Just as the words left her mouth, a thunderous bang shattered the stillness of the night. The two thick wooden doors were blasted open, sent flying inward with a deafening crash, smashing into pieces on the stone-paved yard.
From outside came a chilling, resentful voice:"You killed me. Now your whole family will pay with their lives!"
Grandfather and Granny Liu both snapped their heads toward the voice. Even though they'd mentally prepared themselves, the moment they laid eyes on the figure standing at the gate, a cold chill raced down their spines.
It was the corpse of Ma Lao San's wife—but no longer human.
Her body had already begun to rot and bloat grotesquely, her eyes clouded and dead white. From her gaping mouth jutted four long, sharp fangs, and her face twisted with hatred, barely recognizable. Her hands had morphed into something monstrous, fingers tipped with foot-long black claws, each one curved like a dagger.
No ordinary soul could face such a horror without their blood running cold.
Granny Liu stood firm and bellowed:"Ma Lao San's wife! I am Liu Pózi, an initiated medium of Sanshili Village. I've come tonight to put you to rest! The dead should not linger in the realm of the living. I know you died unjustly, but there is a way for ghosts, just as there is a way for the living. If you persist in revenge, then I will act on Heaven's behalf and destroy this abomination. But if you yield, I will help your soul find peace and guide you to reincarnation."
Ma Lao San's wife let out a guttural snarl."You want me gone? Then hand over that boy, Wu Jie. Tonight, I will have his life!"
With a savage hiss, she leapt forward. Her legs, stiff like a puppet's, launched her four or five meters in a single bound. When she landed, the sound was deep and heavy—thud—like a slab of meat hitting stone.
Not quite a ghost. Not quite a corpse. A corpse demon.
Unlike mindless zombies that only kill by instinct, this thing could speak—and think.
"She's become a shī guǐ," Granny Liu said grimly, "a fusion of soul and corpse. This one's truly evil."
Grandfather stepped forward with his old war saber raised—its edge gleaming, wrapped in a blood-red cloth."You want my grandson? Then you'll have to get through me first. If you take one step closer, I'll kill you again, even if it costs me my life!"
Before Ma Lao San's wife could pounce again, something even stranger occurred.
All around the courtyard, a rustling sound rose like wind brushing through dry leaves. Dozens of glowing green eyes appeared in the darkness.
Foxes. Weasels. Climbing rooftops, creeping along the walls—eyes gleamed from every direction. Then, a massive yellow weasel, easily twice the size of the others and marked with a white stripe along its back, leapt into the courtyard.
Without hesitation, it lunged straight at the corpse demon.
It was the same weasel that had appeared at Ma Lao San's burial.
Like a swarm of angry locusts, the rest of the weasels and foxes surged forward, launching themselves fearlessly at the rotting figure.
"The spirit of the Yellow Immortal has arrived!" Granny Liu cried, momentarily thrilled.
But her excitement faded instantly.
The corpse demon thrashed wildly, shrugging off the swarming animals with terrifying strength. One swing of her arms sent several weasels flying into the darkness. She grabbed one unfortunate creature mid-pounce, tore it in half, and devoured it, blood pouring down her chin.
Even the massive white-striped weasel was flung aside, landing in a heap after rolling across the dirt.
Grandfather nearly retched at the sight.
The grotesque figure—covered in torn fur, blood, and entrails—didn't slow. With another leap of five or six meters, she closed in on the door to the house.
Grandfather didn't hesitate. With a roar, he swung his war saber in a mighty arc, aiming for her skull.
But instead of cleaving her open, the blade bounced off her head with a metallic clang, sending a jolt through his arm that nearly made him drop the weapon.
She staggered backward a few steps. Her eyes locked onto the blade in his hands. She sniffed the air, and for a split second—she looked afraid.
Only for a moment.
With a furious howl, she lunged again, her jaw stretching unnaturally wide as she spewed a cloud of thick, black corpse vapor at Grandfather.
He didn't know what it was—but instinct made him dive to the side.
Granny Liu was ready.
She took a deep drag from her iron pipe, the metal tip glowing red-hot, then blew out a thick cloud of smoke. It met the black vapor in midair—and neutralized it instantly.
Without pause, she swung her pipe like a cudgel. It struck the corpse demon's chest with a crack, forcing the creature back a few paces.
"Old Wu! Get inside and release the roosters! Hurry!" Granny Liu yelled as she continued to fight, her pipe flashing in the smoky night.
Grandfather didn't argue. He turned and ran into the house.
As he passed through the door, he glimpsed something terrifying: Granny Liu's entire form had begun to change. Her hunched back had straightened, her eyes glowed an eerie green, like an animal possessed.
She had begun the summoning ritual—inviting a spirit into her body.
Her voice changed, too—suddenly young, sharp, commanding:"The Three Mountains are guarded, and this house is under divine protection! Evil spirit, I am Liu Xiān—how dare you trespass?!"
The energy in the courtyard shifted.
Granny Liu's blows came faster now, each strike of her iron pipe landing with sparks and flashes of fire against the corpse demon's rotting flesh.
Inside the house, Grandfather released the three roosters he'd been keeping.
They burst into the yard, flapping wildly and crowing at the top of their lungs.
The moment their cries pierced the air, the corpse demon froze mid-lunge. A visible shudder passed through her bloated body. Her pale face twisted in fear.
Without a word, she spun and leapt toward the gate—trying to escape.
And that was when my father stepped into the doorway, blocking her path.