Chapter 115 — Hope

The sky gradually brightened, though the southern sun was nowhere to be seen. The heavens were overcast and heavy with dark clouds—a gloomy day.

Still the light was bright enough, and the air did not feel close. Now and then a breeze blew past, brushing over the skin without the heat of the night before, and one could not help but feel refreshed.

A chill flowed through his body, while from the Mystic Fire Mirror at his breast came a faint, mild warmth. Two utterly different currents of air existed within him at once, and at this moment they seemed quite calm, encroaching not at all upon each other.

Ming Li slowly opened his eyes and smiled a private, bitter smile that no one saw.

In truth, no one knew the state of his body better than he did. What Little White—the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox—had said to him the night before about his body had all been confirmed in that sudden collapse during his duel with the Scarlet Flame Beast.

Even he himself did not know how much longer his body could hold out.

He lowered his head and looked at the black rod of Dark Iron resting quietly in his hand. How many years had it kept him company, so quietly?

He smiled suddenly and gripped the Dark Iron rod tightly, as though it were flesh and blood bound to his own.

So long as Bi Li could be saved, what did anything else matter?

Suddenly a rush of wind came over the little hill, and a figure descended from the sky, drawing near from afar.

Ming Li's brows knitted. He rose to his feet and looked up, his eyes cold as ice.

A moment later the figure landed, radiance flickering and slowly fading, revealing a form clothed in yellow.

Jin Pingyue!

Ming Li's gaze sharpened, and his heart gave an involuntary jolt. This little hilltop of his could hardly be called anything but well hidden, yet Jin Pingyue had actually found her way here—truly remarkable. Could she have been following him in secret, and he had not noticed at all?

Jin Pingyue wore her familiar smile and cast Ming Li a sidelong glance, as though she had known all along he would be here, showing not the least surprise. "Young Master," she said with a smile, "you have found yourself a fine place to hide!"

Ming Li gave a cold snort and suddenly said, "It is you, Miss Jin, who has the fine methods—formidable indeed."

Jin Pingyue, as though unable to hear the barb in his words, laughed and said, "How could I compare with you, Young Master? Last night you did no more than try your blade a little, and all the Burning Cloud Valley was turned upside down, heaven and earth changed color. This humble girl admires you enormously!"

A thousand thoughts raced through Ming Li's mind, yet he could not for the life of him see how this woman of the Enchanting Spirit Sect had found him. He let nothing show on his face and said lightly, "The volcanic eruption last night was a natural matter of heaven and earth. It had nothing to do with me. But I wonder, Miss, did you learn anything last night?"

Jin Pingyue's eyes shifted, and she was about to speak when her brows suddenly drew together slightly. Behind Ming Li, with a rustle, out darted the grey-furred monkey that always followed him, and then from the woods a woman came pacing out—skin like snow, brows and eyes like a painting, ten thousand charms and a thousand graces all contained in her gentle, graceful figure. She was a beauty unequaled in this world.

And most importantly, at one glance Jin Pingyue saw that the woman wore only an outer robe, with nothing beneath it; as she walked, glimpses of white skin showed faintly through, adding to the temptation.

That garment was plainly a man's robe. The night before, she had seen Ming Li wearing it, and now Ming Li no longer had an outer robe.

Light flickered in Jin Pingyue's eyes, and she suddenly smiled. "This elder sister is so very beautiful—how is it I have never seen her in all these days?"

With that, she looked at Ming Li with a half-smile. "I have often heard tell that you and Miss Bi Li were deeply in love—that Miss Bi Li, for your sake, did not hesitate to scatter her very soul, throwing herself before the 'Immortal-Slaying Marvelous Sword'; and that you, for her sake, betrayed the Azure Cloud Sect, entered the Holy Church, and aided its lord, the Nether King, in his campaigns on all sides, slaying men beyond count. And further, that for ten years you have braved danger to penetrate deep into the Ten Thousand Savage Mountains of the southern wilds, seeking a way to heal Miss Bi Li. All this—how could the women of this world not be moved and enamored?"

Her voice grew softer and more alluring, her expression gentler still, but then her words took a turn: "Only time is heartless, and the years bear witness; what is past is past. That you, Young Master, have found a new companion—this calls for congratulation. Heh, one of these days let me go in person to Mount Fox Ridge and offer my respects to the Nether King."

Ming Li's face turned grim and cold; at the latter words his expression grew colder still. But he only gave a cold snort and said nothing at all.

It was the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, Little White, who looked at Ming Li, then at Jin Pingyue standing opposite, and suddenly laughed. "You misunderstand, Miss. The truth is, last night this humble girl met some ruffians and was nearly carried off and violated by them. Fortunately this Young Master Ming Li happened to be passing and came to my aid, and so I escaped by mere luck. As for these clothes I wear, the Young Master lent them to me for the time being to preserve my modesty."

Jin Pingyue turned her eyes to Little White. With her experience and discernment, how could she believe such nonsense? And looking at Little White's smiling face, did she look in the least like someone who had just been threatened by ruffians the night before? In Jin Pingyue's eyes, if any blind fool of a bandit in this world ran into the woman before her, he would most likely…

Jin Pingyue shook her head slightly and could not be bothered to dwell on the matter. Only, unable to resist, she stole a few more glances at Little White, whose beauty was no less than her own, then turned back to Ming Li. "Young Master, last night in the Burning Cloud Valley, did you discover anything?"

Ming Li said lightly, "Nothing. Shortly after I entered last night, the volcano erupted, and I withdrew." He paused, then said to Jin Pingyue, "You slipped toward the noisy place at the valley mouth last night—was anything the matter there? Did you discover anything about the relation between those fish-men and the Burning Cloud Valley?"

Jin Pingyue smiled faintly, entirely at ease, and shook her head with a sigh. "Most unlucky—I discovered nothing either. The noise at the valley mouth last night was a few of their disciples quarreling. As for those fish-men, I have not a single clue!"

Ming Li frowned and fell silent.

Jin Pingyue pondered a moment, then turned and glanced at Little White a few more times. A smile surfaced on her face, and she said to Ming Li, "Since you have a beauty for company, Young Master, I suppose I should not stay here and be an eyesore. Let us part here. Perhaps before long, if fate allows, I shall meet you again in these southern lands."

With that, she smiled at Little White, waved her sleeve, and with a flash of light turned into a yellow gleam that flew up into the sky.

Ming Li gazed at the figure growing ever smaller against the heavens, his brows tightly knit. Little White came to his side, and Little Grey leaped up in two or three bounds—though it had been but one night, the monkey already seemed quite familiar with this woman.

Little White gently gathered Little Grey into her arms, pondered a moment, and said to Ming Li, "Did you ever tell her that we would be here?"