Chapter 192 — The Hidden Wound

Yun Yifeng nodded. "Look after them. I will go on ahead." With that, without so much as a word of farewell to the three from the Canglan Sect, he departed of his own accord. Li Xun watched Yun Yifeng's figure vanish through the doorway at the rear of the Hall of Mountains and Rivers, his heart a tangle of feelings, his face shifting between light and shade.

By then Zeng Shuyan and the others seemed to have finished their discussion and came walking back. Zeng Shuyan approached with a smile and said, "Brother Li, the three of us have agreed—this time we will—eh? Where is Uncle-Master Yun?"

Li Xun said apologetically, "My master had a sudden matter to attend to, and seeing the three of you in conference, he instructed me not to disturb you and went on ahead. I beg your pardon for any discourtesy."

Zeng Shuyan hastened to say, "Not at all, not at all—it is we who have been discourteous. If there was anything amiss just now, Brother Li, you must convey to Uncle-Master Yun that we are juniors who know nothing of proper manners or the measure of things. He must not take it to heart."

Hearing Zeng Shuyan's words pour from his mouth in an unbroken stream, both Lu Xueling and Wen Pei looked a little embarrassed; but Zeng Shuyan remained perfectly at ease, not the least bit abashed. Li Xun, too, smiled and nodded, saying no more than, "And what have you several decided?"

Zeng Shuyan cupped his hands. "This time we must trouble Brother Li after all."

A flicker of delight crossed Li Xun's face. He returned the salute. "Not at all, not at all. We are of one righteous path; it is only proper." As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Lu Xueling once more and then withdrew. He coughed once and said, "But the Ten Thousand Wild Mountains are a perilous place after all. You several would do well to make your preparations early. Come, let me first tell you a few things you should watch for."

Zeng Shuyan smiled. "Then we are in your debt, Brother Li." He turned and beckoned. "Martial sisters, come over quickly and listen."

Lu Xueling frowned, seeming none too willing, but Wen Pei tugged at her, and she came over nonetheless.

Low voices echoed through the Hall of Mountains and Rivers.

Deep in the Ten Thousand Wild Mountains, past the last trace of darkness, past the last crooked old tree, Ming Li and Jin Pingyue finally emerged from that black forest. Beyond the forest, this day brought a rare spell of mild, gentle sunlight for the Ten Thousand Wild Mountains; it poured down warm and soft, brushing over their bodies and falling upon the twisted trees—only it could not reach into that mysterious, austere forest.

Jin Pingyue spread her arms wide. Though she had come this way once before, stepping out of the forest still gave her a sense of relief. Indeed, if one spent several days walking through a forest swarming with venomous insects under ceaseless drizzle, no one could be in good spirits.

Standing outside the forest, even the air one drew in seemed warmer and more comfortable. After a deep, contented breath, Jin Pingyue turned to look at Ming Li, and saw that on his face, still as blank and indifferent as ever, there was plainly a look of relief as well.

After a brief pause to rest, he raised his head and gazed into the distance. Under the rare fine weather, the view opened wide; far off there still seemed to be endless mountains, ridges rising and falling in succession, one after another, until at the very limit of sight there was still no end.

Ming Li's expression shifted slightly. Jin Pingyue came to his side, glanced at him, and smiled. "What, did you not expect the southern borderlands to be so vast? When I first came here, I was startled too."

Ming Li gazed into the distance, his eyes lingering upon the ranks of mountains, and said mildly, "That ancient cave of demon-sealing you spoke of—how much farther is it?"

Jin Pingyue gave a charming smile and stepped forward twice, standing before Ming Li and gazing awhile at the endless mountains. Then she raised a hand and pointed to one peak whose slopes from the summit down were a strange, scorched black. "See that black mountain? Once we cross that ridge, at the foot of the mountain lies the ancient cave of demon-sealing."

Ming Li lifted his eyes. Sure enough, he saw that most peculiar peak; from afar, it seemed to have no sunlight at all. On the contrary, it was forever veiled in a faint black mist, betraying a certain mystery.

Ming Li nodded. "Then let us be on our way."

With that he strode forward, but Jin Pingyue did not stir, still standing where she was. After a few steps Ming Li sensed she was not following and turned back, faintly puzzled. "What is it?" he asked.

Jin Pingyue shot him a sidelong glare, yet even that look of reproach held a certain seductive charm in the warm, gentle sunlight. "You are of course a formidable figure," she said. "It is only a pity that what stands before you is a frail woman who can no longer move her legs."

Ming Li said flatly, "Count every woman under heaven, and still the name 'frail woman' would never fall to you."

Jin Pingyue gave him a radiant smile, not the least offended, and helped herself to a dry stone nearby, where she sat down. Though Ming Li had not taken her words seriously, on second thought he too realized that these past days in this strange black forest, neither of them had truly rested. So he did not insist on pressing onward, and sat down himself not far from her.

The monkey Xiaohui, who had been clinging to his shoulder all along, gave two squeaks, as if suddenly startled out of its listlessness. In a flash it was full of vigor, sprang from Ming Li's shoulder to the ground, and looked all about, its three eyes blinking without pause. Then, tail held high, it darted into the grass nearby with a swish and vanished from sight.

Jin Pingyue glanced in the direction it had gone. "This place is dangerous at every turn. Your monkey running wild like that—are you not afraid something might happen to it?"

Ming Li shook his head. "No matter. Even if the two of us came to harm, that fellow would do just fine on his own."

Jin Pingyue burst into a giggle, covering her mouth. "What do you mean, 'fellow'? It is plainly a monkey."

Ming Li glanced at her face, smooth and luminous as jade, and the faintest trace of a smile crept to the corner of his mouth. Then his gaze turned toward the direction Xiaohui had darted off, and he said slowly, "In my heart, it is worth far more than countless people in this world."

Jin Pingyue looked at his somewhat pale face, and the smile on her own face slowly faded. She gazed at Ming Li thoughtfully, while he seemed to frown, his expression suddenly darkening.

Perhaps he had suddenly realized what he had said before another.

Jin Pingyue had always been a woman of surpassing cleverness, and by no means one of those quiet, demure ladies of the world. She watched Ming Li's face in silence, her gaze soft and brimming like water, yet beneath that gaze his expression only grew uglier and uglier. Just as the awkwardness thickened and Ming Li's brow knitted tighter and tighter, Jin Pingyue suddenly spoke:

"What is wrong with you?"

Ming Li started. "What?"

Jin Pingyue looked at him, her face wearing a smile that was not quite a smile, yet in her eyes there seemed another meaning altogether. "You seem a little ill at ease," she said softly.

Ming Li coughed once. "No."

As though she had not heard his answer, Jin Pingyue went on of her own accord: "Is it that before a woman like me, you suddenly spoke some words from your heart, and now you feel a little awkward?"