Seltsame Geschichten aus Tangdun

Kapitel 14

"To expel demons and uphold justice, and to protect all living beings, Xingyun, the successor of the Peng Clan's magical arts, respectfully beseeches the Ancestral Master, the True Lord of the Southern Heaven, to display his divine power and humbly grant his disciple boundless magical strength!"

I held my breath, opened my eyes wide, and tried to see God's manifestation clearly.

The temperature dropped suddenly.

Fuzhou has a warm climate, and even in winter the temperature rarely drops below 10 degrees Celsius. May and June are the warmest months, and everyone is wearing T-shirts and shirts, with a few girls even wearing skirts.

So the sudden drop in temperature was very noticeable, and it was natural to think that it was due to Xingyun's magic. Immediately, I felt a chilling wind blowing all around me, and in the darkness a little further away, it seemed as if countless demons and monsters were hiding, waiting to devour me.

The temperature dropped even faster. In just a moment, I could see the white mist from each other's breath; in a short time, it seemed as if we had gone from the warmth of early summer to the biting chill of early spring. The members of the Ivy League Club huddled together, relying on each other's body heat to ward off the sudden cold.

Gu Datou, thin as a skeleton, stood there casually, with two burly men called Stone and Wood standing straight behind him, seemingly oblivious to the change in temperature. This was understandable; they were both former special forces soldiers, indifferent to killing, so why would they fear a little chill?

Petite Afang, dressed in a casual outfit typical of urban white-collar workers—elegant and stylish—was completely unable to ward off the biting cold. Unlike us, who could huddle together for warmth, she was shivering uncontrollably. This girl, however, was incredibly stubborn, standing firmly shoulder to shoulder with Gu Datou, refusing to ask for help.

During the time I was observing, the Taoist priest on the altar also noticed the change. He wielded the peach wood sword more rapidly, and the talismans written on yellow paper were burned one after another, causing the temperature to drop even faster. Before long, a layer of white frost appeared on the ground.

Suddenly something fell in front of me. I looked up and saw large snowflakes drifting down in the night. It was snowing!

Everyone noticed this strange phenomenon. Most of the club members were from Fujian and had never seen heavy snow in their lives. They were both surprised and excited, and several girls even shouted out joyfully.

I'm from Hunan, and my hometown gets several heavy snowfalls every year, so I've seen this kind of scene many times. But what's so strange is that, looking around, the snow only falls within a hundred meters of our surroundings. Further out, cars whiz by at night, their roofs barely touching the ground. I have a vague feeling that something is amiss, but I can't quite put my finger on why.

The snow was falling heavily. In a short while, a thick layer had accumulated on the ground, reaching up to their ankles. Gu Datou and the other two were covered from head to toe in snow, their hair and beards all white, but they didn't move an inch. Afang hugged her shoulders with both hands and would jump lightly a few times every now and then.

Gu Datou seemed to finally let out a long sigh, took off his coat, whispered a few words to Shi Tou behind him, and pointed to A Fang. Shi Tou took two steps to A Fang's side, intending to put the coat on her. It was clear that Gu Datou still cherished their past relationship, but also had some reservations, so he had his subordinate take care of her for him.

What happened next took me by surprise. I didn't expect Afang to react so violently. With a backhand shove, she not only pushed aside his coat but also sent Shi Tou's massive body staggering back two steps. From that distance, I couldn't hear what she said very clearly, but it was something like: "...you bad people...I don't need you to pretend to care about me..." and so on.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head, like I'd been hit by a stone. I turned around and saw that it was Wuwu, who was naturally playful, who had secretly made a snowball and thrown it at me, covering my head in snow. The girls seemed to have completely forgotten the cold and were laughing together.

I chuckled wryly and scratched my head, my hand covered in snow powder. I looked at it for a moment and suddenly realized what was wrong. My heart tightened, and I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Stop! Xingyun, stop! Stop casting the spell, stop!"

Almost simultaneously, after burning the last talisman, Master Xingyun grabbed the Soul-Suppressing Bell from the altar and began shaking it frantically. The clear, delicate sound of the bell, like silk threads, pierced the boundary between day and night, connecting the world of the living and the world of the dead.

Everything suddenly fell silent.

With a "pop," the snow suddenly burst open, and a withered, bony hand emerged straight out.

The moment I saw my hands covered in snow powder, I suddenly remembered a strange incident recorded in the "Fujian Provincial Annals" that I had seen at the home of a petty thief in Shunchang.

During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the country was hailed as a time of peace, prosperity, and strength. The emperor frequently toured the land, and each year, officials would shower him with flattery, presenting him with only the best aspects to satisfy Qianlong's ego. This year, as the emperor toured Fujian, and before reaching Fuzhou in May or June, the prefect of Fuzhou, eager to curry favor, devised a plan.

He dispatched officials to drive all the thousands of beggars in the city outside the city walls, enclose them in a fenced area, and provide them only with water and food to stave off hunger—a practice known as "enclosed beggars." When Emperor Qianlong toured Fuzhou, he found the city clean and tidy, with everyone well-fed and clothed. He was delighted and generously rewarded the prefect.

Overjoyed, the prefect intended to release all the beggars after the emperor left. However, his subordinates reported that the enclosure was filthy, with people and excrement mixed together, and within just over ten days, a plague had broken out, killing thousands of beggars. The guards, fearing the spread of disease, dared not even collect the bodies.

Because of the prefect's selfish whim, thousands of lives were tragically lost. The resentment was so great that a heavy snow fell that very night at the "beggar's den," burying all the corpses and filth. Since Fujian is in the south, heavy snow is a rare sight. The next day, when the people went to see this extraordinary scene, they discovered that the prefect and the guards had somehow ended up among the dead, frozen stiff.

Since then, strange phenomena have repeatedly occurred here. Judging from the brief map, the "beggar's circle" appears to be located where the altar is now situated!

Our company is located on the fifth floor of Yifa Building. The third and fourth floors are not rented out; there's nothing there. Last Saturday, two colleagues and I returned to the company late at night, around 2 a.m.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, we walked in, still talking. Inside, a white-collar woman was standing facing the wall. We didn't pay much attention at the time and continued talking.

The elevator reached the third floor, stopped, the doors opened, and the woman stepped out. The elevator then continued upwards.

We suddenly realized that there was nothing on the third floor, and our backs went completely cold, and our scalps tingled.

Xingyun's record of the same event:

Our company is on the fifth floor of Yifa Building. The third and fourth floors are unrented; there's nothing there. Last Saturday, three colleagues and I returned to the company late at night, around 2 AM. Including myself, there were four of us from 17173 (a Chinese online education platform) taking the elevator from the first floor to the fifth. Later, Luan Luan mentioned a woman in the group chat. To be honest, I didn't really notice her when I got on the elevator. I just had a very unsettling feeling. Although it only took a few seconds to go from the first to the third floor, for someone like me who has undergone some systematic study of Taoism, I still found the source of my unease. The unsettling feeling came from that woman!

No one noticed that a slight smile played on the woman's lips the moment she stepped out of the elevator. The smile contrasted sharply with her deathly, lifeless eyes. So, just as the elevator doors were about to close, I decided to follow her out to see what was happening. At the same time, to avoid alerting my colleagues, I subtly slipped away. This is why, after reaching the 5th floor, Luanluan only remembered that three people had ridden in the elevator. Because according to normal logic, the number of people who got in the elevator should equal the number of people who got out. Therefore, it's perfectly normal that Luanluan didn't include me in her later recollections.

Speaking of the scene, the elevator doors closed behind me, plunging me into darkness. I seemed to hear the muffled thud of the elevator machine ascending, mixed with the sounds of Luanluan laughing and talking. But my sense of smell led me to the dark third-floor right corner. I went there, hoping to find something to brag about to Luanluan the next day. But what happened next is something I'll never forget, so I decided not to tell Luanluan the truth. Sometimes, those who don't know the truth are fortunate; at least everyone in the building is fortunate, including the security guards who walk the stairs every day with their batons. So...

Section 33

As soon as the anomaly occurred, even we laymen could see that the half-baked Taoist priest, Chu Yun, had made a mistake in his spell. My first reaction was to tell everyone to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Although the club members were all known for their daring and reckless personalities, they were equally nervous and frightened by this unprecedented event. Several boys quickly retreated, each protecting their girlfriend. Unexpectedly, after only a few steps, they seemed to have bumped into an invisible, thick wall—soft to the touch, yet impossible to cross.

A series of crunching sounds echoed from the snow as claws broke through the snow crust and emerged. These claws varied in size and color, some yellow, some black, but all were withered and emaciated, like dried chicken feet. The first claw to emerge scratched at the snow crust for leverage, as if someone trapped underneath was desperately trying to climb out. First, a charred, bony arm was revealed, along with a tattered old sleeve that barely clung to it.

Sister Yan truly displayed remarkable composure. Upon realizing they were trapped inside and unable to escape, she angrily swore a few times and directed five or six boys to surround the girls in a semi-circle against the wall. Thankfully, although the boys also seemed quite nervous, they all followed instructions diligently, and no one acted cowardly, which greatly pleased me.

We were about seven or eight meters away from the altar where Xingyun was performing his magic. I watched carefully from a distance. When the heavy snow started falling, Xingyun looked quite confused. It was clear that he, like us, was wondering where the heavy snow came from.

As the snow fell heavier, his confusion grew with each ring of the bell, yet he didn't stop casting the spell. The moment the hand emerged from the ground, he finished his spell. Seeing that his spell had worked, the person in question was both excited and thrilled, but their eyes betrayed a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

When he saw our group trying to retreat but being blocked by an invisible wall of energy, the culprit finally realized the enormity of his mistake. He let out a strange cry and frantically tried burning talismans and wielding a sword, but to no avail. He then picked up the Soul-Suppressing Bell and shook it wildly, but the strange hand reaching out from the snow only sped up faster, frightening him so much that he dared not try anything more.

When Yan Xin was giving orders, she glanced at him and saw him still standing on the altar, looking blank and at a loss. She called out impatiently, "You damned Taoist priest, why aren't you coming down and helping? I'll settle this score with you later!"

Xingyun felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She ran over in a flash, hesitantly stuffing the Soul-Suppressing Bell into my hand. Her face was flushed and pale. She stammered a few words, looking like she wanted to apologize but couldn't bring herself to say it.

I stared intently at the strange phenomenon in the snow, and could only pat him on the shoulder in silence, unsure of what to say. Actually, I was at a loss myself. I was the one who introduced Xingyun to everyone, and you could say I was the one who stirred things up. I didn't firmly dissuade Xiaowei and Wuwu from coming to see for themselves out of curiosity, and now that things have escalated to this point, I don't know what will happen next.

Aside from risking my life to protect everyone's safety, I really have nothing else to say.

Although Xingyun seemed a bit slow-witted, he was actually extremely intelligent; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold two degrees. He immediately understood my intention, paused for a moment, then hurriedly ran back to the altar and pulled out a large pile of baseball bats—clearly hidden there beforehand—and distributed them to everyone.

In that short period of time, dozens of figures emerged one after another from under the snow. I use "figures" to describe them because I simply cannot call them people.

Although it looks no different from a human, and its clothes, though tattered, are clearly from the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is extremely thin and emaciated. Its face is covered with deep black holes where its facial features should be, and its mouth is covered with a set of protruding black and yellow teeth, making it extremely terrifying.

Even more terrifying is that as soon as they crawled out of the ground, they couldn't wait to reach out and grab chunks of snow and put them in their mouths to chew. In a short time, all the snow on the ground was eaten up. Their iron-hook-like claws then grabbed black soil from the ground and stuffed it into their mouths, until their bellies swelled up high.

After eating for a while longer, they had even eaten all the black soil on the ground. As if they couldn't believe it, they groped around and made strange and mournful cries from their throats, which sounded like "Hungry... Hungry..." if you listened carefully.

The snow on the ground had all melted away, and the black soil had been eaten up. Finally, a small creature swayed a few times, unable to hold on any longer, and collapsed to the ground. Its body was still twitching slightly when, without hesitation, a claw touched it and tore a piece of flesh from its small body.

"Ah!" Yan Xin screamed in fright, throwing herself into Lao Gao's arms, desperately covering her eyes, her whole body trembling. Feng Zei and A Lei quickly grabbed Xiao Wei and Wu Wu, respectively, to prevent them from witnessing this horrific scene.

The air was suddenly filled with the stench of blood. Stimulated by this stench, they swarmed forward, forming a circle around the small figure, their black, hard, iron-like claws flailing wildly, some even pouncing and tearing at it.

One moment, the small figure was struggling helplessly, and the next moment, it was engulfed by a swarm of black shadows. When the shadows dispersed, only a few pieces of rags remained on the ground, and even the few drops of blood on the ground were licked clean.

I sighed softly, my heart filled with sorrow.

Xingyun, who was to my left, suddenly said, "These are vengeful spirits who were starved to death. They were unwilling to die of starvation, and they ate people before they died, so their resentment is extremely strong. They have become very powerful zombies. Everyone be careful!"

I instinctively gripped the thick, hard baseball bat in my hand, only to find my hands were covered in sweat and my calves were trembling. I was so nervous that I felt like I was about to collapse.

Among us, I am the oldest and most experienced, and I am always the calmest in the face of trouble. If I am so calm, how much worse must the others be? The youngest bandit, Feng Ze, is already turning pale. If this continues, we might be too scared to move before the zombies even arrive, and we'll be at their mercy.

Feeling a surge of resentment, I mustered my courage and forced myself to smile in a way that didn't seem so weak. I aimed for Ah Lei's butt and slapped him hard across the backside: "Damn it! It's just a few little zombies. We killed the Zombie King several times in Legend 3 last time. You're scared so much your legs are weak?"

This big guy is usually timid and indecisive, but I know he's actually very strong-willed and terrified of being looked down upon. Sure enough, the moment I opened my mouth, Lei jumped up as if he'd been kicked: "Damn it! You think I'm weak-kneed? These zombies are just a few hundred experience points to me, maybe a few books at most. I'm too lazy to even bother fighting them. Damn it, if I don't get a divine beast book by now, I'm not Zhang!"

The game we're talking about, *Legend 3*, was an online game that a few of us colleagues played together. Zombies were low-to-mid-level monsters in the game, and once we reached higher levels, we became too lazy to fight them to level up. As for the Divine Beast Book, it's a secret technique that allows Taoists to learn how to summon divine beasts, and it could often be obtained from zombies.

I smiled and didn't argue with him. I glanced sideways at Gao Changjian, who was panting nervously: "...Brother Jian, I heard you've been killed by zombies a lot lately. Are you afraid of zombies now?"

Taking advantage of the brief moment when the zombies were scrambling for the fallen corpses, I used my silver tongue to deliver sarcastic and witty remarks, which surprisingly boosted everyone's morale. Although they were still nervous, at least they weren't going to surrender easily.

With effort comes opportunity.

Only Xingyun, that idiot Taoist priest, actually came over strangely: "You've fought a lot of zombies before? And even a Corpse King... How come I've never heard of it? I never expected that you were all senior masters in the world of magic. I am Peng Hu, a successor of Wushan Zhentian Palace. Please give me your guidance, seniors... By the way, I wonder which sect's exorcism manual 'Legend 3' comes from..."

I'm too lazy to explain to these kinds of online game idiots; I just slap them and tell them to stay obediently by my side for now.

One of Gu Datou's bodyguards came over and conveyed Gu Datou's request for my help in taking care of Afang: "...Big Brother said that Brother Wang, you are a loyal person, and he is very grateful. Once this matter is settled, please don't hesitate to ask if you need any help from him."

After a pause, the burly man continued, "Brother Wang, you're a cultured man. I didn't expect you to remain so calm and composed in this situation. You have the air of a soldier. Brother Mu and I admire you greatly. If you need anything, just come to us. There's probably nothing in Fuzhou that the three of us can't handle!"

With my journalistic instincts, I could sense the murderous aura emanating from Shi Tou, even Mu Tou and Gu Da Tou. It was an aura honed in the crucible of battle, a power that disregarded life and death. So, when faced with the zombies before them, they were at most somewhat surprised, unlike the panic we ordinary people felt.

However, I could still sense some of the vitality and enthusiasm that living people should have in the stone and the wood. As for Gu Datou, he had long since disregarded his own life and death. If it weren't for his persistent love for Hua Zi, he would probably be no different from a zombie.

I called Fang's name twice, and the strong-willed girl finally turned her head and shook it slightly. I felt a surge of anger; I hadn't expected her to act so childishly at a time like this.

While the zombies were still fighting amongst themselves, I gave them a few instructions, took a few steps forward, and tried to forcibly pull her over. I had just grabbed her right forearm and hadn't even exerted any force when the girl silently fell into my arms.

She was not heavy; she was as light as a dove.

I shivered. It felt like I was holding a block of ice, not a person!

The girl was freezing and terrified; her whole body was ice-cold, and a thin layer of frost covered her face, yet she refused to accept any help. Ignoring my embarrassment, I touched her left chest. Thankfully, it was still warm, and she had a heartbeat.

I half-carried, half-dragged her back, and first took off my clothes to put on her. Yan Xin and Xiao Wei mustered their courage and took over taking care of A Fang. As for poor Wu Wu, her health was already poor, and the cold and fright had already made her faint.

The situation on the field changed again.

The group of vengeful spirits that had transformed into zombies originally numbered more than thirty, but after a series of infighting, tearing and devouring each other, only nine of the tallest and strongest remained.

After these nine zombies devoured other weaker individuals, their bodies underwent significant changes. Their originally emaciated bodies grew twisted and tangled muscles, and their bones cracked with every movement, making them appear incredibly strong.

Their heads remained those horribly emaciated bones, and several shrunken heads of the victims were embedded in their chests, constantly emitting mournful cries. Fortunately, they were still slow-moving and unresponsive, which prevented us from completely losing our will to resist.

The nine zombies fought for a while, but eventually none of them could defeat the other, and their 18 eyes swept over us, the audience who had been watching the show from the corner.

What's meant to happen can't be avoided.

Section 34

Hey! I gritted my teeth and slammed a baseball bat down on the zombie's hand, which was less than half a foot away from me. It felt like hitting a huge piece of iron, and the impact made my hand go numb.

This zombie was incredibly strong. I strained with all my might, but I could only make its claws pause for a moment before it viciously lunged at my chest and abdomen. In desperation, I didn't care about saving face anymore. I pushed off with my feet and fell backward.

Several girls screamed in unison behind me. I felt something soft against my back and collapsed onto someone. The zombie claw narrowly missed my nose, the force of the blow stinging my skin.

A flash of light swept across the scene, striking the zombie's wrist precisely, producing a clanging sound that was neither metal nor steel. The zombie winced in pain and swiftly withdrew its hand. It was unclear what material the zombie was made of; despite being struck with such force by the cleaver, it only left a white mark without drawing blood.

I rolled over and got up. The burly man who had just blocked my movement opened his mouth wide and gave me a gentle smile. At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and the thick-backed, narrow-bladed cleaver spun back, creating a flurry of blades. With two loud thuds, the two zombies let out shrill cries and retreated.

This was not because the wooden knife technique was effective, but because the two zombies had rushed into the magic array that Xingyun had set up earlier with rooster blood mixed with glutinous rice, and were burned by the magic power, forcing them to retreat.

The fake Taoist priest's burning of talismans and chanting of incantations were all ineffective, but the magic array did have some effect; otherwise, we would probably have become food for these nine zombies long ago.

The story begins when those nine zombies attacked us. We, a few grown men, were completely powerless to resist and had to retreat again and again.

Fortunately, Gu Datou, Mu Tou, and Shi Tou finally made their move. The three of them took off their shirts, leaving only military vests printed with military numbers, and brandished four machetes of different lengths, creating a dazzling display of blades.

Unfortunately, these zombies were incredibly strong and their bodies were as hard as iron. Every time a knife struck flesh, it produced a dull "thud" sound, but could only leave a few white marks on their bodies. Even with Gu Datou's three fierce heads, he was helpless.

Fortunately, Xingyun finally discovered that the array he had set up was effective, and we managed to hold the corner of the array in a small area in the northeast corner of the wall.

Former special forces soldiers are different; even when faced with such a strange event, although they are inevitably nervous, they can generally maintain their composure.

Stone and Wood used two identical machetes, thick-backed and narrow-bladed. I'd seen photos of these knives online; they're the kind issued to border troops for clearing paths, best for chopping, and extremely powerful when wielded by someone with great strength. Stone and Wood swung the knives with a sharp, clanging sound, creating a dazzling display of power—it was indeed a sight to behold.

Gu Datou, however, was puzzled. He stood there motionless, holding a long military dagger in each hand, his feet spread wide. The two daggers flashed out and retracted in an instant, each one hitting its mark, blocking eighty percent of the attacks.

The zombie stabbed by the bayonet had a deep hole in its body. Although there was no blood, the zombie's chilling growl suggested that it had suffered a serious injury.

After a stalemate of more than ten minutes, Stone and Wood's breathing became heavy. Although their cleavers were still wielded with great force, their reactions involuntarily showed a slight gap. Zombies, which act on instinct, seized this opening and suddenly attacked the person hiding behind them. Thus, the scene described above occurred.