They saw, beneath the female corpse, a bushy tail unfurling. Ma Xiong felt the hairs rise on his entire body. He glanced at Elder Qian, who seemed less shocked; the elder wasn't focusing on the corpse at all but was lost in thought about other matters.

Ma Xiong quickly asked, "Elder Qian, what are you thinking about? Don't you find this strange?"

Elder Qian shook his head. "Is this strange? You haven't even noticed the stranger thing yet. Have you forgotten the sound that came from the coffin earlier, the voice of Lu Zong? Why wasn't it Lu Zong shouting from inside? Don't you find that even stranger?"

At this, a fresh wave of goosebumps swept over Zhi Xiong. Right, he had felt something odd earlier. Indeed, why wasn't it Lu Zong inside? If it wasn't Lu Zong, then who had spoken those words?

As he finished speaking, the three of them unconsciously turned their gazes to the mouth of the fox spirit. They saw her intensely red lips curl slightly, without the slightest movement.

Suddenly, they heard a voice from behind them: "Ma Xiong, is that you? Is it really you? Have you come looking for Ma Xiong?" The group quickly turned around and saw a dark silhouette moving toward them out of the darkness. A warmth bloomed in Ma Xiong's heart; he thought, Finally found you, kid! and eagerly started to step forward to greet the shadow.

But Elder Qian grabbed Ma Xiong’s arm. "Wait a moment, Ma Xiong. This shadow’s arrival feels odd; there must be something fishy about it. You wait here. I, Ma Xiong, will get a clear look at what this thing really is."

Ma Xiong dared not neglect the warning and remained rooted in place, anticipating Lu Zong's arrival. Still, he felt a surge of hopeful expectation, as he was finally about to see his good friend.

When the figure finally approached them, seeing the living Lu Zong, everyone let out a profound sigh of relief. It seemed they hadn't mistaken the identity this time; that really was Lu Zong.

Yet, unexpectedly, the moment Lu Zong stood beside them, his eyes widened wider than camel bells. He stammered, "Ma Xiong, on your back..." Seeing the sheer terror on his face, everyone instinctively looked toward Ma Xiong's back.

What did they see? A withered female corpse was clinging to Ma Xiong's back, her hands clamped fiercely around his neck. Her nails were long and sharp, seemingly tipped with red nail polish. Her hair was long and dense, cascading down past her small face, obscuring it entirely.

Ma Xiong was terrified to death. That was undeniably the same fox spirit from before, and now he was face-to-face with a thousand-year-old corpse—it was simply beyond his capacity to endure. He didn't dare breathe, merely closing his eyes and silently praying for divine protection.

However, the others were utterly bewildered. How could that corpse move? And how had it remained unrotted after a millennium? There must be something unclean here.

"Something unclean..." The moment the term crossed Ma Xiong’s mind, fear gripped them. Ghosts were what they feared most since childhood.

Yet, their curiosity was piqued. Living people are naturally fascinated by the word 'ghost'; they always wanted to see a real ghost up close. It seemed they now had the opportunity.

So, Ma Xiong secretly cracked open one eye to glimpse the female specter. But Ma Xiong was instantly disappointed, as her hair still concealed her face. Just as Ma Xiong looked, he felt her head seem to lift slightly, so he quickly shut his eyes again.

After a moment of no apparent movement from the other side, he dared to open his eyes again, hoping for a clear view.

But one sharp look was enough to send them toward a breakdown. Before their eyes was the woman’s face, her hair now swept back, making her features crystal clear. Her deathly pale face bore no discernible organs, only a few small slits sparsely scattered across the surface, making it look like mere cuts inflicted upon a sheet of human skin.

Ma Xiong was scared out of his wits and desperately tried to stand up. But just as he moved, he felt immense weight on his back, and it seemed hands were strangling his throat. Strangely, the female corpse in front of them had vanished. Ma Xiong gasped for air, turned around, trying to see what was clinging to his back.

The moment Ma Xiong looked back, he regretted it. The female corpse was indeed on his back, her hands locked around his neck, yet he felt no pain from the grip.

He struggled fiercely to break free, but the corpse, which looked light, was far heavier than it should be. He was forced to admit it was some kind of supernatural force pinning him down.

Elder Qian, now free to move since the corpse was off his back, scrambled to his feet. He leaned close to Ma Xiong’s ear and whispered, "Don't you dare look back again, or even I, Ma Xiong, won't be able to save you."

He wanted to cry out for help to Elder Qian, but no sound escaped, as her hands were clamped too tightly around his throat.

He watched Elder Qian walk away from him, consumed by panic and rage: Damn it! When I meet a beautiful woman, you rush ahead to get a look, but when a beautiful corpse shows up, you run faster than a beauty fleeing a suitor!

It seemed, however, he was judging a gentleman with a petty mind. Elder Qian stopped by the wall opposite him and began tapping, first lightly, then with increasing rhythm. The sound of the wall changed from a dull thud to a crisp, hollow knock. He saw Elder Qian’s tightly furrowed brow slowly relax. He glanced back at Ma Xiong and the corpse, then offered them a slight smile. Instantly, Ma Xiong felt the grip on his neck from the female corpse lessen slightly, though it still choked him, ready to take his life at any moment.

It appeared Elder Qian intended to use some item to coerce her into releasing Ma Xiong; they were engaged in a transaction.

Seeing she still refused to let go, Elder Qian pulled a talisman from his pocket, waved it before the female ghost’s eyes, recited a few lines of gibberish, and slapped it onto the wall. He then felt along the wall with his hand and surprisingly managed to pull out a single brick.

The group stared at the scene in utter disbelief. That wall had looked seamless, the gaps between the bricks no wider than those separating the stones of the Egyptian pyramids, yet Elder Qian had seemingly pulled one out with ease. Their admiration for Elder Qian deepened.

But what followed was even more astonishing. As the one brick was removed, the surrounding bricks began to slowly crumble downward. Finally, a large rectangular hole appeared in the wall, and within it, a coffin was hidden. This, apparently, was the female corpse’s lair.

Elder Qian grinned triumphantly at Ma Xiong and the others, then pulled another talisman from his mouth, muttering more strange words. The talisman instantly burst into flame. It seemed Elder Qian intended to burn the female corpse's resting place.

The female corpse, seeing her nest about to be incinerated, naturally panicked. Without a grave, she would become a wandering spirit; not only would she fail to ascend, but her physical form would be lost. Thus, the hands choking Ma Xiong slowly loosened their grip, and her body floated away from him. The moment she left, Ma Xiong felt a massive relief on his back and quickly jumped up, rushing toward Elder Qian.

Who knew Elder Qian was such a proud man? Being harassed by a female corpse had naturally angered him: "I’ve bullied countless women in my life, and now I’m being ridden by a damned female corpse? How can I face anyone now?" Elder Qian tossed the burning talisman casually into the coffin, and the coffin immediately erupted in fierce flames.

The female corpse was utterly enraged. Having released her hostage only to have her lair burned, she was filled with fury. Ma Xiong and the others could tolerate her anger, but Ma Xiong couldn't tolerate her choosing to attack him instead of seeking revenge on Elder Qian. Wasn't that bullying the weak?

Humans are like this; they can’t change even in death. Perhaps seeing Elder Qian’s superior power, she dared not confront him directly and instead openly targeted Ma Xiong.

As soon as Ma Xiong saw the female corpse moving toward him, he knew she intended to attack him again. So, he desperately ran toward Elder Qian. But the female corpse was too fast; she seemed to glide, her feet barely touching the ground, moving with the speed of a rabbit.

Just as Ma Xiong was one meter away from Elder Qian, the female corpse was back on his back, her hands desperately strangling his neck. This time, the force was significantly greater; it seemed she intended mutual destruction.

Ma Xiong couldn't breathe and struggled violently to pry her fingers off, but her strength was immense—his own seemed negligible in comparison. His throat was throbbing with pain. At this moment, Elder Qian was preoccupied with igniting the corpse’s coffin, seemingly oblivious to Ma Xiong’s plight.

Ma Xiong felt severe oxygen deprivation, on the verge of passing out. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind: if brute force wasn't working, what about gentleness? Perhaps she had sensitive spots.

So, Ma Xiong attempted to reach toward her throat to "tickle the female corpse." But the female ghost seemed highly averse to this, as if something sensitive was located at her throat, resisting his touch. Ma Xiong pressed harder, pushing his hand toward her throat. The female ghost jerked her neck sharply backward, finally easing the chokehold on Ma Xiong's neck slightly. Ma Xiong rejoiced—he had found her weakness and attacked it. But Ma Xiong’s arm had limited reach. As the ghost kept moving her head further back, his arm could no longer reach. However, her grip had distinctly weakened. Ma Xiong could finally breathe freely and tried to call out; he could make a sound. Gathering his last breath, he shouted toward Elder Qian, "Help!" Only then did Elder Qian snap out of his focused trance. Seeing the situation, he yelled, "Ma Xiong's mother!" and rushed to help. But Elder Qian seemed to have exhausted his magical tools. Burning her wouldn't work now since she was intertwined with Ma Xiong. Elder Qian could only resort to sheer physical strength to pull them apart.

With Elder Qian joining the fray, Ma Xiong felt the female corpse wrap around him even tighter. Finally, she released his neck and instead coiled her entire body tightly around him, her limbs wrapping around his four limbs. Her body proved incredibly flexible, wrapping around him several times. Ma Xiong felt her strength increasing until he thought his body might explode; it seemed she intended to burrow into him.