Chapter 23

Nurturing corpses is a highly profound discipline. Ordinary corpse nurturing, or low-level corpse nurturing, merely involves preserving the body well.

For example, if the skin and flesh do not decay, and even the hair remains smooth and shiny, it is considered a pass for low-level corpse nurturing.

When warlord Sun Dianying excavated Empress Dowager Cixi's tomb, the flesh of Cixi, after the tomb was opened, still maintained its pre-death state, without any signs of decay. A soldier who removed a jade pendant from Cixi's anus could still clearly feel the elasticity inside. During the Red Eyebrows Rebellion at the end of the Han Dynasty, when the Red Eyebrows rebels dug up the Han Emperor's tomb, Empress Lü Zhi's body was also well-preserved and was even raped by the Red Eyebrows soldiers.

Higher-level corpse nurturing is not just about preserving the body. The purpose of nurturing corpses rises to a level similar to raising a child. Through special methods, the already dead and decaying body is cultivated to develop new spirituality, or what is called a new form of "vitality." The simplest and most common example is a zombie!

The highest level of corpse nurturing is the legendary feathered immortals of Daoism, where the body is transformed into a transcendent state. Of course, this is just a myth. For the most part, being able to nurture a true zombie is already considered extremely impressive.

As the saying goes, "No coincidence, no story." Zhu Jianping, who often used his abilities to play with women, had almost exhausted all his female teachers. In the group, anyone who had worked with him on tasks called him a pervert, mainly because Zhu Jianping's terrifying and twisted behavior in tasks was too frightening and disturbing. Human emotions, when suppressed, also need an outlet. Zhu Jianping's outlet was finding women in the real world.

The mother-daughter service was indeed excellent, and Zhu Jianping was very satisfied. The bathroom was filled with springtime colors. However, just as he was enjoying his second round, Zhu Jianping suddenly sneezed.

"Damn, why did it suddenly get so cold?"

While indulging with the women, Zhu Jianping's mind was entirely focused on pleasure and release, and he had long forgotten to be alert to changes in the environment. At this moment, he sensed something was wrong. The temperature drop was quite strange, as it was neither mid-summer nor mid-winter, and the weather was quite pleasant, especially with the bathroom heater on.

Then, Zhu Jianping's expression suddenly turned serious. A shadow appeared behind the bathroom glass door, bringing a sense of overwhelming and terrifying pressure. Zhu Jianping, already weakened from his second round, subconsciously trembled, stumbling back a few steps and sitting on the edge of the bathtub. The mother and daughter continued to serve him according to the hypnotic commands, but Zhu Jianping no longer felt any comfort. He could sense the growing anger and resentment from the shadow, like a terrifying powder keg ready to explode!

Zhu Jianping immediately placed his hand on the woman's forehead and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes in shock:

"Damn your ancestors, you're actually nurturing a corpse at home, damn you!"

...

After finishing dinner and having some fruit and chatting with Zhu Wanqi's family, Zhao Zhu saw that it was getting late and decided to leave. Zhu Wanqi saw him off to the roadside. They had just confirmed their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend, and Zhu Wanqi was still a bit shy around Zhao Zhu, especially when she recalled his advances in the cinema, which should now be called "caresses."

"Go back early, be careful on the way... send me a text when you get home." The last sentence was said with Zhu Wanqi biting her lip, indicating that she was starting to take on the role of Zhao Zhu's girlfriend.

Zhao Zhu, who had just recovered from the jade hairpin incident, had originally planned to take Zhu Wanqi out to satisfy his physiological needs, but with this incident, he had no interest. As for girlfriends, Zhao Zhu had had many, both domestically and internationally, so he didn't mind one more or less. He just smiled, patted Zhu Wanqi's head, and turned to hail a taxi.

Watching the taxi drive away, Zhu Wanqi pouted, her face flushed, and turned back into the house.

When Zhao Zhu returned to the neighborhood where Xiong Zhiji lived, it was nearly 10 PM. The neighborhood was quiet, and an old security guard was watching TV. Zhao Zhu walked in, and the guard didn't even look up.

As he approached the building and climbed the stairs, Zhao Zhu suddenly gasped. The jade hairpin tattoo on his left shoulder suddenly burned with pain. He held onto the railing with one hand and clutched his shoulder with the other, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, which was so intense that tears streamed down his face.

After a moment, the pain subsided, and Zhao Zhu was drenched in cold sweat. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, he noticed a faint black aura around him. This black aura felt similar to what he experienced in the "Zombie" task world when he applied the ox tears given by Chen Hong, allowing him to see things he normally couldn't.

The black aura gave a sense of decay and discomfort. Following the direction of the aura, it seemed to be coming from the second-floor apartment on the left.

At this moment, Zhao Zhu suddenly realized that the family Zhu Jianping had mentioned, the mother-daughter service, was in this apartment.

Zhao Zhu took out his phone and called Zhu Jianping, but it kept ringing with no answer. Zhu Jianping's ringtone was an old-fashioned "Washing and Scrubbing," and Zhao Zhu could hear it playing inside the apartment.

Licking his lips, Zhao Zhu understood... something was wrong.

...

Chen Hong lived in Liaoning. She had been very busy lately, though she wasn't sure what with. An elder who had always supported and helped her had been frowning for the past few days. His group ID was "Dog Star," and his real name was Zhao Hejing. He was in his early thirties, and while his ID was humorous, he was a very serious person. He was a veteran who had completed 15 task worlds and could be considered a veteran among veterans. If a moderator died or stepped down, he would be eligible to take over as a moderator.

"The things in the forest are still restless," Zhao Hejing said, taking a pipe and smoking it. Despite his age, he acted like an old farmer.

This wasn't surprising, given that he had experienced 15 terrifying and life-threatening worlds. His personality and behavior couldn't be judged by his current age.

"Can't we just leave them alone? Let them do as they please?" Chen Hong, who had been exhausted by the entities in the forest, asked.

Zhao Hejing tapped his pipe and said, "The elders in the group are clear about one thing."

"What is it?"

"Ordinary people might never encounter something bizarre in their entire lives, but once you join the group, all the ghostly and strange things that you would never encounter will come seeking you. You can't avoid them. The dangers and crises for us in the group are not just in the terrifying worlds but also in the real world. Many people don't die in the task worlds but in the seemingly safe real world. If I don't deal with the entities in the forest, they will eventually come for me. It's better to act early and gain the upper hand."