Chapter 79: Deceiving Heaven, Altering Fate (4)

The blood corpse was wreathed in a thin veil of crimson mist; through the haze, its human silhouette was barely discernible, its face extensively decayed, eyes collapsed, nose vanished, nails sharp and elongated, leg bones twisted and crooked.

Sensing the opponent's strength, You Anjian remained gripping his sword, face solemn, standing upright in the center of the corridor, right hand lightly swirling the blade to angle the straight, heavy, dignified ridge sword diagonally toward the ground.

His left hand lifted slightly, donning a pair of gloves retrieved from his backpack slot, crafted from interlocked metal rings.

Having prepared himself, You Anjian's cold eyes beneath the round black glasses locked onto the front, his palm waved slightly toward his companion, voice solemn but composed: "Take Xiao Feng's family out of the villa."

Given the blood corpse's condition, whether it retained any conscious awareness was highly doubtful, let alone recognizing its former "relatives" with its shriveled eyeballs.

Even granting the extreme possibility that it could recognize them, You Anjian would not gamble—no one knew what abilities the so-called "Supreme Grotto Altering Destiny Scripture" might grant a revenant corpse; it might even be "gains strength with each blood relative consumed."

"What a pair of invisible hands."

Wudang Sword Thirteen Postures, preparatory stance.

Earlier, Bai Zhi had already moved Xiao Feng's family to the lawn outside the first floor; now seeing Li Cheng and the others escape, she unhesitatingly pulled out a grenade launcher and fired grenades into the second-floor windows of the villa.

Sensing the target's escape, the blood corpse dropped the maid's head, leaned forward, and surged toward them in a gust of wind, moving so fast it blurred into a fleeting afterimage.

The metal gloves first released repulsion, propelling the sword through the blood corpse's body, then switched to attraction, causing the sword to drift with the motion of his hand, slicing open the corpse's chest in a horrific, near-decapitating wound.

The blood corpse's nails were harder than steel; the violent shock from the impact traveled up the blade to You Anjian's palms, making his Hukou ache.

As the dust settled slightly, the blood corpse's figure flashed past the broken window—it seemed scarcely wounded, its cloudy gaze fixed on the three players, brimming with bestial malice.

Worse still, the blood corpse's right arm had merged into the wall, crossed a distance, and emerged directly behind You Anjian, just as it had killed Wang Beipo, reaching for his spine.

He sheathed his straight blade, grabbed You Anjian's nape with his left hand, flipped out his bat hook gun, aimed at the windowsill at the corridor's end, and pulled the trigger, firing the hook.

Li Cheng casually pulled out wound-sealing gel and sprayed it on You Anjian's shoulder. Then, faintly realizing something, he glanced around and spotted the villa's maid—long dead, her entire body dissolved—in the courtyard's corner.

The sharp blade, infused with sword qi, pierced the tendons exposed in the air, half the tip vanishing into the blood corpse. You Anjian twisted his wrist, shredding the corpse's internal organs, yet the latter showed no sign of awareness, swiping its claw at the man in the sunglasses.

【Defense: Weak】

Qiang—

This strike came swift and sudden; You Anjian barely leaned back, parried with his sword, avoiding having his skull split open. The cost: the blade was shoved forward by the blood corpse's left arm, slicing backward into You Anjian's own shoulder.

Puch!

Standing sideways, You Anjian's heart leapt; he tapped his right toe against the ground, stepped back to create distance, buying himself reaction time, while gripping the hilt tightly and thrusting upward—the razor blade glinting with cold light—slashing toward the blood corpse's outstretched claws.

The objective of this mission was to 【find Feng Youyun and uncover the truth of the residence】. After obtaining the yellow paper fragment, the players had already uncovered the truth; all that remained was to locate Old Feng.

The only problem: the villa was neither large nor small—where could Old Feng be hiding?

【Name: Lai Ju Qu Liu Gloves】

"Can't this thing be killed?!"

Hong hong hong hong—

In the crisis, You Anjian decisively stepped half a pace left-forward, lowered his center of gravity, used the rebound force to pull back his sword, braced the blade against the blood corpse's right arm to block its clawing, then angled the tip downward to stab into its ribs.

At the critical moment, You Anjian released his grip and abandoned his sword, evading the sweeping claw strike, while activating the metal gloves' special effect.

"Ao—"

Sha!

The blood corpse's left arm fused directly into the wall, extended across several meters, and burst from the ceiling above You Anjian's head, slamming down toward his crown.

Bai Zhi also realized this, pulling the dazed Xiao Feng and his wife and child toward the rear of the corridor.

【Quality: Rare】

Dang!

The heavy halberd, heavier than a man, descended like a guillotine blade along the wall. Li Cheng struck suddenly, first wielding the 170 straight blade dropped by the mission's Triangular Head, severing the blood corpse's right arm as it emerged from the wall.

The man's former image also appeared in the backyard—he had been diligently hanging laundry, when suddenly an invisible hand tore off his head.

You Anjian, gripping his shoulder wound, gritted his teeth: "Do you have any gasoline bottles? If all else fails, burn down this villa—then, while the smoke lingers, find Old Feng and rescue him before he suffocates or burns to death. We're running out of time."

【Cooldown: 2 seconds】

In fictional works, hook guns can pull tanks and armored vehicles—how much more so two living humans whose weights aren't excessive? Under the electric winch's drive, the bat gun's steel cable whipped taut, yanking Li Cheng and the others out the window and landing them beyond the villa's main structure.

The grenades exploded in succession, roaring with fire and light, echoing the distant thunder over Wudun Town and the nearby infant's cries.

The revenant corpse, suddenly burdened, staggered against the left wall, as if losing forward momentum. But You Anjian's mind screamed alarms; a strong premonition of doom made the hairs on his nape stand on end—he did not press forward, instead using the gloves' effect to retract the sword.

【Effect: Attraction and Repulsion. After binding a personal equipment item, the gloves can release repulsive/attractive force to push/pull that item. Strength and range depend on Qi value consumed. Currently bound: Jinlin Sword】

【Equipment Condition: Wearer must possess a human anatomical hand structure】

【Note: "A magnet repels when near, attracts when away. Life is like this, you and I are like this—why care so much?" "Is this why you put a magnet under your market scale? Die, old man!"】

【Cost: At least 20 Qi points】

【Type: Armor】

Li Cheng took a deep breath; his Mind Palace assembled all clues into a coherent chain of events, then stepped forward, walking through the stunned, bewildered gazes of everyone toward the villa's front door, arriving beside the pile of Zhao Xinglang's remains.

"Should any person suffer unjust harm and calamity follow, they may seek a relative with abundant fortune and an exceedingly rare destiny, to rewrite their fate and extend their years."

Li Cheng stared at the lifeless bones on the ground, squinting: "A perfect plan—except for one small flaw, correct?"

Mr. Feng Youyun.

(End of Chapter)