Chapter 205 — Schemes Within Schemes

In the dark she was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "It is nothing. Let us keep going."

In the darkness she drew a deep breath, roused her spirits, and walked on resolutely. The darkness parted quietly before her, for from her hand the Celestial Dipper Divine Sword gradually kindled, its gentle pale-blue radiance softly enveloping her, looking like something out of a dream.

Behind her, who knows how many held their breath in that instant.

Only that beautiful figure pressed resolutely on into the dark road ahead. Solitary she might look, but there was not the slightest hesitation in her.

This stretch of road, this life of ours—how ought one to walk it?

She did not look back.

Deep within the Zhenmo Ancient Cave.

The flame burned quietly in that ancient brazier. Yet if one looked closely, one would find that beneath the firelight, within the brazier, there was no firewood or lamp oil or any such fuel to be seen. This ceaselessly burning flame seemed, in truth, to be a fire without root.

The flame flickered in midair, its tongues of fire swaying, lighting the Beast Lord's face and casting up the figure of the man gradually approaching.

Ming Li walked to the other side of the firelight. His face slowly emerged in the glow, and at the same time he saw that familiar countenance ahead.

The Beast Lord, still sitting on the ground and leaning against the small stone platform, smiled faintly. He looked Ming Li up and down and said, "I knew someone would come sooner or later, but I never thought it would be you who arrived here first." He paused, smiled, and said, "From the look on your face when you saw me just now, you do not seem surprised. Did you already know my identity when we met before?"

Ming Li slowly shook his head. Facing this man who appeared so young and mild, it was truly hard to associate him with the beast-demon who had brought such a cataclysm upon all living things under heaven. Yet such was the fact.

"I guessed it afterward," he answered mildly.

The Beast Lord looked at him and said gently, "Oh? I am rather curious—how did you guess? From my appearance as the rumors describe it, or from my clothes, or from this or that action of mine?"

"None of those," said Ming Li.

The Beast Lord seemed to grow interested. "Oh? Then what?"

Ming Li glanced toward his side. "That."

The Beast Lord nodded slowly. "Yes. That is the best method of all—it cannot be mistaken." Beside him, the vicious beast Taotie gave a low growl.

The Beast Lord reached out a hand. Even from a distance, Ming Li could see that the hand was strangely pale, seeming no longer like a human hand at all; it was withered and gaunt, like the hands he had seen on the Great Wizard in Seven Li Gorge back then.

Yet after that seemingly powerless hand patted it a few times, as if taking some comfort, Taotie quieted and slowly lay down on the ground. At the same time, the little monkey Xiao Hui, who had been perched on Ming Li's shoulder all along, slowly slid down, scratched its head on the ground, and looked at Ming Li and the Beast Lord, as if sensing that between these two there was not the fierce hostility it had expected.

It thought for a moment, then slowly, inch by inch, drew closer to Taotie. Taotie had clearly noticed this as well, and turned its head to fix its gaze on the approaching gray-furred, three-eyed monkey. Soon Little Gray had come up beside Taotie; it bared its teeth in a grin, spread both hands, and even gave its tail a little upward wag, then slowly reached out a hand toward Taotie's head.

Ming Li and the Beast Sovereign both had their eyes drawn to Little Gray for the moment, yet neither spoke, only watched in silence. Watching Little Gray's movements, Ming Li suddenly felt a stir in his heart: once upon a time, many years ago, when he was still that ordinary Zhang Qingyue, on Dazhu Peak, Little Gray had likewise courted favor with the big yellow dog Tian Buhui kept.

Taotie slowly straightened its body, but did not rise at once; it seemed somewhat puzzled. It turned its head to glance at its master, the Beast Sovereign, but the Beast Sovereign looked absent-minded, no displeasure to be read on his face. Then it turned back, and Little Gray's hand had all but reached its head.

From Taotie's nostrils and muzzle came suddenly a low snort, as if in warning. Little Gray started in fright and drew its arm back, then saw that Taotie made no move to attack, only watched it warily with its eyes.

Little Gray gave a chuckle, hopped twice on the ground, then suddenly sprang forward and landed right beside Taotie's body. Taotie was plainly startled and shrank back, but the monkey Little Gray had already gently stroked its head. To it, Taotie's dreadful, ferocious, hideous head seemed instead a most familiar and dear place.

From Taotie's vast, blood-bowl mouth came a low grumble, as if it were voicing a complaint, but after a moment it slowly settled back down onto the ground in its lazy way, pillowing its head on its own arm, looking rather drowsy; and Little Gray leaned against its body, from time to time giving soft little "chi chi chi chi" laughs as it slowly stroked Taotie's head.

Between the two spirit beasts, it seemed there was no barrier left at all.

Ming Li and the Beast Sovereign slowly drew their gazes back from the two of them, and for a time both were silent.

Who knows how long it was before the Beast Sovereign suddenly smiled faintly and said, "In fact, they are happier than I am, aren't they?"

Ming Li said nothing.