Chapter 2145: Chapter 2005: Corpse Infant (Part 2)
No more opera troupe, no more dragon boat, no more singing women, and no more generals glowing with golden light.
Zhao Ruonan brought twenty warriors, driving ten vehicles, carrying Mr. Zhao, the Young Taoist, the Old Taoist, Song Xiaodong, Sun Yiyi, and Chu Xianling, into the heart of the Lop Nur desert.
The moon was only a half crescent now, rising later each night, reaching the sky only after nine o’clock.
Zhao Ruonan instructed his men to pour the prepared milk and fresh pig’s blood into large wooden barrels and place them in the center of the desert.
The Young Taoist drew talismans around the area.
Mr. Zhao ate elixir to rest.
Song Xiaodong, Sun Yiyi, and Chu Xianling looked at each other.
"After tonight’s affair is over, we can return tomorrow." Song Xiaodong said with a smile to Sun Yiyi and Chu Xianling.
Sun Yiyi and Chu Xianling remained silent, quietly watching Song Xiaodong.
"Are you two not afraid of death?" Song Xiaodong asked Sun Yiyi and Chu Xianling.
Both shook their heads.
"We’ve braved life and death with you more than once, what do we have to fear?" Sun Yiyi said.
"That’s right, besides, you won’t let us die." Chu Xianling said.
"You won’t let yourself die either." Sun Yiyi added.
Song Xiaodong nodded without speaking.
Chapter 2006: Is It Nearby?
"You don’t have to act like you’re parting forever, I’ve called my senior brother, his skills far exceed mine, a small creature is not worth mentioning." The Young Taoist said to Song Xiaodong and the others.
"I’ve notified Master Yunshui from Fayu Temple, upon hearing about the Corpse Infant, he too is coming, the head of the Song clan can rest assured." Mr. Zhao said.
The air was filled with the scent of milk and fresh blood.
The night deepened, and the warriors stood guard while Song Xiaodong and others sat by the campfire, drifting into sleep.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a scream pierced the night, jolting Song Xiaodong awake. In a flash, he ran towards the direction of the scream, seeing a small warrior standing motionless with his back to Song Xiaodong.
"What happened?" Song Xiaodong felt an ominous premonition and softly asked.
The small warrior said nothing, slowly turning around, his belly torn open, pale intestines spilling out, both hands trying to stuff them back into his opened abdomen.
The small warrior looked at Song Xiaodong with panicked eyes, muttering, "Help me... put the intestines... back..."
After speaking, the man fell.
Sun Yiyi, Chu Xianling, the Young Taoist, Mr. Zhao, and Zhao Ruonan rushed over at the sound, seeing the scene, not knowing what to say.
"Is it nearby?" The Young Taoist asked.
Song Xiaodong shook his head, his sensory ability unable to detect any other living presence here.
Zhao Ruonan ordered people to clean up and bury the remains on-site, and before long, a mound stood there.
A vibrant life turned into a grave after a brief scream.
"Be ready, it has come." Song Xiaodong said.
The group returned to the campfire, turning on the vehicles’ headlights, lighting up the night in Lop Nur.
"Whoosh!"
The flames of the campfire flickered suddenly.
Song Xiaodong darted out, stopping beside the barrels of milk and fresh pig’s blood, staring blankly at them.
The Young Taoist came over, discovering the barrels of milk were intact.
But the barrels of fresh pig’s blood were already empty.
"So fast?" Zhao Ruonan asked softly.
Fear and despair appeared on everyone’s faces.
Song Xiaodong closed his eyes, concentrating, sensing a faint presence approaching the warriors.
"It’s here!" Song Xiaodong shouted.
The Young Taoist quickly threw down a wrapped handkerchief with a "bang."
A shadow flashed across the sandy ground, though fast, it was barely visible, Song Xiaodong quickly pursued, flinging a silver needle that ended up missing.
The Young Taoist used the same method as when restraining Liu Bai; since this was a living creature, this trick worked.
However, the trick had a limited range, and although the shadow’s speed slowed down, Song Xiaodong still couldn’t catch up, within moments it was beyond the effective range and vanished into thin air.
Song Xiaodong dared not pursue further, reluctantly returning and shaking his head at the Young Taoist.
"You can sense it, so stay here; I’ll go." The Young Taoist said to Song Xiaodong.
Song Xiaodong nodded, closing his eyes to sense the surroundings, Sun Yiyi and Chu Xianling guarding him.
Song Xiaodong expanded his sensory ability across the vast desert, feeling the faint presence briefly pause a hundred meters away, then rushing back towards them.
Song Xiaodong pointed in a direction.
The Young Taoist took thirty-meter strides, moving towards it, tossing three talismans, thunder echoed across the desert, the talismans flashed brilliantly, incinerated to ashes.
Three bolts of thunder and lightning struck a shadow, the thunder roared as the shadow flew and fell to the ground.
The Young Taoist saw it clearly, it was a shriveled little child.
Though only the size of a newborn, its skin was already shriveled and ancient, with pure curiosity in its eyes.
A newborn’s curiosity about the world.
A Corpse Infant can be simply understood as a superhuman child with great strength but lacking any sense of good or evil, unable to control its abilities, unaware of the harm it might cause.
Ordinary wandering Fierce Ghosts, although troublesome, at least understand human speech and know fear, but what does a newborn comprehend?
