Chapter 48: The Ma Family Corpse Transformation (1/2)

Throughout history, onlookers never think trouble is too big. Like when I once saw someone threatening to jump off a building—people below either yelled "Jump!" or scoffed, "He won't do it." Such callousness would vanish if it were their own kin.

Back to the Ma family's daughter-in-law. As villagers chattered, I sat in a courtyard corner carving peachwood spikes with the Seven-Star Sword. Its material was incredibly sharp, like a pencil sharpener in my school days.

The yard buzzed with people—some even brought wine, snacking on melon seeds and debating national affairs. As night deepened, I finished nine peachwood stakes, weaving peach twigs and leaves into figurines.

The moon shone brightly, wind rustling leaves. The village was eerily quiet—no dogs barked, no chickens clucked. Imagine a mountain village without canine howls; the silence was haunting, masked only by the crowd's noise.

A yawn cut through the crowd: "It's late. If nothing happens, I'm going to bed—got work tomorrow."

"Chief, we're being played. I'm leaving."

"Let's go—no show here."

Ma Hong and Ma Li stood beside me. "Master," Ma Hong whispered, "Is this real? It's 11 PM—she usually rages by now. Why so quiet?"

"Yeah," Ma Li added, "She starts screaming at 11. I lock her up at 9, but today I didn't. Did you make a mistake?"

I glanced at the well—moonlight fell without the daytime mist, meaning it was "normal." But according to sorcery annals, a flying corpse has the intelligence of a 5-year-old. The daughter-in-law had shown no signs of hostility—something was amiss.

As the crowd began to disperse and the chief pleaded, I noticed Ma Li 欲言又止 (hesitant). "Speak up, Brother Ma."

"Um... Master, there's something." He glanced around, but Ma Hong slapped him: "Tell the master! He's trying to save us!"

"Don't get mad, Master."

I grew impatient—midnight approached, and failing to act could unleash a flying corpse, not an ordinary zombie!

Ma Li's confession made me want to hit him: while I cut peachwood and Ma Hong prepared glutinous rice, he'd spied on his wife. The corpse puppet, though not a zombie, disliked sunlight. As she slept 衣衫不整 (half-naked), he'd opened her door and had sex with her.

"Master, at first she was like a corpse—cold, hard skin. But during... it softened, even became smoother than before. She's usually impatient, but today she was proactive. If she were a zombie, wouldn't she be like on TV—legs clamped shut, hopping? Her legs opened fine."

My heart sank—he'd charged the flying corpse through the puppet! The highest-stage zombie, a "ba," transcends life and death, causing natural disasters. Zombies feed on human vitality, targeting the neck for its yang energy. If you fart during an attack... well, mind your backside.

Ma Li's act had transferred his vitality to the puppet, which relayed it to the flying corpse. Worse, he added: "Master, I might have mentioned you... Is that bad?"

"Son of a bitch! You want to kill me?!" I slapped Ma Li. My outburst drew the crowd, with 起哄 (jeers) behind me.

I turned to shout: "Everyone go home! Bar your doors! Hang door gods if you have them—seek shelter with those who do!"