Chapter 153 — Night Drinking

The Sanfu Town before them looked as though it had become an empty town, utterly deserted. Most of the surrounding houses remained intact, and only a few places showed signs of damage, yet the people of the whole town had vanished completely. A deathly stillness shrouded the little town.

Ming Li gave a cold snort, understanding a good part of it. No need to say it—this town's present state was most likely the work of the beast demons' calamity. The townsfolk had either fled north early, or, if they fled too slowly, could hardly have escaped becoming food in the beasts' jaws. A fine little town, reduced to such a state. And who knew how many other towns across the vast lands of Shenzhou now looked the same?

Wind came from afar, raising a little dust and sand along the street. On so warm a day, the wind blowing through this little town seemed cold as well. Xiao Hui still seemed uneasy; it drew close to Ming Li, looking all around. Ming Li bent down, gathered Xiao Hui into his arms, and said in a low voice, "It is all right."

Xiao Hui blinked, and seemed to calm down with Ming Li beside it. Ming Li drew a deep breath and slowly walked forward. Xiao Hui climbed onto his shoulder and made no more noise, quietly gazing about.

Apart from the wind, there was not a sound in the little town. Ming Li walked on at leisure. Halfway down the street, he saw that some houses had doors and windows tightly shut, while others stood with doors wide open—whether the beasts had broken in, he could not tell. Yet along the way he saw no human corpses; it seemed the people here had gotten word beforehand and had mostly fled north.

Just then a cold gust of wind blew past, and a tottering door on the left side of the street fell with a bang, striking the ground with a loud clatter that echoed down the empty street. Ming Li and Xiao Hui both turned to look. Behind the door, an arm lay limply across the wooden boards, motionless, and in the air there lingered a faint smell of blood.

Ming Li looked silently in that direction for a while, then turned his head and walked on. Xiao Hui, perched on his shoulder, kept glancing back at that arm.

Ming Li had been to Sanfu Town a few times before, so he knew something of the place. Walking slowly, silent for a long while, he finally spoke. "I remember there is a tavern ahead. Let us go there—perhaps we can still find you something to eat."

Xiao Hui chirped twice.

The sound of footsteps on the street seemed especially loud now. Cold wind blew from behind, gust after gust. Soon, following the street, they came before that tavern. Its signboard had fallen from the door lintel and lay face-down at the entrance, coated in dust. Ming Li glanced at the wooden plaque whose name he did not know, stepped onto it, and left a footprint there.

Suddenly Xiao Hui gave a low cry, staring into the tavern, and Ming Li's body too came to an abrupt halt. A moment later, a low growl came from within the tavern.

A beast demon? That was Ming Li's first thought—though the growl sounded somehow familiar.

"Grrraah..."

Xiao Hui suddenly let out a shriek and darted into the tavern. Ming Li was startled, not knowing why Xiao Hui had grown so agitated so suddenly; but Xiao Hui had always been closest to him, his only companion, and whatever happened he could not let Xiao Hui face the mysterious thing in the tavern alone. Seeing Xiao Hui about to vanish into the tavern in an instant, Ming Li's expression changed; his figure blurred, and he had already given chase.

The next moment he stood within the tavern, and when he saw clearly what was inside, he could not help but start.

The tavern was a mess—pots, bowls, pans, and basins strewn everywhere, shards in heaps, the former tables and chairs jumbled about, and on the few that remained intact a thick layer of dust could be seen. Yet in this ruined tavern, on a table in the middle that was still more or less whole, sat a pot of wine and several cups, and beside it sat a youth dressed in bright silken garments. In the open space between him and Ming Li, a monstrous beast faced off against Xiao Hui, its aspect fierce and dreadful, its growl low with a hint of astonishment—none other than the vicious beast Taotie.

It was that mysterious youth Ming Li had met in the deep forest amid the wild hills that day.

Taotie stretched out its long neck and glared at Xiao Hui with four great eyes like bronze bells. But Xiao Hui's expression was no longer as tense as at first; rather, it seemed somewhat pleased. It chirped twice, grinned, and slowly stepped forward—it meant to pat Taotie's head with its hand.

Taotie gave a low growl, plainly not used to this gesture from Xiao Hui. Xiao Hui paused, blinked its three eyes, and walked two circles around the vicious beast's body, from left to right and from right to left. Taotie's long neck turned, following Xiao Hui's body this way and that, giving an occasional low growl, though the hostility in it grew ever less. Plainly this three-eyed spirit monkey had won a measure of fondness even from Taotie—though whether it was because Taotie rarely met a creature as gluttonous as itself, and so regarded it with special favor, was hard to say.

By now the youth had seen Ming Li as well. He sat without moving, but his expression too seemed to falter for a moment—plainly he had not expected to meet Ming Li here either. Yet he quickly recovered, smiled faintly, and nodded to Ming Li. Ming Li's astonishment was no less than the youth's, and his doubts about this mysterious youth's identity were now greater still. To appear in a tavern in such a dead and silent little town—the man's origins needed no asking; they were profoundly strange.

By now Xiao Hui had drawn near Taotie. Suddenly it opened its mouth in a grin, reached out, and patted Taotie's rough head. Taotie gave a low growl, its four eyes fixed on Xiao Hui, its look fierce; but Xiao Hui seemed not the least afraid—rather, it found the whole thing great fun, and patted twice more, producing an odd, faintly comical "puff-puff" sound.

Taotie seemed at a loss with the monkey. It snorted, as a man might give a helpless hum, then lay down and paid Xiao Hui no more mind. But Xiao Hui seemed to have taken a great liking to this queer-looking beast; it drew close to Taotie, poking and touching it here and there, altogether affectionate.

The mysterious youth withdrew his gaze from the two spirit beasts and looked at Ming Li, smiling. "They seem to be getting along well."

Ming Li nodded and smiled faintly as well.

The youth slapped the chair beside him. "We two must be fated, after all. Heaven is vast and earth is wide, and yet we meet again here. Why not come sit, brother, and drink a cup with me, and we can talk a while."

Ming Li glanced at Xiao Hui and Taotie, now huddled together—Xiao Hui's attention seemed wholly fixed on Taotie. He said mildly, "Very well." With that he walked over slowly, but instead of sitting beside the youth, he took another chair and sat on the opposite side of the table.

A faint smile lingered on the youth's handsome face. He reached out, took a clean cup, set it before Ming Li, filled it with wine, and said with a smile, "What brings you to this deserted, out-of-the-way town, brother?"

Ming Li did not answer. Looking at the youth, he said in a low voice, "And what brings you?"

The youth smiled slightly. "I was passing through and saw that a few cups of wine could still be found here, so I stopped to rest a while and drink alone."

Ming Li turned to glance at Xiao Hui. "If I told you I came here with this monkey to look for wine, would you believe it?"

The youth started, glanced at Xiao Hui, then suddenly burst out laughing and clapped his hands. "Believe it? Why would I not! Come, come—let us drink a cup together. Life is lonely enough; it is rare to meet a kindred soul in a remote corner at the ends of the earth, both looking for wine."