Chapter 33: Zijin Toad

He Lingchuan’s roar echoed across the deck: “Kill them all, don’t hold back!”

There was no turning back, no retreating, and no one was bound; why were they standing around like spectators? Was this a time to hesitate out of camaraderie?

The crowd was momentarily at a loss, but his sharp words jolted them back to reality. Gritting their teeth, they all raised their blades and axes against their possessed companions. At times like these, their own lives were paramount; camaraderie had to take a backseat.

Soon after, all the puppets were slain, and the Three-Corpse Worms that had possessed them were expelled before they could even warm up their new bodies. By then, the Walnut Boat had passed through the city gate, navigating the undulating ruins of the old city, weaving through patches of light and shadow. Some Three-Corpse Worms successfully burrowed back into the shadows, but the last few that were forced out were exposed to direct sunlight. Blasted by the intense light, these phantom figures instantly dispersed, leaving nothing behind. Without a host body to protect them, the sun’s true fire was their nemesis.

The attached city was not large, nor did it have many buildings. The Walnut Boat quickly moved away from the city walls, resuming its journey among the sand dunes. Sheltered by the sun, everyone was breathing heavily, finally able to look around freely.

Nian Songyu’s voice came from another boat, reminding all the troops: “Throw the corpses overboard to lighten the load! We need to speed up.” Night was falling, and they had to hurry.

Those lying dead on the deck had once been good companions, fighting side by side. The survivors remained silent for a while before beginning to collect food, water, and weapons from the bodies. Supplies were precious and could not be wasted.

He Chunhua’s personal guard had died with his eyes open. He Lingchuan walked back and closed them. He Chunhua sighed, “His name was Zhao Shaogang. He’d been with me for five years and had done many things for me.”

“I know, I remember,” He Lingchuan said, pursing his lips. He pulled out Zhao Shaogang’s last bag of naan bread, his last flask of water, and a simple silver hairpin. He had killed this man himself.

“This hairpin is…” He Chunhua was about to reminisce, but He Lingchuan cut him off. “The dead are like extinguished lamps; there’s no point in saying more. His family will receive a generous pension.” Every living person had a story behind them, but what did that matter? They were earning money by risking their lives anyway.

He Chunhua fell silent and patted his son’s shoulder. “You’re right.” At this moment, self-pity was useless.

He held up the broken comb in his left hand. “I always thought the resentment on this comb could repel these abominations, but it seems it’s useless.” This comb was the origin of all their troubles, yet it seemed to be completely useless in the desert. He Chunhua was very disappointed.

He Lingchuan glanced away guiltily. “Perhaps it’s not being used correctly?” The divine bone necklace around his neck was also a “token,” possibly the most important one, but no one else knew about it. Then again, this pendant hadn’t shown any unusual properties yet. Was it because the trigger conditions hadn’t been met?

He pushed the corpse off the boat. Below, there seemed to be a large, dry pit, its edges lined with black stones. Sand burial had always been a tradition in Blackwater City and the Coiling Dragon Desert. Listening to the thud of the corpse hitting the ground and seeing the bloodstains on his arm—inadvertently acquired while killing and searching the bodies—a knot formed in his stomach. Strictly speaking, this was the first time he had killed someone since becoming He Lingchuan, and it was his father’s own guard. He recognized Zhao Shaogang; they had talked and joked together. The situation had been urgent, allowing no hesitation. But now that the adrenaline had worn off, He Lingchuan felt a pang of sadness.

“Are you alright?” He Chunhua asked, seeing him still looking down.

“A little seasick,” He Lingchuan replied, taking a long drink from his waterskin, trying to suppress the unsettling emotions. Killing a fellow human was different from killing chickens or dogs. He was surprised he hadn’t leaned over the side of the boat to vomit. Since arriving in this world, his heart seemed to have hardened. What was subtly influencing him?

Meanwhile, Situ Han was also clearing things away, his eyes red. One of the desert bandits had been possessed, and Situ Han had personally killed him. This man had robbed and plundered with him, and just days ago, they had gotten drunk together and slept foot-to-foot. Now, with his body still warm, he had been thrown overboard. And everyone knew that such incidents would be common on their exploratory journey. This was only the beginning.

He Lingchuan quietly took a few deep breaths to compose himself, then leaned closer to He Chunhua. “The Grand Preceptor’s boat has the fewest casualties,” he whispered, referring to the fewest bodies thrown overboard.

“There’s never been fairness in this world,” He Chunhua replied.

When people were possessed by Three-Corpse Worms, they became puppets. Aside from Coiling Dragon City back then, no one had a rapid cure. It was said that by the later stages of the Allied Army’s siege, the Immortal Nation of You already had several treatment methods, but they were time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. At most, no more than twenty percent of those treated could successfully expel the worms, and the process would take three to five days. Three-Corpse Worms originally lurked within the human body; the first step for a spellcaster to achieve enlightenment was to sever their own Three-Corpse Worms. How easy could it be to expel them using other means? Furthermore, possessed puppets became rabid; they wouldn’t quietly submit to treatment.

Therefore, Nian Songyu and the other decision-makers had agreed long ago that if anyone on the boat became possessed by Three-Corpse Worms, they would act decisively to prevent further trouble. Every possessed individual would become a burden; they simply couldn’t afford to wait or to save them.

He Chunhua shook his head, casting aside the troubling thoughts, then patted his son’s shoulder. “Thanks to your quick action just now, several lives were saved. By the way, when did your throwing knife aim get so good?” That last throwing knife had shot past right beside his shoulder, with incredible accuracy. This unpromising son had saved his life again and helped him quell the chaos. He had truly improved. Prefect He felt greatly relieved.

“Aim? Uh!” He Lingchuan said sheepishly. “Just now, I guess. Wasn’t it just a desperate situation?”

He Chunhua was speechless.

Perhaps it was He Lingchuan’s words that came true; the other two boats remained safe, but Grand Preceptor Sun’s Walnut Boat encountered unwelcome guests—two enormous Purple-Gold Toads. These creatures were mutated monsters, not only resembling toads magnified a hundredfold in appearance, but also attacking by suddenly shooting out their tongue-arrows to seize and devour their prey. The mountain-like Purple-Gold Toads leaped from the sand dunes, nearly capsizing the Walnut Boat when they landed. The rushing Earth Dragons were restrained and almost couldn’t pull the boat.

They consumed humans just as ordinary toads ate insects. They would even lift their forelimbs to help shove their prey into their mouths, then swallow it whole without chewing. Moreover, when the Purple-Gold Toads encountered enemies, the warts on their bodies would burst, releasing a purple-gold poisonous mist. Anyone who inhaled it would become dizzy, foam at the mouth, and collapse within a few breaths. This was how they got their name.

Fortunately, the Purple-Gold Toads were slow eaters, carefully chewing each person they consumed. This gave Grand Preceptor Sun and his men ample time to deal with them. The He family father and son were on another boat, too far to intervene, and could only watch the spectacle.