Chapter 11

"Crash!"

The Cat-Faced Old Woman leaped onto the dining table, staring incredulously at the zombie in front of her.

Taking the opportunity, Li Zhuiyuan quickly spat out the dried fruit from his mouth. He couldn't help but press his hands to his forehead; the dried fruit had felt like chewing on a mouth full of star anise. Now, he realized he couldn't make sense of the situation. He understood that the Cat-Faced Old Woman was hosting a birthday banquet here, and he had even tried to use the rules of this place to blend in. But what was with this inexplicable zombie appearing out of nowhere? This was a special environment, like a dream yet not quite a dream – shouldn't it be her domain? Li Zhuiyuan couldn't believe the old woman, finding her birthday celebration too quiet, thought a troupe of child performers wasn't enough, and then invited a zombie to liven things up. At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt incredibly foolish, like a failing student at the bottom of his class. He was still confused by the problem the teacher was explaining, when the teacher added, "Now let's look at another problem, a variation of this one, and discuss them together." Li Zhuiyuan felt even more bewildered.

What Li Zhuiyuan didn't know, however, was that the Cat-Faced Old Woman, standing solemnly on the table, was even more bewildered and, in fact, terrified. Even if the other party stood still, the sheer malevolent aura emanating from it was enough to make her heart pound with fear. White mist continuously spewed from the zombie's nose and mouth; it seemed to be curiously surveying its surroundings. Finally, its gaze settled on the Cat-Faced Old Woman. Sensing that this monstrous creature was targeting her, the old woman's body trembled. Her arms slightly retracted, fingers curled downwards, and her entire posture became slightly crouched, as if in submission. She had only recently become a zombie-demon, and naturally, facing such a hated and abhorrent entity, she felt fear and could barely muster any courage to resist. "Why are you here in my domain? Where have I offended you?"

"Huh?" Li Sanjiang, who was leading zombies in calisthenics in the Forbidden City, scratched his head in confusion. He had just turned a corner with the team; originally, there were three rows, three zombies per row, but now there were only two in the last row. "It seems like a zombie is missing? Do zombies get tired and sneak off?" "Roar!" The zombie extended its arms forward, leaped, and lunged directly at the old woman. Why would it care about the old woman's display of weakness and appeasement? What a joke! It didn't even know why it was here! Seeing this, the old woman could only brace herself and leap up as well, lashing out with her claws. The two engaged in a struggle above the table, finally landing on it simultaneously. In an instant, the table splintered and flew apart. Fortunately, Li Zhuiyuan had already moved away from the table, avoiding the danger. He immediately ran to Qin Li, and seeing that she was still watching the fight, he quickly grabbed her hand: "Still watching? Quick, hide!" He pulled Qin Li to a corner where some table planks were stacked, offering a sense of security. After crawling in and crouching down, Li Zhuiyuan observed the battle through a gap. The old woman, with cat-like agility, dodged the zombie's piercing fingers by sidestepping, then clawed at its right arm. "Rip!" The zombie's clothes were torn, revealing five claw marks on its dark, pockmarked flesh, from which pus continuously oozed. But soon, the zombie swept its arms horizontally like heavy whips, striking the old woman. "Thud!" The old woman was sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall. As she slid to the floor, she stared blankly at her own fingers, then looked up at the zombie's wound. "What? It's not as terrifying as I thought?"

On the second floor, Li Sanjiang, lying in bed, developed a scratch on his right arm, from which blood flowed. "Hiss! So painful!" In his dream, Li Sanjiang, leading the zombies in calisthenics, lost his balance due to the pain and fell directly to the left. All the zombies behind him neatly followed suit, lying down on their left sides. Li Sanjiang turned his head in confusion to look at the three zombies in the first row behind him: "Which one of you is ambushing me?" The three zombies didn't answer but also turned their heads to look back. All the zombies behind them followed suit. "Damn it, does getting hurt in a dream hurt this much?" Li Sanjiang didn't bother to bandage his wound; he immediately got up and continued hopping. He knew he couldn't give the zombies time to think clearly. Even a short break, and they might swarm him and tear him to shreds. "Come on, keep jumping!" "Roar!"

In the banquet hall, the zombie leaped towards the old woman again. This time, the old woman didn't confront it directly. Instead, her gaze swept around, green phosphorescence flickering in her eyes. All the previously inanimate paper figures standing around rushed towards the zombie. Some hugged the zombie's legs, some pulled its arms, and some even jumped onto its head. The zombie began to furiously wave its arms and bite, tearing several paper figures into shreds each time. But it couldn't contend with the fact that the Great-Grandfather's family owned a paper-crafting factory. Using the paper figures to obstruct the zombie, the old woman began to move around it. Finally, seizing an opportunity, she lunged forward, coming behind the zombie, and simultaneously raked her claws down its back. "Rip!" This time, most of the zombie's official robes on its back were torn into rags, and pus welled up from the ten claw mark wounds.

In the second-floor bedroom, Li Sanjiang's body stiffened, and then blood gradually seeped onto the cool mat beneath him. "Damn it, that hurts!" In the dream, Li Sanjiang had just begun to jump when he let out a scream, falling face-down onto the ground. Behind him, all the zombies collectively jumped, then neatly landed on the ground like frogs. "Ah..." Li Sanjiang felt such unbearable pain in his back that he could barely speak, but he couldn't see it. He instinctively reached back with his right hand to feel it. All the zombies behind him supported themselves with their left arms, their right arms raised diagonally. Li Sanjiang pulled his hand back, saw it was covered in blood, and his eyes widened. This shouldn't be happening! Yesterday, in that perilous dream, he could jump and dodge the zombies' pursuit without a scratch. So how was it that today, after coming up with a good plan, he was becoming more and more miserable? Today, upon falling asleep and realizing he was back in yesterday's Forbidden City dream, he immediately tossed the ginger cat off his leg and quickly ran to the central gate opening. After the heavy sound of the gate opening ceased and "thump! thump! thump!" sounds echoed from within, he forced himself to calm down, gathered his courage, and was the first to start jumping when the team approached. That's how he successfully became the leader. Such a clever plan, yet why didn't it yield a good outcome? At this point, Li Sanjiang noticed the zombies lying behind him vaguely starting to stir, and the formation began to break. He gritted his teeth. His back hurt so much he truly couldn't get up. He could only stand on his tiptoes, extend his arms forward, and begin crawling on the ground. Seeing their leader move, the first row of zombies followed. Those behind copied them, and soon the previously scattered and disorganized formation became uniform again. In the Forbidden City, a group of zombies in Qing dynasty official robes were crawling like turtles, following the figure in tattered white shorts at the very front. Li Sanjiang cursed as he crawled, feeling incredibly frustrated. Crawling was far more exhausting than running. He wondered if it would have been better to play hide-and-seek like yesterday. He was already old, and in reality, he lived a comfortable life with good food and wine. Since he was getting on in years, he couldn't be bothered to maintain his body; when his time came, he'd just be buried. But now, here he was, exercising in a dream! But now he truly couldn't avoid crawling. With the injuries to his arm and back, if he dared to stand up and play hide-and-seek again, he wouldn't be able to outrun those creatures behind him. "Little Marquis Yuan, when will your luck finally turn around? Your great-grandfather really can't take much more... Ah!" Li Sanjiang screamed again. He turned his head and saw that his already injured right arm now had five new puncture wounds, from which blood was rapidly flowing. Now even crawling was impossible. He could only keep his left side against the ground, his right arm dangling uselessly, while his left arm constantly pulled him forward on the ground, aided by his legs. All the zombies behind him also changed their movements, beginning a tactical crawl.

In the hall, the zombie was enraged because the old woman's five fingers had just pierced its right arm, leaving deep bleeding holes. It was originally a proud entity, yet it was repeatedly humiliated in this place. How could it not be furious? The old woman, however, retreated again, creating distance. At the same time, she commanded the paper cats and dogs to rush forward and fill in, continuing to entangle the zombie. She herself lowered her gaze to look at her nails again. After several successful sneak attacks, her initial natural fear had largely dissipated. No matter how terrifying something was, as long as it could be hurt, as long as it bled and could be killed, that natural awe wouldn't be as strong. Li Zhuiyuan, hidden in the corner, frowned slightly. It seemed this inexplicably appearing zombie wasn't the old woman's match either. What should he do next? He turned to look at Qin Li beside him. She was half-bowing her head, seemingly uninterested in the events unfolding outside, still lost in thought. For a moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt a tinge of envy. He squeezed Qin Li's hand. Qin Li looked up at him. "Later, once those servants from outside come in, we'll find an opportunity to rush out. Run as far as you can, and don't stop, understand?" When the banquet first began, Li Zhuiyuan wanted to escape through the main door, but a group of servants stood outside, setting off firecrackers and blocking the way, so he couldn't leave. But judging by the current situation, the old woman was clearly using the paper figures to delay and wear down the zombie. Once the paper figures inside were mostly gone, the ones outside would definitely be called in. At that point, they'd run. He refused to believe this dream had no boundaries. As for the option of running upstairs to the second floor, Li Zhuiyuan immediately dismissed it. Although the stairs had reappeared, what could they do upstairs? Jump out the window? Qin Li looked at Li Zhuiyuan but said nothing. "Did you understand?" Qin Li lowered her head. Alright, he'd assume she understood.

Just as Li Zhuiyuan turned back to continue observing the situation, he met the gaze of the Cat-Faced Old Woman, who was looking in their direction. Li Zhuiyuan was startled, and the Cat-Faced Old Woman even smiled at him. "Roar!" The zombie roared again, drawing the Cat-Faced Old Woman's attention away from Li Zhuiyuan. "Heh heh... your roaring is useless now. I really thought you were something formidable, but it turns out you only have these few tricks... Hmm?" The old woman's eyes widened. She saw dense black mist, a malevolent aura, beginning to emanate from the zombie's wounds. The paper figures clinging to it, upon contact with this malevolent aura, all turned black, lost their human shapes one by one, and disintegrated back into shredded paper and wood shavings. At this moment, the group of servants outside also rushed in. The zombie turned around, opened its mouth, and spewed out a large amount of black mist. The paper figures nearby and further away, before even advancing, all fell to the ground. In an instant, the entire banquet hall became much emptier. The zombie raised its arms again and leaped towards the old woman. By now, its body was boiling with cadaveric energy and surrounded by malevolent aura. The old woman, without the help of the paper figures, could only brace herself and meet its attack. Li Zhuiyuan grabbed Qin Li's hand: "Now's our chance, run!" He and Qin Li scrambled out of the corner and rushed towards the door. "Ahhh!!!" The old woman's desperate scream echoed in their ears, and then they saw the zombie, gripping the old woman's neck, crash down in front of them, conveniently blocking the doorway. The malevolent aura from the zombie enveloped the old woman, creating a sensation of burning. While the old woman had been able to get close and launch sneak attacks before, now being near it caused her immense suffering. Li Zhuiyuan had to stop, and Qin Li beside him also halted. The zombie, which had pinned the old woman beneath it, turned its head to look at the two children. A greedy expression appeared in its cloudy eyes; it sensed that these two were not paper figures and emanated an enticing scent of blood. Instinctively, it opened its mouth and spewed out black mist, which surged towards them. Li Zhuiyuan immediately pulled Qin Li and ran backward, but the black mist was incredibly fast and fierce, quickly cornering them against the wall. Qin Li began to tremble. Li Zhuiyuan sensed it and squeezed her hand firmly. At that moment, the only comfort he could offer was this pale and futile gesture.

"Roar!" Suddenly, the zombie roared, and the black mist, which had almost reached Li Zhuiyuan, began to rapidly recede. The view ahead instantly cleared. It turned out the old woman's ten fingers had already pierced the zombie's neck. "Hahahahaha! I'll kill you, kill you, kill you!" The old woman's ferocity was fully revealed. The fine hairs on her body were now withered, and her skin was charred black, yet her entire being exuded a sense of madness. The zombie roared madly, repeatedly stabbing down with its arms, striking the old woman's body again and again. But the old woman held on, her fingers firmly embedded in its neck.

"Damn it... he..." Li Sanjiang clutched his neck in pain; it hurt so much. More painful than the physical ache was his inability to breathe. He could find ways to endure the pain and bleeding, but if this suffocating sensation continued, he felt certain he would die. Behind him, all the zombies were clutching their own necks. But after this pose lasted for a while, one zombie lowered its hand, then a second, then a third... Gradually, some zombies began to stand up, their gazes shifting from bewildered to fierce, looking at Li Sanjiang. Li Sanjiang was still clutching his neck, his face gradually turning blue. At this point, he almost wished the zombies would quickly rush over and tear him apart, because that would at least give him a quick end, saving him from the torment of suffocating to death.

In the banquet hall, the enraged zombie once again raised its arms high and brought them down towards the old woman's head. The old woman, who had previously seemed determined to fight the zombie to the death, simply let go at this moment. She pushed herself off the zombie's abdomen with an upward kick, and her body slid smoothly downwards and away. "Thud!" The zombie's claws pierced the ground and got stuck for a moment, leaving it in a rigid push-up position. The Cat-Faced Old Woman stood up, her body swaying. She was charred black all over, even the whiskers on her face were burnt away, showing her terrible condition. However, she was still able to be distracted at this moment, turning her head to look at Li Zhuiyuan and Qin Li standing against the wall. "Little ones, heh heh, Grandma can't beat it." Her voice held a chilling coldness, and her eyes were filled with malice. Just like the first time Li Zhuiyuan saw her in his dream at Cui Cui's house, she was then also clinging to Niu Fu's back, looking at him with the same gaze.

"Roar!" The zombie finally pulled its fingers from the ground, spun half a turn, and stood rigidly upright again. Though it was in a sorry state, its clothes torn and pus oozing everywhere, its ferocity remained, something the current Cat-Demon Old Woman couldn't match. The zombie lunged at the old woman again. At this moment, however, the old woman turned sideways, not confronting the zombie but instead sliding towards Li Zhuiyuan. Seeing this, the zombie immediately turned around and continued to lunge at the old woman. Li Zhuiyuan couldn't understand why the old woman would rather expose her entire back to the zombie than come for him first. Was she trying to drag two others down with her before she died? "Little ones..." The old woman stopped in front of Li Zhuiyuan, her eerie smile growing wider. She completely ignored the zombie that was about to close in on her, instead extending her already gnarled and cracked claws towards Li Zhuiyuan. A faint, eerie glow shimmered around her claws. Li Zhuiyuan felt his body beginning to float. Because he was holding Qin Li's hand tightly, Qin Li also floated up with him. Li Zhuiyuan was familiar with this sensation; he had dreamt before. This was the prelude to waking from a dream, a sign of escape! At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt his vision blurring, and even the old woman's face in front of him became less distinct. But he could still hear the old woman's final words: "Little ones... Grandma will send you off first."