Chapter 184 — Secret Orders
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 4
Song Dayi stepped forward, wiping the smile from his face; though his eyes were still brimming with mirth, his expression turned proper and he put on a grave, earnest look. He clapped Du Biyan on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Junior brother, this is a weighty charge the master has entrusted to you. You must see it through properly."
Du Biyan was on the verge of tears. "Who are you trying to fool? Everyone here knows the master's favorite has always been Da Huang! Never mind slaughtering it—if we so much as pull a single hair off that dog, the master won't give us a kind look. And now, if I really take the master at his word, and then he regrets it later... will I even be alive then?"
Song Dayi chuckled and turned to go; beside him Wu Dayi, the second disciple, walked over and nodded emphatically at Du Biyan: "Old Six, you're a clever fellow indeed, understanding the master's true meaning. In that case, just don't obey the master's order."
Off to the side, He Dachuan tilted his head to the sky and strolled off slowly, but as he went he remarked, whether deliberately or not: "Still, I hear the master hates nothing more than disciples disobeying his orders. Once he learns Old Six dared treat his words as so much wind past the ear, well, that..."
His laughter drifted over on the wind, but the man himself had gone far. Du Biyan paced in circles where he stood like an ant on a hot pan; turning around, he saw that everyone had already headed for the kitchen, and could not help but shout angrily at the backs of his senior brothers: "You bunch of disloyal wretches, you'll get yours sooner or later!"
His voice carried far, though whether Song Dayi and the others heard it was unclear; all he could see from afar was Song Dayi, without so much as turning his head, raising his right hand and waving it in the air, and faintly, it seemed their laughter drifted back...
"Stupid dog, dumb dog, dead dog..."
"Woof woof woof, woof woof!"
"What, you dare bark back at me now!" Du Biyan ground his teeth and cursed at Da Huang, who was tied to the wooden post. "It's all your doing, causing trouble—got me stuck with this cursed errand from the master."
Toward noon, under the gloating gazes of his senior brothers, Du Biyan finally caught Da Huang, who had been running all over the mountain, and tied him to the post outside the kitchen door. Nearby, Xiaohui hung from a branch by its tail, seeming not to understand what Du Biyan was up to, swaying and swinging back and forth in the tree as it watched the man and dog quarrel below.
As for Da Huang, it plainly had no fond feelings for Du Biyan just then: its dog face fierce, it barked at him without pause.
Du Biyan cursed Da Huang without cease, but he absolutely dared not actually slaughter the dog and stew its meat as Tian Buhui had said. It was just that his master's temper was strange and unpredictable; who was to say he wouldn't come out later, see Da Huang there, and vent his anger on Du Biyan instead? At these thoughts, Du Biyan was truly worried sick, not knowing what to do.
Da Huang was plainly quite displeased at being tied to the post; its jaws gaped wide, baring sharp fangs, and it roared at Du Biyan. Fretful and distracted, Du Biyan glared at Da Huang, shook his head, and muttered to himself: "Enough, enough. Count it as my bad luck, I'll just go cook first. Here's hoping the master's in a better mood later."
With that, he turned back toward the kitchen, face pinched with worry, and paid Da Huang no more heed. By the time he was inside the kitchen, Da Huang's barking still came drifting in, but presumably barking all alone was not much fun, for it soon quieted down.
To please Tian Buhui, Du Biyan put his whole heart into this meal, truly single-minded in his efforts. Now and then he heard a few barks from outside the kitchen, which then sank low and gave way to what seemed a soft whining "wu wu" sound; Du Biyan paid it no mind, wholly absorbed in cooking.