Zhang Yuanqing returned to the main hall, bathed in flickering candlelight, trying to ease the old pain that had flared up again while also taking the chance to cleanse himself.
According to his calculations, the vengeful spirit would latch onto him within a minute or two. This was definitely not the time to enter the East Yard and face the zombies head-on.
After resting for four or five minutes, his condition worsened — a headache coupled with slight dizziness. He knew the corpse toxin was gradually eating away at his body, the symptoms beginning to show.
The candlelight in the main hall couldn't purify the poison inside him.
"I can't delay any longer..."
He had to use the Red Dancing Shoes within the half-hour time limit, fight quickly, and clear the dungeon in one go.
Leaving the main hall, Zhang Yuanqing walked along the cobblestone path through the wild grass until he reached the courtyard.
Standing amidst the swaying weeds, he opened his inventory and summoned the Red Dancing Shoes.
Two faint crimson lights flickered and darted through the night, forming a brand-new pair of dancing shoes.
"Switch to second form!" he silently commanded.
The Red Dancing Shoes dissolved again into two arcs of dark red light, wrapping around his feet.
In an instant, his running shoes transformed into a large pair of bright red dancing shoes.
This... this was basically cross-dressing. At least it wasn't high heels, just red dancing shoes... Zhang Yuanqing eyed his feet uneasily.
He forced himself to ignore the awkwardness, took out the corpse-sealing talisman, clenched it in his hand, and crossed through the archway under the rustling banyan tree, returning once more to the East Yard.
The East Yard was overgrown with wild grass under the bright moonlight, two large houses standing silently. Everything was so still.
He cautiously glanced around — no zombies in sight. He carefully crossed the courtyard, heading toward the large house divided into four rooms.
The room displaying the coffins had its wooden door smashed open, but he didn't need to enter. From outside the threshold, he peered inside.
Moonlight shone through a tile gap, illuminating corpses, coffins, and the overturned coffin lid with the brass pestle resting there — all unmoved.
No sign of any zombies.
"Maybe it's back in the coffin?" He couldn't see inside the coffin from this angle.
Just as he hesitated, the moonlight dimmed abruptly. A shadow dropped from above, enveloping him.
A foul stench of decay and a low growl filled the night air.
It—it was hiding in the tree? Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened; instinct urged him to dodge.
Suddenly, the Red Dancing Shoes on his feet glowed with dark red light. Before he could react, his feet slipped, and he slid forward, carving a trail through the grass.
Thud!
The ragged zombie lunged but missed.
He dodged... Zhang Yuanqing scrambled up, startled but thrilled. His heart returned to its place.
The Red Dancing Shoes were indeed miraculous—their evasive power exceeded his expectations. With his own reflexes, dodging the zombie's attack was impossible.
His confidence surged.
"Grrr..."
The zombie with hair like dry grass roared shrilly, eyes bulging ferociously. It bent its knees, lunging again with terrifying speed, like a speeding car.
The stench of blood filled the air. The horrible creature was almost upon him. Zhang Yuanqing's feet twisted uncontrollably, performing a ballet-like spin, smoothly curving a semicircle, avoiding the sharp claws while cutting behind the zombie.
Immediately, he dropped into a split, his body collapsing. A strong gust roared over his head as both arms swept horizontally.
Damn, right in the balls... Zhang Yuanqing's face twisted in pain, wanting to scream while clutching his crotch, but the Red Dancing Shoes forced his legs to leap.
He soared high, both feet kicking fiercely into the zombie's chest.
Thud!
A muffled sound echoed as the zombie's tattered clothes dusted off.
It growled angrily, knocked backward onto its back by the powerful kick.
Opportunity! Despite the tearing pain, Zhang Yuanqing dashed forward, slamming the corpse-sealing talisman onto the rotting, foul-smelling face.
Right on its forehead.
Slap!
The bloodthirsty zombie froze as if paralyzed.
All noise ceased; silence returned.
The zombie lay stiff in the grass, its scarlet eyes slowly dimming.
It lost its "life force."
Watching the corpse turn to a lifeless statue, Zhang Yuanqing panted heavily, exhaustion and joy flooding his heart.
He survived!
"Without the Red Dancing Shoes, dealing with zombies alone would be difficult. And zombies are just one of the horrors here. No wonder it's an S-level spiritual realm — too tough."
"But the construction team was large, so fighting zombies shouldn't have been a problem. A bunch of grown men — how did it get so bad...?"
Zhang Yuanqing sighed suddenly, realizing the truth.
The corpse-sealing talisman was found in the pocket of a corpse under the window. The previous adventurer obtained it but didn't share it with the team, hiding it selfishly.
Human hearts are more complicated and scarier than ghosts.
After dealing with the zombie, it was time to find the shameless female ghost at the well.
But before that, something else caught Zhang Yuanqing's attention.
He left the zombie behind and approached the coffin room again, bracing himself against the doorframe as he stepped inside. The dim room was bathed in a beam of moonlight.
He stopped in front of a mummified corpse and bent down to pick up the copper pestle.
Although it was made of copper, it didn't feel cold in his hand—instead, it was warm and smooth like jade.
Suddenly, information appeared in his vision:
[Name: Demon-Subduing Pestle]
[Type: Weapon]
[Functions: Purification, Spirit Sealing, Demon-Breaking]
[Description: A weapon imbued with the power of the sun god, the nemesis of all evil spirits. By sacrificing blood, one can gain the sun god's power.]
[Remark: Powerful? At the cost of one's life.]
Sure enough, it was a tool. Judging by the description, it seemed stronger than the main hall's candle. The previous team tried to use it against zombies but failed. Alas, they lost too many members before even confronting the zombies... Zhang Yuanqing was glad he made the right call.
Cleverly using the Red Dancing Shoes, he broke through the challenge.
Of course, the previous team had no choice. They couldn't control this rule-based item, and most of them died under the trampling of the Red Dancing Shoes.
"With this specialized weapon against shadow creatures, combined with the Red Dancing Shoes, my chances of clearing this trial have greatly increased."
Gripping the Demon-Subduing Pestle, he felt a surge of confidence. Before five minutes passed, he left the room and returned to the courtyard.
This time, he headed straight for the ancient well to make a final inspection.
The well mouth was pitch black, emitting a damp, decayed vegetation stench.
Let's take a look...
Zhang Yuanqing tightened his grip on the pestle, assuming a defensive stance, lifted a foot to step on the well rim, and then walked down the wall as if it were flat.
Previously, he wouldn't dare descend — not to mention what dangers lay below, jumping without ropes or help would be suicide.
Soon, he reached the shallow well bottom where moonlight was faint.
The water had long dried up, replaced by black sludge sediment, surrounded by clusters of weeds. The well walls were covered in dark green moss.
"No ghosts in the well..." Zhang Yuanqing frowned. This wasn't right. He clearly saw a faceless female ghost peeking out before.
He checked carefully again and again, but time was running out on the Red Dancing Shoes, so he reluctantly climbed the steep well wall back up and hurried to the main hall's eaves.
Only then did he confidently remove the Red Dancing Shoes.
...
Back in the main hall, bathed in the dim candlelight, Zhang Yuanqing leaned weakly on the offering table. The corpse toxin had deeply invaded his body, symptoms worsening from dizziness to breathing difficulties and chest pain.
Time was running out.
"I've explored the two backyards and subdued the zombies, but the mission isn't over. There must be somewhere else I haven't explored yet..."
He had checked every room in the backyard and even went down the well — no possibility of omission.
Then where could it be?
When all possibilities are excluded, the last remaining one — no matter how unbelievable — must be the truth...
He murmured this to himself, slowly propping up his body.
The unexplored place was here — right in front of him — the main hall itself.
Zhang Yuanqing's gaze swept over the main hall, finally resting on the three clay sculptures of the Mountain Mother Goddesses. A detail on the sculptures had intrigued him since he first entered.
The right hand of the sculpture was empty but posed as if grasping something.
Previously, he hadn't known what the figure originally held. Now he did.
It was the Demon-Subduing Pestle.
With a "might as well try" mindset, Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and inserted the golden pestle into the goddess's palm, then jumped down from the pedestal and took a few steps back.
Almost instantly, the pedestal surface cracked with a "crack," releasing a cloud of dense dust.
The entire pedestal collapsed, revealing a dark, gaping underground hole.