Ding Meng, the Young Woman

Ding Meng, the Young Woman

After washing the bloodstains from his body and recovering some strength, Lin Yu felt much more comfortable. Just then, a figure appeared before him, and that delicate face seemed to be saying: I'm hungry too.

"Hungry?" Lin Yu bluntly cut in. He could clearly sense that she wanted food now.

She quickly nodded. The overbearing manner she had worn during the day was completely gone. Lin Yu skillfully took out a fish from his storage ring and began roasting it.

About a quarter of an hour later, the fish was in the young woman's hands. Only then did she speak. "Why did you roast this fish so black? Can it even be eaten?" Lin Yu rolled his eyes at her again. What kind of nonsense was that? What did she mean, it could not be eaten? If she did not want it, she could have given it back to him. Still, he only thought those words to himself.

Though she said she did not want to eat it, she still began nibbling at it. Truthfully, she was indeed starving. As she ate, she muttered, "My name is Ding Meng. I'm from the Ding Family of the Ancient City. Our Lineage has basically always been sealed off, and it still is now. I sneaked out this time. Oh, right, what's your name?"

"Jin Yu. Jin as in gold, Yu as in jade. Maybe my Lineage wanted me to get rich!" Hearing that, Ding Meng burst out laughing. How should she put it? His name was truly tacky—far too tacky. By now, Lin Yu did not say another word.

His skill at explaining characters really was not much to speak of, was it? He could not help it. Lin Yu had never considered using an alias before. He had only made it up on the spot. If she wanted to laugh, then let her laugh. It did not matter.

After finishing a fish, Ding Meng felt much better. Looking at him, she asked with a smile, "Jin Yu, where did you learn your swordsmanship? It's so amazing."

Hearing that, Jin Yu was first taken aback. Then, shamelessly, he said, "Oh, my swordsmanship? Of course my master taught it to me. But the old man never leaves the mountains."

"Ah, you have a master? Then why did you come down from the mountains this time?" Ding Meng had never imagined that this youth, who appeared to be about her age, already belonged to a sect—and apparently a very formidable one.

"To go home! I've learned my craft. If I don't go home, where else am I supposed to go? Are you a fool, girl?" Hearing Jin Yu call her foolish, she immediately bared her little canine teeth, clearly meaning that if he called her foolish again, she would bite him to death.

"Where is your home?" As she spoke, a faint blush appeared on her face. Jin Yu almost laughed when he saw it. That strong-willed young woman actually had such a side to her.

No matter how one changed one's name, there was only one home. Jin Yu thought for a moment before speaking. "My home is in the same city as yours. But once we enter the city, you won't be able to see me." Hearing this, Ding Meng was somewhat puzzled at first. But after thinking it over, she understood. His Lineage, like hers, was sealed off.

There were not many families in the entire Ancient City that lived in seclusion, aloof from worldly affairs. Of those she knew, there was only the Lin Family—Lin Yu's family. After all, their two families were currently discussing a marriage alliance.

This matter had long since spread through the entire city like wildfire. Only Jin Yu did not know about it.

"Go to sleep early. We still need to get up and travel tomorrow morning. This place isn't close to the Ancient City." If the Ten Thousand Mountains were truly so easy to leave, they would not be called the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Lin Yu stretched lazily and lay down to sleep. Ding Meng was left staring fixedly at the blazing pile of firewood, her eyes brimming with resentment.

For some reason, she fell asleep just like that.

The next morning, when a ray of warm sunlight shone onto Jin Yu's face, he felt as though something was clutching him tightly. When he opened his eyes, he was completely dumbfounded. Why was she hugging him? They had clearly rested on opposite sides of the fire pit last night!

Just as he was about to free himself from her arms, Ding Meng opened her eyes as well and cried out, "What's going on?!" At her scream, even the morning birds were startled into taking flight across the sky.

"My ears! Why are you screaming? I was wondering what was going on too. How did you get over to my side?" Hearing Jin Yu say that, Ding Meng's face suddenly flushed red. After a long while, she finally said, "Last night, after the fire went out, I was too cold, so... so..."

"Alright, alright. Nothing happened anyway. So, are you going home, or are you going to keep wandering through the Ten Thousand Mountains?" Last night, he had only talked about himself. He still did not know what Ding Meng intended to do.

"Go home, of course I'm going home! Stay in a place like this and wait to be eaten?" Lin Yu was at a loss for words. He truly had not expected Ding Meng to be so clever—she had just found herself a free bodyguard.

But it did not matter. He would not mind being her bodyguard, at least until they reached the Ancient City.

"Let's go! Who knows what dangers we'll run into today? Oh, and hide the aura around you." Ding Meng nodded upon hearing this, holding the three-material herb in her hand as she prepared to leave.

"Hey, hey, are you serious? That's a second-tier spirit herb, no matter what. Are you sure the aura it gives off won't attract some powerful creature?" Hearing Jin Yu's words, she realized that seemed to be true.

It seemed she really could not carry it openly all the way to the Ancient City. It was far too conspicuous.

"Then... then what should we do?" She knew that since Jin Yu dared to say so, he must have a solution.

He directly handed Ding Meng the storage ring he had received from his father. At that moment, a hint of shyness even appeared on her face as she exclaimed, "You're giving me a ring?"

"It's only a storage ring. It's not very large, but it should be enough to hold this." After all, he already had the storage ring his master had given him, and its capacity was enormous. As for the ring his father had given him, he no longer cared much about it.

"A storage ring is still a ring." She muttered softly to the side. No matter what, rings really could not be given away carelessly. Even so, she accepted it.

Jin Yu stretched lazily and walked ahead, saying faintly, "Hurry up! We still have a long way to go." Hearing that, Ding Meng stomped her feet and thought, What is wrong with this guy? Can't he let me savor it a little longer? Why is he in such a hurry, rushing off to reincarnate?

Though she thought that in her heart, she still said aloud, "Coming, coming. Are you here to drag souls away or something?"

To be continued