Qiaohua knelt in front of her ancestors, to all the generations that once stood before, her hands holding the smoky, burning incense, as she looked at each of the names of her forefathers sincerely.

“Dear Grandpa, and all my honored forefathers, please bless your humble and unworthy granddaughter-in-law the strength to overcome these series of unfortunate events that have besieged the peace of our village. I seek your guidance in all my actions, so that in turn, I can help protect the villagers, just as how all of you, my fathers have been—honoring the family and shouldering the responsibilities. I’ll do whatever I can to stop the evil at bay until Zhenjing return. My fathers, please ensure his return! I will be forever thankful.”

The ancestral hall was dark. No windows opened, a lone candlelight flickered slightly as she left it on the round table. Small feeble rays of sunlight pierced through the little creaks of the old wooden doors.

I have to do this. It is the only way our village can survive, and I’m the only person that stands between all my family and friends, and them.

She stood in front of a large drawing, crafted by Grandpa countless years ago, with only his calligraphy brush and ink. The phoenix was an exceptionally beautiful bird—glorious stature, proud demeanor, graceful yet strong. Only Grandpa can instill such dignified artistry with only the black ink.

She turned away from the drawing, and walked forward in a straight line. “Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six,” she finished counting her steps and looked at the thirty-sixth tile, and with a heavy kick, the tile burst open, revealing the ultimate weapon of the Jia household.

Grandpa’s warnings spoke in her mind.

It is said that the wielder of the Phoenix is bestowed with the courage of a lion, cunningness of a fox, accuracy of a striking viper, and the strength of ten bulls.

She pulled out a golden sword from the depths, its carvings intricate, gleaming ever so brightly and wondrously—a labor of ancient craftsmanship that no living possessed now. It brightened the dimmed hall and her spirit. The sword was lightweight and sharp, and Qiaohua, clutching the Golden Phoenix, was already feeling much more confident about herself.

But be warned, my children. The Golden Phoenix is a cursed blade. Though invincible in battles, those who wield the Phoenix are cursed with a shortened, unfortunate life. Use it only when all hope is lost.

She picked a few daggers from the weaponry wall, and her personal favorite—the shuangdao (double blades). She thanked the forefathers again, before heading out of the hall, the Phoenix answering the sunlight with its own powerful gleam.

She paused at the Middle Hall, where Grandma, and Zhenjing’s first wife—Ximei, or ‘Big Sister’ (the way Qiaohua, the second wife addressed her) were sitting and worrying.

“I’m ready, Grandma. I will hunt down all the sangsi and keep the village safe,” she said, with a determined tone. She knew her skills were a far cry from her father’s, and even her husband’s, but she must do whatever she can. Grandma was pleased, with tears rolling in her milky eyes, her frail fingers caressing the young woman’s cheek and said, “I’m sure you will make the Jia household proud, my granddaughter,”

Ximei, the first wife, was lying on the couch, with two servants flapping feather fans to keep her and her bulging belly cool, and to flap away the rotten stench of the sangsi that might ‘jeopardize’ the health of the unborn child, according to the village doctor. Ximei was never fond of Qiaohua. Qiaohua was younger, slender, and had the kind eyes she lacked. The harbored grudge for the second wife had become her second nature, but this time Ximei smiled at the younger woman, hands holding hands, and whispered softly, “Good luck, sister. And I will pray for your safe return,”

Hidden beneath the smirk was the evil laughter, knowing clear that Qiaohua would ultimately be sacrificed, as she could hear the collective moans of five hundred reeking, walking corpses pushing and slamming themselves onto the far gates, weakening their bars of safety by the minute. She couldn’t care less. She had the baby now, earning favors from Grandma and Zhenjing again, and when her husband returns from the imperial hunt, she will be the only one he set eyes upon.

Qiaohua bowed to them again, and headed out of the house. Everywhere she saw the women and children, desperate and frightened. The unholy moaning of the sangsi that lasted for days has broken their spirits. Food supply ran low as none of them would venture out of the village, and the local businessmen have stopped coming to trade. People were feeding on stale leftovers once fed to their dogs in a more peaceful time. The dogs were gone too, most of them slaughtered by their owners, their skinny meat cooked in tasteless stews, chewed to the bones. Life in the village was not so different from life of those pounding at the gates.

It had been three weeks since the men left the village to assist in the hunt for sangsi, as commanded by the government. Men from Old Mister Thousand Wrinkles, to little Ming Ming that had only started his puberty growth, all forced to join the ‘imperial hunt’.

The sangsi swarmed to the village, and without the previous fortified efforts of the men, they would have crept in, threatening the lives of all the helpless, the frail, and the young. Being the wealthiest and most powerful, all eyes looked upon the Jia household for hope and resolution, and with the men gone, it was up to Qiaohua, and Qiaohua alone.

She never reckoned it as suicide. It was always what she wanted—to contribute to the family and the village. She was another nobody, a daughter of a lowly peasant family, no education, no friends. ‘Second Lady’ of the Jia household was merely a name in disguise, as she was to work like all the servants, while every day withstanding the taunts and evil pranks of ‘Big Sister’. Unable to provide a child her husband craves, and her martial arts skills were deemed a ‘waste’ and a disgrace to the household, for it was dishonorable for a woman to wield swords.

Grandpa is no longer here to protect me. My Zhenjing, my only love, when are you coming back? I need you in my arms, I longed for your presence! But I have to stay strong, in order to see you again!

The day had come for Qiaohua to prove her worth. And if she cannot succeed, she would die trying.

“Madam Yong, open the small gateway please,”

It was far from the main gates, where the sangsi hordes were gathering. The small gateway was almost hidden and impossible for a person to get in. Fortunately for Qiaohua, she was petite and short, even for women of her age, and she squeezed through easily, her flexible limbs helped inching her way out.

She heard a faint good luck from Madam Yong before the small gateway was shut again.

Keep calm, Qiaohua. Today is the day you’ve been living for.

Yet her heart was pounding so loud she was sure that all sangsi could hear her. Every few steps into the wilderness, she looked behind her shoulders, afraid that her presence may be detected. Every passing of a bush led her fingers to clench at her weapons, any moment a grey hand may reach out and grab at her.

As if self-prophesizing, she felt a grip on the sleeves, and instinctively she drew out her shuangdao and instantly beheaded the stinking devil before it could moan for others to come. The headless body stumbled to the ground, its fingers still reaching out to her for a brief moment and eventually stopped moving.

That was her first close encounter with the undead. She studied the fallen predator—maggots and centipedes and all sorts of wriggling little creatures rearing their ugly heads out of the various wounds. The skin was of greenish grey, the staring eyes red and violent, pieces of human flesh still sticking on the dirty yellow teeth. It was almost half-naked, its tattered silk clothing barely covering embarrassing parts.

This girl is an aristocrat from the capital! Zhenjing has dealings with that class of wealthiest of the wealthy. Serve her right, this spoiled brat.

With the agility of a cat, Qiaohua climbed atop of a tree, and from there she could see the undead congregation at the main gates. No differences in class or wealth for the sangsi, a thousand hands waving frantically for the same wants and needs—blood and flesh.

Among the trees were several sangsi, roaming aimlessly and occasionally stumbling on tree stumps or knocking themselves on boulders and plants. Qiaohua ambushed the wandering ones with her quick blades, never giving them an opportunity to moan and scream, she was too fast for any of them.

Unfortunately, fate decided to test her, as she failed to pull her stuck blades from a skull. The nearby undead had saw her before she could silence it.

The moan immediately attracted a massive bunch of sangsi towards her, and stealth was no longer a necessary. Qiaohua stabbed the moaning sangsi through its eye socket, and without pulling out, she flung the blade and the broken head to the two approaching ones. The heads collided on each other, and diseased brains spewed out all over the ground.

Lead the sangsi away from the main gates!

She zigzagged her way through the woods, whistling and shouting as she went, her shuangdao beheading the devils, stabbing eyes, spilling more rotten brains, sometimes even splitting their stinky grey bodies into two. Every stab and every chop accompanied with the familiarly strict, yet terribly missed voice of her father in her head.

“Too slow, Qiaohua, you need more speed!”

“A slash must not only be quick, but equipped with formidable strength, to ensure your enemies to fall and never get up!”

“That stab is not accurate!”

“Again!”

It was like training in her youth again, except instead of practicing on wooden statues, she was facing moving, and deadly creatures.

“Come on! Come on! Over here!” she taunted as she moved to higher ground. More than a hundred severed heads rolled down the hill but the sangsi hordes knew nothing about fear. There were driven only by hunger and thirst for blood, all slouching and lurching forward even as many of their comrades earned their final deaths. Arms are still stretched forward, fingers clawing for the fresh prey that stood not far away.

She was nearly ambushed by the two silent ones that stood before her, and again she failed to pull out her shuangdao as they were stuck in those gritted teeth. She cursed at her uselessness, as more were emerging from behind and closing on to her, and she pulled out her dozens of daggers from the already filthy and tattered battle dress. Years of practice in blindfold served its purpose, as her flying daggers were accurate and deadly.

Finally she was surrounded from all sides. She was out of daggers, and the shuangdao was gone. Yes, so here shall be my final stand, I will cut down as many of them and I shall slit my own throat when I fail. I would never be one of them.

She looked to the direction of the main gates, and she smiled. The remaining villagers had been re-fortifying the entrance when she distracted the sangsi devils to the hill.

Her arms were shaking involuntarily with fatigue, her battle dress soaked with sweat and fallen leaves stuck on her disheveled hair. She had been reluctant to use the Golden Phoenix. She knew there would be a payment of blood for wielding the cursed sword.

I’ll rather die by the curse, than becoming a monster!

At last, the Phoenix was unleashed. She raised the sword to the heavens, the great rays of golden light blinding her pursuers. It was like the Gods finally anointed her with their powers to cleanse and purify their lands.

With reformed strength and confidence, Qiaohua charged towards the diseased crowd. She was invincible. The sword enhanced her speed and courage, deflected all her weaknesses, and she spun around like the most powerful typhoon. Each and every sangsi that touched itself with the Phoenix fell and never stood up again.

The Phoenix ended its battle song as Qiaohua crushed the last moving skull and jumped out of the wall of corpses that lay around her. She could hardly believe it. She never thought she could come out of it alive.

At last she reached the gates, and being too tired to carry on, she collapsed and closed her weary eyes.

Qiaohua stirred and awakened from sleep to find herself in her own chambers. She was bathed and put in tidy clothes, the Golden Phoenix resting on the mirror desk.

She was grateful of the sword. She knew she would be cursed, her life shortened, but she was grateful, for now. Even happier for her was that Grandma and Big Sister were sitting beside her, and smiling proudly.

“You did well, Qiaohua. Grandma is so proud of you, and so glad that you are awake now. The whole village is celebrating,”

Qiaohua smiled although she did not care for any celebrations. Through her cracked lips she whispered, “Grandma, any news of Zhenjing yet?”

“Yes, my dear. We have word that he would return tomorrow,” replied Big Sister with a grin, as she caressed her belly.

“Is the baby alright. Big Sister?”

“Yes, I think he will be. The doctors said it is coming out real soon,”

“I’m glad. Finally there will be a son for Zhenjing,”

Grandma soon retired to her own chambers, as a servant arrived with a bowl of chicken soup. Ximei sent her off and insisted on feeding Qiaohua by herself.

“Come, sit up. You must be tired and hungry. I’ve made you some soup,” she helped Qiaohua adjusting herself and the pillows, blew lightly to cool the soup, and raised a spoonful to Qiaohua’s lips.

“Thank you, Big Sister. I know you’re strict to me, but I also know how much you cared for me,”

“It is alright, my dear. It is actually my fault. My jealousy has made me cruel towards you in the past. I hope you’ll forgive me,”

“I’m never angry at you, Big Sister. As second wife, it is my duty to take care of Zhenjing and to also obey you and the rules of the household,” and she nodded for more of the delicious soup. It was the first time ever she was treated so kindly and graciously by her in-laws.

“Thank you for understanding, my dear. And with a new baby soon, our family will be prosperous. Grandma would be most pleased,”

“Yes Big Sister. When I’m suitable, I will go to the town and get you some incense, and we shall honor the ancestors together, as sisters,”

“I should never ask more from you, Qiaohua,”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Big Sister. Your words are my duties,”

“I hope you’re not mad if I ask for another favor,”

She stood up, and placed the half-emptied bowl on the table.

“I want you dead, my dear,”

She cackled softly when she saw Qiaohua’s horror and agony all over her face.

“My recipe of Black Scorpion Chicken Soup. Enjoying it, stupid bitch? In a minute you shall be dead, and forever Zhenjing will be by my side. I had enough of the lonely nights when you seduced him to your chambers, and all the arguments we had because of you! And with my baby, I will gain the favors of Grandma, while you shall rot in hell!”

Qiaohua fumbled towards the Phoenix and overturned the bed side table, while Ximei, in fear of Qiaohua attacking and the dangerous spill of the ‘soup’, immediately took a few hurried steps backwards. She clutched at the edge of the closet and balanced herself again. The baby kicked hard.

Regaining herself, she saw Qiaohua reaching for the sword, but was too tortured by the internal pains to stretch out any further. Ximei smiled again, knowing that she was of no threat to her, picked up the Phoenix and pointed on Qiaohua’s neck.

“I’ve waited for today…for such a long, long time,”

The blood sprayed all over the bed as she slashed onto the throat, the red moisture sunk into the fabrics of pillows and mattresses, and Qiaohua gulped and choked in pain. It was almost an eternity before the blood stopped spilling, and she stopped breathing. Ximei wiped her face clean, and placed the sword into the hands of her dead competitor.

What are you smiling at, stupid bitch?

As the lightning stricken the sky with sudden lights, she saw the eerie smile that did not seem to go away. In her crazed fright, Ximei squeezed at those cheeks to pull that smile off of her face.

“Stop it! I want you to stop that stupid smile and go to hell!”

The smile was plastered on the blood-splattered face and refused to dissolve. Ximei raised the Phoenix and gave the face a dozen slashes, disfiguring all the beautiful features, and still, the smile was inextinguishable.

“You…stop it you crazy bitch…”

The eyes flipped open and stared at her murderer.

Ximei hurriedly sped off from the room and ran back to her chambers, shaking as she went.

Stop that, you stupid baby. Damn!!

It dawned to her that it was no usual kick. The baby was coming out, and soon she was attacked by a frenzy of pain and agony. Maids rushing in and out of her chambers became a blur. The midwife spoke to her but she could no longer catch those unintelligible mutterings and before long she rested her eyes into oblivion. She dreamed of moaning creatures, eerie smiles, and black scorpions climbing all over her.

Ximei stirred and awakened in her own chambers. She was bathed and put in beautiful, prosperous red. She was too weak and exhausted to even move her fingers.

Grandma was cradling the baby in her arms, with maids surrounding her, afraid that by any minute her frail bony arms may slip the baby, but Grandma held him tight, it was her precious treasure.

“You did well, Ximei. Grandma is so proud of you, and so glad that you are awake now. The whole village is celebrating,”

Ximei smiled back. But she wanted to have her own celebrations. Her success demands some compensation. Through her cracked lips she whispered, “Grandma, any news of Zhenjing yet?”

“Oh yes, word has it that he’ll reach the gates soon,”

“I want to go and see him! Take me to him!”

“Oh sure, my dear. Flower and Grass, take First Lady to the gates,” The maids bowed and carried Ximei off her bed. As they passed through the village, the inhabitants were all packed in their ‘Sunday best’ and were beaming at her. Grandma was nodding and smiling at them too.

Yes of course, I deserve all these.

“Oh, those gates,” exclaimed Grandma, “This is tiring, walking all the way. Now all of you, just tie her up here,”

The servants moved towards the confused Ximei, rope in their hands and quickly she was under its spell.

“Grandma, I don’t understand! I honored the family! I brought you a son!”

“I know, my dear. I know,” she gave a toothless grin, “Once again I’m going to ask a favor from you,” And before Ximei could answer, Grandma turned her back and left with the baby and the maids. The villagers bowed before her and followed.

They reached the main gates and she was tied to a stick. And there she was, dangling in the air as a hundred sangsi swarmed below her, desperate hands clawing at her but a few inches out of reach. Yet every one of them was excited to see her, the sweat and fear certainly appealed to their appetite.

She screamed and screamed until she could do it no longer. From the far corner of her eyes she saw the small gateway creaked open as the villagers fled to safety, no fear of pursuit as all the undead set their eyes upon her.

“Zhenjing!” she exclaimed in voiceless joy, as the tall, well-built, and strong familiar figure came from behind the trees, along with all the men of the village.

Her brave husband coming to rescue her at last!

Look! The way he pushed and tore his way into the creatures with his bare hands!

Her smile vanished as her seven feet tall husband easily grabbed her delicate feet and ripped her toes off.

While still crunching on her toenails, his lips torn out by the other hungry sangsi contesting for a bite. He did not care. He was far too happy to taste her wife again.

It was that same eerie smile on his face.