Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 468 Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet
The backyard of the Chen family manor was shrouded in darkness.

The once bustling and lively water and land ritual was now completely silent.

The monks' orderly chanting and the crisp sound of bells and cymbals clashing stopped almost simultaneously.

The whispers of the Chen family members seemed to be stuck in their throats, disappearing in an instant.

On the vast open space, only the raging flames in front of the altar danced wildly in the darkness.

The orange-red flames shot upwards, almost licking the dark sky.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared intently at the fire.

A terrifying thought simultaneously surfaced in everyone's minds.

Was that sigh just now an illusion? Or was there really an evil spirit hiding inside the corpse?

Could it be... that even such a huge fire couldn't kill it?

The wind suddenly picked up, making the prayer flags used for summoning spirits flutter loudly all around.

The runes on the banner flickered in the firelight, as if awakening the souls of the dead who were sleeping in the darkness.

A gust of wind carried the smell of burnt wood and acrid smoke, which went straight into people's noses, causing some to cough.

However, the chill in the air was even stronger than the heat of the flames, making one's skin feel tight.

The entire manor seemed to be shrouded in a giant net, creating an overwhelming sense of suffocation.

All that remained were the howling wind, the crackling of firewood, and the heavy breathing of the people.

And there was that sigh that seemed to linger from the depths of the fire.

"Boom-"

It's unclear whose wooden fish fell to the ground first.

The monks' eyes were wide open, their faces were deathly pale, and their clasped hands trembled slightly.

Their spiritual perception was quite high, and they had already sensed that something was stirring restlessly in the fire where the corpses were being burned.

Master Yuanjue, who was in the center of the altar, suddenly stopped holding his prayer beads and looked at the fire in astonishment.

His lips moved a few times, and he couldn't help but whisper the Buddhist chant: "Amitabha..."

However, before the chanting of the Buddha's name had even finished, several crisp "crackling" sounds suddenly came from the fire.

That was the sound of burning firewood and coffin fragments being pushed aside by a force.

Then, a charred figure, covered in wood ash and sparks, slowly rose from the flames.

That was none other than Chen Hongye's corpse.

He, who should have been burned through, seemed to come back to life in front of everyone.

The charred and wrinkled skin was now covered with dark red runes.

The incantations meandered like living snakes, and with each movement, a red halo seeped from the patterns, forcing the surrounding flames to retreat.

His body still bore the scorch marks, yet he stood ramrod straight, his head slightly raised.

As the empty eye sockets turned toward the crowd, two points of scarlet light slowly lit up.

"call--"

He suddenly opened his mouth and exhaled a long puff of black smoke, then took half a step forward.

Flames circled around his feet, as if in fear of something; even the sparks that flew up would be extinguished instantly if they touched his skin.

This scene of a living corpse coming back to life shattered the last glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts.

"what……"

A faint gasp of surprise rang out from the crowd.

Immediately afterwards, fear spread like a tide.

The Chen family members all froze on the spot, their faces filled with terror.

Some covered their mouths, their eyes wide open.

Some voices trembled, and they couldn't help but mutter:

"So... there really is an evil spirit possessing someone? Is it... about to be exposed?"

Elder Chen Dehai, leaning on his cane, stared at the figure with his cloudy eyes, his lips trembling as he muttered:

"Hongye...is that you...?"

His voice was very soft, as if he couldn't believe it, or as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

Chen Xu'an, who was at the front of the crowd, reacted differently from the others.

Besides shock and fear, his face was filled with hatred.

He clenched his fists tightly, staring intently at the figure in the fire, as if he were looking at an irreconcilable enemy.

On the other side, Fang Cheng and the others also looked solemn.

Lin Chuqiao's eyes flickered slightly as she reached into her collar and took out the amulet, her fingertips clenching tightly as she secretly prepared herself.

Bai Ling was so frightened that she hid behind Fang Cheng, only revealing a pair of terrified eyes as she secretly watched the resurrected corpse.

"Holy crap, what is this thing? It's even more ferocious than a zombie, and it's not afraid of fire."

Pan Wendi's mouth was wide open, and his voice inevitably trembled.

Fang Cheng stood ramrod straight, his gaze piercing through the raging flames as he stared at the "monster" that had risen from the fire.

The monster in the fire ignored everyone's reactions.

It slowly raised a dark, mushy hand, as if examining something.

Then, he looked down at his charred body, his dark red eyes flashing with obvious anger.

It seemed as if it was dissatisfied with its body being burned into this ugly state.

Just a few seconds later, the anger quickly subsided, replaced by a sense of relief.

It slowly lowered its arm, as if to confirm something, and then exhaled a breath of foul air carrying the smell of burning.

"Fortunately, I came back early... My foundation wasn't damaged, it was just some minor injuries."

That aged yet majestic voice rang out once more, carrying a hint of relief after surviving a calamity.

Then, it turned its gaze back to the crowd in the open space, its voice suddenly becoming stern.

"You unfilial descendants! I was at the height of my merits, how could I commit such a heinous crime and dare to burn my body?!"

This monster openly identified himself as Chen Hongye, his words brimming with an unquestionable air of family head.

Every word struck the hearts of everyone like a heavy hammer.

Faced with this sudden question, all members of the Chen family were stunned and no one dared to answer.

A storm raged within them.

Could this monster that rose from the fire really be the old patriarch resurrected?
If that's the case, then their sin of burning their ancestors' bodies is truly unforgivable.

The open space was quiet, with only the matches still crackling and burning.

Everyone was so overwhelmed by its powerful aura that they were speechless.

Chen Hongye's eyes turned even redder, like two balls of blood burning.

His head was tilted slightly to the side, and his scarlet gaze seemed to penetrate flesh and bone, sending chills down anyone who looked at him.

That posture hardly resembled that of a resurrected corpse.

It was clearly a ferocious beast that had been lying in wait for a long time, looking at everyone with the eyes of someone scrutinizing their prey.

Several tribesmen with weaker mental fortitude began to experience leg tremors.

The servants were even more terrified; their legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground.

Suddenly, Chen Hongye looked up and let out a long howl.

"Ow—"

The howling sound was not like a human voice, but rather like the roar of a vengeful ghost, carrying an extremely strong penetrating power that directly hit everyone's eardrums.

The surrounding wind suddenly turned violent, whipping up withered branches and leaves from the ground and rushing towards the group.

The firewood in the bonfire crackled and popped in the wind, and burning pieces of wood, sparks flying everywhere like rain. "Get out of the way!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd instantly erupted into chaos.

Both the Chen family members and the monks who had come to perform the rituals scattered in panic.

Someone raised their hand to shield their eyes from the blinding sand and dust, but got burned on the back of their hand by flying firewood, and gasped in pain.

Some people panicked and ran into the offering table next to them, causing the incense, candles, and offerings on the table to crash to the ground.

In the chaos, everyone was only thinking about getting as far away from that terrifying figure as possible.

When everyone finally regained their footing and looked up at the fire again, their hearts sank.

The figure standing in the fire had vanished.

"where is it?"

Someone asked in a trembling voice.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a scream came from behind him.

Everyone turned around and saw that Chen Hongye had jumped down from the fire at some point, holding a monk from Cuicheng Temple in his hand.

He was looking down, biting hard into the monk's plump neck.

Blood kept gushing out, splattering on his charred face and trickling down his wrinkles.

"Gu dong... gu dong..."

The clear sound of swallowing echoed in the silent night, sending chills down one's spine.

As he inhaled deeply, the monk's body visibly withered away.

Meanwhile, the charred skin on Chen Hongye's body began to peel off piece by piece, revealing new skin underneath.

The skin had an eerie pale red hue, and apart from the dark red runes that clung to it, the burn marks from before were gradually disappearing.

In just a few seconds, the monk became motionless, turning into a completely emaciated corpse.

Chen Hongye released his grip, letting the body fall to the ground.

He raised his hand to touch his cheek, looked at the scorch marks on his body that hadn't completely faded, shook his head in dissatisfaction, and said with a hint of disgust in his voice:

"This monk looks fair-skinned, but he's just an ordinary person; his blood quality is too poor."

"The flesh and blood of scions of noble families are still more nutritious, otherwise I could have become even younger and more handsome..."

As he spoke, he licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and turned his gaze to the rest of the group.

Those eyes were so sharp, almost tangible, that they seemed capable of slicing through flesh.

The remaining monks of Cuicheng Temple and members of the Chen family were so frightened that they retreated one after another, not daring to even breathe.

"Go ahead."

Chen Hongye stood proudly and said in a deep voice:
"You unfilial descendants, who exactly came up with the idea of ​​burning my body?"

His voice echoed in the night sky, buzzing and humming, as if it contained some kind of power.

When the words reached their ears, a strange sense of guilt suddenly welled up in everyone's heart.

The Chen family members turned even paler and trembled all over.

Someone couldn't help but kneel down, their voice trembling with tears:

"Master, please forgive us. We were foolish to listen to those treacherous people and even considered burning your body!"

"Grandpa, we didn't mean it. Please, for the sake of our blood ties, forgive us this time..."

More and more people followed suit, kneeling down, pressing their heads to the ground, and repeatedly bowing their foreheads in apology.

Hey, hey, hey.

The dull thuds echoed across the open ground.

Red marks and blood seeped from everyone's foreheads as they kowtowed, but they didn't even have the courage to defend themselves.

This bizarre scene left the monks of Cuicheng Temple terrified and speechless.

It was as if the person who came here to deliver the souls of the dead and absolve their sins was that monster who called himself Chen Hongye, rather than these Buddhist disciples in robes.

Chen Dehai stood there, looking at Chen Hongye with surprise and doubt, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.

But the invisible pressure was too heavy. He could only hold on for a few seconds before his cane slammed into the ground with a dull thud.

Finally, he bent his knees and knelt down.

Chen Xu'an was still standing in the crowd.

His face was contorted, and the veins on his forehead throbbed, clearly indicating that he was under immense pressure.

But the hatred in his eyes did not diminish; instead, it burned brighter and brighter like a flame.

His clenched fist was so tight that his nails almost dug into his palm, drawing blood.

Suddenly, he abruptly raised his head and roared at Chen Hongye:

"Stop pretending! You're not my grandfather at all!"

The roar was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the eerie atmosphere of the ceremony.

Everyone was startled, and even the person kneeling on the ground couldn't help but raise their head to look at Chen Xu'an, their eyes filled with astonishment.

The eerie wind was still blowing, and the fluttering of the summoning banners was particularly jarring.

The remaining embers continued to burn, their sparks flickering in the darkness, making the scene all the more deathly silent.

The monks beside the altar, who were already terrified by the tragic death of their companion, froze upon hearing the roar.

Master Yuanjue clasped his hands together and his lips moved rapidly as he recited the scriptures, but the hand holding the prayer beads trembled even more violently than before.

Chen Hongye's gaze slowly turned to Chen Xu'an, a hint of surprise flashing in his scarlet eyes, which was then replaced by coldness.

He tilted his head, as if sizing up an interesting prey, and a strange smile slowly crept onto his lips.

"You're a monster!"

Chen Xu'an mustered all his courage, glared angrily, his voice trembling, but every word was clear:

“My father, my second grandfather, my fourth uncle, and my younger brother… you killed them all!”

"All the misfortunes that have recently befallen the Chen family are your doing!"

"Ha ha……"

Chen Hongye let out a cold laugh, his voice full of sarcasm:
"He's a little guy who dares to speak the truth, but unfortunately, he's too stupid."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and beckoned to Chen Xu'an with his finger, his tone carrying an undeniable command:
"Come here, let Grandpa give you a good 'pampering'."

Chen Xu'an was glaring at him, but the moment his gaze met those scarlet eyes, he suddenly shuddered.

It was as if something had crawled into his brain, and his body began to move forward uncontrollably.

Despite screaming "Don't go over there!" in her heart, her legs seemed to be pulled by strings, and she walked step by step toward Chen Hongye.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, and his clothes clung to his skin, feeling cold and sticky.

He wanted to stop, wanted to turn around and run, but his body wouldn't obey him.

The other person's words were like commands etched into his blood, making it hard for him to even suppress the urge to resist.

"Don't go there!"

Just as Chen Xu'an had taken a few steps, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist tightly.

The hand was very strong, and the palm felt like a red-hot iron, so hot that he shuddered.

It was this sharp stimulation that instantly pulled him back from his out-of-control state.

Chen Xu'an suddenly woke up and turned around to see Fang Cheng.

Just when the prey was about to be caught, a sudden change occurred.

Chen Hongye's gaze instantly fell on Fang Cheng, his scarlet eyes narrowing slightly.

He stared at Fang Cheng's hand gripping Chen Xu'an's, then looked up at the red glint that flickered in Fang Cheng's eyes, his deep voice now tinged with wariness:
"It was you..."

(End of this chapter)