Evening.
N District
At some seaside villa. The same villa which Xueya and Chino bought under the name of Ximen but abandoned it after returning to Ximen Mountain. This villa was occupied by Cao Junye and his Unit Alpha. Upon entering the villa they were surprised by how clean the place was.
The unit felt that the place was weird. Clearly the seaside N District is a ruined city. Except for a few survivors which they've saved on the way, every locals said that no one has been living in these seaside villas ever since the apocalypse. Not only they feared that there would be countless tourists turned zombies in this place, they weren't even courageous enough to leave their houses.
After all their district used to be a tourist spot, the population in this area is much higher than other districts. When apocalypse arrived the zombies in this city are denser than the other areas. The locals were especially afraid of the seaside.
w.a.n.g Lei spoke, "General, only this mansion is weirdly clean unlike the other villas. There are no traces of blood nor corpses. Not even a zombie. But there are traces that someone used to live here."
Some soldiers started asking some locals if they knew who used to leave here.
"Did any of you know who lives in this villa?"
"No sir. This area is a private land. The owner of this land used to sell villas but he seems to be gone now."
"We were just commoners. This place used to have a nearby resort. We just pa.s.s by it."
The soldiers didn't stop asking the rest of the survivors. Uncle on the other hand had to look around the place to do a thorough checking. Even the kitchen and refrigerators were checked through.
To his surprise Uncle Wu saw fresh seafoods, meat, vegetables and fruits inside the freezers. It was clearly packed full just lately. This obviously means that someone really lives here but upon checking the whole villa no one else is living in it.
Uncle Wu had also checked on the cabinets and saw it br.i.m.m.i.n.g with condiments and cooking necessities. But when he looked at the cabinet where the plates and gla.s.s are. He saw a familiar snowman shaped mug which is obviously customized.
"This is...!?"
This is something Uncle Wu himself had seen before. Carefully holding the mug in his hands the old butler's eyes reddened once he saw the familiar name on the cup. The characters with the meaning of both silence and sunrise.
The name Chino was engraved on the cup. This snowman shaped cup is his young master's favorite cup. His Master had personally bought it for young master Chino. Seeing this proof, Uncle Wu now knows who used to live in this place and why it was clean and the food is full packed as if to welcome them. It was indeed a welcoming gift for them.
Meanwhile Cao Junye who was helping check the villa went to check the Master's bedroom. The whole room was neatly cleaned and in order. But for some reason there is a familiar scent coming from the room. A Sweet and Peppermint with hints of milky scent. This is the familiar scent of his wife and son.
The scent inside the room made him feel nostalgia of the days when Xueya and Chino still lived with him. It's only for a few months but it felt like countless years for him. As if they've been together for a much longer time. Then he noticed a picture frame at the side table near the bed.
Cao Junye revealed a yearning expression seeing the smiling two figures in the photo. In the photo is a man with ethereal beauty unparalleled in this world while the child in his embrace had familiar features of his and Xueya.
Both big and small had phoenix shaped eyes but unfortunately the child did take his and Xueya's eye color. The color of the sun, a glowing amber. These are the color of the orbs the baby in the photo possessed.
Cao Junye used his finger to gently touch the faces of the two figures in the photo gently. As if he could really touch them through it.
"So it was your villa. No wonder it felt familiar." murmured Cao Junye.
Someone suddenly knocks on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Who?"
"Master, it's Old Wu."
"Enter."
After receiving permission the Old Butler entered the room.
"Is there a problem Uncle Wu?"
"Master I think I know who used to live... Here."
Uncle Wu noticed the picture in his Master's hand. He clearly saw the faces of Ximen Xueya and Ximen Chino on it.
Cao Junye whispered, "Unfortunately I know it too."
Hearing a melancholic tone from his Master's voice, the old butler could only shut his mouth in silence.
"We are staying the night here. Tell the rest to split and live in the nearby villas with the soldiers. Tomorrow morning we will move to the next district." ordered Junye as he took the photo from the frame and hid it in his inner coat's pocket securely.
Then prepare to go down to check on the rest. Uncle Wu followed behind him all the way. After the issue was resolved and the rest left the villa to occupy the other nearby houses. Only w.a.n.g Lei, Lou Lan, Uncle Wu and the General stayed in this villa owned by the Ximen.
w.a.n.g Lei and Cao Junye wait in the living room while Uncle Wu and Lou Lan cook for dinner. It's new year and the two decided to be extravagant with the meals for dinner. Of course the food was split to the other groups but the food in this villa is still too much after being shared. Clearly the owner of this villa had quite a source for food.
w.a.n.g Lei observes his general from the side, he is especially checking on his eyes whether it changes or not. He wanted to check whether his lord had fully merged with this soul fragment.
It didn't take a while for Cao Junye to notice his subordinate's gaze on him. His purple irises suddenly turned pitch black when he looked at w.a.n.g Lei indifferently.
"Stop acting against your character. I haven't fully merged with this body yet. It will still take awhile. When the imprint I shared with my wife appeared on my face only then would it mean that I have fully dominated this soul. Wait for me to wake up, Lou." said Ye Xiajie who only woke up for this moment.
w.a.n.g Lei reverently lowered his head and cupped his hands in front of him.
"As you wish my lord."
Cao Junye once again took over the vessel and his eyes turned back to purple. He held his head which suddenly made him feel a bit dizzy.
Arrgh~
w.a.n.g Lei asked, "Are you alright, General?"
"I'm fine. Might be lacking some sleep. I'll go take a bath first. Send some dinner and wine in the Master's Bedroom." said Cao Junye before leaving.
w.a.n.g Lei responded, "I'll tell Uncle Wu." as he watched his general went to the second floor and took his rest.
---
Z District Base, Hope.
At night under Shi Moye's command, a small banquet was opened for everyone in the base. They've cooked a lot of varieties for the dinner party. This is to celebrate the new year. They wanted to lighten up the mood inside the base even just for tonight. Of course this event is also to cover up the plan of Shi Moye taking his leave secretly after the party.
Once the banquet had ended, a serene night followed afterwards. Because of the party most of the people in the base had fallen asleep drunk. Those greedy old men weren't an exception to this. The Old Sun had taken this opportunity and allowed Shi Moye and Yun Suisen together with their small group to silently take their leave at dawn.
Just when they thought that no one noticed them leaving, no one spotted a drunk young man puking in the bushes near the entrance.
Pukes~. Urggh~
Two if this man's friends were patting the puking man's back in comfort. These little groups of three are no one other than Yun Ren and his two friends. They've just made their own secret party within the forest of their base.
They spent the new year with just the three of them. Because they stole their families wine and liquor, these young masters had decided to party on their own in the forest while eating BBQ, cheese and corn.
Because of this Yun Ren spotted his elder brother Yun Suisen riding a car while covering his face with a cloak. But the angle made him recognize Yun Suisen's face.
"Yun... Suisen? Blerrgh~" uttered Yun Ren before once again puking.
Shi Moye and his team left the base without knowing that someone had recognized his lover. Thankfully Yun Ren was drunk and it would take a while for him to remember that scene where he saw Yun Suisen taking his leave of their base.
---
This landscape is found within the area of Z District but this mountain is a restricted area covered with tall walls and trees. The countless trees were towering enough that the walls that surround the whole mountain entrance are hidden unless one ventures deeper in the mountain.
Numerous wild animals and mutated animals live around the mountain's premises. It is also because of this that no human dared to go in the mountain. What the outsiders didn't know was that all those wild beasts and mutated animals were all domesticated pets which were under the control of the Master of the said mountain.
Behind the thick brick walls coated in metal is a paradise manmade by the owner of the mountain. There's a small town behind the walls. Unruined infrastructures and buildings were standing tall but at this moment the small town is covered in red lanterns and decorations.
There are even fireworks blooming under the sky barely reaching the transparent ice dome that enclosed the city sky from the outside. This also isolates the sounds which way even if the people inside causing noise nothing will be heard in the outside world. Like a separate paradise from the end of the world just beyond those walls.
Most residents in the small town were children and kind elderlies. There are also few men and women but totally limited. These men and women were allowed to live here under strict restrictions of the owner of the mountain. They were people the young master, the child of the owner had saved.
Any thoughts of greed were forbidden and everyone who came out to do missions was tasked never to spill a word about the mountain's location and secret. Once they've betrayed the trust of the owner of the mountain, not only they would be thrown out, they would die as well.
The master of Ximen Mountain is only kind to his son and no one else. He is cold and detach as if nothing matters could move his emotions except for his young child. But this master is willing to accept any whims of his beloved son.
They have also seen the master of the mountain fought before. The way he fights is beyond normal means. In their eyes he is no longer a human but a G.o.d. It's a scenery of purity, silence and death. Nothing under the land would be uncovered with Ice every time the Master made his move.
As if an aloof G.o.d of Winter who had complete control over snow and ice. No one is able to defy his means. They revered and feared him because of this. The name of the mountain is called under the same surname of the Master and the Young Master. The hidden paradise is called Ximen Mountain.
At the peak of the mountain is a mansion, this is where the master and his son live. Everyone is forbidden to come to this place as the master hates noise and crowd.
Now in this said mansion, in the courtyard is a barbeque stand which is now full with meat skewers, seafood platters and some vegetables like corn and such are being roasted and baked under a control fire. Not far from it is an electric stove which has four pots. A pot of rice, a pot of sweet glutinous rice cake soup, a pot of beef stew and a steamer filled with buns and dumplings. Except for the fire in the grills, the rest had been cooked.
Unexpectedly the one busying himself in handling all the cooking is the said Master of the mountain, Xueya. Not far from him his Chino and Zhi Yue were seated on a customized swing watching the fireworks blooming in the sky. The long table not far from them is now full of varying dishes served during new year.
Once all the food was served on the table Xueya removed the ap.r.o.n over him and called the two who were enjoying the fireworks display in front of them.
Boom. Boom!!
Followed by the sound of fireworks is a child's giggling.
"Wa!! So pretty~ uncle look. That one looks bigger."
"It is indeed... Not bad. Does our baby like those kinds of things?"
"Hm~ like! But only a bit... Uncle Yue, New Year is spent as family right? Why is father not coming home?"
Zhi Yue was a bit helpless and unable to give an answer.
"This... Let's ask your daddy about this okay?"
"But daddy had a quarrel with father. Daddy does not want to see father."
It was at this moment that Xueya spoke to console his son.
"Does Chi-chan want to see his father?" said Xueya as he took Chino who was seated on the lap of Zhi Yue.
Chino's eyes sparkled when he heard what his daddy had said, "Can Chi-chan see father?"
"Daddy will bring you over to play after dinner. But you can only play for three days, after that daddy will bring you home. Promise daddy you will be careful and listen only to your father okay?" said Xueya.
Chino happily responded, "Chi-chan promise~ but... are you not coming with me daddy?"
A short silence spread in the area but it didn't last long as Xueya responded, "Not this time. Daddy is still a bit busy. Play with your father okay?"
"Okay~"
The three of them enjoyed the extravagant feast before them. The rest of the food was shared to Lu Meng and Su Wan together with the rest of the guarding team. After an evening routine shower Xueya carried his son who is now wearing a bear cub onesie. He is a bit sleepy as it has long pa.s.sed his sleep schedule.
"Yue, your top priority is Xiao Jing." said Xueya.
Zhi Yue who was standing beside him replied, "I will protect the Young Master. Please leave it to Yue, sire."
Xueya glanced at him and nodded his head. Then Zhi Yue turned back to his moon avatar which is invisible for the original residents of this world. Afterwards he teleported directly to the sea side villa where the general and his unit resides. He appeared silently in the old butler's room.
Thankfully the butler hasn't fallen asleep yet.
Uncle Wu's eyes widened in shock upon seeing the Ximen father and son in front of him.
"Master Xue--" he instantly held back his words when he saw the gesture of silence Xueya had made.
Only then the old butler calmly accepted their arrival. He approached Ximen Xueya and politely gave him a bow in greetings.
"Chi-chan wants to play with the general for a few days. On the third day in the evening. I will go pick him up."
Pa.s.s a bag of Chino's necessities to the old butler.
"My child's things. Please look after him for me." said Xueya who gently pa.s.sed his sleeping son to the old butler as well as the bag filled with his boy's things.
Uncle Wu carefully carried the sleeping Chino pa.s.sed to him by Xueya.
"Is this alright? For the Young master to be separated from you Master Xueya?" asked the old butler.
Xueya responded, "He said he misses his father. It's only for three days, I don't mind. Just... Please keep him safe."
"I will protect the young master with my life." swear by the Old Butler.
Xueya nodded in the acceptances of the old butler's vow. Then he looked affectionately at his sleeping son. He couldn't help but kiss the boy's cheeks.
"Enjoy the new year my baby." whispered Xueya.
Then he gave the old butler a few warnings.
"At the end of this month. Be careful of the Blood Rain. Don't let it fall on unawakened ability users. Avoid it as much as you can. It is something that will allow the zombies to evolve. Keep this warning as a reward. By the way, the dog outside is Chino's, tell your people not to harm it." said Xueya before once again disappearing from in front of the old butler.
Since Xueya disappeared before the old butler could react, the latter had only let out a helpless sigh.
Uncle Wu whispered, "Maybe if the Master and Master Xueya didn't quarrel things wouldn't have gone like this."