It was already very late. Zheng Qing had to go home.
Though he had graduated from high school and was nearly an adult, with a certain degree of freedom, he was still spending his parents' money. He still had to listen to what his dad and mom said.
After downing a beer in apology, he got on his bicycle and headed home.
The night was deep and dim. Gray clouds that never seemed to disperse hung in the sky. Forget the stars—even the moon rarely showed itself. In this major coal province, buildings had grown taller over the past decade, roads had become wider, and the streets had grown ever more colorful. The only thing that had not changed was that tiny patch of sky above everyone's heads, always gray and hazy.
His bicycle wobbled into an alley.
This little road cut straight across three streets, greatly shortening his trip home. The alley was deep, and few people used it at night. Unwashed streetlamps cast a dim yellow glow, making the alley feel all the more eerie.
"Creak, creak..." The battered bicycle let out helpless groans as Zheng Qing pedaled hard, the noise especially conspicuous in the silent alley. Annoyed, Zheng Qing glanced at the broken front basket and decided he had to find time to fix it when he got home. At the very least, it should stop squealing nonstop whenever he rode it.
"Flap, flap..." The sound of birds beating their wings came from a utility pole not far away, followed by several lazy, clear calls. Apparently, the clattering wreck beneath Zheng Qing had disturbed the little creatures' rest.
Somewhat apologetically, Zheng Qing turned his gaze toward the utility pole behind him. He felt embarrassed about disturbing someone else's sweet dreams.
"Eeeek!!!" The old bike gave a sharp screech of brakes.
With one foot braced on the ground, Zheng Qing twisted around and looked back.
He swore there had been a huge black figure standing on the utility pole, like a person hunched over in a half-crouch. But those emerald-green eyes stood out starkly in the pitch-black night, looking exactly like the eyes of his grandmother's big Wolfdog.
Blinking, he shook his booze-fogged head.
As if sensing Zheng Qing's gaze, those green eyes shifted slightly and settled on him. Then, before his stunned expression, it elegantly spread a pair of enormous wings and gave them a light flap.
He took several deep breaths, then exhaled heavily. Zheng Qing rubbed his face hard, his cheeks aching slightly from the alcohol, and finally felt a little more clearheaded.
When he looked up again, those emerald eyes had vanished completely. All he could see was the gray, hazy sky and the streetlamp not far away, glowing a ghastly white.
The dark mouth of the alley in the distance seemed like a gaping maw, mocking Zheng Qing's vision.
He reached into his shirt and gripped a palm-sized, dusty-gray pouch. Under the roadside light, he could vaguely make out the golden patterns on it. Above his head, a tuft of ahoge trembled uneasily.
A great eagle.
Zheng Qing thought it over again and again, then finally reached his conclusion. It had definitely been a great eagle.
Though he had no idea why an animal that lived in the mountains had appeared in the city, he thought of the old owl he had seen on campus as a child and felt relieved.
If even an old owl could lounge on a campus tree branch all day, then surely a great eagle squatting on a utility pole for a while was no big deal. After all, who could say whether those creatures from the old forests might not take some time to visit the city for a change of pace?
Without the old bike's groaning, the surroundings sank back into dead silence. The bustle of the main street in the distance seemed miles away, remote and unreal.
"Awooo..." A soft, eerie cry suddenly rang through the alley. Zheng Qing instantly felt every hair on his body stand on end, cold sweat breaking out all over him. His previously foggy mind cleared at once. At the same time, a heavy pressure abruptly filled the entire alley, making him hold his breath without realizing it.
After a long while, nothing happened. Only that stifling feeling grew more intense. Zheng Qing slowly drew a breath, then, amid a sudden burst of clattering, stomped hard on the pedals. The old bike shot forward, eager to escape the oppressive atmosphere.
Though unwilling to admit it, Zheng Qing acknowledged his fear deep down. After all, night had always been humanity's eternal nightmare, even in this age of electric lights. No matter how advanced electric lamps became, they could never give people the sense of security of the sun.
With only several dozen meters left to the alley entrance, Zheng Qing could already clearly see cars speeding past outside.
A piercing cry rang out. Before he could react, a huge black shadow filled his vision. Accompanied by a dull impact and a cloud of dust, another, smaller figure slammed heavily into Zheng Qing and rolled into a pile of sand by the roadside.
"Thud!" Zheng Qing crashed heavily to the ground along with his bicycle, but he had no time to complain. He sprang up with a roll, somehow already clutching a stack of yellow paper in his hand. The crimson cinnabar markings on it gave off a faint red light beneath the dim streetlamp.
He glanced at the sand pile beside him. A fluffy large tail twitched weakly.
"Awooo~~" The shriek from not far away clearly conveyed fury.
Zheng Qing, who had just gotten to his feet, hurriedly looked toward the sound. Atop the utility pole by the road, the great eagle from before had somehow returned and was glaring at him in displeasure.
From over ten meters up, illuminated by the simple lamp hanging from the utility pole, Zheng Qing could clearly see the great eagle's feathers standing on end. Its body seemed several times larger than before, and with its wings slightly spread and head held high, it was clearly up to no good.
"So fierce..." Feeling the great eagle's emerald gaze, Zheng Qing muttered a low curse and quietly took two steps back, trying to sneak away. But he failed to notice the huge sand pile behind him. The moment he stepped back, both feet sank ankle-deep into the sand.
"Damn it!" Zheng Qing grew even more furious. How could he be this unlucky? He had only come home a little late! He had just bent down, ready to take off his shoes and clear out the sand, when the sand pile suddenly erupted. Caught off guard, Zheng Qing got another faceful of sand.
"Fuck!" Anyone would feel a fire building inside after being hit by one misfortune after another, especially when the alcohol he had drunk not long ago was slowly beginning to work its magic.
Looking over the sand pile, Zheng Qing saw a small, yellowish dog beneath the streetlamp, baring its teeth at the sky. It was about a foot tall, with fluffy fur and narrow yet bright, spirited eyes. Its ears were somewhat large, like a pekingese's, but strangely stood upright like those of a Wolfdog. Looking closer, he saw that the little dog was heavily pregnant. Much of its fluffy fur was tangled together, with faint bloodstains seeping through.
The facts were obvious. Zheng Qing easily filled in the rest of the story in his mind.
That great eagle wandering around had set its sights on this pregnant little dog, intending to have a snack, only for the little thing to break free. Seeing Clearly what had happened, Zheng Qing let out a long breath. The stack of yellow paper in his hand had disappeared without him noticing.
"Damn!" Fueled by alcohol, the raging fire in his belly instantly turned into boundless energy. He reached down, grabbed a broken brick from the ground, glanced at that evil great eagle, and hurled it with all his strength.
Though he had never been very accurate at throwing softballs, at such close range and against such a large target, it was still quite threatening.
The broken brick silently flew past the utility pole and, amid the great eagle's shrill cry, viciously smashed into a resident's window in the building beside it.
"Crash..." The crisp shattering of glass completely drained Zheng Qing's pent-up fury, and startled the great eagle into taking flight.
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