Chapter 44: Corpse Change

  The next morning, the mourners opened the door to find the courtyard in disarray, with blood flowing like a river and three of the four people reduced to pieces. The fourth person was curled up in a corner, already unconscious. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors administered sedatives, and it took two days for him to come to. However, his mind was no longer what it used to be, and he would only repeat this story over and over, often shouting "The black cat has come" at night.

  Wang Jue took a deep breath and gripped the armrest tightly. I've grown accustomed to such things, sitting here listening to a ghost story is much easier than being stabbed in the hand by a ghost with a dagger.

  "What does it have to do with Hua Jinlan and that zombie who came out of the coffin at night?" I asked.

  "When the time comes, you'll know. You didn't have a good rest last night either. Take a break here for a while and I'll take you to your room."

  The village head's guest room was very simple, with a large bed and a quilt. Wang Jue and I lay on the bed, although we were tired, but not sleepy at all. I opened my mobile phone, still no signal. It's really strange that this place has water and electricity, and there is no difference from an ordinary village, but there is no mobile signal. I don't know how my sister is doing, nor do I know if Old He has contacted Li Xiaoshu, and I'm worried about Li Xiaohao going to the hospital again to threaten, a lot of things are tangled in my mind.

  Wang Jue patted me and said, "Are you afraid of going to the mountain at night?"

  "It's no use being afraid, we have to face it anyway. Besides, there are people in the village who will go with us, so it'll be fine." I comforted him, if I had known what happened last night, I definitely wouldn't have asked him to come with me.

  I was lost in thought when Ah Li pushed the door open. She held a plate with several pieces of cake and candies on it. With a smile, she looked at us with her sparkling big eyes that were still so adorable. "Are you hungry? It's not time for dinner yet, I found some snacks for you to eat."

  Wang Jue sat up and took the cake, stuffing it into his mouth. It was only then that I realized I had only eaten one steamed bun all day, and my stomach should be hungry by now. When traveling outside, it's inevitable to have a meal in the wind and sleep under the dew. Ah Li is still young but very considerate of others, and will definitely become a virtuous and capable person when she grows up.

  "Ali, are the black cats here particularly fierce?" Wang Jue asked while eating, his mind not idle, chatting with Ali about the black cat.

  "When the black cat appears, Ah Li's energy is ignited, and she opens her mouth to speak in vivid detail: 'Black cats can't be touched! Especially those that are completely black without a single white hair. If they jump onto a dead person's body, that person will become a zombie and crawl out of their coffin, wielding a sickle to split everything they encounter in half. If someone uses a two-way pass against the zombie, it will transform into a spirit that looks exactly like a human being. That thing can speak, think, and walk among people without distinction. However, they don't eat food; instead, they sustain themselves by absorbing human essence. Moreover, they collect more two-way passes to create even more spirits. If someone is targeted by them, they will be made to die unexpectedly, and when the coffin is placed in the mourning hall, a black cat appears. A few years ago, our village had a zombie outbreak, and the village chief led a group of people to capture it in the mountains. It's said that the zombie was about to transform into a spirit when the village chief beheaded it with a sickle. Everyone then burned the corpse into ashes using firewood. After that, black cats didn't appear for a very long time.' Ah Li speaks with flair and spittle flying everywhere until she is out of breath."

  Kids just love this kind of spooky stuff. But I believe she's telling more than just a legend, because the village head also mentioned something about zombies earlier.

  Black cat jumps zombie, zombie turns into a vengeful spirit, I took a cold breath! Tonight's activity should be catching zombies.