Great Xia, during the Northern Song period.
An unknown countryside cottage.
"Xiao Wang, I'm going to sleep."
Qin Ye, dressed in white, spoke to the elderly man trimming the herb garden in front of the cottage, grinning as he did so.
The elderly man had white hair yet a youthful face. Even though he was in a rural herb garden, his aura remained untouched—like the old immortals from folklore, otherworldly and ethereal.
However, such an immortal-like old man was addressed as a junior, yet he did not get angry. Instead, he showed reluctance.
"Qin Zun, do you still insist on leaving? Have you really not considered staying?"
In ancient times, adding the word "Zun" when addressing someone was a sign of deep respect. It was unimaginable that an old man would address a young man this way.
"Not considering it at all."
Qin Ye placed both hands behind his head, tilted his head back, and glanced at the clear sky. "This era is too boring. No smartphones, no internet. Other than going to the pleasure quarters to listen to music, I have no entertainment at all. I can't take it."
"What are smartphones and the internet? Qin Zun, you've mentioned them many times. Can you tell me how to make these things? I will do everything possible to get them for you."
"You can't get them. Faraday is still a single-celled organism right now."
Qin Ye grinned, waved his hand decisively, and said, "Don't try to keep me. There really isn't anything here that I'm attached to. Also, don't try to find me. I'll find a secluded place, sleep, and wake up when smartphones exist."
After saying that, he resolutely left.
He never told the old man that he was a traveler from another time—having arrived in this ancient world, similar to Earth in his past life, but filled with ghosts and strange beings.
The old man watched Qin Ye walk away.
In the end he clasped his hands together and bowed deeply. His aged voice echoed in the air. "Respectfully seeing Qin Zun off."
Until Qin Ye completely disappeared from sight, the old man still did not withdraw his gaze, staring in the direction Qin Ye had left, muttering to himself.
"Now that Qin Zun has left, the world may change."
———
Time quietly passed over this countryside. The scenery gradually changed—the old man passed away, and the saplings he had planted grew into towering trees.
Seas changed into mulberry fields, time flowed like a shuttle.
When time arrived in the modern era, at this moment, at Great Xia, Ailao Mountain.
As a natural reserve, this place had always been rarely visited. Aside from forest rangers, almost no one ventured here, preserving its most primitive natural environment.
However, all of this recently changed.
A self-media creator, eager to shoot a video, broke into Ailao Mountain for footage, drawing a surge of visitors.
Among them, someone unknowingly ventured deep into the mountain, attempting to gain overnight fame and fortune through a viral video. As a result, they accidentally discovered a strange ancient tomb.
This discovery was a fortune as vast as the heavens.
However, the truth was that the video never made it online. It was intercepted, the original footage confiscated, and the person was strictly forbidden from spreading the news.
The matter was quietly covered up. Aside from the person involved, no other ordinary people knew about it. And he could only suffer in silence.
The reason was simple. The people who confiscated the footage and forbade him from speaking belonged to Bureau 749.
Bureau 749 was rumored to be a secret department of Great Xia, specializing in research on supernatural phenomena.
He was horrified. 'So Bureau 749 actually existed?'
At the same time, he suddenly realized—the ancient tomb he had discovered was likely anything but ordinary. It was definitely related to supernatural events. Otherwise, why was it Bureau 749 that showed up, instead of the Archaeology Bureau?
Unfortunately, under enormous pressure and influence, he had no way to investigate further, and could only keep his mouth shut, unable to share the secret.
At most, he could vaguely hint at it on forums or Weibo, but others would either take it as bragging or as a joke.
At this moment, it was noon, the sun high in the sky. Deep within Ailao Mountain, at the site of the ancient tomb, seven people arrived.
"A strong aura of yin energy."
A young girl among them covered her mouth in surprise.
Ahead stood the ancient tomb. Calling it a tomb was an overstatement—it was merely a dilapidated gravestone and a mound of earth.
The mound seemed to have been struck by lightning, splitting a corner open, revealing part of the coffin buried within. The yin energy was seeping from the coffin.
The yin energy was so dense, even in broad daylight, it surged into the sky.
If even at the peak of noon—when yang energy was at its strongest—the yin energy remained undiminished, then it was obvious there was something terribly ominous inside the coffin.
At that moment, two middle-aged men, the leaders among the seven, stepped forward, stopping four to five meters away from the tomb, observing the coffin.
"Master, what do you think?" The young girl from earlier asked curiously.
"The situation is not good." One of the middle-aged men responded, frowning as he stared at the coffin. A dried-up head, akin to a mummy, was faintly visible within the exposed corner of the coffin.
"This is at least a Zombie King. And it's in the process of evolving. If we give it a few more days, it may revert to a Drought Demon King."
"Even if it doesn't fully become a Drought Demon King, it will at least gain its bloodline." The other middle-aged man spoke as well.
Upon hearing this, the others' expressions changed drastically. As members of Bureau 749, they naturally understood what "Drought Demon" meant.
Drought Demons were the supreme beings among zombies. The ancient saying "When a Drought Demon appears, a thousand miles of land turns to dust" described their terrifying nature.
"Is it really a Drought Demon?" A young man asked in shock.
"I thought it was nearly impossible for zombies to evolve into one in this era."
"That's because in the past, any dangerous zombie was immediately eliminated. But this one is different." The middle-aged man cast a glance at the young man.
"Ailao Mountain is a nature reserve. No one comes here, so no one discovered this place. Moreover, this ancient tomb was well-hidden. If it hadn't been accidentally found, we wouldn't have known about it. This tomb has probably existed for two or three hundred years."
'Two or three hundred years? That means this zombie is two or three hundred years old?!'
Hiss~
Aside from the two middle-aged men, the others inhaled sharply in horror.
A supernatural entity cultivated for two to three hundred years—just based on that alone, even if it wasn't a Drought Demon, even a pig could become a Pig Demon King in that time.
Suddenly, another middle-aged man, stroking his chin, examined the surrounding environment with a compass in hand.
"This Zombie King picked its location well."
"This place is surrounded by mountains and water, with mountain ranges converging like Nine Dragons Playing with a Pearl. It is an absolutely ideal feng shui site, fit for an emperor's burial ground. No wonder this Zombie King is reverting to a Drought Demon."
"The Zombie King reversed the yin and yang of this place, transforming it into a land of deadly energy. Nine Dragons turned into evil dragons—it's almost impossible for it not to become a Drought Demon."
The young girl then said, "Master, let's act quickly. Before the Zombie King fully transforms, we should eliminate it now."
The middle-aged man nodded. He exchanged a glance with the other middle-aged man.
"You all return immediately. Retrieve my ritual tools, and notify Bureau 749. Tell them to contact the Night Watchers."
'The Night Watchers?' The others' faces changed drastically.
Ignoring their reactions, the middle-aged man spoke solemnly, "Although a Zombie King is at its weakest when evolving, it's still a Zombie King. Even with Lao Chen and me together, we might not be able to handle it. As a precaution, notify the Night Watchers. If we fail and die here, they can at least stop the disaster in time."
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