[Manga Original] Mementao ~Taoist Woman and Jiangshi Girl~ [Serialized Script] #2

■ A room in a farmhouse (night)
　　An old man is sleeping soundly on the bed.
　　A shadow approaches the old man.
　　The old man senses a presence and wakes up.

　　Before him stands a Jiangshi, dressed in burial clothes and baring its fangs.
　　A talisman is stuck to its forehead, and its face is obscured by the darkness.

Old Man: (Without panicking) I see... so it's my turn now.

　　The Jiangshi's sharp claws reach for the old man's neck.
　　Suddenly, the room door opens.
　　There stands Luo, aiming a gun.
　　Meifa and Liu are also visible behind her.

Luo: Whoops, just in time!

　　Without a moment's hesitation, Luo fires the gun.
　　What is fired from the muzzle is not a bullet, but a circular coin.
　　The Jiangshi, struck in the stomach, crashes through the wall and is blown outside.

Luo: Tch, didn't manage to finish it off.

Liu: What is that? Isn't that a handgun...?

Luo: It's a 'Coin Gun' that fires purified coins. It's such a waste, sigh.

　　Luo takes a bundle of coins from her pocket and loads them into the gun.
　　Liu rushes over to the old man.

Liu: Old man, are you hurt?

Old Man: (Looking hollow) You shouldn't have interfered...

Liu: Eh...?

Luo: Meifa, we're going after it!

Meifa: Yes, Master.

　　Luo leaps out through the wall, and Meifa follows, jumping after her.

Liu: Hey, don't leave me behind!

■ Village road (night)
　　Under the weak moonlight, Luo and Meifa pursue the Jiangshi with guns drawn.
　　The Jiangshi moves away at a speed that doesn't seem possible for something hopping on both feet.
　　Liu catches up to Luo and the others.

Liu: Hey, aren't you going to shoot? This is your chance!

Luo: Yeah, I'm letting it lead the way.

Liu: Lead the way to where?!

Luo glares at the back of the Jiangshi.

■ Bamboo forest near Kou's mortuary (night)
Luo and the others run through the trees.
The fleeing Jiangshi enters the back of a mansion that soon comes into view.

Liu: "Master Kou's mortuary...?"

A glimpse of the Jiangshi's profile.
Seeing it, Liu's eyes widen in shock.

■ Behind the mortuary (night)
Some of the stone paving has been removed, and stairs extend deep underground from there.

■ Stairs to the underground (night)
Luo, Liu, and Meifa descend the stairs, holding small candles.

Luo: "It smells, Meifa. It smells like a sideshow."

Meifa: "Yes, Master."

Liu: (Extremely anxious) ..."

■ Underground altar (night)
Luo and the others emerge into a wide space.
It is a place for rituals similar to the mortuary above ground, but
it looks like a cave made of earthen walls, damp and eerie.

About ten other Jiangshi, different from those in the mortuary, are lined up against the wall.
They are all elderly, and the Jiangshi they chased is at the end.

Liu: (Looking) "It really is Grandpa!"

The Jiangshi's face bears the resemblance of the grandfather who appeared in Liu's memories.

Luo: "Liu, I'm sorry, but your grandfather is already dead."

Liu: (Lamenting) "No way...!"

Voice: "So you've seen it, Taoist Gong."

Kou appears from the back of the space, holding a bell.

Kou: "After I went to the trouble of hosting you, isn't peeking a rather rude thing to do?"

Liu: "Taoist Kou!"

Kou: "These are the 'Old Ghost Soldiers.' They are the elderly of the village, converted into Jiangshi and turned into labor and military force."

Liu: "You killed people—even my grandfather—just to turn them into Jiangshi...?"

Kou: "If you turn them into Jiangshi before they die of natural causes, the 'materials' don't get damaged."

Luo: (Glaring) ...

Kou: Normally, I wouldn't want to resort to such crude and violent methods, but there are always exceptions... I'll have you all become Jiangshi as well.

Kou raises a bell and begins to shake it.
At the sound of the ringing bell, the Jiangshi begin to sway.

Kou: Attack, 'Old Ghost Soldiers'!

The Jiangshi thrust their hands out and come hopping toward Luo and the others.

Luo: Liu, get back!

Luo immediately fires her gun in rapid succession,
and the Jiangshi are blown away as they are struck by the coins.

Jiangshi also swarm Meifa.
Taking advantage of her small stature,
Meifa swings her arms and claws, knocking the Jiangshi down.

Luo also fires her gun in an acrobatic pose
at the Jiangshi approaching from her blind spot.

Kou: (Flustered) Th-they're strong!?

Luo: Did you really think you could defeat a Palace Taoist just by rounding up some old men and turning them into Jiangshi?

Meifa: Did you really think?

Luo: You don't have to copy me.

Meifa: Yes, Shifu.

The last one, Liu's grandfather, also approaches Luo and the others.
Luo points her gun in silence.

Liu: No, don't hurt my grandfather!

Luo: (Glancing at Liu) ...

Liu: Grandfather, wake up!

Luo fires her gun in silence.
The fired coin bullet hits him in the chest, and the grandfather Jiangshi collapses.

Liu: (Collapsing) Ah...

Luo: That is no longer your grandfather. It is a corpse controlled by a Taoist's soul.

Kou: (Backing away) To think that all the 'Old Ghost Soldiers' were defeated by just two people...

Luo: Give it up. There's still more I want to ask you...

Kou: N-no! I don't want to be captured!

Kou tries to run away.

Luo: Damn...

A blade tip pierces through the darkness behind Kou.
A wooden sword pierces Kou's throat as he is taken by surprise.

Luo: !

Kou: (Spitting blood) Gaa...

Kou dies without even a chance to scream and collapses.
Standing behind his corpse is that maid, holding a sword.

Maid: You useless, half-baked fool.

Luo: So you're the mastermind...

Luo points his gun, but the maid instantly
kicks off the wall with the leaping power of a beast and moves behind Luo.

Maid: Is a Taoist going to stand in my way once again?

Gaseous qi is constantly leaking from the maid's body,
and ball joints are visible beneath her torn clothes.

Liu: A-a doll's body...?

Maid: That is correct. This body is merely a shell for a temporary existence. I am no mere Taoist, but an 'Immortal' who has transcended death.

Luo: Achieving immortality through the soul alone after death—a 'Shijiexian' (Corpse-Dissection Immortal), are you?

Maid: Indeed. My name is Lei Sei. Taoist Luo, I am a former palace Taoist, just like you.

Luo: I've heard that name. You're the Taoist who was exiled for forcibly turning those unable to work into Jiangshi to use as laborers and soldiers.

Maid: I am honored that my name has become so renowned!

The qi erupting from the maid's body covers the fallen Jiangshi.
The talismans stuck to their foreheads burst into flames in an instant.

With dark, ominous light dwelling in their eyes, the Jiangshi rise—
slowly leaving the ground and beginning to float in the air.
Luo fires his gun wildly, but the Jiangshi dodge while dancing through the air.

Luo: "Flying Jiangshi, huh! As expected of a former palace Taoist. Your power to control Jiangshi is also the Eight-Nine Profound Art, I see."

Lei: "The power of a Jiangshi is proportional to the power of the one who imbues it with their soul! They are not like puppets such as Kou, who sold his soul for money and authority!"

Lei hasn't moved a single fingertip.
The claws of the incoming Jiangshi attack Luo from all directions.

Liu: (Frightened) "Eek...!"

Luo's body is seen floating in the air, riddled with stabs.
Only Meifa remains calm.
The maid smiles fearlessly, but her face quickly clouds over.

Not a single drop of blood flows from Luo's body.
Instead, from the wounds all over his body, things resembling text written in ink
are flowing into the space.

Luo: "That's terrible... It's a good thing it was me, though."

Maid: (Agitated) "Y-you... what exactly is that body?!"

To be continued

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