The second question was how we were getting out. Ahead lay an oppressive mass of zombies. We’d already learned their methods back in Jingyin Village: these zombies chop without blinking, whatever swings down gets chopped.

For us to charge through like Zhang Fei, carving through a massive army as if passing through open fields, leaving nothing but shredded remains, was utterly impossible. Never mind that we lacked the skill; even if we possessed it, we couldn't overcome the corpse manipulation arts of Li Xiaohao and Bai Huajian. Before we'd even cleared half the horde, a mere snap of their fingers would freeze us in place, leaving the rest to the zombies.

Therefore, leaving by force was out; we had to outsmart them.

Wang Jue stood beside me, smiling toward my "sister," who returned the look with an understanding nod, like two old friends meeting after a long separation.

Li Xiaoshu remained composed and calm, much like a leading general before two opposing armies, showing no panic, only observing the enemy's movements.

“You know why I'm here. Look at my zombie legion. If you want those few people to keep breathing, you need to think carefully about what you’re prepared to do,” Li Xiaohao declared to Li Xiaoshu with brazen arrogance.

Watching two identical brothers in appearance and dress engage in open hostility was a bizarre spectacle. They looked as comically mismatched as one’s reflection facing one’s own self from the outside. For a moment, I wondered if this was all an illusion—if I would wake up one morning still confined to the psychiatric ward, with all this experience being nothing more than a fleeting glimpse in a dream.

Li Xiaoshu reached into her breast pocket and pulled out the Youce (Post Album), holding it high above her head with her left hand. From her clothing pocket, she produced a lighter. With three swift strikes, she ignited it and held the flame aloft, smiling as she said, “This is the solution. We can’t leave peacefully, and the Youce cannot remain intact. If the Youce burns, feel free to change your planned legion of the undead to a legion of zombies.”

It seemed this move struck a nerve. Li Xiaohao’s mouth twitched, and he conceded with a note of helplessness, “What do you want?”

“Retreat back to the crossroads and burn your zombie contingent,” Li Xiaoshu stated decisively.

Damn, I thought, that’s a powerful threat. Without the zombie team, their threat is halved. However, relying on just the few of us, dealing with Li Xiaohao and Bai Huajian would still be difficult, and there weren't many of those underworld worms in the small vial either; they posed no real danger to them.

Watching Li Xiaoshu hold the Youce near the burning lighter, Li Xiaohao hesitated for a long time. Seeing his inaction, Li Xiaoshu lowered the album slightly, moving it closer to the flame. The golden-yellow outer edge of the flame crept toward the Youce edge. As soon as it touched the border, whoosh—the entire heart of the flame enveloped it. Green wisps of flame danced up from the edges of the album, and the cover beneath the flame slowly faded from brown to black.

“Stop!” Li Xiaohao, startled by Li Xiaoshu’s readiness to destroy the book, quickly shouted a halt.

Li Xiaoshu dropped the lighter and used her hand to cup the burning flame. Half a second later, the fire on the Youce vanished silently.

Li Xiaohao’s forces began to fall back, and we advanced behind them. When they reached the crossroads, Li Xiaohao, following Li Xiaoshu’s instruction, directed the zombies into the adjacent passage.

It turned out the adjacent passage was horrifyingly dangerous. Merely stepping half a pace inside would drag one in with an immense suction force. The zombies, feeling nothing, simply obeyed orders, one after another stepping into the opening, one after another being sucked in like scraps of paper. In an instant, the large contingent was reduced to just a few.

Just as the remaining few were about to cross the threshold, I spotted Jin Bao’er and Gui Fang’s husband, walking toward the passage with stiff, deliberate steps. Seeing them about to be buried on Mount Jingyin, I yelled out with all the volume I could muster: “Leave those two corpses here!”

Everyone except Wang Jue turned their heads, looking at me strangely.