Chapter 34: Wax Corpse

I exchanged blows with the man in black sunglasses again and again, discovering that his skills were exceptionally elusive, his moves bizarre and unpredictable, and his speed astonishing. Yet, for all his swiftness, my blade was swifter still. After several rounds, we both bore wounds—he had struck me in several places, causing sharp pain, likely leaving bruises at the very least; he too was suffering, as I had managed to cut him twice.

Just as our battle reached its most intense, a dark shadow suddenly shot forth, hurtling toward both of us. We sensed the danger and quickly separated. In that moment, I saw the shadow clearly—it was an indescribable creature, somewhat resembling a cat, but as large as a human, with a tail and a body shrouded in black. It wore scraps of clothing, and upon closer inspection, my heart leapt in alarm: those garments were the very same as those once adorning the statue—the waxy attire that felt like candle wax to the touch. Could it be that this creature was the statue itself? Was it alive?

The man in black sunglasses was clearly startled as well, and together we watched the creature warily. The unknown is always the most terrifying; moreover, its speed was unnatural, and its claws appeared razor sharp—a careless move could easily end in injury.

It was likely seeking vengeance, which was understandable; after all, we had spent considerable time poking and prodding its body, the man in black sunglasses had taken its possessions, and I had kicked it hard. It would be odd if it bore no grudge against us. But what exactly was it? Animal or something else… Suddenly, a chilling legend came to mind: could this thing be a zombie? A creature only found in tales, which I had never believed. Besides, a real zombie wouldn’t look so undignified—it was far too catlike.

The creature crawled upon the ground, its purpose unclear. Yet, I noticed the man in black sunglasses staring at it as if he had found a treasure. At that moment, a shout rang out behind me: “Watch out!”

My instincts took over, and I shifted from my current position. A deafening bang sounded. Turning, I saw Yellow Hair—his hand pouring blood, the other gripping a pistol aimed at me, screaming, “Die! Die!”

Fortunately, my movement and his unstable state spared me from the bullet; his aim was poor. But just as Yellow Hair prepared to fire again, the catlike creature darted over with blinding speed, pouncing upon him and sinking its fangs into his throat. Yellow Hair let out a shrill, agonized scream. The man in black sunglasses, panicked, rushed forward almost instantly, but the giant cat seized Yellow Hair in its jaws and leapt to the rooftop, moving faster and with greater strength than I could have imagined, carrying a grown man as if he weighed nothing.

The man in black sunglasses drew his pistol and fired at the creature, but it vanished after a few quick movements. Frustrated, he turned to glare at me, then pulled the trigger. But I had anticipated this, and was well prepared. He made a critical mistake: a pistol is a deadly weapon, but against someone like me, if you miss at a distance, you’ll never get a second chance up close.

I sprang to his side, blade flashing almost at his skin, and slashed swiftly and hard—so fierce I heard the blade strike bone. He retreated quickly, but I pressed him relentlessly, my weapon weaving intricate patterns, each cut aimed at him. He was skilled, though, and fought desperately, dodging several attacks before fleeing in another direction. Gunshots rang out, fired in panic and missing their mark. In a heartbeat, he vaulted through a second-story window and escaped. I had no intention of pursuing him—unless there was a next time, I would not let him get away again.

Sheathing my short blade, I headed toward Li Ling. Anna and Liang Qiu were visibly shaken, Li Ling somewhat less so, simply asking, “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, saying it was nothing. In truth, pain seared through me from several places, most likely bruises, but thankfully no bones appeared to be broken. Examining Liang Qiu’s injury, I saw a long needle embedded in his backside. It was a silver needle, thankfully not poisoned, which I had already removed. Anna used her portable first aid kit to treat him, though the location was awkward, leaving Liang Qiu blushing in embarrassment.

They were all quite curious about my skills, especially Li Ling, who frowned and said, “I knew you were capable, but I never expected you to be this adept. You must be more than an ordinary man. Still, thank you.”

I wasn’t sure what she was thanking me for; I had only acted to protect myself. The three of us rested for a moment. I remained vigilant, wary that the man in black sunglasses or the giant cat might return, while also keeping an eye on our surroundings. Casually, I asked,

“What was that thing just now?”

I didn’t expect Li Ling to know, but she replied, “It might have been a wax corpse.”

“A wax corpse?” I asked.

Li Ling explained that a wax corpse is a type of cadaver formed under special conditions. After death, the body dehydrates, fat transforms into wax and seeps out, and wax corpses usually form in wet, acidic environments. In ancient times, wealthy families would preserve their dead by wrapping them in white wax. This method was generally avoided in summer, but to preserve bodies during hot weather, lime was mixed with the wax to accelerate solidification. Li Ling spoke in detail, though much of it went over my head. Still, she was puzzled as to why the creature was alive, unsure of its true nature. We all agreed it wasn’t human, but more like some kind of animal.

After a short rest to recover from the shock, I tended to my own injuries, which were mostly bruises and not serious. Li Ling and the others resumed their investigation, though wary of danger. I accompanied them, pondering why the creature was alive. Even if perfectly preserved, thousands of years had passed—surely it couldn’t truly be living. Unless it was a revived corpse. Then a possibility struck me: the red pill. Could that be the cause?

This reminded me of the ancient poison arts—the ruins belonged to the old kingdom of Guli, whose king researched poisons capable of lasting for millennia. If the red pill was what I suspected, perhaps it could keep the creature alive for thousands of years—or maybe it was an antidote. Modern science is advanced; if we brought it back to study, perhaps we could unlock the secrets of those poisons.

The more I thought, the more excited I became. Then I calmed myself. The red pill was now with the man in black sunglasses. My priority was to find him and recover it.

With that in mind, I said to Li Ling, “You keep researching here. I need to go out for a bit.”

Li Ling hesitated, frowning silently, but Liang Qiu spoke up, “Brother Yun, don’t leave us! What will we do if you go? It’s so dangerous here.”

From my person, I drew a pistol dropped by Yellow Hair, still holding three rounds. I handed it to Li Ling for protection. She accepted it without question, saying, “You must have your own tasks. Don’t worry, everyone will come down soon, and safety shouldn’t be an issue.”

At that moment, we exchanged a glance, both recalling that there were two more members of the man in black sunglasses’ group above us. In the current situation, could that pose a threat?

Li Ling clearly thought the same. She shook her head, saying, “There shouldn’t be any trouble for now. Everything happened recently, and walkie-talkies don’t work well here; they likely don’t know what went on. Besides, there are many people upstairs, so danger is unlikely—unless the other group has weapons, which could be a problem.”

In the end, Li Ling decided to return immediately, knowing the quickest route. She would arrive before the man in black sunglasses, with a time advantage of about half an hour. With the strength of numbers above, she should be able to control the other two. I would pursue the man in black sunglasses, and we would regroup above before resuming our investigation.

Ideally, we might meet others on the way, proving nothing bad had happened. If something went awry, we’d adapt as needed.

Li Ling had deduced the entrance used by the man in black sunglasses, giving me the general direction. Having witnessed my skills, she had no concerns for my safety. Only then did I realize Li Ling possessed a formidable, strong-willed nature—she could handle a pistol and made decisions swiftly.

Leaving the attic, I set off quickly in the direction Li Ling had indicated, hoping to catch up with the man in black sunglasses and retrieve that red pill. If he tried to leave, he would likely use his original route, as he didn’t know where Li Ling and I had entered. Even if he didn’t return, I could wait for him above; either way, I was determined to find him.

The roads here were not complex. As I moved forward, silence enveloped me; the buildings on either side were nearly identical, offering no distinguishing features. The wind continued to howl. Running, I suddenly heard a sharp “whoosh”—the sound of something streaking past. I stopped abruptly.