Chapter 111: I'll Take a Look
This world has never been as simple as it appears on the surface, and the Lecheng police force is no exception.
Before he became a Night Watcher, Yang Haoran's understanding of the Lecheng police naturally only scratched the surface. However, once he became a Night Watcher, he realized that the Lecheng police force was not as simple as it seemed.
Lecheng's police officers were divided into two types: one was ordinary police, like Chen Ying and her colleagues.
The other type was the Spirit Police, who all possessed special abilities to varying degrees, entirely different from ordinary police.
However, the Spirit Police were a special and mysterious force. Not only did outsiders know little about them, but even within the Lecheng police force itself, those aware of their existence were few and far between.
Moreover, whether outsider or internal police, even if they had heard of the Spirit Police's existence, they wouldn't necessarily believe it, which resulted in even fewer ordinary people knowing of their presence.
Yang Haoran had only learned of the Spirit Police's existence from a few books he had found, belonging to Jiang Dashi.
Given the current situation, he estimated that there couldn't be many survivors left in the entire Yangjiawan. Under these circumstances, it was most appropriate for the Lecheng police to dispatch the Spirit Police to handle it; otherwise, should even a single Corpse Puppet escape, it would spell disaster.
The reason he stubbornly refused to leave was that he had not yet found his parents.
As long as they weren't found, there was still hope. Even if that hope was but a faint flicker, he refused to abandon it.
Outside the courtyard, Chen Ying cast a final glance at Yang Haoran, her expression complicated, before finally departing.
She had no choice but to leave, for many Corpse Puppets had also appeared outside the courtyard, sensing the aura of living people and approaching in this direction. If they didn't leave soon, the scene of being "wrapped like dumplings" would repeat itself.
She had clearly witnessed the miraculous power Yang Haoran had just displayed; she was certain he was no ordinary person. Though the current situation was perilous, Yang Haoran might not necessarily perish here, but they were different. If they didn't leave immediately, the moment the Black Talisman's power ran out would be their death knell.
She wasn't afraid to sacrifice for her beliefs, but she didn't want to make a meaningless sacrifice.
With Chen Ying and the others gone, only Yang Haoran remained in the courtyard. Without others to divert the Corpse Puppets' attention, at this moment, all Corpse Puppets fixed their gaze upon Yang Haoran.
Undoubtedly, they all regarded Yang Haoran as food.
Yang Haoran's expression was grim. He still chose to evade as much as possible rather than actively attack. Although he possessed a certain cunning, when it came to his own relatives, he was genuinely sincere.
"If you don’t act soon, in half an hour at most, you’ll be pounced on, gnawed to pieces, and then become one of them. Do you believe me?"
A woman's voice suddenly reached him, startling Yang Haoran. He looked towards the source of the sound, and his astonishment instantly doubled.
Without him realizing, Xu Meijing had appeared out of thin air in an inconspicuous corner of the courtyard. Logically, with Yang Haoran's current sensory abilities, he should have been able to detect the Yin Qi emanating from her as soon as she approached. But the truth was otherwise; he hadn't sensed Xu Meijing's presence before she spoke.
The shock in his heart was written all over his face. Xu Meijing saw it, smiled coldly, and said with an air of aloofness, "What’s there to be surprised about? I just arrived, which is why you didn’t sense my presence. However, the expression on your face right now is what a normal person should look like; it’s far more pleasing to the eye than that disgusting smile of yours."
"Why are you here? " Yang Haoran frowned deeply, asking in a low voice.
Xu Meijing strode towards Yang Haoran, hands tucked into her pockets, step by unhurried step. She looked as if she were taking a leisurely stroll in her own backyard, utterly devoid of any tension.
"I sensed the presence of Corpse Qi on you. It was a bit strange, so I came to take a look."
Xu Meijing wore an indifferent expression. As she spoke, several Corpse Puppets lunged at her, claws bared and teeth gnashing. She didn't even spare them a glance, her steps not faltering in the slightest, allowing the Corpse Puppets to pounce on her.
"Watch out! " Yang Haoran's face changed, and he quickly called out a warning.
But the next moment, Yang Haoran froze. Xu Meijing's Yin Qi suddenly intensified, and the Corpse Puppets lunging at her were thrown back before they could even get close, repelled by the potent energy.
At that moment, Yang Haoran truly realized the disparity in power between himself and Xu Meijing. If it were him, even with a full-power attack, he wouldn't be able to achieve such an effortless and nonchalant result.
However, he wasn't surprised by Xu Meijing's formidable strength. Aside from last month, the number of souls Xu Meijing submitted each month was quite terrifying, and the benefits she received were naturally self-evident. Furthermore, Xu Meijing had joined the Night Watchers much earlier than him, so her strength was far beyond anything he could compare to.
Corpse Puppets possessed no thought, no pain, and no fear. Even when repelled by Xu Meijing's Yin Qi, they didn't cease their advance. They swarmed towards Xu Meijing, one after another, but the outcome was always the same: as soon as they approached her, they were sent flying by the Yin Qi emanating from her body.
As for Xu Meijing, she hadn't spared these Corpse Puppets a single glance from beginning to end, nor had she removed her hands from her pockets. By the time she arrived step by step before Yang Haoran, several waves of Corpse Puppets had already been repelled by the Yin Qi surrounding her.
Stopping her steps, Xu Meijing finally cast a glance over the densely packed Corpse Puppets in the courtyard, then spoke with her characteristic aloofness, "Zombies aren’t like ordinary ghosts. The Spirit Power within us doesn’t have much of a restrictive effect on them, making them quite difficult to deal with."
Yang Haoran's mouth twitched slightly. Xu Meijing had strolled along with unhurried grace, with several waves of Corpse Puppets rushing at her, yet she hadn’t made a single move. She had simply used the Yin Qi emanating from her body to swat them away like flies. The sheer number of Corpse Puppets couldn't even get close to her, illustrating the immense disparity in their power. Yet, she was now telling Yang Haoran that zombies were difficult to deal with, which couldn't help but make him feel a surge of irritation.
"Are you showing off in front of me? " Yang Haoran asked, his mouth twitching a few more times.
Xu Meijing smiled coldly, speaking with an arrogant air, "Showing off? Not quite. I’m simply stating a fact. These Corpse Puppets are merely the lowest-grade zombies, easy to deal with, of course. But dealing with higher-grade Corpse Ghouls wouldn't be so simple."
As she spoke, another wave of Corpse Puppets attacked. The result was the same: they were repelled by the Yin Qi emanating from her body before they could even approach Xu Meijing.
Because Xu Meijing was right in front of Yang Haoran, he also benefited this time. The Corpse Puppets couldn't get close to Xu Meijing, and thus they couldn't get close to him either.
"Let’s go. Are you going to stay here and wait to join their ranks? " Xu Meijing ignored the Corpse Puppets, shot Yang Haoran a glance, and said with an aloof expression.
Xu Meijing's words hit close to home, but Yang Haoran could sense her good intentions. This woman, whom he thoroughly disliked, wanted to lead him away from this dangerous place.
Yang Haoran was surprised by Xu Meijing's sudden appearance, and he was even more surprised by her current desire to take him away.
However, he still shook his head.
Xu Meijing frowned, a look of displeasure on her face. She said, "Are you ill? You don't want to attack them, yet you don't want to leave. What exactly do you intend to do?"
Yang Haoran remained silent, not speaking.
Seeing Yang Haoran remain silent, Xu Meijing couldn't help but feel annoyed. She continued, "If they’re turning into Corpse Puppets, that means there’s a Corpse Ghoul present here. If it’s a free-range, wild Corpse Ghoul, that’s one thing. But if all of this is man-made, then we have a problem."
Xu Meijing's words caused Yang Haoran's expression to involuntarily shift. He had, of course, considered the possibility of a Corpse Ghoul, given that all his clansmen had become Corpse Puppets. But he had overlooked a crucial point, and Xu Meijing's words had just given him a stark reminder.
Corpse Ghouls could be artificially refined or naturally formed. So, was the Corpse Ghoul that appeared in Yangjiawan artificially refined or naturally formed?
If it was the former, then it could only be said that Yangjiawan was fated for this calamity, and no one else could be blamed.
But if it was the latter, then the tragedy currently unfolding in Yangjiawan was very likely a premeditated massacre!
Seeing Yang Haoran still silent, standing rooted to the spot in deep thought, Xu Meijing's last shred of patience was wearing thin. She urged, "Are you leaving or not?"
"I haven't found my parents yet. I have to find them first, otherwise—"
Yang Haoran finally spoke, but his voice abruptly cut off before he could finish his sentence.
Several more Corpse Puppets crawled out of the house, scuttling on the ground like spiders, their necks and limbs twisted into horrific angles, resembling poorly-made puppets forcefully stitched together.
Yang Haoran's gaze fell upon these few Corpse Puppets, and his body instantly trembled violently, as if he had been struck by lightning.
Among these Corpse Puppets, he saw two familiar figures. Even though their faces had been largely gnawed away, and their limbs were twisted, making them crawl like spiders on the ground, he still saw the lingering shadows of their past selves on these two Corpse Puppets—shadows that were both familiar and dear.
Seeing Yang Haoran once again frozen like a block of wood, Xu Meijing's last sliver of patience vanished. She was about to curse Yang Haoran a few times and then turn to leave this troubled place, but she suddenly noticed that Yang Haoran's expression was wrong.
At this moment, Yang Haoran's expression was vacant, his entire being like a statue, as if time itself had frozen around him.
Before Xu Meijing could even open her mouth to ask, two lines of glistening tears rolled down from Yang Haoran's eyes.
This sight caused an involuntary tremor in Xu Meijing's heart.
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