Chapter 145 — Meeting
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 1 of 7
There was no sound in the surroundings, save for the occasional crackle of branches in the fire. Neither the strange youth nor Mingli spoke again; the flames flickered uncertainly, burning between them.
The color on the surface of the roast pig gradually turned golden, and amid the rich aroma a faint hint of scorching emerged. By now the entire pig was covered by a thin, translucent layer of oil droplets. Mingli gave the pig a few final turns and said, "That's enough. Eat up, you two."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Little Gray and Taotie pounced at once. Little Gray squeaked wildly, reaching out to seize one of the pig's hind legs before anyone else could—the pig skin, still sizzling hot from the fire, seemed to cause it no pain at all. But Taotie was even more formidable; without moving its limbs or claws, it simply opened its enormous bloody maw and, heedless of the pig still being over the flames, thrust its head straight in and bit down.
With that one bite, Taotie's already enormous mouth gaped even wider, terrifying to behold. The whole roast pig was caught in the monster's jaws at once, leaving only a single hind leg protruding outside, clutched in Little Gray's grip.
Little Gray flew into a rage. Its monkey face contorted with fury; it clung to the leg without letting go while hopping and shrieking. But the vicious Taotie paid no heed—its razor-sharp teeth crunched down with a "crack," and in an instant, as easily as snapping dry twigs, it bit the delicious pork in two. Caught off guard and pulling too hard, Little Gray tumbled backward, rolled twice on the ground, and when it clambered up it held nothing but a single pig leg.
As for the vast majority of that delicious roast pig, it was now in Taotie's mouth, which was chewing vigorously. The remaining pig bones, it seemed, had been crushed and swallowed whole as well. It ate like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, like an army routing a thousand foes—especially the four eyes on its face, squeezed to either side by its bulging cheeks, which nonetheless blazed with light, plainly showing just how thoroughly it was enjoying its meal.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..." Seeing the delicacy that should have been its own snatched away by this vicious beast, Little Gray was beside itself with rage. But after a few cries it suddenly lowered its head and began gnawing furiously as well. It ate with remarkable speed, and within moments most of the pig leg was gone.
"Roar..." Taotie's deep growl sounded once more as it slowly turned its head toward Little Gray. Such a huge roast pig had been devoured clean in that short space of time—swallowed straight down, bones and all. And clearly Taotie was not yet satisfied; its four eyes gleamed as it fixed its gaze on the last meaty bone in Little Gray's hands.
Little Gray savagely swallowed the last morsel of meat, then all three of its eyes went wide as it glared at Taotie. Taotie, drool streaming from its jaws, advanced toward Little Gray step by step. Little Gray flung its hand abruptly, hurling the remaining bone far off in another direction, its face wearing a look of gloating satisfaction. But to its surprise, Taotie's form flickered like lightning, and in the blink of an eye it leapt into the air, overtook the flying bone, caught it in its jaws, wheeled in midair, and flew back to land beside the youth. Yet now Taotie seemed to know this was the last of it, for it did not swallow the bone in one gulp; instead, as though treasuring it, it extended its tongue and licked the bone ceaselessly.
Little Gray was startled by Taotie's behavior. After a moment it turned to Mingli and suddenly began capering about, squeaking all the while. Mingli watched it for a time, then his expression shifted abruptly and he said, "You're saying it's like Big Yellow?"