This Damned Thirst for Survival

Chapter 5

Lu Youyi shuddered uncontrollably as Jiang Luo finished speaking. His scalp tingled as he caressed the clothing of the person in front of him.

The fabric was coarse and stiff, and upon closer sniff, there was a peculiar musty smell, as if it had been dampened in rainy weather for a long while, carrying a faint earthy scent.

This was definitely not Jiang Luo.

Lu Youyi broke out in a cold sweat, wanting to let go but fearing he might startle this "person." "Ye Xun, something extra has really come between Jiang Luo and me."

The "person" that had appeared between them remained motionless, standing there as if it didn't understand their conversation.

"What is it?" Ye Xun asked.

Lu Youyi was on the verge of tears, "I don't know, but by the smell of it, it seems like a walking corpse."

How could a walking corpse appear here?

Ye Xun frowned, handed a talisman to Jiang Luo, and instructed, "Place it on the Tianzhong, Tianfu, and Sikong points."

Jiang Luo, puzzled, asked, "Sorry... where are those places?"

Ye Xun, exasperated, simplified, "Just stick it in the center of the forehead."

Jiang Luo, holding a rabbit doll in his left hand, reached out to stick the talisman, bracing himself to touch something horrifying. Surprisingly, he felt nothing.

Pausing, Jiang Luo's fingers moved downward and touched something sticky and cold, rigid yet soft. It felt like worms wriggling beneath his touch, similar to maggots.

Jiang Luo instantly withdrew his hand, realizing, "It has no head."

What he touched was the flesh on the walking corpse's neck.

He didn't need to mention what kind of worms might grow on rotting flesh.

As Ye Xun grabbed Jiang Luo's arm to confront the walking corpse, Jiang Luo stopped him, suggesting calmly, "Let's turn on the lights first. Since it's been following us without doing anything, it's safe for now. We'll deal with it in the studio once the lights are on."

Jiang Luo had a point; they were at a disadvantage in the dark. The three maintained their positions and proceeded forward, with Lu Youyi feeling somewhat relieved that it was following Jiang Luo.

Jiang Luo stayed alert for danger from behind, casually replying to Lu Youyi's earlier comment, "How do you know it's following me? It has no head; what if it's facing you and just walking backward, holding onto me?"

Lu Youyi's skin crawled, "Fuck, don't joke about that!"

The walking corpse's grip on Jiang Luo's clothing grew stronger, and the sound of its footsteps dragging like a body being pulled became louder. Tensely, they reached the studio, where Ye Xun found the switch. A minute later, the harsh lights suddenly turned on.

Lu Youyi blinked and then saw the walking corpse clearly: headless, dressed in blood-stained prison clothes, with cyanotic skin and livor mortis spots. Its neck wound was grotesque, with exposed flesh and traces of rust from a blade, along with wriggling maggots.

Jiang Luo had already run several meters away, frantically wiping his hands with wet wipes, staring emotionlessly at the walking corpse. The force of its grip had torn part of his clothing, barely covering his waist.

The sight of the walking corpse was horrifying, and Lu Youyi exclaimed, "Fuck, there really are moving corpses..."

Before he could finish, he noticed the walking corpse's feet.