strictlysupreme Chapter 45 Gathering
Chapter 45 Gathering
The river water was icy cold, and the riverbed was deep and dark.
The three of them fell into the water together, with Chen Ming in front and Chen Qinghe following closely behind. The monk, on the other hand, followed at a leisurely pace.
After diving deeper for a while, a chain as thick as a bowl was lifted up from the ground and held in front of everyone.
Chen Qinghe felt a chill run through him, as if he were being watched.
The closer one gets to the coffin, the stronger this feeling becomes.
He quietly touched Chen Ming's shoulder, and Chen Ming secretly gestured to indicate that he already knew and there was no need to worry about his safety.
A pale, cold, and swollen hand silently approached the monk's neck. The monk remained unfazed, simply using the rocks as leverage to turn around abruptly.
He then waved his golden-glowing hand and killed the drowned ghost that had attacked him.
However, the surrounding black seaweed continued to grow, and beneath the seaweed lay a dense mass of heads.
The drowned ghosts completely enveloped the monks, and even the father and son in front of them could not escape.
The upright, floating coffin trembled violently. Chen Ming took out a dagger and cut open his palm, letting the blood flow into the coffin through the seam.
"Click click..."
The trembling of the coffin intensified.
Seeing the drowned ghost closing in, Chen Qinghe had no choice but to activate his talent. The moment it was activated, he was tightly bound.
Unlike before, the densely packed drowned ghosts were kept outside by the terrifying Jingguan (a mound of corpses).
"This is.."
Chen Qinghe's pupils contracted sharply.
The reason for this was nothing more than that he saw his good friend, Ruan Huaizhong, being devoured by the drowned ghosts that formed a mound of corpses.
Even the drowned ghosts who were isolated outside came forward and shared the food.
Ruan Huaizhong was covered in blood, his body mostly gnawed away. Yet, he smiled at Chen Qinghe.
Seeing this, Chen Ming no longer hesitated, took out the hook and pulled open the coffin lid.
The dense bubbles burst open with a roar, forming an upward-rushing undercurrent.
Although Niu Yixuan's body was headless, Chen Ming could clearly sense that the body was staring at him.
"It's a success!"
The monk's face lit up with joy, and he no longer concealed his shortcomings.
The surrounding blood energy gathered into a ball, giving the vague feeling that the blood energy was soaring straight to the sky.
He pressed on with all his might, and with a few swaying movements, he approached the coffin.
Just as Chen Ming was about to retreat, he was suddenly jolted, and a large amount of blood stained the river red.
Niu Yixuan's corpse had somehow moved closer to Chen Ming. In an instant, Niu Yixuan's bony right hand was seen pulling out Chen Ming's heart.
The monk sensed something was wrong and struggled to float upwards.
The headless corpse followed closely behind, disappearing from the father and son's sight in the blink of an eye.
Overwhelmed by the weight of the river, Chen Qinghe's eyes reddened, and he cried out, but his voice was drowned by the current. Chen Ming, already exhausted and drained of his life force, lost all vitality.
Chen Qinghe struggled violently, but he couldn't shake off the drowned ghosts behind him. Ruan Huaizhong, who had been able to remain calm, was now completely devoured.
'Bang'
Chen Qinghe accidentally knocked over a reef and lost consciousness instantly. However, the straw figure in his arms rolled into the deeper part of the reef without him noticing.
The horde of drowned ghosts surged frantically toward the direction where the straw man had fallen. Chen Qinghe, on the other hand, floated slowly into the distance.
On the ship
A group of men in black were intently staring at the surging river surface.
"Whoosh"
The monk leaped out of the water and climbed onto the boat in a few steps.
"Failed again?"
The disappointment on the faces of the group was palpable.
The monk did not answer, but quickly went to the baggage. He smashed the wine jar, revealing a withered human head inside.
A talisman for warding off evil spirits was pasted on the forehead of the person.
Unlike ordinary exorcisms, this talisman, although also drawn with cinnabar, has more intricate patterns outlined along its edges.
The bottom also reads "Chongde Mountain Ferry, Lin Yuqing".
This was no ordinary edict for seeking help, but a decree to enforce the task given by the person holding the talisman!
It should be known that the talismanic arts have long since declined in this world, and the number of Taoists who can issue decrees nowadays is not only extremely rare, but also very few.
Not to mention such a ruthless imperial edict!
"It's right behind us..."
"Once its head is returned, we can control it using this exorcism talisman!"
The monk's topknot and beard stood on end, his eyes brimming with excitement. The men in black around him also became excited upon hearing this, some even turning red with excitement.
The headless corpse was just emerging from the water when it was suddenly covered in water.
The head and body reunited, and the already resentful corpse was now as calm as a sculpture.
"Now that I think about it, Shenmu Village has been completely purified. We need to capture the Three-Clawed Poison Toad before those zombies completely lose control."
...
Two days later
A wooden plank floats on the shimmering river, with half of a badly damaged, black memorial tablet embedded in it.
"Cough cough..."
As a series of loud choking sounds rang out, Chen Qinghe, who had been soaking in the river water, slowly woke up. Only then did he realize that he had been washed ashore by the river.
However, he did not choose to go ashore, but remained immersed in the river.
On the shore, one could vaguely see throngs of people, along with the stench of decay and bursts of howling.
In the dense forest
Two figures quickly swept over the obstacles and headed towards Niujia Town.
"Armor? Could it be government troops?"
Chen Qinghe was initially delighted, but then he thought of Niujia Town, where corpses littered the ground. He felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason.
After his thoughts had calmed down, he hurriedly shouted out loud.
"Do not go to Niujia Town! It has long since become a living hell, not only is there not a soul in sight, but the town is also overrun by walking corpses!"
The two people wearing goose feather armor were Fang Hongxuan and Jian Shiqing, who had been dodging and weaving all the way.
They dodged and fled all the way. It took them a full five days to rush from where they first met to this place.
"Comrade, there's a ship ahead!"
Fang Hongxuan beheaded several zombies with a single stroke, his blade grooving a dark red with filthy blood. He held a gun in his right hand and a knife in his left, slaughtering his way through the ranks, leaving a trail of heads and corpses.
As for why they didn't bring fast horses, it was naturally because the mountainous terrain was rugged, and horses couldn't easily carry two people while fleeing. If they had taken the official road, it would have been much faster.
But now the official road is filled with walking corpses. At the slightest disturbance, they will dig three feet into the ground and search with all their might.
'Click'
The spear tip pierced the charging zombie, and Fang Hongxuan was about to pull it out to defend himself with the long handle when he discovered that the already dulled spear was firmly gripped in the zombie's throat.
Seeing the zombies' attack becoming increasingly fierce, Fang Hongxuan had no choice but to push forward with all his might, knocking over dozens of zombies before finally throwing away his spear and returning to defense with his sword.
port
Exhausted, Jian Shiqing forcefully cut the rope, stepped onto the awning boat in a few steps, and eagerly began to row.
"Comrades, everything's ready! Come quickly!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Hongxuan decided not to continue the fight.
He fought and retreated, covering a distance of dozens of meters in a series of maneuvers.
"bass"
The inscriptions on the Cuojin Blade shone brightly, and it seemed as if someone was chanting scriptures around it. The light emanating from the blade actually repelled the horde of corpses that had surrounded them.
Fang Hongxuan stepped on the head of the zombie and took dozens of steps before landing steadily in the boat.
The horde of zombies stopped on the shore and roared angrily at the two of them.
However, the boat had already sailed far away in Chen Qinghe's direction...
...