Volume One: The Soul-Drawing Gourd and the Flame of the Spirit Lamp Chapter 37: The Mysterious Male Corpse

Page 1

The sunlight was splendid, and a gentle breeze brushed by.

Gu Mo, dressed in the newly purchased sportswear, strode toward the incense shop with a sullen expression. If only there had been a crack in the ground nearby, he would have surely dived straight in.

The reason was simple enough.

Sent away by his grandfather to study elsewhere since childhood, Gu Mo’s wardrobe at home was never suitable. The clothes he’d brought back—one set had been completely torn apart by Old Master Chu, and the other had been incinerated during his battle with the gluttonous ghost.

Thus, Gu Mo had no choice but to don the Taoist robe lent by Xiao Yulou and take a cab to the mall for new clothes.

Just imagine: a vigorous young man, clad in a Taoist robe with bare, pale, hairy legs, picking out clothes in a bustling mall—what a sight that would be! If passersby didn’t stare at him with strange looks, it would truly be a miracle!

Ha!

One could call this the Waterloo of Gu Mo’s life, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Yet this time, Gu Mo had learned his lesson. He bought three or four sets of clothes, inside and out, all at once—who knew what sort of demons or monsters he’d encounter next?

As he drew nearer, Gu Mo immediately noticed the empty incense shop, and doubt crept into his heart.

“Huh? Didn’t that scruffy Taoist promise to watch the shop? Why is nobody here? How unreliable!”

Driven by curiosity, Gu Mo tiptoed forward, feeling like a thief returning to his own doorstep.

He had barely entered the shop when a glance to the side startled him so much he broke out in cold sweat. The shopping bag in his hand dropped to the floor, but even so, Gu Mo clenched his fists, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

In the corner of the incense shop were a few paper effigies piled together, and a waxy, deathly pale human face was buried among them...

A buzzing sound filled his ears! Gu Mo felt the world go dark, his blood rushing instantly to his head. In a fit of rage, he stepped back, assuming a combat stance.

As they say: people frightening people can scare them to death! This was precisely that moment.

In his shock, Gu Mo’s bladder threatened to burst, but fortunately for him—a virgin yet—he managed to hold it in.

Only after he forcibly suppressed his inner fear did Gu Mo realize the crouching figure in the corner was none other than last night’s red-haired rascal—Wang Xiaohu!

Wang Xiaohu, dressed in his school uniform, was curled up in the corner, trembling and staring blankly at Gu Mo.

Then, mimicking a gesture from an anime, Wang Xiaohu raised his palm in greeting.

“Hey—hello, big brother!”

Gu Mo’s delicate face was written all over with terror, resembling the third sticker in your WeChat collection.

His roar followed swiftly.

“What’s hello? In broad daylight, you nearly scared me to death!”

Wang Xiaohu, with his red mane, smiled sheepishly and began to explain.

“Big brother, I was the one almost scared to death, okay?”

Gu Mo bitterly raised his eyebrow and forced a smile.

“Are you itching for trouble, kid? How dare you turn the tables!”

Wang Xiaohu, full of grievance, stepped out from the pile of paper effigies and protested.

“Big brother, I came to your shop just now to thank you properly. Who would’ve thought, as soon as I stepped inside, two paper effigies fell right from the ceiling!”

Gu Mo instantly guessed it was Xiao Yulou’s mischief!

Frowning, Gu Mo asked, “Then what happened?”

Wang Xiaohu swallowed hard, still shaken.

“Then that Taoist priest from last night chuckled and stepped out from the corner. He said I should help scare you, big brother. At first, I refused, but he threatened me: if I didn’t cooperate, he’d send little ghosts to crawl on my house’s windows!”

Page 2

Gu Mo’s face darkened at these words, and he burst out cursing.

“That scruffy guy, what was he thinking, threatening a child!”

After venting, Gu Mo fixed his gaze on Wang Xiaohu and asked, “Did he say anything else?”

Still unsettled, Wang Xiaohu stood up shakily and handed Gu Mo a letter.

Gu Mo, baffled, opened it to read.

The letter contained only a few brief lines:

Brother Gu, when you read this letter, you must have been startled!

Ha ha ha ha ha~

No more pranks!

I have urgent business to attend, so I’ve asked Wang Xiaohu to help you watch the shop.

First, Wang Xiaohu is a benefactor fated to cross your path. Treat him well, remember this!

Second, after you finish reading the letter, a police officer will come to ask your help with a supernatural case.

Third, beware the White Lotus Society’s cultists. They usually wear white clothing, and their tattoos are mostly black or red blood lotus marks.

Fourth, there’s no fourth for now...

After reading, Gu Mo snorted in disdain, half skeptical, muttering to himself.

“Is it really that mystical? Does that scruffy Taoist think he’s a living immortal? He says someone will come, and someone comes?”

Wang Xiaohu nodded in agreement.

But just as Gu Mo finished speaking, a loud bang came from outside the incense shop.

Bang!

Gu Mo and Wang Xiaohu exchanged curious glances, their eyes wide as eggs, staring at the door.

Thump, thump, thump~

As the footsteps approached, a man in a black uniform appeared at the entrance.

Looking closely, the burly man was about forty, standing about six feet tall. Beneath the shining national emblem was a face radiating righteousness—thick eyebrows, big eyes, upright and resolute. Yet his expression was grim, and sweat beaded his neck.

While Gu Mo was sizing up the police officer, the officer was also sizing up Gu Mo and Wang Xiaohu.

A few seconds later, Gu Mo stepped aside, smiling warmly.

“Please, come in.”

The officer glanced at the incense shop, noting the missing door, and smiled, his voice deep and magnetic.

“Hello, Mr. Gu! I was sent by Master Xiao. Please accompany me for a bit.”

Gu Mo shrugged, forcing a smile.

“Sorry! As you can see, my front door is broken. Leaving now makes me uneasy.”

Unexpectedly, Wang Xiaohu jumped in.

“Big brother, my family runs a building materials market. If you trust me, I can take care of the door for you.”

The man standing nearby coughed lightly and said,

“Mr. Gu, I’m sorry. The situation is urgent; we have no choice.”

Gu Mo quickly mulled over his options.

‘Wow~ When did I become so popular? Even the police are this polite? Would it be rude to refuse?’

He nodded in agreement, turned to the counter, grabbed a black bundle, and returned.

Then, smiling at Wang Xiaohu, he said,

“Xiaohu, I really need your help this time. Just watch the door; there’s hardly anyone coming for offerings.”

Wang Xiaohu, the red-haired rascal, grinned and assured him everything was taken care of.

Seeing this, Gu Mo followed the police officer outside. After a few steps, Gu Mo spotted the police car across the street...

Page 3

Bang, bang!

The man in the driver’s seat started the car. With a roar, the police vehicle vanished down the street.

After a while, Liu Haiyang, the driver, took out a cigarette pack and handed one to Gu Mo.

As the cigarette was lit, the distance between the two seemed to shrink.

The upright police officer exhaled a plume of smoke and, eyes on the road, spoke.

“Mr. Gu, my name is Liu Haiyang. I’m an officer from the city precinct. Today, we received an extremely bizarre case, which is why Master Xiao introduced you to us.”

Hearing the word “bizarre,” Gu Mo couldn’t help but feel puzzled. In his childhood memories, Beihuang Town had always been peaceful. Why, now that he had just returned, were all these strange events occurring?

With a frown, Gu Mo asked quietly,

“Brother Haiyang, what kind of case is it?”

Liu Haiyang, focused on driving, merely gave a bitter smile. His expression made it clear the case was indeed quite thorny.

He coughed lightly, finally saying,

“Mr. Gu, you’ll know when we arrive.”

Gu Mo refrained from asking further, silently puffing at his cigarette.

Outside, the scenery changed constantly as they traveled...

After two cigarettes, Gu Mo was brought to a secluded lane.

Surveying the familiar road and dense woods on either side, Gu Mo immediately sensed something was amiss.

This was a remote area—the ‘Ping’an Reservoir’ on the west side of Beihuang Town. Gu Mo had often swum here as a child. If a bizarre case took place here, it would most likely involve supernatural beings or sorcery!

Crunch, crunch~

The police car’s tires grated over gravel.

Gu Mo, seated in the passenger seat, looked up and saw three police cars parked under a tree, a group of uniformed officers clustered densely around the reservoir embankment.

A striking police line fluttered in the wind. The officers were busy, everyone absorbed in their tasks.

Gu Mo sniffed the air and detected a strong burnt odor carried by the breeze.

Looking out, the reservoir shimmered, sunlight reflecting harshly. On both banks, lush vegetation flourished. After years away, the scenery around the reservoir was still refreshing.

Click, click.

The shutter sounds from forensic cameras were constant.

Once the car stopped, Officer Liu Haiyang led Gu Mo toward the crowd.

Suddenly, a female officer, clutching her mouth, ran out of the group and vomited under a tree.

At the sight, Gu Mo’s heart clenched. Instinct told him that gruesome and terrifying scenes were about to unfold.

Drawing closer, peering through the gap in the crowd, Gu Mo saw a male corpse hanging upside down from a tree.

Looking carefully, the corpse was completely naked, its pale body covered in mottled livor mortis. Beneath it lay a large pool of dark red viscera and blood.

A mountain of internal organs piled up, crawling with plump white maggots feasting greedily, while swarms of flies danced above.

A breeze carried the stench of blood and rot, assaulting everyone’s senses.

The corpse, swaying in the wind, slowly turned, revealing a dried, shriveled appendage between its legs—a grotesque sight. A mass of bloody intestines hung from its chest, swinging like a crimson, eerie wind chime.

Examining the intestines, Gu Mo saw a perfectly clean incision. The corpse’s waxy, pale face bore hollow, whitish eyes.

But all attention was fixed not on the corpse’s face, but on the mound of blood-soaked viscera below!

Gu Mo felt a strange familiarity—had he seen this corpse before? What kind of vendetta could provoke such brutal disembowelment?

Just as Gu Mo frowned, deep in thought, the hanging corpse suddenly blinked!

Yes, the bizarre corpse blinked!

Then, something utterly unexpected happened...