Ma Li stomped in anger, but Ma Hong ignored him and entered the hut with a mirror. Three minutes later, she rushed out pale - faced, sweat beading on her forehead. "Master, it's true! So terrifying!"
"What did you see?!" Ma Li demanded.
"His words hold. When I sneaked a look, her reflection showed a cracked skull and bulging eyes."
I pressed on: "She fell into the well and died. The flying corpse turned her into a puppet. She kills livestock for its energy—soon, she'll target humans. This village could perish." My warning wasn't empty; Maoshan Sorcery Annals describes zombies as deadly monsters.
Ma Li collapsed. Had he 劝阻 his wife from digging the well, this tragedy might've been averted—proof that every cause has its effect.
"What can we do?!" Ma Hong panicked.
I circled the yard. "I need to meet the village chief. Exorcising the flying corpse requires everyone's help."
"But it's getting dark—will she attack?"
"Trust me. Handling the puppet is easy, but we must act without alerting the corpse." I whispered instructions in Ma Hong's ear, making her shiver. "Find a large jar. Place your sister - in - law's underwear and... your used sanitary pads at the bottom. Cover them with a stone, wrap red thread around it, and let the thread touch the ground. Fill the jar with glutinous rice—no steps missed."
Though embarrassed, Ma Hong complied. Ma Li, skeptical at first, apologized after confirming the mirror trick. By dusk, they'd set up the jar.
At the chief's house, I laid out the situation: the zombie well and the hidden dragon tomb. The chief, who'd lost 30 sheep, believed me. "Building a temple needs 200 - 300,000 yuan. The village is poor."
His daughter - in - law interjected: "I saw a shadow kill sheep! Ma Li's wife chased me with a bloodied mouth!"
"Stop lying!" His son scoffed, "You're just trying to scam us."
"I'll go back to my parents' home if we ignore him!" the daughter - in - law threatened.
The chief, a former Red Guard, sighed: "I've seen strange things. I believe you. What's the plan?"