Chapter 35: The Hunting Plan

Wu Xian and the other two stepped back in unison.

Zombies are far too well-known; who hasn't seen a few zombie movies in their time? Their eyes were filled with wariness as they drew their weapons, ready to strike at any moment.

Wen Chao shook his head helplessly. "Don't be like this. She is very gentle and won't hurt anyone."

Wen Chao affectionately held the zombie's hand. The gesture made everyone’s skin crawl—to hell with a "gentle" zombie.

"This is my beloved, Fu He," he explained. "When we were young, we were both too busy with work. Now that we are old, she has fallen ill. I wanted to take her out to travel and see these magnificent landscapes during our final days together. But then this place transformed into a Blessed Land, and she was always so timid... so, she didn't survive the first night."

"Fortunately, the Blessed Land is different from reality. I followed your example and bowed to those idols. I obtained a 'Corpse Refining Art.' I thought it would bring her back to life, but instead, it turned her into this half-human, half-ghost creature."

While Wen Chao explained, Wu Xian carefully scrutinized the elderly zombie. He saw scraps of flesh and long strands of hair on the old woman's hands and collar. Judging by the length of the hair, it looked like...

"Is Yue Mei's body still here?"

Wen Chao shook his head. "It's gone. I had Old Fu eat her. Fresh flesh and blood can enhance a zombie's strength, and I thought it shouldn't go to waste..."

His tone was calm, as if he hadn't just fed a living person to a zombie, but rather some discounted pork bought from a supermarket.

Su Huijin asked, "Then what about the bodies that disappeared earlier..."

"I fed them all to Old Fu. Completing the corpse refining requires a sufficient amount of flesh and blood. I figured those bodies were just sitting there idle anyway."

Wen Chao was very candid. However, this candor sent a chill down the spines of Wu Xian and Shi Ji. If corpse refining required living people, would this old man consider them as nourishment as well? It turned out that this seemingly kindly old man, who had shown so little of his true self, was the most ruthless of them all!

The group calmed their emotions. Now was not the time to hold the old man accountable for the sin of corpse refining. Since the cause of death for the two women had been clarified, Wu Xian felt relieved. As long as they hadn't died for no reason, his plan could be safely executed.

Wu Xian cleared his throat. "Everyone is already familiar with the hand-clapping game. As long as we rely on the Child-Seeking Ghost Mother, we can safely pass the next few days. I imagine everyone is tired of taking risks."

"But are you content to just end it like this?"

Shi Ji immediately tried to undermine him: "What’s there to be unsatisfied about? Being alive is better than being dead."

Wu Xian glared at Shi Ji, who immediately ducked his head.

"We can certainly survive this time. But what about the next? We are trapped in this Blessed Land and cannot escape. Sooner or later, we will find ourselves in a similar situation. Will we be lucky enough to escape again, betting on such slim chances of survival? No, we should seize this opportunity to gain more benefits, so that we can gain an advantage in future Blessed Lands."

Su Huijin chimed in, "I have been through a few Blessed Lands. If you perform exceptionally well, there are indeed certain advantages... though they are quite minimal."

"If I hadn't blown up the septic tank, I wouldn't have received the blessing of 'Zi Gu.' Should we go blow up the septic tank again?" Shi Ji added, supporting Wu Xian, and received a roll of the eyes from him as a form of approval.

After a brief discussion, the three of them were somewhat tempted.

Wen Chao asked, "What is this risk you're talking about?"

Wu Xian’s lips curled into a smile: "I have a plan..."

...

The days in the Blessed Land were noticeably growing shorter. The sunlight was dimmer than before, and even in broad daylight, one could occasionally catch sight of blurred shadows. Every blade of grass, every tree, every brick, and every tile exuded an unsettling air.

After Wu Xian laid out his plan, it received the unanimous approval of the other three. Su Huijin and Wen Chao sought the benefits to gain a slight edge in the next Blessed Land. As for Shi Ji, he simply trusted Wu Xian. Otherwise, in his opinion, the feasibility of this plan was not even as high as blowing up a septic tank.

But to achieve Wu Xian's plan, there was one obstacle that had to be cleared first: the female specter, Yu Yinghua! With her around, Wu Xian's plan could not be carried out.

Thus, guided by the information provided by Su Huijin, they arrived at the entrance of the supermarket’s underground warehouse. The doors were wide open, revealing concrete stairs that stretched downward into darkness, their end invisible. The interior of the warehouse was nothing but pitch black, exuding an unsettling atmosphere.

Su Huijin shared the intelligence she had gathered with the group. "This specter is troublesome; she is not comparable to those minor wandering spirits. To kill her, we must overcome three difficulties."

"First is the lighting. It is too dark inside the basement. It is difficult for us to see her position, yet she knows everything about us."

"Second is her strength. Yu Yinghua's body is extremely tough; ordinary magical artifacts and talismans have limited effect on her."

"Third is the cement. Yu Yinghua has the ability to turn the concrete floor inside into a quagmire. Once we enter, our movements will be severely restricted."

Having finished, Su Huijin crossed her arms and looked at the three men. Her meaning was clear: she was only responsible for providing information; the fighting was for the men.

Wen Chao was the first to speak: "Leave the issues of light and cement to me. I cannot guarantee a one-hundred-percent solution, but I can certainly improve the situation."

"Thank you, Professor Wen," Wu Xian nodded. "Then we three will handle the direct confrontation with the specter."

Su Huijin was immediately displeased upon hearing this. "Why do you have to include me? I provided the key intelligence; my contribution is already sufficient. There is no need for a weak woman like me to join the fight."

It was true; the information Su Huijin provided was of high value, essentially a strategy guide. With this guide, Yu Yinghua was already like a fish on a chopping block, so it wouldn't have been unreasonable for her to sit out the fight.

Wu Xian acknowledged her contribution. "What you say makes perfect sense, but... I don't trust you."

"You!"

Others might not have noticed, but to Wu Xian the detective, Su Huijin was no longer just a suspect—she was a confirmed culprit. The deaths of He Qiong and her sister were absolutely tied to her. He would not risk his life while letting this venomous beauty stay safely in the rear.

The two locked eyes for a moment before Su Huijin finally yielded in frustration. There was no helping it; after all, Wu Xian held the upper hand.

With the plan set, everyone began their preparations. Wen Chao explained what he needed, and the three men busied themselves searching for the items. Although the Blessed Land only covered four residential blocks, the variety of shops was still relatively complete. While the shops for food and water had been emptied, others, such as hardware and building material stores, remained intact.

It didn't take long to gather what Wen Chao needed. Once he finished processing the materials, the plan to hunt Yu Yinghua was ready.

Now, all that remained was to act.