The shadowy figure moved with incredible speed, reaching Ye Fan in an instant.
Ye Fan, who had already noticed the surrounding situation, suddenly raised his hand and threw a powerful punch.
Unfortunately, the punch missed its target, and he felt a stinging pain on his cheek.
Reaching up to wipe it, he found warm blood.
Ye Fan's gaze suddenly turned cold, his icy eyes fixing on the corner where a cat sat motionlessly.
Strangely, this cat had blood-red pupils, sharp claws, and two inch-long fangs protruding from its mouth.
"How can this be?"
Ye Fan was shocked, gritting his teeth as he stared at the cat.
This was no ordinary cat, but a zombie cat that had undergone a transformation.
As the name suggests, zombie cats lose their sanity due to prolonged exposure to corpse energy, becoming extremely aggressive.
In his past life, Ye Fan had encountered a zombie cat. It possessed immense strength and speed, and it had taken the combined efforts of over a dozen tomb keepers to kill it.
Now, he had encountered one alone, and his chances of survival were slim.
As for the people outside, Ye Fan's nascent thought was immediately stifled.
If it were a brawl, their help might be useful, but against this zombie cat, their presence would only serve as a meal for it.
"Meow."
A sharp yowl, and then the zombie cat sprinted towards Ye Fan.
Its form was like a black lightning bolt, leaving a blur in the air as it instantly appeared before Ye Fan.
"Damn it."
Cursing, Ye Fan quickly raised his hand to block, simultaneously shifting his feet to dodge.
If he wanted to kill this zombie cat, it was impossible with his own strength; he had to outsmart it.
"Swish."
A sharp pain struck his shoulder again. Ye Fan could no longer afford to care, moving his feet quickly and backing into a corner.
This way, the zombie cat's attack directions were limited to two, which was much better than being a sitting duck in the middle of the hall.
"Ye Fan, what's happening in there? Say something."
At this moment, Shen Tianyin's anxious voice came from outside.
Ye Fan instinctively wanted to reply, but suddenly remembered that this zombie cat relied on sound to locate its prey, and its eyes couldn't see.
Thus, Ye Fan sealed his nose and mouth, and simultaneously took out a lighter from his pocket.
For things that were extremely cold and yin, fire was the most effective counter.
As the saying goes, water and fire are incompatible; only this way could he scare it away.
He looked around and finally found a pile of dry grass near the wall.
Ye Fan was overjoyed. Holding his breath, he slowly moved towards the dry grass.
"Meow."
The slight sound instantly alerted the zombie cat, which furiously swiped its claws at Ye Fan.
"Get lost."
Enraged, Ye Fan was filled with fury.
If his opponent were a true master, he would accept being suppressed, but this was just a cat.
No matter how powerful it was, it was merely a delicacy on the table.
In an instant, the zombie cat was upon him. This time, Ye Fan acted preemptively, dodging swiftly and continuing to move towards the dry grass.
"Bang."
Because he was pressed close to the wall, the zombie cat slammed into it when Ye Fan dodged.
Just as Ye Fan was congratulating himself, thinking the zombie cat would be stunned, he saw its front paws lift and strike the wall. Simultaneously, it bent its hind legs, using the momentum of its charge to change direction abruptly, heading straight for Ye Fan.
"Damn it, this is terrible."
Ye Fan cursed, but now was not the time to vent his anger.
He put all his strength into his feet and sprinted towards the pile of dry grass.
Ten meters, eight meters, seven meters, five meters...
As Ye Fan leaped towards the dry grass, this was his last chance. If he could ignite the pile, the zombie cat would surely be scared away.
But if he failed, with the zombie cat's speed and strength, his heart would likely be ripped out instantly.
"Thump."
Ye Fan's body crashed onto the pile of dry grass.
"Swish."
A spray of blood arced through the air, staining Ye Fan's back crimson.
"You bastard."
Ye Fan's body trembled violently. The pain in his back made him feel as if he were suffocating, and sweat poured from his forehead.
His speed had been fast enough, he had a considerable lead over the zombie cat, yet it had still caught up to him.
Without time to think, he took out his lighter and instantly ignited the dry grass.
Thick smoke rose, and flames blazed fiercely.
"Meow."
The zombie cat intended to rush forward again and end his life, but at that moment, a tongue of flame flew from in front of Ye Fan, engulfing the zombie cat.
"Meow, meow, meow..."
Screams echoed as the zombie cat's fur was scorched, turning it into a black silhouette.
"Come on, you wanted to kill me, didn't you? Then come on."
Ye Fan, as if driven mad, grabbed a handful of burning grass and waved it at the zombie cat.
The zombie cat paced around Ye Fan, searching for an opening, but the burning grass was too dense, offering no clear path.
"Meow, meow."
With a couple of cries, the zombie cat finally cast a hateful glance at Ye Fan and leaped swiftly out the back window, disappearing.
The smoke rising from here had already alerted the people outside.
"No, I have to go in and see!" Shen Tianyin could no longer control himself. Ignoring Xu Sanhu's objections, he yanked open the door and stepped forward, intending to enter.
"Don't come in."
Ye Fan's enraged roar echoed in the dim light.
"This is no place for you. Get out."
Ye Fan's voice was cold and stern, leaving no room for doubt.
Shen Tianyin, who had already half-entered, retracted his leg. He and Old Ji looked worried.
"Since Ye Fan told us to wait outside, he must have his reasons. We should wait patiently. I believe he will be fine," Old Lei said, looking at Shen Tianyin and Ji Nanshan who had just emerged from the grass hut.
Shen Tianyin glanced at Old Lei but remained silent, biting his lip tightly, his eyes filled with concern.
Finally, as the flames gradually died down, the smoke in the room slowly drifted outwards.
Ye Fan stood up from the corner, covered in dirt, his face a mask of ash and blood, looking quite ferocious.
"Fortunately, my quick thinking saved my life. Otherwise..."
He quickly entered the bedroom. Time was of the essence; he couldn't let the zombie cat return, or he would have no other option but death.
The bedroom was simply furnished, with only a table, a bed, and a few chairs.
It was evident that Wei Chengmo lived a very simple life, likely spending all his time collecting the skeletal remains of his companions from the tomb, aside from resting.