劍問蒼天 - 第183章 難渡 - 清風書屋

Yet he said nothing, but turned and made a bow toward that quiet little temple; when he turned back, his face still wore its calm expression.

With a sweep of his robe, a faint white light arose, and his figure turned to radiance and flew up into the sky, gradually vanishing above the firmament.

See through!

But who can see through?

The world's vicissitudes—how can they compare with that instant in my heart, that fleeting glimmer of light?

Mount Canglan, Great Zhu Peak.

Some time had passed since the Battle of Qingyun. Afterward, Dao Yan Zhenren, because of the matter of the Immortal-Slaying Ancient Sword, had kept a close watch on the people of Great Zhu Peak for a while; but lately the disciples of Great Zhu Peak had indeed been very well-behaved, and the sect master's urgings had grown less frequent. In truth, in the hearts of the Great Zhu Peak disciples, though the sect master Dao Yan Zhenren's concern was over a grave matter, his conduct had been somewhat excessive.

Be that as it may, they had after all gone a long while without disturbance, and Great Zhu Peak had gradually returned to its former calm. The injuries of Wu Dayi and He Dachuan had slowly healed as well; after Su Wan's examination, both were now nearly recovered. The two could walk about freely, though they could not yet do heavy work.

And so, as had been the custom, along with the cleaning of everyone's rooms, the task of cleaning the room of the young junior brother who had left—in that quiet corner—continued as well. On this day, Song Dayi and Du Biyan once again walked toward that room.

Chatting and laughing, as they had countless times before, the two entered that courtyard.

But just then, suddenly, a gray shadow flashed past in that courtyard which ought to have been silent.

The gray shadow moved with extreme speed, but Song Dayi and Du Biyan both saw it almost at the same instant. Startled, they at once dropped their cleaning things and dashed forward. But the gray shadow vanished in the blink of an eye; the two searched the whole courtyard, even going up onto the roof, yet found not a single trace.

Standing in the courtyard, Song Dayi and Du Biyan looked at each other. Song Dayi frowned and said, "Could we have been mistaken?"

Du Biyan tilted his head and thought, and was about to speak when he suddenly started and said in a low voice, "Eldest Senior Brother, look over there." So saying, he pointed a finger behind Song Dayi.

Song Dayi hastily turned to look; following the direction of Du Biyan's finger, he saw that in the young junior brother's former bedroom the door was shut tight, but the window beside it had at some point come open a narrow crack. And since no one had lived here of late, the window should naturally have been shut fast.

Song Dayi and Du Biyan exchanged a glance, and each saw the alarm and uncertainty in the other's eyes. Song Dayi steadied himself and said in a low voice, "Let us go in and look."

Du Biyan, for some reason, had grown nervous; nodding, he could not help lowering his voice to Song Dayi: "Eldest Senior Brother, could it be... could it be the young junior brother, he..."

Song Dayi's eye twitched; plainly what was in his mind was much the same as Du Biyan's, but the thought seemed to frighten even him. Perhaps, if he truly saw that junior brother who was now a stranger to them, he would not know how to face him.

When his hand touched that wooden door, Song Dayi and Du Biyan exchanged another glance; then, as though their resolve had hardened, Song Dayi gritted his teeth, gave a shout, and cried loudly, "Who goes there?" And with that shout he flung the door open.

Almost as the door swung open, a gray shadow flashed within the room; as though startled, it leaped from the table onto the bed, then turned around, its two eyes rolling and darting, and toward the two men standing dumbstruck in the doorway it began to cry, "Zhi zhi zhi zhi!"

"Little Gray!"

Song Dayi and Du Biyan cried out together.

"Gu."