Chapter 7 The Fragrance Disperses Among Thousands of Corpses in the Forest

Weng Li nodded, then turned to Feng Yi beside her and said softly: “Give the order to prepare to enter the forest.”

Feng Yi replied: “Yes, Young Master.” Then turning to the crowd, she said: “Prepare to enter the forest. Everyone places the Taboo Aversion Pill under your tongue, remember not to swallow it. When it dissolves completely, immediately replenish it.”

After hearing Feng Yi’s instructions to the crowd, Weng Li said: “Let’s all enter the forest now. Everyone be careful. The Corpse Forest not only has heavy Cadaveric Poisonous Air, but also strong Yin energy.”

Feng Yi responded: “Yes, Young Master.”

After speaking, Feng Yi waved her hand to the crowd and shouted: “Enter the forest!” Dozens of people then marched toward the Corpse Forest with torches, forming an impressive procession.

Inside the Corpse Forest, black mist coiled around. Not a single blade of grass grew, and aside from their group, there were no living creatures. The party moved among the cold, black stone pillars. The mountain wind whistled through the pillars, producing mournful, ghostly wails that sent chills down one’s spine. These stone pillars were naturally formed by heaven and earth, stretching continuously for dozens of miles in all directions.

This was the sacrificial ground of the Yelang Kingdom. Those who committed serious crimes within the tribe were typically executed here, then hung on the stone pillars for public exposure. Over centuries, countless vengeful spirits and evil ghosts had gathered here. If not for the Alluring Soul Trapping Formation surrounding the Corpse Forest, this place would have long become a living hell.

As they ventured deeper into the Corpse Forest, the black mist grew thicker, and the Yin energy intensified. The temperature inside was noticeably several degrees colder than outside. From time to time, they could hear the final screams of evil ghosts before their deaths, accompanied by the mournful wails of Vengeful Spirits. These evil ghosts and Vengeful Spirits perpetually wandered this place, and upon seeing living intruders, they would try to approach. However, sensing that those entering were cultivators, they could only plead and wail from a distance.

The deeper they went into the inner circle of the Corpse Forest, the more corpses hung from the stone pillars. Nearly every pillar bores a corpse. These corpses died in various ways some bled to death, some were strangled alive, some had their chests opened and organs removed, some were tied to pillars for days without food or water until they starved to death. Death by a thousand cuts, sky lantern punishment, death by burning the methods were too numerous to count. If someone were to write a comprehensive book on methods of death, they could come here for firsthand experience. Most of the corpses hanging on the stone pillars had already dried and blackened, their faces twisted and grotesque, emitting waves of foul stench. Without the Taboo Aversion Pills, the cultivators present would likely have vomited. The flickering torchlight cast shifting shadows on the blackened dried corpses, creating an especially eerie sight that made one’s spine tingle cold.

Seeing the torchlight flickering violently, Weng Li turned back and said softly to Feng Yi: “Tell them to lower their torches, so they don’t accidentally burn the corpses.”

Feng Yi acknowledged the order: “Yes, Young Master.” Then turning to the crowd, she shouted: “Everyone lower your torches, be careful not to burn the corpses.”

At that moment, a cultivator in the crowd muttered dismissively: “So what if they burn? These are all criminals of the tribe. Burning them would just be additional punishment.”

Hearing this, Weng Li frowned slightly and rebuked with displeasure: “Though they were criminals, they had already paid their lives as punishment. That is enough to atone for the sins they committed in life. Moreover, the dead are gone. Why must we insult them?” Weng Li had always found Yelang’s practice of exposing the corpses of executed felons instead of allowing burial somewhat unreasonable. She believed that since they had already repaid their debts with their lives, no matter how grave their crimes, it should suffice as atonement. Why cling to the faults of the dead and deny them peace? Yet this was a centuries-old tradition in Yelang, and she alone could not change it. Nevertheless, Weng Li was deeply dissatisfied with the cultivator’s improper remarks and thus reprimanded him.

Seeing the usually gentle Weng Li speak so sharply, the cultivator promptly bowed his head and said, “Young Master, please forgive this subordinate’s careless words.”

Observing this, the group quickly lowered their torches and hastened their steps toward the altar at the center of the Thousand Corpse Forest.

At the deepest part of the Thousand Corpse Forest, a massive altar came into view. Seated on the offering table at the center was a woman with long hair covering her face. The night breeze swept through, tossing her disheveled locks wildly and revealing a horrifying, grotesque visage beneath. Weng Li noticed the woman’s skin appeared charred and festering, cracked in patches as if scorched by fire. Her clothing was tattered, and the exposed skin was split open in sections, looking as though it might slough off with the slightest movement a sight both repulsive and terrifying. In her arms, she cradled a child of about five or six years old. The child’s skin was remarkably intact, though deathly pale without a hint of color. The woman held the child close, one hand gently patting its shoulder as if soothing it to sleep. The scene stirred a vague discomfort and an eerie unease among the onlookers.

After a careful inspection, Weng Li noted neither mother nor child showed any chest movement, confirming they were indeed the Mother Child Ferocious Corpse they sought.

Weng Li thought to herself, “The female corpse’s skin is so severely burned, yet the child is unharmed. She must have shielded her child during the transformation, likely burned by daylight. That’s why the child has no external wounds. Master often said Ferocious Corpses are like Walking Corpses, devoid of consciousness, but this one cares for her child. How extraordinary.” Watching the woman on the altar, Weng Li waved a hand to signal the others to hold their positions. They all stood still at a distance; eyes fixed intently on the Mother Child Ferocious Corpse at the altar’s center.

As if sensing the presence of the living, the female Ferocious Corpse slowly turned her head. Her two orange eyes swept eerily around before locking directly onto the figures in front of her. Then, she spoke slowly, “You’ve finally come. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Hearing this, Weng Li jolted in shock, her eyes darting toward her master Weng Mu in astonishment as a sudden doubt arose within her.

Weng Mu noticed Weng Li looking at him and knew she had questions, so he explained: “This Ferocious Corpse can speak and still possesses consciousness. It’s no ordinary Ferocious Corpse it’s a Ghoul Corpse.”

Weng Li asked in astonishment: “Master, what is a Ghoul Corpse? How is it different from a Ferocious Corpse?”

Weng Mu replied: “Ordinary Ferocious Corpses may be agile and exceptionally fierce, but their souls have long departed. No matter how vicious they are, they’re merely mindless, speechless Walking Corpses. A Ghoul Corpse, however, has its soul sealed within the corpse. Thus, it not only moves with ease and possesses immense strength but also retains the thoughts and awareness it had in life. Look at this Ghoul Corpse before us it seems to have cultivated some power. It can come and go freely in this Thousand Corpse Forest, using it as a hiding place. The Soul Trapping Formation outside likely has no effect on it anymore.”

Weng Li exclaimed in shock: “Then isn’t such a Ghoul Corpse similar to the Ghost General created by our benefactor?”
Weng Mu said: “Hmm. I’m afraid it might even surpass that. However, in our Yelang, there is no one with such great power capable of refining a Ghoul Corpse like this. I wonder how this one came to be transformed?”

As master and disciple were speaking, the female Ghoul Corpse over there spoke again: “Old fool, since you know how powerful I am, why have you come here? Do you think you’ve lived too long and want to die faster?”

Weng Li scolded her: “Since you’ve cultivated power and still maintain a clear mind, why do you harm people?”

“Hahaha!” The female Ghoul Corpse suddenly let out a piercing, maniacal laugh.

The laughter made the cultivators present break out in goosebumps, their scalps tingling and chills running down their spines. As the saying goes, one fears not a ghost’s cry, but a ghost’s laugh. And now, it was a laugh from an exceptionally fierce and malicious Ghoul Corpse. Those with weaker nerves might have already wet their pants in terror.

After her wild laughter, the female Ghoul Corpse snorted coldly and said: “Hmph! Harm people? It was always people who harmed me first. Back then, just because I privately learned some Gu Technique, your Venom Gu Office cultivators hunted me down everywhere. I hid and fled, until I had no choice but to take my child and hide in this Thousand Corpse Forest. I didn’t dare leave if I stepped out, I would face eternal damnation. Knowing I couldn’t escape death, I used the Soul Fixing Incantation on myself before I died. And the Soul Trapping Formation you set up outside actually ended up helping me. Don’t you think this is your retribution coming back to you?”

After speaking, the female Ghoul Corpse curled the corners of her lips slightly, causing the loose skin on her face to tremble faintly. Her expression looked extraordinarily eerie and terrifying, freezing the cultivators in place, stiff and unmoving.

Weng Li turned to the cultivators and said: “You are all cultivators how you can give in to fear?” Then, she addressed the female Ghoul Corpse: “Since you understand the law of karma, you should refrain from creating more killing karma.”

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