Chapter Twenty-One: A Salute to Fellow Daoist Qin Feng!

Guided by the middle-aged man, the two soon arrived at the northern suburbs of Songshan City. Once they reached the outskirts, the population thinned out, and the surroundings grew exceptionally cold and quiet. Looking out, the high-rises gave way to rolling mountain ranges covered in lush, dense forests.

Stopping outside a dilapidated temple, the middle-aged man paused. "Fellow Daoist Qin Feng, we have arrived."

Daoist White Crane looked toward Qin Feng. Along the way, Qin Feng had learned the name of his companion, and in return, he had told him his own name was Qin Feng. Given the many deacons in the Yiyang Sect, Daoist White Crane had no idea which specific deacon had been sent to deal with the zombies. Even if he gave his real name, the man would have no reason to suspect anything.

However, the air within the ruined temple was thick with the presence of many practitioners of the Dao. Some were strong—stronger even than Daoist White Crane—while others were as weak as the inner-sect disciples of the Yiyang Sect, possessing only the initial level of Qi cultivation.

"Fellow Daoist White Crane, weren't we looking for a thousand-year-old ginseng? Why are we here?" Qin Feng asked, trying to remain calm, though his scalp began to prickle.

There were dozens of Taoist practitioners inside. He had effectively been led straight into the lion's den. If he had known this, he never would have agreed to come. If his identity were exposed, he wouldn't even have a place to weep.

"True, but rare treasures are often guarded by powerful monsters. Furthermore, the treasures themselves possess significant strength, making them difficult to obtain alone. We have all agreed to unite against common enemies, but when it comes to securing the treasure, it will be every man for himself," Daoist White Crane explained with a nod.

With that, he walked toward the temple. Qin Feng had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

Once inside, a large group of Taoists sat around a bonfire. There were old and young alike, and some of the seated practitioners had several disciples standing behind them.

The moment Qin Feng stepped into the temple, everyone’s eyes snapped open, locking onto him with sharp, piercing gazes. Instantly, Qin Feng felt as if he were being stared down by dozens of ferocious beasts. He felt completely uneasy, as if he were about to be torn to shreds at any second.

"Corpse aura?"
"A zombie!?"
"How bold! A mere hopping zombie dares to act so brazenly in our presence!"

Several white-haired, elderly Taoists let out low growls.

"Fellow Daoists, please, there's been a misunderstanding!" Daoist White Crane quickly interjected. "Fellow Daoist Qin Feng is a deacon of the Yiyang Sect; he is not a zombie."

"Daoist White Crane, this corpse is emitting a dense aura of death. You tell us it's not a zombie? You brought it here, so you had better provide a reasonable explanation," one old Taoist said, glaring at him with hostility.

"Have you ever seen a hopping zombie that walks like a man? Have you ever seen one that can speak?" Daoist White Crane countered.

The old Taoist hesitated, then shook his head. "No, I have not."

"Exactly. Fellow Daoist Qin Feng was ordered to Songshan City to eradicate zombies, but he was bitten and infected with corpse poison. He is on the verge of turning, which is why you mistook him for a monster. At first, I too thought he was a zombie or perhaps an evil cultivator practicing dark arts. But he is neither. Fellow Daoist Qin Feng has slain hundreds of demons and ghosts in his life; he is a model for our sect and a pioneer of our path. He should not be mistaken for a monster. Whoever dares to call him a zombie again is going against me!"

Daoist White Crane drew the peach-wood sword from his back and slammed it into the ground with a display of authority. There were few people he truly admired, and Deacon Qin Feng was one of them. He respected those like Qin Feng who engaged demons and ghosts in real combat, unlike many others who were all talk and had never actually killed a single monster. Most of the people present had likely not even killed ten.

"That is true. I did hear that a zombie had appeared in Songshan City and that the Yiyang Sect had sent a deacon to deal with it."
"I heard the same."
"It seems he really isn't a zombie, but a deacon of the Yiyang Sect!"
"Immeasurable Heaven. Fellow Daoist Qin Feng, I apologize for my previous misunderstanding."
"Slain hundreds of demons? Is that for real?"
"Keep your voice down. Real or not, he gave his life to fight the zombies; that alone deserves our respect."

The crowd buzzed with murmurs. One of the old Taoists stood up and shouted, "Fellow disciples of the Dao, pay your respects to Fellow Daoist Qin Feng!"

In an instant, dozens of Taoists, including Daoist White Crane, bowed in unison toward Qin Feng.

Qin Feng was stunned. He was a hopping zombie, yet dozens of Taoist masters were bowing to him. If this weren't unprecedented, it certainly would never happen again. If word got out, other monsters and spirits would be shocked to death.

"Fellow Daoists, please, no need for such formalities. Please, rise," Qin Feng reflexively reached out his hands to gesture for them to stand.

He regretted the action the moment his hands were extended. His palms were withered and black, tipped with ten long, sharp fingernails that shimmered with an eerie, menacing light. The sight made the practitioners freeze once more. Everyone wondered to themselves if this really wasn't a zombie.

But then they reconsidered. Hopping zombies had no intelligence and could not speak. It was truly incredible that he could suppress the corpse poison and retain his humanity despite his physical state.

"Fellow Daoist Qin Feng... you..." Daoist White Crane grabbed Qin Feng’s hands, his eyes moist with emotion as he said from the bottom of his heart, "You have suffered!"

"There is no suffering in this. To slay demons and eradicate evil, I would face a mountain of blades or a sea of fire without hesitation. Giving my humble life is nothing, and this corpse poison is merely a symbol of my honor. I only regret my lack of strength in failing to eliminate that zombie," Qin Feng said righteously.

At that moment, everyone looked at him with profound reverence.

"Fellow Daoist Qin Feng, rest assured, we will avenge you after you pass!"
"That's right! We will not return to our sects until that zombie is dead!"
"Demons and evil spirits must be purged by all; this monster must die!"
"Once we secure the treasure, we can organize a campaign to slay the zombie. Only then can your soul rest in peace, Fellow Daoist."

The group was filled with righteous indignation and murderous intent.

"Well... everyone, that is really unnecessary," Qin Feng said with an awkward smile. He had just been speaking for effect; he hadn't expected them to get so worked up. One or two people would have been fine, but now they all wanted to kill him—and were planning a whole campaign to do it.

"Enough, we can discuss this later. Since Daoist White Crane has arrived, we can set off," one of the old Taoists said.

"Yes, we must hurry. Once we obtain the thousand-year-old ginseng, perhaps we can use it to purge the corpse poison from Fellow Daoist Qin Feng."
"Fellow Daoist Qin Feng, why don't you lead the way?" another added.
"I agree!"
"I have no objections."

The others voiced their support. Qin Feng didn't hesitate; he waved his hand and commanded, "Let's go!"

Following that, dozens of Taoist masters, led by Qin Feng the hopping zombie, marched out of the temple in a grand procession.

Not long after they left, a ghostly figure appeared on a withered paulownia tree inside the ruined temple.

"Damn it, strange things happen every year, but this year is particularly bizarre. What is wrong with these stubborn old goats tonight? They spend all day shouting about slaying demons, yet now they are walking side-by-side with a zombie? They even follow its orders. Are they not afraid of losing their sect's reputation?" The figure frowned, deeply confused.

On the other side, Qin Feng led the large group of Taoists into the deep, rolling mountains. It was deep into the night, and the forest was silent. The group moved with incredible speed, like martial arts masters from a film, leaping across treetops with ease.

It is said that deep mountains are full of ghosts and monsters, but wherever they passed, there was absolutely no sign of anything strange. With so many Taoist masters gathered together, any demon or spirit would have long since hidden away.

After traveling for about half an hour, Daoist White Crane finally brought the group to a halt in front of a hidden cave entrance. He consulted his compass, which had a talisman pasted onto it, the needle pointing directly toward the mouth of the cave.

"Fellow Daoists, we have arrived," Daoist White Crane said in a low, serious voice.

He had performed a ritual on the compass to track the scent of the thousand-year-old ginseng. When Qin Feng first learned of this, he had been thoroughly shocked. No wonder the people from the Yiyang Sect had been able to track him down.