Chapter 24: Lord Dao and Monkey |
Night, a time for rest.
Niu You Dao watched as some of the cavalrymen took precautions. 500 men covered an area of several *li*, and now, within this territory, nothing unforeseen should occur. Only after confirming that the guards were well-positioned did Niu You Dao finally relax.
Inside one of the tents, a small gap appeared. Through it, Lan Ruo Ting peeked at Niu You Dao. He smiled and whispered, "Interesting..."
After his walk, Niu You Dao returned to his tent. He fumbled for the sealed letter he had been given, wanting to examine it by the light of the bonfire burning outside. He drew his sword and carefully opened the sealed letter. However, he couldn't make sense of the smudged words written on the letter.
He looked at the letter again under the bonfire's light, then sniffed the paper, and even licked it, but detected nothing. There were no hidden marks. Did that mean this letter was a fake?
— The head of Southern Mountain Monastery in Kuangai County... It seems Old Tu's warning wasn't for nothing. Supreme Purity Sect, I'm no longer there, but their actions still reek. They truly mean harm to this venerable one... Niu You Dao muttered to himself, then furrowed his brows. It meant he still hadn't fully grasped his standing within the Supreme Purity Sect, or why he was such an obstacle to them.
After a moment of thought, he carefully put the letter back...
On the second day, as dawn was just breaking, the cavalrymen had already eaten and were preparing to depart.
Some were packing tents, others feeding horses. Yet, no one touched Niu You Dao's things. There were people for everything. It seemed these men had been well-trained long ago.
He rode at the rear, and realizing he wasn't being restrained, Niu You Dao galloped forward at full speed, drawing abreast of Shang Chao Zong and the others.
The three people looked at him, and Niu You Dao immediately found a pretext for conversation.
— Prince, with your status, do you only have 500 men?
Shang Chao Zong: — A prince without any official duties is allowed to have a guard of 500 men.
— Mmm! So that's how it is. — Niu You Dao nodded.
In truth, he merely wanted to find a topic of conversation so he could ride with them. Otherwise, riding at the rear meant swallowing dust from those ahead, and that was hardly ideal.
Lan Ruo Ting suddenly smiled and asked:
— Forgive this Lan's lack of foresight. May I be so bold as to ask, is Master truly such a talent?
— Uh... — Niu You Dao immediately understood this referred to the poems at Peach Blossom Spring, and he instantly glanced at Shang Shu Qing. But with her hat on, he couldn't see anything; it was a waste of time. In the end, he replied, — Yes, I was just spouting nonsense.
Lan Ruo Ting was speechless at such a response. He then questioned Niu You Dao about the situation within the Supreme Purity Sect. But although Niu You Dao had lived in the sect for several years, he honestly didn't know much about it.
He was, in fact, speaking the truth, but none of the three believed him.
After half a day's journey, they crossed mountains, passed through a desert, and eventually reached a small river again. Gazing at the scenery along the river, Niu You Dao became lost in thought.
And when he saw three old, sturdy trees on the opposite bank, he realized the area was familiar. Five years ago, he had been heading towards the Supreme Purity Sect from here. This meant Niu You Dao's village was not far.
If they followed the river downstream, they would reach the sect. And now, there should be a small path ahead.
— Prince, could we perhaps stop briefly at the path ahead? —
As soon as he asked, the Prince raised a hand, and the cavalry, reining in their horses, came to a halt.
— Does Master have some business?
Niu You Dao, pointing his whip towards the path, said: — Secretly, Prince. There's a village there, and it happens to be where I was born. I left the village when I was very young. Now I'm feeling nostalgic and would like to visit it briefly. Prince, I won't take much time. Could we take a short break?
Shang Chao Zong looked at Lan Ruo Ting, as if seeking his advice.
Lan Ruo Ting looked around and said with a laugh:
— Since that's the case, Prince, why don't we all take a look at the birthplace of such a talent?
Shang Chao Zong understood that Lan Ruo Ting was suggesting they investigate Niu You Dao's past, and he immediately replied: — That's true!
Niu You Dao understood their intention and reluctantly said:
— It's merely a village by the mountain. Prince, you will likely find the place disagreeable.
— Let's go! — Shang Chao Zong pointed towards the path, and a group of scout riders set off down the trail. The rest slowly followed behind them.
The road led through a wooded area. Who knew if there would be an ambush from both sides, where warriors could shoot arrows or other weapons. Niu You Dao looked at that group. They must not have been ordinary warriors, but the most battle-hardened soldiers.
Piyu, piyu... piyu... piyu.
Suddenly, bird cries rang out. Niu You Dao was as if struck by lightning. He looked in the direction of the bird cries and widened his eyes.
— Prince, those don't sound like bird cries, — one of the guards reported.
Shang Chao Zong immediately signaled for the horses to halt and seriously began to scan their surroundings.
Some cavalrymen rode up to the Prince and the others, shielding them. Some cavalrymen surrounded Niu You Dao and even aimed bows and arrows at him. They stared at him with predatory eyes, suspecting that he had led them into a trap. If anything happened, he wouldn't leave here alive.
Piyu, piyu... piyu... piyu.
Again, bird cries sounded in the distance.
Niu You Dao seemed agitated, and looking around, he puckered his lips and blew three times:
Piyuu... Piyuu... Piyuu.
A dead silence fell over the area, and after a moment, two sounds echoed: Piyuu... Piyuu.
Niu You Dao's eyes gleamed, and no longer paying attention to the danger surrounding him, he angrily shouted: — Make way!
Lan Ruo Ting silently gestured for the men to release him.
Niu You Dao immediately darted forward and stopped: — Piyuuuuuu.... He let out a prolonged sound.
And remaining in place, he began to walk around, looking everywhere.
It wasn't long before a young man emerged from the forest. He was tall and robust, standing right under a tree on the mountain slope. He stared wide-eyed at Niu You Dao, seemingly oblivious to the bows and arrows around him.
Niu You Dao continuously scrutinized him intently. The two men simply stood there. And behind them, Shang Chao Zong and the others found the situation extremely strange.
The tall young man was very agitated. Finally, with trembling lips, he spoke: — Dao... Lord Dao, is that you?
It had been a long time since Niu You Dao had heard that name! It made his blood boil!
Niu You Dao clenched his fists and involuntarily withdrew the hand that wanted to point at him. He also excitedly said: — Monkey!
As if the name "Monkey" had completely broken through the young man's composure, he stumbled, heedless of the thorny bushes, and ran out onto the road.
Niu You Dao also leaped off his horse and ran towards him. The two men rushed to each other and embraced tightly. Much more tightly than a pair of lovers.
Goosebumps appeared on Lan Ruo Ting and the others' skin. However, they understood that Niu You Dao, who usually maintained his composure and behaved quite freely, had at this moment lost control of himself due to seeing an old friend.
But the surrounding guards did not lower their vigilance and encircled them. They didn't know who this man was who imitated bird cries. Who knew, maybe he was giving hostile signals, and Niu You Dao apparently understood these signals.
It was difficult for the others to understand what the two friends felt. They felt so alone in this world. How could others comprehend their loneliness?
After a while, the two men pushed apart and began to examine each other.
Seeing Monkey's robust physique, who was now a head taller than Niu You Dao, Niu You Dao laughed. After all, Monkey was named Monkey because he used to be thin and not very strong.
Monkey had already regained his composure and looked just as calm and composed, but he didn't understand why Niu You Dao was laughing.
— Lord Dao, why are you laughing? — Monkey asked.
— Haven't you noticed how your body has changed?
Monkey seemed to understand what Niu You Dao was talking about and also smiled. He also found that fact amusing. At least now he was a hulking figure.
Niu You Dao asked in surprise: — How did you get here? I saw you escape down the road.
Monkey replied: — I couldn't.
Niu You Dao was astonished: — How so?
Monkey: — The whole temple collapsed, and in the end, I couldn't escape the collapse.
Niu You Dao understood how severe the collapse must have been.
— You also appeared near the village temple?
Monkey nodded: — You are Niu You Dao?
Niu You Dao: — And how do you know that?
Monkey: When I woke up, I noticed an arrow in myself. Obviously, the village had recently been attacked, and I needed to heal my wounds. But I heard that a guy named Niu You Dao became somehow strange. He, like an idiot, came to the village, asked strange questions, and also lost his memory. And when you left the village, no one knew where you went. Then I guessed that Niu You Dao must be you. Only I had severe wounds and couldn't find you. And I didn't know where to look for you.
Shang Chao Zong and the others watched from a distance, but were too far to hear their conversation.
Niu You Dao was silent for a moment, then nodded and put his hands on Monkey's shoulder:
— I always thought you had escaped, but I never imagined you were here too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left the village alone.
Monkey replied with just one word: — Understood!
That was enough for Niu You Dao.
He clasped his hands behind his back and, surveying the area, sighed and said:
— It's a good thing I passed through here, visited the village, and owed the villagers a debt. Otherwise, how and when would I have met you? And with your skills, how did you manage to stay in this village for so long? Have you been outside? Seen this world? And whose heart have you already wounded?