The sky gradually lightened. I climbed up from the ground, the skeleton before me still motionless, silently staring at me. I smiled faintly and sighed.
I still couldn’t figure out what crucial thing I’d lost in the fight, but the whole night of battle had left me physically and mentally invigorated. I planned to wait for sunrise—watch it, then go back to sleep. With that in mind, I got up and walked east, climbed to the highest point, and settled comfortably on the ground.
The distant surface of the sea was already beginning to glow. In the past, I’d watched sunrises like this many times with Zhang Qingyuan, in the sunny world—a sunrise that always seemed a bit unreal. But my favorite was always the sunrise here.
A touch of red gradually appeared on the horizon. Smiling, I suddenly noticed a streak of black in the distance. I rubbed my eyes—the blackness vanished. But I was sure I’d seen it: at the exact moment the sun rose, a shadow of black appeared at the edge of the sea.
But those doubts quickly faded with the brilliant sunrise over the sea. The gentle sea breeze brushed my face, and I felt content. My body—now a vessel of sunfire—had been tested all night, and just as John Chou said, I could easily wield many spells.
And the power of those spells was strong, too, because after my rebirth, there wasn’t a trace of cold yin energy left in me. My body had been rebuilt by the Sacred Spirits in the Four Sacred Realm.
But now, the question was: where had John Chou gone? I decided to just go back and sleep, and deal with it tonight.
The brief, crimson sunrise over the sea ended in just a few minutes. Yawning, I got up and began descending the mountain.
Back in the small village by the sea, I saw Uncle Wu, who’d let me stay the night, was already up.
"Little girl, you’re up so early?"
No, Mr. Woo, I was out investigating. I might have to trouble you for a few more days.
After breakfast, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed, pulling the covers over myself and falling asleep.
Half asleep, I heard a noisy commotion. I pressed my hands to my head, irritated as anger flared within me. But since I was a guest in the village, and my sleep schedule was reversed, I couldn't complain. The noise grew louder, and I opened my eyes.
At that moment, I caught a whiff of mold right under my nose. It was already night, and I saw light and moving shadows outside. What could the villagers be doing at this hour?
The moldy stench grew stronger. Unable to stand it, I threw off the covers. Instantly, my scalp tingled—I nearly screamed, then immediately sat up and began to retch.
When I woke up, everything around me had changed. I was in a dilapidated house with a broken roof and a hole in the wall that let the wind in, even though someone had tried to block it with cloth.
The worst part was the blanket I'd just used—it was moldy. The room was chaotic, with broken furniture and dust everywhere. I pinched my cheek, confirming I wasn't dreaming, then slapped my face.
The only explanation for this strange situation was John Chou's odd behavior these past few days. He never answered my questions, and bringing me here must have had a purpose. I swallowed, sensing something abnormal outside.
I swallowed and, gathering my courage, crawled to the window and peeked outside. To my shock, I saw what looked like a market street, crowded with mummified corpses. I could feel an intense concentration of death and life energy all around.
I stared in astonishment. These mummified corpses were moving around, their shriveled bodies and tattered clothes everywhere. There were so many of them, chatting and gathering in groups as if it were all perfectly ordinary.
What on earth is happening?
I muttered to myself, unable to bear the stench in the room. What frightened me more was that some of the mummified corpses looked fresh, with black water oozing from their broken bodies and bugs crawling in and out. It was disgusting, and I couldn't help but retch.
I heard a noise behind me and quickly turned around, fists raised. Something was moving under the bed. With a bang, a piece of coffin board flew out, and I realized there was a sunken grave under the bed, with a coffin inside. A mummified corpse crawled out.
I warned you, little girl, to stay away from here. Well, congratulations—you've made it to the world of the living dead.
I swallowed, eyes wide, staring for a long time before realizing it was the old man who pulled me down the mountain in my dream. But now, he too was a mummified corpse.
Old man, what is this place?
I swallowed. The mummified old man got up, his head creaking as he moved, then sighed. He didn't smell much—his body must have been dry for ages.
Didn't I already tell you, little girl? This is the world of the living dead.
I quietly watched the mummified old man before me, not understanding what he meant by the world of the living dead.
Come on, little girl, there's a long road ahead! I'll take you out for a look.
I gave a quiet 'oh' and followed Uncle Lee outside. Suddenly, every mummified corpse on the street—men, women, young and old—stopped and stared at me. Their hollow, dark eye sockets made me uneasy.
Don't mind them, little girl.
Uncle, what's your name?
Uncle Lee turned his head, opened his mouth, and seemed to smile.
Just call me Uncle Lee. That's what most people on the island call me. They're just curious because a living person has come in. Don't worry, you'll get used to it over time.
I stared in amazement. The market was huge, with many interconnected streets lined with shops selling food and entertainment, mostly ancient. The living dead traded with knife-shaped coins and wore gold, silver, and colorful jewels.
Uncle Lee, too, wore several green jade rings on his fingers. One of them was especially bright and beautiful under the dim light.
Do you want it? I'll give it to you. This was once a royal treasure of the Qi Kingdom.
Uncle Lee took off the jade ring and handed it to me. I swallowed and held it—it was quite heavy, finely crafted, and very beautiful.