Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 15: The Red Dancing Shoes

“Thud...” Another sound like a knock on the door. There’s something in the next room! Zhang Yuanqing quickly swapped his rusty kitchen knife for a rusty dagger and his wooden staff for a long spear. Clutching his weapons, he ran lightly out of the room. The moonlight was as cold as frost, and all was silent around him. Zhang Yuanqing crouched down and crept toward the window. The paper covering the window had long since been torn to shreds. He crouched beneath the window, cautiously peering through a gap in the latticework. The cold, frost-like moonlight was compressed into beams through the holes in the roof, illuminating the cramped room. When he saw the scene inside, Zhang Yuanqing’s heart skipped a beat. In the dim, silent room stood three old coffins, their black paint peeling and the lids covered in dust. Lying beside the coffins were two mummified corpses dressed in work uniforms; a copper awl had rolled to the side of one of them. That awl caught Zhang Yuanqing’s attention. It was half an arm’s length long, cast from brass, with incantations and floral patterns intricately engraved on the handle. Most notably, while all the other weapons were rusted, this one alone was a bright, golden yellow, showing no signs of copper corrosion. A vision suddenly flashed through his mind: one of the Three Mountain Goddesses’ hands, her fingers clenched as if gripping something. But her palm was completely empty. “Thud...” The muffled sound rang out again, forcing Zhang Yuanqing to shift his gaze toward the coffin in the center. A bone-chilling “creak” rang out, and the coffin lid slowly slid open. A bluish-black hand reached out and gripped the edge of the coffin. Then, a terrifying figure sat up from inside the coffin. In the bright moonlight streaming through the roof, Zhang Yuanqing could make out the creature’s appearance: it was wrapped in tattered clothes, its face swollen and severely decomposed, with lifeless, bulging eyes. Its hair, like withered grass, stood in a tangled mess on its head. “Heh heh~” It raised its head toward the moonlight above and exhaled a cloud of murky, putrid breath, revealing two jagged fangs that were a sight to make one’s blood run cold. A zombie? Zhang Yuanqing felt as if his Uncle Ying was having a PTSD episode. So it was a zombie—yes, it had to be a zombie. Otherwise, what would be the point of the Zombie-Sealing Talisman, a consumable item? Zhang Yuanqing began to feel the urge to retreat; having explored this far, he’d gathered enough information. It was time to return to the main hall. But just then, his shoulder suddenly grew heavy, and a familiar, chilling sensation descended, seeping into his body and sending a shiver down his spine that made his skin crawl. At this critical moment, the Shoulder-Clinging Ghost had arrived. Fifteen minutes were up... Zhang Yuanqing’s heart sank. In this ancient temple teeming with danger, his nerves were on edge; it was difficult to spare the mental energy to count the time silently, so he could only estimate based on his senses—which inevitably led to inaccuracies. The appearance of the shoulder-clinging vengeful spirit was the proverbial icing on the cake, and what followed only added fuel to the fire. As if sensing the scent of a living person, the zombie sitting in the coffin lowered its head. Its bulging eyes shifted, fixing on the window—and the pair of eyes peering in from outside. Zhang Yuanqing, overcome by a wave of terror that sent shivers down his spine, leaped to his feet and ran off without looking back. No sooner had he turned than he heard the loud “clang” of the coffin lid slamming shut. Daring not to look back, he ran with heavy steps, the vengeful spirit still clinging to his shoulder. Another thunderous “clang”—the door was smashed off its hinges. As Zhang Yuanqing sprinted, he glanced back and saw a hideous, terrifying figure clad in tattered rags burst out of the house. It leaped forward and pounced on him like a hungry tiger attacking its prey. “Is this a zombie? What’s so ‘stiff’ about it?” His face turned pale; he spun on his heel, using his momentum to turn around, and thrust his spear into the zombie’s chest. He jammed the butt of the rifle into the ground, creating a makeshift barricade. At the same time, he saw a gaping, grotesque hole in the zombie’s chest—its heart appeared to have been ripped out. Senior Brother? The zombie was Senior Brother from the handbook! The next moment, the zombie charged at him, spear in hand; the spear shaft, as thick as a finger, bulged like a full moon before snapping with a “crack.” With no time to think, Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity created by the spear, rolling past the zombie’s feet. The stench of decay filled his nostrils as the sound of a broadsword slashing the ground rang out behind him. He rolled all the way behind the zombie, sprang up on his knees, and swung the short dagger in his hand. “Clang!” The dagger struck the zombie’s nape, as if cutting through steel; aside from severing a few strands of hair as dry as withered grass, it caused no harm. Instead, the recoil from the blade’s handle sent a searing pain through Zhang Yuanqing’s thumb, and the weapon nearly slipped from his grasp. “Copper skin and iron bones?” Zhang Yuanqing was terrified, but then he saw the zombie spin around quickly, raising its hands—with black, sharp nails—and clamping them onto his shoulders. Pain struck him instantly. The jet-black, razor-sharp nails pierced his skin, and bright red blood stained his red jacket. The smell of blood aroused it; a crimson glow surged from deep within its bulging eyes. The zombie bared its fangs, exhaled a foul-smelling gas, and lunged viciously at Zhang Yuanqing’s neck. The purifying effect of the candlelight was still in effect; he did not lose his wits to fear. With a thought, a glowing blue inventory panel appeared, and a talisman materialized in his hand. Clink, clink, clink... The zombie, which had been savage and brutal just a moment ago, actually retreated step by step upon seeing the talisman, as if avoiding a venomous snake or scorpion. It works—it’s afraid of me. It possesses some level of intelligence… Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth against the pain in his wounded arms, tensed his muscles, and fixed his gaze on the zombie. With the vengeful spirit slung over his shoulder, he retreated step by step. As he retreated, he prayed that the female ghost in the well wouldn’t surface and complicate matters. Throughout this, the zombie emitted a chilling growl from its rotting throat, its blood-red eyes fixed on Zhang Yuanqing. Fortunately—whether because of the zombie or because Zhang Yuanqing was walking backward—the female ghost in the well did not appear. Zhang Yuanqing retreated from the East Courtyard and returned to the siheyuan. Daring not to pause even for a moment, he stumbled toward the main hall. As he neared the upturned eaves of the main hall, an ethereal, piercing scream rang in his ears. A light sensation on his shoulder, and all negative effects dissipated. “Pant, pant...” In the main hall, Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the lattice door, panting heavily, his legs twitching uncontrollably. This was half out of fear and half a physiological reaction as the adrenaline wore off. After resting for a few minutes, the adrenaline wore off, and the wounds on his arms began to throb. Grimacing, he pulled off his jacket and T-shirt, revealing both arms torn to shreds, with blood oozing out—a deep, blackish-red. Clearly, the zombie’s nails were laced with a potent toxin. The situation took a sudden turn for the worse. “There’s no antiseptic here, no tetanus shot. Does the zombie poison take effect quickly? Am I going to die from poisoning?” A flurry of thoughts raced through Zhang Yuanqing’s mind. To his surprise, he realized he wasn’t particularly afraid—and then he realized… it had nothing to do with him; it was the courage the candle gave him. Bathed in the candlelight, his emotions gradually settled. “Now that I’ve been poisoned by the corpse’s venom, I can’t afford to delay any longer. Let’s proceed directly with Plan B.” Before entering the Spirit Realm, Zhang Yuanqing had devised two plans for himself. The first was to explore the Mountain God Temple with caution and care, gather information, and then seek a way to counter the poison. It was a steady, methodical approach. Then, inspired by his experience playing video games with his aunt—looking for patterns and methods—he devised a second, relatively risky plan. To attempt to subdue the Red Dancing Shoes. Since they were both items—and he could use the yellow talisman—why couldn’t he use the Red Dance Shoes? Guan Ya had said that by breaking the rules of rule-based items, there was a certain probability of subduing them. “With my abilities, it’s highly unlikely I could stick the yellow talisman on a zombie’s forehead all by myself.” Sticking a talisman on the forehead of a vicious, terrifying, and intelligent yin spirit is like a child wielding a knife to take on an adult one-on-one—even though the adult might fear the blade, it doesn’t mean the child can actually hurt the adult. Zhang Yuanqing wasted no more time. He pushed himself up from the lattice door, stepped over the threshold, and entered the courtyard in front of the main hall. This was where he had first encountered Red Dance Shoes. The full moon hung like a disk in the sky, casting shifting shadows over the ancient mansion, the overgrown weeds, and the trees. He waited and waited, and waited some more… He stood among the overgrown grass for a long time, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, but Red Dance Shoes never appeared. These shoes seemed to have no fixed location—at first they’d followed him as he entered the temple, then appeared in the courtyard, and now he had no idea where they’d gone. Zhang Yuanqing, whose physical condition was deteriorating the longer he waited, sighed and turned away helplessly, heading back to the main hall. The moment he turned, his body suddenly froze. “Tap, tap...” Between him and the main hall, a pair of red dancing shoes, glowing with a faint crimson light, were rising and falling—as if an invisible person were marching in place while wearing them. The footsteps echoed eerily in the empty, silent night. “Could you please find a different way to make an entrance? It’s so creepy every single time...” Zhang Yuanqing, whose soul had nearly been scared out of his body, slowly regained his composure and quietly swallowed. Although he’d been looking forward to its appearance, when faced with these eerie dance shoes, Zhang Yuanqing still felt his sanity slipping away uncontrollably... The red dance shoe continued to march in place, its heel striking the ground with a crisp sound. The echoing “tap-tap” grew more and more solitary, more and more terrifying. Suddenly, a fluorescent blue message popped up in Zhang Yuanqing’s field of vision [Would you like to dance with me? If so, please march in place. ] The message appeared right next to the red dance shoes, as if they were speaking directly to him. Sure enough, it was a request to dance—if he refused, it would kill him. What a vicious pair of shoes... Zhang Yuanqing had no choice but to go all in, for he realized the Red Dance Shoes had cut off his retreat. It had appeared right between Zhang Yuanqing and the main hall. If he failed the dance, he would surely die. Was it a coincidence? Or did the shoe do this on purpose? Did it possess intelligence as well... Zhang Yuanqing gathered his thoughts, calmed his emotions, and visualized his father’s face in his mind. At the same time, he lifted his foot to take a step. Tap, tap... As if flipping a switch to activate the prop, the rhythm of the red dancing shoes’ up-and-down movement changed with his steps, launching into an extremely fast tap dance. It was tap dancing—the rhythm was infectious, the pace blistering—and the loud “tap-tap” sounds echoed through the silent night sky and reverberated through the abandoned ancient temple. Under the moonlight, amid the wild grass, on a path paved with smooth river stones, a pair of red dancing shoes danced alone, exuding an indescribable, alluring beauty. Zhang Yuanqing widened his eyes, letting his pupils soak up the moonlight, and stared intently at the red dance shoes. He didn’t need to make a conscious effort to memorize them; he simply had to imprint the other’s steps into his mind. At the same time, his heart pounded like an overloaded engine; his ears were filled with a cacophony of noise, and countless fragmented images flashed through his mind. His brain began automatically processing external information: the sound of the wind blowing, the way the wild grass bent slightly, the rhythm of the leaves swaying on the large locust tree in the distance, and the posture and rhythm of the red dance shoes tapping... His brain rapidly analyzed and memorized the information it received. A few minutes later, Red Dance Shoes came to a satisfied stop, stepping back with her left foot and rising onto her toes. This posture looked rather odd, but if someone were wearing them, it would be a standard curtsy. “Quite polite, actually...” Zhang Yuanqing, blood trickling from his nostrils, muttered to himself, then saw a phrase appear above the Red Dance Shoes [Your turn! ] In just a few minutes, it had danced to hundreds of rhythms, each with a different step—far beyond what an ordinary person could memorize. Zhang Yuanqing gathered his composure, fished a small pill out of his pocket, and placed it in his mouth. Then, his mind entered a strange state, and the scenes from the past few minutes replayed frame by frame. “Tap, tap, tap, tap...” He danced a few rhythms at a slow pace and with clumsy movements, then carefully examined the red dancing shoes. If the other party’s standard was identical equipment, then even if he could memorize all the rhythms and movements, he wouldn’t be able to complete the mission. Seeing that there was nothing unusual about them, Zhang Yuanqing felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders and began to dance with complete concentration. Tap, spin, small hops, crossing his left and right feet... He danced very slowly, his posture awkward and unsightly; compared to the fluid movements of the red dancing shoes, it was simply a sight to behold. But the slow pace ensured he wouldn’t make any mistakes. After seven or eight minutes, Zhang Yuanqing had replicated every step of the Red Dance Shoes and stopped, panting heavily. Warm liquid filled his nostrils, trickling down his lips and chin, but he had no time to wipe it away as he stared intently at the Red Dancing Shoes. Would he make it out of the Spirit Realm alive? Would he successfully complete the trial? It all hinged on this moment. [Your dancing skills are as terrible as ever! ] The Red Dance Shoe displayed this message, then transformed into a faint crimson glow and faded into the night. Immediately afterward, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice echo in his mind [Ding! You accompanied the Red Dance Shoe through a dance. Congratulations on earning its favor. However, due to your abysmal dancing skills, the Red Dance Shoe will only grant you half an hour of its favor. Good luck! ] Zhang Yuanqing slumped to the ground, drained of energy, his face pale, his brain throbbing in waves of pain. Half a minute later, the symptoms subsided. Still pale, he sat up and eagerly opened his inventory. In the second slot lay a pair of brand-new red dance shoes. After staring at the shoes for a few seconds, the item information automatically appeared. [Name: Red Dance Shoes] [Type: Footwear] [Function: Tracking, Pursuit] [Description: Their former owner was a princess from a kingdom in the West. Naturally beautiful and a gifted dancer, she captivated all the men in the kingdom. However, her wicked stepmother, jealous of her talent and beauty, imprisoned her in a high tower. The lonely princess danced alone in the bleak moonlight until she finally died. These red dancing shoes carry on her legacy, wandering the world and dancing alone without ceasing. ] [Note 1: Usage Form 1: Throw the red dancing shoes at a designated target (you can also lock onto a target using their blood, hair, skin, or other cells as a medium). They will pursue the target relentlessly. During the pursuit, they ignore all physical obstacles; the target cannot escape or destroy them until they die or dance a full dance with them—the dance style is unrestricted. ] [Usage Form 2: Wear the red dancing shoes to increase agility, improve evasion, and run across any terrain without expending stamina. The only thing you need to be aware of is that you can only wear them for five minutes at a time. If you exceed this limit, the red dancing shoes will become permanently stuck on your feet, and you will be forced to run with them until the end of your life—or until both your feet are severed. ] [Note 2: Won’t dance with me? You’ll all die young. ] It’s a divine artifact... Zhang Yuanqing was thrilled after reading the item’s attributes. Is this what they call a “rule-based” item? It’s ridiculously powerful. The descriptions for the Yellow Paper Talisman and the Candle were relatively simple—just a few short sentences—but the item information for these Red Dancing Shoes was a lengthy treatise. This alone shows just how unique the red dancing shoes are. “Too bad I only get to admire them for half an hour...” Zhang Yuanqing noticed the countdown timer next to his inventory and felt a pang of regret. If such a divine artifact could be his, it would be of immense use—whether in the real world or when he eventually entered other spiritual realms.