Chapter 9: Three Corpses - Stumble

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【Health Points: 87%】
The leopard-man monster’s health points left Chu Danqing thoroughly astonished.
Judging by its appearance, it looked no different from a creature on the verge of death, yet its health bar suggested it was at most lightly injured. This meant the wounds on the leopard-man monster were merely a facade.
Chu Danqing’s gaze scanned the monster’s body repeatedly, searching for clues.
While the attacks from Dabao and the crossbowmen were steadily depleting the monster’s health, the leopard-man’s own attacks were becoming increasingly ferocious. At first, Dabao’s life-steal effect was sufficient to keep pace, but as the enemy’s attack speed accelerated, the lifesteal could no longer keep up.
Feeling he could not just sit and wait for death, Chu Danqing immediately cast an energy link.
The link manifested and sank into the leopard-man’s body, only to slowly dissipate.
"It didn't hit? That’s impossible!" Chu Danqing watched the link fade; it hadn't been shattered by the enemy's attack. A "miss" resulted in dissipation, while being destroyed resulted in shattering—the two were fundamentally different.
"It’s parasitism. Dabao, find the main body." Chu Danqing understood now; the human-faced panther was truly dead, and something else was manipulating its corpse. The reason its health had been dropping so slowly was that Dabao and the crossbowmen hadn't been striking its vital points. In online games, attacking the feet might work, but this was reality. Semi-digitalization was merely a reference, not a reflection of the entire world.
Hearing this, Dabao gritted his teeth and used his tearing claws to begin carving into the leopard-man’s flesh.
"The position is wrong, try again." Chu Danqing watched the combat log; the damage had decreased, indicating they still hadn't found the right spot.
*Crunch.*
As Dabao continued his attempts, he tore away the leopard-man’s sternum, revealing a bizarre creature hidden inside.
Chu Danqing used his Detection skill once more and finally identified its name.
【Three Corpses · Zhi (Obstacle)】
Seeing the name, Chu Danqing was naturally puzzled. He knew a little about the concept of the "Three Corpses"—informants and sources of evil that reside within the human body according to Taoism. Beyond that, there were only some mythological settings, none of which had anything to do with "Zhi."
Once the source was found, the damage from Dabao’s attacks caused the Zhi’s health to plummet rapidly. A single swipe took away more than half its health, and a second swipe finished off the strange creature.
【You have killed Three Corpses · Zhi.】

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Following the death of the Zhi, it dissolved into a pool of pus on the spot.
A pungent, foul odor emanated from the leopard-man’s corpse—it didn't smell like it had just died, but rather like it had been rotting for days. At the same time, an Excellent-grade treasure chest appeared atop the remains.
Dabao snatched the chest and brought it back. Chu Danqing casually tucked it into his storage space. He couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
The contribution points were credited, and the trial mission was completed.
【Mission complete. You have received: Qualification for Return, Paradise Points × 1000, Attribute Point +1.】
Chu Danqing ignored the notification from Paradise, instead pondering the fact that there should be three of the "Three Corpses." Why was there only one? Perhaps there were clues hidden within.
"Master Consultant, you are truly remarkable. This vicious beast is finally dead," the manager remarked, hurrying over once the battle had concluded.
"Manager, do you know the origin of this leopard?" Chu Danqing felt it was worth digging deeper.
Facing Chu Danqing’s question, the manager shook his head. "I am not sure. I only know it arrived in recent days."
"Are there any other similar exotic beasts or anomalies in the surrounding area?" Chu Danqing asked.
Seeing Chu Danqing’s persistent questioning, the manager didn't dare to be perfunctory and began to think carefully.
"Actually, there is one," the manager said immediately. "Before this beast appeared, the first person it snatched away was Lu San."
"This Lu San was an old miner who scrimped and saved, hoping to return home, build a house, and take a wife."
"A few days before he was snatched, he became a completely different person."
"First, he bought a set of new clothes, then he went to the Chunyuan Pavilion. He didn't just eat and drink well; he even hired three prostitutes to serve him for the night."
"Later, he fell asleep drunk outside the mine entrance. By the time someone saw him, he had already been snatched away and eaten by the beast."
"Master Consultant, would you consider this an anomaly?" the manager summarized.
Upon hearing this, Chu Danqing immediately replied, "Yes, of course it is."
He didn't know much about the Three Corpses, but the clue was too obvious to ignore. The original host of the Three Corpses was not this human-faced panther, but the miner named Lu San.
"Then I will immediately arrange for someone to investigate for you, Master Consultant, and see what is going on," the manager said.
"Investigate. I suspect someone might be targeting the Lu family," Chu Danqing stated. This was no mere conjecture; it was a real possibility.

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"Zhi" was likely the name of one of the Three Corpses. He had only killed one, meaning two were still at large. Based on the manager’s description, the Three Corpses seemed to trigger three desires: vanity, gluttony, and lust. The human-faced panther’s frequent consumption of people was the manifestation of gluttony. Beyond that, they likely granted the host corresponding power.
"This beast was originally just a common predator in the mountains. It only underwent such a transformation because it consumed Lu San, who had already undergone a radical change in temperament."
"Think about it: if you were to replace this beast with Lu San, how many people would have noticed?"
"Someone is definitely plotting against the Lu family’s mining operations behind the scenes," Chu Danqing analyzed.
Although it could be a coincidence, Chu Danqing’s reasoning was sound. The manager was quite shaken by what Chu Danqing had said.
"Rest assured, Master Consultant, I will have the mine closely monitored and will report any anomalies to you immediately."
"The matter regarding Lu San will take some time to investigate, but I will deliver the findings to you by tomorrow morning at the latest," the manager promised.
Since this involved the Lu family, the manager had to do his best for his own sake. With the Lu family as his backer, he lived comfortably; without them, his status and wealth would vanish. Therefore, he would proactively protect the Lu family’s interests. The Lu family had thrived for generations, and their methods of managing the household were naturally flawless.
"Remember, keep this quiet and act with discretion. If you startle the snake, it will be difficult to catch the person behind this later," Chu Danqing cautioned.
In truth, there was another possibility: this might not be an external threat, but an internal one. In a large family, not everyone is of the same mind. Particularly the Lu family’s eldest son, Lu Yin, who was a frail invalid and did not look like he would live long.
"Don't worry, Master Consultant, I understand." After acknowledging this, the manager asked, "Shall I have you escorted back to the estate?"
"No need," Chu Danqing said. "Take me to the Ji estate."
"This... the Ji estate is not just any ordinary household in Yangxian County. Without an invitation, it will not be easy to gain an audience," the manager reminded him tactfully.
Wealthy families had their own rules. The Ji family was already significant, and the Lu family’s own regulations were even more complex.