Chapter Nineteen: Revenge and Redemption, Taking the First Steps!

Liu Xue choked back a sob, unable to refute his words. When Qin Feng was alive, she had detested him, blaming him for holding her back. Had it not been for him, she would have long since married a wealthy man. Yet, now that he was dead, she felt a strange, lingering sense of longing. After killing him, she had kept the gold necklace he once bought for her, intending to hold onto it as a memento, but she realized now that she would have to discard it after all.

Liu Xue followed Li Bufan as they drew closer to the rooftop door.

"THUD!"

A corpse suddenly slammed into their path. Li Bufan and Liu Xue recoiled in terror, their faces draining of color when they saw the horrific state of the body.

"Hhh-!"

Qin Feng parted his lips slightly, a wisp of corpse miasma escaping his mouth. With a single leap, he landed directly in front of them. His face was green and fanged, his fingernails long and sharp—the sight left the pair collapsing to the ground in a heap.

"P-please... no... don't kill me..." Li Bufan begged in terror, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Stay... stay away... don't come any closer..." Liu Xue pressed her back against the wall, scrambling backward until there was nowhere left to go.

"Liu Xue, Li Bufan—it’s only been a few days; have you forgotten me so soon?" Qin Feng looked down at them with cold, indifferent eyes. These were the two wretches who had killed him. The resentment in his heart erupted like a volcano, impossible to suppress.

"You... you..." Liu Xue’s eyes widened, staring at him in disbelief. She had clearly guessed his identity, but she found it too terrifying to accept.

"That’s right, it’s me. Didn't expect this, did you? Thanks to you, I’ve returned as a zombie to exact my revenge!" Qin Feng’s eyes were filled with malice.

"You! You’re Qin Feng!?" Li Bufan’s scalp went numb with fear.

"Enough, your time is up!" Qin Feng reached out his right hand, grabbed Li Bufan by the throat, and hoisted him into the air.

"Gk... gurgle..." Li Bufan kicked his legs frantically, struggling to choke out a plea. "Qin... Qin Feng... you can't kill me... murder is a crime. I... I can give you money, as much as you want. Please, spare me! It was Liu Xue who killed you, it had nothing to do with me! She seduced me, I was forced into it!"

Qin Feng offered a cold, mirthless smile. He opened his necrotic jaws and sank his teeth into Li Bufan’s neck. Li Bufan’s body shuddered, his mouth emitting a bubbling sound of blood. His struggles grew weaker and weaker, until he finally fell still.

As the blood entered his body, Qin Feng felt an immense surge of energy flooding his limbs. This energy seemed to carry a special potency, far greater than that contained in the blood of the Yiyang Sect deacon.

He could clearly feel the changes in his body. His fingernails grew sharper and more pointed; the fangs at the corners of his mouth lengthened; his stiff, rigid legs began to soften. His power climbed at a visible rate.

"Boom!"

He broke through directly to the mid-stage of a Leaping Zombie.

"I actually broke through." Qin Feng was filled with surprise. He hadn't expected his revenge to come with such a bonus. After draining Li Bufan, he cast the corpse aside and grabbed Liu Xue.

"No... no... Qin Feng... spare me... I love you. I really do! Don't you remember our time in school? And the gold necklace you gave me, I’ve always worn it. I was wrong... I truly know I was wrong. I didn't mean to kill you, it was Li Bufan—he threatened me! He said if I didn't stay with him, he would use his connections to go after my parents."

"CRACK!"

Qin Feng sank his teeth in, giving her no chance to continue. He had seen through this woman completely. Even at death's door, she still tried to deceive him. Did she really think he was still the same fool as before?

He inhaled deeply. As the blood entered him, it was just as he had expected. Liu Xue’s blood was also rich with potent energy, even more so than Li Bufan’s. They were both ordinary people; logically, their blood shouldn't have been this potent. The only explanation was that they were his murderers. When a zombie takes revenge and consumes the blood of its killers, it receives a massive boost—much like how a vengeful spirit’s power undergoes a transformative change after exacting retribution.

Dense corpse qi swirled around Qin Feng, and a powerful, chilling aura radiated in all directions.

"Crackle!"

A series of pops echoed from within him. It felt as if his entire skeletal structure had loosened and his meridians had been cleared. After consuming Liu Xue's blood, he did not reach another realm, remaining at the mid-stage of a Leaping Zombie, but his entire body felt light. Before, it had felt as if a mountain were constantly pressing down on him, but now, that weight had vanished.

He took a light leap, soaring over six meters into the air—a full two-meter increase from before. The most significant change, however, was in his legs. His hip and knee joints now felt capable of movement.

Qin Feng tentatively took a step. It was taxing, requiring a great deal of effort, and his movements were stiffer than those of a robot. Yet, this small step filled him with excitement. If he could take one step, he could take two, three, or four. Just like speaking, as long as he practiced, he would surely master the skill of walking.

Without delay, he exerted himself, moving his feet again and again. Each step became easier and smoother than the last. After ten minutes of adaptation, he could walk around the rooftop as naturally as any living person. Finally, he broke into a run, his speed so great that he left a trail of afterimages. He covered the five-hundred-meter perimeter of the rooftop in a mere twenty seconds.

"ROAR!"

Coming to a halt, Qin Feng, overwhelmed by excitement, looked up at the moon and let out a long howl. He had finally done it—he could walk. His legs were agile and flexible, no different from a normal person's. Once he returned, he could learn the 'Pace of the Dipper' technique from his aunt. With that skill, he would have a means of survival even if he faced powerful Taoist masters, and it would give him a tremendous advantage in combat.

Although his great revenge was complete, he still needed to increase his strength to survive. He had to expand his zombie army and elevate his overall power. Otherwise, even a small group like the Yiyang Sect could cost him his life. He did not want to die. Since he had become a zombie, he would live well. If not for himself, he would live for his aunt.

Gathering his focus, Qin Feng looked at the eighteen zombies that had undergone transformation. All of them had reached the early stage of a Black Zombie—the same level the Yiyang Sect deacon had reached upon his own transformation. It appeared that the deacon’s level wasn't due to his personal strength, for if it were, these people wouldn't have reached the same state.

"Could it be because of my own strength?" Qin Feng mused. When he was a Black Zombie, his fellow disciples had transformed into White Zombies. Later, when he reached the Leaping Zombie stage, this group had transformed into Black Zombies. He wasn't certain if this was the case, but he would verify it next time he had the chance. If it were true, it would be heaven-defying. Once he broke through to the Furry Zombie stage, could he create Leaping Zombies in batches? Once he reached the Golden Armored Zombie stage, could he mass-produce Silver Armored Zombies? Combined with their ability to absorb his corpse qi to rapidly increase their own strength, he would be invincible.

Building a zombie army was within reach; the future was bright indeed.