Lu Fei's heart pounded as he stared at the scarf around Xiao Mei's neck. Shocked by her seemingly invincible body earlier, he had momentarily forgotten this detail. The scarf wasn't just for covering an unsightly scar—there was definitely something wrong with her neck.
Realizing this, Lu Fei set down the heavy ghost-headed blade. Although it could subdue evil, it was not proving effective now and only hindered his movements. He switched to using a willow whip instead.
"Tiger, be careful!" he shouted, advancing cautiously toward Xiao Mei.
Seeing that he wasn't fleeing but instead moving in to confront her, a smirk of disdain crossed Xiao Mei's face. "Hmph, prey coming right to me? How delicious!" She lunged, clawing at Tiger with her formidable strength, planning to capture him before dealing with Lu Fei. She didn't even spare a glance at Liu Fugui, as if confident he couldn't escape.
"Boss, run!" Tiger, oblivious to Lu Fei's plan, shouted urgently.
Xiao Mei's ferocity made it hard for him to fend her off. With a powerful twist, she trapped his arms in her iron grip, rendering him immobile.
"Tiger!" Lu Fei yelled, swinging the willow whip hard at Xiao Mei's neck. With Tiger restrained, Xiao Mei couldn't use her hands to defend herself.
Crack!
The whip whistled through the air. Fear flashed in Xiao Mei's eyes as she yanked Tiger in front of her as a shield.
"Duck, Tiger!" Lu Fei shouted again, swiftly redirecting his strike.
Though Tiger's arms were immobilized, he managed to lower his head just in time, creating an opening for Lu Fei's attack.
With a resounding crack, the whip struck Xiao Mei's neck. Willow was known for warding off spirits, but Lu Fei infused it with his energy to bolster its power.
"Aah!" Xiao Mei shrieked as her neck split open like fragile paper, bending grotesquely to one side. No blood spilled from the wound, only clusters of vein-like tendrils writhing out to reconnect with her body.
"What the hell is this thing?" Lu Fei muttered, eyes wide. But he didn't hesitate. He followed up with another strike to her neck.
The whip lashed out, severing the tendrils. Xiao Mei's head detached completely, rolling across the floor.
Her body shuddered and fell, skin rapidly turning black and mottled as a sickening stench of decay filled the room.
"Tiger, let go!" Lu Fei warned as he watched Xiao Mei's severed head warily.
Tiger, still hunched, released her arms at Lu Fei's command. Xiao Mei's body collapsed, emitting a vile odor like a long-dead corpse, while her head landed on the floor with a hollow thud, eyes still moving and expression twisted in fury.
"Holy crap!" Tiger exclaimed, unable to hold back as he took in the grotesque scene.
Xiao Mei's head, now on the floor, trembled with rage. "You ruined the body I searched so long for! I'll devour you all!" With that, it bounced up like a rubber ball, launching itself at Lu Fei. Writhing tendrils extended from her neck, making her look even more monstrous.
"Boss, watch out!" Tiger yelled in alarm, picking up the ghost-headed blade and swinging it at the head.
Lu Fei lashed out with his whip at the same time. But Xiao Mei's head unexpectedly leaped over both of them, ricocheted off the wall, and sped toward the open door with uncanny swiftness.
"Damn, she's trying to escape!"
If this monstrous thing got out, there would be no telling what chaos it could unleash.
Realizing this, Lu Fei sprinted after it. Tiger, with the blade in hand, followed closely. The head moved incredibly fast, nearly vanishing from sight as it bolted down the hallway.
"Stop her!"
Just as Lu Fei and Tiger reached the doorway, they heard a sudden thud, and the head bounced back as if it had hit something.
"Ahhh! I'll fight you to the death!"
To their astonishment, Liu Fugui, wielding a brick, charged in. He hadn't run away but instead collided with the head just in time.
Perfect timing!
Lu Fei grinned, cracking the whip and capturing the head, pulling it back into the room.
"Nooo—" The head screeched, spinning wildly on the floor. Tiger, not missing a beat, swung the blade like a relay baton, striking the head and knocking it deeper into the room.
"Shut the door!"
Lu Fei shouted to Liu Fugui, who stood in shock, as they all retreated inside. The door slammed shut behind them, sealing off the stench-filled room.
The scene had unfolded so quickly that Liu Fugui, despite his bravado, barely registered what had happened. He glanced around and saw Xiao Mei's decayed body lying motionless on the floor, her severed head rolling nearby with eyes still filled with malice.
"Holy... I wasn't seeing things that day..." His hands trembled, and he nearly dropped the brick.
"Nice job, Old Liu! You didn't run after all!" Tiger clapped him on the shoulder, eyes wide with admiration.
Liu Fugui, pale and speechless, could only nod weakly.
"Don't let your guard down. Whatever this thing is, we need to finish it," Lu Fei said, gripping the whip and cautiously approaching the head.
Tiger followed, ghost-headed blade at the ready, with Liu Fugui trailing nervously behind.
Cornered, Xiao Mei's head rolled back, eyes darting, then shifted to a look of pitiful desperation, tears welling up as she pleaded, "Please, brothers, spare me. I was wrong... I'll never harm anyone again."
Unmoved, Lu Fei raised the whip.
Panicked, the head opened its mouth wide, letting out a shrill, ear-splitting scream.
"Master, save me—"