劍問蒼天 - 第24章 神劍 - 清風書屋

"Ha ha, Brother Zhang!"

All at once, Zhang Qingyue felt a heavy slap land on his shoulder.

At that moment his whole attention had been fixed on Tian Lingsu's figure receding into the distance, and he had noticed nothing of what was beside him; startled half out of his wits, he leapt aside and turned to look—and there stood Zeng Shuyan, whom he had only met that very morning.

Zeng Shuyan's face was all smiles, his manner easy. He looked Zhang Qingyue up and down, then his gaze slid over to the little monkey Xiaohui beside him.

Xiaohui, seeing this thoroughly detestable fellow come running up again, made no effort to hide his displeasure; he bared his teeth and pulled a grimace, then turned and sprang onto Da Huang's back, gave the big yellow dog's head a thump, and Da Huang glared, barked twice at Zhang Qingyue and Zeng Shuyan, and bolted off.

Zhang Qingyue frowned and called out: "Xiaohui, come back! No running off!"

Zeng: "Don't worry, don't worry—the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey is clever as can be. He won't get lost."

Zhang Qingyue shrugged, turned back, and was just about to speak with Zeng Shuyan when something stirred in his heart; he looked again, and the direction in which Da Huang had run off with Xiaohui on his back was indeed the kitchen. His heart gave a lurch, and he blurted out: "Ah, you damned monkey, are you off to—"

Zeng: "What is it?"

Zhang Qingyue cleared his throat and laughed awkwardly: "N-nothing. Nothing at all. By the way, Brother Zeng, weren't you supposed to be in the competition? How do you have time to come looking for me?"

Zeng: "Oh, I've already finished my match. Nothing to do, and I saw you standing here, so I came over to say hello."

Zhang Qingyue was startled: "What, you've already finished? How did it go?"

Zeng Shuyan snapped his fan shut with a flick and rubbed it against the dark hair at his temple: "Er—I won a round by accident. Heh heh."

Seeing his offhand manner, not at all like a man who had just been through a hard fight, Zhang Qingyue ventured cautiously: "Brother Zeng, can it be that your cultivation is very high?"

Zeng: "Ai yo, what are you saying, Brother Zhang? My piddling cultivation, how could it be fit for any stage? If my father weren't forever forcing me to cultivate, I'd never bother with all this Dao-refining business—every day tending flowers, feeding birds, reading books, now that would be a carefree life! But come to think of it—" He reached out and laid a hand on Zhang Qingyue's shoulder, steering him forward as he lowered his voice: "I never imagined that at this Seven Peaks Martial Trial, there'd be someone even worse than me."

Zhang Qingyue gave a bitter laugh: "There are plenty worse than me!"

Zeng Shuyan: "Plenty or not, I'm greedy but I wouldn't dare dream of winning to the very end. Still, I've taken quite a fancy to that Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey of yours—heh heh. Brother Zhang, how about you—"

Seeing that merchant's face on him, Zhang Qingyue said at once: "Brother Zeng, don't you go getting ideas about my Xiaohui!"

Zeng: "Then let me trade you something for him. You don't know—I keep all sorts of curious, amusing things on Fenghui Peak. A three-legged rabbit, a black-and-white peacock, a shell-less turtle, and even a snake with wings—"

Zhang Qingyue could not help saying: "There really are that many strange things?"

Zeng: "Need you ask! I've spent no end of effort collecting those treasures, and taken no end of beatings and scoldings from my father for it. But I do like that Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey of yours. Well? What do you like? I'll fetch it and trade you."

Zhang Qingyue shook his head: "No. I keep Xiaohui only because I felt a bond with him. Besides, those black-and-white rabbits and shell-less peacocks of yours—"

Zeng: "Three-legged rabbit, black-and-white peacock—and it's the turtle that has no shell!"

Zhang Qingyue stuck out his tongue: "Oh, yes, yes. But I've no interest in any of them. I still won't trade."