Chapter 22 — Nightfall
劍問蒼天 · Page 1 of 6
The Seven Peaks Martial Gathering was the great event of the Canglan Sect, held once every sixty years. With hundreds of extra people suddenly crowded onto Jietian Peak, lodging naturally grew scarce. For the folk of Dazhu Peak, the carefree days of one room apiece were a fantasy now. Apart from Tian Lingsu, who stayed with the women of Xiaozhu Peak, the seven male disciples of Dazhu Peak, beginning with Song Dayi, were all crammed into a single room.
On Jietian Peak, the Qingyun disciples had always been housed four to a room. Now three bedrolls were laid out on the floor, and somehow they squeezed in, though the crowding was unavoidable. Just then, someone was heard complaining loudly: "Honestly! All day long they sing the praises of the main gate, and now they have seven of us stuffed into one room—how stingy can you get!"
"Old Six, stop grumbling. If the main gate's senior brothers hear you, it won't go well for us."
"Second Senior Brother, you're sleeping in a bed, so of course you're comfortable. Why don't you take a look at your poor junior brother lying on the freezing floor? How about we swap beds?"
"Hoo hoo hoo hoo."
"No way—you've fallen asleep just like that? And snoring, too?"
"Hoo hoo hoo hoo."
"Hmph. Ah—Fourth Senior Brother, you've always been handsome and dashing, elegant and refined, exceptionally gifted, overflowing with talent—"
"Hoo hoo hoo hoo."
"What's going on? Is falling asleep instantly the fashion now? Eh—Eldest Senior Brother, you've always been so kindhearted. How can you just watch your junior brother—"
"Hoo hoo hoo hoo."
"And you—Third Senior Brother—"
"Hwo hwo hwo hwo!"
Everyone jumped. The wall suddenly thundered with heavy knocks, and someone next door bellowed in fury: "Hey! Do you Dazhu Peak people have to snore that loud when you sleep at night?"
The room went dead silent. A long while later, someone gave a few furtive chuckles. Then the earlier voice seemed to recall something: "Ah—Fifth Senior Brother, you—"
"You, you, you what? I'm sleeping right next to you, on the floor, same as you. You want to swap places? I don't mind!"
"Ahem, never mind. Ugh—this bedroll is freezing, and as if that weren't enough, it's too short. Can't even sleep comfortably. Speaking of which, the little junior brother has it best—his frame fits just right."
"Sixth Senior Brother, why are you talking with your eyes closed? Don't you see I've got a big dog and a monkey fighting me for the blanket over here? Mine's the most crowded spot of all, and you're still complaining?"
"...but I still—"
"Shut up, Old Six!" several voices in the room barked at once.
After nightfall, many young disciples from the other six peaks, visiting Jietian Peak for the first time, came out to stroll, marveling and curious at the sights. But as the night deepened, everyone returned to their rooms to sleep.
When darkness descended upon that peak towering into the heavens, a cold moon hung in the vault above and spilled its clear radiance over the summit.
Zhang Qingyue was sleeping soundly when he vaguely felt movement beside him. Blinking awake, he saw that the monkey Xiao Hui and the big yellow dog were both gone from his side. He propped himself up and looked around, and caught a flash of yellow at the doorway—a yellow shape with a shadow on its back, most likely the monkey Xiao Hui riding on Da Huang.
Puzzled, Zhang Qingyue wondered where the monkey and the dog could be going so late at night. He rose quietly, threw on a garment haphazardly, and went to the door. There, in the cold moonlight, he saw Da Huang running pell-mell toward the sea of clouds with Xiao Hui on its back.