Chapter 008: Another New Card

Inside and outside the house, everyone gazed anxiously at Wu Anxun, hoping for a denial. Unfortunately...

"It's true."

Wu Anxun's face was ashen. He gritted his teeth and growled in a low voice, "I don't know which bastard did it, but someone actually buried the corpse outside!"

A clamor erupted among the crowd.

"There really is a corpse puppet?!"

"How is that possible? How could it be?"

"Who did it? Who did it!"

Outside, some were angry, some fearful, others uneasy.

No one doubted Wu Anxun's words. With something like this, there was no point in lying, nor could a lie last long. Once a corpse puppet appeared, if it wasn't eliminated, the mountain patrol team inside—already dismembered—would be just the start. More deaths would inevitably follow.

Run away? Their homes were in the forestry town; in the city, they'd have nowhere to stay. Even if they truly steeled themselves and abandoned everything to go to the city, they'd have to start over. Besides, when corpse puppets appear, the authorities would never sit idly by. Experts would be dispatched to eradicate it.

Of course, before that, Wu Anxun would act. He was the captain of the security team, responsible for all matters of public safety.

So, although the crowd was in chaos, their eyes kept drifting back to Wu Anxun, awaiting his next move.

He didn’t keep them waiting. After his initial anger, he swiftly set to work.

"Lao Wang, organize a team right away. Search the town thoroughly. Before noon, I want the identities of the dead found!"

"Understood!" Manager Wang, his belly protruding, replied sternly. He turned and strode out, issuing commands to his team.

The crowd dispersed, each running to inform others. The appearance of a corpse puppet in the mountains had to be announced to the entire town at once, lest anyone else venture into the forest.

The forestry town had over five thousand residents, with its own school, supermarket, hospital, and amusement park...

Identifying missing persons wasn’t difficult.

Of course, that was just the first step. Wu Anxun’s second order was for the security team to fetch heavy firepower.

Against a corpse puppet, ordinary firearms were as good as scratching an itch. The mountain patrol team had all been armed; their captain was a ninth-tier martial artist. Yet they were still wiped out, their bodies hacked to pieces.

The third step: Wu Anxun dispatched men to collect cow and sheep blood, to lure the corpse puppet. Corpse puppets were extraordinarily sensitive to fresh blood; even from miles away, they would come charging.

The fourth step should have been to report to Qinghe City, but Wu Anxun seemed to have forgotten. After issuing the first three commands, he simply squatted to the side, gazing silently at the ten corpses.

Su Jingxing was curious, but wisely kept quiet. Alongside Gu Bo, he recorded information about the deceased. When finished, the two went outside to a corner for a brief rest.

"Captain Gu, have you ever seen a corpse puppet before?" Su Jingxing inquired.

"No," Gu Bo shook his head, lighting a cigarette and exhaling smoke. "If I had, do you think I'd still be standing here?"

"Ah, I was just curious," Su Jingxing chuckled awkwardly. "Everyone else thought it was a beast attack, but you identified it as a corpse puppet at a glance. That kind of insight—few in the whole city have it. You could be a consultant for the security team!"

"Enough with the flattery," Gu Bo grumbled, blowing a smoke ring. "I’ve never seen a corpse puppet, but I’ve seen plenty of bodies left in their wake. That was more than ten years ago, before I ever came to Qinghe City."

"Honestly, it's because of that experience that I ended up here," Gu Bo sighed.

"The past is the past. What matters is looking ahead," Su Jingxing offered, then, feigning impatience, pressed on, "Captain Gu, could you tell me—what's the difference between wounds made by corpse puppets and those made by wild beasts?"

"Well..." Gu Bo pondered, then stood. "It’s hard to explain; better to show you. Let’s go inside and look at the wounds."

"But Captain Wu is in there," Su Jingxing reminded him.

"No matter," said Gu Bo, tossing his cigarette. "We’ll talk quietly. Besides, we need to discuss with Captain Wu whether these ten corpses should be transported."

"Wait, we might not have to bring them to the crematorium?" Su Jingxing was puzzled.

"There are exceptions," Gu Bo explained as they walked. "This is one of them. Those bodies have been out on the mountain for a whole day and night. No one can guarantee there aren’t corpse worm eggs within the remains. If we take them to the crematorium and unwittingly bring back those eggs, letting them burrow into other corpses—can you imagine the consequences?"

Su Jingxing fell silent.

If corpse worm eggs made it to the morgue, it would be a disaster without question!

Faced with the possibility of new corpse puppets, burning the bodies on the spot was the only sensible choice.

As they spoke, the two returned inside.

Wu Anxun was still squatting on the ground, wordless, eyes fixed on the corpses.

Su Jingxing and Gu Bo called his name softly, but received no reply, yet took no offense.

They chose a corpse on the edge of the group. Gu Bo pointed to a wound and quietly explained the differences.

These were all hard-won lessons. Su Jingxing listened intently, memorizing every detail.

When Gu Bo finished, the search operation was still underway.

Using the excuse of needing the restroom, Su Jingxing slipped into the bathroom. In a stall, he took out the ten cards he had collected and examined them.

Five Essence Cards, three Strength Cards, one Inner Strength Card, and one Soul Calming Card.

A new card! Soul Calming—what could that mean?

Excited, Su Jingxing picked up the Soul Calming Card and absorbed its information.

The Soul Calming Card, when activated, would yield a Spirit-Nourishing Pill.

The Spirit-Nourishing Pill—an elixir that could enhance soul power.

Soul power!

This was something even better than Strength Pills or Inner Strength. Enhanced soul power would clearly benefit the mind and spirit.

With a soft click, the Soul Calming Card was activated. A dark purple pill materialized in Su Jingxing’s palm. Without hesitation, he swallowed it.

At first, nothing happened. But soon, he sensed his mind becoming extraordinarily clear, alert, and aware—a profound feeling beyond description.

After a while, Su Jingxing finished absorbing and adapting to the change.

He put away the Essence and Strength Cards, activated the Inner Strength Card, and absorbed a year’s worth of inner strength. It washed through his organs, nourished his bones and meridians, and after a complete cycle, his strength increased noticeably.

"Hmm, if I take a few more Strength Pills, my hands should be able to break three thousand jin!" Three thousand jin of force—the mark of an eighth-tier martial artist.

Thinking this, Su Jingxing drew three Strength Cards, activated them, obtained four Strength Pills, and swallowed them like candy.

...

Returning to the house where the corpses lay, he found the investigation had concluded.

"Captain, we found the missing person."

"Who is it?"