The mysterious cottage

He slammed heavily into the ground. As the dust cleared, Mu Bai looked back at the night sky. The Silver-Winged Giant Tiger flashed past in swift flight without pursuing him.

Before his lingering fright had subsided, the door creaked open, and a silver-haired old woman emerged from the thatched cottage.

"Granny, save me! A fierce tiger is chasing me..."

Mu Bai still looked like a child, and his frightened, unsettled appearance made him especially pitiful.

"Gawk, gawk..."

The Golden Roc flapped out the flames on its tail feathers, then sidled up to the old woman with a fawning smile and rubbed against her obediently. Even Mu Bai thought this bootlicking was going a little too far.

"Don't be afraid. Come inside."

The old woman stepped aside from the doorway. Mu Bai wiped his little face and entered the cottage with a smile. A blood-red chick suddenly leaped up, flapping wings whose feathers had yet to grow in fully, and stared warily at the Golden Roc.

"Gawk, gawk!"

The Golden Roc jumped in fright as well, but remembering that the other party was only a little chick, and that it had entered the chick's home, it felt embarrassed and lowered its head with a bashful smile. Unexpectedly, the blood-red chick sprang toward it, aiming its beak straight at the Golden Roc's eyeballs.

"Red Dance, no mischief! They're guests!"

The silver-haired old woman opened her hand, and the blood-red chick hopped into it, lowering its head to peck at her palm. The old woman stroked it gently, a kindly look appearing on her face.

"Miss Red Dance, don't be afraid. Little Roc is very kind..."

Mu Bai also felt that calling it "Miss" might not be appropriate, but he could hardly say "Chick Red Dance"...

"Gawk, gawk..."

At his words, the Golden Roc immediately drooped all its feathers, ducking its head and repeatedly making faces to amuse the blood-red chick. In truth, it was deeply unwilling. You were just trying to peck my eyes out! It was merely that they needed help now and had nowhere else to turn.

"Child, why did you come to Silver Frost Forest alone?"

"Granny, I was originally a member of a tribe on the outskirts of Silver Frost Forest. My tribespeople and family were slaughtered, and I had no choice but to wander here..."

Mu Bai gave a rough account of what had happened to his tribe, speaking with great sincerity. The silver-haired old woman was softhearted and was deeply moved after hearing it.

"Child, I cannot get involved in your tribe's affairs. But you may stay here without worry. No one can bully you in my home!"

The silver-haired old woman paused, and even the bright full moon outside dimmed. What Mu Bai could not sense was a powerful force between heaven and earth enveloping the two thatched rooms. Outside, furious winds howled and beasts roared one after another. Pairs of eyes glimmering with ghostly, icy light stared at the two thatched rooms from the pitch-black forest.

"But you cannot settle down here, either..."

The Golden Roc froze with a jolt, its expression changing. So that last thing you said was just a joke?

"Stay the night first."

The silver-haired old woman carried the blood-red chick into the inner room. Mu Bai and the Golden Roc naturally knew they could not follow. They looked at each other, then huddled tightly together, one boy and one roc, waiting for the long, bleak, chilly night to pass.

Fortunately, the night passed peacefully. No savage beasts disturbed them, and the Silver-Winged Giant Tiger did not pursue them either. Gradually, Mu Bai and the Golden Roc drifted into sleep together.

Normally, Mu Bai and the Golden Roc slept in separate caves. Once asleep, the Golden Roc snored with tremendous, ringing volume, sometimes sounding like a shrill, drawn-out whistle that made one wish to slap it dead. But after several escapes from death that day, Mu Bai was utterly exhausted and could no longer bother about the torment of its snoring.

At dawn, the sun rose above the distant mountains, spilling light into the forest and glittering on the dewdrops on blades of grass, clear and brilliantly colored. Early birds chirped, their lovely calls lilting through the wind like playful sprites.

Silver Frost Forest's most beautiful season was gradually passing, and the bitterly cold, snowy winter would soon arrive. Mu Bai had already spent one winter here. Back then, he had not yet had the Golden Roc for company, and his clothes had been extremely thin. He had forced himself through it by refining pills and warming himself beside the earth fire, his teeth chattering and his limbs trembling.

Mu Bai left the cottage early and felled several large trees. Using his palm as a blade, he chopped the huge trunks into short sections with crack after crack. Although his reception for the night had been neither warm nor cold, Mu Bai did not want to accept someone's kindness for nothing. Besides, the old woman was all alone and helpless. If he did not prepare more firewood for her, when winter came and the land lay frozen and snowbound, no one would even know to collect her body if she froze to death.

Mu Bai was a filial child. Since he was little, he had gone from household to household chopping firewood and carrying water, winning the affection of all the aunties in the tribe. Had he and Ling'er not been widely regarded as a promising pair, those aunties would long since have fought to take him as a live-in son-in-law.

After chopping for a while, he gradually grew warm, and sweat began seeping out. The robe he wore was already ragged beyond ragged and fit him terribly, leaving a long stretch above his ankles exposed. As he swung his arm to chop wood, a long tear ripped open beneath his sleeve. Though this was deep in the mountains and ancient forest, he could hardly go naked. He would have to make do with it and find a solution when circumstances allowed.

He chopped a whole stack of firewood, piling it higher than the thatched cottage. With one huge log remaining, Mu Bai split it into long strips and erected a fence around the cottage. Even if this wooden fence could not keep out the savage beasts of the wilderness, at least it could stop the chick from running about. Quite apart from being carried off by vicious birds or fierce beasts, it would not be good for it to peck someone's eyes out either.

Just as Mu Bai was working enthusiastically, he heard the Golden Roc circling down with cries of "Gawk, gawk." Sure enough, it had returned to its old trade. The Golden Roc had quite a knack for hunting beasts.

"I chopped firewood and put up a fence for you, and Little Roc caught a few Black Pythons and Ming deer. That should count as repaying your kindness in sheltering us for the night."

The Golden Roc placed the Black Pythons and Ming deer inside the fenced yard, then paced about with its head held high, inspecting the utterly transformed little courtyard and nodding repeatedly at Mu Bai in approval.

They were just about to leave when the door creaked and the silver-haired old woman came out. Seeing the blood-red chick in her hand, the Golden Roc opened its beak and spat out several still-wriggling green caterpillars. It gave a few cheerful gawks, signaling for the blood-red chick to hurry and eat.

Holding a fresh green plant in its beak, the chick hopped down and strutted before the Golden Roc with its head high. The Golden Roc's eyes suddenly widened as it stared at the green plant, gulping down its saliva. The chick stretched out a foot and kicked a green caterpillar straight into its mouth.

"Granny, you're awake. I shouldn't keep troubling you. Little Roc and I will leave now."

"There's no hurry. Such fine weather is rare. Stay for lunch before you go."

Ah, sure enough, neither people nor rocs should eat for free. Do some work for someone and bring them some game, and naturally their attitude changes...

Hearing there was food, the Golden Roc cried out loudly, "Gawk, gawk!" Unexpectedly, the lunch the old woman mentioned meant having Mu Bai and the Golden Roc deal with that game themselves. Fortunately, she had not told them to dismantle the fence and burn up the firewood, or their loss of face would truly have stretched all the way back to their cave abode outside Silver Frost Forest.

Since she had said so, Mu Bai got to work, deftly cleaning the Black Pythons and Ming deer and lighting the firewood, which began burning with a series of crackles. Knowing how superb Mu Bai's cooking was, the Golden Roc was already drooling and pacing about, unable to wait.

The silver-haired old woman produced several brownish-yellow worms from somewhere and fed them to the blood-red chick in her hand. Watching her, Mu Bai thought, This old woman really is pitiful. With no one to keep her company, she's actually developed a bond like that between grandmother and grandchild with a little chick. It really does soften the heart.

"Granny, would you like a piece?"

"No, you two eat. My teeth aren't good. I eat vegetarian food."

Mu Bai roasted several Black Pythons until they were cooked, their enticing aroma drifting beyond the fenced yard. He had just sprinkled on the salt when the Golden Roc gave a gawk and hurried over with its neck stretched out, taking quick little steps. Just as it opened its beak to bite into the golden, crisp python meat, a streak of red flashed past. Its beak snapped shut on nothing, nearly catching its own tongue.

"Gawk, gawk!"

Furious, the Golden Roc glared viciously at the blood-red chick. The chick lunged at it, frightening the Golden Roc into hastily squeezing its eyes shut, lest its eyeballs be lost.

Seeing the Golden Roc admit defeat, the blood-red chick strutted with its head high and openly carried off another python. It opened its beak and swallowed the enormous python body whole. Mu Bai gulped, unable to believe his eyes. "Is that a chicken?"

Clearly not! Even if it was, it was no ordinary chicken. And what about the silver-haired old woman-a chicken spirit?

Mu Bai was shocked, while the Golden Roc looked so aggrieved that tears of grievance were almost spilling out. It hid pitifully behind Mu Bai, rubbing against him nonstop. With no other choice, since he would still need the Golden Roc to travel shortly, Mu Bai could only roast several Ming deer as well.

The silver-haired old woman grinned, her gold teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Matched with her silver hair, she truly looked as though she were flaunting her wealth, decked out in gold and silver.

Perhaps she felt bad because her chick had eaten Mu Bai's roast meat, or perhaps she simply pitied him for being such a big child without even a decent set of clothes. The silver-haired old woman sat in the doorway basking in the sun, squinting as she sewed him a coarse hemp robe.

It seems fortune still treats me well. Since I'll soon have new clothes to wear, I ought to wash myself fresh and clean too. The Golden Roc and the blood-red chick were still fighting over the roasted Ming deer, their battle so hair-raising that the chicken fluttered and the roc leaped. Mu Bai ran behind the house, found a black vat, and soaked in a hot bath. It really was comfortable. The grime on his body was gone, and so was the stink of sweat.