A horde of corpses? In the Lan Bing Caves?!

  The Lan Bing Caves were renowned for their serene caverns and safety. In fact, they even went through regular inspections to ensure that there were no monsters or vengeful spirits lurking about! Having Fu Qiuyue show up had been shocking enough--and now there were more?

  "What kind of corpses?" Qiu Yunru shouted as Li Chenyuan dragged him along.

  "Vengeful corpses!" Li Chenyuan snapped. He seemed a little shaky.

  "Vengeful? How many?"

  "I don't know! Five? Ten? Too many!"

  Five to ten? Qiu Yunru could only hope that Li Chenyuan had seen more than there really were out of fear. Didn't vengeful spirits also tend to fight each other for territory? Having a few vengeful corpses scattered around the place was already shocking, but having them gathered together in a horde and actively chasing a disciple should be impossible, unless...

  Qiu Yunru felt his stomach drop down to his toes.

  Vengeful spirits were drawn towards two things only: the objects of their regret, and those who have most wronged them.

  It was impossible, unless the corpses all though Li Chenyuan was related to the one who had killed them!

  It wasn't hard to guess from there. He couldn't be sure, but knowing that Li Chenyuan's father had already dragged one body into this place to rot, it was entirely possible he'd dumped a dozen more! If that was the case...

  They wouldn't stop until he was either out of the caves, or he was dead!

  A distant wailing could be heard. Li Chenyuan was right; there were at least seven or eight moaning voices altogether!

  Hearing this, Qiu Yunu grabbed Li Chenyuan's wrist and began to run ahead of him. Though they were at a similar level of cultivation, Qiu Yunru knew the Lan Bing Caves far better, having been in and out of here before.

  "Where's Pan-shidi?" He shouted back.

  Li Chenyuan grumbled. "Why does it matter?"

  "Li-shidi!" Qiu Yunru scolded harshly. "If there are vengeful corpses roaming around, your shixiong could be in danger! Have some empathy!"

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  Li Chenyuan's face behind Qiu Yunru was downcast. His cheeks flushed red. "Yes, Qiu-ge."

  "Then have you seen him?"

  "No, I really haven't, ever since we went opposite directions into the caves."

  Qiu Yunru nodded, skidding around a corner and pulling Li Chenyuan along with him while trying not to tear his sleeve. "All right, good. Then we'll lead them away from his location while we get to the exit!"

  This way and that, Qiu Yunru dragged his shidi along, careful not to throw him into any corners. The sound of rapidly shuffling feet grew closer with each step, and a distinctive rotting scent filled the air, making Qiu Yunru want to gag. For his image's sake, he held himself back and put a fourth of his effort into looking unbothered by the smell.

  Li Chenyuan, meanwhile, gagged openly, stumbling.

  "Fuck!"

  "Breathe through your mouth!" Qiu Yunru instructed. "How did you get away from them in the first place? They're so fast!"

  "Smoke powder," Li Chenyuan gasped, his face both white and green at the same time. "I only had one..."

  By the time they were nearing the exit, the vengeful corpses had nearly caught up to them.

  It was a terrifying situation: the corpses had all gathered together behind them in a horde, some running, some flying, others crawling with rapid, twisting movements one might see in a horror film. Each of their bodies bore the mark of a different death: some blue and drowned, others blackened and burnt, others littered with cuts that drenches their forms in blood. All of them had gaping mouths that shrieked and gnashed, as though trying to form words, but unable to.

  Up ahead, the light of the tunnel entrance was rapidly approaching.

  "Don't slow down!" Qiu Yunru shouted. For once, he couldn't spend too long thinking about not looking like he was about to vomit. If he didn't run and drag Li Chenyuan along with as much strength as he possibly could, they might be trampled like pumpkins under a horse's hooves!

  There was a tearing sound. A sudden cold air gripped Qiu Yunru's left calf.

  One of the corpses had managed to tear...part of his pant leg off?!

  Hey! Could you have grabbed my robe?! What's the use in going for a pant leg? It's harder to hold onto for your, and more embarrassing for me!

  Still, he didn't stop. When the entrance was in sight, he reached back to grab Li Chenyuan's arm with both hand and braced himself.

  Then, with all his might, he flung Li Chenyuan out of the cave and into the sunlight like a bag of rice.

  When he saw Li Chenyuan land safely on the ground, he whirled around to the corpses. There were only a few feet away. As their rotting teeth gnashed, they extended their claws, some reaching for his ankles, others for his throat, prepared to tear him to pieces.

  During the run, he had already pulled a small glass vial out of his sleeve and stowed it in his belt.

  Now, he swiftly drew that vial out and violently smashed it on the ground.

  A great cloud of yellow dust billowed up around him, like an enormous pillow of pollen exploding against the earth.

  Indeed, Qiu Yunru immediately began to sneeze, eyes watering uncontrollably. This kind of substance really wasn't something humans were supposed to breathe in!

  However, what was happening to those vengeful corpses was far more important.

  Inches from tearing into his flesh, their claws faltered. One by one, they began to wail as their rotten flesh burned away, leaving only their worn bones. Even these, too, ground down into a fine dust.

  Through tears, Qiu Yunru quickly drew out a brocade spirit-holding bag and held it out. As though drawn by a magnet, the remnants of these corpses were sucked up into the bag.