Chapter 114 — Breakout

The mouth of this hidden passage opened halfway up Kongsang Mountain, beneath a cliff on the mountain's shaded side, where the trees grew thick and dense—extraordinarily well concealed. No wonder no one had seen it in eight hundred years. Most likely even the descendants of the Blood-Refining Hall today knew nothing of this place.

Zhang Qingyue and Bili stumbled and staggered out. Almost at the very instant they flung themselves to the ground, there came a tremendous crash; a boulder weighing ten thousand catties slammed down, sending dust flying everywhere, sealing the cave mouth tight. From this day on, no one would ever again behold the secrets within the mountain's belly.

Sprawled on the ground, Zhang Qingyue gulped for air, his fingers clutching tightly the faintly moist green grass. That sensation of running along the very edge of life and death truly leaves a person breathless. After a long while, his heart finally began to ease, and he lifted his head and looked to the side. Bili lay right beside him; her originally fair face was now lightly dusted with dirt. As if she had sensed his gaze, she too turned to look at him.

The joy of survival after calamity rose slowly to both their faces. Bili's lips moved; it was as though ripples stirred in her bright eyes, glistening and faintly misted. She gave a cheer, half a sob caught in it—a release after boundless, crushing pressure—and she could think of nothing else at all. She only felt that the sky was so very blue, the mountains so very high, the breeze blowing in gusts, the whole mountain dripping with green, shadows swaying, the forest surging in waves—this world was, after all, beautiful beyond compare, everywhere and in all things.

"We—we're alive!" she cried joyfully to the green hills and the blue sky.

Zhang Qingyue laughed aloud beside her, watching her throw her arms open wide and show the most beautiful smile in all the world.

With a crackle and pop, the flames devoured the firewood, giving off crisp sounds and sending up wisps of light smoke. Bili sat by the fire, watching Zhang Qingyue dress a freshly caught wild hare with a thick branch, then skewer it and set it over the flames to roast. Under the flame's slow caress the hare meat turned golden brown, and bead by bead the fat congealed into droplets and fell hissing into the fire.

Beneath the forest canopy a rich, savory fragrance spread on the air. Having gone so hungry in the cave, Bili could not help her mouth watering, and she swallowed. But Zhang Qingyue was entirely unhurried; he judged the fire, then by force of habit reached to touch his waist, and suddenly his face went blank—then lit up with delight.

Bili asked in surprise, "What is it?"

Zhang Qingyue drew a small bundle from his waist with great glee and said, laughing, "To think we lost all our rations, but these things are still here—and I never even noticed them these past days."

Bili looked toward the bundle as Zhang Qingyue carefully opened it, revealing several small bottles and jars. Curious, she picked a few up and sniffed them, then froze, staring at Zhang Qingyue, almost speechless: "This—this is salt and spices..."

Zhang Qingyue beamed. "That's right. I've carried them on me ever since I came down the mountain—just in case I had to spend a night in the wilds, so I could cook something decent. I never thought they'd come in handy today."

Bili looked him up and down, for a moment at a loss for words, as he carefully sprinkled these things—whether five-spice or salt—over the hare meat, then slowly turned the branch to roast it, the fragrance in the air growing ever richer. Never had she seen a man of the orthodox path who actually carried seasonings on his person when he went out. From the look of him, he seemed more a cook than a disciple of some illustrious orthodox sect.

After a while Zhang Qingyue leaned in and sniffed, then said with delight, "Done—time to eat."

Bili had long since grown impatient waiting at his side. The fragrance seemed to seep in everywhere, entering through every pore of her body; one sniff and she felt as though she would float up, so light did she feel. As for her mouth—needless to say, if she had not been careful to conceal it, the little rascal would surely have heard her stomach rumbling.

So when she heard that Zhang Qingyue, in his great kindness, had at last declared it done, and saw before her a golden, fragrant hare, she nearly drooled. She could not resist reaching out—but forgot herself for the moment, and the instant her hand touched it she gave a cry of "Ah!" and snatched it back, having burned herself.

Zhang Qingyue said with a smile, "No need to rush!" With that he lifted the branch away from the fire and moved it up and down so the fat could drip off and the meat cool a little. Then he carefully tore off a hind leg and handed it to Bili, saying with a smile, "Eat."

Bili reached out at once and took the hare meat; she was just about to bite into it when she suddenly saw Zhang Qingyue's gentle smile turned upon her. Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves of the forest, sprinkling down in bits and drops, a few of them falling upon his face—so bright and open was his look.

For some reason her face suddenly flushed. She turned away, her back to Zhang Qingyue, and only then began to eat. Zhang Qingyue was taken aback for a moment, but thought nothing of it; he himself was famished beyond bearing, so he tore off the other leg and fell to gnawing at it.

Halfway through, he suddenly saw Bili turn back to look at him, and asked in mild surprise, "What is it? Oh—is the meat good?"

A faint blush lay on Bili's cheeks; a light breeze blew from deep in the woods, gently lifting her soft long hair and brushing past her fair face.

"It's delicious. Er..."

Zhang Qingyue: "What is it?"

Bili: "...I'm finished."

Her face wore a faint gentleness, a thread of quiet shyness. Zhang Qingyue's mouth fell slightly open; he was utterly entranced.

Bili lowered her head a little, and suddenly silence fell between them. After a long while Zhang Qingyue started as if waking from a dream: "Ah!"

Sweat broke out on his brow, and he stammered, words failing to form a sentence: "I—I wasn't looking, no, I mean, you look at me—ah, no, ah, here, take this."

So saying, he shut his eyes and held out the hare leg, and somehow he dared not open them again.

But a long while passed and Bili seemed not to move. Zhang Qingyue gathered his courage and slowly opened his eyes. Bili was looking at him, her face wearing a half-smile that was not quite a smile, yet her eyes were tender, a softness and charm beyond all telling in them. In a low voice, with the faintest smile, she said, "You're giving this to me to eat?"

Zhang Qingyue did not understand. He looked down at his hands—and his face flushed scarlet with shame. For what he had held out to Bili was the half-gnawed hare leg in his right hand, while most of the hare meat he was clutching in his left, held close beside him.

"N-no, that's not—" Zhang Qingyue was mortified beyond measure. Like a flash he drew back that shameful hare leg, then sheepishly held out the untouched meat, muttering, "I was—I was—I meant to..."

"I know." Bili took the hare, tore off a piece, and put it in her mouth, chewing gently. "It's delicious. The best thing I've ever eaten in all my life is this hare you've just roasted."

Zhang Qingyue's heart gave a leap. On Bili's lovely, pure-featured face he saw a look half smiling, half earnest as she spoke, and his heart stirred; not daring to look again, he opened his mouth and bit into the half-eaten rabbit leg, burying his head and eating with all his might.