劍問蒼天 - 第144章 偶遇 - 清風書屋

Mingli could not help feeling puzzled. He glanced behind the monkey and was rather startled. There in the shadows Little Gray was in fact dragging back some animal-shaped thing; by the look of its size it was no small creature, much larger than Little Gray, yet Little Gray dragged it with perfect ease. A moment later it had run up close, gave a chuckling laugh, set down the wild fruits first, then swung its hand—and with a muffled thud, a great mass came crashing down before him.

It was a full-grown wild boar, enormous, likely taller than Little Gray if it stood. But now there was a hole in its head and blood on its body; it was already dead. Mingli looked at the wound, saw it was still fresh, paused a moment, and said to Little Gray, "Did you catch this?"

Little Gray grinned, pointed at the boar, then pointed at Mingli.

Mingli sighed and smiled. "I'm not hungry."

Little Gray scratched its head, blinked all three eyes together, then pointed at the boar and then at itself. Mingli, despite himself, was moved to laughter; the heaviness in his heart eased considerably, and he said with a faint smile, "Very well, I'll help you."

Little Gray's face split at once into a beaming grin; plainly it knew that Mingli's skill was no small thing, and that it was its own favorite. Mingli rolled up his sleeve, held two fingers together like a blade, and lightly drew them across the boar's belly, splitting the tough hide at once. His movements were deft; in two or three strokes he had skinned and boned the boar, then flew off to find a place with spring water, washed the meat clean, and returned. He set up a wooden frame, kindled a fire, and began to roast the pig.

The firelight grew stronger, flushing the faces of both monkey and man with a faint red glow. Little Gray had by now devoured every one of the wild fruits and fixed its eyes on the roasting pig above the flames, from which fragrance was gradually rising. Mingli slowly took from his waist the various seasonings he had made himself, sprinkled a little over the meat, then found a small bottle of fragrant oil and began to drip it lightly over the pork. The oil ran slowly down the meat; touched by the flames beneath, it slowly seeped into the flesh. Very soon the surface of the pork began to turn a pale golden yellow, transparent beads of oil oozed from the meat itself, and an enticing aroma drifted out on the air.

The firelight flickered, lighting the faces of monkey and man, and the small clearing and trees around them. The tall shadows of the forest swayed to and fro as though the wind were howling. Mingli gazed at the flames before him and gradually fell into a trance, while Little Gray watched the roasting pig with an expression of drooling greed, scratching its ears and cheeks, now and then running off to break twigs and feed them to the fire.

In the still air hung a strange and enticing fragrance.

From deep in the forest, a low growl suddenly came: "Grr-ah!"

The growl was deep and powerful; it seemed to come from very far away, yet it carried clearly. A killing intent spread swiftly through the air. Mingli started violently from his reverie, his brows slowly knitting; he did not move, but his gaze grew deep and dark as he looked toward the direction of the growl. Little Gray, with a swish, leaped onto Mingli's shoulder, its face showing no fear, and likewise turned to look.

In the fire there came a crackling pop; a branch burst apart, and the fragrance of the boar grew stronger.

Three feet away lay the dark forest. The wind above the trees seemed suddenly to rise, whistling loud. After that one low growl there was no further sound, yet that cold killing intent pressed swiftly toward them, almost as though it had taken tangible form.

The pupils of Mingli's eyes contracted slightly; his brows knit tighter still.

"Crack!" Another small branch at last burst apart as well.