Chapter Fifty-One: The Calamity of the Qixi Festival (VII)

At that moment, Luo Hanya felt a chilling wind at the back of her head and instinctively rolled away, narrowly evading the assault of some unknown creature.

“Die,” Menghen Lige snapped coldly, her demeanor reverting to its previous icy ruthlessness. With a swift command, she drew the long sword at her waist; her blade moved like silk, silver light and blood flashing violently together.

A wretched scream echoed, and a fully clothed zombie appeared before their eyes. This zombie was dressed entirely in modern attire—a leather jacket and leather pants, looking every bit the delinquent.

“What... what is this monstrosity?” Luo Hanya stared at the zombie whose arm had been severed by a single strike. The wound squirmed grotesquely, and in the blink of an eye, a new arm grew in its place.

“Is this thing a Namekian?” Luo Hanya thought to herself, dumbfounded.

“What are you gawking at? This one’s yours—I’ll take care of the two over there.” Menghen Lige kicked Luo Hanya, who was lying dazed on the ground, then turned toward the other direction, ready to face the newly emerged pair of zombies.

“Ah? Alright, I’ll handle this side. You finish off those two,” Luo Hanya replied loudly.

She unsheathed her broadsword, summoning all her strength for a sweeping strike, aiming to cleave the zombie in two.

“Roar!” Unexpectedly, the blade stuck fast in the zombie’s body. The delinquent zombie roared in fury, locking the blade tight with its body. A powerful force surged up the handle, forcing Luo Hanya to release her grip and sending her stumbling several steps backward.

“Hey! Can’t you even deal with a puny zombie?” Menghen Lige shouted as she fought vigorously, apparently still having energy to spare.

Luo Hanya’s face reddened. With a flick of her right hand, she produced the newly acquired soul artifact, the Frost Crystal.

“Frost Nova!” Luo Hanya nimbly dodged the zombie’s heavy blow and unleashed the skill with a flourish.

A chilling current swept forth, enveloping the delinquent zombie. In an instant, several shards of ice crystallized across its body.

The zombie let out a furious roar, lunging at Luo Hanya, but staggered bizarrely and collapsed to the ground.

Luo Hanya eyed the fallen zombie, snapped her fingers, and a strange sound rattled from the creature’s body. With a loud bang, its mangled remains exploded across the floor.

“Expensive PR,” Luo Hanya muttered in imperfect English, then called out cheerfully to Menghen Lige, “Hey, beautiful, I’ve taken care of mine. Need any help?”

“Idiot, mind your own business first!” Menghen Lige rolled her eyes and replied with icy clarity.

“What’s wrong?” Luo Hanya sensed something amiss, quickly turned around, and saw the disgusting squirming once more. The delinquent zombie transformed into a naked man, still howling as he lunged at Luo Hanya.

Her eyes flashed sharply. Pointing at the zombie, she silently invoked, “Ice Seal!”

A shimmering blue light materialized from the void, wrapping around the zombie. Crackling sounds filled the air, and within moments, the zombie was encased in a massive block of ice.

“Tsk tsk, human sculpture—shame it’s so ugly and lacking in muscle,” Luo Hanya circled the ice block, clicking her tongue in wonder.

“How long are you going to admire it? Get rid of this thing already, you idiot!” Menghen Lige had finished off the two new zombies and, with her back to Luo Hanya, spoke in a voice so cold and grim it was clear she’d witnessed something she shouldn’t have.

Luo Hanya clutched her stomach, barely containing her laughter.

“If you don’t hurry up, you’ll regret it,” Menghen Lige gritted her teeth.

“Alright, alright, I’ll finish it now.” Luo Hanya knew better than to push her luck further—if this heroine lost her temper, he’d be in no shape to cry about it.

He picked up the broadsword that had fallen to the ground after the zombie’s destruction and struck fiercely at the ice-bound zombie. With a single blow, the ice shattered into fragments, and the zombie inside was reduced to dust, vanishing completely.

Luo Hanya and Menghen Lige proceeded slowly, eliminating more than a dozen zombies along the way, until at last they reached the front courtyard.

Luo Hanya observed the zombies’ attire as they advanced, noting two distinct types: those dressed in ancient servant or attendant clothes, and others in modern clothing—some outfits even brand new.

The zombies in ancient garb were likely the original servants of the manor, victims of a sudden catastrophe years ago, transformed into zombies for unknown reasons. The modern-dressed ones were probably people ensnared by the haunted mansion over the years.

These observations heightened his vigilance. He quietly performed a divination, and the result stunned him.

Name: Demon of Desire
Location: ???
Weakness: ???
Ability: ???
Description: ???

Apart from the name, nothing else could be detected. During the divination, he felt a chill seep through his body, as if something was watching him. Only after ceasing the skill did the sensation fade.

Such a phenomenon could only mean that the Demon of Desire’s power far exceeded Luo Hanya’s own, rendering his ability almost useless.

Luo Hanya’s expression grew grave as he shared his findings with Menghen Lige.

“What? Demon of Desire?” Menghen Lige fixed her gaze on Luo Hanya’s solemn face, understanding that this was no fabrication—it was a matter of utmost seriousness.

According to Luo Hanya’s deduction, the man in blue robes he had seen earlier was the Demon of Desire, and the manor had been cursed for reasons unknown. Their only option now was to prepare for failure and escape as swiftly as possible.

Without further delay, the two prepared for a quick resolution and to leave immediately.

The atmosphere in the front courtyard was deeply unsettling. Luo Hanya felt the chilling winds and sensed that this place was one of great strangeness and terror.

At the center of the courtyard stood a towering tree, its branches exuding an eerie gloom. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a massive locust tree.

“Locust tree—the ghost among woods. Never place it in the front courtyard, for it will invite a hundred spirits to roam at night.” Cold sweat broke out on Luo Hanya’s brow as an inexplicable shiver ran through him.

He recalled the mulberry tree he’d seen in the inner courtyard and now the locust tree here, realizing these were the causes of the drastic changes in the manor’s feng shui.

All the strange occurrences within this mansion were closely tied to these shifts in feng shui.

It seemed someone had deliberately altered the feng shui of this place, turning it into a site of great misfortune.