Chapter 16

"Ah——"

When the golden light fell upon them, the sleeping Zhu Xiuzai, Ma Heshang, and the others opened their eyes and let out anguished screams.

They felt an excruciating pain that cut to the bone.

This was the despair and heartbreak that the renowned doctor had felt after his wife's death, now being transmitted to them.

However, they also used this intense pain to break free from the demon's hypnotic spell and regain consciousness.

Seeing them awaken, Qin Shaoyou quickly covered the golden needle with a white cloth.

The golden light immediately disappeared, and Zhu Xiuzai, Ma Heshang, and the others were finally free from the pain.

But that brief moment of intense pain had already made them sweat profusely, a memory that would last a lifetime.

It was even more painful than a chicken being beaten to death!

"Prepare for battle!"

As Qin Shaoyou put away the [Awakening Golden Needle], he shouted loudly and picked up the round shield he had just thrown away.

Zhu Xiuzai, Ma Heshang, and the others also saw the decapitated weasel and the black shadows and zombie puppets flying towards them with eerie cries at that moment.

They knew they were under attack by demons and ghosts, and without hesitation, they drew their swords and raised their shields to meet the enemy.

Although they were still in pain, their bravery remained undiminished!

Among them, Ma Heshang was the most ferocious.

He lived up to his reputation as a skilled warrior, not only being the first to charge but also the fastest and most aggressive.

However, this also caused him to become separated from Zhu Xiuzai and the others, falling into the encirclement of the black shadows and zombie puppets.

But even surrounded, Ma Heshang remained calm.

He first used his shield to knock away a black shadow that pounced on him, then swung his sword to cut down a zombie puppet that tried to bite him, and stomped on it, decapitating it with one strike and stabbing its heart with another.

With its head and heart destroyed, the zombie puppet immediately stopped moving.

But this also gave the other black shadows and zombie puppets an opportunity. They pounced on Ma Heshang, grabbing his hands and legs, and began to bite him with their fanged mouths.

Fortunately, Ma Heshang wore armor under his robe, and he was at the Bone and Muscle Realm, with strong defensive capabilities and some Buddhist powers.

As the black shadows and zombie puppets bit and clawed at him, he thrust his sword into one of the black shadows, then formed the Vajra Armor Seal with his hands and recited the protective mantra.

A golden light radiated from his body, especially from his bald head, which shone brightly and brilliantly.

This golden light formed a protective dome around Ma Heshang, shielding him from the bites and claws of the black shadows and zombie puppets.

Although the Vajra Armor Seal he could use had a short duration, it was enough.

Because Zhu Xiuzai and the warriors had already caught up and joined the battle, preventing him from fighting alone.

Zhu Xiuzai's combat style was completely different from Ma Heshang's.

He was fast and agile, not engaging the black shadows and zombie puppets head-on but constantly moving around, looking for opportunities to strike. Each of his attacks targeted vital points, causing severe damage to the black shadows and zombie puppets.

The warriors, on the other hand, fought in groups of three or five, forming battle formations.

While individually, the warriors could match the zombie puppets but not the black shadows, they managed to isolate the black shadows through their formations and teamwork, creating a numerical advantage in local areas, thus compensating for their individual weaknesses.

Qin Shaoyou also rushed up with his sword and shield in hand.

Seeing Ma Heshang glowing like a light bulb, he was envious.

"This power is great; it can save your life in critical moments. I must ask Ma Heshang if he can teach me this power when we get closer in the future."

As he rushed closer, Qin Shaoyou also saw the other black shadows transform into human-like forms.

Some had the features of a weasel, with sharp, triangular eyes that glinted with malice…

They all resembled the short, thin old man that the weasel had transformed into, exuding an evil and eerie aura.

There was one exception, however.

This human-like form was a seductive woman, with a pure and beautiful face but a curvaceous and fiery figure. Her every movement exuded a seductive and lascivious charm.

Several warriors who faced her directly almost lost their minds when she batted her eyes and called out, "Gentlemen, go easy on me," and their attacks slowed down.

But the seductive woman, who had just been calling them "gentlemen" with affectionate eyes, turned on them in an instant, almost devouring them.

Fortunately, Ma Heshang came to their rescue, blocking the seductive woman's fatal attack.

Even Zhu Xiuzai, who was known for his lecherous ways, couldn't help but scold the warriors:

"Getting distracted during a battle? Do you really not know how many ways there are to die? If you don't know, come to me; I can teach you."

"Amitabha, Zhu Xiuzai's words are for your own good. You must listen to him," Ma Heshang said while continuously punching the seductive woman with his large fists, showing no mercy.

For him, the priority was to quickly send these demons to the afterlife.

Zhu Xiuzai also came to help, continuing to scold the warriors harshly: "Even if you have thoughts, you should beat her to a pulp first. Then, when she can't resist, you can do whatever you want."

Ma Heshang was taken aback. Buddha be my witness, I didn't teach you to do that!

But the warriors who had narrowly escaped death found Zhu Xiuzai's words reasonable and suppressed their desires, focusing on the battle with the black shadows and zombie puppets.

"Pu!"

A black shadow with triangular eyes was cut down by the warriors' swords.

Its appearance was unappealing, and it lacked the ability to seduce, so the warriors fought it with all their might from start to finish.

Amidst the screams, the human form disintegrated, revealing the true form of the black shadow.

It turned out to be a large, colorful snake.

Covered in wounds, it bared its fangs and tried to escape towards the statue of the deity.

Unfortunately, this show of bravado did not intimidate anyone. A warrior was about to finish it off, but Qin Shaoyou shouted, "Let me handle it!"

The warrior really did sheath his sword and, with his companions, pounced on another black shadow with the features of a weasel.

Qin Shaoyou stepped forward, slicing the snake in half and collecting its head, adding a new page to the recipe in his mind.

Tasting the benefits, Qin Shaoyou continued to collect heads in the following battles, adding several new pages to his recipe book.

It seemed he had come here to stock up…

Although he had added several new pages to his recipe book, Qin Shaoyou didn't have time to read the details.

He was too busy collecting heads.

With a swift strike, Qin Shaoyou executed another zombie puppet.

Just as he was about to move to the next target, a group of slimy, strange white worms crawled out of the puppet's mouth.

Although he didn't know what these white worms were, Qin Shaoyou guessed they were the means by which the black shadows controlled the corpses. He didn't let them escape, crushing them with his feet.

To his surprise, when he crushed these white worms, a new medicinal dish was added to his recipe book in his mind.

The ingredients were the skins of these white worms, which had been crushed and oozed their insides.

The battle, though intense, did not last long.

As Qin Shaoyou executed the black shadows one by one, they revealed their true forms.

Besides the weasel and the snake, there were also rats, hedgehogs, and others.

The seductive woman, though not yet revealing her true form, was at the end of her strength.

She was covered in wounds, some of which were severe, exposing her bones.

The seductive woman tried to escape, but with her companions and the zombie puppets all killed, she was surrounded by Qin Shaoyou and the others and had nowhere to run.

With a seductive glance, the seductive woman decided not to escape or resist. She sat on the ground, looking pitiful and pleading, "I can't fight you anymore. I will let you do whatever you want, just spare my life."

"Whatever we want?"

The warriors, seeing her disheveled and almost torn clothes, couldn't help but feel tempted.

Previously, Zhu Xiuzai had told them not to be hasty and to wait until they had beaten the seductive woman to a pulp before having any thoughts.

Now that the seductive woman was almost dead, should their thoughts become reality?

The warriors knew she was a demon, but who could resist her beautiful appearance?

Rough heroes like Xu Hanwen and the undead knight Ning Caichen, the protagonists of many erotic tales, were once envied by the warriors.

They had often fantasized that when they had the chance, they would try to understand the depths and warmth of demons, comparing them to their lovers in the Cat Alley.

However, the warriors also knew that this was not something they could decide on their own.

Despite their desires and thoughts, they still needed Qin Shaoyou to make the final decision.