This Damned Thirst for Survival

Chapter 174 - Celebrating the New Year with Joy (Part II)

After Liao Si had finished making fun of the flowering beaver, he asked, "Where is the master."

"It's upstairs," Ge Wuchen took over, "but you'd better not disturb the master, he's resting now."

Liao Si shrugged helplessly and went to sit down at the other computer beside Ge Wuchen, "It looks like I didn't come at a very opportune time. I've skipped a boring New Year's Eve dinner to meet my master as soon as possible so he can turn Qi Ye's body into my new one."

The Flower Beaver said, "You said before that Qi Ye's body was perfect for the master, and that you were just average."

"His body does suit the master," Liao Si also turned on the game, intending to play a game with them, "so well suited it's unbelievable, his spirit body is like it was made specifically for the master, I dare say if the master used Qi Ye's body then it would be an absolutely perfect fit."

He coughed twice, "But the master had the body of the idol and didn't need Qi Ye's body anymore, so he was in my sights."

The game was over and there was no winner. Ge Wuchen hadn't killed enough "Qingfeng Daoist" and invited him to play again, adding a sarcastic remark that provoked him to play further, "But Qi Ye is a member of the Qi family and a renowned genius of the younger generation in the metaphysical world. Even if the Qi family falls, it's not very convenient for you to occupy his identity. How will you get back to the old Liao family in western Hunan? How do you use your corpse-driving skills?"

It took Liao Si a while to stop coughing and he said unconcernedly, "There's always a way out of these things, but the bottom line is that my body is about to give out."

The Beaver paused and looked sideways at him.

Liao Si is sitting on a computer chair, wearing thick clothes, thicker than Ge Wuchen, the monk, is wearing. But even wrapped up in a sphere, he could not hide the thinness of his body. He is even thinner than he was in the summer, and his vitality is disappearing so quickly that in a year, maybe two, Liao Si could die.

The blue light of the computer illuminates the persistence in Liao Si's eyes, "You know, my dream."

"I am the last generation of corpse hunters. If I die, the old Liao family's corpse hunting technique will be gone," Liao Si said, "I grew up sleeping with corpses and eating with them. I have learnt it for twenty whole years, the corpse oil is soaked into my bones and I am covered in the stench of corpses. I am proficient in corpse chasing and have the same talent as my ancestors in this area. But I have never driven a corpse because my body is simply not strong enough to make that trip up the corpse drive."

He said, "I really want to try out how to catch a corpse ...... would love to make that trip."

The beaver turned back to me, "You will."

Liao Si laughed twice and looked around sparingly, "Hey, where's Teng Bi?"

Ge Wuchen said, "He's gone to deliver something for his master."

In the computer, the next game has already started.

Jiang Luo followed along for a few games before the three of them tossed the handles and returned to the table to continue wrapping dumplings.

The dumplings made by Ye Xun and Wen Renlian were so beautiful and full that they became the standard in a matter of moments. The others were not as good, either having too much stuffing or being too dry, and by the time they had enough, everyone was sweating profusely.

When it came to cooking, Jiang Luo only chose those who were handy to help, while others were denied access to the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, Sai Liaoer dutifully handed Jiang Luo the scallions, and after seeing Jiang Luo take them, he whispered to Jiang Luo's ear, "Jiang, do you know Hei Wuchang?"

Jiang Luo looked up at him in surprise, did Sai Liaoer know that he was Bai Wuchang?

Sai Liaoer didn't see the look in his eyes and said sullenly, "When I was abroad, a strange man stood by my bed one night and told me to get up and to come back to work. He said he was too busy and that it was irresponsible of me to leave without taking time off and that I wouldn't be given annual leave, and said so much more that it scared me straight."

Especially when I heard the words "no annual leave", Sai Liaoer was horrified, although she didn't know why.

Jiang Luo let out a "pfft", "Ahem, really?"

Is Black too busy to fight and has gone abroad to see Sai Liaoer?

Sai Liaoer nodded repeatedly and wondered, "The man with the tall hat and the wailing stick looks like the legendary Hei Wuchang."

Jiang Luo was already sure that this was Hei Wuchang. But instead of poking holes in the answer, he narrowed his eyes and laughed, " Sai Liaoer, there is a saying that says, 'When you think about something every day, you dream about it every night'. "

Sai Liaoer pondered, "So the Hei Wuchang I saw could have been a dream?"

Jiang Luo doesn't say yes or no, "When you see him next time, you can touch him to see if he's solid and if he's dreaming."

Sai Liaoer came to a realization, "Good."

Jiang Luo worked in the kitchen for a while and when he came out, he noticed that snow had started to fall outside the window.

He looked steadily for a moment and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The ground is already covered with a thin layer of snow, and on New Year's Eve there is no one to be seen outside. It was Jiang Luo's first New Year in this world, and everything was quiet, peaceful and warm.

He opened the window and caught a snowflake, watched it melt into water in his palm, and smiled as he closed the window again.

Before he crossed over, Jiang Luo spent most of his New Year alone. The food was better than usual, and what happened most often was that the courier bought too much to finish, and the meat and vegetables on the coffee table curdled into lumps of oil while watching the Spring Festival dinner on TV. There is nothing lonely, nor is it miserable, it's nice to have a holiday break, it's just that there is no feeling of New Year's Eve.

I never thought that after crossing over, I would have to spend New Year's Eve with so many people instead.

Jiang Luo's mouth curled up and he was about to turn away from the window when he paused, "Hmm?"

Lu Youyi, who heard his voice, approached him curiously, "What's wrong?"

Looking out, Lu Youyi also gave a small "ahh" of surprise. Outside the window, some black crows were flying outside carrying a bag.

"What's with the crows in this weather?" Lu Youyi said incredulously, "They ...... are here to deliver something?"

The raven's bloodshot eyes stared straight at Jiang Luo, who knew in an instant whose handiwork it was. He looked critically at the raven for a few moments, slowly opened the window and reached out towards it.

But the crow dodged his hand and flew off towards a small patch of trees below the flat.

Jiang Luo gave a cold laugh and withdrew his hand, "Lustful."

Lu Youyi was scratching his ears in curiosity, " Jiang Luo, want to go down and have a look?"

Jiang Luo said relentlessly, "No."

Lu Youyi scratched his head and ran for the door, "I'll go check and see if Santa sent the ravens for New Year's Eve!"

Jiang Luo didn't have time to call out to him, so he simply stood by the window and looked down. Soon he saw Lu Youyi leaving the flat and running in the direction of the woods.

Lu Youyi, wrapped in his cotton coat, looked around. When he managed to spot the crows high up in a tree branch, Lu Youyi giggled, "Are you here to deliver New Year's presents, birds?"

The crow cawed twice and flew away with disdainful wings.

Lu Youyi, puzzled, circled the tree and found the bag the crow had previously held in its beak behind the trunk.

Lu Youyi took the bag and saw the word " Jiang Luo" in the bottom left corner of the bag.

Oh, it's a gift for Jiang Luo.

Lu Youyi came out wearing a cotton slipper, but now he was shivering from the cold. He took his things and tried to go back, but after taking two steps, a tree branch suddenly rattled above his head and a red object came crashing down on him. Lu Youyi was taken aback and the next moment his eyes were blindfolded.

He hastily yanked off the object covering his face and held it in his hands before realising that it was a red scarf.

Is this also a gift for Jiang Luo? How come it wasn't included with the bag?

Confusion flashed across Lu Youyi's face as he looked up and down, not seeing anyone, and hesitantly took his scarf and headed out.

When he was about to reach the door of the flat, Lu Youyi inexplicably turned his head back and glanced into the woods.

The sky was full of snow and the road behind him was silent except for his own line of footprints.

A thin layer of snow had accumulated on Lu Youyi's head and shoulders, and he watched for a while, sneezing twice before walking slowly towards the flat.

He didn't know what he was looking at, but after reading it, his heart was empty and uncomfortable.

Strange.

He sniffled, buried his head and ran into the flat.

A cold wind blew and a few moments later a short-haired man came out of the dense forest.

The man was silent, a large knife in his hand, looking silently at the apartment building not far away.

He was dressed in modern clothes, but his aura was particularly peculiar, with the aura of a stern and murderous ancient general.

"Strange," Teng Bi spoke faintly as he raised his hand to touch his chest, "that the living dead, may long for the New Year?"

Will you also know loss and sadness?

He stood in silence for a while as the wind and snow grew stronger and the living dead's ears could hear the laughter of human families reuniting inside the flat and the various human smells.

The sky slowly darkens and it is not until Teng Bi looks back that he realises that a thick layer of snow has fallen on him. At first glance, he looks like a piled-up snowman.

Teng Bi moves and the snow "rustles" off him. He takes one last look at the familiar floor and turns to leave.