The world descended into chaos. Luo Yichen fled south from the north, his pursuers abandoning the chase as the world unraveled. In a place that was relatively stable, Luo Yichen resumed his work as a corpse driver.
He could only rely on corpse driving to earn a living. In just a year, Luo Yichen traveled back and forth in this still somewhat peaceful region. Though the work was hard, life gradually improved. During this time, he remembered the woman who had saved him at the relay station.
After some thought, Luo Yichen returned north. By then, the north had completely fallen into war and turmoil. The foreign invaders were unstoppable, and the imperial court was powerless to resist. An era was coming to an end.
The old relay station still stood. Luo Yichen walked in and found the woman. She was surprised to see him. Luo Yichen gave her some money, saying it was to repay her kindness, but she refused and asked Luo Yichen to take her away.
The war grew more intense. Luo Yichen took the woman and headed south, but soon the flames of war reached them as well. After marrying, the couple worked together as corpse drivers.
Luo Yichen discovered that his wife was much smarter than he was. Everything he taught her, she learned quickly. Days passed, the war gradually came to an end, and Luo Yichen settled down in a village, where he and his wife had three children.
The era ended abruptly, and the chaos of war slowly subsided. The couple gradually became the leading family in the village. Together, they helped the villagers, and life improved for those around them. The couple became respected in the area, known for their kindness and generosity.
By the time Luo Yichen was forty, the Luo family had grown into the most prominent household in the area. Not only did they handle corpse driving, but anyone who had a death in the family would come to the Luo household for help.
One day, a man covered in sores arrived in the village and asked to see Luo Yichen. He was Luo Yichen’s Second Brother, Victor Luo, who was carried into Luo Yichen’s house.
Luo Yichen’s attitude was clear—he had no intention of saving Second Brother Victor Luo. He bluntly told him that after the events more than twenty years ago, their brotherhood had long since been severed.
Second Senior Brother was on the brink of death, desperately begging Luo Yichen to use the Corpse Banner to save him. His wife didn’t know what had happened in the past, but when she recalled the first time she met Luo Yichen, she chose not to ask.
This time, Luo Yichen was resolute. As the disciples who followed Second Senior Brother recounted how, over the years, they continued using corpses to prolong lives and make money—sometimes even causing deaths—Luo Yichen, upon learning this, decisively refused Second Senior Brother’s plea.
A month later, Luo Yichen received word of Second Senior Brother’s death—he died on the road before even making it home.
After that, Luo Yichen became increasingly withdrawn. He began to tell his wife about the past—how his three senior brothers had harmed him to obtain the Corpse Banner in his possession. But just a few days later, First and Third Senior Brothers came to his door, begging Luo Yichen to save them. Especially after hearing of Second Senior Brother’s death, they were willing to give up everything if Luo Yichen would help.
His wife, seeing how miserable Luo Yichen’s two senior brothers were, tried to persuade him to help them. But Luo Yichen still refused, saying they had brought this upon themselves.
Luo Yichen heartlessly refused to save them, and sure enough, the two senior brothers died within days. He thought everything had finally settled, that the past was behind him. But one day, a wandering Taoist priest arrived.
The priest’s name was Miles Spring. Luo Yichen had met many practitioners in the supernatural world, but this one wore a tattered robe, a string of Buddhist beads around his neck, and carried a peculiar wooden sword. Miles Spring had come to ask Luo Yichen for help.
Miles Spring claimed to be from the Mount Mason Order, a newly established sect. He’d come hoping Luo Yichen would do him a small favor—he wanted to borrow the Corpse Banner.
Luo Yichen was instantly furious and refused Miles Spring outright. Miles Spring explained that he knew about the Corpse Banner from his master, who had learned of it during his travels from a corpse-driver he befriended. That corpse-driver had shared some secrets with Miles Spring’s master.
But after the two parted ways, they never met again. Miles Spring’s master had once told him about the strange Corpse Banner, which is how Miles Spring knew of it. Later, while traveling, Miles Spring discovered a desolate place—a small town with no living people, only corpses. Most had turned into ghouls, and travelers passing by were often attacked.
To deal with these ghouls, Miles Spring performed rituals in the town, destroying some of them. But he encountered a particularly formidable zombie—one with human intelligence and the ability to change its form. Miles Spring couldn’t understand why this zombie didn’t kill him, but instead let him go.
After much effort, Miles Spring spread word of the town. Many in the supernatural world rushed there, but the outcome was always the same—most died horribly and became zombies themselves.
Miles Spring couldn’t understand why so many zombies appeared in that town. He started investigating on his own. Many practitioners gave up, unwilling to get involved with the zombie town, since the zombies there seemed controlled—they only attacked passersby, not other areas.
That’s why Miles Spring remembered his master mentioning the peculiar Corpse Banner, which was said to control corpse energy. He thought of using it to deal with the zombies.
After hearing everything Miles Spring said, Luo Yichen’s anger gradually subsided. He hesitated, unsure whether to trust this priest. In the end, Miles Spring could only hope Luo Yichen would come with him to see the gourd-shaped town for himself.
On the way, Luo Yichen asked why Miles Spring bothered with these troubles. Miles Spring replied that his sect was naturally inclined to intervene—they couldn’t ignore such things. He believed that place would one day pose a grave threat to the living world, so he hoped to eradicate the zombies.
When they arrived outside the gourd-shaped village, Luo Yichen was stunned—Miles Spring hadn’t lied.
The two discussed what to do. As they prepared to leave, they found themselves surrounded by zombies. Just then, the shape-shifting zombie Miles Spring had mentioned appeared. He called himself Yin Youchen. What baffled Miles Spring was that Yin Youchen let them go again, without killing them.
The two barely escaped with their lives and returned to Luo Yichen’s home. Throughout his life, Luo Yichen had encountered many zombies, since he’d always dealt with corpses—but this time, he truly felt the terror of the dead.
As the two planned to gather help from various sources to use the Corpse Banner against the zombies, Luo Yichen’s three deceased senior brothers came to his door. All three had become zombies, and in just half a year, they were already unlike ordinary zombies—they could move freely.
This time, they demanded that Luo Yichen provide them with zombies. While handling corpses, he was to add a kind of black soil he’d never seen before. They warned that if Luo Yichen didn’t comply, they wouldn’t be polite—and threatened to return in a month to raze everything to the ground if he refused.
Luo Yichen was shocked that his three senior brothers had turned into zombies, but he had no intention of agreeing to their demands. He immediately told his family to leave, and frantically warned nearby villagers to flee. Some listened and left, while others stayed.
Miles Spring sought help everywhere, warning practitioners in the supernatural world about the zombies’ plans. But at the time, most were busy dealing with ghosts—several vicious spirits had seized territory and were forming factions.
Luo Yichen was in despair. His three senior brothers had always brought harm, even in death. Luo Yichen resolved to prepare everything—if he died, he would make sure to destroy them.
Miles Spring did his utmost to gather allies. Everyone began preparing, waiting quietly. On the appointed day, Luo Yichen’s three senior brothers really did come.
The battle erupted. The three senior brothers brought many zombies; Luo Yichen’s side suffered heavy casualties, as did the nearby villagers. In just one night, corpses littered the village. But they succeeded in using the Corpse Banner to subdue the three senior brothers, planning to burn them directly.
But just then, a woman suddenly appeared and intervened. She was also a zombie, and Luo Yichen’s group was no match for her—the Corpse Banner had no effect on her.
The female zombie only subdued them, not killing anyone. Luo Yichen noticed that his three senior brothers were especially fearful of her, obeying her every command without resistance.
Luo Yichen survived once again. He didn’t understand why the zombies spared him. Miles Spring, after this ordeal, was utterly dejected—so many friends had died, and all had become zombies.
Life returned to its former state. Luo Yichen’s wife and children came home, and the villagers who’d left also returned.
But one night, Luo Yichen saw the female zombie again. He couldn’t understand what she wanted—she only said she hoped Luo Yichen could save them, then bit him.