Chapter 11 — The Deep Valley
劍問蒼天 · Page 2 of 6
Zhang Qingyue made a face at the monkey, paid it no further mind, and walked on, thinking that a monkey which took pleasure in pelting people was a rare thing indeed—a truly ignorant beast. He had taken two steps when he heard a whistling behind his ear; too late to dodge, "thup"—a hard pine cone struck the back of his head. The blow was no light one; Zhang Qingyue's vision went black, and he could not help crying out.
The monkey clapped its hands and laughed on its branch, swaying to and fro in great glee. Zhang Qingyue was furious. He rushed over and shook the bamboo with all his might; the great black-joint stalk swung wildly left and right, but the grey monkey only wound its tail about the trunk and let itself be swung, wholly unafraid, laughing "chee chee chee" without cease.
Seeing he could do nothing to the monkey, Zhang Qingyue grew angrier still. He drew his billhook and hacked at the bamboo savagely. The monkey was not frightened in the least; it merely watched him from the stalk with great interest.
Zhang Qingyue chopped until his head ran with sweat, and at last had cut seven or eight parts through. Success was close at hand when he heard a shrill cry from above; he looked up and saw the grey monkey swing its tail, launch itself into the air, and leap to another black-joint bamboo nearby—then "pat," it flung down yet another pine cone.
Zhang Qingyue was beside himself. Not caring whether the monkey understood him or not, he pointed at it and shouted, "If you've got any guts, come down here!"
The grey monkey scratched its head, tilted its face, and pondered a long while—evidently it still could not grasp what guts had to do with anything. It only burst out laughing and made faces at Zhang Qingyue with all its might.
Zhang Qingyue was half dead with rage and utterly helpless. That day he barely managed to finish his task, but his head was struck seven or eight times by the monkey, and throbbed with pain.
Seething, Zhang Qingyue went down the mountain in a sulk, ignoring the monkey. But the creature had taken a liking to the game: for several mornings running it waited in the grove, and whenever Zhang Qingyue came to cut bamboo it took delight in pelting him, hugely pleased by the sight of his fury.
One evening before supper, Tian Lingsu drew Zhang Qingyue aside and asked quietly, "Xiaofan, what's happened to your head?"
For days the grey monkey had tormented him, leaving his head black and blue and throbbing with pain, but he felt it too shameful to admit he had been made a fool of by a monkey, so he had told no one. Now that his senior sister asked, he hesitated, and at last told her.
Tian Lingsu pursed her red lips and could not help laughing aloud; two little dimples appeared at her cheeks, and she looked breathtakingly lovely. Zhang Qingyue, as though she were mocking him—or for some other reason—felt his face flush for no cause and lowered his head.
Tian Lingsu slapped him on the shoulder with hearty familiarity. "Don't worry, little junior brother. These past days Mother has had me spending more time cultivating in the Taiji Cave, preparing for the 'Seven Veins Martial Meet' two years from now—I never thought a monkey would get the better of you. Don't fret. Tomorrow I'll go up the mountain with you and teach that wicked monkey a lesson."
Her tone was that of an elder humoring a child, but Zhang Qingyue had grown used to it since he was small; he smiled wryly and thought nothing of it.
The next morning Tian Lingsu rose early as promised, and went up the back mountain with Zhang Qingyue.
A cool breeze blew gently between the hills. Tian Lingsu wore red from head to toe, just as she had the first time she went up with Zhang Qingyue to cut bamboo, and she skipped along ahead of him. Zhang Qingyue followed behind, watching the beautiful girl before him drift lightly through the mountains like a red cloud, and on the mountain wind there seemed to come a faint, delicate fragrance.