A Ring Forged from Blood

Old Zhou was dumbfounded. I was planning to sweet-talk her into settling things early, but it looks like she really means it. Are girls in the Ninja World all this mature? But after thinking back, it did seem to be true.

Zhou Yang had to explain himself, so he said, "There's a story from my hometown. When a beautiful woman is rescued by a man while facing a villain, she first looks at whether that man is handsome."

"Huh? What does being rescued have to do with his looks?"

"If the man is handsome, the woman will definitely say, 'Thank you, brave sir, for saving me. I have nothing with which to repay you, so I can only offer myself to you.'"

Nan was instantly drawn into the story and hurriedly asked, "And then?"

"If the man is ugly, the woman will say, 'Thank you, brave sir, for saving me. I have nothing with which to repay you, so I can only work like an ox or horse for you in my next life.'"

Nan was immediately amused. Just as Zhou Yang was about to continue from there, she suddenly added, "And then?"

"And then? That's all."

"How can that be? You only mentioned handsome men and ugly men. What about ordinary-looking men?"

"Huh?" Zhou Yang nearly spat blood. Miss, wasn't your focus a little off? The important thing wasn't the story, but the metaphor behind it!

"What's wrong? You don't want to tell me?"

"I..." Wait, wait, wait. Smart as I am, I'll definitely think of something. Calm down, calm down. I refuse to believe that after living for over twenty years, I can't handle a girl like you! Zhou Yang frantically racked his brains, but even after ten minutes, he still had no clue.

Ah! Brother who came up with this joke, where are you? Is there another line? My happy life depends on it.

Seeing Zhou Yang's expression of utter existential doubt, Nan smiled. It was the first time she had seen him at a complete loss. She leisurely dealt with the food in her hands. After a while, when Zhou Yang still wore that deeply contemplative expression, she picked up the rabbit leg from the ground, dusted off her slightly dirty coat, and skipped toward home. It seemed making Zhou Yang question his life truly made her very happy.

Then she looked back at Zhou Yang, who was still questioning his life, and waved. "Come on! We should go home!"

"How am I supposed to make up the second half? Is my first love really going to leave me like this?" Zhou Yang raised his head and murmured to the sky, until he heard Nan calling him.

"Hm? Family?"

He suddenly sprang up and shouted, "Nan, I'm coming!" Then he ran toward her.

On the way back, Zhou Yang ate the food in his hand while taking Nan to the site of their earlier battle. He stripped everything he could from the ninja's body. If he had not been worried that the ninja might have some disease, Zhou Yang would probably have stripped off even his underwear.

Still, ninja clothing really was different in quality. Although this ninja was quite poor, he had not skimped on what he wore. Especially that vest for carrying scrolls—it was made of some unknown material, incredibly tough, and still ninety percent new. His savings from most of his life as a ninja had probably gone into it.

"As expected, fighting is the fastest way to get rich!" Zhou Yang beamed as he looked at the clothes and the few banknotes before him.

He simply wrapped everything up in the largest piece of clothing, then followed Nan to her residence. Looking at its furnishings, it could barely be called a "residence." There was no door, only an entrance wide enough for two people. The interior was equally sparse. Apart from a pile of grass raised slightly above the ground, only the things on an old table caught the eye: a bottle with flowers of different colors and kinds, several folded-paper models of animals and flowers beside it, and finally a small kerosene lamp.

After returning home, Nan hurried over to light the kerosene lamp. She set the rabbit leg on the table, happily turned to Zhou Yang, and said, "This is my home!"

She happily told him about the furnishings in her room and introduced the names of the models she had folded. She seemed extremely excited to have a new family member here, but after the excitement faded, her expression grew a little downcast. She had nothing with which to entertain him, and her only delicious food had been made by this newcomer.

Seeing Nan frown, Zhou Yang walked over to her. He was a head shorter, so he could only raise his right hand high to touch the girl's slightly resentful brow. At the same time, he softly said, "It's okay. There will be bread, and there will be milk." He did not know whether he was saying this to the girl, to himself, or perhaps to both of them.

Seeing Zhou Yang act so grown-up, Nan's brow relaxed and her eyes narrowed into crescents. That's right. I lost a disposable tool, but gained a real family member. Perhaps Nan found it strange. In just half a day, she had come to regard a stranger who seemed like a little brat as family. Maybe she had simply been lonely for too long.

The sky grew darker still. It seemed night had arrived. Nan familiarly built a fire in the center of the room. Seeing her busy back, Zhou Yang naturally stepped up to help. Though he was short, he was strong. Firewood that Nan usually had to carry in several trips was handled by Zhou Yang in one go.

Gathered around the fire in the center, the two children poured their hearts out to each other. They laughed and played. Perhaps this was the life they should have been living.

Whenever Nan spoke of something sad, Zhou Yang would tell a joke or pull a silly face, bringing the girl's smile back. The girl liked origami.

The boy humbly asked her to teach him. Compared with the girl's superb skill, the boy's work was rather clumsy. Yet after immense effort, he finally completed the first creation of his life: a flower.

Looking at the crooked "flower" before him, then at the work in Nan's hands, Zhou Yang felt his old face burn with embarrassment. He raised his hand, wanting to throw the flower into the fire, but Nan stopped him and solemnly asked him to place the flower in her hair.

As she said this, Nan's face reddened slightly and she looked away from the corner of her eye. Seeing Zhou Yang's shocked expression, she awkwardly said, "What are you thinking? This is the first masterpiece you've ever made. How can you just throw it away?"

Isn't that the very definition of protesting too much? Zhou Yang had only been somewhat suspicious before, but now he was completely certain of Nan's feelings. He was overjoyed, but looking at the flower in his hand, he hesitated. This... this was way too ugly.

Nan had been bending down for a long time without feeling any movement. Thinking Zhou Yang was going to refuse, she truly felt hurt. The strong girl shed tears again today, and the person who made her cry was once again the same one.

Hearing Nan sniffle, Zhou Yang panicked. But he could not really put such an ugly flower in her hair, could he? So he first helped Nan straighten up. Then, under her puzzled gaze, he picked up another piece of paper. He tore off only a tiny bit, slowly rolled it into a circle, then tore the scab from his chest without seeming to feel any pain. He smeared blood over the joint, forming a simple ring. Then he solemnly held Nan's hand.