Chapter 13

Chapter 13

We both reacted with lightning speed. Brother Da stumbled back after Jiang Haoyan collided with him, and I immediately grabbed Jiang Haoyan’s arm, intending to seize the chance to bolt. To my surprise, Brother Da recovered with agile precision. He sprang up and delivered a flying kick that sent both of us tumbling to the ground.

As we sprawled miserably on the dirt, Brother Da walked over and planted a foot firmly on my back.

“Run! Go on, keep running!”

Damn it. He really was a mercenary-strong, fast, and completely out of our league.

I was pinned face-down. Right in front of me was a clump of rotten mud that had fallen off a Jiangshi. I scooped up the sludge and flung it backward, plastering it right across Brother Da’s face.

“Life-Snatched Bone-Eroding Powder!”

“Agh!”

Brother Da let out a sharp cry of pain and clutched his face.

I took the opportunity to pull Jiang Haoyan up, and we sprinted away like our lives depended on it.

The moonlight was brilliant tonight, casting a watery glow over the rural paths and illuminating the silhouette of the village. Jiang Haoyan and I ran for a while before suddenly rounding a corner and slamming into a group of people. Both parties slammed on the brakes, letting out startled yelps.

Boss Hou: “Jiangshi! A Jiang-huh? It’s you? Dammit, after them!”

I reached out and slapped Boss Hou across the face.

“After your mother! There are two Jiangshi chasing me! Run!”

I gave him a shove and sprinted past them. Boss Hou froze for a second before immediately leading his men to scramble after us. Jiang Haoyan and I were young and fit; after a few turns, we managed to lose them.

We ducked into a narrow alley, gasping for air. Just as I was about to speak, a figure appeared at the mouth of the alley.

Disheveled hair, reeking of rot-it was a Jiangshi.

I took a sharp breath and pushed Jiang Haoyan down, both of us pressing ourselves flat against the base of the wall.

This Jiangshi was tall, nearly the same height as Jiang Haoyan. He didn’t look that old, maybe in his thirties or forties. His eyeballs bulged out as he shuffled slowly past us. When he reached Jiang Haoyan, the Jiangshi suddenly stopped.

Jiang Haoyan sucked in a breath, his heart leaping into his throat. He looked like he was about to pee himself from sheer terror.

The Jiangshi slowly leaned its head toward us. Its skin was a sickly bluish-purple. Countless maggots and centipedes crawled through its matted hair, slithering down its face and nearly dropping onto Jiang Haoyan.

Jiang Haoyan looked ready to burst into tears.

I squeezed his hand and gave the back of it two light pats, trying to reassure him that it would be okay.

As I patted him, something felt wrong.

My fingertips brushed against a warm, sticky sensation.

I looked down and saw a deep gash on Jiang Haoyan’s arm. Blood was trickling down his wrist, staining the back of my hand red.

He must have been cut during the scuffle with Brother Da earlier.

Shit, we’re dead!

Sure enough, the next second, the Jiangshi bared its fangs and lunged for Jiang Haoyan’s neck. I shoved the Dragon-Seeking Ruler into the Jiangshi’s mouth and grabbed Jiang Haoyan.

“Run!”

The Talisman on Jiang Haoyan’s chest was meant to hide his yang energy, but now that he was bleeding, his scent was impossible to mask.

We bolted. At the corner of the alley ahead, several figures suddenly lunged out. I squinted-it was Boss Hou.

I waved my arms frantically. “There’s a Jiangshi chasing me! Get out of the way! Run!”

Boss Hou snorted. “I’m not falling for your tricks. I’m not falling for-AAAGH!”

Boss Hou was sent flying by a swipe from the Jiangshi. Jiang Haoyan and I veered around a corner, heading in another direction while the Jiangshi went after Boss Hou’s group.

Under the bright moonlight in the quiet village, we had a Jiangshi in front, Boss Hou behind, and a top-tier expert like Brother Da lurking somewhere. Jiang Haoyan and I were physically spent. Spotting a large water vat outside a house, I had a sudden idea. I rushed over, lifted the lid, and pulled Jiang Haoyan inside to hide.

We crouched down in the vat and replaced the lid, finally letting out a breath of relief.

After all that running, now that we had stopped, I finally had a moment to process the day’s events.

I never expected Brother Da to be in league with Boss Hou. Thinking back, he must have arrived in the village early to prepare. Every time he ate those steamed buns, he was the first to dig in, acting like a starving ghost. It was all to give us the illusion that the buns were safe.

Therefore, his claim that there was no way out of the village was likely a lie too, designed to crush any thought of us escaping.

What I didn’t know was whether Brother Da had been bought off recently, or if he had been working for Liu Xiong all this time with a hidden agenda.

I felt as if an invisible, massive net was closing in, ready to trap us all at any moment.

I was lost in thought when I suddenly felt a squeeze around my waist. Jiang Haoyan pulled me closer and whispered into my ear, “Someone’s outside.”