Chapter 38: The Birthday Feast

It wasn’t that there was no one around—quite the opposite. The room was packed, shoulder to shoulder, a dense sea of people pressed together in silence. No one made a sound. No one even moved.

The original tables and benches had been cleared away and stacked neatly against the wall, leaving only two relatively open areas.

One held a table laid with dishes and wine. The other belonged to the three performers of the Child Spirit Opera.

Everyone else stood tightly ringed around them, waiting to watch the post-meal performance.

Li Zhuiyuan was dragged to the table by the plump master.

The cat-faced old woman was already seated at the head. She patted the empty spot beside her. “Come, little boy, sit next to Grandma.”

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to comply. He deliberately glanced back the way they’d come and noticed Qin Li hadn’t stayed obediently in the kitchen after all. She had followed them out and was now standing in the crowd, eyes fixed on him.

She doesn’t care about you anymore—why are you still chasing her?

The cat-faced old woman noticed too. Smiling, she asked, “Why don’t we call her over to sit with us?”

“No need, Grandma. She’s already eaten. She’s not good with people—she might upset everyone’s appetite.”

“Oh? Then why do you still put on plays with her?”

“She’s a neighbor, so I include her.”

“Heh, you’re kind-hearted.” The old woman’s hand rested on Li Zhuiyuan’s head, gently stroking it. “I used to raise my grandsons and granddaughters too. When they were little, they’d call me ‘Grandma’ every other word. But once they grew up, they couldn’t wait for me to die. They blamed me for living too long, said it was my fault they couldn’t make something of themselves, couldn’t live well, couldn’t get rich.”

Li Zhuiyuan listened quietly.

“I just can’t understand how they turned out that way. Maybe it really is my fault. I lived too long, drained their good fortune. Maybe I should just die and reincarnate already—for their sake. What do you think, little boy?”

If that were true, how did you become a Dead Sinker?

According to the opening chapter of Records of Strange Happenings in the Martial World, Dead Sinkers were born of deep resentment.

You’re not here because of yearning—don’t kid me.

“Grandma, you can’t think like that. My mom once told me, when dealing with beasts, it’s laughable to reflect on yourself or try to understand them.”

“Oh… your mom makes a lot of sense.” The cat-faced old woman chuckled to herself. “I think the same way. But deep down, I still feel bad. After all, I raised them with my own hands.”

“But did they ever see you as their mother, their grandma?”

“To me, they’re still just kids. And kids make mistakes, don’t they?”

“But they’ve become parents and grandparents themselves. How could they not understand how you feel—and yet they still did those things.”

“You’re right! They’re despicable!!!”

A flicker of green light swirled rapidly in the old woman’s eyes, and sharp teeth protruded from her lips.

“Little boy, you’re absolutely right. Grandma just adores you!”

This time, both her hands seized Li Zhuiyuan’s face and began kneading it incessantly.

Li Zhuiyuan felt his face going numb from the cold.

“Grandma… please don’t let them off.”

The old woman released his face, planted her hands on the table, and her nails carved ten deep gouges into the wood.

“Of course I won’t. Those bastards are worse than us beasts!”

Li Zhuiyuan: Worse than us beasts?

So the one controlling this corpse fiend… is a cat?

The cat-faced old woman turned to him, enunciating every word. “Little boy, watch closely. I’ll make them pay for what they did!”

Will I live to see it?

Li Zhuiyuan quickly agreed, “Of course, Grandma!”

He felt no guilt about nudging the old woman’s rage in the right direction. He’d just found the answer and plugged in the steps—it would’ve happened anyway. Trying to reason with her would only get his head cracked open.

Just then, the plump master spoke. “Granny, can we start eating?”

The cat-faced old woman asked, “Is everyone here?”

“Just us.”

“What about the hosts?”

The plump master scratched his head. “You’re the host, Granny. Your kids didn’t come.”

“Not them. I mean the ones who lent us this place, these tables, the dishes. If we don’t invite them to join the feast, it’s disrespectful.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Grandma, they’re not hungry. They’ve gone to sleep. Let’s not wake them.”

“That won’t do.” The old woman’s face turned grim as she stared at Li Zhuiyuan. “The tail-end feast must have everyone present, or it’ll be said we’re breaking tradition.”

“Really, there’s no need, Grandma.”

“Buzz!”

The cat-faced old woman gripped Li Zhuiyuan by the throat and lifted him clean off the ground.

“Little boy, that wasn’t very obedient of you just now, was it? Heeheehee…”

…

At that moment, in the upstairs bedroom, Li Zhuiyuan’s forehead was pressed to the desk. He was sound asleep, but his face twisted in pain, as though he were suffocating.

…

“Grandma… I’m sorry… I was wrong…”

Li Zhuiyuan clawed at her hand, but couldn’t loosen her grip. His legs flailed helplessly.

The sensation of dying was painfully real.

In the crowd, Qin Li’s lashes began to tremble. Her body shivered, and the spasms grew increasingly intense.

“Smack!”

The cat-faced old woman let go. Li Zhuiyuan collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

She really would kill me!

She’s not human. She’s a corpse fiend—violence is her nature!

Li Zhuiyuan turned toward the crowd. Qin Li met his gaze and seemed to calm at once. Her eyes lowered, and her trembling eased.

…

In the upstairs bedroom, the pain slowly drained from Li Zhuiyuan’s sleeping face. His breath evened out.

…

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