Baiyun County was bathed in brilliant sunshine today, with not a cloud for thousands of miles.
Yet this seemingly beautiful scene could not conceal the heavy hearts of the common folk.
For today was the day of sacrifice. More than two thousand people had come from all directions and gathered before the shrine.
The villagers were all thin and gaunt, dressed in ragged, tattered clothes. Some had skin exposed, clearly having suffered from a long-term lack of clothing and food.
Every face was sallow and emaciated, tormented by hunger, with sunken cheeks and lifeless eyes.
Yet in stark contrast to the villagers stood the shrine.
It had been built in lavish splendor, with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent in gold and jade, utterly out of place amid the surrounding dilapidated village.
What it enshrined was not some divine statue, however, but a yellow dog as enormous as a black bear.
The yellow dog sat where the idol should have been, draped in robes, accepting the crowd's worship with great pomp.
And it was not merely worship. Every household had to bring its rarest food offerings.
There were chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, as well as grain and rice.
The wealthy households in the county had their servants carry wine over to pay tribute to the yellow dog.
Seeing that the offerings were about enough, the yellow dog casually tossed aside its robe and grabbed the food below with its huge hands, stuffing it into its mouth.
As it ate, it cursed nonstop.
"Damn it, like Wang Xiaoer celebrating the new year—each year worse than the last!
Are you turtle bastards cursing me? Hoping I'll die sooner?"
Master Zhang of the county hurriedly said, "Divine Lord, this year's harvest was poor. We truly have no surplus grain left. Please be