Chapter 102 — Little Grey
劍問蒼天 · Page 1 of 9
In the darkness, he slowly opened his eyes.
All around him was black. Then, not far ahead, a faint glow kindled slowly, like a tiny candle flame burning quietly in the night.
He watched it in silence. The light was a pale violet, then turned cyan, then slowly deepened to dark green; and so it went, shifting without cease, flashing all manner of colors, very beautiful to see.
"Squeak, squeak…"
Suddenly, close beside him, came the low sound of the monkey Little Grey—as though, here in this darkness, even its voice dared not be too loud.
Ming Li turned his head, and sure enough, against that faint light he saw Little Grey crouched at his side.
He smiled, and clenched his teeth by reflex, meaning to sit up and endure the pain first, then look around and see where he was. But when he rolled over and sat up, it was done with such ease—not the slightest ache anywhere in his body, up he came smoothly—that it startled him instead.
In the dark, that light which would not keep one color shone gently upon him. Ming Li looked inward over his whole body: the injuries from the Blackwater Mystic Serpent's crushing blow had, somehow, all been restored beyond belief.
He frowned slightly, truly astonished, but could think of no reason for it, and decided to stand up first and have a good look around before anything else.
At the thought he stirred—then suddenly stopped, his body going stiff.
He did not know when it had begun, but in his hand he was still holding another hand: white, slender, and gentle.
They held each other so tightly, so naturally, that one quite forgot their hands were still joined.
Ming Li froze; then slowly he looked to the side. The dim light drifted gently in the darkness, and traced out that cold, beautiful face. Lu Xueling's eyes were still closed, her cheeks still somewhat pale, and at the corner of her mouth there seemed a faint trace of blood, like strange red petals fallen on a face white as first snow.
Her lips were slightly pursed, as if still carrying a faint smile.
All was still.
Whose gaze was it, watching in silence in the dark? Time flows like water; ten years are carved deep into a life, and yet it is as if nothing had ever happened—as if it were only yesterday.
"Boom!"
Suddenly a great crash burst through that dark space; the ground shook and the mountains swayed, and with it came, from far off, a clear cry like a phoenix and a furious roar, and the whole dark chamber trembled violently. Little Grey gave a strange shriek and became a tumbling ball, hurtling sideways, stumbling and tumbling, and landed on the ground with a thud. Ming Li too could not stay seated and pitched to one side.
The force of that shock flung Lu Xueling's body up as well; she seemed to wake with a start, gave a soft cry, and as she tilted over, opened her eyes.
What met her eyes was first the darkness, then that familiar face, sitting beside her.
Just like ten years ago, beneath the Abyss of the Dead, by the shores of the Heartless Sea.
The shaking slowly eased, and stillness gradually returned all around. Who knew what this violent tremor had been?
Lu Xueling sat up slowly and looked at Ming Li; Ming Li did not flinch, and looked back at her. After a moment, their eyes both dropped—those two hands were still tightly and naturally clasped.
Lu Xueling was silent and said nothing, her body motionless. Ming Li's lips moved; then slowly he loosened his hand and drew it back.
Lu Xueling gazed faintly at that hand shrinking back into the darkness—the hand that, only a moment ago, had still been passing on a faint warmth. Into her eyes there suddenly came a dim, distant sorrow; then it vanished, and her calm returned.
She stood up, and as she did her brows knit slightly—it seemed she too was surprised that her injuries had so unexpectedly healed. Then she glanced around and said quietly, "What is this place?"