Spirit Realm Walker

There was another thud. Something was in the adjacent room!

Zhang Yuanqing hastily swapped the rusty cleaver he had picked up for a rusty short blade, and ditched his wooden stick for a long spear. Gripping his weapons, he darted out of the room, his footsteps tapping lightly against the ground. Moonlight spread like frost across the silent surroundings.

He crouched down, creeping stealthily toward the window. The paper covering the latticework had long since deteriorated, so he squatted beneath the sill and cautiously raised his head, peering through a tear in the lattice window.

Cold moonlight filtered in through the holes in the roof, compressing into beams that illuminated the narrow room within.

When he saw what lay inside, his heart lurched.

Three ancient coffins sat in the dim, silent chamber, the black paint peeling and their lids covered in dust. Two desiccated corpses lay beside the coffins, dressed in work clothes. Near one of them, a bronze awl[1] lay on the floor.

The awl caught Zhang Yuanqing’s attention. It was half as long as his arm, cast in yellow bronze, with intricate spells and carvings etched into the handle. The craftsmanship was exquisite. Most importantly, while all the other weapons had grown rusty, the awl still gleamed a golden yellow, without a trace of corrosion.

An image suddenly surfaced in his mind: one of the hands of the Three Paths Mountain Goddess, fingers curled as if grasping something, although her palm was empty.

Thud…

The muffled sound echoed again, drawing Zhang Yuanqing’s gaze to the middle coffin.

A teeth-grinding creak rang out as the coffin lid slowly slid open, and a dark bluish hand emerged, gripping the coffin’s edge. Then, a terrifying figure sat up from within.

The bright moonlight streaming down from the dilapidated roof gave Zhang Yuanqing a clear look at the creature’s appearance. It was dressed in tattered rags. Its face was bloated and heavily decomposed, with protruding, lifeless eyeballs, and its disheveled hair clung to its scalp like withered grass.

”Heh heh~”

It raised its head toward the moonlight overhead and exhaled a musty breath. Two sharp fangs gleamed menacingly in its mouth.

A jiangshi? A jiangshi!!

Zhang Yuanqing felt his Uncle Ying[2] PTSD kicking in.

So it was a jiangshi after all. Of course it had to be, otherwise what would be the point of the Corpse Suppression Talisman? His mind filled with thoughts of retreat. He had explored enough to gather sufficient information. It was time to return to the main hall.

Just then, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. A familiar cold sensation descended upon him, invading his body and raising goosebumps along his skin.

At this critical moment, the vengeful spirit that clung to its victims shoulders had arrived.

Fifteen minutes were up. Zhang Yuanqing’s heart sank.

In this ancient temple filled with danger around every corner, with his nerves stretched taut, it was impossible to spare any mental energy to keep track of time accurately. He could only estimate by feel, which was sure to be off the mark.

The appearance of the vengeful spirit now clinging to his shoulder was already adding insult to injury. What happened next was like pouring oil on a fire.

As if it had caught the scent of a living being, the jiangshi in the coffin stopped staring upward. Its head slowly tilted downward, directing its protruding eyeballs toward the window, and toward the eyes peering at it from outside.

Zhang Yuanqing sprang up in terror as goosebumps exploded across his skin, and he spun around to flee.

The moment he turned, he heard the thunderous crash of the coffin lid hitting the ground.

He ran on without daring to look back, with the vengeful spirit clinging to his shoulder still weighing him down. Another tremendous bang reached him as the door behind him was smashed.

Still sprinting frantically, Zhang Yuanqing glanced back to see the hideous and terrifying figure wrapped in tattered clothes burst out from the room. It advanced with powerful leaps, pursuing him like a hungry tiger about to pounce on its prey.

Was this really a jiangshi? Where was the stiffness that one usually expected from an undead corpse? With a look of determination, he spun on his heel, using momentum to complete his turn. Bracing the butt of the spear against the ground, he pointed the tip toward the approaching jiangshi’s chest, forming a makeshift anti-cavalry stake.

At that moment, he saw a gaping wound in the jiangshi’s chest where its heart seemed to have been torn out.

A sudden thought crossed his mind. Senior Brother? 

The jiangshi had to be the Senior Brother from the journal!

The jiangshi charged forward, ignoring the spear. The finger-thick shaft bent almost into a perfect crescent before snapping with a sharp crack.

Without time to think, Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity the spear had created and rolled past the jiangshi’s feet. His nostrils filled with the stench of decay as the sound of a heavy blade striking the ground rang out behind him.

He rolled all the way behind the jiangshi, then sprang up on both knees and swung the short blade in his hand.

Clang!

The blade struck the back of the jiangshi’s skull like iron striking iron. Aside from severing a few grass-like strands of hair, it did no damage whatsoever. Instead, Zhang Yuanqing’s palm throbbed with pain from the recoil transmitted through the handle, and he nearly lost his grip on the weapon.

Copper skin and iron bones? he wondered in shock.

His heart was filled with horror. The jiangshi turned swiftly, raising both hands and sinking its sharp black nails into his shoulders.

Pain struck him instantly. The sharp black nails pierced his skin, and bright red blood stained his jacket. 

The scent of blood stimulated the creature. Crimson light surged in the depths of its protruding eyes as the jiangshi opened its mouth wide, spewing foul-smelling breath as it launched its fangs savagely toward Zhang Yuanqing’s neck.

The purifying effect of the candlelight still affected Zhang Yuanqing. He didn’t lose his reason to fear. With a single thought, his glowing blue Inventory appeared, and a talisman materialized in his hand.

The vicious and brutal jiangshi saw the talisman and immediately retreated, as if avoiding a venomous snake.

It worked! It feared him. So, it possessed some intelligence. Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth against the pain in his arms, his muscles still tense as he stared intently at the jiangshi. With the vengeful spirit still on his shoulder, he slowly backed away step by step.

As he retreated, he prayed that the female ghost in the well wouldn’t emerge to cause more trouble.

All the while, spine-chilling growls emanated from the jiangshi’s throat, and its crimson gaze remained fixed on Zhang Yuanqing.

Fortunately, whether due to the jiangshi’s presence or the fact that Zhang Yuanqing was walking backward, the ghost in the well didn’t appear. He retreated from the eastern courtyard and returned to the main courtyard. He stumbled toward the main hall, not daring to reduce his speed as he leaped up the steps. As he neared the upturned eaves, ethereal, piercing screams rang in his ears.

His shoulder immediately felt light, and all the negative effects afflicting him dissipated.

***

”Huff, huff…”

Inside the main hall, Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the lattice door, gasping for breath. His legs trembled uncontrollably, half from fear and half from the physiological reaction as the adrenaline in his system faded.

After resting for several minutes, and as the adrenaline subsided, the wounds on his arms began to ache. Grimacing, he removed his jacket and shirt to find both arms clawed into a bloody mess, the blood flowing out tinged with black.

Clearly, the jiangshi’s nails contained potent poison.

The situation had taken a turn for the worse.

A series of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanqing’s mind.

There’s no disinfectant here, no tetanus shots. How fast does corpse poison take effect? Will I die from the poison?

He was surprised to discover he wasn’t particularly afraid, then realized that it had nothing to do with him. It was courage from the candle.

Bathed in candlelight, his emotions gradually calmed.

Now that I’ve been poisoned by corpse venom, I can’t delay any longer, he decided. I’ll proceed directly with the second plan.

Before entering the Spirit Realm, Zhang Yuanqing had devised two strategies. The first was to cautiously explore the temple, gather information, then come up with a solution. A steady, methodical approach.

Then, inspired by gaming with his aunt and the idea of looking for patterns and methods, he’d formulated a second, more risky plan: attempt to tame the Red Dancing Shoes.

It was an item, just like the yellow talisman. If he could use the yellow talisman, wouldn’t he also be able to make the Red Dancing Shoes work for him too?

Guan Ya had mentioned that by cracking the rules of a Rule-type item, there was a chance to subdue it.

With my abilities, he thought, it’s unlikely I could personally stick the yellow talisman onto the jiangshi’s forehead.

Trying to paste a talisman on the forehead of a vicious, terrifying, and intelligent supernatural creature was like a child trying to fight off an adult while wielding a knife. Though the adult might fear the blade, it didn’t mean the child could actually cause harm.

Zhang Yuanqing delayed no further. Supporting himself against the lattice door, he stood up, stepped over the threshold, and entered the courtyard beyond the main hall.

This was where he had first encountered the Red Dancing Shoes.

The full moon hung like a disk overhead. Ancient buildings, wild grass, and swaying shadows surrounded him.

He waited and waited. For a long time he stood among the weeds, alert to any changes around him, but the Red Dancing Shoes never appeared.

The shoes did not seem to be confined to any fixed place. They had appeared behind him when he entered the temple grounds the first time around, and then appeared again in the courtyard. Now they were nowhere to be found.

Any delay would worsen his physical condition. Zhang Yuanqing sighed helplessly and turned to return to the main hall.

The moment he completed his turn, his body suddenly froze.

Tap, tap, tap…

Between him and the main hall, a pair of red dancing shoes glowing with dark crimson light rose and fell in time, as if worn by an invisible person dancing in place to a steady rhythm.

The footsteps echoed eerily in the empty, silent night.

Zhang Yuanqing’s soul, which had almost left his body in fright, slowly settled back into place, and he quietly swallowed.

He cursed inwardly. Could you choose a different sort of entrance? It’s terrifying every single time… 

Though he had hoped for their appearance, seeing those eerie dancing shoes right in front of him still tested his grip on his sanity.

The Red Dancing Shoes continued stepping in place, the heels striking the ground with crisp sounds. The echoes of its constant tapping overlapped, and the sound grew increasingly terrifying.

In Zhang Yuanqing’s vision, a glowing blue message suddenly appeared:

【Would you like to dance with me? If so, please step in place.】

This message appeared beside the Red Dancing Shoes, as if they were speaking to him directly.

As expected, they demanded that he dance. Refuse to dance and they would kill him. 

What wicked shoes, thought Zhang Yuanqing as realization struck him. He had no choice but to go all in. The Red Dancing Shoes had cut off his retreat.

The shoes had positioned themselves between him and the main hall. If the dance-off failed, he would surely die.

Was it a coincidence? he wondered. Or did these shoes do it deliberately? Could they also possess intelligence? 

Zhang Yuanqing gathered his thoughts, settled his emotions, and visualized his father’s face in his mind.

At the same time, he lifted his feet and began to step in place.

Tap, tap… 

As if he had activated some switch on the item, the rhythm of the Red Dancing Shoes changed entirely, falling into step with his own. Then, they launched into an extremely fast tap dance routine.

The shoes were performing a tap dance with an infectious rhythm and at an incredible speed. The loud tapping sounds echoed across the silent nightscape and the abandoned ancient temple.

Under the moonlit night, along a cobblestone path covered in wild grass, a pair of red dancing shoes danced alone with an indescribable bewitching beauty.

Zhang Yuanqing forced his eyes wide open, letting his pupils gather in moonlight as he stared intently at the Red Dancing Shoes. He didn’t need to deliberately memorize anything, only to imprint their steps into his vision.

Meanwhile, his heart beat rapidly, pounding in his chest like a speeding engine. A cacophony of sound roared in his ears as countless fragmented images flashed through his mind.

His brain began automatically recording all external information: the sound of the passing wind, the slight curvature of the blades of wild grass, the frequency at which the distant pagoda tree leaves were fluttering in the wind, and the posture and rhythm of the Red Dancing Shoes as they tapped out their dance.

His brain rapidly analyzed and memorized all the information.

After several minutes, the Red Dancing Shoes stopped with satisfaction, the left shoe stepping behind the right and then rising onto its tiptoes.

Although the pose looked strange, if someone were wearing them, it would be exactly the way they would position their feet when offering a standard curtsy.

It’s quite polite, isn’t it? Zhang Yuanqing grumbled in his mind as blood flowed from his nostrils. 

A line of text appeared above the Red Dancing Shoes:

【Your turn!】

In those few minutes, they had performed hundreds of rhythmic steps, all of them different. Remembering them all would exceed the memory capabilities of any normal human.

Zhang Yuanqing steadied himself and pulled out a small pill from his pocket, placing it in his mouth.

He felt his brain enter a state of wonder, and the scenes from the past few minutes replayed in his mind, frame by frame.

Tap, tap, tap, tap…

His posture was poor and he moved slowly and clumsily, performing several steps as he carefully observed the Red Dancing Shoes.

If the shoes required him to match its dance perfectly and at the same quality, then even if he could reproduce all the rhythms and movements, completing the task would be impossible.

When he did not see any abnormal reaction, Zhang Yuanqing grew relieved and began dancing with full concentration.

He tapped his feet, spun around, made small jumps, and crossed his right foot over his left… He danced very slowly and clumsily, and his posture was atrocious. Compared to the flowing movements of the Red Dancing Shoes earlier, his dance was simply unwatchable.

But the slow rhythm ensured he would make no mistakes.

After seven or eight minutes, Zhang Yuanqing finally recreated the entire dance performed by the Red Dancing Shoes earlier and stopped, gasping for breath.

His nasal cavity was filled with warm liquid that flowed down his lips and dripped off his chin, but he had no time to wipe it away. He stared intently at the Red Dancing Shoes.

Whether he could walk out of the Spirit Realm alive, and whether he could successfully complete the trial, all came down to this moment.

A message appeared beside the Red Dancing Shoes.

【Your dancing skills are as terrible as always!】

They transformed into a point of dark red light and vanished into the night.

Immediately after that, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice ringing in his mind:

【Ding! You have accompanied the Red Dancing Shoes in a dance. Congratulations on earning its appreciation. However, due to your extremely poor dancing skills, the Red Dancing Shoes will only accompany you for thirty minutes. Good luck!】

Zhang Yuanqing collapsed weakly to the ground, his face pale and his brain throbbing with pain.

Half a minute later, the symptoms eased. Still pale, he sat up and eagerly opened his inventory.

In the second slot lay a pair of pristine red dancing shoes.

After staring at the shoes for several seconds, information on the item automatically appeared.

【Name: Red Dancing Shoes】

【Type: Footwear】

【Function: Tracking, Assassination】

【Description: Their former owner was a princess from a western kingdom. The princess was naturally beautiful and skilled at dancing, and captivated all the men in the kingdom. But her evil stepmother, jealous of her talent and beauty, imprisoned her in a high tower. The lonely princess danced alone under the cold moonlight until she died. These Red Dancing Shoes inherited her will. They began wandering, and continue to dance without rest.】

【Note 1. Usage Form 1: Throw the Red Dancing Shoes at a designated target (can also use the target’s blood, hair, skin, or other cells as a medium to lock on). They will pursue the target relentlessly to assassinate it. During the pursuit, they ignore any physical obstacles. The target cannot escape and cannot destroy them. This continues until the target dies, or dances a complete dance with them. The style of dance is unlimited.

【Usage Form 2: Wear the Red Dancing Shoes to increase agility, improve evasion ability, or run across any terrain without consuming stamina. Be warned—you can only wear them for five minutes at a time. Exceeding this duration will cause the Red Dancing Shoes to stay on forever, and you will run with them until your life ends, or you sever both your feet.】

【Note 2. You won’t dance with me? Then all of you can drop dead.】

After reading the item description, Zhang Yuanqing was beside himself with excitement.

This is a divine artifact, he thought. So this is a Rule-type item. It’s simply ridiculously powerful.

The yellow talisman and the candle in the main hall had relatively simple descriptions contained in just a few sentences, but the information on these Red Dancing Shoes was extensive.

That alone was enough to show him how unique the Red Dancing Shoes were.

Zhang Yuanqing noticed a countdown beside his inventory and felt a pang of regret.

Too bad they will only accompany me for thirty minutes.

If he could truly own such a divine artifact, whether in reality or when entering other Spirit Realms in the future, it would be a tremendous advantage.

1. An awl is a small, sharp tool used for piercing holes, especially in leather.

2. Uncle Ying was an iconic character in popular Hong Kong horror comedies from the 80s and 90s about vampires and ghosts, played by the actor Lam Ching-ying.