System Granted Me Immortality; I Outlived Everyone

Chapter 2: The Endless Years, The Unavoidable Cycle

“Cripple Li, there’s a problem with your coffin. I want a refund!”

“Bullshit! No one has ever complained about my craftsmanship.”

A figure shot straight up from inside a coffin, eyes sweeping the room in a furious glare to find the bastard slandering his life’s work.

However, the moment Cripple Li saw the man standing at the door, he was so spooked he instantly flopped back into the wooden box.

“Looks like my time really is up. Why else would that deadbeat Chen Changsheng be haunting my doorstep?”

Hearing Cripple Li mutter to himself, Chen Changsheng grinned and strolled right up to the coffin.

Looking down at the old man squeezing his eyes shut, he tapped the wood.

“Cripple Li, you gave me a cast-iron guarantee. If the coffin had issues, you said I could come back for a refund.”

“What’s with this act? Trying to default on a debt?”

Cripple Li reluctantly cracked an eye open.

“I have no money, only my life. If you see anything you fancy in here, just take it.”

Faced with the old man’s shameless, thick-skinned routine, Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Cripple Li, aren’t you afraid of me?”

“You’re the one who shoveled the dirt onto my grave, after all.”

Cripple Li scoffed, casting a sideways glance at him. “I’m sixty this year. The physician says I’ve got three years left, tops.”

“I have no wife, no kids, and no old flames.”

“Do you think I give a damn if I live three years less or three years more?”

“Besides, the day you bought this box, I knew you’d be back.”

“Why?”

“I’ve seen plenty of folks buy their own coffins. But someone skipping in to buy one with a spring in their step? That was a first.”

Cripple Li sized him up again, hesitating for a moment.

“Say, kid. Interested in an apprenticeship? Room and board covered. No wages.”

“This trade is perfect for a loner like you.”

“Master my craft, and you’ll never starve.”

“After all, this world lacks a lot of things, but it never lacks dead bodies.”

Chen Changsheng mulled it over.

While he had an infinite lifespan, a blade to the neck could still kill him.

Starvation was also a very viable cause of death.

He originally just wanted a place to crash, but scoring a permanent meal ticket sounded incredibly practical.

“Cripple Li, your terms are stingy as hell.”

“At least toss in a few coppers for wages!”

Ignoring the complaint, Cripple Li fished a worn copy of the Burial Classic from his robes and chucked it at him.

“With you bouncing around like this, you’re guaranteed to outlive me. Once I croak, everything here is yours anyway.”

“You see this place. It’s the size of a palm. There’s nowhere else to sleep.”

“That coffin next to me is your bed. Convenient, since you clearly enjoy sleeping in them.”

With that, Cripple Li adjusted his posture, preparing to go back to sleep.

Chen Changsheng grabbed his arm.

“Wait, weren’t you supposed to teach me carpentry?”

“Why give me a book?”

Cripple Li rolled his eyes. “Skills don’t weigh a man down. If you just sell empty boxes, who’s going to keep the business afloat?”

“Let me be clear: I handle the one-stop funeral service. You have a lot to learn!”

Shaking off the grip, Cripple Li lay flat and crossed his arms over his chest.

Chen Changsheng stared at the Burial Classic, then let out a sharp laugh. “Fair point. Skills don’t weigh a man down.”

He promptly climbed into the adjacent coffin.

Honestly, once you got used to the snug fit, a regular bed just felt too spacious.

……

Cold winters faded into scorching summers. Eight years slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Chen Changsheng permanently settled into the shop, spending his days reading and learning the undertaker’s trade.

Whenever he hosted a funeral feast, he seized the opportunity to enjoy a hearty meal.

Unfortunately, these were years of peace. Business was slow, and feasts were rare.

As for those ten Attribute Points, he dumped every single one of them into Defense.

Theoretically, if he just laid low and played it safe for a bit, he would amass an endless lifespan.

Therefore, maximizing his physical durability was simply the most logical choice.

Surprisingly, Cripple Li didn’t die after three years. Under Chen Changsheng’s care, he stubbornly hung on for five.

But ultimately, mortals could not outlast time. One night, Cripple Li climbed into his coffin and never woke up.

……

“Big Brother Changsheng!”

A young girl threw open the shop doors.

Startled awake, Chen Changsheng sat up from his coffin and sighed in exasperation. “Niansheng, how many times have I told you?”

“This is a funeral parlor. It’s inappropriate for a young lady to be running in here all day.”

Li Niansheng stuck her tongue out defiantly. “I don’t care!”

“Let the neighbors gossip.”

“Besides, there’s a plague out there. No one has the energy to worry about me.”

“I’m going to make breakfast. Hurry up and get out of that box; it’s bad luck to sleep in it all day.”

With practiced familiarity, she marched straight toward the back kitchen.

Watching her go, Chen Changsheng let out a heavy sigh.

The plague had been sweeping the region for an entire year. Nianci and her husband were among the very first casualties.

He had managed their funerals himself.

The cooldown between slumbers required a minimum wait time of one-tenth of his total lifespan.

Eight years had passed since his awakening. Theoretically, he was overdue for his next hibernation.

But little Niansheng was now completely orphaned. He couldn’t just abandon her to this rotting world.

Shaking his head, Chen Changsheng vaulted over the wooden rim of his bed.

“Whatever. Sleeping now or sleeping later makes no difference. I’ll just wait until the brat gets married.”

……

Soon, two steaming bowls of congee were placed on the table.

Chen Changsheng and Li Niansheng ate in silence.

Suddenly, Li Niansheng looked up. “Big Brother Changsheng, are you an immortal?”

“You silly girl, what nonsense are you spouting?”

“If I were an immortal, would I have just stood by and watched your parents die? Your mother was a dear friend.”

Li Niansheng lowered her gaze, staring intently at the rim of her bowl.

“I’m fourteen this year. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“You can’t fool me about everything.”

Chen Changsheng reached over, affectionately ruffling her hair.

“What kind of crazy phase is this?”

“Look, it’s not that I’m refusing to buy you candied haws. It’s just that your teeth will rot out if you keep eating them.”

“I’ll take you to the market another day…”

“‘Nianci’ was my mother’s private childhood nickname.”

Li Niansheng’s quiet interruption hung in the air, causing Chen Changsheng to slowly lower his bowl.