Chapter 184 — Secret Orders
劍問蒼天 · Page 1 of 4
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed since the monkey Xiaohui's return to Great Zhu Peak, and during that time, one could hardly tell that it had been gone from Great Zhu Peak for nearly ten years: the monkey still seemed utterly familiar with every tree and blade of grass here. All day long, Xiaohui frolicked and played with Da Huang, running east and west, and the ordinarily quiet Great Zhu Peak seemed over these past few days to have grown livelier still.
Dog barks and the monkey's shrill cries and chatter echoed across Great Zhu Peak at every hour, lending the place a good measure more vitality.
In the early morning, the disciples of Great Zhu Peak emerged one after another from their lodgings, and at the sight of the monkey and the dog already romping about the open ground outside the Shoujing Hall, they could not help but smile.
He Dachuan turned his head, grinning at the others: "Ever since our young junior sister was married off that year, it's been a long time since this place was so lively."
Everyone nodded, quite taken with the sentiment, when all at once a cough was heard from the direction of the Shoujing Hall—a voice full of authority—and the startled crowd saw Tian Buhui standing there, and hurried forward to salute and pay their respects to their master.
Tian Buhui waved his hand carelessly, as good as dismissing them all, but then his gaze too was drawn to the dog and the monkey. After watching a while, he gave a snort and said, "Two ignorant beasts, howling like madmen at the break of day—clearly set on keeping honest folk from their sleep."
The disciples were taken aback, but held their tongues out of respect for their master's dignity. Tian Buhui went on grumbling a few more curses, to the effect that he'd fed this stupid dog for years for nothing, and in the end it was still this useless, and had even got so thick with the clumsy monkey into the bargain... The disciples found it funny, though of course they dared not laugh aloud.
Yet before long, Da Huang, who had been playing in the distance, suddenly began barking loudly toward the Shoujing Hall, toward Tian Buhui:
"Woof woof woof, woof woof, woof woof woof..." The stream of barks cut shrilly through the morning air, and from the insolent look on the dog's face, tongue lolling, it seemed greatly displeased with Tian Buhui—as though it had caught wind of his curses and taken offense.
The disciples all thought to themselves: could Da Huang truly have acquired some cultivation? Otherwise, at such a distance, no matter how keen a dog's ears, it could hardly have heard clearly; but if it were a dog of attainment, then naturally that was another matter.
While they were all turning this over in their minds, Tian Buhui was so enraged by Da Huang's sudden insolence that his face flushed red. "Outrageous, outrageous! Now even the dogs dare leap out and howl! Old Six!"
Du Biyan, standing among the others, started as if jolted by a shock, then hurriedly stepped forward and said:
"Master, your disciple is here. What are your orders?"
Tian Buhui, seeming ready to explode with rage, jabbed a finger toward the distant spot where Da Huang and Xiaohui were still barking loudly: "At noon today, slaughter that stupid dog for me and stew up a pot of dog meat!" With that, he turned away in a huff and stalked back into the Shoujing Hall.
Du Biyan stood rooted to the spot, cold sweat streaming down, and blurted, "What? Master, this—"
Before he could finish, Tian Buhui had vanished from sight, and a moment later the crowd behind Du Biyan burst out in a great roar of laughter, Song Dayi and the rest nearly choking on their mirth. Du Biyan, frantic and furious, cried, "What are you laughing at? This—this is what the master ordered! What am I supposed to do now?"