Chapter 90

For the first time riding a horse, it was just out of curiosity. By the time his inner thighs were red and sore from the long journey, Chu Ci released the horse and switched to a magic spider as his mount.

It’s not meant to be a warrior’s fate! Chu Ci, sitting on the magic spider, sighed deeply, holding Zhenzi. Basic melee combat training was only good enough to bully thugs and ruffians. When facing an enemy of similar strength, his reaction speed was still lacking.

Zhengqi Manor, which had a great reputation, was notorious for a massive miscarriage of justice decades ago, causing a huge uproar. It was precisely because of this that the imperial court gradually declined, and demons took control.

The owner of Zhengqi Manor was modeled after Yu Qian, a famous minister, who was originally intended to support the court but was framed by demons, imprisoned, and eventually executed with his entire family. The accumulated resentment did not dissipate and lingered in Zhengqi Manor for decades, leading to many strange and ominous events. People believed that the spirits of the wronged residents of Zhengqi Manor were restless, and those living nearby moved away, leading to the manor's decline.

By evening, Chu Ci and his two companions arrived at Zhengqi Manor. There was no need to ask why; in this era, the development of the wilderness was minimal. Following the dilapidated official road, they turned a corner, and a deserted path led directly to the abandoned manor outside Jinhua City.

Chu Ci knocked on the door, and the two old wooden doors immediately fell inward, raising a cloud of dust. The sign above the door also fell with the vibration. Fortunately, Wei Lan pulled Chu Ci, or he would have been covered in dust.

From the remaining sign, Chu Ci confirmed that this abandoned manor was indeed Zhengqi Manor. He entered directly, and although most of the buildings had collapsed, the remnants still showed the grandeur of the past.

Apart from a few well-preserved rooms in the main hall, the rest had collapsed and were uninhabitable.

"Brother, should we find the giant corpse now?" Zhenzi looked around curiously. She had never imagined such a strange experience. Thinking about facing those terrifying giant corpses, she was not afraid like most girls; instead, she was excited and eager to use her vast mental energy to scan and fight.

"Don’t rush, it’s too late today." Chu Ci had no intention of fighting immediately. What a joke, the giant corpse was hiding here, and there was no rush. Waiting until the next day when the weather was clear and sunny would be much better than fighting in the dark. Chu Ci always despised those in movies who fought demons and monsters in the dark. If the demons didn’t run away, why couldn’t things be resolved during the day? Acting in the demons' home turf and getting into a tough battle or being killed was their own fault.

"Wei Lan, help me set up warning magic around here to prevent the giant corpse from escaping. Zhenzi, you’re responsible for setting up the tent outside. We’ll rest outside tonight and demolish the manor at noon tomorrow."

"Okay."

The three divided their tasks. Chu Ci and Wei Lan circled Zhengqi Manor, burying simple alchemical arrays in the corners or soil. These palm-sized micro alchemical arrays were mass-produced by Chu Ci using a nanoscale printer with an error margin of only 0.2 nanometers. Once activated, they could effectively trap and attack the triggerer. This was the only external engraved alchemical array Chu Ci had found, as some things could be practiced, but others required talent. At least, Chu Ci felt he couldn’t draw hundreds of identical alchemical arrays without any errors, given his elementary school-level drawing skills.

Zhenzi was assigned the logistics task because Chu Ci, upon returning to the main domain, bought her a bracelet with storage space, entrusting her with some of the supplies. Zhenzi indeed had good judgment, setting up camp in a forest several hundred meters from Zhengqi Manor. She cleared a firebreak, removed weeds with a spade, leveled the ground, and spread a layer of lime. Using her mental energy, she set up a military-grade inflatable tent. Once the air pump was full, the tent’s frame was formed. She then lit a bright campfire, placed an iron pot on it, and the smell of stewed beef wafted through the air. When Chu Ci and Wei Lan returned, sweating slightly, two folding chairs were set up with damp towels and a bowl of soup.

"Yay! Zhenzi is indeed suited to be a good wife and mother." Wei Lan picked up a towel to wipe the sweat, cleaned her hands, and took a sip of the soup, praising her with a satisfied look.

"Thank you!" Zhenzi beamed, looking at Chu Ci eagerly, like a child waiting for praise.

"Great job!" Chu Ci, as she wished, placed his hand on Zhenzi’s head and stroked it, praising her.

The three enjoyed their dinner happily. For safety, Chu Ci set up another circle of alchemical arrays nearby. The night passed quietly, without even small animals appearing.

As the sky brightened, the three left the tent, ready for a big fight!

The abilities of the giant corpse were based on the original movie, including immense strength, invulnerability, underground movement, and corpse poison. Additionally, its hands were noteworthy, with fan-sized palms and chopstick-long nails. If caught, it would be like being sliced like pork. On this basis, Chu Ci doubled its abilities to ensure they wouldn’t exceed the limits, then began to arrange the battle.

"The giant corpse fears sunlight, so sunlight is the best way to deal with it. Wei Lan, you command the puppets to demolish Zhengqi Manor, tearing down the bricks and walls to create enough space for sunlight to shine through." Chu Ci released a large number of magic puppets, letting Wei Lan lead them. Demolition was a piece of cake for a mother dragon.

"However, if it hides underground, we can’t do anything. So, Zhenzi, you protect me while I use alchemy to seal the earth, solidifying the ground to prevent the giant corpse from moving underground." Zhenzi nodded vigorously, promising to protect Chu Ci from any harm.

Chu Ci took a deep breath; the air in the forest was indeed fresh. He looked at the eastern sky, dyed red by the morning light, and the clear sky promised a good day.

Without excavators for demolition, Chu Ci had other methods. He took out a batch of explosives that had been forgotten in the parasite space and placed them around Zhengqi Manor. With a loud explosion, the manor was almost blown apart.

A huge roar echoed from inside Zhengqi Manor, accompanied by a wave of corpse gas that was nauseating. Fortunately, Chu Ci was prepared, and the three of them, along with the non-living magic puppets, wore gas masks to filter out the bacteria and corpse poison, leaving only the resentment and malevolence, which were ineffective against them.

The roar of the giant corpse echoed only within the manor. As the dust settled, the ruins of the manor were visible, with only one main house remaining. This was where the coffins of the eight residents of Zhengqi Manor were located, and perhaps the giant corpse was using their resentment to sustain itself.

"Superstition is not to be taken seriously!" Chu Ci mocked the limitations of the mysterious side and strongly despised those who played exorcists in the dark. He then took out an RPG-7 and aimed it at the nearby main house. Standing on the ground connected to the alchemical array sealing the earth, Chu Ci could only use thermal weapons.

"I want to see if you can withstand a rocket launcher!" As he spoke, a loud whistling sound was heard, and the rocket head, with a long tail, crashed into the wall of the main house, creating a large hole with a loud explosion.

Despite this, the main house still stood, looking precarious but still holding. At the same time, Chu Ci felt a strong vibration under his feet, indicating that the alchemical array was being impacted.

"It seems you’re trying to run, huh!" Chu Ci smiled lightly, squinting his eyes, and increased the energy output, sipping a yogurt. Zhenzi even held up an umbrella to shield Chu Ci from the sun, making him feel quite comfortable. The giant corpse, if it knew, would probably be so angry it would come back to life.

"Then let’s see who can outlast the other!"