Chapter 39: Standing Corpse

Instinctively, I glanced at the river beneath the lantern. This was a tributary of the Yellow River, and here, the waterway suddenly narrowed, resembling the mouth of a gourd, collecting all the surrounding yin energy into this spot.

Nurturing corpses with yin!

I drew in a sharp breath. No wonder Xu Yingying’s baleful energy had been intensifying day by day—the problem was right here. The yin energy blocked by Mount Qinglong was being absorbed into Xu Yingying’s body through this feng shui formation. Even if Xu Yingying didn’t wish to become a fierce spirit, it was now inevitable.

I stared intently at the water in that spot. The river wasn’t turbulent, but beneath the pale lantern, a small whirlpool spun endlessly. I knew that was likely where Xu Yingying’s body lay.

I didn’t rush to retrieve Xu Yingying’s corpse. Instead, I glanced up at the sun’s position, waiting until noon before taking off my clothes and plunging into the water, sinking toward the riverbed.

When I first entered the water, I could still feel the midday sun’s heat above, but the deeper I went, the colder it became. As I neared the bottom, I saw Xu Yingying’s body, and my scalp tingled with dread.

She was dressed in a bright red bridal gown, her body unmarred by the water, her delicate face with its closed eyes still showing a faint blush. Even in the dimness below, she appeared almost lifelike.

But Xu Yingying’s corpse was not lying down. She stood upright, her feet in red embroidered shoes just a palm’s width above the riverbed.

A standing corpse.

The River Pacification Compendium recorded that the most fearsome things in river waters were these standing corpses. They remained upright on the riverbed due to the immense grievances they bore in life, their resentment so heavy it generated a baleful aura that kept them on their feet, drifting back and forth with the current as if walking underwater.

As I stared in shock, I saw Xu Yingying’s body move. Still standing in the water, she slowly turned, her bluish, iron-hued face looking directly at me.

Terrified, I flipped away like a startled fish, retreating as far as I could. Once I’d recovered, I realized her body had only turned because of the water’s buoyancy.

Relieved, I silently cursed my own cowardice. It was high noon—no matter how fierce this spirit, it wouldn’t dare cause trouble at this hour. Having located her body, I surfaced and took a few coins’ worth of “poria” from my pack, an herbal remedy used to subdue corpses, then dove back down to where I’d seen Xu Yingying.

Yet to my astonishment, her body was gone—only a few small fish drifted through the water.

Damn! I’d startled her. Xu Yingying’s corpse had moved.

Quickly, I recited a few incantations, and several catfish—scavengers of carrion—swam up to me. These catfish had clearly become spirits themselves, even growing human-like mouths.

I asked one for guidance. Its mouth moved, and it told me where Xu Yingying was hiding. I tossed it some fish food, then followed its directions to the far side of the underwater hill, where I found Xu Yingying’s body again.

She was now leaning against the base of the hill, her eyes still tightly shut, toes pointed, floating motionlessly as if nothing had happened.

“Xu Yingying, don’t be afraid. I’ve come to help you. I’ll take you ashore and help you find whoever caused your death.” I swam to her side, pried open her mouth, and placed several coins’ worth of poria inside, to prevent her corpse from transforming.

Once I’d done this, I hooked her arm over my shoulder, kicked off from the riverbed, and shot up toward the surface with her corpse. But just as I was about to break the surface, I distinctly felt Xu Yingying suddenly grab hold of me, refusing to let me pull her upward.