Chapter 154: Bringing the Dead Back to Life

Page (1/3)

Shuanglin Town lies not far from the Wolong Mountain Range. It was once a quiet, tranquil little town. But over the past two months, it has become lively, with people from all walks of life beginning to appear in town. The townsfolk welcomed this change warmly—more people meant more income, and outsiders needed to spend money on food, drink, and lodging.

The town itself was quite charming, mostly featuring houses built in traditional architectural styles. As I strolled through the streets, I noticed quite a few martial artists but, so far, no sign of any yin-yang masters. I stepped into a breakfast stall and ordered two baskets of soup dumplings, a large bowl of porridge, and a plate of steamed buns.

This sable was clearly a carnivore and seemed somewhat dissatisfied with such a breakfast, but had no choice but to nibble on the dumplings.

“Did you guys see the magic troupe’s performance? It was incredible—they actually turned a living person into a dead one,” a conversation from the next table caught my attention.

“Nonsense. Turning a living person into a dead one? That’s murder, isn’t it?”

“Don’t believe me? Ask Xiao Erzi—he went himself to see. Many people checked his pulse and breathing; he was truly lifeless. But then the magician covered him with a black cloth, and when they lifted it, he was alive again.”

“Is that for real? Will there be another show tonight?”

“Definitely, but it won’t start until evening.”

“I have to see that.”

I raised an eyebrow. I had seen illusions involving live transformations, but turning a living person into a dead one and then reviving them was a new claim—unless the person was an accomplice.

Curiosity stirred within me; I decided to check it out later.

...

As night fell over Shuanglin Town, at the foot of the mountain, two box trucks plastered with posters advertising the magic show were parked under a tree. About a dozen people had arranged some wooden boards into a makeshift table, drinking and chatting.

“Hey, where’s Tu Mu?” asked Old Li, the troupe leader.

“He’s probably fiddling with his corpse props,” said a man in his thirties.

“There’s always something eerie about Tu Mu. He’s a quiet young man, looks gentle, but spends all day dealing with those creepy things,” a woman added.

Old Li tapped the table. “Cut the nonsense. Our Spring Breeze Magic Troupe’s signature act, the revival trick, depends entirely on Tu Mu’s death-defying magic.”

“That’s true. Though we’re veterans in the magic world, none of us have figured out the secret of his trick. He won’t reveal a single word,” said a shirtless man in his forties.

“You say you’re seasoned, but don’t you know the rules of the magic world? Such a rare skill isn’t shared casually,” Old Li reprimanded.

Page (2/3)

The atmosphere grew a bit tense. A few seasoned performers chuckled and exchanged some polite remarks to lighten the mood, encouraging everyone to eat and drink.

Inside one of the trucks, several shelves held a dozen or so lifelike corpse props—too realistic for comfort. A pale young man was carefully arranging clothes on these props. The weak light filtering in cast a sinister glow on his delicate features.

“Little Bao, be good. Don’t move. Big brother will change your clothes,” the young man whispered to a corpse prop about seven or eight years old. His gentle tone was chilling.

After a moment, he moved to a female corpse prop.

Her expression was terrifying—eyes wide open, mouth agape, arms raised with claw-like fingers as if ready to pounce.

“Xiang Xiang, relax. No one will harm you. I will protect you,” the young man murmured, his eyes shining with obsession as he gently stroked the corpse’s face.

At that moment, the female corpse’s fierce expression softened, and her raised arms lowered, as if responding to his words.

“You’re so good, Xiang Xiang. I remember the first time I saw you—nearby, in a beautiful village called Daohua. You wore a floral dress, barefoot, catching fish in the stream. When I asked for directions, you smiled so sweetly. I’ve never seen such a pure smile. You were like a light illuminating my life...” The young man caressed her face while speaking to himself.

“Now I finally have you. You’re so perfect, you make my heart race. Xiang Xiang, I love you...” His eyes gleamed with a strange light, fixated on the female corpse.

His mouth twitched, breathing grew heavy, and desire flared within his obsessive gaze.

Then he took out a jade stone that shimmered with a dark red glow and placed it into the corpse’s mouth.

Suddenly, the entire truck became icy cold. Tendrils of black mist swirled in and out of the corpse’s orifices, thick with resentment and rage.

The female corpse’s skin transformed, becoming smooth and tender; her black hair gained luster. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed, and her wide-open eyes flickered with life.

She had become a living woman!

The young man let out a roar and lunged onto the revived woman.

She was motionless, her eyes filled with burning hatred, as if her eyeballs would burst.

Then, a beam of light shot from her collarbone, striking the young man and sending him tumbling down.

“I don’t believe it! I won’t lose you!” he growled, scrambling to his feet and attacking again.

Suddenly, the woman raised her arms and gripped his throat tightly.

His face flushed red, struggling to breathe.

In frustration, he slapped her cheek, and the dark red jade slipped from her mouth.

Immediately, her skin withered and blackened, shrinking back into the horrifying corpse prop she was before.

Page (3/3)

“Tu Mu, Tu...” shouted Xiao Pan, a magician’s assistant from the troupe, as he climbed into the truck and witnessed the scene. He froze as if struck by lightning, his body stiffening.

After several seconds, Xiao Pan’s mouth opened wide as if to scream.

Tu Mu’s eyes darkened; he grabbed the dark red jade and flicked it into Xiao Pan’s mouth.

Xiao Pan trembled violently; then all signs of life vanished, and death seemed to envelop him.

Tu Mu approached and carefully removed the jade from Xiao Pan’s mouth.

Xiao Pan shuddered and revived.

“Xiao Pan, what do you need?” Tu Mu asked.

Xiao Pan rubbed his head, his once-bright eyes now dull, with dark bags beneath them.

“Oh, what was I here for?” Xiao Pan looked dazed.

After a long pause, he said, “Right—the troupe leader asked me to find you. He wants you to join for drinks. The performance will start right after dinner.”

“I’m coming right away,” Tu Mu replied.

...

Outside Shuanglin Town, a makeshift stage was packed with people—tourists and villagers from surrounding areas, drawn by word of mouth. The atmosphere was lively.

On stage, the act of human dismemberment was performed, eliciting screams and excitement from the crowd.

I held the sable in my arms, gently stroking its incredibly soft fur.

There was residual resentment energy on the stage—definitely something amiss—but none of the magic acts themselves seemed problematic.

Several illusions were performed, followed by a break during which some performers went into the crowd asking for money in exchange for small magic props. They weren’t direct beggars; a ten or twenty yuan donation would earn a small trick item.

By the end, they had made over a thousand yuan. Some generous tourists gave hundreds at once.

Finally, the grand finale arrived—the revival trick.

My eyes flickered. This was what I had been waiting for.

Dressed in black magician’s attire and wearing a top hat, Tu Mu stepped onto the stage, drawing a few screams from infatuated women.

“Next up is our Spring Breeze Magic Troupe’s classic act—the revival trick. It’s an original in the global magic community. No one has ever unraveled its secret. Are you ready to see it?” an assistant holding a microphone stirred the crowd, while Tu Mu stood silently in the center, exuding a chilling aura.