2: Underneath A Thousand Skies

227 Vixen Above, Mensao Below (41)

Eighty kilometers away from the city was the Wuyuan County, a collection of rural villages that was noted for their old architecture.

Ye Minzhe's mother loved pottery and ceramics, so the Ye estate was located in Jingdezhen City, the porcelain capital of the country.

To dotingly indulge his wife, Papa Ye built the main mansion in Jingdezhen, previously known as Xinping and Changnan in the old times.

Jingdezhen and Wuyuan were located in the same Jiangxi province.

Considered one of China's most scenic spots, Wuyuan was also known for its azaleas and several fields of vibrantly green tea plants.

Most people there feed themselves by working in rice paddies, and using cormorants to fish for their next meal. A Wuyuan villager's life was both predictable and simple.

However, on that day, something strange began to happen.

An old farmer paused his work and lifted his head to look up at the sky. He frowned.

The sky was growing dark with birds, many of them small black dots against the glow of the rising sun. Flocks of them were rapidly flying away, their caws breaking the peaceful silence over the whole village.

"Eh? What's causing them to migrate so early?"

The old farmer noticed that his pet dog was also behaving strangely, barking at somewhere in the distance.

"Nao Nao, what is it?" The old farmer patted its head. "Are you hungry? We'll be going home soon, just wait for a little bit more."

The Labrador shook its head and ran in front of its master, the bark in its throat transforming into a low and threatening growl.

The old farmer gripped his sickle. He knew his own dog. When Nao Nao begins to growl, it was because he sensed something dangerous far ahead.

Underneath his boots, the ground began to shake and tremble. The vibrations grew stronger until it became a rumbling sound. The old farmer looked up, and saw a horde of people bearing down on him.

He had never seen such a sight before, hundreds of people, all of them seemingly small from far away, raising clouds of dust as they charged towards his direction. They were fast, their bodies moving strangely as if their bones were disjointed.

His dog was still growling at them. His hackles were visibly raised and his ears were back. His shoulders were tensed, ready to spring or run.

The old farmer frowned. "So many people? Where did they come from?"

As they steadily approached, the old farmer realized that the leading figure in front was somebody he knew. It was their Party Secretary.

His usually neat hair was a mess, and blood crusted on his forehead. His clothes hung on his body like torn bandages, flapping in the air as he ran. His mouth was open as if he was screaming, showing teeth coated with dried blood. His eyes were filmy gray, like that of a dead fish.

"Party Secretary Wang?"

The old farmer's dog growled again, and he suddenly ran towards the Party Secretary, pouncing on him.

"Nao Nao!" The old farmer shouted. "Don't bite..."

But the old farmer couldn't finish his words. Because Party Secretary Wang, as if his whole body was filled with immense strength, easily kicked the dog away. Then he growled and tackled the old farmer to the ground, biting deep into his jugular.

Blood sprayed in the air.

...

"Ahh!"

"Help me, somebody help me!"