Super Zoo

Suming and Zhao Yun were completely dumbfounded, their scalps numb with terror.

From the sounds of it, those red-clothed women—or whatever they were—almost completely surrounded the courtyard they were in, likely numbering over a hundred, perhaps even several hundred.

"I told you, there might be lots and lots of little monsters jumping out in this damn place, and yet, Mr. Zhao, you scorned me!" Suming said irritably.

"I..." Zhao Yun was also frustrated. He could never have imagined that a common Ming and Qing dynasty architectural complex could house so many ghostly entities. It was beyond any rational explanation. "All right, all right, I was wrong. Damn these dog-things, what the hell are these creatures?"

In his desperation, even the usually refined and cultured Zhao Yun let slip a crude swear word that was quite offensive, clearly showing how rattled he was. Regardless of how much combat strength those ghost women possessed, their overwhelming numbers were the problem. Dozens or hundreds of them swarming together could bite the two men to death, each taking just one bite.

The surrounding screams were intermittent, each one more tragic and piercing than the last, not at all sounds that animals could make. They were nearly identical to the synthesized screams from horror films, jarring and terrifying. Suming took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Zhao, if things get really bad, we'll have to break through and get back to the surface!"

They were surrounded on all sides and completely trapped in this room. Escaping would not be easy, but they had no other choice. Zhao Yun clipped the flashlight to his hat, held the rifle in both hands, and said, "Okay, I'll lead the charge. Su Meng and the wolf follow you, the dog follows me, and then we split up and run. We'll regroup at the tunnel entrance!"

Having said this, he prepared to head outside.

Before Zhao Yun could take a single step out of the front door, Huiya, leading three dogs, suddenly rushed out of the yard first, roaring and pouncing in the opposite direction of the loudest screams, diving into the ancient houses on both sides of the street.

"What now!" Zhao Yun was so anxious he was about to sweat. He knew that Suming was deeply attached to these animals and likely wouldn't abandon them to save himself.

Suming initially wanted to curse, but a sudden insight stopped him from doing so and he blocked Zhao Yun, "Maybe they've found something. Let's wait and see." With that, the two men raised their guns, backing against a wall that was still relatively sturdy, warily watching both sides of the door.

After Huiya and the dogs charged out, the screams in the darkness grew even more pitiful. Mixed in were the sounds of wolves and dogs howling, and in several houses, furniture was being knocked over, suggesting a fierce battle was taking place.

Shadows continuously darted out of the houses, moving so nimbly across rooftops with such an eerie grace as if gravity did not apply to them.

The battle, though intense, lasted only a few minutes before it ended. The howling in the dark gradually diminished, and the occasional sounds that did arise were much farther away, as though the creatures had been frightened off by Huiya and the dogs.

Not long after, a few small points of light appeared in the darkness, and Huiya and the dogs trotted back, seemingly holding something long and flowing in their mouths.

"Did they catch one?" Suming looked from afar, thinking it was one of the red-clothed women.

It was only when it came closer that he saw a wolf and three dogs lined up side by side, each gripping the head, waist, and legs of the red-clothed woman, respectively. Her body was limp as if boneless, with most of it dragging on the ground.

They said it was a person, but once Suming shone the flashlight, he had an epiphany!

It was actually just a piece of clothing, completely devoid of a body, with only a head—which explained why Zhao Yun's shot had no effect.

Huiya opened its mouth and tossed the woman's 'head' in front of Suming. The 'head' tried to flee, but Suming grabbed the two 'buns' on top of the head and lifted it up.

With the light of the flashlight, he saw not a head, but a somewhat cute creature!

The creature was only slightly smaller than Huiya, about the size of a cat, furry all over, with a long mouth and a few whiskers at the sides. Its small, pitch-black eyes squinted into slits under the light, making it look lazy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

What Suming was holding weren't 'buns' at all, but two large ears that resembled cattail leaves, similar to rabbit ears, long and pointed. If they were not being held but fully spread out, they would look like large banana leaves, even bigger than the little fellow's entire body.

"Oh, I get it now, you little rascal, sneaking into the red clothes and standing on the bed to scare us, right? That big jar of hot poop in the yard is clearly your, oh, your masterpiece!"

Suming chuckled, realizing that everything he'd seen had been this little one's mischief. It must have wriggled into the red clothes and then stood on the bed, showing only its head. From behind, it would indeed look like a standing person! In fact, except for the head on the neck, the clothes were empty.

Suming had been quite frightened earlier, and now that he had caught the culprit, he shook the little thing by its ears a few times in retaliation. Clearly irritated, the creature's mouth suddenly gaped open as if it was about to yelp, but Suming quickly pinched its mouth shut with his other hand, turning the cry into a muffled 'owow woof'.

Eerie wails still echoed around them occasionally, but now Zhao Yun and Suming could finally relax. It turned out to be just a large group of small animals living underground, harmless, and they wouldn't even have to lift a finger themselves—Huiya and the others could take care of them all.

Especially for Suming, who was even less concerned; he was a friend to animals. He might turn tail and run if faced with a zombie or two, but these big-eared little creatures, even a thousand of them, would be no threat.

The little creature wasn't dumb; after being captured and realizing it stood no chance against this 'big fellow,' it ceased its struggles immediately. Its black eyes rolled around, and, astonishingly, it put its front paws together, bowing repeatedly to Suming as if it were paying respects like a human.

Its gaze suddenly became pitiful, and its fluffy tail hung down beneath its body, sweeping back and forth as if begging Suming for mercy.

"You were so bold just now, and now you start acting cute! You're really cunning!" Suming sneered at the little one.

"What on earth is this creature?" Zhao Yun also leaned in, filled with curiosity.

The little creature looked like a fox, but with ears even longer than those of a rabbit. It didn't have the sly appearance of a typical fox; at first glance, it almost seemed like a big squirrel.

As Zhao Yun spoke, he reached out a finger and scratched the little creature's belly, which made it wriggle with ticklish delight.