Linhe District has a fairly large mill, and the grain, flour, and oil ground daily are not only enough for every household in Linhe District, but there's also surplus to supply outsiders who come to purchase or barter.
However, it's quite strange that such a thriving mill never seems to have craftsmen or workers going out to buy donkey or mule forage, nor is there any mule or donkey dung being transported out.
Gossipy travelers in the martial world speculate that if you follow the water route south from Linhe District, you'll reach the Xiangjiang River Basin, and that instead of donkeys or mules powering the mill, it's actually filled with Wandering Corpses brought in from Xiangyin!
Wandering Corpses are also known as Zombies. At first, people were skeptical of these claims, but later, some officials stepped in to clarify, arresting some of the gossipy travelers and publicly stating that these people were simply jealous of the mill's success and deliberately slandered it out of spite.
As for the fate of those gossipy travelers, it remained as obscure as the rumors themselves.
Within the thriving trade and transportation hub of Dayong lies Linhe District.
The hustle and bustle of porters carrying and hauling goods was overshadowed by the raucous laughter and curses of the patrons in the gambling dens and brothels, so much so that even the crashing waves of the hundred-mile-wide Baisha River at the dock's edge couldn't drown out the lively atmosphere of Linhe District.
Southwest of the district, in a large mill, Xu Qing, who had been in a dazed state day in and day out, seemed to awaken slightly at the lively atmosphere outside.
Roll, just keep rolling!
Tired, so very tired!
When Xu Qing opened his eyes, he found his body joints unusually stiff, mechanically repeating the same actions like a tireless machine.
In front of him stood a huge millstone. On the ground, there was a circular stone trough containing grains to be ground.
At that moment, he was mechanically pushing the mill handle, continuously moving around the circular stone trough.
Xu Qing instinctively wanted to leave his workstation, but his body seemed unresponsive, only dust-laden memories melting away like winter snow, with many scenes re-emerging in his mind.
Supervisor, security guard, bike thief, high beam headlights...
As his memories pieced together, Xu Qing's last hope was completely shattered.
In his memories, he worked by day and delivered takeout at night, but his boss ran off early due to stock market failures on payday.
Though struck with an unscrupulous boss, life had to go on.
That night, the unemployed Xu Qing continued his delivery part-time job, only to encounter a security guard who exercised his small power by prohibiting riders from parking at the community gate.
Not wanting to argue, Xu Qing parked further away, but upon returning, he saw a bike thief, also on a night shift, riding off on his second-hand motorcycle, with the security guard turning a blind eye.
Already fuming, Xu Qing gave chase on impulse.
It's said misfortune befalls the unfortunate, and the weakest strings break first.
Xu Qing chased the thief to the main road, bent over, hands on knees, barely catching his breath when a beam of harsh light suddenly hit him from the roadside—a private car with high beams on.
The driver, also working extra shifts to pay for his car and house loans, was physically exhausted from constant night-driving and had no time to react.
The sharp sound of screeching brakes pierced through the long night.
In that moment, the colorful world turned monochrome as if someone hit pause, freezing everything in place.
Then, new memories rippled like ink, transforming the still, neon-lit night scenes into traditional ink wash paintings. Old dirt roads and ancient buildings took shape—memories unconsciously retained after he became a mindless zombie.
When Xu Qing fully regained his senses, the world before his eyes was entirely different.
Fortunately, this body was still his own. Unfortunately, it was dead beyond revival.
He was now a zombie, picked up and refined by a corpse chaser, sold to the mill to do hard labor.
The old saying goes, there are three great sufferings in life: forging iron, rowing boats, and grinding tofu.
Xu Qing never imagined he would one day endure one of these sufferings.
He wanted to break free of control but could never regain command of his body.
Those were the tricks imparted by the corpse chasers.
The moon was full over Linhe District tonight, yet Xu Qing could make no sound, no matter how loudly his heart screamed.
What kind of world is this?
Even the dead are forced to work?
He thought working himself to the bone in his past life was humanly extreme, never imagining he would have 'rewards' waiting even after death!
What terrible deeds did he commit in his past life, that he not only missed out on a warm bowl of Meng Po Soup but also ended up refined into a zombie, continuing labor, especially in the night shifts he loathed the most!
Xu Qing had never been so aggrieved.
As they say, dripping water wears through stone, not by force but by constancy.
Now, the long-suppressed turmoil in Xu Qing's heart surged like a mighty flood, ready to break the dam.
Just as his corpse energy reached the sky and he was about to lose all sense, a brilliant light suddenly emerged in the depths of his mind, accompanied by ancient chants, calming the growing resentment in his heart in an instant.
What happened to me just now? These scriptures...
Before Xu Qing could think further, another scripture scroll appeared before his eyes, its ancient characters turning into celestial chants resonating in his mind.
The scripture seemed alive with a living Buddha or Immortal lecturing, speaking of the vastness of the Immortal Path and the vastness of the Human Path.
It also mentioned that the Immortal Path highly values salvation, while the Ghost Dao intertwines...
Xu Qing was lost in this ethereal feeling, his body light as a feather, as if about to ascend to a higher realm, yet floating without knowing the way.
Finally, as the obscure scriptures concluded, the scroll opened to another page, displaying scenes from his past life.
Not only were there moments of daily toil but also many overlooked moments of warmth and affection.
Just as Xu Qing was about to immerse in these memories, a celestial chant struck like a stern knock, making him suddenly awake.
"A myriad changes in the air, impurities abound.
Few maintain purity, many are confused.
Thus, the Immortal Path is hard to solidify, the Ghost Dao easily corrupted..."
The mysterious, profound scriptures closed slowly. Only then did Xu Qing see the words etched on the front.
Inscribed there—Sutra of Salvation!
To rescue others, one must first rescue oneself. By now, after being transformed by the Immortal Scripture, Xu Qing saw through the mists of his past life, and the Immortal Scripture evaluated him, giving a human grade evaluation.
According to the information in his mind, Xu Qing learned that the Sutra of Salvation's grading standards were divided into three tiers: Heaven, Earth, and Man, each tier further split into upper, middle, and lower ranks.
He belonged to the lowest rank: human grade.
Though Xu Qing felt somewhat insulted, reflecting on his life, he found the evaluation quite fair.
In his past life, he was indeed a mediocre man.
Yet, the earth does not grow nameless grass, the heavens do not create useless people.
Despite being a human grade, there was merit in it.
When Xu Qing came to his senses, the Sutra of Salvation granted him a corresponding reward.
It was a blessing of Spiritual Light, directly usable, which could cleanse the heart of corruption and rekindle human thoughts.
Xu Qing, having achieved little in life and fallen prey to evildoers after death, turning into a zombie, naturally held grudges in his heart. But this was a common malady among monsters and not entirely his fault.
Thus, the Spiritual Light was the perfect remedy, arriving just in time.
Receiving the reward, Xu Qing couldn't conceal his joy, dissipating much of his resentment.
Though he was unlucky in life and restless in death, at least he could 'live' in another form. And now, chosen by the Immortal Scripture and given a special advantage, he had some hope for his future.
Without hesitation, Xu Qing decisively accepted the blessing of Spiritual Light.
The next moment, the Sutra of Salvation opened slowly, a Purification Talisman leaping out, transforming into threads of Spiritual Light that soaked into his body.
The gentle Spiritual Light was like a spring breeze brushing over willow trees, instantly dispelling the spell left by the corpse chasers, allowing him to regain control of his body.
A hoarse sound escaped Xu Qing's throat, like parched land finally receiving rain; he had never felt such comfort.
Under the bright moon and scattered stars above the mill, Xu Qing, bathed in the Spiritual Light and moonlight, rekindled human thoughts and began contemplating his future.
First of all, working was out of the question. In life, he had worked diligently and tirelessly, but now as a zombie, there was no way he would continue laboring, especially for free as a corpse worker.
But if he wanted to escape this place... Xu Qing fell into deep thought.
This world was far from peaceful. From the black market corpse chaser who refined him to the unscrupulous zombie mill he was in, he could glimpse only a fraction of its dangers.
Perhaps the outside world was even more perilous. Perhaps zombies were at the bottom of the food chain here. If he escaped, he'd likely jump from the frying pan into the fire...
Fortunately, Xu Qing was not one to shy away from problems.
Faced with a dilemma, he sought solutions. His main concerns were the unfamiliar outside world and his unique zombie identity.
Was there a way to help him understand this world better or enhance his abilities?
Suddenly enlightened, Xu Qing set his eyes on a fellow zombie grinding beans not far away...