Chapter Forty-Six: The Twin Demons of Black and White

After the ghost pallbearers had carried Lin Ran for a certain distance, he glanced back and saw that the hundred ghosts carrying the sedan chair were chasing after them. Lin Ran frowned at the sight; this kind of escape couldn’t last forever—it was only a matter of time before trouble caught up with them, and a vague anxiety gnawed at his heart.

Wait—just as worry clouded his brow, Lin Ran noticed that the simpleton was still trailing behind, panting and running not far away. Lin Ran estimated they’d been running for at least an hour, and the fool hadn’t just kept pace, but had somehow caught a foolish roe deer and was gnawing at it contentedly. A simpleton paired with a deer—quite a fitting match.

Yet Lin Ran had never before seen a ghost eat raw meat. This creature’s mouth never rested; could it be a hungry ghost? He idly speculated.

Suddenly, a wave of panic swept through Lin Ran—as if something momentous was about to happen. He turned back uneasily, but the hundred ghosts were still several hundred meters away, not yet upon him. Lin Ran’s brows knitted even tighter. What was it that unsettled his spirit so?

As he pondered, a shadow flashed past him at incredible speed. Lin Ran, already on guard, kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings, and with a deft roll, tumbled off the ghost pallbearers. But the shadow was so fast, he had no real chance to react.

It crashed violently into the ghost pallbearers, sending Lin Ran flying along with them—a distance of seven or eight meters before he landed heavily. The force was so great that Lin Ran felt his bones might come apart, though thankfully, the blow hadn't struck him directly. Had it done so, he’d be crippled if not dead.

Struggling to his feet, Lin Ran looked toward the spot where he’d been hit. Two figures—one black, one white—stood upright. Lin Ran’s gaze sharpened. His worst fears had come to pass: the Corpse Fragrance had indeed lured zombies, and not just any, but the infamous Black-and-White Twin Fiends.

The Black-and-White Twin Fiends were a rarity among zombies. Zombies came in several types: walkers, jumpers, flyers, and drought demons. Walkers resembled the common undead—smash their heads and they’re done, not difficult to deal with. The Twin Fiends belonged to the jumper category; flyers were rare, centuries-old creatures, nearly impossible to defeat. And drought demons were the apex—wherever they passed, vast drought followed.

Within the jumper class, the Twin Fiends were the most troublesome. Even seasoned mountain sorcerers would rather face a flyer than provoke the Twin Fiends. The reason was simple: they were a male and a female, and when they acted together, even ordinary flyers were no match for them.

Corpse Fragrance contained corpse oil; such a large jar of it was bound to attract zombies. Lin Ran glanced at the ghost pallbearers—the five headless little ghosts were now mere wisps, and even the coffin lid had been flung aside. Clearly, the ghost pallbearers were unusable for now.

Lin Ran reached for the small black bag on his back, where he kept sticky rice and a black donkey hoof. At that moment, his heart sank—his back was empty, nothing there. He followed the trajectory from where he’d been thrown, and saw a pair of thick, powerful feet planted firmly on his sleek black bag. Lin Ran traced his gaze upward and was met with a vacant, grinning face.

Seeing Lin Ran’s stare, the owner of the smile beamed even wider, mouth stuffed with half-chewed deer meat, making Lin Ran’s lips twitch.

“Hey! Toss that little bag over here! I’ll have something tasty for you in a bit!” Lin Ran forced himself to appear harmless and friendly.

“Food!” At the mention of something delicious, the simpleton looked down, picked up the black bag from beneath his feet.

He didn’t throw it right away; instead, he opened it and rummaged through its contents. Disappointed at not finding anything edible, he tossed the bag toward Lin Ran.

“No!” Lin Ran had a bad feeling the moment the simpleton opened the bag; now, as the bag sailed through the air, his expression changed. Sticky rice spilled out in a graceful arc, scattering across the ground, and two black streaks—the shadows of the black donkey hoof—flew out as well.

The simpleton’s strength was considerable; as the rice emptied, the bag landed right at Lin Ran’s feet. Lin Ran stared blankly at the bag at his feet, his face caught between joy and sorrow. He’d thought the situation was secure, only to end up with such a mess.

Lin Ran gazed vacantly at the small bag lying at his feet. His expression was impossible to read—was it delight or despair? But inside, Lin Ran was thoroughly crushed. What he had believed to be foolproof had turned into such a predicament.