A Chi family servant?
Jiang Luo said thoughtfully, “After we finish eating, I want to visit the yizhuang.”
Chi You paused with his chopsticks in mid-air. “Alright.”
A stick of incense’s time later, the two of them were walking briskly toward the yizhuang.
The yizhuang was built in a remote corner of the city, jointly funded by the people of Bojiucheng, used to temporarily store corpses. A solitary courtyard stood alone in the wilderness, with a broken wooden gate and peeling white walls. It was already dusk, and under the dimming sky, the yizhuang looked even more eerie.
Jiang Luo and Chi You entered without changing expression. The yizhuang had two parts: one was the courtyard just inside the gate, where more than twenty black wooden coffins were stored. The other was a low house within the yard, where newly deceased corpses were kept.
Jiang Luo looked at the coffins in the courtyard, and Chi You explained, “These are people who died recently. The coffins are placed here temporarily, waiting for a good day for burial.”
Jiang Luo asked, “Aren’t there guards at the yizhuang?”
“There’s an old man, surname Xu. We all call him Old Xu,” Chi You led the way to the inner door. “He’s an odd one. Right now, he’s probably dozing off in the side room after a drink. We can go in ourselves.”
With that, he pushed open the door.
“Creak”— the heavy old wooden door opened. A stench of rotting corpses hit them head-on. Chi You used a handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth, hiding the faint smile at the corners of his lips. “Young Master Jiang, come in.”
Inside, only two kerosene lamps were lit. Between them stood two beds. On the beds laid two corpses covered with white cloths, the upper parts stained with blood.
Jiang Luo also covered his nose. He picked up a kerosene lamp and moved closer to one of the corpses. When he lifted the cloth, his pupils shrank sharply. “…Duanzi?”
On the bed, Duanzi’s face was pale, his eyes wide open, lips purplish. His head had been severed at the neck. It was a horrifying sight.
The dead person… was Duanzi?
Impossible.
Just yesterday they were discussing how to capture the malicious ghost, and today he was dead?
Jiang Luo let out a shaky breath, disbelief suppressed but still lingering in his heart. He placed the lamp aside and lifted the entire cloth—Duanzi hadn’t just been decapitated. His limbs were also detached and reassembled into a human shape.
Chi You stood silently nearby, as if looking at a patch of air. After a pause, he sighed, “What a pitiful death.”
Jiang Luo frowned.
He moved to the other bed and suddenly yanked off the white cloth. This corpse’s hair was messy, clothes ragged, body foul-smelling—clearly a beggar. His death resembled Duanzi’s: also beheaded, head placed to the side. But at least his limbs were intact. Like Duanzi, his face was frozen in fear, as though scared to death.
Jiang Luo tossed the cloth to the floor, focusing intently on the corpse. Soon, he noticed a swirl of black mist on the beggar’s neck. It lingered stubbornly, not dissipating. This looked very familiar—he had seen it before on the proprietress of Hotel 129.
Without hesitation, he reached out and touched the black mist. It immediately clung to his arm, and in an instant, Jiang Luo was drawn into a hazy, dream-like state known only to spirits and ghosts.
He saw the beggar’s final memory before death—felt his intense fear and the sudden stop of his heartbeat.
On the dark, damp street, the beggar was counting the copper coins he had received from begging today. A shadow slowly loomed over his head. The beggar sluggishly looked up and saw a ghostly figure holding a blood-drenched broadsword standing in front of him, raising the gleaming blade toward him.
The beggar’s heart stopped instantly. He let out a loud scream, and the next second, a sharp pain shot from his neck. His consciousness vanished.
Jiang Luo abruptly opened his eyes, gasping for breath.
The deathly fear of having his heart clenched that he had felt in the illusion gradually faded. Jiang Luo slowly calmed down, only then realizing that Chi You was holding his waist to support him.
Chi You asked, “What happened to you?”
Jiang Luo shook his head. Chi You let go of him, looking thoughtfully at his slightly pale complexion.
Jiang Luo, meanwhile, was recalling the final image he had seen before “death.”
A ghostly figure in a black robe wielding a blade—his entire body, from head to toe, hidden beneath the robe, face and gender indistinguishable. The figure moved swiftly, struck cleanly and decisively, with an eerie presence that indeed resembled a ghost. But… a human could also have done it.
Jiang Luo had learned what he wanted. He carefully placed the beggar’s body back in place, then turned back to look at Duanzi.
Duanzi was still just a university student, barely in his early twenties. Jiang Luo closed Duanzi’s eyes and quietly chanted a passage from the Rebirth Sutra.
But partway through the chanting, a thought struck him. Something wasn’t right—why hadn’t Duanzi’s body shown any trace of black mist?
Jiang Luo opened his eyes and checked Duanzi’s body thoroughly. Indeed, there was no black mist. Jiang Luo didn’t know much about the black mist, so he couldn’t be certain—maybe not every corpse emitted black mist, or maybe… Duanzi wasn’t truly dead.
Jiang Luo speculated that the black mist originated from the soul, carrying the deceased’s memories and emotions at the moment of death. Since they had entered the mirror world not with their physical bodies but perhaps as spirit forms, Duanzi’s “death” here might not mean he was truly dead.
Jiang Luo withdrew his hand. Duanzi’s eyes were closed. When he looked up again, he met Chi You’s gaze.
Being stared at made Jiang Luo instinctively alert, but he smiled and asked, “What is it?”
Chi You said, “You seem very interested in their deaths.”
Jiang Luo let out a snort of laughter and said meaningfully, “I’m also very interested in your family.”
As he spoke, a loud bang echoed from the courtyard—the sound of coffins being forced open. Jiang Luo looked out the window and saw that all the coffin lids in the yard had been pushed open. The corpses were reanimating.
One by one, the corpses sat up inside their coffins. Their faces were pale with a bluish tinge, fangs protruding so far they almost reached their chins. Their nails were black and sharp—they had transformed into zombies.
Jiang Luo frowned, then quickly relaxed again.
In the mirror world, saturated with yin energy, anything was possible.
The zombies raised their arms and turned their heads in unison to look toward the room. Their pupils lacked whites, sending chills down the spine. Then they suddenly leapt out of their coffins, all heading for the low room.
Jiang Luo turned to look—the two corpses on the beds were also starting to move. But being dismembered, their heads and limbs rolled off the beds as soon as they stirred, greatly reducing their threat. Jiang Luo, mindful that Chi You was still present, took a step back and stood behind him, pretending to panic. “Young Master Chi, what do we do now?”
Chi You looked at the fast-approaching zombies outside and replied with difficulty, “Young Master Jiang, I’m not that skilled. I could handle one or two, but this many… it’s truly troublesome.”
Jiang Luo nearly laughed out loud.
Just a few zombies, and you already can’t handle it?
You really say anything without thinking, relying on others’ ignorance.
Still, Jiang Luo played along, “Then what should we do? Young Master Chi, think of something fast, or we’re both going to die here!”
Just as he spoke, the beggar’s headless body had jumped off the bed, turning to face them and hopping closer step by step.
Chi You protected Jiang Luo as they retreated into the corner, fighting while falling back, looking utterly disheveled. The headless body had yet to be dealt with when the room’s door burst open with a crash, and a swarm of zombies poured in from the courtyard.
Chi You’s expression turned grave. “Young Master Jiang, this is bad. We’re in danger.”
Jiang Luo stood behind him, face expressionless. “Then what should we do? Young Master Chi, I really don’t want to die.”
Chi You’s gaze swept across the room. Suddenly, he pulled Jiang Luo a few steps back toward the wardrobe in the corner. He opened the wardrobe door and pulled Jiang Luo inside with him, then shut the door. There were gaps in the cabinet that allowed air to pass; through the dim slits, they could see the zombies drawing closer.
Chi You whispered from behind him, “Hold your breath.”
Jiang Luo held his breath.
Outside, the zombies had lost their target. They slowly turned their heads. Their sharp, cold-glinting claws looked like one jab could pierce flesh easily.
Jiang Luo stood in front of Chi You. Knowing the other couldn’t see his expression, his face darkened like ink.
As a professional, he certainly knew about zombies. There were two kinds: the “recently deceased yet unburied,” and the “long buried yet unrotted.” These clearly belonged to the first type—their power wouldn’t be that great. Jiang Luo did not believe Chi You couldn’t handle them.
He was pretending to be weak.
Pretending was one thing, but to drag Jiang Luo into the wardrobe too—this was basically courting death.
As long as one didn’t breathe, their body wouldn’t emit yang energy, and the zombies wouldn’t detect them. If they truly couldn’t fight, the best solution was to blend in with the zombies while holding their breath and escape the mortuary. But what now? On the surface, Chi You had “protected” Jiang Luo and bought them temporary safety. But how long could someone hold their breath? In reality, he had trapped them inside a room full of zombies. The moment they couldn’t hold it anymore, they’d be swarmed.
This was like picking up a sesame seed and dropping a watermelon—a stupid and reckless plan.
Could Chi You not figure that out?
Impossible. But he did it anyway.
This was clearly intentional—undoubtedly a test aimed at Jiang Luo.
Jiang Luo almost laughed from sheer anger. Suddenly, he dropped his scowl and instead curled his lips into a silent smile.
As expected of you, Chi You.
Whether it’s in the future or right now, you’re just as vile. So vile it makes people want to punch you.
Looking at the zombies outside, Jiang Luo thought to himself, Let’s see who can out-act whom.
Since you’re pretending to be weak, and I’m an even weaker person who’s going to drag you down—well then, sorry in advance.
The zombies outside let out instinctively terrifying low growls. Their long, sharp teeth protruded from their lips, and their noses twitched constantly as they sniffed the air.
Chi You was casually watching the zombies outside, but suddenly, his left hand was pulled by the person in front of him. Looking down, he saw Young Master Jiang with his head lowered, writing one word at a time in his palm: “What do we do next?”
Where the fingertip grazed his skin, a subtle tickle lingered. Chi You gave him a calming smile, then slowly wrote back in Jiang Luo’s hand: “Do you have any ideas?”
Little brat, he thought. You’re doing this on purpose.
What ideas could he have? He was just an ordinary person.
Jiang Luo chuckled silently in his heart, provoked by Chi You’s attitude and feeling a rising urge to compete.
You were already so scheming back in your youth—how could I do nothing when you grow up? No. If I can’t handle you now, how will I handle you later?
Jiang Luo shook his head helplessly. “I don’t know.”
Chi You fell into thought. His brow furrowed tightly as he looked at Jiang Luo, helpless and remorseful.
The wardrobe was narrow, barely enough to fit two people. Even as a teenager, Chi You had already grown tall—though he looked thin, he was already slightly taller than Jiang Luo.
He lowered his head slightly, looking at the young master standing in front of him.
Jiang Luo’s face had already turned red.
Perhaps it was the heat inside the wardrobe, or maybe the pressure of the zombie horde outside. Sweat formed in fine beads on Jiang Luo’s forehead, matting his dark hair to his temples. It was clear—he was on the verge of suffocation.
Sure enough, the next second, Jiang Luo hurriedly scribbled in Chi You’s hand: “I’m out of breath.”
Chi You pretended not to understand. Hiding his amusement, he looked back at Jiang Luo with feigned confusion.
In contrast to Jiang Luo, his expression hadn’t changed in the slightest—it was as if he hadn’t used up any breath at all.
The one being toyed with grew even more anxious. His face turned red from lack of oxygen, and he hastily wrote again: “I’m running out of air.”
Chi You appeared to suddenly understand.
But he didn’t offer a solution. He simply looked at Jiang Luo with a helpless, regretful expression.
Seeing he wasn’t doing anything, Jiang Luo panicked. He leaned in, seemingly trying to whisper something in Chi You’s ear.
Black hair brushed past Chi You’s ear, carrying a light scent. Just as Chi You was caught off guard, a sudden breeze brushed against his ear.
“Bang—”
The next instant, a zombie’s sharp claw pierced the wardrobe, swiping just past Chi You’s ear and embedding itself into the wall.
The black strands beside Chi You’s ear were severed and fell to the ground. Chi You stared at the hand that nearly pierced through his skull, then looked toward Jiang Luo out of the corner of his eye.
Young Master Jiang looked genuinely flustered, his worry unmistakable. His face was full of guilt, so sincere it could soften even the hardest heart. It was as if that breath that lured the zombie to Chi You’s ear just now was entirely accidental.
But he had done it on purpose.
Chi You admitted it inwardly.
The zombie’s iron arm stretched between the two of them, the wardrobe now completely destroyed. Yet the corners of Chi You’s lips only curved higher.
He was almost delighted. This person is really quite interesting.
Just then, Chi You felt a tug on his sleeve.
He came back to his senses, and the slightly unhinged smile on his lips turned into a warm, reliable one as he looked gently at Jiang Luo.
Jiang Luo pointed outside, signaling that they should leave now.
Chi You nodded.
The two quietly exited the wardrobe, carefully avoiding any contact with the zombies as they made their way toward the door. But the zombies had already blocked the exit completely.
Among the zombie crowd, Chi You saw Duanzi’s severed head rolling on the floor. He kicked it into a corner, and the sound drew the zombies’ attention. In a flash, the group that had been blocking the door rushed toward the corner.
Jiang Luo and Chi You seized the chance to slip through the door and ran toward the gate of the mortuary.
They were nearly at the main entrance—just one step more and they’d be free. Jiang Luo was about to take that final step when Chi You suddenly pounced, tackling him to the ground and rolling them twice.
When they finally stopped, Jiang Luo’s back ached from the gravel digging into it.
This is definitely revenge, Jiang Luo thought, opening his eyes with a cold laugh—only to hear Chi You ask softly, “Are you okay?”
Chi You was on top of him, face pale as a sheet. There was a gash on his neck, and blood was dripping down onto Jiang Luo’s body.
Jiang Luo froze, staring oddly at the wound on Chi You’s neck. Chi You reassured him, “It’s nothing—just a small cut. Don’t worry, as long as you’re okay.”
“…Thanks so much,” Jiang Luo said dryly, feeling as though he’d swallowed a fly.
Chi You got up and pulled Jiang Luo to his feet as well. That’s when Jiang Luo saw what had attacked Chi You—another zombie had remained in one of the coffins in the yard and had suddenly leapt out to strike. At the critical moment, Chi You had protected Jiang Luo.
Chi You didn’t waste time. He didn’t even bother to kill the zombie that had wounded him. Instead, he grabbed Jiang Luo and ran out. “Let’s go.”
Jiang Luo looked back. Chi You hadn’t even shut the gate to the mortuary.
Oh, maybe Chi You never intended to close it at all.
From the smallest details, one could see Chi You’s nature—he didn’t care whether those zombies escaped and hurt people. Because he was cold-blooded and heartless, he never even considered stopping them.
No matter how well he pretended, he could never truly act like a normal person.
Jiang Luo withdrew his gaze, looking at the wound on Chi You’s neck, and winced silently in his mind. Tsk.
This freak actually hurt himself just to put on a show—he must have an even bigger scheme waiting for Jiang Luo.
And with that, Jiang Luo’s curiosity and competitive spirit were thoroughly hooked. Since Chi You wanted to act, then Jiang Luo would play along to the very end. He considered his acting skills no worse than Chi You’s. His expression shifted, and he said, “The wound on your neck…” He hesitated for a moment before speaking with a pained voice, “I’m sorry, it’s all because I dragged you down.”
Chi You shook his head. “You’re my friend. How could I just stand by and watch you get hurt?”
Those words… were even more terrifying than a direct threat. Like a venomous snake baring its fangs, saliva dripping hungrily onto Jiang Luo, while saying: “I’m holding you in my mouth to protect you—I’d never eat you.”
Jiang Luo’s expression nearly twisted.
“But…” Chi You suddenly sighed and gave a low cough. “When zombies bite people, there are some unpleasant consequences.”
Jiang Luo knew, but played dumb. “What kind of consequences?”
Chi You replied, “If the wound isn’t treated in time, corpse poison will seep in and turn me into a zombie too.”
Jiang Luo feigned shock. “Then what should we do!”
“Don’t worry,” Chi You said softly. “Once we get back to the estate, I’ll wash away the corpse poison with some glutinous rice. It’s just that… the wound is too conspicuous. Anyone with experience can tell it was made by a zombie’s claws. I still have to meet with some elders later—if they notice, it could cause panic and bring unnecessary trouble.”
Jiang Luo already knew what he was trying to say. Chi You’s next line would probably be asking Jiang Luo to help him deal with those elders.
But Jiang Luo had no desire to meet the foul elders of the Chi family. Just like how he didn’t want to see anyone from the Jiang family. Whether in the mirror or outside it, he had no patience for dealing with the Chi family.
And if he stepped in to help Chi You, he’d likely attract the elders’ attention and draw their hostility away from Chi You and onto himself. Frankly, Jiang Luo was quite satisfied with being ignored by the Chi family. Getting dragged into things because of Chi You—that would be the real hassle.
So, before Chi You could speak again, Jiang Luo cut in, “I have a way to make sure your wound won’t be noticed.”
Chi You paused, then asked with interest, “What way?”
A mischievous smile flickered at the corner of Jiang Luo’s lips. He pulled Chi You into a narrow alley.
***
Chi You was pressed against the wall by Jiang Luo. He looked down at this young master who kept surprising him, smile widening. “What are you planning to do?”
Jiang Luo didn’t answer but waved him closer. “Lower your head. Let me take a look at your wound.”
Chi You lowered his head as told, exposing his neck before Jiang Luo’s eyes.
The artery pulsed beneath the skin—one wrong move, and it could be fatal. But Chi You didn’t seem concerned at all. His calm demeanor looked like trust, like he truly believed Jiang Luo wouldn’t hurt him.
Yet Jiang Luo noticed the subtle tension beneath his clothes—the youth’s body was taut, barely perceptible.
Jiang Luo had no doubt that if he made any move that threatened Chi You’s life, Chi You would end him in an instant.
Clicking his tongue, Jiang Luo examined the wound carefully.
It was a half-hearted injury—just a few drops of blood had dried up quickly. This was probably the most effort Chi You was willing to put into faking an injury to deceive him.
By now, the area around the wound was slightly darkened, the skin stiffening—signs the corpse poison was already taking effect.
Jiang Luo poked at the wound and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Chi You’s smile didn’t change. “No.”
After a pause, he added, “I can’t feel anything anymore.”
“Then we’d better get back to the estate quickly to deal with the corpse poison,” Jiang Luo said. Though this was all an act, the wound had been taken for his sake—he wouldn’t go so far as to deliberately get Chi You killed. “The wound’s not deep. Though it’s from a claw, from another angle, it’s actually easy to imitate.”
Chi You raised a brow. “Oh?”
Jiang Luo lifted his hand and pressed it to Chi You’s neck, mimicking the claw marks. His fingernails scratched the skin.
Chi You didn’t know what Jiang Luo intended, but he didn’t move—he simply let Jiang Luo do as he pleased.
Jiang Luo dug a few bloody lines into Chi You’s neck, then stepped back to look. Still not enough—the zombie’s claw marks were too distinct. He thought for a moment, then stepped forward again and pinched a few purplish bruises into Chi You’s neck.
Now, the bloodstains carried a tinge of intimacy.
But such marks would only fool people who had never had any sexual experience. As for the elders of the Chi family, Jiang Luo doubted this would be enough to deceive them. His perfectionism wouldn’t allow any flaws, so he frowned. “Young Master Chi, remember—everything I’m doing is so we can pass undetected.”
Chi You, vaguely curious about what he planned next, nodded firmly. “Of course.”
Since he agreed, Jiang Luo didn’t hold back.
His eyes flashed. He pressed down on Chi You’s neck, deliberately lowering his head to his Adam’s apple, and sucked out a love bite.
The movement was swift and decisive—like he was doing nothing more than helping Chi You.
The instant his soft lips touched skin, Chi You froze completely. He kept his hands behind his back, his body slightly bent, seemingly composed.
But in that moment, the teenager’s composure shattered into dust.
A strange tickling sensation rose from his throat, and Chi You’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. The air in the alley turned dry.
Soon after—or maybe it took ages—the concealment was complete.
Jiang Luo stepped back, wiped his mouth, and the zombie claw marks were now perfectly hidden.
“Let’s go,” he said with satisfaction. “We can head back now.”
He turned to leave, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed. Jiang Luo looked back. Chi You was smiling, his gaze fixed on Jiang Luo’s neck. “I think your neck… should get a few as well.”
