劍問蒼天 - 第103章 魚怪 - 清風書屋

He had not gone far when he heard someone faintly pursuing him from behind. Ming Li frowned and turned—and started. It was Zeng Shuyan who had come after him, and from the looks on Fa Cheng and the others' faces behind, they seemed somewhat taken aback as well.

Zeng Shuyan ran up before him, his back to Fa Cheng and the rest, gazed at Ming Li a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile. "You're not going to kill me, are you?"

Ming Li looked at him, at that smile—which seemed not to have changed in the least since they had met on Jietian Peak of Canglan Mountain, still so bright and open. After a moment his own gaze slowly softened, though his voice remained as calm as still water. "What is it?"

Zeng Shuyan clicked his tongue twice and shrugged. "I still count you as a friend, whatever you may think of me—that's beyond my control." Here he paused, then his eyes blinked several times rapidly and he said in a low voice, "Brother, let me hold this three-eyed spirit monkey of yours, all right?"

Ming Li was taken aback. At once the memory rose of Zeng Shuyan pestering him for Little Grey all those years ago, and an inexplicable warmth filled his heart. In truth he had grown up on Canglan Mountain, and he cherished every blade of grass and every tree on Dazhu Peak; how much more so Zeng Shuyan, one of the few friends he had.

Seeing that Ming Li did not answer, yet seemed neither scornful nor opposed, Zeng Shuyan was delighted. He had always been shrewd beyond measure, and in his heart he still held this friend who had entered the demon path in the highest regard. But he knew well how stubborn and unyielding Zhang Qingyue's nature was—for the sake of a promise made years ago, the man would sooner die than break it. One could well imagine how grievous the wound he had suffered over that affair must have been.

And so over the years, in his efforts to draw his friend back from the demon path, Zeng Shuyan had privately devised who knew how many schemes, only to arrive at a single conclusion—better slow than hasty.

Now his gaze fell upon Little Grey, sprawled on Ming Li's shoulder, and his eyes lit up at once. He laughed delightedly. "Little Grey, it's me! Do you still know me?"

Little Grey lay sprawled on Ming Li's shoulder, languid; for some reason its monkey face was flushed, rather like a man who had drunk too much wine. Only after Zeng Shuyan had called several times did it wearily open its eyes, glance at him once, give two impatient chirps of "zhi zhi," and close them again.

Zeng Shuyan, far from taking offense, looked as though he adored the creature beyond measure—the words "drooling with desire" were plainly written across his brow.

Ming Li looked at that expression, which seemed not to have changed in ten years, and suddenly sighed. "Forget it. It's tired today. If fate lets us meet again, we'll speak of it then."

Zeng Shuyan looked wistfully at Little Grey, nodded, then shifted his gaze back to Ming Li's face.

Ming Li said mildly, "If in days to come the righteous and the demonic stand opposed, and you and I face each other as enemies, strike as you will. As for..." He raised his eyes to Zeng Shuyan, and after a long pause said slowly, "Our paths differ, and we must be foes. But in my heart, I still count you a friend."

Zeng Shuyan was overjoyed, his face wreathed in smiles. He nodded vigorously and reached out to clap Ming Li hard on the shoulder, then thought better of it and drew his hand back. Then his eyes darted about, and as though something had occurred to him, a sly smile crept to the corner of his mouth. He reached into his robe, drew out an object—a rather battered book with a blue cover, bearing no title, so that one could not tell what book it was.

Ming Li frowned. Somehow the book looked a little familiar, but for the moment he could not recall where he had seen it.