In front is an old lady wearing black burial clothes, with small and large corpse spots on her face, her eyes seem to be melting, constantly flowing with yellow liquid, and exposed hands covered in green fur.
The nails on her hands are about five or six centimeters long, bright black, and gleaming coldly under the moonlight.
Sensing Lou Yi's arrival, her head turns, aiming at Lou Yi's position.
'Is this... a living corpse?'
'Such a rare event, and I encountered it?'
Lou Yi was somewhat speechless; he had heard stories about living corpses and jumping corpses, but it was his first encounter in reality.
He took out a shovel to shield himself, and he really wasn't that afraid of this damn living corpse.
Firstly, the opponent was quite short, only reaching Lou Yi's chest, and secondly, it was human turned, which struck him less than the legendary spirits and evil ghosts.
'Thunk.'
'Thunk.'
'Thunk.'
The living corpse old lady awkwardly walked step by step towards Lou Yi, seeming as if she were performing a robot dance.
But soon her movements became more agile, and her speed gradually increased.
"Die!"
Lou Yi wouldn't give her a chance to grow, he swung a shovel straight at her.
'Whoosh!'
With strength several times that of an average person, the shovel emitted a breaking sound and then fiercely hit the living corpse old lady!
'Bang!'
Without suspense, she was struck and sent ten steps away, crashing into a small tree of fist thickness, breaking the trunk.
But Lou Yi's expression changed; he felt a faint numbness in both hands, as if he had hit a piece of rock.
This hard?
In the next instant, the living corpse old lady crawled up from the ground and staggered faster towards Lou Yi.
The posture was bizarre, but the speed had reached ordinary human standards.
Yellow liquid splashed from its eyes, dry claws covered with green fur waved erratically forward.
If it caught him, there's no telling, infection might occur, Lou Yi naturally wouldn't take that risk.
"Scram!"
Lou Yi increased his force, swinging a shovel, dispersing the dust on the ground.
'Clang!'
The living corpse old lady flew out without resistance but soon crawled up again without feeling and continued charging at Lou Yi.
'Clang!'
'Clang!'
'Clang!'
Its strength grew larger, speed faster, already far beyond that of ordinary people.
During the confrontation with Lou Yi, the surroundings were filled with flying branches and dust, several stone tablets cracked.
If it weren't for Lou Yi being more abnormal, he might have already been seized by it.
Despite this, Lou Yi's stamina also slightly decreased, knowing a change in strategy was necessary.
As long as there is life, there is a weakness.
Referring to novels and movies from the previous world, Lou Yi aimed at the living corpse old lady's throat.
"Let's try cutting its head off."
Lou Yi casually tossed the shovel aside, pulling an axe from his bosom.
Right hand holding the axe for defense, left hand gripping the slingshot, starting the 'whirling' preparation.
As the living corpse old lady crawled from the ground.
'Whew!'
A plum-sized stone was already hurled by Lou Yi, accurately hitting the old lady's throat, at an indistinguishable speed.
'Snap!'
The huge energy burst from the stone made the old lady stumble, nearly losing her balance.
And on its throat, an eye-visible wound appeared, with some green pus oozing out.
'Continue.'
Lou Yi threw another stone, hitting the living corpse old lady's throat, constantly enlarging the wound.
The living corpse madly tried approaching him, but was incessantly driven back by Lou Yi's precise stone throwing.
Even though Lou Yi's stone throwing skill was only at the entry-level, within a distance of more than ten steps, he could nearly achieve a hundred hits out of a hundred.
When it was able to approach, the throat had been battered by Lou Yi to the point only a strip of skin left, with the head full of white hair hung on the shoulder.
"Die!"
With a swing of the axe, Lou Yi severed the head from the living corpse old lady.
She fell, never to rise again.
"So tired."
Lou Yi was drenched in sweat, his muscles ached, feeling as if he'd been through a war.
'This living corpse, ordinary people encountering it would have no chance. Can't run, can't fight, a scratch from it would be deadly.'
Only by having strength greater than it, speed quicker, combined with the long-range attack means by using slingshot, could Lou Yi hardily exhaust it to death.
'I truly wonder how formidable the legendary spirits and peculiar creatures must be.' A sense of awe for this world naturally arose in Lou Yi's heart.
'Martial Artists must be more formidable than I imagined, after all, they can contend with these monsters.'
Not knowing how wide the gap is between himself and the city's Martial Artists, Lou Yi couldn't help but wonder.
The Axe Skill has just entered the novice level, the gap should be significant.
But as my skills gradually improve, the distance will surely diminish.
Lou Yi silently encouraged himself.
In the future, when there's a chance, I must go to the city to learn martial arts. Always working behind closed doors alone won't do.
After he finished daydreaming, he was about to dig a pit to bury the living corpse.
A flash of inspiration came, and Lou Yi habitually bent down, moving his right index finger slowly towards the body of the living corpse.
When it was less than three centimeters away, familiar semi-transparent small characters appeared: 'Energy +2, absorb?'
"Yes."
Lou Yi didn't expect to gain this from it.
Besides fresh corpses of normal people who died unexpectedly, living corpses too could provide him with energy.
Thinking of the usual circulating rumors, about how the Land God Temple in Liuhe Village has strange things appearing, a female ghost found on Cui Ping Mountain, sightings of a Fox Spirit in Red Leaf Forest…
Lou Yi shook his head, dispelling such frivolous thoughts.
Steadily developing, I will reach the top sooner or later, there's no need for me to take any risks.
For now, the problem of food is resolved.
Next, set a small goal, save up more silver coins, strive to join the Martial Arts Hall in the main city as soon as possible.
Lou Yi is eager to see what the road to becoming a Martial Artist looks like.
He couldn't possibly be confined to a small village forever.
Particularly with the age on the Attribute Panel, it's just over fifty, who knows, maybe becoming a Martial Artist could extend my lifespan?
Now that food is no longer a concern, Lou Yi started considering more distant matters, worrying about his own longevity.
Logically speaking, as he could now eat his fill every day and with the Martial Arts he developed strengthening his body, he shouldn't just live to be in his fifties?
Or is it due to his genes? Can learning martial arts change all this?
...
After mastering the Slingshot, Lou Yi turned his gaze to the sky.
The birds around Erhe Village were in big trouble.
The ones perching on trees, soaring in the sky, hunting insects on the ground, all might fall prey to sudden stone strikes.
And Lou Yi's daily diet greatly improved.
Kingfisher meat stir-fried with wild vegetables, swallow meat stew, freshly roasted sparrow…
Due to sufficient nutritional supplements, he grew another small segment taller, now reaching 1.8 meters, a rare height in the nearby ten villages.
Even the little dog, Gou Wa, benefited, starting to gain some flesh and no longer looking so scrawny as before.
On an ordinary afternoon, the sky was overcast, filled with dark clouds, and the air was thick with a damp and suffocating smell.
Lou Yi came down from a small hill and unexpectedly struck down a low-flying pigeon.
Casually holding the pigeon by the wing, he headed to Daihe Village, intending to bring some nutrition to Gou Wa's family.
Arriving at the Cheng Family's door.
Gou Wa was whipping a wooden spinning top that Lou Yi bought him a few days ago, with the pure smile of his age on his face.
"Uncle Lou!"
Spotting Lou Yi, Gou Wa threw the whip to the ground and ran towards him with short strides.
"Wow, a big pigeon, and it's still alive!" Gou Wa exclaimed excitedly.
"Here you go." Lou Yi handed the pigeon to Gou Wa to play with, casually asked, "Where's your mother?"
"Inside, and that bad guy came again!"
"Who?"
"The bad guy you chased away last time."
"What?"
Lou Yi's face turned dark.
Walking into the house, sure enough, he saw Yang Er with his chest exposed, lazily standing next to Mrs. Cheng, saying something to her.
Mrs. Cheng remained calm, paying no mind.
"Yang Er!"
Yang Er suddenly turned, seeing Lou Yi's dark face, he immediately jumped a few steps away from Mrs. Cheng in fright.
"Don't hit me!"
Seeing Lou Yi raise his hand, Yang Er immediately cowered, hugging his head and squatting down.
"Forget it, Ayi, today he actually helped me with some things." Mrs. Cheng interceded.
Hearing her say this, Lou Yi put down his fist.
"Brother Lou Yi, I really wasn't here to cause trouble. Brother Biao sent me to ask for your help," Yang Er hurriedly said.
"Oh?"
"Cao Family Village blocked and redirected the upstream river water to their own village fields, leaving Gao Family Village with nothing downstream, the two villages are about to fight!" Yang Er said with some excitement, "This time they are determined for a big confrontation, each invited many helpers to cheer them on!"
...