Chapter 6: The White-Haired Zombie Plagues the Village

In the early morning, before dawn, my father brought the shaman back. He had traveled dozens of miles along the mountain roads at night, not knowing how much effort it took to invite the shaman. Li the shaman was as spirited as she had been two years ago, and after dismounting, she hurried into the mountain god's temple with small steps.

The father hurriedly ran towards the stable at home with two people, heading straight for the town, hoping to quickly bring back the shaman to treat Uncle Chen and subdue the monster. Staring at Uncle Chen's dark face and listening to the cries of the mother and daughter, I couldn't sleep all night, pondering what kind of monster could suddenly turn a person into such a state. The monster was terrifying, and the thought of it harming people took root in my young heart

Grandfather stood dazed in place, as the thing he had feared most two years ago had indeed come to pass. When the shadow turned and howled, Grandfather discovered that the exposed fangs and the blood-soaked, white-haired face belonged to the old scholar who had been buried two years prior

You old man, I am not yet so old that I cannot move! Quickly gather the women and children, and the rest follow the chase!" With that, grandfather ran towards the back mountain

It is said that my grandfather and his companions followed the trail of blood directly to the village cemetery, which further confirmed the fact that the dead were causing trouble. They loaded their ammunition and cautiously made their way forward. At that moment, the cemetery was eerily silent, overgrown with wild grass, and some greenish ghostly flames floated quietly in the air, creating a chilling atmosphere. A group of well-built men, upon witnessing this scene, couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as they stealthily approached the center of the cemetery.

Before long, my father came in with everything prepared and said, "Everything is ready, but the child's urine you requested must be obtained from the temple's children." After saying this, he walked over to me and a few other boys, taking out a small basin for us to urinate into. However, the more anxious we became, the harder it was to urinate, and it took a great deal of effort to gather half a basin of child's urine.

At this moment, Chen Mazi lay in the center of the temple, his body completely blackened, even the nails on his hands and feet had turned dark. A putrid stench lingered in the room, and the wound on his chest dripped yellow fluid steadily. Although no one in the room spoke, their gazes were already fixed on him with the look of someone staring at a corpse.

This time, everyone clearly saw that the shadow was the old scholar who had died two years ago, and they all felt a chill in their hearts. How could a dead body still attack people? Could it be the legendary resurrection of the dead? A corpse that has not decayed or rotted for two years, possessing immense strength, impervious to bullets—could it have turned into a zombie? With this thought, everyone felt a jolt in their hearts and followed their grandfather's words as they walked towards the village

Three gunshots rang out in quick succession, striking the shadow. Perhaps sensing the overwhelming number of people, the shadow hesitated for a moment before fleeing into the distance. Just as everyone was about to pursue, the grandfather stopped them, saying: "In this dark night and deep forest, if that creature were to launch a surprise attack like before, it would be difficult to evade. It is better to plan our actions for tomorrow during the day." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Before long, the soil was completely excavated, revealing a coffin. Grandfather pointed his gun directly at the coffin, fearing that a monster might spring out. Chen Mazi picked up a shovel and directly struck the coffin lid, only to find it was empty! The crowd's anxiety was alleviated, but they soon became puzzled about where the body had gone

Grandfather hurriedly sent Father and others to prepare the items needed by the shaman. Upon hearing that there was still hope, Chen Mazi's wife and daughter quickly knelt down again, calling out that the immortal had reincarnated. Li the shaman paused and said, "I can only give it a try, but the time the corpse poison and evil energy have been in the body is too long. Even if I manage to save his life, he will probably just be a fool." Upon hearing this, the two women burst into tears; they could save his life, but becoming a fool left them uncertain whether to feel joy or sorrow. Li the shaman paused and said, "I can only give it a try, but the time the corpse poison and evil energy have been in the body is too long. Even if I manage to save his life, he will probably just be a fool." Upon hearing this, the two women burst into tears; they could save his life, but becoming a fool left them uncertain whether to feel joy or sorrow

Upon hearing the sound of the shotgun, my father and others quickly ran over. Upon seeing the horrific state of Chen San's death, most people screamed in terror. This night was destined to be anything but peaceful, as the village's tranquility was shattered by waves of screams that were not meant to disturb her serenity

Having walked less than two miles, a loud "thud" was heard as Chen Mazi fell to the ground. The crowd hurried to help him up, only to find his complexion as dark as coal, with a gaping wound on his chest that was already festering, oozing black blood as if he were poisoned. Upon seeing the situation before them, everyone panicked, and the grandfather ordered them to carry Chen San swiftly back to the village

Father, let me go with you. I am worried about you being alone." The father hurriedly replied

The grandfather's face was filled with a look of regret; he had been blaming himself for a long time over Chen San's death. He believed that if it had not been for his carelessness, Chen San would not have fallen victim to the monster. After steadying himself, he said: "Dachun, organize the villagers, especially the elderly, women, and children, to gather together and take up weapons for protection, in case that monster makes a surprise return. The rest of us should grab our hunting rifles and follow me; let us confront this damned monster!"

Most people were suddenly brought here while sleeping, not understanding what had happened. Upon seeing the stance of their father and others, they hurriedly asked, "Could it be that the little devils have attacked again? We should flee!" The father had no choice but to recount in detail the incident of the monster eating Chen San. After hearing this, the villagers present were filled with fear; some of the older ones knelt before the statue of the Mountain God, praying for protection to capture the monster and restore peace to the village

I was still dozing in my mother's arms when I heard my grandfather's loud voice calling my father's name. Two men rushed in carrying Uncle Mazi, whose face was ashen and whose chest was festering, appearing as if he were dead. Upon seeing this, two women, Aunt Mazi and his daughter, collapsed beside him and began to wail loudly.

Li Shenpo helped the mother and daughter to their feet and said, "Life and death are determined by fate. As long as there is a breath left in me, I will do my utmost. Please get up first so that I can see the injured person." After saying this, he stepped forward to examine Chen Mazi's condition. Upon seeing that the nails on his hands and feet had turned black, he was greatly alarmed. He hurriedly lifted his eyelids and noticed that there was still some white in his pupils. He exhaled deeply and said, "The nails on the injured person's hands and feet have turned black, indicating the invasion of corpse poison. Fortunately, there is still some white in the pupils. If the pupils were completely overtaken by black, it would truly be beyond saving!" He continued, "Now, quickly gather some glutinous rice, boy's urine, a fire pit, and also go to the grave to find a few robust wild grasses. Hurry, this matter cannot be delayed!"

The shaman took the items, burned the grass from the grave in a fire basin until it turned to ashes, and poured it into a basin of boy's urine. After mixing and stirring for a while, it formed a black paste. Using glutinous rice, she applied this paste to Chen Mazi's wound. After one-third of a stick of incense had burned, she replaced the glutinous rice and paste with a new batch. In about half an hour, Chen Mazi's wound showed significant improvement, his complexion changed from pitch black to light black, and finally to a rosy hue. His body also returned to its previous skin tone, and his breathing gradually stabilized. Witnessing this miraculous scene, everyone in the temple expressed their astonishment.

The Mountain God Temple has been built for over 300 years and is the largest house in the village, accommodating many people who can only temporarily make do here. Villages that rely on the mountains typically have a Mountain God Temple, just as places near lakes and seas often have Dragon King Temples. When venturing into the mountains to hunt, people seek a meal from the Mountain God, so the temple is often maintained by those who come to offer incense, making it appear bright and clean.

I heard my father's words piercing through me as I trembled in my mother's embrace, too afraid to lift my head. My mother, seemingly unafraid, gently patted my head, soothing me to sleep. Fearing and worrying about my grandfather's comfort, I could not fall asleep that night.

The father followed closely behind the footsteps of the priestess Li, and Aunt Ma and her daughter, upon seeing the priestess rise, bowed deeply, their heads knocking against the ground with a loud thud. They cried out, "Great Immortal Li, please help my family; he is the pillar of our household, and he must not come to harm. Our entire family bows to you!"

Grandfather, upon seeing the monster's visage, immediately headed towards Li Xiucai's grave. As he approached, he noticed that the soil on the grave was scattered on the ground as if it had just been turned over. Grandfather commanded everyone to use their tools to dig open the grave, wanting to see what was inside. He pointed his shotgun at the gravehead from a distance. A man around forty years old, wielding a shovel, began to dig vigorously, cursing loudly as he worked, vowing to find the monster and crush its bones to avenge Chen San. This man was none other than Chen San's own brother, Chen Mazi. Although he usually looked down upon Chen San's actions, they were, after all, blood brothers, and seeing his brother's tragic death filled him with grief and rage.

In the night, I heard several screams and gunshots before drifting back into a hazy sleep. After a while, my father rushed into the house, picked me up, and said a few words to my mother before heading outside together. I heard the increasing clamor of people, and, weary, I opened my eyes to see many of my friends being carried by their mothers towards the village's central mountain god temple. The number of people kept growing; the elderly, children, and women were gathered and sheltered inside the temple, while my father and many uncles stood guard at the entrance with hunting rifles and steel forks.

We encountered a monster attack in the graveyard. In a moment of carelessness, Chen Mazi was scratched, and before long, he ended up like this. Dachun, take two people and ride quickly to the town to find the shaman from last time; seeing a doctor is useless for this illness! The rest of you should remain vigilant tonight and be on guard against monster attacks. You two stop crying; crying won't solve anything for now. He is fortunate and has a strong fate, and he will surely be fine!" Grandfather said solemnly

Grandfather recalled that Chen Mazi had been grabbed by a monster and inquired whether he was seriously harmed. "Old man, you need not worry; I am fine. This time, I owe my life to you. Next time, I will definitely kill that damned monster!" Chen Mazi replied with great vigor.

A dark shadow suddenly leaped down from a nearby tree, lunging directly at Chen Mazhi. Its sharp, black claws aimed for his throat, and it seemed that his life was about to end. With a loud "bang," his grandfather's hunting rifle struck the shadow in the face, momentarily halting its forward momentum. The claws missed his throat and instead tore through his shirt, leaving a gash on his chest from which blood began to flow. Fortunately, he escaped a certain death.