At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over him, leaving him utterly frozen.
In a daze, it felt like his soul had been frightened out of his body, yet the reason it had not was that he was not in reality—his body was not here.
"Run!"
Li Zhuiyuan urgently grabbed Qin Li's hand and sprang to his feet.
But before he could take more than a few steps, the elderly ladies who had been washing dishes with sand suddenly stood in his way, blocking his escape.
No matter how he pushed or bumped into them, their seemingly frail and aged bodies remained unyielding.
In despair, an unexpected thought crossed Li Zhuiyuan's mind: no wonder his great-grandfather's paper offerings business was so successful—the materials and craftsmanship were evident.
In truth, there was never any hope in breaking through, as he was still young and lacked the strength, not to mention he didn’t possess the tricks of his great-grandfather or Liu Jinxia.
He had originally thought he could evade the incident by hiding and had almost succeeded, but it fell apart at the last moment.
He turned around to face the elderly lady with a cat-like face, forcing himself to stay calm while rapidly recalling any useful knowledge.
There was no need for extensive searching, as he had only read one book—an introductory encyclopedic work, and he had only gone through four volumes.
It was truly regrettable how little knowledge he had when it was time to use it, but now, he could only attempt to rely on what he knew.
Surprisingly, he actually found something that seemed applicable.
In the twelfth section of the third volume of "Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World," there was a record of a special type of undead known as a corpse demon.
When a person with deep-seated resentment floated in water and came in contact with the corpse of an animal that also bore evil energy, the two would merge under certain circumstances, resulting in a bizarre existence that was neither human nor demon.
Such a corpse demon would possess special abilities, like the one mentioned in the book, which appeared in the Changbai Mountain region of the Northeast, merging human and ghostly powers, capable of creating confusion and misleading people, ultimately being destroyed by the righteous path.
As for what "righteous path" referred to, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t know, nor did he feel it necessary to know, since every story in the book concluded with "destroyed by the righteous path."
The cat-faced old lady before him resembled a corpse demon quite a bit.
However, to be truly conclusive, he needed to determine if she had died in the river; if she died elsewhere, she wouldn’t qualify as undead and wouldn’t be categorized in "Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World."
Yet the old woman's clothing was clean, her hair gray and fluffy, devoid of the damp look typical of a water ghost. The Little Yellow Oriole, drenched from head to toe, was the standard template.
Li Zhuiyuan felt... this might have been an overshoot.
The cat-faced old lady retracted her head, bent down, and picked up a piece of tiger skin meat and a chicken leg from the ground.
It was these two items that made her realize something was off, as they didn’t match her simple expectations from her dreams.
"What a waste of good food! How can anyone waste grain like this? This will invite…"
The last phrase was abruptly halted, for obviously, it was considered a serious taboo for her to utter such words in her current state.
She opened her mouth, disregarding the dirt, and popped the piece of meat and chicken leg inside, chewing with great delight.
"Oh, if only I had a bowl of corn porridge back then, how great it would have been."
In her eyes, a look of nostalgia emerged, that yearning when she curled up in bed, staring at the closed door, a dream she had long held onto—perhaps even a luxury.
But in the end, she hadn’t received even a grain of rice or a sip of water.
The cat-faced old lady looked back at Li Zhuiyuan, but before she could speak, he took the initiative to greet her:
"Hello, Grandma! Happy birthday!"
The cat-faced old lady: "…"
His words of celebration left the corpse demon utterly speechless.
After a long moment, the cat-faced old lady reached out her hand, extending it towards Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan noticed that her hand also bore fine hairs, with long, sharp nails.
Not flinching, he allowed her hand to touch his face.
The familiar feeling of ice-coldness returned, reminiscent of that day in Liu Jinxia's hall.
"Boy, I've realized—this little guy not only looks good but has a sharp mind as well.
That day, when my eldest son was leaving, you deliberately let him wash his hands by you so that I could leave your body and return to him, right?"
"I was afraid you might forget the way home."
"Really?"
"I thought you would be more accustomed to him carrying you."
"No..." The cat-faced old lady's finger glided down to Li Zhuiyuan's lips, "Now, I prefer this little guy to carry me."
Without delay, she shifted her gaze to Qin Li standing behind Li Zhuiyuan: "What a lovely girl."
Li Zhuiyuan introduced, "She has a problem with her mind, can't speak, and has a bad temper—she bites if she's provoked."
"Oh, is that so? No wonder when I saw her earlier, she was just sitting there, not moving at all. Alas, what a pity for such a beautiful girl."
With that, the cat-faced old lady's focus returned to Li Zhuiyuan's face: "Little guy, I truly like you. Just stay with me, will you?"
"Weren't you supposed to have…" Li Zhuiyuan quickly caught himself and adjusted his words, "Alright, I'll stay with you, Grandma."
He initially wanted to mention her grandson, but it didn't seem fitting.
With a smile, the cat-faced old lady turned to Fat Master and the others and said, "You've all worked hard. Let's eat together."
By local custom, during a banquet, guests would eat first, and afterward, one or two tables would be set for the cooks, helpers, and family to enjoy their meal.
"Alright, Grandma." Fat Master and the old ladies resumed their lively spirits, starting to clean up for the meal.
"Little guy, you come too."
After giving her orders, the cat-faced old lady turned and walked toward the kitchen. Li Zhuiyuan noticed that her footprints left wet marks on the ground, and her cloth shoes were particularly dark, making a squeaking sound as she walked, as if they were soaking wet.
Could it be that he hit the nail on the head?
"Come on, little one, let’s eat." Fat Master grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's hand, interrupting his thoughts.
Seeing that the old ladies weren't rushing for Qin Li, it was clear the cat-faced old lady held no interest in the girl with "a problem," so Li Zhuiyuan let go of Qin Li's hand and turned to her saying:
"You go first… no, just stay here and don’t move."
He didn’t know where to run; it would be safer to stay in the kitchen anyway. After all, what the old lady truly wanted was him.
Li Zhuiyuan was led out of the kitchen. The once crowded space now felt eerily quiet.
It was not that there were no people; on the contrary, there were many, huddled together like a mass of shadows, shoulder to shoulder, yet completely silent, with not a single movement.
The original tables and benches had been cleared and stacked against the wall, leaving only two slightly empty areas.
One was set with food and drink, while the other was where three people were performing a children's play.
The remaining crowd surrounded these performers, waiting eagerly for the meal's entertainment.
Fat Master dragged Li Zhuiyuan to the table.
The cat-faced old lady had already taken her seat at the head of the table, patting the empty spot beside her: "Come, little one, sit next to Grandma."
Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to sit down. During this, he deliberately glanced back at the direction from which he had come, only to discover that Qin Li had failed to listen and had walked out of the kitchen, now standing among the crowd, her eyes fixed on him.
If they no longer cared about her, why should he draw closer?
The cat-faced old lady also noticed and smiled: "Why not call her over to sit with us?"
"No need, Grandma. She has already eaten. She has a bad temper and is shy; she might disrupt everyone’s meal."
"Oh? Then why were you playing with her?"
"She’s a neighbor, so I took her along to play."
"Haha, you’re kind-hearted." The cat-faced old lady placed her hand on Li Zhuiyuan's head, gently patting, "I used to take care of my grandchildren when they were young, and back then, they also called me 'Grandma' at every turn. But as they grew up, they couldn't wait for me to die. They think it’s my fault they’re not doing well, that they’re not getting rich."
Li Zhuiyuan listened quietly.
"I can't understand how they could change like that. Perhaps it’s really my fault; I lived too long and took their fortune. Is it right for me to apologize to them?
I think it would be best if I died early and was reborn for their good. Don’t you agree, little one?"
If that's how you feel, how did you become a corpse demon?
According to the preface of "Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World," a corpse demon is born from deep resentment.
If you bear no resentment, how can you sit here? By reliance on memories?
"Grandma, you mustn't think this way. My mother told me that reflecting on oneself and trying to understand beasts is a laughable matter."
"Oh... your mama speaks quite rightly." After a pause, the cat-faced old lady chuckled to herself, "Hehe, I think so too, but I still can’t bear to. After all, they are the children I raised."
"Did they treat you like a mother, like a grandma?"
"In my eyes, they're still children, and children will make mistakes, won’t they?"
"But they’ve become fathers and mothers themselves; how can they not understand your feelings? Yet they still acted this way."
"Indeed, they are wicked!!!"
The cat-faced old lady's eyes glimmered with a green light, her sharp teeth peeking out from her lips.
"Little one, you're absolutely right, so right! I truly treasure you!"
This time, both her hands seized Li Zhuiyuan’s face, kneading it repeatedly.
Li Zhuiyuan felt his face was about to freeze solid.
"Grandma… please don’t let them off."
The cat-faced old lady released Li Zhuiyuan's face and grasped the table, her nails leaving deep grooves in the surface:
"Of course, I won’t let them off. These bastards are even worse than beasts!"
Li Zhuiyuan: Worse than beasts?
So the one pulling the strings of this corpse demon is a cat?
The cat-faced old lady turned to Li Zhuiyuan, speaking each word clearly: "Little one, watch closely. I will make them pay for what they’ve done!"
Will I live to see it?
Li Zhuiyuan hurriedly agreed: "Grandma, absolutely!"
He felt no sense of guilt regarding the hatred directed at himself; he merely had figured out the answer through the problem-solving process.
There was no need for him to lead her; the old lady would have done this anyway. If he encouraged her to let go, then his own head would be the first to go.
At this moment, Fat Master spoke up: "Old Mam, can we start at this table yet?"
The cat-faced old lady asked: "Is everyone here?"
"It’s just us."
"What about the family?"
Fat Master scratched his head: "You’re the only one. Your children didn’t come."
"Not them, the ones who borrowed the place, tables, and bowls—it's against the rules not to invite those people to the table."
Li Zhuiyuan interjected: "Grandma, they aren’t hungry; they’re already asleep. Don’t wake them up."
"That simply won’t do!" The cat-faced old lady suddenly turned ominously toward Li Zhuiyuan, "This last table must have everyone called over, otherwise it’s a loss of custom and will be talked about behind our backs."
"Really, we don’t need them, Grandma."
"Buzz!"
The cat-faced old lady seized Li Zhuiyuan by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
"Little one, you just behaved improperly, haha."
…
At this moment, on the second floor, Li Zhuiyuan, with his forehead resting on the desk, was fast asleep, his face contorted in pain, struggling with breathlessness.
...
"Grandma... I’m wrong... I was wrong..."
Li Zhuiyuan clutched her hand, but nothing he did could pry it open; his legs flailed aimlessly.
The feeling of death was so clear.
From a distance, in the crowd, Qin Li’s eyelids began to flutter, her body trembling, with the intensity gradually increasing.
"Smack!"
The cat-faced old lady loosened her grip, and Li Zhuiyuan fell to the ground, gasping for air as he broke free from her hold.
She would still kill him!
She wasn’t human; she was a corpse demon, and ferocity was her nature!
Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at Qin Li in the crowd. Upon meeting his gaze, she seemed to receive some kind of reassurance, slowly lowering her eyes, her body gradually calming down.
…
In the second-floor bedroom, lying on the desk, Li Zhuiyuan felt the pain in his face slowly receding, his breath steadying.
...
The cat-faced old lady said: "Little one, you must teach them well from a young age."
"Grandma, you’re right." Li Zhuiyuan climbed back to his feet, moving toward the table again.
"If you think you can't teach them right, then you should drown them early, so they don't grow up to become heartless disasters. Don’t you agree?"
Li Zhuiyuan picked up a plate of braised fish from the table, swapping its position with the fried peanuts in front of the cat-faced old lady.
Then, he sat down, nodding, "Yes, indeed."
"Um..." A smile reappeared on the cat-faced old lady’s face as she gently stroked the red mark on Li Zhuiyuan's neck, "Did I hurt you just now?"
"Grandma, this is your way of teaching me; I understand."
"Um." The cat-faced old lady looked at Fat Master, "Go summon people, invite the family over for the meal."
"Okay, we’ll go right away."
Fat Master and the old ladies who had been washing dishes stood up from the table and went to call others.
As Fat Master reached the stairway, the previously vanished staircase reappeared, and he trotted up, his soft body jiggling.
Reaching the second-floor balcony, he approached Li Sanjiang’s bedroom, pushed open the door, and saw Li Sanjiang sleeping soundly in bed.
"Come on, meal time!"
Fat Master moved to the bedside, reaching out to grab Li Sanjiang's wrist. Next, he would pull the man's soul out to bring him to the meal.
However,
Suddenly,
Fat Master felt the surrounding environment warp. He had been standing in the bedroom but now found himself in a vast square, surrounded by towering palaces.
Then, he noticed in front of him:
An old man dressed in tattered white breeches was leading a group of zombies in a jump.
The old man jumped, and the zombies behind him jumped together.
The old man missed a step upon landing, causing the zombies behind him to stumble in unison.
Fat Master was so startled by this scene that he turned pale as paper.
Just then, the last zombie in line, the slowest to react, fell over. Its face turned to look back and spotted Fat Master standing there.
That zombie seemed to consider Fat Master as a novelty and jumped towards him.
Fat Master took off running as the zombies started to chase him.
"Buzz!"
Fat Master appeared back at the bedside, returned to the bedroom, touched his face, and found heavy makeup missing due to the fright.
"Thud!"
The floor suddenly vibrated,
As if some enormous creature had fallen.
...
"Come, little one, they’re calling the people, let’s eat first."
The cat-faced old lady reached out for a handful of dried nuts, placing them before Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan showed a pained expression; he had tried eating these before. Not only were they hard to consume, but even putting them in his mouth was unpleasant.
"Eat..."
The old lady's tone dropped.
Li Zhuiyuan could only pick one up, swallow hard, and as soon as he did, a wave of intense nausea surged over him. Yet, seeing the old lady's expression, he could only cover his mouth with his hand to restrain himself from throwing it up.
"Good boy, little one! Just like that; one must always cherish food, Grandma knows well the value of grain.
In my life, I starved before liberation, struggled as a widow with three kids to feed after liberation, and even then, my children died of hunger as they grew up.
So, Grandma truly knows how precious food is."
Li Zhuiyuan could only nod while suppressing his nausea, but it was genuinely hard to swallow.
Just then, Fat Master hurriedly rolled down the stairs, shouting in panic:
"Old Mam, something's wrong! Old Mam, something terrible has happened!"
"What’s going on?"
The cat-faced old lady stood up. This was her "domain"; she was the one in control here.
"Bang!"
A pair of long boots landed right on Fat Master, crushing him into a heap of shredded paper and timber.
"Ah..."
That bone-chilling voice echoed throughout the banquet hall, causing the temperature in the room to drop abruptly.
Li Zhuiyuan raised his head, staring in shock at the sudden appearance before him.
It was a zombie!
A creature dressed in a full Qing dynasty official's robe, wearing a feathered headdress!
—
There would be another update before midnight.
(End of this chapter)