Chapter 156 (2/2)
”Good.” Ning Que replied.
The Old Hunter's face was full of wrinkles, from which you could never expect any hint of love and kindness, but only greed and cold.
”Let's eat.”
The Old Hunter grabbed a piece of meat to eat and felt something was wrong with the taste, so he abusedly shouted, ”You the wicked! Call you to put less salt! Salt is so expensive! Who give you the money! How wicked you are! Feeding you is just wasting my money, I will raise you for another two years, and then sell you to prost.i.tutes to get some money!”
With her head lowered, the little girl was full of panic. Ning Que also lowered his head, looking at the sweet watery potato porridge, where his eyesight was reflected. From his eyes one could see star-like flames.
He had listened to this kind of scolding for years. And had endured the treatment that the old hunter ate meat, while he and Sangsang even couldn't drink the broth for many years. He had been accustomed to it, yet it seemed that he couldn't continue to endure it.
Little Sangsang held the porridge bowl with two little hands, her thin arm somewhat trembling, and suddenly she began to cough.
Ning Que stretched out his hand to stable the bowl for her.
The Old Hunter drank the spirit, and said on top of wine, ”You are sensible, if the bowl is broken, see how I will deal with her.”
Taking a glimpse at the bowl filled with meat in front of the Old Hunter, Ning Que stood up towards him and persuaded sincerely, ”Grandpa, Sangsang was ill again last night. How about giving her a piece of meat?”
The Old Hunter slapped the head of Ning Que, glared at him and cursed, ”Prey is for you to eat? It is used to change for money and salt! You think I treat you badly, then go away! If you can seize a tiger and use the tiger bone to pay back the money I used to raise you for these years? I'll let you go! I spent a great price on the steel catcher, yet you are so useless!”
Ning Que retreated without a word.
After drinking, the old hunter went out to see the preys that Ning Que brought back today.
A moment later, he indignantly came in with a whip, and slashed it straightly towards Ning Que, scolding, ”You the prodigal son! I have taught you many times! Big guys should be slaughtered back here! Who tell you to kill it outside! ”
Ning Que's face was full of stains of blood, yet he didn't avoid nor evade, because he was clear it was meaningless to do so. He just lowered his head and explained, ”That blue sheep was too heavy, I couldn't drag it back if I didn't kill it first. Anyway, I was careful when killing it, and you can still get the whole skin of it.
”You can't drag it back? Then what's the use of you?”
The old hunter furiously beat him, growling, ”You only know the skin, but the blood is also able to earn money! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
”b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
The Old Hunter walked out of the hunting lodge in rage.
Ning Que looked at Sangsang who was holding the porridge bowl with his lowered head and wiped away the blood from his face. Then he smiled to him, saying, ”That's good, Do not try to block whip for me, or else that old thing will beat me more energetically. ”
Holding that big bowl, Sangsang vigorously nodded her head.
”Wicked girl! Go and get ready for bath water!”
Disgruntled abuse of the old hunter came from outside the lodge, no one knowing what had aroused all his resentment.
Sangsang looked up nervously at Ning Que.
Ning Que was busy eating the meat that the old hunter forgot to hide. Then after a moment of silence, he nodded.
Inside and outside the vast Min Mountain there were totally different worlds.
Outside the mountain, it had been the fifth year of Tianqi era of the Tang Empire, while for those living inside the mountain, days were merely monotonous repet.i.tions day after day. And as for theOld Hunter who had retained Ning Que and Sangsang, he finally found a way of killing time in the monotonous repet.i.tions, that was, whipping, abusing or the like.
That year, Ning Que was already a lad at about ten.
That year, Sangsang was five.
Sangsang was pouring hot water into the bucket, which was immediately shrouded by hot vapor.
The naked Old Hunter in the bucket looked at her and scolded, ”d.a.m.n you! You're so dirty, go and wash yourself.”
Sangsang nodded, and then walked out of the room. Later she dragged herself back after handing over the basin of hot water from Ning Que.
The hot water was just boiling, which was burningly hot.
Sangsang stepped onto the bench, pouring it to the old hunter from head to feet.
An extremely miserable cry sounded inside the room.
The old hunter ran out, naked, with blisters all over his body. He squinted for his eyesight was blurred, who crazily waved the hunting knife in his hand, cursing out the most vicious words he knew.
”Bang!” A crisp and loud sound of two metal sheets. .h.i.tting each other was heard, with which the Old Hunter flopped head-on, uttering a more mournful scream.
His right leg was caught in the stainless-steel beast catcher used to hunt tiger and was half-broken.
Ning Que and Sangsang came over, looking at the Old Hunter lying in blood.
Even in such a situation, the Old Hunter still retained the ruthlessness of the mountain people, staring at Ning Que and scolding although he was dying, ”You git thing! You ungrateful thing! d.a.m.n you!”
”Well, we have paid you back these years, and now it's time for revenge.”
Ning Que drew the hunting knife out from behind, looking at the slouch flesh of the Old Hunter as well as the b.l.o.o.d.y root of his thigh and then said, ”I could have endured you for two more days, yet you didn't give me the chance.”
”If you are not going to sell Sangsang to prost.i.tutes, we will not kill you.”
”If you are not going to take a bath, we can't kill you.”
Ning Que looked at him, and after a long time of silence he continued, ”In fact, just now... if you allowed Sangsang to eat the meat, maybe we will not kill you. We just planned to sneak away.”
The Old Hunter heavily gasped, looking at him blankly.
Then Ning Que clenched the hunting knife and severely chopped it down.
The head of the Old Hunter fell.
After a while, Ning Que walked out of the hunting lodge, with the boxwood bow and the quiver on his back, the hunting knife on his waist slightly swinging.
Sangsang followed him, holding the worn black big umbrella.
”If you are tired, then come onto my back.”
Then the two disappeared in the vast Min Mountain.
Night has come, the thick mist in the mountain behind the Academy was as smooth and thick as milk.
Ning Que stood on the stone steps, lowering his head. After a long time of silence, he slowly raised his hands.
He clenched his hand to make a hollow fist, as if he was holding an invisible knife.
Night wind was wuthering around the Mountain Path.
He slightly tilted and suddenly cut down, which broke the night as well as the Mountain Path.
After the cut, another step appeared.
A total silence was found in the thick mist around the peak.
Then a voice of compa.s.sion sounded, ”I do not know what kind of suffering Ning Que had experienced in his life, nor did he mention it in the old library. How could the Mountain Path be... so difficult for him.”
”The Mountain Path stretches endlessly ahead, where all previous painful memories have changed into reality to block the climbers. If they can take it lightly, it will be easier to climb up. But if not, and thus wanting to retreat, then the top will never be reached.”
The words from Second Brother were gradually heard. It was up to now did we find the tint of respect and seriousness in his voice.
”Both of the two climbers today are interesting, especially Ning Que.”
”Those painful memories in the deep of his heart, although I do not know what they really are, are things that he actually doesn't want to forget, and even not regretful for. To see through is moreover unnecessary in his heart. Facing the darkest Corner at the bottom of his heart, as well as those painful experiences, he still chose the thing he did years before. ”
”If he cannot see through, how can he keep his heart unchanged over the years?”
”Since he doesn't want to see it through, then just break it through.”
”He wants to break the Mountain Path.”
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