Chapter 1: The Corpse-Grinding Mill

There is a fairly large-scale mill in Linhe Ward. Every day, the rice, flour, grain, and oil ground there are not only sufficient for the needs of every household in Linhe Ward, but there is also a surplus to supply outsiders who come to purchase or trade for them.

However, it is strange to say that for a mill with such booming business, one never sees the craftsmen or public servants go out to purchase fodder for donkeys or mules, nor does one ever see donkey or mule dung being hauled out.

Some meddlesome wandering travelers discuss it behind people's backs, saying that if you follow the waterway south from Linhe Ward, you reach the Xiang River basin, and that what is grinding the grain inside the mill is not a donkey or a mule at all, but wandering corpses—the dead—driven over from Xiangyin!

Wandering corpses are also called zombies. At first, when people heard such talk, they were half-believing and half-doubting. Later, officials from the government office came forward to clarify the matter, arresting some of the gossiping wandering travelers and claiming to the public that these people were suffering from jealousy, unable to bear seeing others' business booming, and were deliberately slandering and smearing them.

As for the fate of those wandering travelers, it was just like this matter—it had no follow-up.

Within the borders of the Great Yong, in a place where freight and trade are prosperous: Linhe Ward.

The commotion of laborers carrying loads on their shoulders and backs is not as loud as the sounds of laughter, curses, and banter from the gamblers and patrons of the ward; even the sound of the waves of the hundred-li-wide Baisha River at the wharf beside the ward cannot drown out the worldly bustle inside Linhe Ward.

In the southwest of the ward, in a fairly large-scale mill, Xu Qing, who had been in a daze all day, seemed to be awakened somewhat by the worldly bustle outside.

Grind, keep grinding!

Tired, so tired!

When Xu Qing opened his eyes, he discovered that his body's joints were abnormally stiff and were constantly performing repetitive movements, like a machine that did not know fatigue.

Before him stood a massive millstone, and on the ground was a ring-shaped stone trough containing the grain that needed to be ground.

And at this moment, he was mechanically pushing the mill handle, constantly moving around the ring-shaped stone trough.

I didn't die?

Xu Qing subconsciously wanted to leave his workstation, but his body seemed not to listen to him; only his dust-sealed memories melted like winter snow, and many scenes reappeared in his mind.

Supervisor, security guard, bike thief, high beams...

When the puzzle of his memories was reassembled, Xu Qing's only hope was thoroughly shattered.

In his memories, he worked during the day and delivered food part-time at night, but when it came time to collect his wages, the boss ran off early because he had lost money in the stock market.

Although he had run into a boss who didn't act like a human, life still had to go on.

That night, the unemployed Xu Qing continued his part-time job delivering food. The residential complex's security guard was wantonly exercising his limited power, not allowing delivery riders to park their vehicles at the entrance.

Xu Qing didn't want to get into a long dispute, so he had to leave his vehicle further away, but when he returned, he saw a bike thief who also worked the night shift riding off on his second-hand motorcycle, while the security guard looked on as if he saw nothing.

Xu Qing was already filled with rage, and without a second thought, he took off running to chase him.

As the saying goes, misfortune always picks the miserable, and a hemp rope always breaks at the thinnest point.

Xu Qing chased all the way to the main road, panting and bending over, his hands supporting his knees. Before he could catch his breath, a beam of blinding light suddenly shone from the side of the road—it was a private car with its high beams on.

To pay off his car and house loans, the driver worked during the day and drove for a ride-hailing service at night to supplement the family income. Due to continuous nights of staying up to pick up passengers, his body was exhausted, and he had no time to react in advance.

The piercing sound of screeching brakes tore through the long night.

At this moment, the colorful space-time turned gray and white, as if a pause button had been pressed, completely freezing in place.

Then, new memories rippled like spilled ink; those frozen neon night scenes turned into an ink-wash painting. Old dirt roads took shape, and ancient-style buildings rose from the ground. These were the memories he had unconsciously retained after becoming a walking corpse.

By the time Xu Qing was completely awake, he was already in another world.

Fortunately, this body was still his own; unfortunately, this body was already dead as dead could be.

He was now a zombie, a zombie that had been picked up by a corpse-driver, refined, and sold to the mill to do hard labor.

Old sayings go: there are three bitter things in life—blacksmithing, punting a boat, and grinding tofu.

Xu Qing never thought that one day, he would experience the bitterness of one of them.

He wanted to break free from the control, but he could not gain control of his body no matter what.

That was the method the corpse-driver had left on him.

"..."

The moon in Linhe Ward tonight was very round, but Xu Qing could not make a sound, even though his heart was already deafeningly loud.

What kind of world is this?

The dead still have to be caught to do labor?

He had thought that working like a horse and ox in his previous life had already broken the limits of a living person, but he never imagined there was a "blessing" waiting for him after death!

What kind of sins did he commit in his life? Not only did he not get to drink a bowl of hot Meng Po soup at the end, but he was actually refined into a zombie to continue working, and it was the night shift, which he detested most!

Xu Qing had never been so resentful.

People say that dripping water wears through stone, not by a single day's effort.

Now, Xu Qing's long-suppressed emotions were like thousands of water droplets gathering into a flood, about to burst through the dam.

Just as his corpse qi soared to the heavens and he was about to completely lose his sanity, a magnificent energy suddenly sprouted deep in his mind, accompanied by bursts of incantations, which in an instant smoothed out the resentment growing in his heart.

"What just happened to me? These scriptures..."

Before Xu Qing could think it through, another scripture scroll appeared before his eyes, and countless ancient characters turned into immortal sounds and incantations that resounded in his mind.

That scripture scroll seemed like a living Buddha or immortal reciting scriptures, saying that the immortal Dao is vast and the human Dao is boundless.

It also said that the immortal Dao values life, and the ghost Dao is connected...

Xu Qing listened, confused and lightheaded, as if he were about to ascend to the upper realm, yet he drifted aimlessly without finding the path.

Finally, when the obscure scriptures were finished, the scroll unfolded another page. This time, what appeared were not strange heavenly book characters, but scenes from his previous life.

Inside, there was not only the bitterness of his day-and-night toil, but also many warm moments he had inadvertently ignored.

Just as Xu Qing was about to immerse himself in them, immortal sounds and incantations rang out again, like a blow to the head, waking him up instantly.

"In the void, ten thousand changes, filthy qi is scattered.

Few preserve the truth, many are deluded.

Thus, the immortal Dao is hard to solidify, and the ghost Dao is easily evil..."

The scripture, radiating endless mystery, slowly closed. Only then did Xu Qing see the inscription on the front of the scripture.

It read—Scripture of Salvation!

To save others, one must first save oneself. At this moment, after being transformed by the immortal book, Xu Qing had already seen through the miasma of his previous life, and the immortal book, after evaluation, gave a "Human" grade rating.

According to the information in his mind, Xu Qing learned that the evaluation criteria for the Scripture of Salvation were divided into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Human, and each grade was further divided into High, Middle, and Low.

He belonged to the Human grade, Low quality.

Although Xu Qing felt a bit offended, after carefully reviewing his life, he felt this evaluation was exceptionally fair.

He was indeed a mediocre person in his previous life.

However, the earth does not grow nameless grass, and heaven does not give birth to useless people.

Even if it is Human grade, Low quality, it has its merits.

When Xu Qing came back to his senses, the Scripture of Salvation had already provided the corresponding reward.

It was a ray of blessed spiritual light that could be used directly. Those touched by this spiritual light could purge the evil filth in their hearts and rekindle the thoughts of a living person.

Xu Qing was unsuccessful while alive, and after death, he was plotted against by evildoers and turned into a zombie. It was inevitable that resentment would accumulate in his heart; this was a common ailment of demons and monsters, not something he could control by his own will.

Now, this ray of spiritual light could be considered the right medicine for the illness; it came just in time.

Receiving the reward, Xu Qing could not hide the joy in his heart, and even the resentment in his body dissipated quite a bit.

Although his luck was bad and he could not rest in peace after death, he had at least "lived" on in another form. Now that he had an immortal book choosing its master and a cheat code by his side, he could finally look forward to his future days.

Xu Qing did not hesitate and decisively chose to accept the baptism of the spiritual light.

The next moment, the Scripture of Salvation slowly unfolded, and a "Purify" character leaped out, turning into wisps of spiritual light that soaked into his body.

The gentle spiritual light was just like a spring breeze brushing against a willow; in an instant, it purged the technique the corpse-driver had placed on him, allowing him to regain control of his body.

"Hiss—ha—"

A hoarse moan came from Xu Qing's throat, just like parched land meeting sweet rain; he had never felt so comfortable.

The moon above the mill was bright and clear, dotted with stars. Xu Qing bathed in the spiritual light and moonlight, and after rekindling the thoughts of a living person, he began to ponder his future livelihood.

First of all, working is impossible; he had already worked day and night when he was alive, and that was enough. Now that he had become a zombie, he would never choose to continue working here, let alone as unpaid corpse-labor.

But if he wanted to escape this place, Xu Qing fell into hesitation again.

This world was definitely not a peaceful one; whether it was the corpse-driver "black intermediary" who refined him in his memories, or the unscrupulous zombie mill before his eyes, he could see a glimpse of it.

Perhaps the outside world was even more dangerous, perhaps the status of a zombie here was at the very bottom of the food chain, and if he escaped, he would undoubtedly be jumping out of the tiger's den only to enter the wolf's pack...

Fortunately, Xu Qing was not a person who feared trouble when encountering it.

Since he encountered a problem, he would look for a solution. And what he was worried about now was nothing more than the unfamiliar environment of the outside world and his own special identity as a zombie.

So, was there any way to help him understand this world, or rather, to improve his own abilities?

Xu Qing suddenly had a flash of inspiration and set his sights on a fellow kind grinding beans not far away; it was a zombie burying its head in work...

(End of chapter)