Chapter 15

**Thud**

Another sound, similar to a knock, echoed.

Something is in the next room!

Zhang Yuanqing hastily swapped the rusted kitchen knife for a rusted short sword, and the wooden stick for a long spear.

Weapon in hand, he lightly ran out of the room, the moonlight like frost, the surroundings silent.

Zhang Yuanqing bent down and stealthily approached the window.

The paper pasted on the window was already tattered. He squatted below the window, carefully raised his head, and peered through a tear in the lattice window.

The cold, frosty moonlight, compressed into beams of light through the broken roof, illuminated the narrow room.

Seeing the scene inside the room, Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat.

In the dim, silent room, three old coffins were placed, with black paint peeling and the lids covered in dust.

Beside the coffins lay two mummified bodies, dressed in protective clothing, one of which had a bronze awl by its side.

The awl caught Zhang Yuanqing's attention. It was about half an arm's length, made of yellow copper, with intricate carvings and inscriptions on the handle, finely crafted. The key point was that all the weapons were rusted, except for this one, which was still bright and free of copper rust.

A scene inexplicably appeared in his mind: the hand of the third mountain deity, with fingers clasped together as if holding something.

But the palm was empty.

**Thud**

The dull sound came again, forcing Zhang Yuanqing to shift his gaze to the middle coffin.

A grating, teeth-grinding sound arose as the coffin lid slowly slid open.

A greenish-black hand emerged, gripping the edge of the coffin.

Then, a terrifying figure sat up from inside the coffin.

Bathed in the moonlight filtering through the roof, Zhang Yuanqing saw the creature's appearance: wrapped in tattered clothes, with a swollen, highly decayed face, and bulging, lifeless eyes.

Its hair, like withered grass, was messy and disheveled on its head.

**Huhuhu**

It raised its head, facing the moonlight, and exhaled a murky, corpse-like breath, its two sharp fangs prominently visible.

A zombie? A zombie!!

Zhang Yuanqing felt his Uncle Ying's PTSD flare up.

It's a zombie, yes, it must be a zombie. Otherwise, what would be the point of the corpse-sealing talisman? Zhang Yuanqing felt a desire to retreat. The information he had gathered was already sufficient.

He should return to the main hall.

But just then, his shoulder suddenly felt heavy, and a familiar chill descended, eroding his body and causing goosebumps to rise.

At this critical moment, the shoulder ghost arrived.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank.

In this ancient temple filled with danger, his nerves were highly strained, making it difficult to keep track of time. He could only rely on his instincts, which could be inaccurate.

The appearance of the shoulder ghost was like adding frost to snow, and the next scene was like pouring oil on the fire.

As if sensing the presence of a living being, the zombie in the coffin stopped raising its head. Its bulging eyes fell and looked toward the window, toward the eyes peering in from outside.

In a state of shock, with goosebumps rising, Zhang Yuanqing sprang up and turned to run.

As he turned, he heard the loud thud of the coffin lid hitting the ground.

Daring not to look back, he ran with the shoulder ghost on his back, his steps heavy.

Another loud thud, and the door was smashed open.

As Zhang Yuanqing ran, he turned his head and saw the zombie, wrapped in tattered clothes, leap out of the room, pouncing like a hungry tiger in pursuit.

Is this a zombie? Where is the stiffness? His face changed, and he spun around, using the momentum to thrust the spear at the zombie's chest.

The spear's tip hit the ground, forming a makeshift barrier.

At the same time, he saw a gruesome hole in the zombie's chest, as if its heart had been dug out.

Is it the senior brother? The zombie is the senior brother from the notebook!

In the next moment, the zombie charged at the spear, the spear's shaft bending like a full moon and then snapping with a "crack."

Without time to think, Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity created by the broken spear, rolling past the zombie's feet. The stench of the corpse filled his nose, and the sound of a large knife striking the ground echoed behind him.

He rolled to the back of the zombie, his knees springing up, and he leaped, swinging the short sword in his hand.

**Clang**

The short sword struck the back of the zombie's head, like cutting through steel. It only managed to sever a few strands of hair, causing no damage.

Instead, the force from the sword handle made Zhang Yuanqing's hand throb in pain, nearly making him drop the weapon.

**Bronze skin, iron bones?**

Zhang Yuanqing was shocked. He then saw the zombie quickly turn, raising its black, sharp nails and grabbing his shoulders.

Pain immediately surged through him.

The black, sharp nails pierced his skin, and fresh blood stained his coat.

The smell of blood stimulated it, and a crimson light appeared in the depths of its bulging eyes. The zombie opened its fangs, spewing a foul-smelling gas, and bit down hard on Zhang Yuanqing's neck.

The purifying effect of the candle still lingered, and he did not lose his reason due to fear. A thought flashed through his mind, and a blue item list appeared. He now held a talisman in his hand.

**Thud thud thud** The previously ferocious zombie, upon seeing the talisman, retreated repeatedly, as if avoiding a venomous snake.

It works, it fears me, it has some intelligence. Zhang Yuanqing, enduring the pain in his arms, tensed his muscles and stared at the zombie, carrying the shoulder ghost, slowly retreating step by step.

As he retreated, he prayed that the female ghost in the well would not appear and cause trouble.

During this process, the zombie's rotten throat emitted a terrifying low growl, its crimson eyes fixed on Zhang Yuanqing.

Fortunately, whether due to the zombie or his backward movement, the female ghost in the well did not appear. Zhang Yuanqing retreated from the eastern courtyard, returning to the quadrangle, and without stopping, stumbled toward the main hall. As he approached the eaves of the main hall, a phantom, mournful scream echoed in his ears.

The weight on his shoulder lightened, and all the negative effects dissipated.

**Pant pant**

In the main hall, Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the lattice door, panting heavily, his legs and feet uncontrollably twitching.

This was partly due to fear and partly a physiological reaction as the adrenaline subsided.

After resting for a few minutes, the adrenaline subsided, and the wounds on his arms began to hurt. He bared his teeth and removed his coat and T-shirt, revealing two arms that were bloodied and bruised, the blood dark red.

It was clear that the zombie's nails contained a potent poison.

The situation suddenly worsened.

"There's no disinfectant, no tetanus shot. How fast does the corpse poison act? Will I die from poisoning?"

A series of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, and he was surprised to find that he was not particularly afraid. Then he realized that it was the candle giving him courage.

Bathed in the candlelight, his emotions gradually calmed.

"I'm now poisoned by the corpse, and I can't delay any longer. I'll go with the second plan directly."

Before entering the spirit realm, Zhang Yuanqing had devised two plans. The first was to cautiously explore the mountain deity temple, gather information, and then seek a solution. This was a steady and cautious approach.

The second, inspired by playing games with his aunt, was more adventurous: to try to subdue the red dancing shoes.

Since they are both items, if the yellow paper talisman can be used, why can't the red dancing shoes?

Guan Ya had said that there was a certain probability of subduing a rule-based item by breaking its rules.

"With my abilities, it's unlikely I can stick the yellow paper talisman on the zombie's forehead myself."

Sticking a talisman on the forehead of a ferocious, intelligent ghost is like a child challenging an adult with a knife. Although the adult fears the knife, it doesn't mean the child can actually harm the adult.

Zhang Yuanqing wasted no time, supporting himself on the lattice door, crossing the threshold, and entering the courtyard in front of the main hall.

This was where he first encountered the red dancing shoes.

The full moon hung in the sky, the ancient house, the overgrown grass, and the swaying tree shadows.

He waited and waited, standing in the overgrown grass for a long time, alert to any changes around him, but the red dancing shoes did not appear.

The shoes seemed to have no fixed territory. They had followed him into the temple initially and then appeared in the quadrangle, but now they were nowhere to be found.

With his condition worsening the longer he delayed, Zhang Yuanqing sighed and reluctantly turned to return to the main hall.

Just as he turned, his body suddenly stiffened.

**Tap tap**

Between him and the main hall, a pair of red dancing shoes, emitting a faint red glow, were rising and falling as if someone invisible was wearing them and stepping in place.

The footsteps echoed eerily in the silent night.

Can't you change your entrance? Every time it's so terrifying. Zhang Yuanqing's almost frightened soul slowly returned, and he quietly swallowed his saliva.

Despite hoping for its appearance, when he faced the eerie dancing shoes, Zhang Yuanqing felt his sanity slipping away uncontrollably.

The red dancing shoes continued to step in place, the heels striking the ground with a crisp sound, the echoes overlapping, making the night even lonelier and more terrifying.

Suddenly, a blue message appeared in Zhang Yuanqing's field of vision:

**"Would you like to dance with me? If you do, please step in place."**

The message appeared next to the red dancing shoes, as if they were speaking to him.

Sure enough, it wants to dance. If you don't dance with it, it will kill you. What a nasty shoe. Zhang Yuanqing had no choice but to take a desperate risk, as he realized something: the red dancing shoes had cut off his retreat.

They appeared between him and the main hall.

If he failed to dance, he would surely die.

Was it a coincidence? Or did the shoes do it on purpose? Do they have intelligence? Zhang Yuanqing focused his thoughts, calmed his emotions, and visualized his father's face in his mind.

At the same time, he lifted his foot and began to step in place.

**Tap tap** It seemed to be the trigger to activate the item. As he stepped, the rhythm of the red dancing shoes changed, and they began a very fast tap dance.

It was a tap dance, with a catchy rhythm and very fast speed. The loud "tap" sounds echoed in the silent night sky and the abandoned temple.

Under the moonlight, in the overgrown grass, on the cobblestone path, a pair of red dancing shoes danced alone, exuding a strange and alluring beauty.

Zhang Yuanqing widened his eyes, letting the moonlight fill his pupils, and stared intently at the red dancing shoes. He didn't need to memorize deliberately; he just needed to imprint the steps in his mind.

At the same time, his heart beat like an overloaded engine, and his ears were filled with noise. Broken images flashed through his mind.

His brain began to automatically receive external information: the sound of the wind, the slight bending of the grass, the frequency of the leaves of the distant locust tree, the posture and frequency of the red dancing shoes' tap dance.

The brain quickly analyzed and memorized the information.

A few minutes later, the red dancing shoes stopped, satisfied, and took a step back, raising its toes.

This posture looked strange, but if someone were wearing them, it would be a standard curtsy.

Quite polite, Zhang Yuanqing thought, blood flowing from his nose. Then he saw a message appear above the red dancing shoes:

**"Your turn!"**

In a few minutes, it had performed hundreds of steps, all different, far exceeding a person's ability to memorize quickly.

Zhang Yuanqing steadied himself, took a small pill from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

Then, his brain entered a strange state, replaying the scenes from the past few minutes frame by frame.

**Tap tap tap tap**

He slowly and awkwardly performed a few steps, then carefully examined the red dancing shoes.

If the standard is exact replication, even if he could memorize all the steps and movements, he couldn't complete the task.

Seeing no abnormality, Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved and focused on the dance.

Tap, spin, small jumps, crossing his feet—he danced very slowly, with awkward and ugly movements, far from the fluid and graceful steps of the red dancing shoes.

But the slow rhythm ensured he wouldn't make mistakes.

After about seven or eight minutes, Zhang Yuanqing replicated all the steps of the red dancing shoes, panting heavily as he stopped.

His nose was filled with warm liquid, flowing down his lips and chin, but he didn't have time to wipe it away, staring intently at the red dancing shoes.

Whether he could survive the spirit realm and successfully complete the trial depended on this moment.

**"Your dancing skills are as bad as ever!"**

The red dancing shoes displayed this message, then transformed into a faint red glow and dissipated into the night.

Immediately, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice in his mind:

**"Ding! You have accompanied the red dancing shoes in a dance. Congratulations on earning their favor, but due to your poor dancing skills, the red dancing shoes only favor you for half an hour. Good luck!"**

Zhang Yuanqing felt a wave of exhaustion, his face pale, and his head throbbing with pain.

After half a minute, the symptoms eased, and he sat up, his face still pale, eagerly opening his item list.

In the second slot, a pair of red, brand new dancing shoes lay.

Staring at the shoes for a few seconds, the item information automatically appeared.

**Name: Red Dancing Shoes**

**Type: Shoes**

**Function: Tracking, Pursuit**

**Description: The former owner of these shoes was a princess from a Western kingdom. She was naturally beautiful and skilled in dancing, captivating the men of the kingdom. However, her jealous stepmother, envious of her talent and beauty, imprisoned her in a high tower. The lonely princess danced alone in the cold moonlight until she died. These red dancing shoes inherited her will and began to wander, dancing endlessly.**

**Note 1: Usage Form 1: Throw the red dancing shoes at a designated target (or use the target's blood, skin, or other cells as a medium to lock onto the target). The shoes will relentlessly pursue and kill the target. During the pursuit, they ignore any physical obstacles, making escape impossible and destruction impossible. The pursuit will continue until the target dies or dances with the shoes, regardless of the type of dance.**

**Usage Form 2: Wear the red dancing shoes to increase agility, improve evasion, and run without hindrance or stamina cost. The only thing to note is that you can only wear them for five minutes. Exceeding this time, the red dancing shoes will become permanently stuck, and you will continue to run with them until your life ends or you cut off your feet.**

**Note 2: Don't want to dance with me? You'll die.**

This is a powerful item. Zhang Yuanqing was excited after reading the item's attributes.

Is this a rule-based item?

It's incredibly powerful.

The yellow paper talisman and the candle had relatively simple item descriptions, just a few sentences. The item information for the red dancing shoes was much longer, indicating its uniqueness.

"Pity it only favors me for half an hour"

Zhang Yuanqing noticed the countdown next to the item list and felt a wave of regret.

If such a powerful item could belong to him, it would be of great use, both in reality and in future spirit realms.