Liu Shuixian did not know where she was. Reaching out to touch the mud walls around her, she felt as though she were in a mountain cave. Having lived in Squire Liu’s manor since childhood, pampered with every luxury, she was naturally filled with shock and dread to be suddenly brought to such a pitch-black place by a monster.
The green-eyed zombie seemed to be away. She groped her way forward for a distance until she saw the faint, blurred moonlight from outside. Standing at the cave’s entrance, she saw that she was at the foot of an unknown mountain; the area outside was overgrown with weeds and utterly desolate.
She moved forward cautiously, the moonlight barely enough to see by. Recalling the zombie’s hideous and terrifying true form, she pressed her lips together and forced herself to remain calm, determined to escape before it returned.
In those days, foot-binding was the fashion, and daughters of noble families were expected to undergo it. Consequently, Liu Shuixian was ill-suited for walking, let alone on such rugged and difficult mountain paths. After walking for a while, her feet throbbed with unbearable pain, and she sat down on a rock to rest. Her hands had been scratched by thorns, leaving bloody welts on her fair, tender skin.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and was about to stand up and continue when a dark shadow flickered before her. The green-eyed zombie was already standing there. Liu Shuixian thought it might have gone somewhere to heal its wounds; it had now regained its human appearance. With silver hair, black robes, a high nose, and thin lips, it looked like an immortal descended to the mortal realm—elegant and handsome under the moonlight.
But Liu Shuixian had seen its true form and knew what terrifying truth lay hidden beneath that beautiful skin. She instinctively took a step back, but the green-eyed zombie reached out. It did not seem to blame her for trying to run. “Eat something.”
In its hand was an oil-paper bundle.
Liu Shuixian did not dare reach for it, so the zombie opened the bundle itself. Inside was her favorite osmanthus cake, along with vinegar fish from some unknown restaurant and a plate of rather odd-looking steamed pork with rice flour.
It laid the food out on a mountain rock, sat down nearby, and picked up a piece with chopsticks to offer her. “Taste it.”
Liu Shuixian did not dare eat. She had heard stories from *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* and knew that many ghosts and monsters could turn stones, branches, or even insects into delicacies to trick humans into eating them. She only stared at the green-eyed zombie, her fear tinged with a hint of hostility.
The green-eyed zombie did not seem to notice her gaze. Its voice was low and gentle. “Eat, Qiao’er.”
The mountain night was clear with bright stars and a gentle breeze, occasionally punctuated by the chirping of insects. Late-returning birds occasionally brushed against branches, making strange sounds. Liu Shuixian turned her head away, refusing its kindness.
The green-eyed zombie grew anxious. “Eat a little first. You’ve slept for most of the day; you must be hungry. Eat this for now, and if it’s not to your liking, I’ll go buy something else, alright?”
Liu Shuixian didn't want to answer. Reasoning with a zombie seemed absurdly amusing to her, but she didn't know where she was. She couldn't escape, and she couldn't leave. “I want to go home.”
The green-eyed zombie fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, only answering after a long pause. “That isn't your home, Qiao’er. Your home is at Guantian Court. I’ll take you back there tomorrow, alright?”
Liu Shuixian finally snapped, her grievances and fear exploding all at once. “I’ve told you, I am not Qiao’er! My surname is Liu, and my name is Liu Shuixian! Do you understand? You are a zombie, and I am a human. If you want to drink blood, just bite me to death and get it over with! Is it fun to scare me like this?”
The green-eyed zombie looked perplexed. “I don’t want to bite you. I don’t drink blood. I… I don’t want to scare you either. Scaring you isn't fun.”
Seeing its aggrieved expression, Liu Shuixian’s anger dissipated, leaving her unable to vent. “Then just let me go back. I beg of you, I really am not Qiao’er.”
The green-eyed zombie gathered the food from the rock. It had gone out to find food for her as soon as it had set her down, and it was now exhausted. “Go back to the cave first. I’ll take you to Guantian Court tomorrow. You’ll definitely like it there.”
Before Liu Shuixian could speak, it suddenly stepped forward and scooped her up, placing her against its neck as it prepared to return to the cave. Liu Shuixian let out a startled cry. With her inner thighs brushing against its neck, her face flushed crimson with shame. “Put me down this instant!”
The green-eyed zombie’s steps were slightly unsteady as it tried to keep her from squirming. Liu Shuixian realized with despair that the distance she had spent over an hour trying to cover was crossed by the zombie in the blink of an eye.
It placed Liu Shuixian onto a mat inside the cave and set the food aside. “Sleep for a while. I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need anything.” It turned to leave, then paused to whisper, “I am a Hou.”
Liu Shuixian watched it leave. Worried about snakes, rats, or insects in the cave, she hurried toward the entrance, but the green-eyed zombie was nowhere to be seen. She looked around suspiciously, seeing nothing but the moonlit flora of the mountainside. Her stomach growled; she was indeed hungry. The food the zombie had brought was right there, but she didn't dare touch it.
She quietly groped her way out of the cave. In the mountain night, she couldn't tell one direction from another. She heard the sound of flowing spring water in the distance and pushed through the weeds toward it. There, in the milky moonlight, she saw the zombie. It had pulled its long robe down to its waist and was washing its wounds with the spring water. Its long silver hair was spread out, gilded with a pale glow by the moon; it was actually quite a sight to behold.
Having been raised in a secluded boudoir, Liu Shuixian had never seen such a scene. Blushing, she turned her head away, intending to follow the stream down the mountain. However, as she turned, she saw a snake nearby, tilting its head as it sized her up.
She let out a cry of alarm. The snake seemed just as startled by her gaze and fled like the wind. In a blur, Liu Shuixian found herself in a pair of arms. She looked up to see the green-eyed zombie. Its clothes were still open, and as her face pressed against its chest, she felt a texture as fine as jade. Panicked, she cried, “Put me down!”
The green-eyed zombie carried her to the creek side and continued cleaning its wounds. It turned slightly away, unwilling to let her see the gruesome nature of the injuries.
Liu Shuixian had no desire to look. She wanted to escape, but in these deep mountains, could she really get away on her "three-inch golden lilies"?
The green-eyed zombie turned and saw the hesitation in her eyes. It naturally knew what she was thinking. “You can’t walk out. The old you was stronger than you are now; there might have been some hope then. Now you walk very slowly. You only covered that tiny distance in over an hour.”
Liu Shuixian felt discouraged. “You knew how long I was walking?”
The green-eyed zombie nodded seriously. “Within a hundred miles, I can perceive anything I wish to perceive. However, my cultivation base has not yet recovered, so it is a struggle. I can only perceive you.”
Only then did Liu Shuixian understand the meaning of utter despair.
While they spoke, the green-eyed zombie finished cleaning its wounds. It pulled its robes together but did not prepare to return to the cave. Its body was different from a human’s; sleep could not restore its injuries. It could only absorb more eerie lunar essence to prevent the wounds from worsening.
Liu Shuixian, however, could not stay awake much longer. She had walked for over an hour during her escape attempt and had been badly frightened; her physical strength was nearly spent. Sitting there for too long, she began to feel drowsy.
In all her years, this was the first time she had been alone with a strange man—no, the first time she had been alone with a strange zombie. She shouldn't have even dared to blink. She sat nearby for a long time, eventually falling asleep without even realizing it.
The green-eyed zombie gently rested her head on its lap, remaining as still as a stone statue to ensure she stayed in the most comfortable sleeping position.
The mountain breeze was cool. Liu Shuixian didn't know how long she had slept, but when she woke, the zombie was still in the same position as the night before, motionless as a sculpture. Seeing her open her eyes, the green-eyed zombie looked very happy. “Qiao’er, what do you want to eat today?”
Liu Shuixian didn't want to argue with it anymore. Her voice was very low. “I only want to go home. I want to see my parents.”
The green-eyed zombie pretended not to hear her; it was sometimes very good at playing dumb. “Shall I go catch some fish? You used to love making braised fish. After we eat, we can go pick fruit.”
Liu Shuixian didn't know how to respond, or perhaps it didn't need her response at all.
Liu Shuixian had never seen a zombie before; even the maidservants around her avoided mentioning such inauspicious things. Her understanding of zombies was that they were savage monsters that ate raw flesh and drank blood. But looking at it now, she felt this zombie was quite pitiful. It was stubbornly trying to hold onto people and things that no longer existed. It was like a child living in its own fairy tale, knowing the tale was false but unwilling to let anyone wake it up.
The Prince of Pingnan’s heir had sent people to search frantically for Liu Shuixian, but there had been no news for several days. The Taoists of Cuiwei Mountain were also searching everywhere. Finally, someone followed Liu Shuixian’s scent and found a bracelet she had dropped in a remote wilderness.
By then, Liu Shuixian had been with the green-eyed zombie for several days. During the day, it carried her on its back to look for wild fruit, lingering amidst the beautiful mountain scenery. At night, they stayed on some mountain peak while it absorbed the moonlight. Liu Shuixian actually liked the famous mountains and beautiful waters; having never left her home since childhood, she had never seen such divinely gifted scenery.
Having spent some time together, her fear of the green-eyed zombie had lessened. At first, she refused to eat, and even though the zombie changed the menu dozens of times a day, she wouldn't touch it. Later, unable to bear the hunger, she ate a little. The green-eyed zombie would often roast wild game on a whim; its skills were crude, but it improved rapidly.
Sometimes, Liu Shuixian would secretly wonder about the "Qiao’er" it called out to. She wondered what kind of woman she had been and what story she shared with this zombie that made it search so obsessively. But mostly, she thought of her parents in Squire Liu’s manor and the shy youth who had promised her his life.
That evening, it was already very late, and the green-eyed zombie had not yet returned. She sat alone in
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