Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Forty-Five – Fierce Battle Against the Undying Corpse

Hearing this, I turned my head and saw Li Kun standing at the top of the platform, while the female corpse was sprawled across the icy surface, her arms and legs driven deep into the ice like spears. Each time she moved, her limbs would slam fiercely against the ice, leveraging herself slowly upward toward the summit.

Seeing the female corpse behaving like a demon from the abyss, I couldn't help but gasp and shouted to Li Kun, "Old Li, just hold on a little longer! The door will open soon!"

Li Kun gritted his teeth, staring down at the corpse inching its way up the platform. He raised his gun and began firing at her head. Each shot made the corpse pause briefly.

I turned back to the stone door before me. I had already cleared away most of the ice on its surface. Hurriedly, I stood up, braced my shoulder against the left side of the stone door, and with all my strength, pushed hard against it.

With a series of cracking sounds, the ice wedged in the doorway began to break. I shouted, gathered my strength, and with a crisp snap, the last of the ice fell away, allowing me to slowly push the stone door open.

The instant the door opened, I quickly shone my flashlight inside. The passage beyond was nearly identical to the one we'd entered before, both in width and length.

Taking a deep breath, I securely tied the climbing rope to my entrenching tool, then tossed it forcefully down the passage. The shovel tumbled across the floor a few times, but much to my surprise, nothing happened—there wasn't a single trap or mechanism, no sound from the walls or the ground.

Unconvinced, I reeled the shovel back in and threw it again, but still, nothing. I could now be certain there were no traps in this passage.

I thought to myself, if this corridor is safe, then the other passage leading from the main burial chamber to the side chamber must also be free of traps.

At this, I let out a bitter laugh. If there are no traps here, then what should we do about the undead woman behind us? Not even bullets can stop her. What now?

Shaking my head, I sighed, "Looks like we have no choice but to risk it all." With that, I drew the short dagger from my coat, ran my finger along its sheath, and whispered, "Hope you can lend me your strength." Then, I turned and charged back into the icy chamber.

At this moment, Li Kun was still circling the platform with the female corpse in pursuit, occasionally firing shots at her. But by now, the corpse seemed to have realized that Li Kun's weapon posed no real threat. She ignored the gun entirely, relentlessly chasing after him.

Li Kun was nearly at his limit. Though the corpse wasn't yet faster than he was, her pace never slackened and she showed no sign of fatigue, while Li Kun felt his thighs trembling and was gasping for breath.

Glancing over his shoulder at the corpse right on his heels, he bit down hard, looked at his last remaining magazine, and roared, "Even if I die today, I won't let you get away unscathed!"

He stood his ground, aimed at the corpse's head, and emptied his magazine. The barrage forced the creature to stagger backward, and Li Kun advanced step by step, shouting as he went.

But ammunition is finite. The moment his last bullet was spent, the female corpse let out a guttural roar and lunged at Li Kun.

At this point, Li Kun was almost completely exhausted. He couldn't dodge in time, and it felt as if he'd been struck by a truck. His sturdy body crashed to the ice, sliding backward with the corpse sliding after him.

Pain exploded in his chest, so intense it eclipsed even the ache from his back slamming into the ground. Breathing became a struggle; his face turned sallow, and he clutched his chest, trying to move, his mouth working open and closed, but unable to muster any strength to call out.

The female corpse slowly rose, sniffed the air, and quickly located Li Kun. She stood, no longer in a frenzy, as if she knew he was now helpless. She approached him with slow, deliberate steps as he lay curled on the ice.

When she reached him, her leg bumped against his foot. She snarled, lifted her foot, and brought it down with brutal force toward his thigh. Had that blow landed, Li Kun's leg would have shattered like the ice beneath him.

Seeing this, my eyes widened in fury and I roared, "Damn you, take this!"

Without hesitation, I charged at the corpse, gripped my dagger with both hands, and drove it hard into her back. In that instant, Li Kun and I both heard a sickening thud—the blade had sunk halfway into her spine.

A piercing, shrill scream tore from the corpse's throat. She arched her back, clawing desperately at my arms, trying to wrench the dagger free. But with me behind her and the blade deeply embedded, no matter how she twisted, she couldn't reach me.

Seizing the moment, I called out to Li Kun, "Old Li, are you alright? Dead or alive, get up!"

He had recovered somewhat, clutching his chest. "Hell, that thing is tough as steel. If you hadn't come when you did, I'd be a goner."

Straining to hold down the corpse, I barked, "Enough talk! Get over here and help me finish her off—I can't hold her much longer!"

No sooner had I spoken than the corpse stopped arching backward and lunged toward Li Kun instead. Suddenly, I felt my dagger wrenched free from her body.

The moment Li Kun saw her coming for him, he let out a strangled yelp, twisted aside, and rolled away, cursing, "Liu, you bastard! Are you trying to get me killed?"

His quick dodge sent the corpse sprawling face-first across the ice, where she slid forward.

I shouted, "Stop talking and help me pin her down—I’ll finish this!"

Li Kun was closest; he leapt onto the corpse's back with all his weight, slamming her head into the ground.

With her back already wounded and Li Kun's heavy frame crashing down, her skull struck the ice with a sickening crack—but it wasn't over yet.

As soon as Li Kun landed on her, I dove onto her upper body, pinning her head with one hand and crushing her throat with my thigh. Then I seized my dagger and stabbed it deep into her neck.

The blade plunged into her throat, yet the corpse didn't falter—she only shrieked, convulsing violently.

Li Kun clung desperately to her arms, his face flushed red with the effort. "Liu, hurry up! I can't hold her—she's too damn strong!"

Gritting my teeth, I wrapped both hands around the dagger, drew back, and stabbed again with all my might. This time, the blade pierced clean through her neck, and I heard the ice crack beneath. Gripping the hilt, I pressed down hard—there was a sharp snap, and I severed her head from her body.

As her head fell, her body jerked a few times, then lay still on the ice.

Seeing that she was finally dead, we both let out long sighs of relief and rolled off her corpse, collapsing on the ground, gasping for air.

Li Kun, still panting, began to complain, "Damn, next time I go tomb-raiding, I'm holding my breath. That woman was terrifying—not even bullets worked. Anyone would think she was made of iron."

After venting, he turned to me and said, "Liu, your knife is incredible! You cut right through her. If I'd known, I wouldn't have wasted so much time!"

Lying on my back, I replied, "How was I supposed to know the knife would be that sharp? Bullets couldn't do a thing, but it cut right through her."

Li Kun sighed, "Lucky for me I survived. Maybe fate wants us to strike it rich after all."

I waved him off, too exhausted to talk, just gasping for breath.

After a while, I finally said, "Old Li, we don't have much time. Rest a bit, then let's go. Once we check out the main chamber, we leave immediately."

No sooner had I finished speaking than Li Kun seemed to remember something. He sprang to his feet and looked toward the stone door sealed by the coffin lid.