Ignoring Edward Lewis's confusion, Lian Feng continued on his own: "Our Dianxi Divine Sect is located on the frontier, and since ancient times we've specialized in studying secret arts and esoteric techniques. One of our sect's secret arts is to use drugs and qi cultivation to train a Zombie King!" He glanced at the astonished Edward Lewis and continued, "When a zombie becomes a king, not only does its power greatly increase, but it also gains many supernatural abilities that ordinary zombies possess, and it can move in sunlight without being affected. Over a decade ago, I happened to read an introduction about Western vampires, and I thought at the time, if a vampire were used to create a Zombie King, its power might rival that of a cultivator with five hundred years of cultivation. It's just that vampires are extremely rare in China; I searched for a long time and couldn't find one. I never expected to run into one by chance today. So, what do you think? As a creature of the dark, can you resist the temptation to walk under the sun?" Edward Lewis was struggling inside. Yes, he couldn't resist such temptation—no vampire could. But he still wanted to make things clear: "Your Dianxi Divine Sect doesn't have a very good reputation, does it?" Brian Lane laughed. Indeed, in China's ideological climate, any sect that would do something like create zombies couldn't possibly have a good reputation. "That's right," Brian Lane replied, "Dianxi Divine Sect is what we call ourselves. The orthodox call us the Demon Sect."

"Then this cultivation process must be very dangerous. After becoming a Zombie King, will I lose my self-awareness?" This was what Edward Lewis cared about most. "No," Brian Lane answered firmly, "but the danger is obvious." "How long will it take to succeed?" "At least half a year. It mainly depends on your aptitude." Edward Lewis lowered his head and thought for a while, then looked up at Brian Lane and said, "Alright, I agree, but I have some conditions." Brian Lane immediately replied, "Go ahead." "I won't join your sect. I am a free man. After becoming a Zombie King, you can't restrict my actions. I can go wherever I want. But if the Divine Sect is in danger, I can help out!" "Fine," Brian Lane agreed readily. "Using a vampire to make a Zombie King is just an idea of mine. The Divine Sect is full of experts; what would we need a little vampire Zombie King for anyway? Besides, whether it can even be done is still a question," Brian Lane muttered to himself.

Seeing how quickly Brian Lane agreed, Edward Lewis felt something was off, but since he had already agreed, he couldn't go back on his word. He could only say to Brian Lane, "Wait a moment, let me call my parents, then we can go." "A vampire still cares about human family?" Brian Lane asked curiously. Edward Lewis was dialing and didn't look at him, only replied calmly, "I just want to accompany them on their final journey." "Then have you ever thought about turning them into vampires to keep you company? After all, immortality is quite tempting for ordinary people," Brian Lane pressed. "The holy doctrines of Catholicism may not be a good thing for Islam, right?"

"Hello, Mom, it's me... Mom, where's Dad?... Are you both well?... I'm fine, don't worry. Mom, my work unit is sending me on a business trip, to Yunnan, for about half a year. I'll call you when I get there... Okay, okay, I know..." Hanging up, Edward Lewis said, "Alright, let's go."

Chapter Two

There was no doubt that Brian Lane was very wealthy—his outfit alone was worth at least twenty thousand. The plane tickets for Edward Lewis and him from Xi'an to Kunming were also paid for by Brian Lane. Money meant little to these cultivators outside the mundane world. After a few days together, Edward Lewis learned that Brian Lane was already seven hundred years old—otherwise, with his cultivation, he couldn't have become an elder of the Divine Sect—even though he looked only about thirty. "Doesn't that mean any old junk he used back in the day—copper, iron, bricks, tiles, porcelain—could be sold for a fortune now? No wonder those long-lived fellows are all filthy rich, able to spend loads of money to buy a castle or something just for show," Edward Lewis mused to himself. Then he thought, "Does that mean I could buy a castle like them in the future? Oh, a medieval castle, with a noble old vampire lord living inside... how wonderful..." Instantly, everything around him turned into piles and piles of money in his eyes.

Brian Lane took Edward Lewis from Kunming by car, winding through many turns, until they reached a small town at the foot of Mount Diancang. After getting off, they found a small inn and got a room. After putting their things down, Brian Lane said to Edward Lewis, "Rest for a bit first. We'll go up the mountain tonight."

Mount Diancang, named for its lush green color, was called Xiong Cang Mountain or Dian Cang Mountain in ancient times. It is the main peak at the southern end of the Yunling mountain range, consisting of nineteen peaks stretching from north to south, with most elevations above 3,500 meters and the highest at 4,122 meters. The mountaintop is snow-capped year-round, known as "snow that does not melt even under the blazing sun." The main altar of the Dianxi Divine Sect is also here, but it is protected by a thousand-year-old barrier, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to enter.