Infinite Hunter

Cheng Yijiu calmly recounted everything, carefully describing the monsters. "All I can say is that from what I've seen in video games and horror movies, I can only call those things ghouls," he concluded. "And they have basic intelligence and are afraid of fire and probably sunlight."

"Mr. Cheng, how did you come up with the idea of ​​going to the mountains?" someone asked.

"I don't know either. I came to Beijing for a trip and suddenly wanted to go for a walk in the mountains around Beijing." Cheng Yijiu replied, "So you also brought a bow and arrow... This arrow is a three-edged killing arrow. Are you here to poach?" someone asked.

"No, just because I brought a bow and arrow doesn't mean I'm going hunting." Cheng Yijiu didn't care. "As for the fire that happened later, was it put out? I guess this was an emergency measure."

"No, Mr. Cheng, you still haven't answered why you went into the mountains," the man emphasized. "I just happened to be in the mood and saw these guys. Following them was like hunting in the jungle. It was quite interesting. Who could have imagined encountering something like this? I even told them to leave quickly, saying this place was wrong." Cheng Yijiu's words made the others look at each other in bewilderment.

"Okay, when did you realize something was wrong?" the other person asked. "Since I noticed there were no birds or mice. I've especially checked the corners with ultraviolet light, and there's no trace of mouse urine... Mouse urine shines under ultraviolet light." Cheng Yijiu replied calmly.

Chapter 22: Hospitality

The young man before him seemed ordinary and composed, but Liu Tao, the person handling the matter, was slightly perplexed. He glanced at the tablet in his hand, which contained Cheng Yijiu's profile retrieved from the database. Initially, the live streaming software had directly alerted the user of the incident, immediately initiating the necessary procedures. Calling the police was merely the icing on the cake; the relevant authorities quickly activated their emergency plan and mobilized a special armed police unit to handle the situation.

They hadn't expected something like this to happen right around Beijing. There had been a spate of disappearances before, but they'd always been dismissed as lost and missing—there was no evidence of local villagers robbing and killing them, a fact the police had already verified. Now it seemed they had to re-examine everything. The person in front of them had a clean record, even though he looked like a serial killer...

Psychopathic killers weren't the madmen most people imagined. Quite the opposite. Many of them appeared perfectly normal, some even enthusiastic and cheerful. Cheng Yijiu's calm demeanor made him resemble a veteran, someone who had served and killed in battle. His records showed he had no military service, and he had no connection to the recent unsolved murders in the country. His daily movements were simple.

He studied abroad in the United States. Could he have killed someone there? There's no evidence for this. At most, we can assume he played with guns and other similar items, like a crossbow, in the US, but nothing else. The university he attended was a sleazy one, so it's clear he couldn't find a job after returning. One questionable point is his income. He has a considerable income but can't prove its source—writing alone doesn't buy a house.

Later, this person opened a pet supply store, and was also involved in matters concerning the golden eagle, a nationally protected species. Finally, it turned out that this person was a very good full-armor combat player. "Okay, let's assume he's not a suspect. We can only say he's naturally calm and composed." Several responsible officials from the relevant departments discussed this, and Liu Tao made the final decision.

Cheng Yijiu's situation wasn't particularly important. While they still needed to be detained for a while, the most important thing was to deal with the ghouls inside. The situation inside was unclear, not even the number—there was nothing left when the drone was sent out to film. The forest firefighters and armed police were busy putting out the fire, so they could only wait until it was out before investigating.

Around nine in the morning, Cheng Yijiu and the other men and women were taken back to Beijing by car. They were taken to a courtyard—there are many courtyards like this in Beijing. There's a house number at the door, but no one knows where it is. Once inside, there are three or five small buildings that look deserted. Cheng Yijiu was assigned to a small building here. Someone took him to the second floor and gave him a room card. "Stay here for now. Someone will come to see you later."

The door opened to a suite. The living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen looked simple, but they were quite large. Considering the location... the housing prices must be very high. The floor was carpeted, a rather old-fashioned one with a dull pattern, but it felt quite soft. The sofa in the living room was also one of those old-fashioned cowhide sofas, even covered in fabric...

The same was true of the coffee table and other items. Fortunately, the phone on it wasn't a rotary dial. The living room TV was a state-of-the-art large LCD screen, even with two speakers. To one side was a desk, complete with an LCD screen, keyboard, and mouse—all of which looked quite up-to-date. The bathroom's decor was equally old-fashioned, with tiles the size of mahjong tiles. "The tile-laying craftsmanship is truly remarkable," Cheng Yijiu observed, observing the perfectly straight seams. The plaster was applied perfectly, leaving the edges of the tiles completely free of protrusions or prickly sensations.

The bathtub faucet and other fixtures were quite old-fashioned; Cheng Yijiu remembered seeing this style in movies set before the 1980s. They used radiators instead of air conditioning, which meant hot water came instantly from the tap. The kitchen was quite modern, especially the large double-door refrigerator. The same was true for the bedroom, too. At least the bed and bedding were quite simple—there was also a desk and desktop computer in the bedroom.

Cheng Yijiu put his bag down. There was a large laundry basket in the bathroom. A notice on the wall said that laundry could be placed in the basket and would be taken away by the daily housekeeping staff. "It's a star-rated hotel, but this is probably a guesthouse," Cheng Yijiu muttered. He didn't care anyway, so he just showered and ate. After showering, he put on the pajamas and robe hanging in the closet, and then saw three meal tickets on the table.

He took the meal ticket to the first floor and saw a small restaurant. "Isn't this a small canteen? It just serves stir-fries." After he entered, he saw the menu on the table. There were four dishes and one soup to choose from. After choosing, Cheng Yijiu had a good meal.

This was the guesthouse of the relevant department, and Cheng Yijiu was well aware of this. It was already the second day since he came to talk to him, and a middle-aged man appeared before him. "Hello, Mr. Cheng Yijiu, my name is Liu Tao. We've reviewed your file and there's no problem." He looked up at Cheng Yijiu and said, "As a state department, I'd like to ask Mr. Cheng for a favor." Cheng Yijiu looked at the man in front of him and said, "What favor? Didn't you kill those zombies? They should have come out through the well... Of course, considering the number, I think there should be a large exit somewhere."

The well was a possibility, but it wasn't the main entrance. Cheng Yijiu had probably seen over forty ghouls, and if they were to crawl out of the well, it would take more than half the night. Cheng Yijiu found it strange why they had to look for an "outsider" like him. Could it be that the relevant departments didn't have anyone capable? He was just a hunter, and when it came to tracking footprints, his skills weren't even as good as those of veterans with decades of experience. So, how could the relevant departments not have such professionals?

Apart from anything else, there are always police dogs - these zombies have a very strong smell. Cheng Yijiu wanted to refuse, but after thinking it over, he nodded, "Of course."

Liu Tao smiled and said, "Well... let's get ready and go." This time, in order to save time, they were sent to the destination by helicopter, and then they took an off-road vehicle and drove directly to the village - there was probably a company stationed there, and special military tents and many other equipment had been set up in the village. The few houses that were still usable were renovated with metal frames and quick-drying cement and cleaned to become barracks.

Chapter 23 Leaving

Cheng Yijiu knew very well that this was actually a nearby surveillance. After he came down, he followed Liu Tao without saying a word. "There are no signs of firing." He thought as he watched that it was very likely that the armed police did not find the zombies at all. However, all of this was proven by facts - although the live broadcast room of those guys was shut down, they also took a lot of pictures, which must have been taken away by the relevant departments.

The zombies shot by Cheng Yijiu naturally couldn't be burned completely, and they couldn't be transformed into nothing under the sunlight like the Mothman that Cheng Yijiu had dealt with before. From Cheng Yijiu's point of view, most of them would be left with some charred bones.

Armed police soldiers were likely to discover these bones, and professional forensic doctors could easily determine whether they were human or animal bones, and of course, they might also discover any anomalies. Cheng Yijiu was well aware of his status and position, and he wouldn't speak unless Liu Tao asked him.

He had been brought here for far more than just a guard duty. Sure enough, not long after hearing the report, Liu Tao took the initiative to ask Cheng Yijiu what he thought. "I wonder if you've checked the well. Is there a passageway underneath?" Cheng Yijiu asked, as the report hadn't mentioned the well.

Liu Tao took the initiative to lead him out. They saw armed police soldiers, fully equipped, preparing to descend the well. A winch and a frame had been set up at the wellhead, and the soldiers would stand on the scaffolding and be lowered down, armed with weapons. "I think it would be best if you could bring a shotgun. Preferably one with a Dragon Flame bomb," Cheng Yijiu said.

"Ghouls are afraid of fire, at least the ones I killed were." Cheng Yijiu suggested this as he approached, spotting the charred, half-deer skull, its horns intact. Liu Tao nodded and spoke to the company commander, who was leading the team. They should have brought incendiary grenades.

That's right, where would they find Dragon Flame Bullets in such a short time? Besides, this unit didn't seem to be equipped with shotguns. "Just go down like this? I think digging directly from above is the safest and most reasonable method." Cheng Yijiu thought so. But he said it, and whether the other party listened or not was not his business.

"You have a footprint expert here, right? Or at least an expert in on-site trace investigation. Following these traces and footprints, haven't we found the 'door' where these zombies came out in large numbers?" Cheng Yijiu asked. Liu Tao led him forward and walked to the end of the village - this place was close to the mountain, and if you turned around, you could see a dark valley.

The mountains on three sides block most of the sunlight, and direct sunlight only shines here at noon. However, this valley is also full of pine trees. The tall pine trees block most of the direct sunlight, making the valley below seem like night.

Cheng Yijiu didn't pretend to squat down to examine the valley's mouth. He knew instantly from the moment he laid eyes on the valley that it was a ghoul's lair. "What are you waiting for? Set it on fire. Build a firebreak along the ridge, then burn the valley down. It's all over once and for all." This suggestion would surely be rejected—presumably, the authorities were still hoping to obtain samples for research.

Why would a long-dead creature move? There must be something worth studying here—but Cheng Yijiu thought it best to just burn it and be done with it. After all, he wasn't much of a researcher. Since the other party wouldn't accept his opinion, he could just keep quiet.

The armed police officers who descended into the well advanced about ten meters and were unable to advance further—the entire downward passage was completely flooded. While ghouls, who didn't need to breathe, could pass through, humans without oxygen tanks couldn't. A search of the valley also curiously found no ghouls, but revealed that the soil, aside from the tree roots, was quite soft.

After digging, they discovered tunnels everywhere. Sending people down there was a good idea, as it was too dangerous. In the darkness, ghouls could easily outfight humans. Cheng Yijiu said setting a fire was the only solution, or else they could dig extensively and then use flamethrowers to burn it.

Anyway, a day later, Cheng Yijiu asked to go back. "I was detained by the police, without any reason, and it was only for forty-eight hours. I want to leave here. I'm sorry that I can't help you with the zombie issue, and my entire travel itinerary is ruined. I have to go back to open the store." His tone was neither humble nor arrogant. Cheng Yijiu was not afraid of what the other party would do to him.

He wasn't a serial killer. In his own world, he seemed to have never murdered anyone. Police records showed him to be a perfectly good citizen. His activities couldn't be connected to any murder or disappearance cases; there was no overlap. Yet, Liu Tao and the other officials involved were certain that this ordinary man was a dangerous individual, someone who had undoubtedly taken a life.

Unfortunately, there was no evidence to prove this, not even in the archives of certain secret departments—some of the files of soldiers fighting on the front lines of anti-terrorism were not public, but Cheng Yijiu was not among them. This was normal, everything about him was normal.

Liu Tao couldn't detain him here, so he had to send a car to take him away. There would definitely be surveillance, but this would be a long process, and most likely he would be handed over to the local police. Cheng Yijiu also put the so-called ghouls aside—it wasn't his business. They were just ghouls. He could kill them in a matter of minutes with his Apollo-blessed hand and half-sword.

Cheng Yijiu was concerned about this. Since ghouls had appeared, what about werewolves? Could vampires also exist? Could they live somewhere in this world? Especially since werewolves and vampires were both native to the Old World: vampires in Eastern and Central Europe, and vampire zombies in Asia.

This thing is much stronger than a ghoul. Cheng Yijiu's understanding of zombies is what he learned from the stories of ghosts fighting ghosts and zombie Taoist priests. Anyway, it's nothing more than sleeping on the coffin lid or bottom of the coffin, throwing eggs and splashing black dog blood, etc. At most, you have to burn incense and make sure it doesn't burn two short and one long...

Cheng Yijiu thought that if he ever encountered one, he would show the so-called zombies what a demon-killing Winchester Magnum rifle bullet was. A single shot could blast any damn zombie to pieces. Even an elephant wouldn't be able to stop this rifle bullet, let alone a mere zombie. Even if a zombie was tough, how could it be tougher than steel? This bullet could penetrate a centimeter of steel.

After leaving, Cheng Yijiu returned to the compound, picked up his things and left. He bought a high-speed rail ticket on the spot and returned to Shanghai.

Chapter 24: Chance Encounter

Upon returning to Shanghai, Cheng Yijiu paid no attention to the surveillance. He searched online for reports of the incident, but found nothing. "It seems information control is quite strict." There are indeed many supernatural videos online, even a large number of water monkey videos, but they are obviously fake.

These things could easily cause social panic, or at least have a significant impact on current worldviews, leading to widespread agnosticism. However, the internet's advantage is that it leaves traces, and those with a keen eye can always find even the slightest clue—even if it seems like shoddy special effects.

"But what does all this have to do with me..." Cheng Yijiu thought at first, "However, all this fun of hunting is related to me." In the real world, Cheng Yijiu was greatly restricted - he could not carry guns or cold weapons, and he could only use the simplest "elements" to hunt the monsters in the dark.

Almost everything he held was forbidden. If a half-sword was legal to keep at home, a gun was definitely illegal. Bringing a knife with a blade no longer than ten centimeters to fight a dark monster? Even Cheng Yijiu didn't want to do that—his fight with the lion was enough...

In that case, is there something legal? However, if you are on a train or plane, you are absolutely not allowed to bring a wooden or stone stick. Cheng Yijiu looked at his hands. It was these hands that possessed the greatest strength of any human being, and they had strangled the Nemean lion alive.

That was a heroic feat. Even now, Cheng Yijiu's heart surges with emotion when he thinks of his single-minded focus as he strangled the lion's neck with his arm. That's why he couldn't sit still in the shop. This time, the ghoul he shot didn't even show up in the hunting hall on the second floor. Perhaps it was because the hunting lodge didn't acknowledge it.

Yeah, it's just a ghoul, how powerful is it? Cheng Yijiu stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Under the overhead light, his 1.84-meter body was toned and well-proportioned. While not as sturdy as those of a bodybuilding champion, the strength contained in this body was rare in the world. "Oh, my six-pack isn't very clear. It's still covered up by a lot of fat," Cheng Yijiu sighed with a smile. He knew very well that this physique was the one that could really fight.

As a swordsman, Cheng Yijiu had always wanted this kind of physique, the kind that allowed him to wear heavy armor and carry heavy weapons for long periods of time on the battlefield. He thought of himself wielding a stone club weighing dozens of kilograms to fight a lion, and he smiled proudly, stroking his chin.

"I wonder what the next prey will be? A lion or a tiger? Or some mythical beast? I'm a little looking forward to it..." Cheng Yijiu cheered up and closed the shop. He wanted to go out for a trip again, this time to go south to Guangzhou.

It's unlikely anyone would follow him; at most, they'd alert the local police. Guangdong is mountainous, and Cheng Yijiu spent two days in Guangzhou before taking a bus directly to northern Guangdong. He wandered the mountains quite casually—just like the South China tigers that had wandered through the mountains for so many years.

"The ecological recovery is quite good." Looking at the Lingnan jungle, Cheng Yijiu could sense the vibrant life there. However, the Lingnan people were greedy. Cheng Yijiu also saw some signs of poaching. He casually cleared a few traps, but he didn't think of hunting the poachers in return - he would go to jail.

He just filmed it and uploaded it to the Internet through certain channels, causing public opinion to pressure the local management department. What else could he do?

Northern Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta are like two different countries, with many impoverished areas. Cheng Yijiu actually saw something strange while staying in the town. He saw black smoke coming out of someone, yet the people around him, including himself, were completely unaware of it.

Cheng Yijiu didn't ask, he just watched, and finally he found that these people seemed to be relatives... "This is very interesting." There was a middle-aged man with a lot of black smoke on his body. Cheng Yijiu, who was having morning tea in the teahouse, decided to take some time to observe.

Sure enough, on the third day after arriving, the man disappeared. Cheng Yijiu didn't leave. He felt that if he left immediately, the relevant authorities might come to visit him. "I guess I'm also a person of concern." Therefore, staying where he was was the best option.

Cheng Yijiu was genuinely curious. He was the first to confirm the man was missing because of the black smoke, while it would take at least two days for someone to be reported missing to the police. Standing outside the man's house, Cheng Yijiu searched for any signs. This man's movements were intriguing, and Cheng Yijiu gazed thoughtfully at the end of the cobblestone path.

Before the police received the first missing person case, a second person also disappeared. It was the first person's younger brother. Cheng Yijiu thought about it and decided not to take the risk. He had no weapons. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Liu Tao again. This time, Liu Tao was accompanied by a young woman who must be from the relevant department.

The woman was not bad looking, and the expression in her eyes showed she was completely smart and capable. Liu Tao was waiting for him at the door of the local hotel where Cheng Yijiu was staying. "Hello, Mr. Cheng. We meet again, what a coincidence."

Cheng Yijiu just smiled bitterly, "Yes, it's quite a coincidence. I said this matter has nothing to do with me, I don't know if you believe it." Liu Tao just smiled and replied, "Of course, otherwise I would ask you to go to the police station for questioning. Now I just want to ask for your opinion - after all, you have been here from the beginning."

"Two people are missing? There's no need to expect them to be alive. They should have been dead when they disappeared." Cheng Yijiu and Liu Tao said as they walked out. The woman's eyebrows moved obviously, but she said nothing.

"What do you mean?" Liu Tao continued to ask. "Something took them away. Most of them were already dead when they were taken away. I didn't see many traces, but I just have this feeling." Cheng Yijiu curled his lips. "That direction feels very unlucky." Cheng Yijiu didn't ask whether the last zombie was dealt with or how it was dealt with - that was the relevant department's own business, and if the other party didn't say it, he wouldn't ask.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a civil servant?" Liu Tao suddenly brought up a completely unrelated topic.

"Ah, my grades were not good, so I didn't take the civil service exam." Cheng Yijiu shrugged. "If you want to go find them, I suggest you bring a few strong men with you, and it's best if they are fully armed. I don't think they are easy to deal with - they are more dangerous than the ones we met last time. Don't ask why, it's just my feeling."

Chapter 25 Search

Liu Tao's expression also became more serious. "Really? You feel something is wrong. Then what do you think it is? Oh, by the way, this is Ms. Qian Yali, also a staff member of our department."

"Hello, Miss Qian." Cheng Yijiu greeted, "I don't know what it is, after all, I have never seen it. But if possible, has the Skynet project been completed in this place? Check the surveillance." As he said that, he looked up and saw that there was indeed very little surveillance in this place.

If it were a developed city on the eastern coast, it wouldn't be a problem at all, but here it's impossible. "Want to go take a look?" Liu Tao asked. Cheng Yijiu glanced at him, then at Qian Yali. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to take Miss Qian to see it. That thing killed at least two people, two grown men."

"Besides," Cheng Yijiu looked at Liu Tao, "I'm afraid the weapon you're carrying isn't going to work. It might scare people, but it's no match for a murderer." As expected, Liu Tao was carrying a small cannon. "Get a 1911 or something else that uses .45 ACP ammunition, preferably a Magnum. Otherwise, I can't even guarantee you'll make it out alive."

"Or you can just call the armed police soldiers, but don't bring submachine guns. It's better to use large-caliber rifles." Cheng Yijiu said, and saw that Liu Tao didn't seem to be going to mobilize people. "We still have to investigate first." The man showed a wry smile on his face.

Fortunately, he was also wearing casual clothes and hiking boots, which made it easy to move around. Qian Yali wasn't wearing a professional suit, but looked more like an athlete. Cheng Yijiu looked at Liu Tao intently for a moment. "Then follow me. If anything happens, run away immediately. Don't worry about me." Cheng Yijiu kindly told them that in his opinion, Liu Tao at least had some ability, but Qian Yali was harder to say.

Anyway, this place wasn't a mountainous area, so Cheng Yijiu led them along the road to the end, then turned onto a small path on the nearby hill. "It must have been a while since anyone had walked here, but there are some rather strange traces. It's kind of an inexplicable intuition, I guess."

Cheng Yijiu stopped and said, "I saw some very strange footprints on the road. I didn't recognize them at first." Liu Tao asked, "What do you mean? What kind of footprints are they?"

Cheng Yijiu lifted his foot and bent it over, revealing the sole. "Our shoes all have soles, with all sorts of traction patterns. And that footprint... is really rare. Luckily, I've seen it before. It's the patchwork sole of an old-fashioned shoe." Cheng Yijiu smiled. "Thanks, Taobao."

"These footprints are of both feet together. You know about those things last time. Now that I have those things, guess what I thought of?" Cheng Yijiu paused on the path, "Sometimes it's interesting to watch old movies. It's a pity that Uncle Jiu has passed away." Cheng Yijiu stretched his arms straight, put his legs together, and jumped forward.

"Zombies?" Liu Tao frowned, and Qian Yali's expression was even more puzzling. "Didn't Uncle Jiu say that zombies suck the blood of their own blood relatives, which is how they grow fastest? It seems to me that these two missing brothers might be the closest blood relatives of that creature—perhaps their great-great-grandfather or even their most distant great-grandfather, at least one hundred and thirty or forty years ago."

Liu Tao shook his head, while Qian Yali was already glancing at Cheng Yijiu sideways. Cheng Yijiu led them deeper into the woods, keeping his eyes on the ground. "It's a shame I don't know feng shui. Actually, for this kind of thing, it would be more helpful to find a reliable feng shui master. Hey? Do your departments have any knowledge of any capable Maoshan Taoist priests?" Cheng Yijiu spoke with a relaxed tone, as it was still early.

It was almost noon when we finally found the destination - in front of us was a secondary forest, which was obviously a secondary forest that had grown in the last ten to twenty years after being cut down many times. Of course, there were also messy shrubs and other plants. There should be a small path leading to this place, with an open space in front of the mountain and a few graves.

These graves had to be carefully identified; the mounds above them had sunk considerably and were overgrown with vegetation. They were identified only by the standing or collapsed tombstones in front. The shady areas of the tombstones were covered in moss. After walking around them, the three men discovered that one grave had been dug up.

"Maybe it was tomb robbery?" Cheng Yijiu looked at the traces. He was not sure whether it was blown up from the inside, but it was definitely dug up - the owner of this tomb must have been wealthy at the time, because he was not buried directly with a coffin covered with soil, but with brick walls and a stone roof, and then soil was covered on top. Now the stone slabs were lifted up and half of the covering soil was dug away, revealing the coffin inside the tomb.

"Don't go down, just look from above. Even though it's noon now, it's better not to go down for safety reasons." Cheng Yijiu squatted beside the tomb, tilting his head to look at the coffin below. "He is indeed rich. The wood of this coffin must be quite thick. I don't know what kind of wood it is, but it has not decayed at all in over a hundred years."

"Here, the two missing people." Cheng Yijiu pointed. Liu Tao and Qian Yali were also squatting there. Liu Tao was fine, but Qian Yali was clearly a little scared, after all, she was a girl. Sure enough, two pairs of feet could be seen from this position, right on either side of the coffin, but no other body parts could be seen. "Is there a signal here? If there is, just send the location and have your people come. We can burn them and be done with it. Who cares if they're zombies?"

Cheng Yijiu pulled out his phone, but unfortunately, he only had one bar of signal in this area, which quickly faded and kept hopping. He didn't want to hear how Liu Tao contacted his department, so he walked to several other graves and looked around. Finally, he reached this grave and wanted to examine the tombstone.

The tombstone had broken in two and lay on the ground. Cheng Yijiu put on gloves and flipped it over. There was a pile of insects underneath, even a large centipede, countless watermelon worms, and scorpions. The words on the tombstone had long been covered with dirt. Cheng Yijiu broke off a branch and began to clean the dirt.

"No, maybe the soil here is acidic? Anyway, the words on it are already blurred and can't be recognized." Cheng Yijiu said with a little regret, "Well, let's leave quickly and return to town early. I hope nothing will happen tonight. Then tomorrow you can have your department deal with this thing directly and we'll be done with it."

Liu Tao nodded, and Qian Yali's fear turned into curiosity. She spoke for the first time, and her voice was quite nice, so she could be a voice actor. "What do zombies look like?"

Chapter 26 Let Them Go

Cheng Yijiu forced himself to swallow a mouthful of blood. "Look, really look... Girl, let's wait until tomorrow. Zombies won't be pretty." He smiled bitterly and led the way back. "I hope nothing happens tonight. This thing is pretty fierce."

"In just two days, he sucked the blood of two descendants, and no one else saw him. Otherwise, he would have been unlucky." Cheng Yijiu said, "You really don't have a Maoshan Taoist priest? Use the ink line made of cinnabar and black dog blood to seal the coffin?"

Liu Tao nodded. "Really? No. We need to be scientific."

"Hahahaha, science is good, science is good. Bring the armed police tomorrow, drag out the coffin first and then open it, get the body out and burn it. It's best to do it at noon. That's what Mr. Zombie said." Cheng Yijiu said, "I hope nothing happens tonight. Even if something does happen, there's nothing we can do - I don't think you want to cause panic."

Publicizing this would be foolish, and concentrating the residents would be equally foolish. The best solution would be to simply evacuate all the residents—but that might not be possible. Northern Guangdong might be poor, but this town alone has a population of at least four to five thousand. "It's a necessary sacrifice. Otherwise, you'd have to let everyone know about the zombies." Cheng Yijiu didn't care. Although he sympathized with the unfortunate creatures emitting black smoke, hunting these monsters also required bait.

"One way is to use black dog blood? Or rooster blood? Anyway, just pour it on the zombies when they come out." Cheng Yijiu said casually. He returned to the town around three o'clock in the afternoon. "It's been a long time, so not many people still go to those wild graves to sweep the tombs and burn incense. I guess there are only a few people in this town who still remember that there are cemeteries there."

Cheng Yijiu returned to the hotel, while Liu Tao and the others drove off to other places. As for whether Cheng Yijiu would go with him tomorrow, that was unclear. It was just that Cheng Yijiu didn't want to move tonight. He felt like he couldn't save anyone, and the zombies wouldn't necessarily move out. There were still a few people emitting black smoke, and they looked like idlers. Let them die.

Nothing seemed to have happened overnight. Cheng Yijiu glanced out the window. It seemed Liu Tao had dispatched some special personnel to monitor several major intersections in the town. The next day, Liu Tao was still outside Cheng Yijiu's door. "I think nothing happened, otherwise you wouldn't look so relaxed—hahahaha, actually, it's not you, it's Miss Qian who looks so happy," Cheng Yijiu said. "Why, are you still dragging me in?"

"Honestly, I'm not from your department. If I'm taking a risk like this, I'll probably give you a bonus." Cheng Yijiu joked. It looked like several military vehicles had been dispatched, and the armed police officers on board had already entered the mountains. Around ten o'clock in the morning, Cheng Yijiu and Liu Tao arrived at the scene. There were over twenty armed police officers and representatives from relevant departments. "I think these were the same armed police officers I saw last time? They seem to have a fixed presence," Cheng Yijiu thought.

Four armed police officers had already dragged the two victims out. They weren't rotting, but their faces were blue and terrifying. "We have to burn them anyway, to prevent them from turning into corpses. Mr. Zombie says it takes seven days to turn into corpses anyway," Cheng Yijiu said, but he didn't burn them yet.

The coffin had been chained, and a small excavator had completely removed the covering soil, lifting the stone slabs away. "Wow, these coffin boards are really thick. Made from solid wood at all four corners. Look, it's fir?" The paint on the coffin was still remnant; back then, only a landlord could afford to build one.

This thing must weigh a ton, right? Cheng Yijiu watched the gourd crane lift the coffin from the tomb. Now he could clearly see the burial objects. When the coffin was opened, not only Miss Qian, but even Cheng Yijiu was quite curious. Qian Yali covered her face and peeked through her fingers.

An iron chain was placed on one end of the coffin lid and pulled from the other end - this coffin was not nailed shut, but slidably locked. With the sound of friction, the heavy coffin lid was gradually pulled. Cheng Yijiu subconsciously covered his nose. Others did the same. However, the guy who looked like a forensic doctor was pulling on his gloves with an extremely excited look.

The coffin was opened, but no one climbed up to it to look. Qian Yali's expression was a mixture of fear and curiosity. The medical examiner, Liu Tao, and Cheng Yijiu were the first to approach the coffin. "Oh, this is so typical." Inside was a dead body wearing the robes of a Qing Dynasty official. It was obvious that it had been decomposed and then dried. It wasn't completely rotten, but it was dry.

"It's not a wet corpse, it's a zombie. I suggest you pull it out quickly or just pour gasoline on it and burn it." However, Liu Tao seemed a little troubled, "Don't tell me you actually want to take it away?" Cheng Yijiu frowned and muttered, and then he saw the thing covered by the canvas.

It was a metal container, or a metal coffin, if you will. The main body was probably stamped into a single piece, and the lid had slots that snapped into place with six pins to lock it shut. Even a zombie, no matter how strong it was, probably wouldn't be able to break it open. Cheng Yijiu thought it wouldn't just be a zombie; even a brown bear or a polar bear wouldn't be able to break it open. Perhaps a dinosaur would be able to do that?

Cheng Yijiu didn't want to say much, as the relevant departments were doing their work. "Look at this nail. It could explain why nails continue to grow for a while after death, but they're so pointed... And these fangs sticking out from the lips could be explained by rotting lips and gums, but this is a zombie." Cheng Yijiu took a good look. "Forget it, I should go. I promise I won't tell anyone, and this is none of my business anymore," he asked to leave.

Liu Tao certainly wouldn't stop him. Cheng Yijiu was practically cleared of any criminal suspicion, and Liu Tao seemed to want him to become a civil servant. "I'm not interested in being a civil servant, but it seems I can't just run away now. If this guy sees me encountering those weird things again, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape," Cheng Yijiu thought.

The relevant departments are always so confident. They probably always try to get themselves into trouble—just don't do something like what happened to Umbrella. Since they're the relevant departments, they must have all the necessary measures in place. Cheng Yijiu felt he didn't need to worry about them. He decided to go back and prepare for his next mission.

"Until now, I still don't have a hunting dog that can be used for tracking." Cheng Yijiu sighed, but he didn't feel any urgency - it was impossible to tame a fierce dog like a hunting dog in the Magic City, especially since his hunting dog was not for hunting rabbits, but for tracking man-eating beasts.

Chapter 27 Civil Servant Refusal

Raising a dog, especially a tracking hound, is incredibly troublesome—a city as large as Shanghai isn't suited to these large breeds. Cheng Yijiu's needs were particularly fierce—at least a mastiff, which was even more problematic. "Dogo Argentino, Canary Mastiff, Cane Corso, Neapolitan Mastiff… these are all dogs with the courage to face ferocious beasts," Cheng Yijiu muttered. "The problem is, they can only hold out for a little while."