Start with everyday skills and grind your way to immortality.

"That's enough. What's the point of killing him?"

He turned to Xiaoyu and instructed, "Girl, lock him in the kitchen, don't let him get in the way. After Butcher Zhang inspects the goods, I'll buy you wine and meat."

"Yay! We get to eat meat!"

Xiaoyu threw the brambles aside, grabbed Chen Qian's ankles with her two little hands, and pulled him out.

Chen Qian's body brushed against the ground, the rough sand and gravel rubbing against his face, causing a burning pain.

He tried to kick his legs, but they were as limp as overcooked noodles.

I have no energy.

There's no hope.

As darkness fell, the broken wooden door to the kitchen slammed shut.

A sliver of light from an oil lamp shone through the crack in the door.

Before long, a rough, hoarse voice entered the courtyard along with footsteps.

It's Zhang the butcher.

He didn't mention any wine or meat; he was clutching a wet burlap sack in his hand.

An unidentified liquid was dripping from the corner of the bag, splashing onto the ground.

Chen Ke and Lin Xiu greeted them with beaming smiles.

The three of them clinked glasses and laughed heartily.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 20 ...

"Brother Zhang, I heard about your stepdaughter, Aqing..." Chen Ke's voice drifted over.

"Hey, that little brat was disobedient. I sold her yesterday, she's probably sleeping soundly somewhere right now! Hahaha!"

Zhang the butcher's maniacal laughter echoed in the night.

In the kitchen, Chen Qian collapsed to the ground.

Was Aqing sold?

That girl who always kept her head down, yet whose eyes still shone brightly, was ultimately sold.

Meanwhile, the murderer was chatting and laughing at the dinner table.

But isn't he the same?

It was a piece of live meat that my brother and sister-in-law had on hand, and they could still squeeze some oil out of it.

The medicine jar was smashed long ago.

What medicine should I take?

That's a waste of money.

The food was always spoiled, mixed with dishwater, and sometimes you could even chew out sand and grit.

I coughed so hard at night that it was heartbreaking, but all I got in return was more vicious curses and the sound of someone kicking the wall from next door.

There are always new wounds on top of old ones, purplish-blue pinch marks, and bloody ridges from thorny branches.

Kneeling in the icy courtyard in winter, my knees were so cold they went numb.

Good deeds go unrewarded, and evil deeds go unpunished.

So this is what the world is really like.

The dream is so cruel after I wake up; why did you have to wake me up?

Chen Qian's fingers groped in the darkness and touched a sharp splinter.

The sharp edge pricked my finger, sending a sharp pain through me.

If living is suffering, if this is the true nature of humanity...

"jingle"

Far away, gently.

It was as if it was mocking his incompetence, or urging him to make a choice.

The sharp point of the splinter was stuck in his throat.

You can feel your pulse thumping under your skin.

Die.

Once you're dead, everything will be peaceful.

Will it all be over by then?

I'm never coming back to this world.

Chen Qian's hands were trembling, not from fear, but from a kind of excitement at the impending liberation.

Death is not scary.

What's terrifying is that, like rats in a sewer, they are slowly chewed up and swallowed by these people.

"jingle……"

The ringing of the bell was like an invisible thread, tugging at his nerves.

Just as he closed his eyes, preparing to unleash his power.

A dull thud suddenly came from the main room; it was the sound of a wine jar shattering.

"Drink! Brother Zhang has a huge capacity for alcohol, I really can't take it anymore."

Chen Qian suddenly opened his eyes, his hand movements froze.

If they all get drunk and die... can they escape?

Even if this world is a giant cauldron, as long as you jump out of this courtyard and escape these man-eating mouths...

Maybe... we can catch our breath?

He struggled to crawl to the door, holding the splinter in his hand.

The latch was hung from the outside, but he remembered that the door had been in bad shape for a long time.

The hinge at the bottom is very loose; it can be lifted with a little effort.

"Click".

A soft sound, almost inaudible, was drowned out by the noisy sounds of drinking games.

The door panel is loose.

Chen Qian held his breath and, like a worm, slowly squeezed out of that narrow crevice.

A cold wind suddenly rushed in and hit my face.

He shuddered, but felt a strange sense of relief.

The courtyard was quiet.

The door to the main room was half-open, and the light from the oil lamp shone through.

No one noticed the commotion in the corner.

Chen Qian huddled close to the wall, inching his way toward the courtyard gate.

But he dared not stop, not even dared to breathe heavily.

Ten steps, five steps, three steps...

Chen Qian's fingers trembled as he touched the cold wooden door.

The dilapidated courtyard gate was right in front of us.

Just push it open, and outside is...

"jingle"

The ringing came without warning.

This time it wasn't a hallucination, nor was it coming from afar.

It's right here in the yard, right behind him!

Chen Qian froze, his neck stiffening as if it had rusted, and slowly turned around.

The moonlight was cool and clear.

The little fish did not sleep.

She sat on the broken swing under the old locust tree, holding the copper bell in her hand, her legs swinging back and forth.

Those dark, deep eyes were staring intently at Chen Qian, who had already reached the door, across most of the courtyard.

She neither shouted nor cried out.

He tilted his head, looked at Chen Qian, and slowly a smile appeared on his face.

She raised her hand, pointed to the door behind Chen Qian, and then pointed outside.

The lips opened and closed silently:

"You can't escape."

With a buzzing sound, Chen Qian's mind went completely blank.

He looked at the door that was so close, then at the endless darkness outside.

escape?

Where to run?

Penniless, his body was like a broken bellows.

Go out of this door.

What can he do?

Become a beggar? Get beaten to death? Or get caught and brought back?

What's even more terrifying is that even if he escaped...

Will this nightmare end?

"jingle"

The bell rang again, and Chen Qian's empty eyes lost all color once more.

He raised the splinter again, slowly...

Let's leave it at that.

I imagine I would make a different choice in my dream!

He would say, "Why should I?"

Why should I be the one to die?

Yes! Why should I be the one to die?

Then...

Everyone should just give up on life.

Little Fish looked at him, seemingly realizing something, her smile froze, and she forgot to shake the bell in her hand.

Chen Qian didn't look at her and walked straight back to the kitchen.

Two knives were lying inside the room.

A wood-chopping knife, with a sharp blade.

A heavy cleaver for chopping bones.

He reached out and grasped the handles of the two knives.

It felt heavy and weighty, yet strangely reassuring.

This is the real thing.

It's more real than anything else.

He picked one up in each hand, turned around, and walked out.

The pale moonlight shone on him.

He walked step by step toward the main house.

The person inside was already drunk and was speaking incoherently.

Chen Qian stood at the door, listening to those words, but his face remained completely expressionless.

He pushed open the door, went inside, and closed it behind him.

All the light and sound were shut out in that small room.

……

A moment later.

The lights in the room went out.

The door opened again.

Chen Qian walked out, each step firm and steady, as if all the emotions that had been weighing on him had vanished in that instant.

His hands were empty; the two knives were left inside as well.

His face and body were splattered with warm liquid.

As the night wind grew colder, the frost solidified into dark red patches.

The courtyard was eerily quiet.

The little fish remained seated on the swing, not moving an inch.

Chen Qian was walking towards her step by step.

Those eyes were hidden in the darkness of the night, making them impossible to see.

"Hehe..." Little Fish grinned, as if about to say something more, "Uncle, are you going to run away...?"

Chen Qian walked up behind her.

He reached out and gently patted the top of her head.

The movements were so gentle, as if in a dream.

"Good boy, little fish."

His voice was soft and gentle:

"It won't hurt."

……

The wind stopped.

The ringing stopped.