A scream tore through the long night.

By the moonlight, I saw Mom and Dad with their bellies ripped open.

Dad’s liver had been torn out by force.

Grandpa held it in his hand and stuffed great mouthfuls into his mouth.

Third Uncle’s family woke quickly.

The sight before them terrified them too.

They hurried to wake Eldest Uncle’s family, then fled desperately toward the entrance of the village.

I curled up under the bed in terror, my legs shaking beyond my control.

The Taoist had been telling the truth.

I was terrified.

Thinking of the whisker water Grandpa had told me to drink, I couldn’t help wondering whether the Weasel Immortal really did want to take over my body.

The smell of blood drifting from the distance made me retch.

Crunch, crunch.

The sound of Grandpa chewing the liver reached my ears.

Cold sweat covered my head.

Outside the window, Grandpa was still eating the organs from Mom and Dad’s bellies.

Under the moonlight in the courtyard, hundreds of small weasels appeared.

They packed the ground so densely that the sight made my skin crawl.

Every one of them stood upright.

Then, all at once, they bowed and kowtowed in Grandpa’s direction.

Grandpa let out a cry from inside the house.

The weasels in the courtyard immediately began devouring everything around them as if answering his summons.

What remained of Mom and Dad’s bodies.

The food prepared for today’s birthday banquet.

Everything was eaten clean.

I clamped both hands over my mouth, terrified they would discover me.

One furry little weasel sniffed and nosed its way over to my feet.

But it showed no sign of wanting to hurt me.

It was 4:50.

Dawn was almost here.

Grandpa, finally full, sniffed around the courtyard.

Then he turned, glanced once toward the place where I was hiding, and headed outside.

“Little girl, hurry up and follow him.”

The little weasel in front of me spoke in a human voice.

I jumped in fright.

Even so, I could only pretend I hadn’t heard it.

It chuckled.

“If you don’t follow him, you’re going to suffer a big loss.”