Chapter 1: Rural Strange Occurrences

  A mountain cat crouched on a grave mound, licking its front paws, with bright green pupils staring like copper bells. The night wind howled through the forest path and hit it. It lay down, letting out a shrill cry from its throat.

  On the mountain road, a white light appeared.

  A white light was initially the size of a sesame seed, then it grew to the size of a coin. A strong beam of light shone over, swaying back and forth like a ghostly shadow. The mountain cat was still meowing, its cries growing louder and more urgent, like the wails of an infant or the howls of a vengeful spirit.

  "Go!" A low growl came from behind the white light, and then a small stone flew over from behind and hit the mountain cat's front paws.

  The mountain cat stood up its tail, bared its teeth at the white light, and made a gurgling sound in its throat.

  "Still not leaving?" The voice sounded again, and an even larger rock flew over.

  "Meow!" The mountain cat let out a mournful cry and then fell silent.

  A flash of white light flickered, and a hunched figure could be vaguely seen behind it. He walked unsteadily, heading straight for the grave.

  "Pai'er, Pai'er..."

  He stumbled forward a few steps, tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. His hands grabbed wildly, grasping onto the mountain cat's corpse, his hand sticky with blood. He crouched on the mound, brought his hand to his nose and sniffed, chuckling softly.

  His laughter was like a ghostly whisper, hoarse and muffled.

  A white light was a flashlight, at this moment the flashlight flew out for a distance, and the light shone obliquely on his side face, half of his face was dark and the other half pale.

  On his pale face, deep furrows can be seen.

  Hair has not turned white, but wrinkles have already formed deeply.

  He crawled forward two steps, then grasped a handful of dirt from the mound and stuck it to his face, whispering: "Pei'er, Pei'er, don't cry..."

  The forest gradually quieted down again, with only the cold wind whistling through, bringing a musty smell of damp earth. The moonlight was dim, and dark clouds covered the sky.

  The mountain cat's body moved slightly.

  Suddenly, a hubbub came from afar, and five men holding flashlights came over.

  "Hey, he's really here!"

  Five people ran over, a man with a military cap squatted down and pushed the man who was lying on the mound.

  "Old Xǔ, Old Xǔ."

  The man called Lao Xu waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

  "What a nuisance! He might as well die here!" Someone spat on the ground and stomped their foot, "Hurry up and carry him back, what bad luck."

  As if he had heard this sentence, Old Xu suddenly opened one eye and shouted: "Get out! I'm accompanying my wife, what are you meddling in!"

  "Wow, this wine is potent!" The four standing men all covered their noses.

  The man in military uniform sighed and said, "Old Xu, your wife has been dead for more than three months, so stop thinking nonsense."

  "Let go, let go, fart!" Old Xǔ patted the tomb under him and said, "Nonsense! My wife is sleeping well here! She's not dead!"

  "Come on, let me give you a hand, I'll carry you back." The man in military uniform said as he stood up.

  Four men walked up, one of whom kicked the mountain cat's corpse to one side with his foot, then held up Old He's buttocks and lifted him up a bit. The military cap man squatted down and carried him on his back.

  Lao Xǔ struggled to come down: "Give me a shovel! I want to dig out my wife! She's not dead! She's not dead!"

  "Shut up, old Gela! One more word and I'll throw you into a wolf's den!" a man growled.

  "Mr Fang, can you carry it? Or should I do it?" asked a slightly shorter man to the man with the military cap.

  The man in military uniform smiled and lifted Old Xi up a bit, saying: "You guys are all too weak, Old Xi is drunk, you can't carry him. I'll do it."

  Five people escorted Old Xu down the mountain slowly.

  Lao Xu's flashlight was left on the edge of the grave, shining directly at the mountain cat's corpse. The mountain cat had a huge blood hole on its head, apparently caused by being hit with a rock. Its eyes were wide open, filled with despair and death.

  The wind blew gently and suddenly ruffled the fur on the mountain cat's body.

  Deep in the forest, a low cry of something unknown was heard.