Chapter 91: Fanning the Flames

Chapter 91: Oil Cooked in a Furious Fire

Beneath the chunks of flesh that fell from her body, there was a revolting red rot, masses of tumors exposed to the air. Instantly, countless pale, tiny crawling insects burrowed out, swarming outward and making Old Lady Li itch in waves. Between the gaps in her tumors, several slender, rod-like arms broke through the skin and muscle, attempting to snatch the pale insects back. Yet the more she grabbed, the more appeared, until finally blood was drawn and dark pus began to ooze. Most of those insects were scorched away by the fiery flames.

Yet even suffering such grievous wounds, Old Lady Li took on the rage of a beast trapped, showing her fangs and claws in fury.

“Ah—!” Old Lady Li roared in rage, and above her bloated navel appeared countless transparent threads, resembling umbilical cords, stretching out beyond the corridor, their destination unknown.

Zhang Sanlu’s mind was filled with only one thought: this thing is too ferocious, I must escape!

The next moment, enduring the agonizing pain in his chest and abdomen, he crouched low. The yellow “Swift Step” talismans, long pressed against his calves, slipped from his leg bindings.

He then kicked hard against the treasure shelf with a ‘bang,’ using the momentum to leap toward the doorway. The shelf, struck forcefully, crashed against the wall, and the jade discs, vases, and gold and silver utensils upon it tumbled down in a cacophony, smashing into fragments across the floor.

“Good child, let me eat you!” Old Lady Li roared, her voice even more wretched than before, when her flesh had been torn away. One of her slender, rod-like arms suddenly extended at lightning speed, stabbing toward Zhang Sanlu’s chest.

With a loud crash, Zhang Sanlu had already rolled and slammed open the heavy door, which fell onto the ground with a thunderous sound, echoing through the passage.

By now, the fire was growing uncontrollable, billowing black smoke mingled with the stench of burning rotten flesh surged outward like a host of sinister spirits from the netherworld, accompanied by howling winds and shrieks. Within the thick smoke, the sound of collapsing beams and walls echoed, like thunder rolling in spring, roof tiles clattering down in a shower.

What on earth is this monstrous thing! Zhang Sanlu cursed internally, but his feet moved even faster, rushing to the corridor’s mouth in just a few breaths.

He dashed outside, and moments later, behind him came a deafening crash as countless beams, bricks, and stones smashed to the ground in a spray of debris.

Turning back, he saw the roof of the subterranean dwelling had been breached, a mass of fire erupting from the dark hole, flames leaping along the eaves, spreading across the connecting walls and pavilions, dancing and invading shrubs and trees, slithering through the grass like fiery serpents, engulfing one courtyard after another, consuming room after room.

The scene was beyond anything Zhang Sanlu could have imagined, freezing him on the spot.

In the pitch-black night, the Li family mansion suddenly blazed with a raging inferno, firelight soaring to illuminate half the sky. The flames were so fierce it seemed they would devour everything, reducing the grand, ancient, luxurious residence to ash.

Amidst the roaring flames, countless figures, gaunt and staggering like living corpses, burst from the rooms into the courtyard, resembling evil spirits. Their faces twisted with fanaticism, eyes bloodshot and wild, driven only by primal instinct.

Standing in the center of the ruined dwellings with nowhere to retreat, Zhang Sanlu witnessed the horror. He saw some of the figures’ clothes already scorched by the fire, yet they seemed oblivious.

They stumbled from the burning wreckage, hoarse cries and shrieks erupting from their mouths, as if intent on tearing him apart. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning and the metallic tang of blood, nearly suffocating.

In the blackness of night, the once magnificent Li mansion was now swallowed by furious flames. The fire, like an enraged beast, licked every inch of wood and stone, driving the ancient manor toward ruin. The blaze soared skyward, illuminating half the heavens and revealing the twisted, fanatical faces of those crawling from the ruins.

But Zhang Sanlu had no time to pay heed, for he could still sense that familiar presence—the raging fire and the collapse of the underground palace had not buried it. Old Lady Li was still there! Somewhere in a nearby room, she watched him!

Zhang Sanlu glanced around, finding himself surrounded by collapsing buildings and flames. His lower body seemed trapped in a mire of rotten, bloody flesh.

“Zhang Sanlu~! Zhang Sanlu!!” Calls echoed from within the ruins, voices belonging to Hui Niang, Zheng Ji, even the Master Tongxuan, and Old Lady Li’s raspy howl.

From the dizzying maze of the ruins came a voice, strangely familiar. “Good child, wonderful, wonderful, you truly are my good child. Hurry, hurry and come to me, let mother hold her precious child, come into my belly—”

That voice echoed in the darkness, growing stronger and stronger, gradually dominating Zhang Sanlu’s mind. He almost believed he belonged here. His waist tingled with a numb, itchy sensation, dulling his pain.

Looking down, Zhang Sanlu saw an umbilical cord, slick with blood, attached to his navel. He grabbed it tightly, trying to pull it free, but it wouldn’t budge, as if it were fused with his intestines.

All around, the sounds of shuffling and scraping drew nearer, closing in on Zhang Sanlu. The noise of collapsing buildings rose and fell, sturdy pillars and ornate beams succumbing to the flames. Some of the fiends who had escaped were lucky enough to avoid the falling debris; others were trapped beneath, their howls piercing the air.

The air was thick with the stench of burning and blood, nearly suffocating. The wails and crackling fire blended into a tableau of terror and despair.

Standing at a distance, Zhang Sanlu watched it all. Fear and awe filled his heart; he could not fathom how this once thriving mansion had become such a nightmarish hell in a single night. Those who once seemed ordinary were now puppets under Old Lady Li’s control, transformed into monsters—what horrors had they endured to end up like this?

His unease grew ever stronger.