Sleeping in a coffin is unlucky and a serious taboo in rural areas, especially with a female corpse inside.
But Uncle Fu didn't give me a chance to object. He continued, "You'll have to find your own food from now on. There's a small lake not far east of the cemetery, stocked with fish, and there are beasts in the mountains. Catch whatever you want to eat, but they stay near Shiao Mountain year-round, where they have a strong yin energy. Boiling water won't cook them, so you need to use yang energy to dispel the yin energy before you can make food."
Uncle Fu seemed like a different person, less respectful and more stern. As dusk fell, he grabbed a set of clothes and rushed me to the lake.
Standing on the shore, I could feel the chill rising from the water. I gasped and refused to get out. Uncle Fu, taking advantage of my inattention, pushed me in.
Touching the water, I grimaced with cold and howled as I scrambled to shore.
Uncle Fu blocked the shore, constantly pushing me back.
I struggled a few times, then realized the yin energy from the river was invading. My yang energy released a surge of heat to resist.
Unfortunately, my yang energy was too weak, and by the time I reached shore, my body was still purple from the cold.
When I returned, the Bronze Hall had already opened. I took a look and saw that the corpse's wounds had healed. Her skin was white and tender, and with her eyes closed, she looked like a sleeping princess.
She was beautiful, but she was still a woman, and her eyes were glowing.
Under Uncle Fu's gaze, I reluctantly crawled in, thinking she was my wife, so she wouldn't bite me.
I lay down and the coffin lid closed. In the darkness, it felt like a huge block of ice beside me. Fortunately, my yang energy was flowing, so I wasn't too uncomfortable.
In the middle of the night, I heard footsteps outside the coffin. Uncle Fu and I were the only two living people in Shiao Mountain. It could only be him.
What was he doing here so late at night?
I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.
The coffin lid rustled open, and soon I heard Uncle Fu whispering outside, "Miss, although Zhang Tong is young, he's full of ideas and extremely intelligent. I'm worried he'll get out of control. It's better to find someone else to avoid repeating the same mistakes."
That old man, he's been saying bad things about me in secret. If he hadn't forced me to sleep in the coffin, I wouldn't have known about it. But what does it mean to repeat the same mistakes? Could it be that the corpse had dated a man before, only to be dumped?
I felt a little uncomfortable.
But from what Uncle Fu said, Liu Degui's entry into Shi'ao Mountain was most likely intentional.
After Uncle Fu finished speaking, I became nervous, fearing that the corpse would agree to a replacement. In that case, she might suck my blood dry or throw me down the mountain.
If I fell into Uncle Li's hands, the consequences would be serious."
As I was lost in thought, the corpse began to make a louder, more angry sound. I couldn't understand what she was saying, and could only guess her meaning from Uncle Fu's response.
When the gurgling stopped, Uncle Fu said fearfully, "I acknowledge my guilt and will never harbor such thoughts again. I'll focus on training the young master."
I breathed a sigh of relief. The coffin lid closed, and darkness fell once again.
I struggled for a long time, fearing the female corpse knew I wasn't asleep and had deliberately said that to Uncle Fu. After much deliberation, I mustered the courage to burrow into her arms, wrapping my arms around her waist and calling her "wife" flatteringly.
She didn't respond, but I knew she was different from the other zombies; she could hear me.
If I flattered her, I'd have a chance to learn skills and avoid being replaced.
In the darkness, the female corpse moved, as if turning sideways. I dared not breathe, my whole body tense. I felt her hand pass under my neck, and I quickly raised my head to lean against her hand. The female corpse turned sideways and held me close to her chest.
It was soft, yet cold.
I didn't dare move, channeling my yang energy to counteract the coldness emanating from her body. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.
When I woke the next day, the coffin was open. I saw my hand pressed against her chest and quickly withdrew it, startled.
Seeing no anger on her face, I breathed a sigh of relief. Climbing out of the coffin, I sniffed my palm; it smelled fragrant. And after a night of contact, my hand wasn't frozen, but warm. Thinking back, it seemed the corpse had been warm when I woke up.
A closer examination revealed that the yang energy in my lower abdomen had grown stronger. Could sleeping with her simultaneously enhance both the yin and yang meridians?
If that were the case, sleeping with her wouldn't be such a bad idea.
As expected, Uncle Fu didn't make me broth. He placed a fishing net at the entrance to the stone house. Starving, I took the net and headed to the river to catch fish. It took me half a day to finally land two large ones. After washing them, I brought them back to the copper pot and boiled them. But after over half an hour, the water was still cold.
The fish were too yin-rich; they couldn't be cooked properly without removing the yin energy.
I worked until dark. After removing the yin energy from one fish, I didn't have the energy to finish the remaining one. I devoured it, draining the broth before returning to the copper coffin.
I insisted on staying awake that night. My Yang Yuan began to require my help, but after more than half an hour, it began to operate on its own. The corpse's body gradually warmed, and the yin and yang merged, slowly increasing the flow of both ice and fire.
After a few days, I discovered that both bathing and removing yin energy from food could increase Yang Yuan, and I stopped complaining about the process.
Seeing my diligent cultivation, Uncle Fu began to teach me some things. Unfortunately, the Corpse Tribe had been hounded and attacked by the Ox-nosed for countless years, and many of their skills had been lost. I could only copy the Yang Talismans found in the stone house and learn some self-defense techniques.
Gradually, my position became more secure, and I began to dislike the female corpse again. She kept hugging me close to her chest, nearly suffocating me a few times.
Chen Hao wandered around Shi'ao Mountain all day. I don't know who taught him, but he learned to cultivate with the Yin Jade, and his ghostly aura grew stronger. When I asked him, he wouldn't say, remaining completely secretive.
I observed Uncle Fu for six months before showing him the wooden token. Uncle Fu said it was the token of the Zhang family. The Zhang family occupies Longhu Mountain, claiming to be a lineage of Heavenly Masters. They were one of the leading sects among the many Xuanmen sects. They left the token so I could know where to find them.
I was disappointed. I'd hidden it for half a year, and the result was nothing but a broken thing. Why would I need this rubbish when I had the strength to find them?
Over the past six months, Zhang Hao has secretly returned several times. Except for the Zhang and Wu families, everyone else in the village has returned. Several families from Lijia Village have also moved to our village. Their purpose is self-evident.
I didn't dare go back. When I missed my parents, I'd just stare blankly at the wooden plaque and diligently cultivate.
Time passed like a flash, and three years flew by.
Life in the mountains was somewhat lonely, but not boring. Chen Hao and I had a blast, climbing the mountains and crossing the rivers.
Perhaps due to my cultivation of the Yang Fu Jing, I'm a head taller than my peers. Chen Hao, on the other hand, has remained virtually unchanged from his death.
He missed Old Dog Wu and would periodically ask me when I'd be leaving the mountain.
The Xuanmen Conference was just around the corner, and Uncle Fu had been coming down the mountain frequently, probably to prepare.
After Li Shengnong's corpse-suppressing drum was stolen, a second one couldn't be built quickly, and Maoshan's activities ceased. But they gave me three years, and I gave them three years as well.
They have a large force and abundant resources, so they could certainly accomplish more in three years than I could. Attending a gathering is always a dangerous undertaking.
But most of the Corpse Clan's techniques are in the hands of various sects. If I want to learn them, I must reclaim them. Otherwise, even if my Yang Yuan is strong, it will be useless.
I currently know the boxing techniques taught by Uncle Fu, and the two talismans engraved in the stone house: the Heavenly Yang Talisman and the Suppressing Yang Talisman. The Heavenly Yang Talisman unleashes five celestial thunderbolts, a powerful yet limited weapon, good only for intimidation.
The Suppressing Yang Talisman is rather useless; it seals a person's Yang Qi. Fortunately, I have my younger brother, Chen Hao. If I seal his Yang Qi, the power of his ghostly techniques will be greatly increased.
I'm just about to enter the second Yang of the Nine Yang Meridians. In a few days, I might reach it, which will be equivalent to the Niubi of the Heaven and Earth Realm.
Taoism has numerous disciples and branches, and many sects within the Xuanmen sect adhere to Taoist principles. The realms of cultivation follow Zhuangzi's longevity techniques, with nine levels: lifting, heaven and earth, mystical unity, equality of all things, harmony with the Dao, immortality, raising clouds, breaking the void, and becoming a saint.
Uncle Fu said that since Kong Zhuang, there has been no sainthood, and Taoism has declined. However, Taoist techniques are numerous and profound, and I might not be able to defeat a Taoist disciple of the same level.
The poverty of the corpse clan is not only due to a lack of magic talismans, but also to daily life. I haven't had new clothes many times in three years.
Every time I talk about this, Uncle Fu comforts me by saying that it won't be long before the young lady wakes up, and then I can have whatever I want.
How can she wake up when she's already a zombie?
There are many Taoist disciples at the gathering, and the Heavenly Master lineage from Longhu Mountain will definitely be there. This is the main reason I agreed to attend Uncle Fu's meeting.
But there's a problem right now. Although Chen Hao possesses the Yin Jade, he's too possessed by ghostly auras, and he'll surely be discovered.
I consulted Uncle Fu for a solution. He explained that the coffin containing the female corpse contained numerous artifacts, and asked me to choose one to wear while Chen Hao remained hidden.
For three years, entering the bronze coffin felt like returning home. I'd take off my shoes, crawl inside, and rummage through it. All I found were jade bracelets and other girlish jewelry.
I'm afraid I'd be ridiculed if I wore them.
Hmm! Uncle Fu, standing nearby, seemed to suddenly recall something and said, "There's something that would definitely suit the young master."
He pulled a nondescript box from the corner of the coffin. Inside was a silver necklace, delicate and suitable for a boy, something I also liked.
But Uncle Fu's tone of voice made me wary.