I squeezed the grass doll with both hands, and a faint stench of fishiness hit my nostrils. It probably wasn't the cinnabar my master had mentioned; it was more likely to be blood, though I couldn't distinguish what kind of blood it was.
The speed of the Cat Startled Corpse was astonishing. It was about to catch up with my master when, in that instant, my master suddenly made a sharp turn and flashed past on my left. Because the Cat Startled Corpse was moving too fast, it charged straight at me. I raised the straw doll in my hands and stuffed it into its embrace.
Thud... The huge impact of the Cat Startled Corpse knocked me back against the dry tree behind me, producing a dull sound. It hurt a bit, but it was worth it, as it had already clutched the blood-soaked grass doll.
Ha ha ha... I saw the Cat Startled Corpse holding the grass doll, laughing wildly in a strange voice, and then it fell straight backward.
