What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

However, just as I put the frozen dumplings into the pot, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Moreover, the sound was very rapid, as if someone was causing trouble outside.

I frowned, wiped my hands, and went to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, two large figures squeezed in.

"Brother Chen! Happy New Year!"

Jin Wanliang was dressed in a festive Tang suit, carrying two huge gift boxes in his hands, and his face was smiling like Maitreya Buddha.

Behind him, Li Qing was also carrying large bags and two bottles of Moutai that looked quite old.

"I told you he was cooking dumplings!"

Li Qing tossed the things onto the coffee table, twitched her nose twice, and looked at me with disgust.

"Is this what you're eating during the Lunar New Year?"

How pathetic! If word got out that the infamous "Corpse Stitcher" of Jiangcheng ate frozen dumplings on New Year's Eve, wouldn't people laugh their heads off?

I was taken aback for a moment, looking at these two unexpected guests. A warm feeling welled up inside me, but I still said curtly, "What brings you here? Don't you have your family with you?"

"Family members?"

Li Qing pursed her lips and plopped down on the sofa.

"The old man has gone on a journey and his whereabouts are unknown."

I had nowhere to go in Jiangcheng, so after thinking it over, I decided that coming to you for a meal was the most comfortable option.

"Me too."

Jin Wanliang chuckled.

"Business socializing is exhausting, all pretense. Today, let's three brothers get together, not to talk business, but to talk about love and romance!"

As he spoke, he opened the enormous gift box.

Good heavens, inside was a complete copper hot pot set, along with sliced ​​Australian lobster, premium Wagyu beef, and all sorts of delicacies from land and sea.

There was even a jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that looked very expensive.

"Alright, since we've brought everything, let's get started."

I didn't stand on ceremony; I scooped the dumplings out of the pot as a side dish and then helped them get things ready.

Soon, the room was filled with the rich aroma of hot pot.

Outside the window, firecrackers crackled and fireworks lit up the night sky, casting flickering light on the interior.

The three of us sat around the coffee table, clinking glasses and chatting, having a great time.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation naturally turned to recent events.

"Old Chen, about that bug, I asked someone to inquire with a sorcerer in Southeast Asia."

Jin Wanliang picked up a piece of beef and said while chewing.

"The old guy looked at the photo, and although he wasn't sure, he mentioned that it looked a bit like the legendary Corpse-Eating Armor."

It is said that hundreds of years ago, some cults in Southeast Asia used this thing to dispose of corpses, but it was extremely difficult to raise, and once out of control, it would turn on its owner, so the technique was long lost.

"A ghoul armor?" I frowned.

"What does the Shadow Sect keep this thing for? To destroy evidence?"

"Not only that."

Li Qing chimed in, saying that he had drunk a bit too much and his face was flushed.

"The feng shui circle has been quite turbulent lately. I heard from an old friend of my master that many old monsters who have been in seclusion for many years have recently come out of hiding, and they all seem to be looking for something."

"Is it related to the Nine Cauldrons?" I asked instinctively.

Li Qing nodded, his expression becoming more serious: "It's almost certainly true."

Those who coveted the Nine Tripods were not limited to the group of guards.

The fact that the guardian of the cauldron has recently made such a series of big moves sends an unusual signal, and it's possible that they've attracted the attention of someone with ulterior motives.

At this point, the atmosphere became slightly heavy.

I raised my glass and clinked it with theirs: "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Anyway, we don't have anything related to the Nine Cauldrons."

If the sky falls, there's always someone tall enough to hold it up; if that doesn't work, we'll push it back up.

"Well said!" Jin Wanliang slapped his thigh. "Come on, bottoms up!"

Just then, my phone rang.

It's a request for a WeChat video call.

I glanced at the screen, and a smile involuntarily crept onto my lips.

It's Lu Yan.

When the video call connected, Lu Yan's aloof face appeared on the screen.

She was dressed in casual clothes, and the background appeared to be the command center of the Folklore Bureau, with many people busy behind her.

Happy New Year, Chen Yang.

Although her voice was still as cold as ever, there was a hint of gentleness in her eyes.

"Happy New Year, Director Lu."

I responded with a smile, then turned the camera around to include Li Qing and Jin Wanliang in the frame.

"Look, things are getting lively here, we're just missing you."

"Director Lu! Happy New Year! When are you coming over for a drink?" Jin Wanliang shouted from the other end of the line.

Li Qing, also drunk, waved his hand and said, "Director Lu... I'll give you a fortune telling next time, it'll be free!"

Lu Yan watched this scene, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

"Enjoy your meal and drinks. Tonight is a special occasion, and I have to stay at the command center, so I'm afraid I won't be able to make it. I'll treat you to dinner after I'm done with this."

"Okay, we've got it." I said. "Be careful, don't push yourself too hard."

"Okay, I'm hanging up."

The video call ended, and as I stared at the black screen, I felt a mix of emotions.

This is our life.

Some indulge in a life of pleasure and debauchery, while others guard peace and safety in the biting cold.

There are also people like us who, in the gap between the realms of the living and the dead, search for a trace of the reality of being alive.

"Come on, don't just stand there, eat up! This lobster won't taste good if it gets cold!"

Jin Wanliang called out and put another large piece of meat into my bowl.

The meal lasted until the early hours of the morning.

As the sound of firecrackers outside the window gradually subsided, Li Qing was already fast asleep on the sofa, and Jin Wanliang was so drunk that he was slurring his words. He pulled me aside and insisted on becoming sworn brothers with me.

Looking at the two drunkards, I shook my head helplessly, got up, and covered them with a blanket.

Walk to the window and open it.

A chilly breeze swept over me, carrying a faint smell of sulfur.

The new year has arrived.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Wuhan was shrouded in a thin layer of morning mist.

The commotion of last night has subsided, leaving only firecracker debris scattered all over the ground, red and stained like a blood-red carpet.

When I got up, I looked around.

The living room was a complete mess.

Li Qing lay sprawled on the sofa, one leg propped up on the coffee table, clutching an empty wine bottle, muttering incoherent nonsense.

Jin Wanliang was curled up on the carpet, wrapped in the blanket I had covered him with last night, sleeping like a log, snoring loudly.

I shook my head and quietly tidied up the mess on the table.

Just as I brought the hot pot into the kitchen, a sudden, urgent cell phone ring broke the morning's tranquility.

The sound came from Jin Wanliang's pocket.

The fat man rolled over and didn't wake up.

The phone rang persistently, as if determined not to give up until the call was answered.

"Who is it... on the first day of the Lunar New Year, can't a person get some sleep...?"

Jin Wanliang was finally woken up. Still half asleep, he fumbled for his phone, pressed the answer button without even looking at it, and spoke in an extremely unfriendly tone.

"Feed? Who?"