Chapter Thirty-Four: The Cat and the Corpse

"A cat leaping over a corpse" is the most insane and terrifying incident that can occur during a vigil for the dead—there is no exception!

Anyone who has ever stood vigil knows that for the first three days after a person dies, and until they are buried, one must never allow creatures such as cats, dogs, foxes, or crows to come into contact with the body. There are many reasons for this, such as preventing these animals from tearing at the remains or disrupting the funeral rites. But the most important reason of all is the fear of "corpse resurrection."

I once read some foreign research reports in my spare time, which claimed that after a person dies, there is still residual bio-electricity in the body, much like a "dry cell" battery that is nearly drained. Although there isn't much power left in this "battery," once triggered, it is enough to produce a few sparks. Once the "electricity" stored within a corpse is sparked, the resulting discharge is what is known as "corpse resurrection."

However, it is not easy for the electrical charge in a human body to be triggered; in lay terms, it requires a "spark." And cats, as it happens, are among the most suitable sparks. Why don't other animals—or humans, for that matter—trigger this electricity? I am not entirely sure, but the scientific report I saw suggested it might be due to the lack of fur on humans. Because cats have fur, they harbor far more surface electrical charge than a human body, and these charges happen to clash with the charge of a corpse. That is why so many incidents of "cat leaping over a corpse" result in a resurrection.

Because of this, I trembled with fear as I watched the large black cat at the head of my old squad leader's coffin. In truth, I knew full well that under normal circumstances, even if a cat jumped over a body, the corpse would not necessarily rise. But things were different now!

What was happening to my old squad leader was far too sinister. From that "Heaven-Breaking Master" to Lei Ren, from the elusive Fire-Tail Lian to Zhao Shuihe, who would smile even after my squad leader was dead—everyone and every cat seemed to be coveting my squad leader's body and his legacy. Moreover, the appearance of that beast served as further confirmation of the warning the "Human-Demon Old Nineteen" had given me. By breaking the dharma body of the cat master "Bright Lamp King" at Laoqi Road, I had effectively enraged the "Cats of Yimeng Mountain" clan. These beasts would oppose me to the bitter end. In this situation, I understood clearly that this cat had not appeared by accident; it was likely a lackey of the Bright Lamp King. If it scratched my squad leader, there was no telling what horrific events might unfold.

Therefore, I absolutely could not let the cat touch his body.

I immediately reached into my pocket, pulled out my combat knife, and signaled to Zhao Shuihe and Xian Hongye to remain silent. At the same time, I began calculating the trajectory and method of my strike. Throughout this, I stared fixedly at the beast, watching its every move.

The cat crouching on the lid of my squad leader's coffin was pitch black, looking very much like the "Bright Lamp King," though it lacked that creature's aura and the white, tiger-like marking on its forehead. Even so, it was a large cat, and it was within arm's reach of my squad leader. My knife was fast, but I had no certainty of a lethal blow.

Thus, I hesitated for a moment. During the standoff, the cat seemed to ignore my existence entirely; it simply kept its round, ghost-blue eyes fixed intently on my squad leader's face, as if it were deeply interested in his remains. Before long, the cat finally moved. It extended a front paw and actually reached out toward... the black bowl on my squad leader's face.

That "Bowl of Heaven's Canopy" was the protective charm for my squad leader's Five Viscera Temple, ensuring that after his death, he would not fall into the path of the hungry ghosts and would have food in the underworld. How could I let a beast touch it!

"Get away!" I shouted.

Instantly, my heart hardened. I lunged, throwing my knife in a flash of lightning without a shred of mercy. "Die!" I roared.

In that split second, the combat knife flew from my hand, guided by a flick of my wrist. It cut through the air like a swimming dragon, aiming straight for the beast that dared to commit such a sacrilege! The dark blade struck the cat like a bullet, and the massive momentum sent it flying. It was pinned against the large, black "Offerings" character on the wall behind the funeral hall before rebounding and crashing to the floor.

Because of the sheer force of the throw and the intensity of my anger, my right hand suffered a severe cramp the moment the knife left my grip, and a sharp, twisting pain shot through my fingers. I immediately crouched down, baring my teeth, pressing against my right hand while keeping an eye on the cat's miserable fate. It stared back at me with unyielding eyes as blood gushed from its chest.

The cat’s end was gruesome. Seeing the carnage, Hongye and Zhao Shuihe both shrieked. "Ah!"

Because of Xian Hongye’s scream, Zhao Hailun, prodded by his wife Gui Yuxiu, came running out in a panic. Amidst their cries, I continued to press hard on my right hand to keep the cramp from worsening. I took a moment to steady myself.

Zhao Hailun was holding a partially burned "moxa roll," clearly having been using it to treat the unconscious Wang Hou. Sitting in his wheelchair, he looked at the dead cat behind the funeral hall and clearly understood everything.

"Buer!" Zhao Hailun called out to me. "Well done. Quickly, check and see if the cat 'defiled' the Old Second's body."

The pain in my arm was just beginning to subside, and beads of sweat were forming on my forehead; I was in a terrible state. But I knew that I was the only one who could check. After all, one couldn't count on the women in this eerie atmosphere.

With no other choice, I stood up and cautiously approached the coffin, leaning over to look inside.

It seemed... nothing had happened. In the final moment before I threw the knife, I only vaguely remembered the black cat touching the bowl on my squad leader's forehead, but I didn't know if it had actually made contact. However, based on what I saw, I could set my mind at ease. My squad leader’s remains were undisturbed, his expression peaceful, and most importantly, the bowl remained unmoved on his forehead, still protecting his body.

"It's fine!" I said, relieved.

But at that moment, a cold hand suddenly gripped my arm tightly. Along with the touch came a sharp, urgent voice.

"It's not right!" a woman whispered in my ear.

I immediately recognized the voice as Xian Hongye's. Her face was deathly pale, and she was staring intensely at my squad leader's face. She seemed terrified by some subtle change, and the hand gripping mine was cold as ice. Seeing her entire body tensed up, I realized she must have noticed something truly horrific.

I looked back at my squad leader's face. "There's nothing there!" I said, bewildered.

Hongye didn't answer immediately. Instead, she extended a finger and pointed at the black bowl on his forehead. "Look closely at the bowl! It... it's bleeding!"

Xian Hongye's words made me feel as though I had fallen into an ice cavern. I turned back in shock, looking at the silent bowl resting on my squad leader's forehead.

At that moment, a trickle of fresh blood was seeping out from the base of the black porcelain bowl... slowly flowing down my squad leader's cheek.

How... how could the bowl be bleeding?