Immortality begins in Goose City

Chapter 53 Headless Zombie

The workshop fell silent for a while, with only the occasional crackling of the furnace fire.

Zhao Fumin wiped his hands, left one silver dollar, and stuffed the remaining nine dollars into Zhao Ming's hand.

Then, with concern and guilt on her face, she asked in a low voice, "Ming'er, how are you doing at the Huang family? Is Young Master Huang... treating you well?"

He sighed, "It's all my fault... I'm so useless... You've been through so much... Sigh, you just escaped one trap only to fall into another..."

He wanted to say "tiger's mouth," but remembering that this was Huang family territory, he swallowed the last two words and just sighed repeatedly.

To his surprise, Zhao Ming gently shook her head. "Father, don't talk nonsense. I'm doing fine with the young master."

"Good?" Zhao Fumin was taken aback. He looked his daughter up and down and saw that her complexion seemed to be much better than when she was at home, and her figure was more plump.

He lowered his voice even further: "Ming'er, don't lie to your father. Young Master Huang... he's a notorious... womanizer in Goose City. If he keeps you by his side, doesn't that mean he... doesn't he... do you...

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already clear.

Zhao Ming's cheeks flushed slightly, not from embarrassment, but from a hint of anger.

She glared at her father: "Dad! What nonsense are you talking about! Young Master isn't the kind of... that kind of filthy person you're describing!"

"No?" Zhao Fumin asked skeptically. "Then why did he keep you here? Just to serve tea and water? Is that all Xiuer can do?"

He earnestly advised, "Ming'er, your father has been through this before."

"You...you may be good-looking and have a good figure, but what kind of beauties doesn't Young Master Huang have around him?"

"What could he possibly want from you? Don't let your temporary favor lead you to harbor any improper thoughts."

"What are we? You're just... just a servant girl, a foot warmer!"

"Her status is even lower than that of that Xiu'er girl!"

"Behave yourself, be considerate, know how to yield, and never act like a spoiled little girl, lest you annoy the young master..."

"Father!" Zhao Ming interrupted him, "Young Master is really not that kind of person!"

"He made me do things and taught me the rules, but... but he never overstepped them."

She recalled Huang Shujian's actions these past few days and felt that this supposedly纨绔 (playboy) young master was quite different from the rumors.

But she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.

Seeing his daughter's somewhat excited expression, Zhao Fumin opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more.

Zhao Ming gave him no further chances, stuffing the nine silver dollars back into Zhao Fumin's hand and whispering, "Father, focus on forging the sword, don't overthink it. I'm going back."

After saying that, she turned around, quickly left the workshop, and went after Huang Shujian.

Zhao Fumin stood there, watching his daughter's hurried departure, then looked down at the heavy silver dollar in his hand and sighed deeply.

"Sigh... silly girl."

"However... if I could really stay with Young Master Huang and be a stable maid... perhaps that would be good too."

He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, turned around and walked to the red-hot forging platform, picking up the hammer again.

……

In the south of Goose City, deep within a chaotic and crowded street.

There is a large courtyard here.

The high courtyard wall was covered with withered vines, the vermilion gate was mottled and faded, and the door knocker was covered with rust.

Normally, this is the hideout of the Black Tiger Gang, a stronghold where they bully others and indulge in pleasure.

The sounds of playing cards, drinking games, vulgar shouts, and women's shrill laughter often kept the noise going until the wee hours of the morning.

However, tonight, the courtyard is unusually quiet.

It was eerily quiet.

The evening breeze whistled through the alleyway, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

A figure emerged from a narrow, dark alley across the street.

He wore a ferocious white tiger mask that covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of calm and sharp eyes.

He was dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit, with a black horizontal sword hanging at his waist.

It was Huang Shujian.

According to Hu Wan's intelligence, Ding San and Ding Si are both martial artists who have opened four acupoints and practice the "Stone-Shattering Fist," which is the same style as the "Mountain-Crushing Fist." They have both reached a high level of mastery.

It is a good opponent to test his "Heavenly Tiger Divine Blade" and hone his "liver and gallbladder".

He walked slowly to the gate of the courtyard and listened intently.

Inside the door, all was still deathly silent.

That's not right.

It's so quiet!

Huang Shujian frowned slightly. Even if Ding San and Ding Si had gotten wind of the situation in advance and dismissed their gang members, it shouldn't be this lifeless and desolate.

Just then, a strong smell wafted out from under the door, carried by the evening breeze.

Fresh, thick, rusty blood!

Huang Shujian's heart tightened, and without further hesitation, he took half a step back and kicked the tightly closed, mottled wooden door.

"Bang--!"

The old, neglected bolt snapped, and the wooden door swung open with a loud crash!

The intense stench of blood, like a tangible tide, rushed towards us!

The moonlight was dim, barely illuminating the scene in the courtyard.

Huang Shujian's pupils suddenly contracted.

There were no fewer than twenty corpses lying haphazardly in the courtyard!

They were all strong, muscular men, wearing the iconic black short jackets of the Black Tiger Gang.

They were lying on their backs or stomachs, their postures contorted, clearly indicating that they had experienced extreme pain before their deaths.

On the ground, dark red blood had almost formed a stream, reflecting a viscous sheen under the moonlight.

And the fatal wounds on each of the corpses were strikingly similar...

It's either in the chest near the heart, or on the forehead between the eyebrows, or in the throat...

There were five deep, bloody holes in each one.

It was as if something extremely hard and sharp had pierced through it with brute force!

Fresh blood was gushing out from these horrific wounds.

"Five fingers?" Huang Shujian's heart skipped a beat.

It's like a human's five fingers, activated by some kind of technique, hard as iron hooks, directly piercing through flesh and bones!

A master specializing in claw techniques?

As he was pondering this, his ears twitched slightly.

A faint sound came from the lobby directly opposite the entrance.

Huang Shujian, gripping the hilt of his knife, stepped into the main room.

Two more corpses lay on the floor of the main room.

A body lay supine, with five bloody holes in its throat, the blood already soaking through the blue bricks beneath it.

Judging from his face, he was one of the two people he had seen at Yuchun Garden during the day, Ding San.

The other body was lying face down on the ground, its body still twitching slightly.

There were also five bloody holes in his vest, from which blood foam was oozing out with his labored breathing.

The person lying down seemed to sense someone approaching, and with the last of their strength, they struggled to lift their head.

It was Ding Si.

His face was covered in blood, and his eyes were wide open with fear and pain, his pupils beginning to dilate.

He stared intently at the ferocious white tiger mask on Huang Shujian's face, his lips moving as he uttered a few words haltingly:

"A zombie... a headless zombie..."

As the last word faded, his head lolled to the side, and he fell silent.

Headless zombie!