Tang Ning thought, if she were to have an animal companion, she would much rather prefer one that was stronger, more competent, and more commanding. It would be best if she could ride on it, instead of one that tried to ride on her head.
After hearing Tang Ning’s rejection, the crow tilted its little head to one side again, its black, beady eyes darted about as he looked at her. The crow suddenly became emotional and finally spoke. “I never imagined that a kind soul like you would ever exist in the human race.”
Tang Ning sheepishly smiled at the crow. She felt rather undeserving of the crow’s praise of her. But then, she was not sure why she should be feeling guilty towards a crow who has not been entirely honest with her, to begin with.
“It only shows that I’ve got good foresight.”
The crow spoke and again swelled with pride. He looked at this queer, bald-headed human, and continued, “Anyways, I have been looking for an ally myself, and you look like a good candidate. A good human is hard to come by these days. Although you may be a bit skinny and frail, you’ve got a good heart. So, I choose you.”
Tang Ning’s mouth twitched. She thought, “Shameless!”
“No.”
She turned away from the crow and continued moving down the cliff. “I’m a monk, and you are a carnivorous beast. As they often say, two wills, two paths. Also, I’m weak and frail. I can barely keep myself alive, not to mention protecting someone else. Besides, I’ve never heard of a monster or beast who could speak the human language. With such advanced cultivation, you’re no ordinary bird. Please don’t let me come in your way to higher, greener pastures.”
Tang Ning peered down the cliff. The ground was still nowhere in sight. She muttered to herself, “Just how tall is this damned cliff?”
The crow had heard nothing but Tang Ning’s incessant rejections, and his beady eyes started to dart about again. He questioned Tang Ning suspiciously, “You don’t want me as a companion, do you?”
Tang Ning hastily denied. “Oh, no, how can that be? It’s just that as disciples of Buddha, we believe that all beings are equal. It would be against our teachings to bind you by my side in the name of the contract and deny you of your freedom. You deserve much better.”
“You speak the truth?” The crow was not entirely convinced.
“Absolutely.” Tang Ning responded while seriously nodding her head. But just as her words sounded, she was alarmed to see the crow suddenly leaning towards her, its sharp beak aimed straight for her chest, and pecked.
Rip!
In an instant, the crow’s sharp beak tore apart the garment in front of her chest and pierced deep into her flesh through her raw skin. The sudden pain made her gasp and inhale a breath of cold air.
“Damn it! What are you doing!”
Tang Ning screamed and stretched her arm out to grab the crow. But at that moment, a golden ray of light suddenly shot out from the bottom of the cliff, shooting high up towards the sky. It was brilliant and bright like sunlight, brightly illuminating the surroundings.
The dazzling beam of light penetrated the clouds, and its intense glow illuminated all the four directions. It was a force to be reckoned with.
People in the forest were stunned when they saw the blinding ray of light shot from the ground straight up to the sky. When they realized what it was, their eyes lit up. Everyone started to rush towards the origin of the light one after the other.
Such an extraordinary sighting usually heralds a divine manifestation!
Not long after, more and more people swarmed towards the light source, vying to reach there before everyone else. Somewhere deep in the forest, Mo Ye also saw the brilliant ray of light, and his deep black eyes sparkled slightly. He swiftly turned and headed towards the light.
Even in most distant and remote places, some mighty warriors stood in awe, witnessing the dazzling light shining through the clouds. Some of them started pondering, “What divine manifestation does this extraordinary sighting herald?”
There were those people who resided on the mountain tops, stroking their beards and frowning as they muttered, “Recently, there has been a series of strange phenomena. Are they blessings or misfortunes?”
Before anyone managed to reach the light source, the ray of light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. At the foot of the cliff, Tang Ning and the crow stood frozen, staring blankly at each other.