Chapter 179: Chapter 152: Malignant Pestilence

Deep within the mountain stronghold, at the residence of the Big Boss.

Lu Zhi, with a face full of muscle and an aura of murder, sat in a large chair, holding a woman who trembled and struggled to keep from crying.

Three more were kneeling before him, all captured by his men from various places.

Qu Tianhe, dressed as a scholar, lifted the chin of one woman, watching her tears fall like pear blossoms in rain, and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe her tears away.

“Don’t cry, it’s not pretty when you cry.”

After surveying the faces of the three women, Qu Tianhe seemed dissatisfied. The last Jumping Corpse he had selected so carefully had been abandoned in a flight for survival.

The lost always seems the best, and picking anew never feels quite right.

“Is this all?” Qu Tianhe asked.

Lu Zhi replied gruffly, “The wind is tight recently, Jinzhou has already sent troops to fight us, I don’t want to anger the government in Qinzhou, otherwise, we’ll have to hide in the water stronghold.”

Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, Lu Zhi and his gang had three strongholds: one at Fengye Ridge in Qinzhou, another over the mountain at Shishi Ridge in Jinzhou, and if both were besieged, he had another at the heart of Yanqi Lake.

Most of their clan consisted of surrounding fishermen, and in recent years the waters grew increasingly dangerous, yield was low, and the court imposed various fishing and business taxes, even conscripting strong fishermen to build the Dog Emperor’s water palace.

With life unsustainable, they resorted to banditry instead, without taxes, just robbing when possible, or living off the fish in Qixia Lake, quite carefree.

Qu Tianhe said, “Dispersing your manpower like this makes it easier for the government to destroy you. You’d be better off retreating completely to the lake stronghold, using the water as protection is safer.”

Lu Zhi thought for a moment and said, “We’ll move after the Cold Clothing Festival tomorrow, just as people are out, we’ll capture more, and have enough to raise a batch of zombies in the water stronghold then.”

Lu Zhi was cautious and willing to listen to advice. Qu Tianhe hoped he’d hide a bit longer this time.

Once he shortened the time needed to raise Jumping Corpses, all of Qinzhou would fall into his grasp.

Qu Tianhe slightly relaxed his expression and glanced outside, where it was growing dark. Bandits moved back and forth carrying wine jars, lighting bonfires for roasting meat.

Qu Tianhe was about to grab one woman off the ground and leave but thought to kill and raise it now, replacing it with a better one later if possible.

“No, please spare me.”

The woman cried pleadingly, but Qu Tianhe turned a deaf ear.

Lu Zhi, envisioning commanding a zombie army against the government, was in high spirits. When he saw Qu Tianhe preparing to leave, he pushed the woman in his arms down with ill intent.

Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air, piercing Lu Zhi’s hand reaching for the woman, pinning it firmly to the chair’s back.

“Let her go!”

Lu Zhi groaned, lifted his head in shock, and saw a thin grey mist hanging on the rafters. A black-clad girl, holding a Hunting Bow, wore a Night Traveler mask and looked down coldly.

Qu Tianhe heard a commotion and pulled the woman in his hands before him, raised his head, saw the Night Traveler, shuddered all over, and turned to flee.

“Ladies, close your eyes!”

At her command, the women present, suppressing their fear, closed their eyes. Sang Que took out the copper mirror, turned it over, and a tangled Suicide Rope fell out.

Lu Zhi, keeping his eyes on Sang Que, was too late to react when he saw the rope. A rough hemp rope quickly coiled around his neck, pulling him up into the air.

Qu Tianhe reached the back door when a sweeping grey mist surged toward him like a flood, the woman in his grip vanished, and an arrow whistled as it tore through the air behind him.

Qu Tianhe forcefully rolled to the side, suddenly seeing black boots appear before him. He looked up, as a blood-chilling saber bore down on him.

“Wait!”

Qu Tianhe yelled in desperation, but Sang Que’s saber did not halt, heavily chopping onto his shoulder.

The blade cut through Qu Tianhe’s clothes, revealing skin beneath that was wrinkled and bluish, as tough as zombie flesh, the blade did not even pierce his skin.

At that moment, a bone-chilling cold swept from behind Sang Que.

“Cough, cough cough!”

The hacking cough, accompanying the cold, pushed back the Evil Mist surrounding Sang Que and enveloped her. Without understanding, she abruptly felt weak, the ticking in her mind starting to echo.

The cough took away one of her lives!

Seizing the moment, Qu Tianhe rose and sought to escape, while Sang Que’s already cut hand reached into her chest, grabbing the key and an iron nail.

The Opera House instantly expanded, enclosing Qu Tianhe and the unknown presence behind him, as Sang Que turned and hurled the iron nail.

She discovered the nail beneath the tree in her garden, a tool of Southern Magic, used previously to pin a house ghost and capable of fixing Evil Spirits.

“Play with me~”

Inside the pitch-black Opera House, five Little Ghosts went looking for Qu Tianhe.

Sang Que felt her body gradually recovering and saw a bony ghost standing, exuding sick air, shards of a Jade Gourd shattered at its feet.

Jade also had sealing capabilities, this Sickness Ghost was not controlled by Qu Tianhe, but released by him.

After half a month of peace in Wangshan City, she’d nearly forgotten the dangers outside.

The nail planted in the Sickness Ghost dropped to the ground as Sang Que regained some strength. Preparing to use the Soul-locking Rope and copper mirror to capture the ghost, it silently disappeared.

Turning, Sang Que found Qu Tianhe gone from the Opera House too, while Old Tian stood bewildered, and the five Little Ghosts began to wail.

“He escaped—”

Sang Que picked up the nail, which wasn’t exactly a yin object, bearing no side effects.

After this use, the blood-ink characters of Southern Ocean faded on the nail, and its effectiveness would decline with use.

Old Tian stared hopefully at Sang Que, anticipating the ritual offering after using the Opera House.

Sang Que took out the copper mirror, asking expressionlessly, “Do you want the Suicide Rope?”

Old Tian turned and left, as Sang Que shrugged and sighed.

Qu Tianhe’s escape prowess was impressive; he likely held an object akin to the embroidered shoes capable of Breaking the Boundary.

The Opera House vanished gradually, allowing Sang Que to see the gaunt Sickness Ghost behind Lu Zhi, readying a cough with fist to mouth.

In a flash, Sang Que retracted the broad Evil Mist, pulling the woman at Lu Zhi’s feet to her side, desperately using the mist to block off sounds.

In sight, that Sickness Ghost silently coughed a few times, while Lu Zhi, just freed of the Suicide Rope, stiffened all over, and fell soundlessly dead.

At Sang Que’s side, the abducted ladies hadn’t heard the cough; all were still alive.

Such terrifying existence, previously capable of pushing away her mist, must have reached Ghost Level.

After Lu Zhi’s death, the Sickness Ghost glanced at Sang Que before vanishing again, its whereabouts unknown.

“It’s safe now, ladies, hide for a moment; someone will come to rescue you soon.”

Sang Que assured them, continuing the pursuit of Qu Tianhe.

The mist blocked off the bandits outside, who remained unaware their Big Boss was dead, consulting their night’s provisions.

Sang Que raced to the side of the mountain stronghold, noticing green sparks on the ground, realizing He Buning clashed with Qu Tianhe.

Surprisingly, he fled toward the cliff guarded by Xiao Liu and Xia Chan.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep