Wayfarer

Chapter 723: Let Me Borrow Your Body

Xiao Nanfeng didn't have to wait in the valley for long before a shadowy figure emerged.

"You're still alive, Xiao Nanfeng!" the figure exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. "Are you cursing me, Black Dog?"

"No, no. Something strange is going on, and the zombies are killing cultivators everywhere within this hidden realm. You're rather incredible to have survived being chased by a group of cultivators one moment and zombies the next."

"Aren't you doing fine, too?"

"I was just lucky. Quite a number of us were attacked by zombies. Even Master found himself besieged by them twice."

"That's normal."

"What's normal?" Black Dog cocked his head, confused.

"I was just about to mention it. It's lucky that I managed to encounter you here, too, all things considered. I wasn't sure if you'd have seen my signal."

"We might not have. Master left Qilin Cave after acquiring the golden bamboo scroll, but he said that, considering how dangerous the situation was growing and the favor he still owes you, he can't just leave you here to die. We take turns keeping guard outside of the Qilin Cave in case you ever use that signal flare. If you do, we're to lead you to the rest of our retinue as fulfillment of the favor."

Xiao Nanfeng laughed. "Yang Chuan really is an interesting man. He likes to be upfront about his favors, doesn't he?"

"Naturally. My master is an honorable gentleman," Black Dog bragged.

"You don't carry around the treasures you obtained in the black coffin hidden realm with you, do you?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"How did you know?" Black Dog exclaimed. "I don't need those treasures. Plenty of my fellow cultivators died this time around, so I donated everything I got to help support their families."

Xiao Nanfeng smiled. "That's the origin of your luck."

"Oh?" Black Dog frowned, then seemed to come to a conclusion. "You mean that there's something wrong with the treasures from this hidden realm?"

"That's right. The zombies can sense the location of the treasures that came from within the hidden realm, even if they're in storage bangles or the like. That's why the zombies can find you no matter where you go."

Black Dog blanched. "So that's how it is. Master's in huge danger, then!"

"Oh?"

"I have to report to Master right away!" Black Dog shouted anxiously. "You should join me. There's safety in numbers, after all."

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"Let's go."

The two cultivators shot into the air. Black Dog led the way.

As they flew, they noticed a lot of zombies headed in a certain direction. A huge rumble came from afar, causing Xiao Nanfeng to frown.

He hurriedly held Black Dog back.

"What're you doing?!" Black Dog exclaimed.

"Don't head over. Hurry up and hide!"

Xiao Nanfeng pulled Black Dog into the forests right below them. Black Dog didn't know what was going on, but he followed Xiao Nanfeng's lead and retracted his aura.

In the distance, a huge explosion sent Yang Chuan flying into the air. His robes were tattered, and he was in bad shape. Not only that, a cloud of bloody fog had surrounded him. Bloody fangs seemed to manifest from within the fog, piercing his flesh and extracting a stream of blue energy from within. Yang Chuan's features distorted in pain. He had been pinned in place and couldn't escape.

"Master!" Black Dog made to rush over as Xiao Nanfeng leapt toward him to hold him down. "Are you crazy? Don't you see how many zombie kings there are over there?!"

Black Dog turned to see six zombie kings with black crowns high in the air. They were surrounding Yang Chuan and attacking him together with clouds of bloody fog. Yang Chuan writhed in pain.

Behind the zombie kings was a larger zombie king with a golden crown. No black smoke drifted out from around its body. It was holding onto a relic—the golden bamboo scroll Yang Chuan had managed to obtain.

"Six zombie kings all at once? How's Master going to escape?" Black Dog cried out in panic.

"Not just six. That golden-crowned zombie king is likely a Boundless Immortal as well. No one can save Yang Chuan but himself now." Xiao Nanfeng shook his head.

"I'll head over and attract their attention. That'll give Master the opportunity he needs to escape!" Black Dog said resolutely.

Just then, three figures shot into the air from a forest in the distance, trailed by a horde of zombies.

"Those are the three Great Sages that serve Master! They're wounded, too?" Black Dog exclaimed.

As the three sages closed in on Yang Chuan, the zombies trailing after them attacked and pierced through their chests. Their lives were in the balance.

"Flee, Southern Aspect! We'll become your subordinates again in a future life. Explode!" they shouted.

The three sages detonated their own bodies in a frightening wave of energy that sent all the ordinary zombies in the vicinity flying. The strength of the explosion carried all the way into the bloody fog that surrounded Yang Chuan, freeing him from the fangs that pierced his body.

"No!" Yang Chuan shouted.

He took advantage of the opportunity to release a burst of tremendous force that caused even the six zombie kings to reel.

He glanced back at the location where his three subordinates had sacrificed themselves on his behalf, then turned to flee.

"Don't let him escape. Chase after him!" the golden-crowned zombie king commanded.

The six zombie kings rushed toward him, and they all quickly vanished from sight.

The golden-crowned zombie king followed after them, along with a horde of ordinary zombies.

Xiao Nanfeng remained hidden with Black Dog in the darkness as they reined in their auras until all the zombies had departed.

Black Dog grimaced. "The three sages don't have avatars. They..."

"The dead are dead. Focus on the living. Yang Chuan's life is on the line. He must have paid a heavy price to free himself just now. Do you know how to find him?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I can track him with my nose," Black Dog replied. "Follow me."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

The two cultivators pursued Yang Chuan for an entire day. Yang Chuan had roamed all over in huge circles to prevent the zombies from finding him, weakening himself and exacerbating his injuries in the process. Eventually, the zombies lost track of him after a day.

When Xiao Nanfeng and Black Dog arrived at a secluded valley to find the exhausted Yang Chuan, he raised his head wearily. "Who's there?"

The pursuit he had undergone left him easily spooked. He was almost about to fly away when Black Dog called out, "Master, it's me!"

Yang Chuan sighed in relief upon hearing Black Dog's voice.

The two cultivators rushed into the valley to see Yang Chuan lying in a pool of blood. He was in an extremely weak state, his robes tattered and his body covered with wounds. His eyes were even having trouble staying open.

"Master!" Black Dog shot forward.

He quickly fed Yang Chuan a few pills he had on hand. Yang Chuan clearly trusted Black Dog deeply, swallowing the proffered pills without any hesitation.

Then, he turned to glance at Xiao Nanfeng with some surprise, though no wariness. He closed his eyes and quickly began to digest the medicinal essence of the pills.

After some time, once some color returned to his face, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled wryly. "Martial Aspect Xiao, you've seen me at my worst."

"You have my respect for taking on seven zombie kings alone, Southern Aspect Yang. I was just about to ask if you still had more treasures from the black coffin hidden realm in your possession. If so, hand them over to me immediately. I can deal with them on your behalf."

Yang Chuan grimaced. "I was careless. If I hadn't detonated those relics to stop the zombie kings' advance, I wouldn't have realized that they were what exposed my whereabouts. I don't have any more on hand."

He had clearly guessed how the zombie kings were able to pinpoint his location so accurately—but by then, it was already too late.

"Master, are the generals..." Black Dog trailed off, worried.

Yang Chuan's eyes glimmered with tears. He nodded. "I was responsible."

Black Dog fell silent. He had no further questions; it was obvious everyone in Yang Chuan's retinue had died. He knew just how close Yang Chuan was to his subordinates, and their deaths were something that would take time and effort to process.

"What are your next steps, Martial Aspect Yang?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Yang Chuan sighed. "The black coffin hidden realm doesn't have an exit—at least, not one we can find. I've had my subordinates' avatars contact the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue in hopes that he'll lend his assistance."

"Surely there's a better option?" Xiao Nanfeng sighed.

Yang Chuan fell silent, then sighed. "I know. There's been so many deaths here lately that no cultivators are willing to enter anymore. I suspect the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue is responsible for the entire affair, but what other options do I have?"

"Can't you seek help from the Heavenly Emperor?"

"I didn't expect that last fight to have been so brutal. I thought I would have been able to handle it myself, but the zombie kings appeared en masse. My subordinates all perished before I could seek assistance."

"How are your injuries now?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Black Dog frowned warily, as if thinking that Xiao Nanfeng would take advantage of Yang Chuan in his weakened state, but Yang Chuan didn't mind. "I haven't sustained many physical wounds. The issue is that the six zombie kings managed to drain too much of my spiritual power, hindering my ability to fly and move around. If I encounter them again, I doubt I'd be able to handle them."

Xiao Nanfeng was impressed by Yang Chuan's honesty despite his circumstances.

"I'd like to borrow something from you, Southern Aspect Yang," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"What is it?"

"Your physical body."

Black Dog blanched. He hurriedly stood in front of Yang Chuan. "Martial Aspect Xiao, what are you intending to do?!"

"Don't worry, Black Dog. If Martial Aspect Xiao meant me ill, he wouldn't have waited until now. Move aside," Yang Chuan said.

"Understood," Black Dog replied, though a complicated expression flitted across his face.

"Southern Aspect Yang is right. Considering our ties to one another, I naturally don't mean you ill. What's more, we're both Martial Aspects of the Imperial Court. If the Southern Aspect were to fall in battle, the Heavenly Emperor himself would participate in the investigation. I would only be causing trouble for myself." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"You want to possess my physical body, don't you? What's your plan?" Yang Chuan asked.

"I simply want to see what the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue is doing, but my cultivation is too weak. With a Boundless Immortal's body, I might actually be able to discover something and even make a move of my own."

Yang Chuan's eyes flashed. He didn't doubt Xiao Nanfeng's ability. He took a deep breath. "Very well. My soul and spirit will need some time to recuperate, anyway. You may have the use of my body. If you can ruin the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue's plan, do it to the best of your ability."

"My thanks, Southern Aspect Yang."

"Master!" Black Dog exclaimed.

Yang Chuan shook his head, motioning for his subordinate not to interfere. He turned to Xiao Nanfeng. "Remember to bring us out once you're done."

"What? Has Martial Aspect Xiao already found the exit to the black coffin hidden realm?" Black Dog exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng was taken by surprise as well. He had been planning to reveal things to Yang Chuan later. He hadn't anticipated that Yang Chuan would notice something amiss. Perhaps it was because he had seemed entirely too relaxed about the whole affair.

"Of course. I'd been planning on it. I obtained a talisman to leave the hidden realm just a few days ago, but it's a single-use item. It's not the right time to use it just yet."

"Very well." Yang Chuan nodded.