novelraw Chapter 1256: Extra Story: You Have His Corpse Energy on You
Chapter 1256: Extra Story: You Have His Corpse Energy on You
"Corpse energy? What does that mean?"
The girl, Fayella, instinctively felt curious, and Mrs. and Mr. Dixon were equally puzzled.
Master Gibson explained,
"People who have been in contact with corpses usually carry some corpse energy, and the concentration on you..."
She leaned closer to sniff and then confidently said,
"...indicates you’ve been in contact for at least three days."
Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon’s expressions changed.
According to the four survivors’ account, they had carried Declan Dixon’s body for a day before deciding to leave it at a location.
If what they said is true, Declan Dixon died on the seventh day. Their contact with the body shouldn’t exceed a day at most.
A corpse wouldn’t start emitting corpse energy immediately, and the time required would be less than a day.
But now, Master Gibson says it’s at least three days, which can only mean Fayella and the others lied!
Mrs. Dixon clearly realized this too, and hatred filled her eyes as she looked at Fayella,
"Tell us, did you lie? Did you keep my son’s body with you until you were rescued?! Did you..."
...eat him.
The last few words were too choked to utter.
Just imagining the possibility feels like her heart is being torn apart.
Having already lost their son, the couple was devastated and couldn’t bear the thought of his body being treated in such a horrifying way.
Facing Mrs. Dixon’s anger, Fayella’s eyes reddened too,
"Auntie, no! We didn’t lie! I don’t know why she said I have corpse energy on me. We did carry Declan’s body for a while; perhaps it was during that time that I got tainted, but definitely not for three days!"
She spoke with certainty, a look of wronged urgency on her face.
Master Gibson didn’t alter her statement based on the explanation, steadfast in her own perception.
"What I sensed was indeed more than three days."
She’s absolutely professional when it comes to detecting corpse energy.
Mr. Dixon intervened sternly,
"Master Gibson is a skilled expert we hired specifically for finding the body. I believe in her judgment. Whatever you concealed during those missing days, we will get to the bottom of it once we find my son’s body."
Seeing that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Dixon believed her, Fayella felt powerless. Gathering her composure after a while, she said,
"I didn’t lie, but I know saying anything now is useless. Let’s wait until Declan’s body is found."
She then turned to Master Gibson,
"I came today to guide you all. Even though you are experts, this is your first time in the mountains,
while I’ve been here before and still remember the location of Declan’s body. If I guide you, it’ll save a lot of time."
The Dixon couple was unwilling to let Fayella get involved, fearing she might sabotage the search.
Unexpectedly, Master Gibson agreed promptly.
Not only was Fayella’s reason compelling, but she also carried Declan’s corpse energy, which was crucial.
Furthermore, she wanted to find Declan’s body quickly, not just to reveal the truth but also to give peace to the grieving parents who lost their child.
Having Master Gibson agree, the Dixon couple ceased their objections.
Meanwhile, Ashton Todd had swiftly set up an array using stones as they conversed.
The sound of a suona horn filled the air, and the Underworld’s power transformed into a strand of silk thread, wrapping around Mr. and Mrs. Dixon and Fayella, extracting from them a trace of familial and corpse energy.
These energies were drawn into the array via the thread.
Master Gibson simultaneously performed the mantra to activate the array.
Quickly, the array lit up, and these energies converged into a blue smoke that flowed into the compass in Master Gibson’s hand.
"The direction is set; let’s go."
With these words, Master Gibson took the lead, with Ashton Todd and Fayella hurrying to follow.
Mr. and Mrs. Dixon stayed behind to alert authorities in case they made no progress.
Soon, the three disappeared along the mountain path.
Along the trail tread by previous travelers, Master Gibson and Ashton Todd proceeded deeper.
Fayella had assumed that given their youth, they’d struggle with the mountain path and planned to guide ahead, but was surprised by how easily they walked, even faster than she, an experienced adventurer.
It was her lack of attention to previous episodes of "Inspiration" that led her to unrecognize Scarlett Jennings’ companions.
Otherwise, she’d know that Silent Peak, where Sea City Taoist Academy is located, had been traversed by nearly every student.
Mountain climbing and trekking were part of their cultivation curriculum.
After spending most of the day, the three reached the outer exploration zone and, seeing the sky darkening, Master Gibson paused without hesitation.
Finding a suitable spot to camp, Ashton Todd started setting up barriers against insects and beasts, while Master Gibson sat on a stone and pulled out her phone to order food.
Fayella realized only then that they didn’t bring any camping gear. She was about to suggest sharing her tent when Master Gibson asked,
"What do you want for dinner?"
Perplexed, and just as she was about to inquire further, Ashton Todd readily listed dishes, "Four dishes for three of us should suffice."
Fayella: ...
Was something amiss?
What good was ordering food out in the wilderness?
Their backpacks didn’t look like they contained food supplies, let alone expecting delivery?
She silently mocked, but within ten minutes, her skepticism was answered dramatically.
To her shock, it was indeed a delivery!
A delivery man, obscured in black attire with a hat, carrying two large boxes, emerged from who knows where.
Without a word, he approached Master Gibson, placed down the boxes, and began unpacking.
A tent, folding chairs, complete camping gear, takeout boxes, rice, milk tea...
Most astonishingly, the food was still steaming hot when opened.
Fayella wondered if she’d accidentally inhaled some mountain mushroom spores to envision such a magical scene?
What kind of delivery service was this powerful?
If...if they’d had access to such a delivery service during their time lost in the mountains, perhaps Declan might still...
Haunted by the painful thought, she quickly lost curiosity over the magical sight.
Reaching out, she grasped the object hanging by her chest, tightening her hold until it pressed firmly against her heart.
Though Master Gibson was settling points with the supernatural delivery man, she noticed Fayella’s action from the corner of her eye.
Ashton Todd also observed the item she held, his gaze thoughtful and contemplative.
The next morning, as dawn broke.
Master Gibson, Ashton Todd, and Fayella quickly broke camp and pressed on, pushing deeper into the mountain under the morning dew.
About a third of the way, Master Gibson unexpectedly deviated toward a certain direction.
Fayella hurried to stop her, "That’s wrong! It’s not there; Declan’s body is further up!"
Yet Master Gibson continued, guided by the compass, with only a slight turn of her head saying confidently,
"No, it’s this way. Just follow me."
Fayella watched the path, distinctly contrary to where they had been trapped before, and furrowed her brow, feeling a peculiar sensation, though she couldn’t pinpoint what was truly amiss...