Chapter 103: Slaughter Needle

He Yin was furious and about to pursue, when a sudden sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Qin Mu had used the sword sheath to recall the Protector Sword. Although the blow wasn't powerful, the Protector Sword was incredibly sharp, piercing straight through his scapula and leaving a gaping hole in his shoulder!

He Yin endured the pain and pulled out various jade bottles. He first applied a hemostatic salve, then a bone-regeneration medicine, and finally a muscle-growth ointment. The excruciating pain, however, was almost unbearable.

Behind him, a flying zombie was scooping out medicine from a pot and applying it to the neck of another flying zombie that Qin Mu had decapitated. Then, it picked up the severed head and placed it back on the medicated neck.

The zombie's head wobbled and creaked, but it had been attached backward, facing its back.

The flying zombie, seemingly oblivious, then walked over to another flying zombie that had been split in half. It reassembled the body and smeared it with a foul-smelling paste.

It was truly astonishing that even when these flying zombies were decapitated or cut in half, they wouldn't "die." As long as the Corpse Immortal Cult's ointment was applied and their severed limbs reattached, they could still jump around as if alive.

The Corpse Immortal Cult, with its expertise in manipulating corpses, certainly possessed unique abilities.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing air announced the arrival of several Corpse Immortal Cult disciples, who quickly approached He Yin. One female disciple asked in surprise, "Senior Brother He Yin, are you injured? Is that boy very strong?"

"Not strong."

He Yin's face was ashen as he gritted his teeth. "He's at most at the Five Luminaries realm, but his cultivation is decent, and his movement technique is very strange. He's skilled in sword control and spells. He has a treasured sword whose sheath can automatically recall the flying sword, and this sword is incredibly sharp; my flying zombies couldn't stop it at all! His injuries aren't light either, so he shouldn't have gotten far!"

The numerous Corpse Immortal Cult disciples were startled. The female disciple then said, "If he's skilled in sword control and spells, then he can't have much mastery in combat techniques. Let's pursue him, capture him, and hand him over to the Sect Master for judgment!"

More than a dozen Corpse Immortal Cult disciples swiftly departed.

He Yin stood up, about to follow them, when another figure suddenly flew into view. He Yin was startled when he saw the person's face and quickly bowed, saying, "Uncle Qiao!"

Uncle Qiao frowned and said, "The boy who killed the Sect Master's son hasn't been caught yet, and instead, you've been injured by him. He Yin, you're becoming more 'capable' by the day."

He Yin, feeling ashamed, said, "Uncle Qiao, the Sect Master..."

"The Sect Master already knows about this and is furious. However, he is currently stabilizing the situation and quelling the unrest in the city."

Uncle Qiao continued, "The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace has been severely wounded, and heroes across the land are seizing this opportunity to rise up, eliminating corrupt officials to restore order to the court. Our Corpse Immortal Cult's actions this time are justified. We must first clip the wings of the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace and occupy Tijiang County. Tijiang County will become our Corpse Immortal Cult's sphere of influence, so we must establish a firm foundation and round up all remaining followers of the Imperial Preceptor! Although the Sect Master is pained, he prioritizes the greater good."

He Yin assented, saying, "Please, Uncle Qiao, follow those junior brothers and sisters. That person isn't old, but he possesses a sharp sword that can transform into a fish-dragon..."

Uncle Qiao was surprised. "A sharp sword that transforms into a fish-dragon? What exactly does it look like? Tell me in detail!"

He Yin described the Protector Sword and its strange sheath. Uncle Qiao's heart pounded. He exclaimed, "This is the personal sword of a first-rank official of the imperial court, a top-tier treasure! Our Corpse Immortal Cult doesn't possess such powerful treasures! How could such a valuable item be on this young man? Could he be the offspring of a first-rank official?"

His eyes gleamed as he chuckled, "This sword is extraordinary. It's as if heaven wants our cult to prosper, delivering a first-rank personal sword to us! I'll go reclaim this sword!" With that, he vanished.

He Yin frowned, thinking, "The personal sword of a first-rank official? This is a treasure symbolizing imperial status. Why would a first-rank official hand over an imperial sword to his own offspring? Uncle Qiao seems to have overlooked something... I should report this to the Sect Master quickly!"

He hurried towards Tijiang County.

Uncle Qiao followed the tracks left by Qin Mu and the Corpse Immortal Cult disciples. Suddenly, he frowned slightly as he discovered the first body: a Corpse Immortal Cult disciple.

There was a thin line of blood on the disciple's throat, but no other injuries or bloodstains nearby. From the wound, it appeared he had been struck with a sword tip across the throat, severing the two major blood vessels.

Judging by the angle of the strike, the Corpse Immortal Cult disciple must have been flying on yellow talismans, attacked from behind. Before he could react, the treasured sword had slashed across his throat.

What was strange, however, was the complete absence of bloodstains nearby.

Uncle Qiao frowned. This could only mean that the disciple had not died there, but had been flying for some time before being dropped.

All his blood must have drained in mid-air.

What did this imply?

It meant the young man who killed him had been standing directly behind him!

The disciple must have been riding on yellow talismans, pressing forward in search of Qin Mu's tracks. Meanwhile, the young man had silently appeared behind him, slit his throat with a sword, and then, with his body pressed against the disciple's back, manipulated his sword box, causing yellow talismans to continuously fly out and pave the way forward.

Simultaneously, the young man controlled the Corpse Immortal Cult disciple's corpse, making it walk forward as if alive, keeping pace with the other disciples.

"This is corpse manipulation!"

Uncle Qiao's expression changed slightly. "This young man also knows corpse manipulation! Our cult's disciples are in danger! But then again, there doesn't seem to be any first-rank official in the Eternal Peace imperial court skilled in corpse manipulation. What is this young man's background? Where did he learn these methods?"

It was deep night, almost the third watch. Although there was moonlight, visibility was poor, and one couldn't see very far.

Uncle Qiao could envision it: Qin Mu must have been using the cover of night, controlling the Corpse Immortal Cult disciple's corpse. When he approached the other disciples, they would likely have been unprepared. By the time they could see him clearly, it would probably be too late to dodge his sword!

Besides the Corpse Immortal Cult, other unorthodox and demonic cults also practiced corpse manipulation, though their techniques differed.

The Corpse Immortal Cult was arguably a leader in the art of controlling and nurturing corpses, despite its unsavory reputation.

Judging by Qin Mu's methods of corpse manipulation, they were likely extraordinary. The ability to control a Corpse Immortal Cult disciple's body after killing them, making it appear as if they were still alive and leaving no discernible flaws for other disciples to notice, was extremely rare.

"It somewhat resembles the Heavenly Devil Cult's grand corpse manipulation technique..."

Uncle Qiao continued his pursuit. Before long, he found the second body, then the third, the fourth...

His eye twitched as he spotted the seventh body. This one had no skin; it had been flayed, yet there were no bloodstains. Despite being skinned, not a single drop of blood had spilled.

Uncle Qiao's face changed drastically. He let out a shaky breath. "The Creation Devil Technique! This young man is a disciple of the Heavenly Devil Cult!"

The body was unrecognizable, which meant Qin Mu could now be any of the pursuing disciples!

A fierce glint flashed in Uncle Qiao's eyes as he continued the chase. Soon, he encountered several Corpse Immortal Cult disciples huddled together, cautiously surveying their surroundings. Seeing no one approach them, they visibly relaxed.

One disciple called out, "Uncle Qiao..."

Uncle Qiao flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending out needles as fine as ox hair. They shot like lightning into the foreheads of the disciples!

The disciples' eyes immediately glazed over, their souls rapidly dissipated, and they began foaming at the mouth.

These needles were Uncle Qiao's spirit weapon, called the Corpse-Slaying Needles. Once struck, one's soul would melt away, leaving only a body without a spirit—a walking corpse—beyond salvation even by a Grand Immortal!

A female disciple stammered, "Uncle Qiao, why..."

Uncle Qiao quickly moved around, examining the bodies of these Corpse Immortal Cult disciples, his brow furrowing slightly.

He didn't find Qin Mu!

If Qin Mu had used the Heavenly Devil Cult's Creation Devil Technique to flay a person and take on the appearance of a Corpse Immortal Cult disciple, there should have been a red line on the skin. But none of these disciples had a red line!

This meant Qin Mu wasn't among them!

"Damn it, I've been tricked! I killed the wrong people."

Uncle Qiao's eye twitched. He looked at the Corpse Immortal Cult disciples and silently pondered, "If I leave their bodies, the Sect Master and those other old devils will surely notice. It's safer to destroy the bodies and leave no trace."

He flicked his fingernails, and powder hidden beneath them flew out, landing on the disciples. Instantly, their flesh melted away, along with their bones and clothes, turning into puddles of putrid liquid.

Uncle Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. He squinted and scanned his surroundings, but found no trace of Qin Mu. Suddenly, his body swayed, and countless red dots flowed out from under his Taoist robe—thousands upon thousands of corpse beetles.

The corpse beetles immediately flapped their wings and flew off in all directions. The moon was setting in the west, and the east was beginning to lighten. The swarm of red corpse beetles flying through the air resembled fireflies wandering in the wilderness before sunrise.

"A first-rank official's personal sword—it's certainly enough to be a supreme treasure of our cult!"

Uncle Qiao looked up at the dawn glow in the east and murmured, "The Sect Master has held this position for too long. It's time for him to move aside..."

Great Ruins, Disabled Elderly Village.

"Mu'er, time to get up and eat. Why are you still sleeping?"

Granny Si had just said this when she suddenly froze. Qin Mu had been gone for several days, and each time she cooked, she made an extra portion and called out for him to eat, forgetting that he had already left the village.

Granny Si sighed and quietly finished her breakfast alone. She left the pots and bowls unwashed, setting them aside, and sat by the table lost in thought.

Suddenly, the little old woman stood up, tiptoed into a room, tidied things up, and then, basket in hand, tiptoed out of the house, heading towards the village exit.

At the village entrance, the Apothecary and the Village Chief were still leisurely sipping tea.

Granny Si ignored them both and continued walking out with her basket.

"Granny Si, are you leaving the village without a word?" the Village Chief remarked unhurriedly.