Chapter - 404 Being Driven Mad By Unredressed Mongol Injustice (4) (2/2)

Zhang Wuji saw that the steeds' hides were smooth and shiny, with long slender legs and strong bodies, the signs of top quality horses. He could not restrain from clucking his tongue in admiration, thinking that these horses must belong to the people under her command who were trailing the Beggar Clan to this place. She must have fetched them when she went out to buy some clothes the previous day. Zhao Min showed a faint smile as she mounted the horse.

Two riders galloped side by side heading south. To the onlookers, their horses looked like dragons, the two riders, a man and a woman, were wearing exquisite and expensive-looking clothes, their appearances smart and beautiful, they must be a young couple from a rich, high-ranking government official's family who were out travelling.

That day they galloped for more than two hundred 'li's [1 li is approximately 0.5 km], and after spending the night en route, they continued their journey at daybreak the next morning. By midday, they felt the north wind was blowing stronger on their backs, with overcast clouds seemingly hanging over close to their heads. After twenty more 'li's, big, goose down-like snowflakes started to fall. Along the way, Zhang Wuji did say almost nothing to Zhao Min. Seeing that the snow was getting heavier, he still did not utter a single word from his place in the front. That day, they were actually riding through a remote mountainous path. By nightfall the snow had reached over a foot deep, although their mounts were divine steeds, they could not go further. Zhang Wuji realized the sky was getting darker and darker. He stood on the saddle and looked around, but did not see a single building; he was indecisive.

”Miss Zhao,” he said, ”What do you think? I am afraid our horses won't be able to take it anymore if we hurry along.”

With a cold laugh Zhao Min said, ”You only know the horses won't be able to take it anymore, but you don't care whether the people will live or die.”

Zhang Wuji was regretful; he thought, ”I have Jiu Yang Shen Gong [divine energy from the Nine Yang Manual] in my body, I don't feel weary or cold. In my eagerness to save people, I am being inconsiderate towards her.”

Traveling a little bit more, he suddenly heard a cracking noise, a roebuck fled from their left, running toward the mountain. ”I'll catch it for our dinner,” Zhang Wuji said.

Leaping down from his saddle, he followed the roebuck trail on the snow, chasing it straight down the mountain. After circling a small hill, under the dim evening fog he saw that roebuck was running straight into a cave. Exerting his strength, he flew like an arrow toward the roebuck, and caught it by the back of its neck before it entered the cave. The roebuck turned its head around trying to bite Zhang Wuji's wrist. Zhang Wuji exerted all his strength to his fingers and 'crack' he snapped the roebuck's neck.

He noticed that although the cave was not too big, it could easily give shelter to the two of them for the night. Carrying the roebuck, he returned to Zhao Min and said, ”There is a cave over on that side, let us spend the night here. What do you think?”

Zhao Min nodded, but suddenly she blushed. Raising the reins, she steered the horse toward the cave.

Zhang Wuji led the horses towards the slope and tied them underneath two big pine trees, to protect them from the snow, and then he looked for some dried branches to build a fire on the cave entrance. The cave was clean, with no trace of filthy animal excrement inside. Looking toward the inside, all he could see was impenetrable darkness. Thereupon he skinned the roebuck, washed it with snow, and roasted it on the fire.

Zhao Min took her mink fur coat and spread it on the ground. Under the blazing fire, the cave was as warm as springtime. Zhang Wuji happened to turn his head around. Under the flickering fire light, he saw her pretty face was even more stunning. They looked at each other and smiled; it was as if the hunger and cold of the day melted in that one smile.

When the roebuck was done, each of them ripped the hind leg and ate. Zhang Wuji heaped more firewood to the fire. Leaning against the wall of the cave he said, ”Why don't you sleep?” Zhao Min smiled sweetly. Leaning against the opposite wall, she closed her eyes. Zhang Wuji's nose caught an intermittent whiff of fragrance coming from her body. He saw her cheeks were rosy, and he felt a strong urge to kiss her, but he held back the thought and closed his eyes to sleep.