Chapter 158 — Struggle

Silence once more covered everything. Outside the window the rain was heavy, and in the wind there seemed still to drift a low sound of sobbing. Beyond the little house, at the edge of the bamboo grove, Master Shuijing stood silently, holding an oilcloth blue umbrella, staring blankly at the house in the wind and rain.

Then she turned slowly and walked away, vanishing into the bamboo grove.

Between heaven and earth, wind and rain sighed on—a time of desolation indeed.

********

In He Yin City it was raining as well. Zhou Yixuan, Xiao Wan, and the Wild Wolf Daoist emerged from another out-of-the-way alley and merged into the crowded main street. They tried walking a few steps, then retreated to the roadside to stand—first, because there were simply too many people to walk easily, and second, to take shelter from the rain and discuss matters.

By now the three had split into two camps. Xiao Wan insisted they go back and look at that haunted manor again, while Zhou Yixuan refused outright no matter what. The Wild Wolf Daoist, for the first time ever, sided with Zhou Yixuan.

Xiao Wan was outnumbered, but she had a nimble tongue, and argued alone against two. Moreover, though the Wild Wolf Daoist disagreed with her this time, one glare from Xiao Wan usually left him tongue-tied, so most of the time it was Zhou Yixuan alone who opposed her.

Standing by the road now, Zhou Yixuan lowered his voice: "You foolish girl, what are you going back to such a dangerous place for? To go back and die?"

Xiao Wan curled her lip. "And to think you've lived so many years, Grandpa. Don't you know there's a thing called moral duty?"

Zhou Yixuan said angrily, "Moral duty? Moral duty, my ass! What moral duty is there once you're dead? That ghost-like fellow is fearsomely powerful—aren't we going back to our deaths?"

The Wild Wolf Daoist nodded from the side. "Quite right, going back is indeed unwise..." Xiao Wan's gaze swept over and she shot him a glare; the Wild Wolf Daoist's heart gave a jump, and he immediately could not continue.

Xiao Wan turned back to Zhou Yixuan. "Grandpa, if that person hadn't saved us last night, we'd have been dead long ago, and we wouldn't be standing here arguing about moral duty or not. And now we can't even go back for a look?"

Zhou Yixuan's expression did not change. "Precisely because he saved us, we ought to cherish our own lives all the more. Otherwise, if we walk right into the net and fall into the tiger's mouth again, wouldn't that be betraying Ming Li's good intentions?"

Xiao Wan was stumped; for a moment she actually could think of nothing to refute Zhou Yixuan. Seeing this, Zhou Yixuan could not help feeling smug, and chuckled, "Nothing to say now, is there?"

Xiao Wan said angrily, "You know perfectly well that man is steeped in ghostly aura and utterly unfathomable—do you mean to say you don't care at all about your own savior?"

Zhou Yixuan remained utterly composed. "Rest easy. That fellow Ming Li has cultivation and treasures alike—when it comes to ghostly aura, I'd wager he's gloomier than that coffin itself. Dying would be no easy feat for him, so what's there to worry about?" He paused, then added, "Besides, didn't you read his fortune ten years ago? You said it then—this man possesses the 'Chaos Demon Physique,' one in ten thousand. His path may be fraught with turmoil and twists, but he's not fated for a short, early death. So what are you fretting over?"

"What—you once read my fortune?" A voice suddenly popped out from beside them. The three started violently and turned to look. Ming Li had appeared at their side without warning, as though he had slipped out of the rain itself in broad daylight.

By now the rain had grown rather heavy, but He Yin City was so crowded with refugees that most, their hearts consumed by dread of the beast-demons soon to come, paid the downpour no mind. In truth, these past days the city had seen no shortage of common folk driven out of their wits by the mounting tension. Fortunately, the disciples of the Canglan Sect had been keeping order throughout the city, and most incidents were dealt with swiftly. Even so, the pervasive panic had plunged the whole city into an atmosphere perpetually teetering on the brink of madness.

Xiaowan and the other two all froze for a moment. Then Xiaowan was overjoyed, and could not help crying softly, "It's you..."

Zhou Yixuan and the Wild Wolf Daoist, however, both frowned at the same instant. Zhou Yixuan gave a snort—and astonishingly said the very same words: "It's you..."

Ming Li paid Zhou Yixuan and the Daoist no heed. He first glanced at Xiaowan, and seeing the unmistakable, genuine delight on her young face, a trace of warmth crept into his own eyes. He gave a slight nod. "It's me."

Just then, the little monkey, Xiao Hui, perched on Ming Li's shoulder with its fur soaked through by the rain, chattered twice at Xiaowan and grinned, seeming equally glad to see her.

Xiaowan beamed. "So you still remember me, huh?" she said to Xiao Hui with a chuckle. Then she lifted her eyes to Ming Li, hesitated a moment, and asked, "Last night—were you... were you all right?"

Ming Li nodded. "I'm fine."

Only then did Xiaowan set her mind at ease. She gazed at Ming Li a couple more times, and then, for no discernible reason, her face suddenly flushed. Her eyes darted to Xiao Hui, and smiling, she spread her hands. "Come, come here and let me hold you."

Xiao Hui gave two silly little chitters, then suddenly kicked off with both feet, sprang from Ming Li's shoulder, and leaped straight into Xiaowan's arms. Xiaowan giggled, feeling how damp the monkey's body was, and was about to fish out a cloth to wipe it down—but the monkey, apparently uncomfortable itself, suddenly shook its whole body, sending water droplets flying in every direction. Xiaowan gave a startled cry, yet was unwilling to drop the monkey, so she hastily squeezed her eyes shut. A moment later her face, her clothes, and her collar were all speckled with water from the creature.

Xiaowan opened her eyes and glared at Xiao Hui. The monkey's three eyes blinked and blinked, utterly motionless. Xiaowan gave a huff, tossed with both hands, and flung Xiao Hui back onto Ming Li. Xiao Hui scrambled up onto Ming Li's shoulder in a few quick movements, watched Xiaowan hurriedly straightening her clothes, and could not help chittering with laughter again.

Xiaowan was caught between laughter and tears. Biting her lower lip, she stole a glance at Ming Li, then lowered her head to tidy her garments. Ming Li turned and looked at Zhou Yixuan. Zhou Yixuan felt a pang of guilt and said, "Hey, you brat—I saved your life back then, you can't go doing anything rash."

Ming Li pondered a moment and glanced around. The common folk nearby were all absorbed in their own affairs, no one paying them any mind. So he asked Zhou Yixuan, "Just who exactly are you?"

Zhou Yixuan lifted his chin. "I, old sir, am a man of exalted stature."

Beside him, Xiaowan and the Wild Wolf Daoist both twitched. Clearly the answer struck them as profoundly bizarre. Ming Li, however, plainly ignored this "man of exalted stature" and asked calmly and directly, "That earth-escape art of yours last night—it's been lost for a very long time. But legend has it that such a technique was the very skill wielded by Canglan Zi, founder of the Canglan Sect, when he roamed the jianghu in his day. How is it that you possess it?"

He looked deeply at Zhou Yixuan. "What connection do you have to the Canglan Sect?"

Zhou Yixuan was silent for a moment. "All right—matters having come to this, I won't hide it from you any longer..." Xiaowan and the Wild Wolf Daoist both started. Seeing that Zhou Yixuan's expression was grave and he did not seem to be jesting, they could not help but grow serious.