Zhang Xiaofan climbed up the mountain and came to that bamboo grove he knew so well. All he saw was verdant green covering the slopes, layer upon layer; when the mountain wind passed, the sea of bamboo rose and fell like waves upon the ocean, a magnificent sight that at once broadened his heart.
He drew a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, loosened his limbs, and, carrying his woodcutter’s knife, walked into the bamboo grove. The place he was going now was no longer the same as when he had first come three years ago, but the deepest part of the grove, where great bamboos stood in ranks and the bamboo itself was even harder.
The faint morning mist drifted through the forest like gauze. On the green bamboo leaves to either side of the path, crystalline dewdrops gleamed, beautiful and translucent.
After walking for a while, he found himself in a green ocean. Most of the black-jointed bamboos here towered high, their branches and leaves luxuriant, thrusting straight into the sky. Light filtered down through the gaps in the foliage, leaving patches of shadow upon the ground. Zhang Xiaofan looked left and right, chose a large black-jointed bamboo, measured it with his eye, then raised his blade to chop.
With a muffled “puff,” Zhang Xiaofan suddenly felt a burst of pain on his forehead—something had struck him there. He lowered his head and saw a pinecone rolling on the ground. All around him were black-jointed bamboos; there were plenty of bamboo shoots, but pinecones were absolutely nowhere to be found.
He thought for a moment, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Looking around, he called loudly, “Senior Sister, is that you?”
His voice carried far through the bamboo grove, but after a long while no one answered. Zhang Xiaofan knew that his senior sister had always been mischievous and loved playing tricks on people. He was just about to call again when, all of a sudden, his forehead hurt once more—so painfully that he had actually been hit by another pinecone. From above his head came a shrill “ji ji ji ji” cry.
Enduring the pain, Zhang Xiaofan looked up and saw that, at some point, a gray-furred monkey had climbed onto this black-jointed bamboo. It clutched several pinecones in its hand, its tail hanging upside down from a bamboo branch, and was screeching “ji ji ji ji” as if laughing, looking very much as though it were rejoicing in his misfortune.
Zhang Xiaofan froze for a moment. In the past three years, he had never seen a monkey in the bamboo grove. Moreover, Dazhu Peak was almost entirely covered in bamboo; only in a deep valley on the mountain’s shaded side was there a wild forest of pines and cypresses. It seemed this monkey lived there, though for some reason it had run up the mountain today.
Dazhu Peak was tall, sheer, and perilous. Though it did not rise above the clouds like Tongtian Peak, it still pierced straight into the sea of clouds. From the foot of the mountain upward, there was almost no road to climb; most disciples of the Qingyun Sect came and went by flying through the air. Zhang Xiaofan’s cultivation was shallow, but aside from chopping bamboo every day, he had also often heard his senior brothers talk in ordinary conversation about how, in the deep valley behind Dazhu Peak, pines, cypresses, and wild trees formed a forest, secluded and unfathomable, rarely visited by human tracks. In past years, among the ancestral masters of the Dazhu Peak lineage, there had also been those who rode their swords into that deep valley to investigate, but it was merely a primeval forest without anything especially strange—only a few more fierce beasts and poisonous insects. Yet those creatures never came out of the valley, and so all these years there had been peace.
As he was thinking, he suddenly saw the monkey raise its hand. His heart jumped, and he hurriedly moved aside. Sure enough, another pinecone came smashing down. Had he not dodged, he would have suffered again.
Seeing that he had moved away, the gray monkey shrieked twice, its face showing anger, as if blaming Zhang Xiaofan for having no business dodging.
Zhang Xiaofan made a face at the monkey, ignored it, and walked away, thinking that this monkey actually took pleasure in hitting people—truly rare, and truly an ignorant beast. He had only taken two steps when he suddenly heard the sound of wind behind his ear. Before he could dodge, with a “puff,” the back of his head was struck by a hard pinecone. The force of this blow was not light; Zhang Xiaofan’s vision went black, and he could not help crying out.
He saw the monkey clapping its hands on the bamboo branch, laughing loudly, swaying back and forth, extremely delighted. Zhang Xiaofan was furious. He rushed over and shook the bamboo violently. Such a large black-jointed bamboo was shaken by him until it swung wildly from side to side, but the gray monkey merely wrapped its tail around the bamboo trunk and let him shake however he liked, not afraid in the slightest. Instead, it kept laughing “ji ji ji” without end.
Seeing that he could do nothing to the monkey, Zhang Xiaofan grew even more annoyed. He drew his woodcutter’s knife and hacked fiercely at the bamboo. The monkey was not afraid either; it merely watched him from the bamboo with great interest.
Zhang Xiaofan chopped until his head was covered in sweat. With great difficulty, he had cut through seventy or eighty percent of it, and success was in sight, when he suddenly heard a shriek from the bamboo. Raising his head, he saw the gray monkey swing its tail, its body flying up as it actually jumped onto another black-jointed bamboo nearby. Then, with a “pa,” it threw down another pinecone.
Zhang Xiaofan was furious. Not caring whether the monkey understood him or not, he pointed at it and shouted, “If you’ve got the guts, come down!”
The gray monkey scratched its head and tilted it, thinking for a long while. It probably still did not understand what having guts or not having guts meant, and merely burst into loud laughter, making faces at Zhang Xiaofan.
Zhang Xiaofan was half dead with anger, but there was nothing he could do. That day, he barely managed to complete his assignment, but his head had been struck seven or eight times by that monkey, and it ached terribly.
Full of anger, Zhang Xiaofan went down the mountain resentfully, refusing to pay any attention to the monkey. Unexpectedly, the monkey became addicted to the game. For several mornings in a row, it waited in the bamboo grove; as soon as Zhang Xiaofan came to chop bamboo, it took pleasure in pelting him, extremely happy as it watched Zhang Xiaofan’s angry expression.
※※※
Before dinner that evening, Tian Ling’er pulled Zhang Xiaofan aside and asked secretly, “Xiaofan, what happened to your head?”
For days, Zhang Xiaofan had been bullied by that gray monkey. His head had been hit until it was bruised blue and purple, aching without cease. But he felt it was very shameful to be toyed with by a monkey, and so had told no one. Now, hearing his senior sister ask, he hesitated for a moment before finally telling her.
Tian Ling’er’s red lips flattened, and she could not help laughing. Two small dimples appeared beside her cheeks, making her truly beautiful beyond measure. Zhang Xiaofan felt as though she were teasing him, or perhaps it was something else; for no reason, his face warmed, and he lowered his head.
Tian Ling’er carelessly patted Zhang Xiaofan on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Little Junior Brother. These days Mother has had me spend more time cultivating in Taiji Cave, preparing for the ‘Seven Peaks Martial Meet’ two years from now. I didn’t expect that would let you be bullied by a monkey. Don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll go up the mountain with you and teach that bad monkey a lesson.”
Her tone was old-fashioned and self-important, carrying somewhat of the air of coaxing a child. But Zhang Xiaofan had been used to hearing it since he was little, and with a wry smile, he did not mind.
Early the next morning, Tian Ling’er did indeed rise early and went with Zhang Xiaofan up the back mountain.
A cool mountain breeze blew gently. Tian Ling’er wore a red dress, just like the first time she had gone up the mountain with Zhang Xiaofan years ago to chop bamboo, and she skipped along ahead. Zhang Xiaofan followed behind, watching the beautiful girl before him. She was like a red cloud, drifting lightly through the mountains, and with the mountain wind, there seemed to be a faint, delicate fragrance carried to him.
His mind grew dazed, and suddenly there arose in him a feeling: how wonderful it would be if they could go on walking like this forever.
He was lost in thought, but Tian Ling’er had already gone far ahead. She looked back and shouted loudly, “Xiaofan, why are you so slow?”
Zhang Xiaofan woke with a start, his face reddening. Not daring to think further, he hurriedly quickened his pace and caught up.
When the two arrived before the bamboo grove, Tian Ling’er said to Zhang Xiaofan, “Xiaofan, you go in alone first. I’ll follow from behind.”
Zhang Xiaofan nodded, carried his woodcutter’s knife, and walked in. After a few steps, he suddenly remembered that he ought to remind Tian Ling’er to be careful. He turned to look, but her figure had already vanished.
He froze for a moment, and for some reason a wave of melancholy rose in his heart. Immediately afterward, he shook his head, cast aside those idle thoughts, and walked toward the depths of the bamboo grove. When he reached his destination, the forest was utterly quiet. Zhang Xiaofan lifted his eyes and looked around, but unexpectedly could not find that gray-furred monkey. He muttered inwardly: hopefully that monkey had not gained some spiritual awareness, guessed that he had brought help today, and no longer dared to come.
Thinking this, he looked all around, but since he could not find the monkey’s trace, it was useless. He could only walk to a black-jointed bamboo and make as if to chop it.
“Ji ji ji ji!” Suddenly, the familiar shrill cries sounded above his head.
Zhang Xiaofan immediately leaped aside as if by reflex, but felt pain on the top of his head—it was already too late. He had been struck squarely by a pinecone, and it hurt terribly. Zhang Xiaofan looked up and saw that gray monkey, just as usual, hanging upside down from a bamboo branch and laughing without end.
Joy surged in his heart. He jumped up, pointed at the monkey, and laughed loudly. “Haha, you finally came!”
His voice was not loud, but the monkey was startled badly by him. It thought to itself that, on ordinary days, whenever this person was hit, he would always fly into a rage and become furious. Why was he so delighted today instead? Could it be that after being pelted by me for several days, he had actually become addicted to it—uncomfortable if he wasn’t hit, and happy instead when it hurt?
At this moment, a red shadow suddenly flashed through the bamboo grove. Tian Ling’er stepped upon the “Amber Scarlet Silk,” flying through the air, swift as lightning. Her five fingers formed a claw as she grabbed toward the monkey.
Unexpectedly, the monkey was extremely quick-witted. With a glance from the corner of its eye, it immediately reacted; its tail, which had been wrapped around the bamboo branch, instantly loosened, and its whole body dropped downward. Tian Ling’er had calculated ways to pursue it no matter whether it fled forward, backward, left, or right, but she had not expected the gray monkey to simply fall down. She could not help being stunned for an instant, and her grab caught only empty air.
Zhang Xiaofan, down below, made as if to move, but then saw the monkey in midair lightly extend its monkey arms, grab the bamboo trunk, and immediately cling to it. Then, without the slightest pause, seeming to know that the red-clothed girl above was formidable, it instantly swung and leaped, swaying from one bamboo to another and then to the next, intending to flee far away.
Tian Ling’er’s competitive spirit flared. In midair, she shouted, “After it!” With a gesture of her left hand, the Amber Scarlet Silk broke through the air. Zhang Xiaofan, down below, broke into a run, pursuing with great strides.
If they had been in an open space, with the speed of the Amber Scarlet Silk, Tian Ling’er would have caught the gray monkey in no time. But now, in the dense bamboo grove, it was greatly obstructed. The gray monkey was extremely clever and never fled in a straight line. It swung left and right through the forest, twisting and turning as it fled forward. Tian Ling’er had to keep track of the monkey while also guarding against the black-jointed bamboos coming toward her from every direction, which was exceedingly troublesome. As for Zhang Xiaofan, he could only chase on the ground and worry helplessly, unable to help.
Thus two people and one monkey chased and ran in haste. Amid the gray monkey’s “ji ji ji ji” shrieks, who knew how long they had chased? Zhang Xiaofan’s breathing gradually grew heavy, and he already felt tired; he guessed they had run a very long way.
Before his eyes, the green bamboo grove seemed endless, layer after layer coming toward him. Zhang Xiaofan’s mouth was dry and his tongue parched when suddenly he saw a gray shadow flash ahead and actually drop straight down. He was overjoyed and immediately found his spirits restored. Gathering his strength, he charged forward. At that very moment, Tian Ling’er above suddenly cried out sharply, “Careful!”
Before Zhang Xiaofan, a cliff abruptly appeared. Zhang Xiaofan hastily stopped his feet and nearly fell. After steadying himself, he saw that beneath the cliff was a deep valley. In the distance within the valley, thick mist filled the air, making it impossible to see clearly, while on the nearer valley wall there were no longer black-jointed bamboos, but all manner of wild trees and shrubs, mostly pines and cypresses. It turned out they had already chased all the way to that secluded valley in the far reaches of the back mountain.
Zhang Xiaofan watched as the gray monkey dropped down. In midair, it used its old trick again, grabbing a tree branch; with a swing and a drift of its body, it dissolved the force of its fall and continued fleeing forward.
He was growing anxious when he suddenly heard the sound of something breaking through the air. Looking up, he saw Tian Ling’er’s red clothes fluttering as she flew through the air toward him, extending a jade-like hand and calling, “Get on.”
Zhang Xiaofan had no time to think. He reached out and grabbed Tian Ling’er’s hand. Tian Ling’er pulled hard, drawing him onto the scarlet silk. The “Amber Scarlet Silk” immediately sank for a moment, but soon returned to normal.
This was Zhang Xiaofan’s first experience of such a thing, and he did not know what to do with his hands and feet. Tian Ling’er pulled him behind her and scolded, “Hold my waist, quickly.”
Zhang Xiaofan did as she said and held on. Tian Ling’er could not wait any longer and guided the silk into flight. A red shadow swept past as the two rode the “Amber Scarlet Silk,” plunging straight into the deep valley and pursuing the figure of the gray monkey.
The wind howled bitterly. Zhang Xiaofan only felt it rushing past with a roar, so fierce he could almost not open his eyes. Yet the “Amber Scarlet Silk” beneath his feet was neither soft nor not soft, giving the impression that if one were careless, one would fall at any moment, making his heart tremble with fear. He was somewhat afraid, and could not help holding Tian Ling’er even more tightly. He only felt the red clothes before him like clouds drifting before his eyes, his senior sister’s back as beautiful and pure as a fairy from the nine heavens. There was also a faint, delicate fragrance drifting into his nose. Joy rose in his heart, and he truly wished that time would stop flowing then and there.
How could Tian Ling’er have imagined all the strange thoughts of the little boy behind her? Her entire mind was fixed on the gray monkey ahead. Ordinarily, she was deeply loved and praised by her parents and all her senior brothers, and her nature was rather proud. Now that she could not catch a mere monkey, that was absolutely unacceptable.
Thus, within the deep valley, among the shadows of the trees, a gray shadow went ahead while a red shadow chased closely behind, winding and swaying as they pursued and fled.
They chased like this for nearly another half hour. That gray monkey was of some unknown strange breed; unexpectedly, it showed no sign of fatigue at all and still fled with great speed. But after pursuing for so long, Tian Ling’er had gradually become familiar with the method of weaving through the forest, and it looked as though she was getting closer and closer.
The gray monkey fled all the way toward the depths of the secluded valley. From behind Tian Ling’er, Zhang Xiaofan looked ahead and saw that the trees before them were gradually thinning, light filtering in. Vaguely, there seemed to be an open space, and there was also the sound of water. At this moment, the gray monkey’s shrieks grew even more urgent, as if it had not expected these two people to chase for so long without giving up. But with no retreat behind it, it could only flee forward with all its might.
Before long, the scene before them suddenly brightened. It was indeed an open clearing. The ground was covered with shattered stones, and in the middle lay a small emerald pool, its rippling waters flowing west. When the gray monkey fled here, it clearly hesitated for a moment, but the sound of something breaking through the air behind it arrived in the blink of an eye. Having no choice, it dropped to the ground and continued running forward. Yet for some reason, its steps became extremely slow. How did it look like it was fleeing for its life? It would be more accurate to say it was taking a stroll. Even so, it still moved forward step by step.
Zhang Xiaofan found this strange as he watched, but Tian Ling’er had to dodge obstacles at high speed while keeping track of the monkey’s whereabouts. All her attention was highly concentrated; how could she think of so much? Seeing that the gray monkey was right before her eyes, she was overjoyed. With a shout, she drove the silk straight in, rushing into the clearing and pouncing toward the gray monkey.
Just as they were about to catch the monkey, Zhang Xiaofan suddenly heard a “boom” in his mind. His body swayed involuntarily twice, and a nauseating urge to vomit rose from his internal organs and rushed straight to his head. In an instant, his whole body began to tremble. Zhang Xiaofan was greatly shocked and at a loss. Just then, his chest suddenly warmed, and a current of warm air spread out, protecting his heart meridian before canceling out that nausea.
Zhang Xiaofan subconsciously looked down at his chest, sensing that the warmth came from the deep purple bead Puzhi had given him. At the same time, Tian Ling’er ahead of him also trembled twice. Her body went limp, and she actually fell.
The two of them had been in midair. The moment Tian Ling’er lost control, the Amber Scarlet Silk immediately stopped, and the two of them at once dropped from the air.
Zhang Xiaofan rolled several times on the ground, hurting badly, but he could not care about that. Before he even stood up, he hurriedly shouted, “Senior Sister! Senior Sister! Are you all right?”
He saw Tian Ling’er fallen face-down ahead, motionless, her face deathly pale, her forehead covered in cold sweat. She had already fainted.
Zhang Xiaofan was greatly alarmed, guessing that it was most likely related to that strange sensation just now. Immediately, he endured the pain, climbed up, ran to Tian Ling’er’s side, and pushed her while calling several times, but Tian Ling’er still did not respond.
Zhang Xiaofan looked around again and saw that, with the pool of emerald water as the center, within three zhang, not a blade of grass grew. Yet beyond three zhang, the trees and woods were luxuriant. He gritted his teeth and endured the waves of nausea that rose in his heart from time to time. Carrying Tian Ling’er on his back, he also picked up the Amber Scarlet Silk that had fallen to one side and walked outward.
This distance of one or two zhang would normally have been hardly worth mentioning, but under the repeated assaults of that nauseating sensation, it was unexpectedly difficult beyond measure. With great effort, he finally walked beyond three zhang and came beneath a large pine tree. Sure enough, that nausea immediately vanished without a trace.
Zhang Xiaofan put Tian Ling’er down and panted heavily. His gaze turned toward the pool, and he saw that the gray monkey was still there, no longer moving. Its face was full of suffering as it looked toward him, its eyes clearly carrying the meaning of begging for help.
Zhang Xiaofan frowned, but in the end he could not bear it. He stood and walked inward again. After only a few steps, that nauseating sensation reappeared, and at the same time, the warmth in his chest rose once more, resisting the discomfort.
Zhang Xiaofan slowly walked to the monkey’s side, his head already covered in sweat. Seeing him arrive beside it, the gray monkey did not move at all; it seemed to have been pressed down until it could hardly breathe. Zhang Xiaofan drew a deep breath, bent down, picked up the monkey, turned, and walked outward. At this moment, the gray monkey was extremely obedient, lying quietly in his arms.
With great difficulty, he finally came back out and walked to Tian Ling’er’s side, where she still lay unconscious. The nausea vanished along with it. Zhang Xiaofan put the gray monkey down and sat heavily on the ground, breathing in great gulps. The gray monkey also let out a breath of relief and lay on the ground, its eyes rolling about, but it did not flee; it merely looked at Zhang Xiaofan.
Zhang Xiaofan opened the front of his robe and took out the bead tied with a red cord, examining it carefully. He saw that its originally deep purple exterior had turned pale purple, and the thread of green qi inside seemed to have been stimulated by something; its circling speed had become ten times faster as it spun without cease, crashing everywhere against the outer surface of the bead. As before, each time the green qi collided with it, a Buddhist mantra character “卐” would emerge to block it. And that warmth which had just saved Zhang Xiaofan had come precisely from this mantra.
Yet Zhang Xiaofan could clearly see that, compared to when he had first discovered it three years ago, those Buddhist “卐” mantra characters had already become much weaker, both in size and in brightness.