Volume Two: The General's Tomb Chapter Forty-Four: The Undying Female Corpse

The moment we saw the ice coffin embedded in the stone door, our hearts clenched. I secretly thought things were taking a turn for the worse—the stone door was completely sealed, and the only way out now was through the main burial chamber. Yet, the most pressing matter was the female corpse behind us. Her body was now impervious to blades and bullets; even a gunshot would leave no more than a pale mark. But entering the main burial chamber meant passing through the traps in the corridor.

We had no idea what traps lay ahead, and there was no time to carefully examine the passage. If the mechanisms were like the steel needle trap we encountered earlier, it would spell our doom—traps ahead, immortal corpse behind, nowhere to run but to await death.

Gritting my teeth, I glanced back toward the high platform. At that moment, we saw a pale hand reach out from the coffin, followed by a crimson wedding robe rising slowly from below. The female corpse in the ice coffin stood upright, crowned with gold, her stunning figure suddenly revealed before us. She was already striking lying in the ice, but standing, her beauty was overwhelming; in life, she must have been a peerless beauty unmatched in the world.

There was no time to marvel. Our awe lasted but a heartbeat, replaced by the grim determination to fight for our lives.

As she stood, we forgot to breathe, silently wishing she would lie back down. But then her eyelids trembled, and she suddenly opened eyes that had been shut for a thousand years. As her gaze met ours, I saw a flash of green light—her entire eyes, even the whites, glowed a strange green, with flickers of emerald light swirling in her pupils.

We gasped, the cold of the chamber biting into our teeth, our bodies involuntarily shivering. The female corpse in the ice coffin scanned the room, sniffed the air as if searching for something, then abruptly spun her head and locked her gaze on Li Kun.

Li Kun shuddered under her stare. "Liu, I think she's after me," he said.

I muttered that this was bad news. "Of course she is. You gave her a breath of living energy; now you're all she sees."

No sooner had I spoken than the female corpse bent her knees, bones cracking loudly, and leaped from the coffin.

I shouted at Li Kun, who was still frozen in shock: "Li, what are you waiting for? Shoot!"

I raised my rifle and fired at the female corpse just as she sprang from the coffin. Li Kun snapped back to reality, grabbed his gun, and opened fire as well.

Two automatic rifles unleashed their full power, punching holes in the thick walls. Muzzle flashes danced, gunshots echoed through the burial chamber, and spent shells clattered endlessly to the floor.

But the thing we feared most happened. Bullets shredded her clothing, but only sparks flew from her body; the rounds bounced off, thudding to the ground with dull, heavy sounds. We emptied our magazines, then slowly raised our eyes to the female corpse atop the platform.

The sight sent chills down our spines. She still stood, her clothes torn to tatters, her exquisite form exposed, but her body bore not a single wound. The bullets left no trace, as if we’d been firing blanks.

I cursed under my breath. Li Kun said, "Damn, how is her body so tough? Bullets do nothing—was she forged from iron?"

Before I could reply, the female corpse began to move, her steps slow and laborious, bones crackling with each movement. Years frozen in the coffin had stiffened her joints, causing the eerie sounds.

Yet her steps were awkward and halting, as if every move took tremendous effort. She staggered as she walked.

Seeing this, hope flickered in me. I hurriedly changed magazines and said, "Li, reload. We might not kill her, but we can suppress her. Let me think how to get us out."

Li Kun glanced at me. "What other way is there? The coffin lid blocked our retreat, and that thick ice—you’d need hours to clear it, and the tomb would be ruined by then."

I looked at the stone door behind us, jaw clenched. "Hold her off. I'll check the other stone door. It's our only option—if we're doomed, let's at least try."

Li Kun reloaded as the female corpse attempted to descend from the platform. But the sloped ice sent her sliding down in a heap.

Li Kun fired at her prone form, shouting, "This is all we can do! Hurry up—I’ll keep her busy."

I nodded heavily, gave Li Kun all my spare magazines, then ran toward the large stone door on our left.

Reaching the door, I heard gunshots behind me and grew even more anxious. The stone door was covered in thick ice, encasing both sides and the center. To open it, I’d have to clear all the ice from the door and the floor.

I glanced back at Li Kun, saw him still holding her off, then dropped my backpack, pulled out my shovel, crowbar, and hammer, and began chipping away at the ice. The ice was thick but brittle—hammering the crowbar in knocked off large chunks. In five or six minutes, I could clear it all.

My attention shifted to Li Kun, who was growing more desperate. The only weakness of the female corpse seemed to be her eyes; Li Kun had shot right through them, but she could still pinpoint his location.

Her strength was monstrous—a casual slap shattered the icy floor. One blow from her would break bones and tear sinew.

She was now upright, and Li Kun noticed something new. Her movements had been slow at first, every step an ordeal, but as she kept moving, she grew more agile. She still couldn't catch him, but given time, who knew what would happen.

Li Kun had already emptied five magazines, and barely had any left to keep suppressing her. Soon, he’d have to hope she couldn't catch him once she was fully active.

He sighed, looked up at the platform, and noticed the sloped ice. His expression brightened. If he couldn’t fight her on the ground, he'd hold the high ground; the slick ice might keep her at bay.

With this thought, Li Kun took his rifle, using it as a tool to climb the platform. He glanced nervously behind at the female corpse, planted the rifle butt in the ice, and began to crawl upward.

Once atop the platform, he looked down at her. The ice slope troubled her—she had no tools, only crawling back and forth, unable to ascend.

Whenever she managed to climb a little, Li Kun would fire down at her, suppressing her advance.

But what happened next made Li Kun’s pupils contract in terror. The female corpse found a way up.

She let out a low growl, raised both hands, and slammed them down onto the sloped ice. With a crack, her arms drove deep into the ice. Her feet followed, anchoring her in place.

Li Kun cursed loudly, turned his rifle on her, and fired. Then he shouted to me, "Liu, I can't hold her much longer!"