Oh no! I've been reincarnated as a corpse!

The old village chief keenly sensed the barely suppressed anger emanating from Nangong Yi, and hurriedly bowed and led him to an empty house.

He breathed a long sigh of relief as the door slammed shut, feeling a slight ache in his lower back.

He turned around and looked at the villagers huddled together behind him.

The villagers looked at each other, their faces still bearing the lingering fear and a deeper sense of bewilderment.

A middle-aged man, clutching a pitchfork, spoke in a weak voice, the tip of the pitchfork still smeared with dried mud: "Just now... just now, that zombie really left?"

"It seems like they're gone... like a ghost, they disappeared in a flash, I didn't even see them clearly."

"Aren't the zombie and the rat demon in cahoots? Why doesn't it avenge the rat demon?"

"From what they were saying, it seems like they're not working together?"

"The man-eating creature is a rat demon, so where did this living corpse come from?"

Amid the murmurs, someone suddenly realized what was happening and turned their gaze to Dazhu's family at the edge of the crowd.

As if it were contagious, more and more people looked at them, and unconsciously moved their feet to the side, creating a small vacuum zone for their family in the crowded throng.

The village chief stepped forward, his deeply lined face scrutinizing him: "Tiezhu, your Dazhu, does he seem to recognize that zombie?"

Da Zhu's father naturally noticed the alienation and wariness in the eyes of his fellow villagers, and felt as bitter as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.

He forced a smile and explained, "Village chief, we really don't know that zombie. Here's what happened: a few days ago, that zombie came to our house and took a piece of clothing. Dazhu happened to see it. At first, we didn't know it was a zombie; we thought it was some young master passing by."

"???"

The villagers were all dumbfounded.

A middle-aged man who had argued with Dazhu's father about watering the paddy fields couldn't help but say sarcastically, "A zombie stealing clothes? Tiezhu, at least make your lie believable. Why don't you say it came to borrow rice from you?"

Da Zhu's father, his face expressionless, pointed to his own clothes and said in a flat tone, "The clothes that the zombie was wearing are my clothes. We're all from the same village, and I only have two sets of clothes. Haven't you seen them before?"

Upon hearing this, the villagers began to reminisce.

Someone slapped their thigh, their face full of disbelief: "Hey, you know what, now that Tie Zhu says it... those clothes do seem to not fit the zombies properly, the sleeves are even a bit too short."

Da Zhu's mother chimed in, her voice trembling but clear: "Of course it doesn't fit. Those are my husband's clothes. He's not as tall as that zombie, so they'll definitely look short on him."

The villagers looked at each other.

They all lived in the same village and saw each other every day. They all had some impression of Dazhu's father's two faded and patched clothes.

Thinking back to the appearance of that zombie, with its wrists and ankles exposed, it certainly didn't look like its own clothes; they didn't fit at all.

Moreover, a living corpse could never have any connection with these peasants.

Could it be... that zombie really stole Tie Zhu's clothes?

A living corpse that stole clothes?

What a joke.

Although they had never seen a zombie in person, they had heard plenty of terrifying rumors.

Would a monster that eats people without spitting out bones come to steal a tattered hemp garment covered in patches?

But when they thought about the zombie's bizarre behavior just now, they suddenly felt... that it wasn't entirely impossible.

The village chief was silent for a moment before speaking to quell the commotion: "Alright, Tiezhu is someone we old folks watched grow up; he wouldn't lie."

He sighed, his cloudy eyes filled with worry: "I just don't know where that zombie went, or if it will ever come back..."

These words sent everyone's hearts into their throats once again.

They were too mortal to see the details of the battle just now.

But judging from the final result, it's clear that Master Nangong was no match for that living corpse.

What if Master Nangong recovers from his injuries and just leaves? What will they do then?

Another village elder, his back hunched, suggested, "Why don't we wait until Master Nangong has finished treating his injuries, then we can ask him again for advice on what to do next?"

Upon hearing this, everyone could only nod helplessly.

What other methods could these farmers come up with?

As dawn broke, morning mist rose from the fields, enveloping the entire village in a layer of hazy dampness.

With a creak, the door to the hut was pushed open.

Nangong Yi came out from inside.

His injuries have healed considerably, and he looks much better than last night, but he still needs some time to rest before he can fully recover.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw the courtyard filled with a dense crowd of villagers.

These people stood guard outside the door all night, their faces ashen and their eyes bloodshot, yet none of them dared to leave even for a moment.

Upon seeing them, Nangong Yi recalled the disastrous intelligence report, his face immediately turned cold, and he let out a heavy snort, showing no kindness whatsoever.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the old village chief's face like a knife, his tone icy: "Old man, your previous intelligence almost cost me my life."

The villagers were so frightened that their legs went weak and they all knelt down on the ground.

The old village chief trembled all over, his voice shaking, "Lord Nangong, we...we didn't know there were other monsters! Please, have mercy on us this time! We will definitely compensate you for your losses!"

Seeing the group of people kneeling on the ground, trembling, Nangong Yi's anger finally subsided a little.

He stood with his hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, and said, "That man-eating rat demon has been killed by me. The living corpse has also left. Now that it's all over, I'll take my leave. Old man, come with me to town and be my witness."

The intelligence for this mission differed greatly from the actual situation, and the risks he faced far exceeded the mission's limits.

According to the rules of the Demon Suppression Division, this situation is eligible for additional subsidies.

Of course, there must be witnesses present.

The old village chief nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, I understand."

Then, he cautiously raised his eyelids, stole a glance at Nangong Yi's expression, and mustered his courage to ask, "Master Nangong, what... what should we do with that living corpse now?"

Nangong Yi was taken aback, gave him a cold glance, and retorted, "What do you mean, what do we do? That zombie appears and disappears without a trace. Where am I supposed to find it? In this world, demons and monsters are everywhere. The Demon Suppression Division is so powerful that they practically have to split each person in two. Are we really going to mobilize a large force to search for a mere zombie that hasn't caused any casualties?"

The old village chief was immediately at a loss, his face as white as paper: "But...but..."

"There's no 'but' about it!"

Nangong Yi waved his hand impatiently, interrupting him: "If you think it won't work, go to the Demon Suppression Division and report it to them. See if they can issue a special mission to find someone to deal with that zombie for you."

In Nangong Yi's view, this was simply wishful thinking.

Firstly, the zombies didn't cause any actual casualties from beginning to end, and he had personally killed the man-eating rat demon.

Secondly, who knows which direction the zombie ran in when it left?

Who knows if it's still hiding near this run-down village?

If he's not here, in this vast world, with the eight hundred miles of green forest mountains lying there, where can we find him?

Even if it were reported to the Demon Suppression Bureau, they wouldn't waste their precious manpower and resources on a little zombie who hasn't committed any crimes yet.

The village chief understood the meaning behind those words, his face turned ashen, but he could only nod helplessly: "This old man... understands."

"Hmph, let's go, let's go to town first."

…………

After returning to his little nest, Lu You began his daily cultivation with satisfaction.

As he absorbed the Yin energy, it nourished his body, and the remaining injuries he sustained were completely healed in no time.

He wasn't sure if it was because he had exercised today and was in good condition, but he felt that his cultivation speed was faster than before.

Most importantly, although his bloodthirsty inner demons have been suppressed during this period, suppression is not the same as release, and they still have some impact on him.

He had a great battle today, unleashing his bloodlust and feeling much more relaxed.

So it seems like I'll have to go out and fight people more often in the future?

Lu You seemed to be deep in thought.

It can not only weaken inner demons and increase cultivation speed, but also improve one's combat experience and increase combat power.

Besides, he's really bored by himself.

An occasional fight can even be considered a form of entertainment.

Thinking about it this way, there are many benefits, right?

…………

Two days later, in Xiyang Town.

Nangong Yi walked out of the gate of the Demon Suppression Bureau, his storage bag already filled with the rewards for this mission.

Those were more than ten spirit stones radiating a warm glow.

The bright sunshine made him look smug and self-satisfied, and his steps were as light as if he were walking on clouds.

With these spirit stones, he could purchase more cultivation resources, taking another steady step closer to breaking through to the Grandmaster level in martial arts.

Let's go to the market first.

Not far from Xiyang Town, there is a small market town run by the Xuan Ying Sword Sect.

Although the items inside weren't particularly high-end, it was still a rare and desirable place for the cultivators in Xiyang Town.

He moved with lightning speed, quickly reaching the entrance of the market.

The market was bustling with activity, with cultivators coming and going, dressed in various styles. Some carried long swords, while others led spirit beasts, making it as lively as a marketplace.

As soon as Nangong Yi entered the market, he concealed his aura and behaved very discreetly.

This place is nothing like the town.

First-realm cultivators are as common as hairs on a cow here, and you might even run into a formidable second-realm expert.

He planned to go to a shop specializing in monster materials and buy a few monster cores from tiger-type monsters.

The remaining demon beast essence within the demon core can be used to assist him in comprehending the intent of the Golden Fiend Tiger Fist, greatly benefiting his breakthrough.

The way to the monster shop goes through the central square of the market.

A huge mission board stood in the square, covered with countless bounty requests, some of the papers rustling in the wind.

Nangong Yi had taken on missions here before, so he was a regular customer. He glanced at the place as usual.

"Collect three Ironbone Grass plants..."

"Seeking to purchase the demon core of a Tier 1 Gold-type demon beast..."

"Escort the herb-gathering team into the outer perimeter of Qinglin Mountain..."

"Bounty: Find a living corpse. Characteristics: Suspected of possessing invisibility abilities, or having mastered a secret technique for concealing its movements..."

Nangong Yi: "Huh???"

His gaze was fixed on the bounty poster, and he looked at it three times, thinking he was seeing things.

A living corpse.

It can become invisible.

No way?

What a coincidence!