劍問蒼天 - 第5章 驚變 - 翰墨軒

He gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and with a creak pulled the door open.

The bright outdoor light flooded in at once, making him squint. Warm, gentle sunlight fell upon him, carrying a faint sweetness of heat.

Yet his heart plunged straight into an ice cellar.

Beyond the door was a small courtyard with a few pines and cypresses, a few clumps of grass and shrubs, and here and there a few small fragrant flowers blooming at ease. Before the door ran a corridor leading out of the courtyard; four feet from the threshold were several steps joining the courtyard to the corridor.

At the corner of the steps sat a lone child, chin propped on his hand, sitting there blankly, motionless.

Perhaps the sound of the door had startled him; the child hesitated, then slowly turned his head.

Lin Jinghong.

Zhang Qingyue's mouth fell open. A thousand questions filled his heart, but at his lips they turned to silence.

He wanted to shout aloud, but his chest was so choked that no sound would come.

Two lines of tears slid down, just so, without a sound.

The two children looked at each other, just so, without a word.

Somewhere far off, unknown, a clear, secluded birdsong drifted; the sky was blue, with a few white clouds.

Zhang Qingyue sat down on the other side of the steps, head lowered, watching the little stone-paved path in the courtyard.

In the small courtyard, all was still.

How long they sat thus, neither knew; then Lin Jinghong said slowly, "I woke earlier than you. There were still a few people in the room then. I asked them—this is Jietian Peak of the Canglan Mountains."

Zhang Qingyue said in a low voice, "The Canglan Mountains."

Lin Jinghong said, "They said a few disciples of the Canglan Sect were passing by and saw the village, the village—" Here his voice caught and broke.

He raised a hand and rubbed his eyes hard, drew a deep breath, and went on: "Later they found the two of us behind the village and brought us up the mountain."

Zhang Qingyue's lips moved, but he did not raise his head. "What do we do from now on, Jingyu?"

Lin Jinghong shook his head and said bitterly, "I don't know."

Zhang Qingyue was about to speak again when a strange voice came from the corridor behind them: "Ah, you're both awake?"

They turned at once. A young Daoist stood there in a blue Daoist robe, bearing himself with noticeable spirit. He came over quickly and said, "Just as well—several of the masters wish to see you and ask you some questions. Come with me."

Zhang Qingyue and Lin Jinghong exchanged a look and rose. Lin Jinghong said, "Yes. Please lead the way, elder brother."

The young Daoist glanced at Lin Jinghong, nodded, and said, "Follow me."

Following the Daoist, the two passed out of the courtyard, and before them appeared a longer, larger ring-shaped cloister, with a red pillar every two zhang along its edge, and an archway between every two pillars.

They went forward along the cloister, past archway after archway, pillar after pillar, and only then realized that behind every archway lay a small courtyard much like the one they had left; this, it seemed, was where the Canglan Sect's disciples lived and lodged.

Setting all else aside, judging by scale alone there must be a hundred such courtyards at least—a sign of how many disciples Qingyun had.

After a good while they came to the end of the corridor, where stood a towering white wall pierced below by a great gate: two thick wooden door leaves fully ten zhang high, so tall one had to crane back to see their top. How such enormous timber had ever been found, there was no telling.

The young Daoist took no notice of it—likely he went in and out every day and had grown numb to the sight. His face showed none of the wonder the two children felt; expressionless, he walked straight out through the gate. Zhang Qingyue and Lin Jinghong hurried after him.

The moment they stepped through that gate, both children held their breath, unable to believe what lay before them.