Published: February 11, 2025
The scene of blood and flesh flying was something that both Ye Zhongming and King Ling Kun had witnessed countless times before; they had long since become numb to it.
However, in such a dimly lit house, with neatly hung corpses in the deep corridor, even they felt slightly uncomfortable.
The atmosphere was eerie, cold, strange, and terrifying, bringing not only a sense of danger but also oppression and unease.
Perhaps it was only the earth yellow pill, which understood none of this, that showed no fear at all. Its bloodshot eyes stared ahead, filled with eager killing intent.
With its large head tilted back, it sniffed the air, letting out a deep growl from its throat. Clearly, the earth yellow pill had sensed something that made it alert.
Ye Zhongming and Ling Kun were both experts. The two examined the corpses and discovered a strange phenomenon.
These corpses appeared to have been dead for some time, but inexplicably, there were no signs of decay.
This was different from mummified corpses. When Ye Zhongming touched the skin of these bodies, he found it still had elasticity, and the blood vessels were not shriveled; on the contrary, they were slightly bulging. However, in every other aspect, the corpses exhibited the symptoms they should have had: rigor mortis, livor mortis, and the smell of death.
"How did they die?" King Ling Kun examined the bodies and found no obvious wounds.
He pressed on the abdominal cavity and other places, and with his extensive experience, he could tell that these corpses had not suffered any severe internal injuries while they were alive. All signs indicated that they were not hung up here while still alive, but rather they had been strung up after death.
So how did they die?
As the two knowledgeable individuals pondered this question, they quickly found the answer.
"Ear..." Ye Zhongming frowned, noticing that each corpse had been pierced through the ear canal, going straight into the skull.
Ling Kun was even more decisive; he took out a dagger and neatly cut open the heads of several corpses, revealing them to be empty inside.
Consuming brain matter?
Ye Zhongming and Ling Kun exchanged uncomfortable glances.
The feeling was akin to "when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves for its kind."
"Did it do this?" Ling Kun instinctively asked.
Ye Zhongming sneered, "Aside from it, there’s nothing else here."
"It’s moving towards you, be careful!"
Although they were certain that the shadow monster was here, they could not pinpoint its exact location. However, once Ye Zhongming entered and the shadow monster began to move, he could use the Qiming Mark to lock onto it. Just as he was discussing the corpses with King Ling Kun, the shadow suddenly moved, darting downstairs at an incredible speed, almost disappearing in the blink of an eye, heading towards the direction where the Holy Maiden and Red Hair had entered through the front door.
In his mind, Ye Zhongming relayed a warning to Red Hair.
"I see it, but it hasn't attacked us; it has entered... I believe it's headed to the basement."
Red Hair's message quickly followed. The shadow did not assault them but rushed through a door, descending beneath the building.
Looking at the corpses, both Ye Zhongming and Ling Kun were baffled by the shadow's behavior.
Running away or attacking them was within expectations; everyone was prepared for that. But what did it mean to escape into a closed basement?
The life form from the secret realm only thickened the fog of mystery surrounding them.
The two quickly led the earth yellow pill through the corridor of the second floor down to the first floor, where they met up with the Holy Maiden and others.
"There!"
The Holy Maiden pointed with her chin towards a door that had been smashed open.
Ye Zhongming didn't rush in; instead, he looked around. This place was similar to the second floor; there were still some corpses hanging from the ceiling, while others had been laid on the ground. The Holy Maiden and her group had clearly inspected them, as their postures indicated they had discerned the cause of death.