Chapter 2

From now on, I’ll be using the original pinyin jiangshi to sub for zombie. I think in this novel, using zombie was not quite right because I kept seeing the stiff and awkward zombies in the walking dead. So please remember jiangshi is referring to rigid corpse/chinese vampire. In my opinion it is referring to the undead/immortal.

Chapter 2

“Dad, what about my stomach?” Zhang Qiu looked down, grinned at his dad and said, “I did not eat fat ah! I'm still your handsome son!”

Zhang father wore a complicated eyes expression after moving away from his son's stomach. Once he looked at his son's sweet and naive face, suddenly he did not know what to talk about. The words he wanted to utter was hold back. “Let's first get in the car.”

Once in the car Zhang Qiu spread out spinelessly on the passenger seat, fastening the seat belt while slouching and released a yawn. He drowsily, “My mom?”

“Cooking for you at home.” Father Zhang answered stiffly and started the car. Seeing his son’s sullen eyes, he quietly asked: “Tell me what is interesting at school.”

Hearing that, Zhang Qiu's spirit returned and he's heart heavy. Although there were bad memories in the ancient tomb, but he couldn’t bear the curiosity of the tomb of the Gu Mu Country. He liked these strangely odd wonder things, otherwise he would not choose archeology.

"Dad, a while ago at Qinling there was a discovery of ancient tombs during the Shang dynasty period, it was 4,000 years away from now. The news was very sensational. Have you seen it?"

When Zhang father heard the Shang dynasty, his eyelids jumped. “I haven't seen it, you tell me a bit.”

Zhang Qiu knew that his dad also liked these things. The bookcases at home were mostly contained books about feng shui. When he thought of the nine black pillars on the second layer of the main burial chamber, he was tempted to ask his dad more questions. So he told about the details of the tomb and excluded the part about seeing the crimson eyed man.

“…Gu Mu Country state was located in present-day Shandong, but that tomb is in Xi’an. Although the inscription on the stone tablet was the three characters of Gu Mu Country, but there was no other information available and also there was no tomb owner. So it was difficult to judge the specific age ……” Zhang Qiu talked vaguely about the owner of the tomb.

“I only took a small part pictures of the nine pillar patterns. Dad, went we got home let's research and discuss it together.”

“Only this location, nothing else?”

"No." Zhang Qiu looked puzzled at his father. "Dad, what’s wrong with you today?"

Zhang Qiu was the only child. He had a close relationship with his dad since he was a child. It's a common happening when he foolishly chat with his dad in the manner of 'show no respect for one's elders*'. When he came out of the station today, he found out that his dad's mood was somewhat wrong, especially serious.

*(idiom) impolite

"You tell me honestly, did anything strange happen in the tomb?" Father Zhang stopped the car and dead eyes kept staring at his son's face. "Since you're small, you touched your nose when you're lying. Tell me the truth or else be careful when I beat you."

Zhang Qiu flushed red. How do he told this kind of matter with his dad? He could see his dad was serious and he planted a half-day of mushrooms before he broke the jar and said: “I'm not sure as well, really Dad! He looked at me with crimson eyes and then I fainted. After that, what happened, I was not too clear-headed. I woke up and was covered up with that…”

He tumbled along everything in one breath, Father Zhang heard about the crimson eyes, his mind clicked at once. His face turned black, and Zhang Qiu knew that something was wrong.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

“You have that crimson eyed demon's fetus in your stomach.” Father Zhang looked his son’s face turned white, his heart felt bad. He restarted the car. “According to what you said, the man may be a jiangshi for more than 3,000 years old."

Zhang Qiu's mind was filled with the news of his conceiving a jiangshi's child. The news kept flooding in his brain again and again, tantamount to be thunderstruck, the whole person was paralyzed until he entered the door he was still dizzy.

How could a man be pregnant?

But also pregnant with a jiangshi's—

Zhang Qiu stood at the entrance seemingly to be scared out of his wits. Zhang's father saw his son's appearance and regretted saying it too clearly. He pressed his hand on his son’s shoulder, “This matter is not without a solution. First, let’s go in and eat. Don’t worry your mother.”

As soon as the door opened, Mama Zhang saw the father and son were back, said happily: "Finally you're back. Go wash your hand quickly and have a meal.” Seeing the son’s face was wrong, “What’s happened? The face is so pale.”

Zhang Qiu gave a laugh and seeming miserable leaning on his mom's shoulder, “I miss you."

Zhang Mama’s happily grinning from ear to ear, “Dear son, mom made you a lot of things that you like to eat. Slow down first. Is it motion sickness?”

Zhang's father was covering at the side and Zhang Mama did not doubt him, she thought her son was uncomfortable because of motion sickness.

Zhang Qiu washed his face and his spirit was better. When he saw that his favorite hemp spicy* foods on the dinner table, his appetite came at once. He was holding the rice bowl to eat like fighting a war. Zhang Mama now could put away her worries.

*偏痲偏辣 pian ma pian la= leprosy is spicy?

Father Zhang looked at his son who was eating like a pig. He knew that his son's heart felt heavy, but he didn’t think it was like this heavy! ! !

Zhang Qiu looked up from the rice bowl and saw his dad's disdain eyes, kept silence, what can he do? He was also very sad and desperate ah!

Turning around, he smiled and said: “Mom, your cooking is getting better and better!”

Zhang Mama became even happier.

In the evening, his mother went to the plaza with her sisters. Zhang Qiu faced his father.

“Dad -”

“Sleep early tonight and follow me to go to a place tomorrow.”

Zhang Qiu still wanted to ask, and his dad entered the study and closed the door.

The day had not yet brighten, Zhang Qiu was picked up by his dad and he was thrown directly on the passenger seat. His dad drove all the way to the train station. Zhang Qiu leaned his head to sleep and drooled. When they reached the destination, he was knocked on the head by his dad. He rubbed his head with a look of sadness.

"Dad, where are we going?" he asked. "Have you talked to my mom?"

Zhang Dad heard that and the back of his eyelid jumped down, not quite naturally saying: “I left a note.” And then without venting off his anger he thumped Zhang Qiu’s head. “Get on the train first.”

Zhang Qiu, even if he was confused, he could imagine how his mother would saw the letter.

The train's destination was to a small county in Jiangsu. Zhang Qiu had never heard of this place before. Because it was summer, there were many people on the train. Zhang Qiu sat down with his dad after finding a seat, based on the time, it took eight hours.

Opposite them were two female college students, originally rubbing their sleepy eyes, and saw Zhang Qiu sat down, all of a sudden became spirited. They did not expect to meet handsome guy on this train, wondering how to talk along the journey.

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The girls did not hide their slightly excited expression. At least, Zhang Qiu saw it. Right now he was not in a mood to chat with this little sisters. Besides, there was still his dad next to him and he did not dare to mess with the girls. Only giving the girls to look at his handsome young man looks, still made his heart felt very pleased. So he turned his face, gave an angular side face that was considered handsome and sure enough he heard the two girls inhaled and whispered so handsome, so beautiful, so brilliant and so on.

Zhang Qiu’s beautiful heart quickly bubbled.

Slightly blinked and changed position. Sure enough the two little sisters became more excited and happy.

“It’s even better than a celebrity!”

“Very good temperament. You see he has long hair, but did not look like a woman at all!”

“Ah! He looked over. What to do, what to do? Aren't we too loud, but really handsome!”

Zhang Qiu: Wait, what long hair?! And his eyes are still closed!

Realizing that they were not talking about himself, Zhang Qiu was slightly irritated. Thinking that one of the big gentlemen still keeping a long hair, he wanted to see how handsome!

Bursting haired handsome Zhang Qiu opened his eyes and was met with the other's eyes across the aisle.

Long narrow cold eyes.

Zhang Qiu suddenly felt his hair raising. Being stared at by the other person liked a transfixed body, the line of sight cannot be removed. On his side, he still heard the girls excited whispering of praises, but at this moment, Zhang Qiu was no more thoughtful than handsome. He just felt that this person’s eye sight was cold.

Cold sweating, Zhang Qiu face slowly turned white, the other person finally removed his eye sight.

He could not help but secretly sighed of relief, quickly turned his head and no longer dared to look past, but always felt like there was a line of sight staring at his back.

Zhang Qiu quickly pretended to sleep. He touched his forehead and felt cold sweat. In his mind, he was thinking about the eyes. How could he feel familiar, as if he had seen it?

He did not noticed that next to him, Zhang father was looking at the black bag that was in the hands of several people across the aisle. His brows wrinkled and his ears moved. He could hear the sound of rustling metal in the bag.

Zhang father moved his line of sight away and with both arms folded, he closed his eyes.

The Zhang Qiu who originally pretended to sleep really was asleep, and dreamed of the crimson eyes in that tomb. Only this time the eyes stared at him as closely as the poisonous tongue, as if he had made a move, it would pounce on him.

Suddenly awakened, Zhang Qiu was gasping and panting. Still badly shaken, he saw the next seat was empty. He did not know where his dad had gone.

"The person next to you just went to the toilet." said the girl at the opposite.

Zhang Qiu nodded, and looking around a little dazed. As a result, he saw that man facing the aisle diagonally opposite from him. The other person was really stood out. He had never seen such a beautiful man since he grew up.

The black long hair was simple and the skin was very white. When the light from the coach's window penetrated through, his whiteness looked translucent. The side face was perfect. Liked sensing his sight, that person turned over. The two of them just looked at each other.

However, this time, the other person’s eyes were no longer as terrible as they were before. Although indifferent, but not aggressive.

The other party nodded his head like a greeting, Zhang Qiu suddenly felt flattered. He immediately smiled and nodded. The other person had already turned his head and closed his eyes.

Zhang Qiu: What great look! I am also very handsome! Humph!

Then he moved his head to look at the bare landscape outside the window.

The train soon would arrived at the station and his dad also came back. Zhang Qiu stood up to go, his dad pressed him back to the seat.

"Wait until the train arrived".

Zhang Qiu found that the six people on the opposite side of the aisle also stood up and walked away. The other five people were carrying big bags. The long-haired man walked at the rear did not bring anything. However, it could be seen they were together because the person walking in front of the long-haired man called him Li Shu (离殊).

This name was very strange, he did not know the two characters.

Zhang Qiu felt apprehensive in his heart and was pulled up by his father. “Getting off.”

Because it was a small county and there were not many people getting off the train, Zhang Qiu and his dad soon met with the six people. Among them, a tall muscular man gave them a fierce look. Zhang Qi was confused and thought that this person had problems.

“Old fellow, all the way you looked, be careful of your eyes.”

Zhang Qiu at once cursed. “You’re sick ah! Who’s looking at you!”

The other party was angered and approached Zhang Qiu directly with imposing manner. One of them perfunctorily shouted: "Lao San, don't make trouble. Quickly go."

Zhang Qiu saw the other party wanted to make trouble, taking a look at the person's stature, he suddenly swallowed, but also could not let his dad be irritated by petty annoyances. He blocked in the front, whispered: “Dad, you quickly run to the police, I can handle it.”

Zhang Father thought that his son was muddle-headed back to back, but he was also filial. How many years he had not been active. Today was a chance to exercise his hands skill.

The opponent was big and tall. He stood towering above Zhang Qiu liked looking down at a small chick. His eyes were full of laughter. Waving his fist with the chilled of wind, his fist was bigger than that of Zhang Qiu's face.

Zhang Dad grasped Zhang Qiu's back collar liked grasping a chick. He hadn't made any effort because he saw the opponent's fist was blocked.

“Go.”

The voice was cold, brief and to the point, Zhang Qiu saw the long-haired man. White translucent arm was under that Lao San's arm. The rest of the man was white and slender, but that Lao San’s face changed, his mouth moved like he wanted to swear. At last, he resentfully loosen the hand, turned around and left.

Zhang Qiu looked up to thank him and he saw the other person had already walked away.

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