Chapter 115

The shadow was Mo Ruyan . She was faster than the others but she didn’t show herself until she was sure the enemy wasn’t still there . Everybody was standing in a circle holding their torches and weapons . They were looking at someone lying on the ground . It was Feng II .

He was in his early twenties . He was wearing the uniform of the Far Ink Professional Organization and lying in a pool of blood . There was a hole in his chest . His heart had been taken from his body . It was obvious he was dead .

“Someone tore his heart off from his chest with their bare hands, maybe claws . They were extremely fast,” said an old man who was crouching next to the corpse .

“With whom did Feng II stay today?” asked Mo Ruyan calmly .

“Me,” someone said with a lowered head .

He was the one who had shouted that Feng II had disappeared .

“Did you hear anything before it happened? Did you notice anything?” asked Mo Ruyan .

“No . He said he was going ahead a little and then he shouted,” said the man .

He was shaking his head . He felt guilty .

“Alright, you can go back . The others, continue looking for the enemy,” said Mo Ruyan .

“Roger!” they said .

Everyone of them dispersed . They hadn’t found the enemy, so the latter could attack by surprise again anytime . They had to be cautious . The old man stayed where the corpse was .

“Uncle Cai, do you think you know who the murderer is?” asked Mo Ruyan after everybody left .

“Even though Feng II’s heart has been pulled out, the contour of the wound is dark . They used poison, too . I’m not sure about any other details,” said Uncle Cai .

“Poison? After his heart was removed, he was doomed anyway . Why poison him?” asked Mo Ruyan frowning .

“Indeed . Some fierce and cruel martial artists are of the same sort as the five poisonous creatures (translator’s note: scorpions, vipers, centipedes, house lizards and toads) . Poison is an inherent part of their attacks,” said Uncle Cai doubtfully .

“Uncle Cai, there is no need to beat around the bush with me . If you have something to say, say it,” said Mo Ruyan .

He looked even more hesitant .

“Is there something you can’t say?” said Mo Ruyan .

“Feng II’s condition reminds me of a legend,” said Uncle Cai finally .

“What legend?” asked Mo Ruyan .

“Actually, it’s not a legend . A good friend of mine saw it happen with his own eyes . It was similar . Some people had their hearts removed and the contour of the wounds were black,” said Uncle Cai .

“So the murderer could be the same person?” asked Mo Ruyan immediately .

“No . The murderer wasn’t a person, to be honest,” said Uncle Cai taking a deep breath .

“Not a person?” said Mo Ruyan in surprise .

“Indeed . My friend was lucky . A powerful person saved him . His friends were all killed though and the murderer was a zombie,” said Uncle Cai .

“Zombie?” Mo Ruyan said as her heart started pounding .

“Indeed . A zombie . My friend stopped traveling because of that . When you grow old, you’re less brave . It’s normal,” said Uncle Cai sighing .

As people got older, they became more vigilant, because they witnessed more horrors . The more they saw, the less they dared .

“Hmph! I don’t care whether the murderer is a human being or not . Since he’s here, he won’t leave . We can’t let anyone kill members of the Far Ink Professional Organization,” said Mo Ruyan .

She sounded angry . Uncle Cai looked at her worriedly . He didn’t know what to say .

Mo Ruyan was young and fearless . She was brave . Since she had started her career, she had never faced any real problems . She was really strong and proud . She had never seen a zombie either so she wasn’t scared .

Uncle Cai said nothing in response because someone screamed again . This time it came from inside the wrecked Taoist temple . Mo Ruyan started running towards the temple . Uncle Cai was terrified that something would happen to her so he followed .

Even though Mu Yi was in the carriage, he heard everything that was happening outside, including Mo Ruyan and Uncle Cai’s conversation . He had sensed some cold Qi flickering when Feng II had screamed but the murderer had been too fast so Mu Yi had lost track of him . When he heard Uncle Cai’s explanation, he realized something .

If it was a zombie, then Mu Yi was convinced Mo Ruyan was strong enough to fight against it . He didn’t need to help . He couldn’t stop the ritual just for that .

During the journey, the Bamboo Tree of Life had already become an extraordinary object . Before the ritual, it was already glittering and translucent . It was even more beautiful than jade or jadeite now . It also looked a bit moist . If anyone saw it, they would fall in love with it .

Mu Yi also sensed that Nian Nuer was becoming stronger inside . It was also the reason why she loved sleeping in the tree, because she could become stronger while sleeping in that familiar place .

Mu Yi was convinced that after the ritual, Nian Nuer would be able to borrow the strength of the Bamboo Tree of Life to become a fierce ghost . Fierce ghosts had a strength similar to people who had reached the second difficulty . She would be able to genuinely assist Mu Yi at that time .

Therefore, Mu Yi couldn’t wait for Nian Nuer to become a fierce ghost . Nian Nuer needed time to become a fierce ghost . Mu Yi had started the ritual a little over twenty days ago . He was halfway through with it but it was getting more and more difficult .

Mo Ruyan arrived in the wrecked Taoist temple . She glanced around . Someone was lying in a pool of blood and his heart had been removed just like Feng II .

“Who was with him just before?” asked Mo Ruyan without wasting time .

“Me,” said someone taking a step forward .

His face was pale . He looked terrified .

“Did you see anything?” asked Mo Ruyan .

“I, I…” said the man in shock .

“Don’t be scared, tell us,” said Uncle Cai trying to coax him .

He glanced at Uncle Cai and then started to talk .