Chapter 111 A Living Corpse

Outside, intense gunfire and the fluctuations of術 (shu fa, spells) could be heard in the distance.

However, Zhang Yue had been influenced by邪法 (xie fa, evil magic) and his body had undergone a demonic transformation, allowing him to break through the encirclement. Fortunately, in his madness, he had no intention to kill, and although some people were injured, they were mostly unharmed. The fact that Zhang Yue, originally an ordinary person, had managed to withstand small-caliber gunfire without any harm was shocking enough.

Wei Yuan carefully collected the scales he had just cut off in a small wooden box.

Then, he sheathed his sword.

At this moment, Zhao Yi, the disciple of the Wei Ming Sect, also entered. When he realized that the white goat was his junior brother, he was stunned. He circled around and grimaced. No matter how he looked at it, it was a goat. His junior brother's cultivation was not weak, so how could he have fallen victim to such low-class trickery?

Generally speaking, the method of creating a beast was easy to break—just open the goatskin.

But he circled around several times and couldn't figure out how to tear it off. The goatskin seemed to be growing on Xuan Yi. When he tried to lie down to see if he could open it from the belly, Xuan Yi, in a fit of embarrassment and anger, kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"This is troublesome…"

Zhao Yi rubbed his stomach and smiled wryly, "I might have to go back and ask the elders for help."

"I can't do anything, and my senior sister probably can't break this spell either. It's beyond the capabilities of people with our cultivation."

"Or, when the Celestial Master's Mansion captures the daoist who cast the spell, it can be broken."

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Wei Yuan, who had just finished sheathing his sword and was observing Xuan Yi's state. He could barely make out that a layer of goatskin was covering Xuan Yi's body. He pondered and said,

"Come with me… I might have a way to break this spell."

Zhao Yi was slightly taken aback, then overjoyed.

He straightened up and clasped his hands repeatedly, saying,

"Then I'll thank Curator Wei in advance."

Wei Yuan said, "I'm just going to try. It might not work."

Then he sighed, pulled out two tissues, and squatted down, his sword on his back, to wipe away Zhang Xiaoyu's tears. His movements were gentle, but when he touched the little girl's cheek, Wei Yuan's movements froze slightly.

The Crouching Tiger waist tag trembled slightly, and corresponding words appeared in his mind.

Wei Yuan resumed his normal movements, wiped the little girl's face clean, and said,

"Let's go."

……………………

Back at the museum, with its wooden counter so old that the paint was peeling off.

Xuan Yi and Zhao Yi, led Zhang Xiaoyu, whom they didn't know what to do with, inside.

Wei Yuan poured them a glass of water and got Zhang Xiaoyu a bottle of cola.

He told them to wait a moment while he went to the front of the museum, took a box, opened the seal. Inside, a red cloth covered a simple, dark, and baleful iron scissors. It was the Yin object used by the Tian family's maid, after the Bone Woman's Painted Skin was killed, Wei Yuan had suppressed this iron scissors here.

Ordinary knives would only cut open the goatskin and human skin together.

This thing was different, it was originally the treasure of the Painted Skin, specially used for剥皮 (bo pi, skinning).

Naturally, it could only cut open the goatskin, and the baleful aura on it could also be used to break the邪法 (xie fa, evil magic).

Wei Yuan picked up the iron scissors and said,

"I want you to do something. In a moment, only cut open the goatskin, without harming the human body."

The scissors trembled slightly, the sound like a sharp laugh, full of disdain and resentment.

Wei Yuan said, "This is you helping me, I will find a way to dissipate your baleful aura and transform you from a Yin object into a 法器 (fa qi, magical artifact). Then, I can naturally let you go."

The big black iron scissors opened and closed, as if laughing wildly.

Wei Yuan patiently said, "Think about it."

The iron scissors still didn't cooperate.

Wei Yuan instantly drew the broken sword that had been hanging behind his waist, and with a clang, directly pierced the wooden counter next to the iron scissors. After continuously slaying demons and ghosts, his sword had already undergone some changes. At this moment, the sword body was filled with coldness and killing intent. Wei Yuan said,

"Do it or not?"

…………………

Wei Yuan walked back carrying a well-behaved pair of iron scissors.

Then he had Xuan Yi lie down. The scissors in his hand emitted a cold aura, but obediently slid across the goatskin. The goatskin that had been enchanted with邪法 (xie fa, evil magic) was easily cut open. The grievances and baleful aura gathered on the iron scissors could also break this邪法 (xie fa, evil magic). Xuan Yi only felt a chill on his body, and then he had the feeling of seeing the light of day again.

The goatskin fell to both sides.

Xuan Yi rolled out of it, limbs spread out on the ground, breathing heavily.

Zhao Yi quickly helped his junior brother up, and a yellow talisman he had prepared earlier was shaken and ignited, merging into water to make a bowl of符水 (fu shui, talisman water), which he helped Xuan Yi drink to expel the remnants of evil from his body. Wei Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately it worked. Then he threw the well-behaved iron scissors into the box and sealed it.

Ghosts fear evil people, even Yin artifacts are like this.

Turning his head, he saw Zhang Xiaoyu sitting obediently on the sofa, holding a cola, but still silently crying. And at the corner of the bathroom and the small living room, several dead ghosts were squeezed together, staring intently at the can of cola, their fingers almost embedded in the wall.

Zhang Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment, then put the cola on the coffee table.

She pushed it towards the ghosts.

The ghosts were terrified and squeezed together in a panic.

Another one who can see?!

Even Xuan Yi and Zhao Yi, the disciples of the Daoist sect, had instinctively sensed Yin energy after entering this place, but because there was no baleful aura, they simply assumed that this curator also kept Yin soldiers. Many Daoist sects had similar inheritances, but if they followed the right path, it would not harm the harmony of nature, and would not produce baleful ghosts or厉鬼 (li gui, vengeful ghosts).

Out of courtesy, they didn't open their eyes to look.

Wei Yuan sighed secretly, sealed the scissors, pasted a talisman, walked to the living room, squatted down and looked at Zhang Xiaoyu, whose eyes were red from crying. She was still in kindergarten, so young, her skin was pale beyond measure, and her soul was unstable, with subtle traces of her魂体 (hun ti, soul body) dissipating.

Wei Yuan reached out and rubbed the little girl's hair.

He closed his eyes slightly, and a blue talisman flashed in his palm—Exorcism.

This was a usage developed after his last contact with Dong Yu, which allowed him to see some memories that weak souls cared about by observing the shaking soul body. Of course, no matter how it changed, this神通 (shen tong, supernatural power) was ultimately a method of driving ghosts.

Zhang Xiaoyu wasn't a living person.

But she wasn't an ordinary ghost either…

She was a活尸 (huo shi, living corpse).

When a person dies, their soul remains. According to legend, the seventh day after death is the回魂夜 (hui hun ye, night of returning souls).

The dead will return to the vicinity of their corpses to see their families for the last time before leaving, but there are many variables. One is that the soul is detained, and on the seventh day, it fails to return to the corpse to complete the final farewell, and as a result, the corpse has already been cremated or buried.

The魂体 (hun ti, soul body) can't find its way home and becomes a wandering soul.

Another is to lock the soul in the body, neither human nor ghost, neither alive nor dead.

This method is also called续命 (xu ming, life extension) in some places.

It's not the right path.

Summoning the soul to extend life and transfer阳气 (yang qi, yang energy).

Using my life to extend her life.

The scene unfolded before Wei Yuan's eyes.

……………………

A child's memory is colorful.

Like a crayon drawing.

Dad, Mom, and herself.

Every little thing in the world is happy.

"Dad is a hero, omnipotent, can lift me up high, high."

"Mom is a fairy, the most beautiful mom in the world."

At this time, even the night is shining brightly.

………………

But suddenly the blue sky became gloomy.

She was sick.

Dark clouds spread to her home.

Mom and Dad started arguing all night long.

Xiaoyu wanted to pull them apart, but Xiaoyu couldn't, she was getting weaker and weaker.

Dad cried.

He stretched out his finger and stroked her face.

"Dad crying, shame, shame…"

Why is he crying even harder…

So sleepy, want to sleep.

So cold, so cold.

Mom is gone…

Xiaoyu seemed to have slept for a long, long time, Dad looked much older.

Mom was gone, Dad said she left us.

Dad hugged Xiaoyu and cried, saying, "I will definitely cure your illness."

"You will get better."

"When you get better, Dad will take you to the biggest amusement park to play, for as long as you want."

But, Dad, Dad.

Xiaoyu isn't sick.

Xiaoyu is just dead…

ps: Thanks, thanks to Association Head Ning for the ten thousand reward.