore.

In front of Xiao Yulou lay nine overturned lotus lamps. The extensive lamp oil mingled with the blood stains, creating a thoroughly chaotic and ghastly sight.

Seeing this familiar scene, Gu Mo immediately dropped the Soul-Burning Lamp and Heaven-Measuring Ruler from his hands, rushed frantically to Xiao Yulou's side, shook his body, and cried out.

"Brother Xiao~ Brother Xiao!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yulou, whose breath was as thin as a gossamer thread, slowly raised his head and managed a half-dead, miserable smile.

"Brother... Brother Gu... This poor Taoist has finally... seen through the secrets of heaven!"

Just as his voice trailed off, Xiao Yulou, whose complexion was as pale and lifeless as wax, let his head slump heavily once more. A frown crossed Gu Mo's face as a plan formed in his mind, and he slowly extended his finger toward the area beneath Xiao Yulou's nose.

Seeing that Xiao Yulou's breath was hanging by a mere thread, relying on half a breath to sustain his life, Gu Mo panicked slightly.

To his surprise, at that very moment, several wax-sealed pills slipped from Xiao Yulou's palm.

Recognizing this familiar little gadget, Gu Mo immediately reached out, crushed the wax shells, and shoved all three wax-sealed pills into Xiao Yulou's mouth.

In the blink of an eye, the silly King of Hell directly grabbed through the air, and a teacup from the table flew straight into her palm.

After gulping down a few mouthfuls of cold water, the silly King of Hell asked curiously, "What kind of miraculous elixir did my husband feed to Daoist Master Xiao?"

Gu Mo furrowed his brow and stared fixedly at Xiao Yulou, replying absentmindedly without even thinking.

"Black-bone chicken and white-phoenix pills! They're for treating irregular menstruation!"

Afterward, Gu Mo picked up the life-or-death-uncertain Xiao Yulou, laid him on the bed, and looked at everything around him with a solemn expression.

"Damn it~ That pinhead has triggered the Heavenly Mystery Leakage again. If he plays with fire a few more times, this fellow is definitely going to kick the bucket!"

Just as he finished speaking, Gu Mo suddenly remembered something, whipped his head around to look at the silly King of Hell, and said anxiously.

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"Silly girl, hurry up and cancel a food delivery order!"

……

I do not know how much time had passed, but cool winds were rising outside the house.

Inside, Gu Mo sat with a solemn expression at the head of Xiao Yulou's bed, while that wretched Taoist lay peacefully asleep on the mattress.

As for the silly King of Hell, she had already cleaned up the bloodstains in the room, finished her takeout, and returned contentedly into Gu Mo's body to sleep soundly.

Knock, knock, knock~

Suddenly, the knocking at the door caused Gu Mo's heart to tighten instantly. Knocking in the dead of night—even if it wasn't a ghost, it certainly wasn't a good person!

Thinking of this, Gu Mo raised his hand, grabbed the Heaven-Measuring Ruler and the Soul-Burning Lamp, and walked out.

"Who is it?"

"Express delivery!"

Hearing this, Gu Mo's heart tightened further.

The voice coming through the crack of the door was far too heavy; it simply didn't sound like it came from a normal person.

Even if the speaker was a heavy smoker, it would take forty or fifty years of practice to reach such a realm!

With that thought, Gu Mo clenched his teeth and hardened his heart. Raising the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, he thrust it straight out like a spear!

With a sharp crunch, the Heaven-Measuring Ruler in Gu Mo's hand pierced right through the paper window of the main door.

That's right, the windows of the living room door in Gu Mo's house were indeed pasted with paper. There were two reasons why Gu Mo had never replaced them.

First, he didn't have the time.

Second, the paper windows were also a legacy left behind by his grandfather.

……

Suddenly, a malevolent force surged fiercely from the other end of the Heaven-Measuring Ruler!

Before Gu Mo could channel his ghost Qi, a howling, ghastly screech echoed in his ears. Gu Mo was instantly dragged forward by the immense strength!

Crack~

Gu Mo raised his arm to shield his face, crashed heavily and violently into the wooden door before him, smashing it to pieces, and tumbled in a clumsy heap out into the small courtyard.

Thud, thud, thud~

The instant he hit the ground hard, Gu Mo quickly rolled sideways in a tactical maneuver, allowing him to maintain a safe distance from the enemy.

Afterward, clutching the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, Gu Mo pressed himself flat against the ground like a bloodthirsty beast, with the Soul-Burning Lamp placed right in front of him.

A quick glance revealed the following.

At this moment, Gu Mo stared with wide, furious eyes at the dark figure standing on the steps. His right hand gripped the Heaven-Measuring Ruler tightly, raised behind him, while his left hand curled into a claw and dug deeply into the dirt. His left leg was bent, and his right leg lunged forward like a steel bar.

This combat posture and the preceding tactical roll had both been taught to Gu Mo by Brother Cat, Min Wenhua.

First, creating distance and hugging the ground allowed one to wait and watch developments calmly.

Second, should the enemy make any sudden moves, Gu Mo could spring forward like a fierce tiger, using the strength in both legs to launch a surprise attack.

In the flash of an eye, with a loud boom!

The Soul-Burning Lamp before him suddenly flickered with a faint, eerie ghostly flame.

Seeing this, Gu Mo was suddenly enlightened—the thing before him was definitely not living!

As the camera panned, the dark figure standing before the door was tall and robust, draped in an airtight black robe. Though its specific features could not be seen, the ten purple fingernails protruding from its hands were like steel bars and iron rods!

The wisps of black Qi lingering around its body exuded a bizarre aura of death.

"Damn it~ A zombie again!"

Having said that, Gu Mo was utterly bewildered. How could a zombie speak? Could its level already be that high?

Besides, shouldn't zombies have stiff limbs and joints?

Since they were talking about zombies, there must be practitioners of Western Hunan witchcraft and sorcery nearby. He hadn't expected this bunch to arrive so quickly.

Suddenly, the dark figure before him flashed violently...

(End of this chapter)