Chapter 109: Black Talisman
In that split second of stunned distraction, the pursuing Corpse Puppets were already right behind him. Although their missing body parts made them hobble and slow, Yang Haoran hadn't been far from them to begin with, so it took only a moment for them to catch up.
The Corpse Puppets that had crawled out of the house now also spotted Yang Haoran. Without hesitation, they instantly marked him as their target. Their physical power erupted, and amidst a chorus of hoarse snarls, they lunged in unison at Yang Haoran.
He gazed at the familiar faces, twisted and deformed from being gnawed upon, yet on them, Yang Haoran could still discern the faint outlines of their former selves—elders, peers, and even juniors.
They were no longer the people he remembered; their minds and consciousness gone, transformed into Corpse Puppets that only knew to devour flesh and suck blood. Yet, facing them, Yang Haoran found himself unable to strike.
After all, blood was thicker than water. Even if not his immediate family, they were still his kin.
In mere hours, Yangjiawan had suffered such a profound transformation. For Yang Haoran, this was already a crushing blow. To force him to strike down his deceased clansmen under these conditions was, indeed, a psychological torment.
His inability to strike did not mean the Corpse Puppets before him would show similar restraint. Their souls were scattered, their minds gone, leaving only monsters that craved flesh and blood. It wasn't just that Yang Haoran was merely a clansman; even if he were their own son, they would show no mercy.
Resisting and evading, Yang Haoran tried his utmost to keep the Corpse Puppets from closing in. But the more he struggled to avoid them, the more passive he became. In a matter of minutes, he found himself cornered against a wall by a horde of Corpse Puppets.
At the same time, two successive screams pierced the air from the courtyard. Two police officers had been tackled to the ground by several Corpse Puppets, which immediately began to ravenously gnaw at them.
The other police officers were in no better state, all of them thoroughly horrified by the bloody spectacle. It wasn't that they didn't want to rush forward and rescue their colleagues, but they could barely protect themselves. Their will was strong, but their power was lacking. All they could do was fend off the Corpse Puppets' assaults while helplessly watching two of their comrades being torn and gnawed.
They were all police officers, rigorously trained in their usual duties, and naturally possessed some combat skills. It was precisely this training that allowed them to hold out for a moment under the onslaught of so many Corpse Puppets.
But that moment was all they had. Beyond that brief resistance, they gained nothing. Not only did they fail to break through and escape the courtyard, but two more had been pinned down by the Corpse Puppets.
The fear in her heart made Chen Ying scream uncontrollably. Though she was a police officer, and resilient by nature, she was ultimately still a woman. Confronted with a scene she had never experienced, the terror once ignited within her became an unstoppable torrent, like a dam bursting.
Her scream not only failed to alleviate the terror in Chen Ying's heart but deepened it, drawing the attention of even more Corpse Puppets. Several of them snarled at her, baring their sharp fangs, and lunged upwards, aiming for her head.
She tried to dodge, but there was no escape route left. She could only let out a shriek of terror and despair.
Boom!
Just as several Corpse Puppets made contact with her, a burst of black light suddenly erupted from Chen Ying's body, accompanied by a booming sound and an astonishing aura.
The Corpse Puppets that had lunged at her, the moment they touched the black light, were flung back in unison, as if they had slammed into an unyielding wall.
This scene instantly seized the attention of everyone present, Yang Haoran included.
Chen Ying stood frozen, her face etched with terror. Just a moment ago, she had been certain of her demise, but the imagined horror had not come to pass. She had no idea what was happening until she realized the miraculous black light had erupted from her chest. Only then did something click in her mind. She hastily grabbed the black string around her neck and pulled out an object.
It was a black pendant, thumb-sized and square, resembling an unassuming black stone. Yet, this seemingly ordinary pendant was now radiating a profound black light, as if infused with special effects.
Seeing such an ordinary pendant suddenly burst forth with miraculous black light, Chen Ying felt a mix of shock and delight. Recalling the Corpse Puppets being repelled by the black light just moments ago, she felt like a drowning person clutching at a life raft.
But the next moment, she froze. The black pendant suddenly shattered in her hand, revealing a Black Talisman radiating black light. It floated suspended before her, emitting a shroud of black light that enveloped her completely.
The sudden transformation left Chen Ying's mind reeling. She simply couldn't comprehend what was happening. She couldn't believe that the pendant her boyfriend had given her possessed such miraculous properties, and even less that a Black Talisman had been hidden inside.
The glowing pendant, the self-levitating Black Talisman, and the black light enveloping Chen Ying—to her and the other police officers, it was all like a dream. Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such things could occur in this world.
Meanwhile, when Yang Haoran saw the self-levitating Black Talisman, his heart jolted.
"A Black Talisman! It's actually a Black Talisman!"
The Talisman Order's Talisman Masters are categorized into three types: Yellow Talisman Masters, Black Talisman Masters, and Gold Talisman Masters. Correspondingly, their talismans are Yellow Talismans, Black Talismans, and Gold Talismans.
Talisman Masters of different realms are normally unable to draw talismans beyond their own level. Only when one successfully draws a talisman of a higher realm can they advance to become a Talisman Master of that new realm.
Furthermore, the power of talismans drawn by Talisman Masters of different realms varies enormously; the disparity is quite significant.
From Chen Ying's current bewildered expression, it was clear she had no idea that a precious Black Talisman was hidden inside her pendant. But seeing the Black Talisman, Yang Haoran immediately thought of Wang Yiming.
Wang Yiming was Chen Ying's boyfriend. From the previous hotel incident, Yang Haoran knew that Chen Ying was unaware of Wang Yiming's identity as a Talisman Master. This meant Chen Ying had never encountered magical talismans before, which explained her utter shock and confusion now, staring at the Black Talisman floating before her.
It was obvious without a second thought that this talisman must have been a gift from Wang Yiming to Chen Ying. Only, he hadn't given her the talisman directly, but had found a way to hide it inside the pendant before presenting it to his girlfriend, Chen Ying.
Yang Haoran couldn't claim to fully understand Wang Yiming's true strength, but he had witnessed enough to know that Wang Yiming had not reached the realm of a Black Talisman Master. He was merely a Yellow Talisman Master, and among them, one of the weaker ones. He absolutely did not possess the ability to draw a Black Talisman.
This Black Talisman likely wasn't drawn by Wang Yiming himself, but how he obtained it, Yang Haoran couldn't guess at the moment. Nevertheless, for Wang Yiming to give such a precious Black Talisman to his girlfriend for her protection, it was clear just how important she was in his heart.
Yang Haoran only recognized it as a Black Talisman, but he didn't know its specific purpose. Yet, judging from the several Corpse Puppets sent flying by the black light, this Black Talisman evidently had a considerable effect on them.
As expected, the next scene completely confirmed Yang Haoran's suspicions. The Corpse Puppets that had been repelled by the black light got back up. They gazed at Chen Ying within the black light, their faces contorted with madness, their eyes growing even more bloodthirsty. Fearless, they roared and lunged at Chen Ying once more.
Chen Ying's expression instantly turned frantic. She hadn't yet recovered from her shock when the terrifying Corpse Puppets charged at her again, eliciting another scream of fright.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Several dull thuds rang out in quick succession as the Corpse Puppets rushing at Chen Ying were once again sent flying. What was different this time was that previously, the black light had only erupted after the Corpse Puppets had made contact with Chen Ying, repelling them.
But now, the black light continuously enveloped Chen Ying. The Corpse Puppets lunging at her hadn't even touched her body; they were sent flying the moment they merely brushed against the black light.
Although Chen Ying was riddled with questions, seeing the Corpse Puppets rushing at her again being flung back, she understood—even with her mind not working optimally—that the layer of black light enveloping her could protect her.
Having already despaired, hope now reignited in her heart. She felt that she still had a chance.
Another scream echoed, yanking Chen Ying back to reality. She looked towards the source of the sound, only to see yet another colleague tackled by Corpse Puppets. Several of them were frantically gnawing at him. Her colleague screamed and struggled, but it was useless; he couldn't possibly fight off several Corpse Puppets on his own.
Perhaps the presence of the Black Talisman had instilled some courage in Chen Ying. Seeing her colleague struggling on the brink of death, she let out a scream, then grabbed the Black Talisman floating before her and, incredibly, charged directly towards the officer being gnawed upon by several Corpse Puppets.
As she charged, she was like a formidable bulldozer. Any Corpse Puppet that blocked her path or lunged at her was instantly flung away by the black light, without exception.
In the space of a single breath, Chen Ying reached her colleague's side. Before she could even act, the black light directly repelled the several Corpse Puppets still frantically gnawing, revealing a police officer whose entire body had been gnawed to a pulp.
He wasn't dead, but he was barely clinging to life, his body twitching on the ground. He was clearly fading fast.
The sight before her made Chen Ying's body tremble involuntarily, her expression filled with profound grief.
As the sole female in their police squad, she often received extra care from her colleagues. Even in this situation, it was no different. Had the others not continuously protected her, she might well have been one of the two officers just tackled by the Corpse Puppets.
Protected by her colleagues, she had remained unharmed. It was precisely because of this that the Black Talisman she held had not been activated. If it had activated earlier, perhaps their current situation wouldn't have spiraled so terribly.
Chen Ying didn't hesitate for a moment. She immediately helped her twitching colleague on the ground to his feet. Gazing at his face, gnawed beyond recognition, she felt no disgust whatsoever, only an inexpressible heartache.
"Go! Hurry, go! All of you, quickly leave this place! Don't. . . don't. . ."
Before the police officer could finish his words, he drew his last breath, sacrificing himself in this dead silent and eerily supernatural Yangjiawan.
In that moment, Chen Ying could no longer hold back; tears streamed from her eyes.
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