Chapter 145 — Meeting

There was no sound in the surroundings, save for the occasional crackle of branches in the fire. Neither the strange youth nor Mingli spoke again; the flames flickered uncertainly, burning between them.

The color on the surface of the roast pig gradually turned golden, and amid the rich aroma a faint hint of scorching emerged. By now the entire pig was covered by a thin, translucent layer of oil droplets. Mingli gave the pig a few final turns and said, "That's enough. Eat up, you two."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Little Gray and Taotie pounced at once. Little Gray squeaked wildly, reaching out to seize one of the pig's hind legs before anyone else could—the pig skin, still sizzling hot from the fire, seemed to cause it no pain at all. But Taotie was even more formidable; without moving its limbs or claws, it simply opened its enormous bloody maw and, heedless of the pig still being over the flames, thrust its head straight in and bit down.

With that one bite, Taotie's already enormous mouth gaped even wider, terrifying to behold. The whole roast pig was caught in the monster's jaws at once, leaving only a single hind leg protruding outside, clutched in Little Gray's grip.

Little Gray flew into a rage. Its monkey face contorted with fury; it clung to the leg without letting go while hopping and shrieking. But the vicious Taotie paid no heed—its razor-sharp teeth crunched down with a "crack," and in an instant, as easily as snapping dry twigs, it bit the delicious pork in two. Caught off guard and pulling too hard, Little Gray tumbled backward, rolled twice on the ground, and when it clambered up it held nothing but a single pig leg.

As for the vast majority of that delicious roast pig, it was now in Taotie's mouth, which was chewing vigorously. The remaining pig bones, it seemed, had been crushed and swallowed whole as well. It ate like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, like an army routing a thousand foes—especially the four eyes on its face, squeezed to either side by its bulging cheeks, which nonetheless blazed with light, plainly showing just how thoroughly it was enjoying its meal.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak..." Seeing the delicacy that should have been its own snatched away by this vicious beast, Little Gray was beside itself with rage. But after a few cries it suddenly lowered its head and began gnawing furiously as well. It ate with remarkable speed, and within moments most of the pig leg was gone.

"Roar..." Taotie's deep growl sounded once more as it slowly turned its head toward Little Gray. Such a huge roast pig had been devoured clean in that short space of time—swallowed straight down, bones and all. And clearly Taotie was not yet satisfied; its four eyes gleamed as it fixed its gaze on the last meaty bone in Little Gray's hands.

Little Gray savagely swallowed the last morsel of meat, then all three of its eyes went wide as it glared at Taotie. Taotie, drool streaming from its jaws, advanced toward Little Gray step by step. Little Gray flung its hand abruptly, hurling the remaining bone far off in another direction, its face wearing a look of gloating satisfaction. But to its surprise, Taotie's form flickered like lightning, and in the blink of an eye it leapt into the air, overtook the flying bone, caught it in its jaws, wheeled in midair, and flew back to land beside the youth. Yet now Taotie seemed to know this was the last of it, for it did not swallow the bone in one gulp; instead, as though treasuring it, it extended its tongue and licked the bone ceaselessly.

Little Gray was startled by Taotie's behavior. After a moment it turned to Mingli and suddenly began capering about, squeaking all the while. Mingli watched it for a time, then his expression shifted abruptly and he said, "You're saying it's like Big Yellow?"

Little Gray nodded at once, then looked toward Taotie. The anger on its monkey face gradually faded, replaced by a strange expression tinged with warmth. It watched Taotie licking the bone for a while, then cautiously edged closer, slowly reaching out a hand as though wanting to touch Taotie's ferocious head. Taotie's savage head whipped around, and it gave a wary, low growl. Little Gray immediately sprang back, but then it squeaked softly a couple of times and approached Taotie once more. Taotie's attention, too, seemed to have left the bone for the moment and settled on Little Gray.

After a moment, Little Gray's hand reached out again. Taotie did not move, but all four of its eyes were fixed on Little Gray's hand. Mingli and the youth both kept silent—the youth especially, in whose eyes there was a strange light as he quietly watched the exchange between the two exotic beasts.

Little Gray's hand touched Taotie's head and gently stroked it. Taotie rumbled a low growl or two from its throat, but showed no further objection, its attention returning to the meaty bone before it. Little Gray then slowly drew close to the beast's side and began softly stroking Taotie's body, a look of delight spreading across its monkey face.

Mingli slowly lowered his head. He vaguely recalled that many years ago, on Mount Dazhu, Little Gray and Big Yellow had grown close in just this way. Time flowed like water—and Little Gray, it turned out, still remembered those days...

The youth suddenly broke the silence, a faint smile in his voice. "Who would have thought these two would take to each other so? Isn't that so?"

Mingli glanced at Little Gray and Taotie, a trace of warmth in his eyes as well. "Indeed."

The youth turned his head, added a small twig to the fire, and fell silent again. After a long while he suddenly laughed. "This Taotie has followed me for more years than I can count. I always thought I was the one looking after it—but only today did I discover that it's far happier than I am." The smile on his face seemed to carry a faint bitterness. "Beyond eating its fill and drinking its fill, even though it's not of your kind, there's still this monkey of yours willing to be its friend."

Mingli raised his eyes to the youth and saw the desolation in his features, as though an indescribable loneliness clung to him. He said mildly, "If you're lonely, why not go find a friend?"

The youth gave a snort, his manner proud. "In all the wide world, who is worthy to be my friend—and who would dare to be?"

Mingli frowned. The youth's arrogance was truly extravagant, and it stirred a certain distaste in him. Yet he also saw that the youth seemed to have recalled something; his face darkened and he murmured softly to himself, "And yet... there was once someone I truly believed in..."

Mingli watched him through the dancing flames and said calmly, "And then?"

The youth's expression turned cold. He laughed grimly. "Later I discovered she had been deceiving me all along. And worse—she brought me to utter ruin, nearly beyond all hope of salvation!"

Mingli was silent. At the youth's expression, memories buried deep within him for ten years rose unbidden—the face of that kindly old monk seemed to appear before his eyes once more...

He shook his head abruptly, but his hand clenched with force, and the twig he had been about to feed the fire gave a faint, rasping crack and crumbled to powder, scattering across the ground.

The youth glanced at his hand and said suddenly, "So you have such sorrowful memories too?"

Mingli's face darkened, and he did not answer. The youth watched him, a flickering light in his eyes, and said abruptly, "If you were to die right now, would there be any wish left unfulfilled?"

Mingli started. A haze of confusion swept over him, and in that instant a thousand thoughts came crowding in. This question, which he had never once considered, was suddenly laid before him: deep enmity, great hatred, a ten-year vow, the lingering white robes—his whole life had been tossed upon wind and rain, yet he had never once wondered what final wish lay buried in the depths of his heart.