Old Places
Qing Yun Hill, Big Bamboo Valley.
Misty clouds between the mountains, like a gentle white silk sash, softly shifting. The early morning air with dew still in it, together with the fresh crisp breeze, passed through that stretch of green bamboo forest, brushing against the Big Bamboo Valley summit.
That area of architectures with Observed Silence Hall as its centre, quietly stood still in the dawn rays, everything appeared to be that tranquil……
Just that a sound of dog barking was heard suddenly, mixed with [Zi zi] cries, broke the silence. Da Huang, with its shiny fur, running over at a fast speed, Xiao Hui riding on its back, clutching tightly onto the fur on Da Huang’s neck to support itself, at the same time waving the other hand in the air, looking very excited.
Ten years ago, after Zhang Xiao Fan went to TongTian Peak from here, he had never came back. Initially, these two animals became depressed, especially Xiao Hui, who was usually active was melancholy for a long time. DaHuang too did not have it easy, it mopped around the whole day and not knowing if it was because he loved the food that Zhang Xiao Fan cooked, during that period of time whenever Du BiShu, who was replacing Zhang Xiao Fan to cook, placed out food for them, would definitely suffer Da Huang and Xiao Hui’s howls and roars and after they had their meals, would most likely be looked upon with disdain and looking very unsatisfied. Poor Du BiShu also became depressed for some time because of this.
Just that time like water, leisurely passed, the memory of that moment also seemed to gradually fade. Without knowing from when, Xiao Hui and Da Huang again started to play at Big Bamboo Summit, having fun ceaselessly, just that even though it was so, in the deep nights whenever they were about to sleep, they always returned back to Zhang Xiao Fan’s room, as if awaiting something.
Although for so many years, this room had always been empty.
“Si!”
Da Huang suddenly stopped in its track, the great inertia almost caused Xiao Hui to roll down from its back, luckily Xiao Hui’s hand was holding on tightly and it managed to stabilize its body. Da Huang barked loudly, suddenly turned its head back but instead it opened its mouth and rolled out its old long tongue, to chase its own tail, its body turning round and round at the same spot.
Xiao Hui sat securely at its back, grinned and loudly, [Zi zi] laughed, looking very excited and happy. This boring game done endless times by Da Huang but to them, it was as if it was the most interesting game.
The faint dawn lights shone on their bodies, the Big Bamboo Valley reverberated with the two animals’ sounds, the humans were still deep asleep, this excellent timing seemed to be only for them.
Far away, at the back of the hill that verdant bamboo forest, indistinctly the sound of bamboo leaves being brushed by the mountain breeze [Hua hua] leisurely reverberated, even wind that was blowing from that direction, also carried faint scent of the bamboo leaves and the smell of that bamboo forest.
Suddenly!
Da Huang stopped chasing its own tail, Xiao Hui on its back also seemed to lift up its head at the same time, opened its mouth wide and looked towards that stretch of bamboo forest.
Green Hill, green bamboos, wind passing, like sea……
Rustle, rustle, rustle……
“Zi zi zi zi!” Xiao Hui suddenly shrieked, Da Huang’s reaction also seemed to be strange, just that its voice was much softer and barked a few times but after a while, the two animals seemed to know something, Xiao Hui grabbed tight of Da Huang and Da Huang immediately spread out its legs and swiftly ran towards that black bamboo forest at the back of the mountain.
The familiar small path at the back of the mountain, maybe it was because nobody came here to practised their homework for a long time, the trees and grasses had overgrown until the original small path was gradually fading but Da Huang as if it had natural intuitive, traversed through the forest, running faster and faster and very soon it had reached the front of that stretch of bamboo forest.
Inside the verdant bamboo forest, serene with a trace of mystery, Da Huang stopped outside the bamboo forest and softly called out [Wu wu] a few times, Xiao Hui jumped down from its back and squatted aside, looked at him and looked deep into the bamboo forest, at times using its hands to scratch its head, as if it had some hesitation.
But after a while eventually Xiao Hui made up its mind, it [Zi zi] called out twice to Da Huang and took the lead to walk into the forest. To say it actually walked also did not seemed to be correct too but Xiao Hui strangely did not climb up the bamboos and instead used its front limbs as support on the ground, leap by leap slowly went in, looking at Xiao Hui, it seemed to be careful but yet full of anticipation.
Da Huang [Wu wu] called out twice and also started to stride out, following behind it and walked into this bamboo forest.
One monkey one dog, slowly traversing in this peaceful bamboo forest, very quickly their figures soon disappeared.
The morning rays were blocked by the thickly grown bamboo leaves but from in-between the slits, there were still streams of sunlight, channeling into light beams as big as fingers and shone down from the top of the bamboo forest, down onto the ground below.
Xiao Hui and Da Huang slowly walked along in the forest, walking along...unknowingly, they had reached a certain place in the deep of the bamboo forest, there was a small clearing which seemed familiar. Vaguely in the memory, it seemed to be the place that when Zhang Xiao Fan first came here, working hard to chop down the bamboos.
Xiao Hui stopped its steps, squatted at the clearing and using its hands to scratch its head, looked around.
In the deep and serene bamboo forest, everywhere was quiet.
As if there was an unknown scent, lingering here.
Causing heartbeat to slowly increase……
“Pu!” a light footstep sound, stepped into this deep forest silence.
Xiao Hui and Da Huang both turned at the same time, that person’s figure, behind a thick bamboo, slowly appeared.
The bamboo forest suddenly quieted down again but after a moment, suddenly there were sounds of cheers, Xiao Hui jumped up, its body changed into a grey streak of light and dashed over, jumped into the mid-air and leaped into that person’s embrace!
It grabbed that person’s clothes tightly, laughing heartily loudly, without any care releasing all of its delight, [Zi zi zi zi] laughing ceaselessly.
That person encircled his hands, the once cruel aura right now had disappeared, on his forehead a long time not seen gentleness and smile, embracing Xiao Hui in his bosom. After a while, suddenly he felt another feeling, bending his head to take a look, a smile emerged at the corner of his mouth. He stooped his body, gently caressing the now rubbing against his body Da Huang’s head, smiling and saying, “Da Huang, have you been well?”
DaHuang naturally could not speak and only [Wu wu] softly called out, its tail ceaselessly wagging, using its head to rub against his palm.
At the corner of his eyes, as if a place where nobody could see, indistinctly reflecting the lights, “Only all of you, still treat me as before!”
He softly sighed and breathed in deeply, in this bamboo forest, the once missed familiar smell.
“Hua hua!”
Suddenly, again a flurry of footsteps sounds, it was instead Wild Dog Taoist who scuttled out from behind but looking at his worn robes being torn in a few places by brambles, one would have guessed he had lost his way.
Wild Dog Taoist’s entire face looked jinxed, he looked at the past Zhang Xiao Fan, the current Ghost Li and grumbled, “Hey, brat, are you mad, if you want to die also do not have to do this! Here is Qing Yun Sect, what if someone finds out, even if we have ten lives we will also surely be dead!”
Suddenly, Da Huang, who was extremely docile towards Ghost Li just only, turned its head, the furs on its neck were all bristling and it bared its teeth, showing its obvious extreme dislike towards Wild Dog Taoist. In a moment, Da Huang howled and actually pounced over.
Wild Dog Taoist was shocked but looking at this almost-the-height-of-half-a-man giant dog suddenly pouncing over, his heart first thumped and subconsciously he stretched his hand to grab hold of his own fang magical weapon.
Unexpectedly at this moment Ghost Li who was in front, indifferently said, “If you dare use magical weapon to hurt this dog, I will chop off all of your hands and legs. And then throw it in front of that Observed Silence Hall at the foot of the mountain.”
Wild Dog was stunned, he angrily said, “What did you say…..”
But he had not finished his words when Da Huang had already pounced over, the moment Wild Dog was distracted he was immediately pounced on by this giant dog. Immediately the sounds of dog barking and human’s angry cursing shouts were heard incessantly, human and dog somersaulted together, staggering and in complete disorder! Wild Dog Taoist and Da Huang both rolled to the back of a bramble far away, human and dog’s figures could not be seen but angry cries could be heard at times.
“Aiya! Damned dog, you still bite….hey, brat, you this bastard, still not calling this dog to let go, no, let go, ah…...damned dog, this is human thigh, not chicken thigh! quickly let go, don’t bite anymore…...ah ah ah……”
Ghost Li turned a deaf ear to Wild Dog’s miserable cries, turned his head to look at Xiao Hui in his bosom, his face was all smiles. After checking carefully, after not seen for ten years, Xiao Hui seemed to have slightly grown again, the feeling of carrying it in his embrace also seemed to be heavier by quite a lot, even that scar in-between its eyes also seemed to have expanded much.
And Xiao Hui, after the initial excitement had passed, was still grinning and like in the past, climbed on to his shoulder and habitually stretched out its hand to play with his hair.
Ghost Li quietly stood there and slowly walked outside, till the fringe of the bamboo forest and gazed out far. The place that was in front of the mountain was covered by the clouds, it was once his warmest home.
Lost in his thoughts, gazing deeply.
Not knowing how much time had passed, Da Huang proudly ran out from the depth of the bamboo forest, looked very pleased with itself, its tail could not stop wagging. It leaped beside Ghost Li, [Wang wang wang] called out a few times.
Ghost Li smiled, stretched out his hand and patted its head.
After a short while, Wild Dog Taoist staggered out from the black bamboo forest, his robe was again ripped in several more places and even a few more scratches also appeared on his dog face, as for the wounds on his legs, indistinctly it could be seen.
Right now he saw Da Huang lying beside Ghost Li, he felt a bit afraid and actually did not dare to go over, standing far away he angrily scolded, “Damned dog, don't think there is someone backing you, sooner or later one day I will butcher you!”
Da Huang suddenly turned its head over, dashed towards Wild Dog Taoist and howled, Wild Dog was scared out of his wits and immediately took a few steps back but Da Huang looked to be scaring him only and did not chase over, it instead turned its head. Wild Dog was then relieved but no matter what he did not dare to scold again.
Looking down at the foot of the mountain for half a day, the day’s first thread of sunlight had already quietly landed, covering this stretch of green mountain with a blanket of light golden cloth.
Ghost Li closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
After a while, he turned around, stretched his hand to bring Xiao Hui down into his embrace, looked at Wild Dog and said, “Let’s go!”
Wild Dog could not wait to hear him say those words, quickly walked over while muttering, “Isn’t this asking for trouble! Just for one monkey, risking lives……”
Da Huang seemed to sense something, stood up and looked at Ghost Li, Ghost Li patted Da Huang’s head, smiled and waved his left hand, a black stick flashing strange green light appeared, it was indeed that “Firestick”, supporting his body, straight up to the sky.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login