I Have a Golden Crow

Du Yu still wasn’t very used to being watched in public, even with a mask over his eyes so that no one knew who he was...

He whispered, ”Shall we go?”

”Mm, okay.” Li Mengnan finally brought herself to let go of Du Yu.

She straightened up, reached out to pinch the bottom edge of Du Yu’s mask, carefully adjusting it into place for him.

As the girl moved, their gazes inevitably met.

In that instant, Li Mengnan’s already flushed cheeks became even more charming, like a ripe, tempting peach.

To be honest, Du Yu really had the urge to take a bite.

But Du Yu held himself back. He reached out as well, catching the girl’s scarf and tugging it up to cover the lower half of her face.

The girl’s eyes were still a little red. Feeling Du Yu’s attentive gesture, her eyes filled with a soft, shimmering smile again.

Du Yu gained a whole new understanding of the phrase ”radiant and captivating.”

In those beautiful eyes, Du Yu saw himself—and only himself.

”Let’s go?” Du Yu said softly.

”Mm, mm.” Sensing the attention from the worshippers around them, Li Mengnan lowered her head, answering quickly as she followed Du Yu and ran down the steps.

Far above, that tall, slender figure standing with hands clasped behind her back caught sight of the two of them ”fleeing in panic.”

The smile on Langao’s face grew even thicker.

Silently, she watched the pair of man and woman go, farther and farther away.

The two didn’t disappear at the edge of Langao’s vision, but vanished into the packed sea of people.

For some reason, the smile on Langao’s face slowly faded.

Such a normal, ordinary little scene somehow stirred endless emotion in her heart.

She looked down at the teeming masses at her feet, and everywhere her gaze fell she saw the same identical shells.

”Heh...” Langao let out a soft sigh.

Maybe this is simply my fate.

”Your heart has never truly settled.” An old voice came quietly from behind.

Langao remained silent, giving no reply.

Off to the side, an elderly woman in plain clothes spoke softly: ”You think you’ve settled down. No—you’ve only forgotten.

And you haven’t forgotten completely.

Some people, some images, still tug at the knot buried deep in your memory.”

Expressionless, Langao searched among the countless identical silhouettes for that special pair. ”I can’t walk forward hand in hand like they do.”

The sentence sounded like a statement, yet also like a question.

The old woman said mildly, ”Everyone’s fate is different. Everyone’s path in their heart is different.”

”Heh.” Langao let out a hoarse laugh and gently shook her head.

She had long since had no one she could hold hands with. What she carried with her had only ever been blurred memories.

And even those were to be stripped away by this road of fate.

The old woman stepped forward, laying a hand on Langao’s back. ”I’ve never urged you to forget.

Just like this Huangtu Temple, built right in Langao City—your Langao City.”

Langao stayed silent, saying nothing.

The old woman spoke softly, ”What I urge you toward is letting go.”

As she spoke, the old woman gave Langao’s back a light pat and turned to leave.

Langao turned her body, watching the figure of the gray-clad old woman walking toward the main hall.

A few seconds later, Langao also started forward, following the old woman’s figure into the depths of the great hall.

Meanwhile, outside the main gates of Huangtu Temple.

The pair of tall, slender figures stood out clearly in the crowd, and on top of that they were jogging along, naturally drawing plenty of attention.

Du Yu and Li Mengnan didn’t pause for even a second, quickly hurrying away straight toward the parking lot.

Only when the two of them had run back to the car and closed both the driver’s and passenger’s doors tightly did they share a glance and both break into small smiles.

Du Yu started the engine and asked, ”Where are we going?”

Li Mengnan turned to look out the window, her smile brighter than the winter sun in the sky. ”I’ll go wherever you say.”

”Did you say goodbye to your mom and dad?” Du Yu drove out of the parking lot. ”If you come with me, we’ll be heading straight to the Ashen Continent in a couple of days.”

”I did,” Li Mengnan replied. ”I didn’t tell them about going to the Otherworld Continent, I just said it was a mission.”

Du Yu nodded to himself, approving of the girl’s decision.

Teacher Li Hong was just an ordinary person. Uncle Li Kuanren was indeed a Demon Tamer, but in front of Du Yu and Li Mengnan... well, Mr. Li really wasn’t much different from an ordinary person.

Long ago, Li Mengnan could’ve accidentally snapped her dad’s arm.

And now, she had to be even more cautious at every moment.

Treating the common folk as ”fragile goods” was a sense of awareness every qualified Demon Tamer ought to have.

Mr. and Mrs. Li couldn’t do anything to help their daughter on the path of Demon Taming; if Li Mengnan told the truth, it would only add needless worry to her parents’ hearts.

”Then let’s go. Come home with me.” Du Yu pressed down on the accelerator, and the black SUV sped out of the parking lot.

Listening to Du Yu’s words, Li Mengnan’s heart felt sweet and tingly.

Wish fulfilled—one of life’s happiest things.

She really had no idea what she would’ve done if Du Yu had refused.

Since she’d met him in this lifetime, there was no room left in her eyes for anyone else’s figure.

The car was silent, the two of them quietly lost in their own thoughts.

After a long time, Du Yu suddenly realized a problem!

He finally understood why Lin Shiwei had gone back to the bedroom with the Little Golden Crow to rest.

He’d thought the girl wanted to take care of the Divine, but turns out she just didn’t want the Little Golden Crow to witness any more naughty scenes.

So this had all been planned from the start.

Thinking of this, Du Yu’s expression turned a bit odd. He said, ”You and Shiwei...”

Li Mengnan said softly, ”A long, long time ago, the two of us made a promise—we’d always protect you, stay by your side.”

Such words left Du Yu not quite sure how to respond.

To say he wasn’t moved would definitely be a lie.

In fact Du Yu had always been doing just that, doing everything he could to protect the people closest to him.

”Didn’t expect Shiwei to beat me to it.” Li Mengnan pouted, her small mouth wrinkling.

Du Yu lightly tapped the steering wheel and sighed inwardly.

Back on that day, on the Four Directions City ruins, things really had been impossible to predict. In anyone’s shoes, it would’ve been hard to keep control.

Li Mengnan turned her head to look at Du Yu, face utterly serious. ”You’d better make it up to me properly.”

”Uh.” Du Yu scratched his head.

”Hm?” Li Mengnan let out a little nasal sound, her beautiful big eyes wide, carrying a hint of questioning.

”Mm, mm!” Du Yu nodded repeatedly.

Even though he had no idea yet how exactly he was supposed to do that, he’d agree first~

”That’s more like it.” Li Mengnan’s face blossomed into a smile.

Du Yu scratched his head again. This big girl... she’s actually pretty easy to coax?

The two of them drove back to the wilderness and quickly got out of the car.

After confirming that no one was around front or back, Du Yu flipped his palm and stowed the vehicle back into the Sea Realm.

As if something had suddenly occurred to her, Li Mengnan asked, ”If you open the Void Axe and we return to the Peach Blossom Realm...”

Du Yu: ”What about it?”

Li Mengnan: ”If I then use the Seven Treasures Staff again to take you out of the Peach Blossom Realm, where would the two of us end up?”

Du Yu frowned slightly. That really was a problem!

Li Mengnan should have entered the Peach Blossom Realm back in the Great Xia Capital City—from her own home.

Ever since the two of them came to Guanzhong, she hadn’t used the Seven Treasures Staff again.

So if they went back into the Peach Blossom Realm via the Void Axe’s fissure, and then the girl opened the Peach Blossom Realm’s Celestial Gate again...

Would they still return to Li Mengnan’s home?

Or would it be some other unknown area?

The more he thought about it, the more anxious Du Yu felt. His expression grew serious as he cautioned, ”Don’t do that, Mengnan. We don’t know what the consequences would be.”

”Okay.” Li Mengnan nodded.

She’d always had a lot of ideas buzzing around in that little head of hers. Fortunately, she was still fairly well-behaved in front of Du Yu, especially when it came to anything mission-related—she always followed orders.

Du Yu could only feel relieved that they’d spotted this hidden danger ahead of time!

As their own strength grew, and the Magical Artifacts with all kinds of functions multiplied, they had to be extremely cautious even while enjoying the convenience.

Du Yu definitely didn’t want to ”die before the mission even begins”!

The two of them walked into the Wilderness Forest, and after once again confirming that no one was around, Du Yu hefted up the Void Axe.

”Sss...”

”Fly up, that side’s just outside the 16th-floor window.” Du Yu strode toward the spatial rift, reminding her as he walked.

One after the other, they stepped out from the wild woods of Guanzhong and into the lonely northern city.

After confirming that Li Mengnan had followed, Du Yu closed up the spatial rift. He flew to the window and gently knocked on the glass.

”Knock knock knock~”

The Golden Leaf immediately extended branches and leaves, opening the window to welcome its master.

”Where’s Shiwei?” Du Yu stepped into the warm home, pinched a leaf between his fingers, and a layer of Demon Soul rose in his palm.

Golden Leaf: ”The mistress is still sleeping in the bedroom... She’s awake.”

”Mm.” Du Yu took off his down jacket, and from a distance, he saw a tall figure in a jet-black nightdress.

Lin Shiwei looked at the two of them with a half-smile, half-not, her gaze full of scrutiny.

Du Yu’s expression was slightly unnatural, while Li Mengnan beside him blushed scarlet, yet she boldly hooked her arm through Du Yu’s.

”Third Sis, very cozy style you’ve got going?” Li Mengnan was the first to speak.

Lin Shiwei finally stopped half-smiling. She nodded with a little laugh, cradling the Little Golden Crow in her hands as she stepped forward.

”Send me to the Sea Realm.” Lin Shiwei casually stopped the Golden Leaf.

The Golden Leaf had been holding Du Yu’s down jacket, planning to hang it by the door. At the mistress’s gesture, it immediately draped the jacket over her shoulders.

”Sea Realm?” Du Yu said. ”You going to cultivate? At least change your clothes first.”

”You’re always thinking about cultivation.” Lin Shiwei rolled her eyes at Du Yu and zipped the jacket up. ”We’re heading to the Ashen Continent in just a few days. We should focus on adjusting our condition—don’t push the cultivation too hard.”

As she spoke, Lin Shiwei reached out and cupped Du Yu’s face.

Under Li Mengnan’s gaze, Lin Shiwei lightly pressed a kiss to Du Yu’s lips. ”Be good, send me to the Sea Realm.”

”Mm...” Du Yu pressed his lips together, then flipped his palm.

Lin Shiwei’s figure vanished without a trace, leaving only Du Yu and Li Mengnan in the room.

He habitually scratched his head, then turned to look at the girl.

”What are you staring at me for?” Li Mengnan pouted. ”I gave you two more than half a month, and how long did Shiwei leave you for me?

Two days? Three days? We’re about to head to the Ashen Continent.”

Du Yu: ”...”