"Daoist, why are you being blasted into ashes like this? At least let this humble monk perform a deliverance. Buddha's compassion!"
"If I don't obliterate the corpse along with the Gu worms, they will become Gu corpses later, and you'll have a difficult time."
Shi Jian observed his surroundings for a while before heading into the cave.
Upon entering the cave, he saw a woman sitting cross-legged on a rock.
"Lightning technique, this Daoist is no ordinary one. I too wish to witness how powerful the Daoist school's lightning techniques are."
The woman picked up the bamboo flute in her hand and controlled the Gu corpses within the cave to attack Shi Jian.
Little did she know, these Gu corpses were like mere chickens and dogs in the eyes of the opponent, utterly vulnerable.
"You wish to see how powerful lightning techniques are? Then this humble Daoist will reluctantly let you witness it."
Suddenly, several purple lightning bolts flashed, and the Gu corpses vanished.
Before the Miao疆 sorceress could react, the more than ten Gu corpses before her had disappeared.
"Daoist, this humble monk will assist you in subduing the demoness."
The monk raised the Zen staff in his hand and swung it towards the Miao疆 sorceress before him.
However, the scene before him left the monk stunned.
The Miao疆 sorceress had actually caught the Zen staff with her bare hands, with just one hand.
The monk now regretted his involvement immensely, regretting meddling in this affair. He had gained nothing and was instead about to meet his end.
"I'll deal with you later. First, I'll refine that Daoist into a Gu corpse."
The Miao疆 sorceress kicked the Zen staff out of the monk's hand and used her flute's melody to control poisonous Gu worms to harass the monk.
"Hmph, hmph..."
Shi Jian sneered upon hearing the Miao疆 sorceress's intention to refine him into a Gu corpse.
"You bragged to the heavens while standing on the ground, wanting to refine me into a Gu corpse?"
Shi Jian flicked his wrist, and five purple lightning bolts struck the Gu corpses nearby.
However, the lightning did not destroy the corpses; instead, it annihilated the Gu worms within them.
Thus, using lightning techniques to refine the Gu corpses, he achieved the goal of controlling the bodies.
The Gu corpses, refined by the Zi Xiao Divine Lightning, directly surged to the level of Fu Jiang.
"Go, bring her corpse back to me."
Obeying Shi Jian's command, the zombies bared their fangs and revealed their claws, charging towards the distant Miao疆 woman.
Seeing the Gu corpses attacking, the sorceress quickly picked up her bamboo flute, intending to control the five Fu Jiang.
But no matter how she blew the flute, the five Fu Jiang did not stop their advance.
"What kind of technique is this? Why have I never seen it before?"
The Miao疆 woman continued to blow her flute, summoning the other Gu corpses in the cave.
The five Fu Jiang and the dozens of Gu corpses clashed within the cave.
Since Gu corpses are not considered true zombies, at most they are bodies controlled by dark arts, they were no match for the Fu Jiang.
Moments later, all the Gu corpses were torn to shreds by the Fu Jiang.
Instantly, the cave floor wriggled with corpse Gu, attempting to burrow into the bodies of the Fu Jiang and control their movements.
But the moment the corpse Gu touched the Fu Jiang, they turned into charcoal, having no chance to come into contact with the Fu Jiang refined by the Zi Xiao Divine Lightning.
"Fellow Daoist, wait for this humble monk. I'll help you after I deal with these insects."
The monk, surrounded by Gu worms, still remembered to voice his support for Shi Jian.
"It seems this humble monk must get serious!"
The monk removed the kasaya from his back, chanted a mantra, and then threw it towards the wriggling Gu worms on the ground.
After a few seconds, the kasaya continuously shrank until it resembled a bag.
"Done. A few mere insects can't stump this humble monk."
Having dealt with the Gu worms, the monk approached Shi Jian, watching the five Fu Jiang battle the Miao疆 sorceress.
"Daoist, shall I go help?"
"No need. These five Fu Jiang are more than enough to deal with the Miao疆 sorceress."
Shi Jian walked out of the cave, intending to check if Li Xuyan outside was in any danger.
Seeing the two leaving the cave, the Miao疆 sorceress frantically shouted, "I'll wait for you below. You cannot escape."
The woman wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, managing to fend off the attacks of the five Fu Jiang.
Although the zombies were not agile, their bodies were impervious to weapons, and the Gu worms could not harm the Fu Jiang refined by lightning techniques.
"There is a thousand-year-old zombie nearby. When it can walk under the sun, everyone in Longquan Town will turn into zombies, including you all."
Hearing about the thousand-year-old zombie, Shi Jian stopped in his tracks and turned around, wanting to inquire about the zombie.
"Have you seen that thousand-year-old zombie? Or have you fought it?"
"No, with your strength, it's impossible for you to escape from a thousand-year-old zombie."
"I wasn't mistaken. You came for that thousand-year-old zombie."
Shi Jian approached the Miao疆 woman and used a talisman to control the five Fu Jiang to stop their attack.
"It seems you know quite a bit!"
"If you spare me, I can tell you the news about the thousand-year-old zombie."
"Are you joking? Asking me to spare you?"
"You don't need to say it. I'll do it myself."
Shi Jian quickly moved to the Miao疆 sorceress's side and, using Tongtian Lu, drew a talisman in the air, controlling her movements.
As the woman was heavily injured by the five Fu Jiang, she was unable to resist and was easily subdued.
"What do you want to do?"
"Isn't it obvious? Of course, to interrogate your soul, and then send you on your way."
Shi Jian drew a talisman on his hand and then slapped it onto the Miao疆 sorceress's forehead.
Shortly thereafter, the Miao疆 sorceress's eyes closed, and she fell into a coma.
After a period of questioning, he learned the entire sequence of events, including the cause of Qianhe Daochang's death.
"I thought you knew the thousand-year-old zombie's weakness. Useless trash."
Shi Jian, not having learned the thousand-year-old zombie's weakness, in his anger, struck the opponent's crown with lightning techniques.
After dealing with the Miao疆 sorceress, he used lightning techniques to eliminate the remaining five Fu Jiang as well.
"Amitabha, Buddha's compassion, blessed, blessed!"
"Stop chanting. They are all annihilated. Take the bodies back to Longquan Town, and this matter is concluded."
Shi Jian walked out of the cave and, with Li Xuyan, returned to Longquan Town.
The monk inside the cave, with a female corpse slung over his back and a pile of Gu worms in his hand as evidence of defeating the Miao疆 sorceress, followed.
The three returned to Longquan Town, presented the female sorceress's corpse and the Gu worms to the villagers, and then completely destroyed them.
"There is a Gu forest in the back mountain. You should preferably burn it with fire to prevent the growth of any evil spirits in the future."
Upon hearing about the Gu forest in the back mountain, the villagers immediately organized hundreds of strong men and set the back mountain ablaze overnight with torches.
During this time, the police station attempted to offer Shi Jian some silver dollars, but he refused.
Helpless, they then handed the silver dollars to the monk.
"If Daoist did not accept the payment, how could I dare to? Esteemed benefactors, we shall meet again. This humble monk bids farewell!"
The monk bid farewell to everyone, donned his kasaya, and left Longquan Town.
Thus, the Miao疆 sorceress incident was completely resolved. Shi Jian and his disciple waited in the inn for people from the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
Until Zhang Yuanxuan, accompanied by three Daoists who had reached the perfection of Earth Master cultivation, arrived in Longquan Town.