Not able to use the 'meat shield' method to attract zombies, it is only natural that their efficiency in getting rid of the remaining undead drops considerably. In the end, Long Zhanye somehow came up with another plan. Taking off his undershirt, he makes a shallow cut on his finger and smears a few drops of blood on the cloth before tying it to a bamboo pole and sticking it out of the barrier. Lured by the scent of sweat and fresh blood, they begin to gather again, clawing for the shirt fluttering in the air and howling as they do so. In charge of holding the pole, Qin Jun waves it every so often in order to attract more. Machine gun in hand, Long Zhanye continues to shoot the now assembled zombies while Huo Zaiyuan clears the bodies up with golden fire every now and then.
Two hours later, more than half the number of zombies are left, with corpses laying in all directions. When golden flames ignite, they nearly encircle the entire array. Luckily this spiritual fire does not have a temperature or else none of the three will be able to survive the torrid heat.
As for the benefits gained from clearing this horde, none profited more than Huo Zaiyuan. Fighting zombies since morning, the corpses his flames burn leaves behind red ant crystals on the ground. Collecting them as soon as he sees them, he has already harvested more than a full bottle.
His mind is already made up. Tonight, he wouldn't be meditating. Instead, he will enter his space and spend a few hours drawing talismans because ever since departing from Z City's military district, the talismans he has been using are either the old carved ones or ones drawn using spring water. And in this period of time, his stash is near depleted so it is about time he replenishes it.
Taking the opportunity to return to the house and eat lunch, they find Li Qing awake and waiting. Resting for an hour after the meal, they return back to the array. After burning for more than an hour, the golden flames are also close to extinguishing.
With a flick of his hand, the sesame seed sized crystals dotting the ground vanishes into the glass bottle in his space.
Upon seeing the shirt tied to the bamboo pole and the way the attracted zombies scramble for it, Li Qing bursts out laughing, then happily take over handling the pole, allowing the three others to shoot.
Finally, at 4 in the afternoon, the entire swarm has almost been annihilated, leaving several tens that stubbornly dither outside the shabby house. Not wanting to risk sniping them off from afar, the four can only wield their swords and chop the rest up. Very quickly, even the remaining undead are thoroughly taken care of. Just as Huo Zaiyuan ignites a wooden tile in golden fire, sounds of human activity finally drift out from the broken, tittering wooden door of the ancestral shrine.
Rattling and dragging sounds can be heard from within the house, as though something heavy is being moved from where it barricades the door. In a few moments, a middle-aged man with fear etched on his face peers out from behind the rugged door. When he catches sight of the four young men standing there, he leaps back in shock.
"Y - you are the ones esteemed grandmother Zhang spoke of, the heroic warriors here to rescue the villagers?"
"Heroic - heroic warriors?" Li Qing stutters as he tries to process the stranger's words. This title is too...archaic.
"Esteemed grandmother Zhang? Is this person an elderly woman?" Huo Zaiyuan inquires, looking at the man.
"Yes, yes indeed. Esteemed grandmother Zhang is already a hundred and twenty-five year old and is the oldest person in our village, a virtuous and well-respected person." As he talks about the elderly, admiration and respect shows on his face and in his tone. But beneath all that, a trace of anxiety still remains.
"Is something wrong with this esteemed grandmother Zhang?" Seeing the anxiousness in his body language, Huo Zaiyuan guesses, then pauses as he considers something. "Could you take me to see her?"
"Of course, please come in. Please come in."