Chapter 163: A Gold-Inlaid Stele for Him

The relentless volley of arrows didn’t make Xiao Li retreat a single step. Instead, her attackers could only watch as she walked, completely unscathed, to shelter beneath the eaves.

The guards who had acted as her shield instantly scattered, turning from defenders into lethal weapons.

A fierce battle had already broken out where the archers were positioned, and bodies began to fall, one after another.

Just as the battle was drawing to a close, Lou Yan was suddenly knocked down from above. His assailant landed lightly on the balls of his feet, spun with incredible speed, and launched an aerial attack on Xiao Li, radiating a thick, murderous aura.

CLANG!

Lou Yan’s short blade struck metal, sending golden sparks flying. It was blocked not by one of Xiao Li’s guards, but by an arm sheathed in a metal glove.

This was the man who had knocked Lou Yan down. Instead of pressing his attack on Lou Yan after landing, he had immediately turned his attention to Xiao Li.

Lou Yan forced him back, and the two figures were instantly locked in a vicious struggle, each blow aimed to kill.

The moment Xiao Li got a clear look at the figure, her pupils contracted sharply.

It was him.

The white-haired man she had seen on the night of the Lantern Festival.

White hair, a mask—his face was completely hidden.

He wore gray robes, and his neck was so thoroughly wrapped in bandages that no skin was visible. He wore a pair of Vajra Gloves, and with no weapons of his own, he met all of Lou Yan’s attacks bare-handed.

She watched as Lou Yan’s short blade swept around the man’s neck, slicing through the bandages to reveal an iron collar beneath.

Xiao Li was shocked. ’An iron collar around his neck?’

Every one of Lou Yan’s subsequent moves targeted a vital point, yet he only managed to tear the man’s clothes. All his strikes were blocked by protective gear worn underneath.

Xiao Li had equipped her guards with armor, but this man wore his protective gear right against his skin. ’Never mind how uncomfortable that must be, isn’t he worried about injuring himself with all that gear?’

However, upon closer inspection, she noticed something odd.

The man’s martial arts were clearly inferior to Lou Yan’s. With the kind of techniques Lou Yan was using, he should have been able to kill this man dozens of times over by now.

Even with protective gear, it was impossible for him to be completely unscathed.

But after all these exchanges, besides some torn clothing, his movements were completely unaffected.

His skill was lacking, but his defense was incredible. He fought like someone who had no fear of death, simply weathering every blow with his body.

There was something else. His movements weren’t slow, but his posture had a certain unnatural stiffness, like... ’a robot?’

’Robots shouldn’t exist in this era. Even if another transmigrator brought cross-era scientific knowledge, they wouldn’t have the materials and equipment to create such a high-tech combat android.’

’But this thing in front of me... is it even human?’

Looking closer, she found his build somewhat familiar. She recalled the startling and unsettling feeling she’d had upon seeing him that night at the Lantern Festival. She was sure she had seen him before.

"Lou Yan, his mask!"

The instant Xiao Li gave the order, Lou Yan obeyed, attacking the gray-robed man’s face.

Suddenly, the piercing sound of a flute cut through the air. The gray-robed man dodged Lou Yan’s strike, turned, and fled.

Lou Yan moved to pursue him, but a group of similarly masked men in gray robes suddenly shot out from a hidden mechanism in the ground, blocking his path.

Once the white-haired man had escaped, they too retreated swiftly. They showed no inclination to fight, and one couldn’t even sense the presence of life from them.

’That’s it. They aren’t robots. They’re like... dead men.’

’Dead men that can move?’

Rong Qing and Lou Yan joined forces to stop one of them. Lou Yan held the man in place while Rong Qing swung his greatsword in a vicious arc, cleaving down from the shoulder.

The blow was so forceful it sent sparks flying from his blade, but relying on sheer brute strength, Rong Qing managed to cleave off half of the man’s torso.

The heavy torso collapsed to the ground without a scream. Not a drop of blood spilled.

Xiao Li walked over for a closer look. It was clearly a human body—from this angle, she could even see a lung. The flesh and organs were human, but the blood was almost the color of ink, nothing like that of a living person.

"It really is a corpse?"

Though she had suspected as much, seeing the proof was still unbelievable.

’How can corpses—dead people—still move and attack others?’

While Xiao Li was still lost in thought, Lou Yan suddenly swept her into his arms and leaped backward.

"AHHH..."

Xiao Li heard one of her guards scream in agony. She whipped her head around just in time to see the corpse’s head explode. Three blood-red insects flew out, and one of the guards, caught off guard, was bitten on the face, causing him to cry out in pain.

"These are Corpse Puppets."

Song Junzhan stepped up beside Xiao Li, his expression grave. "These are a product of the Southern Domain. That region is rife with poisonous insects, and some Wizards are skilled in commanding Gu Worms for their own ends. Using Gu to animate corpses is one of their techniques."

"These Corpse Puppets are created from the bodies of the recently deceased. The Wizards use venomous insects to give them a semblance of life, but they aren’t truly alive. They’re just walking corpses, puppets made for killing."

Song Junzhan continued, "Not every Wizard can create Corpse Puppets. They are rare. But their appearance here proves that we’re not just dealing with the puppets themselves, but also with an exceptionally powerful Wizard."

As soon as he finished speaking, he ordered his men to light torches. The insects feared fire, and if the entire estate was infested with them, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Xiao Li: "..."

’Can’t we just have a proper fight?’

’Fists and feet, or even schemes and plots, would be fine. Failing that, I’d even take a duel or a chaotic brawl. But why did it have to be insects?’

Xiao Li wasn’t afraid of insects, but not being afraid didn’t mean she wasn’t repulsed by them.

She could accept a powerful opponent, but not a disgusting one. And now she had to fight these reanimated corpses.

"Half of you, pull back! The other half, search for Cen An! Everyone stay sharp and watch out for those damn insects!"

Ever since the white-haired man fled at the sound of the flute, everyone else in the villa had vanished as well.

’Since they went to such lengths to lure me here, they can’t have been driven off this easily.’

’They’re probably just waiting in the shadows for the right moment to strike.’

The tunnel from which the Corpse Puppets had emerged was pried open. Unsurprisingly, it was empty. But Xiao Li didn’t allow anyone to enter.

It was a narrow space; if a Corpse Puppet was hiding within, going down would be a death sentence. Besides, the tunnel looked like a perfect breeding ground for insects.

’If Cen An is really down there with all those insects and Corpse Puppets...’

’...well, to show my condolences, I’ll have a gold-inlaid memorial tablet made for him.’

Cen An: ...I would be so very grateful!

Once outside in the courtyard, Xiao Li realized she had forgotten something.

"Where’s Mo Jiang?"

Song Junzhan: "What?"

Xiao Li: "The wolf cub I brought."

Song Junzhan: "..." ’I think I saw something that looked like a dog, but I didn’t pay it any mind.’

The group quickly scanned the area, finally spotting the little cub hard at work in an inconspicuous corner.

It was huffing and puffing as it dug at the dirt, looking like it was having the time of its life.

Lou Yan said, "Princess, why not have someone help it? We can see what it’s digging for."

Seeing the enigmatic look on his face, Xiao Li didn’t call for help. Instead, she grabbed a dagger and went over to help dig herself.

However, just as Xiao Li was about to start digging, a hand suddenly shot out from the loose earth.

Caught completely by surprise, even Xiao Li jumped. But Mo Jiang’s reaction was lightning-fast. With a fierce GROWL, it lunged and bit down hard on the hand.

"AHHH..."