Chapter 3

After three days of nonstop travel, I reached a city near the North Sea.

I looked up at a sky packed with dark clouds, with the occasional bolt of lightning stabbing down, and felt thoroughly confused.

In Mother’s descriptions, the North Sea was peaceful, blue to the horizon, with vast skies, open water, and endless beauty.

It wasn’t supposed to have shrimp and crab soldiers patrolling every street.

In keeping with my family’s usual way of doing things:

If trouble looms, jump right in.

So I immediately decided:

I’d come back after dark.

I crouched on the nearest hill outside the city, counting lightning bolts out of boredom while I waited for nightfall, and took two spirit fruits from my pocket.

One in each hand. Bite left, bite right.

Something seemed to stir in the tree behind me. I looked back and saw no one.

But I did spot a little corner of white fabric.

I turned back and continued eating.

The fruit from our mountain really was delicious.

The flesh was fresh, crisp, and sweet.

I nearly polished off an entire bag in one sitting.

With a satisfied burp, I took out the last two:

“Oh!”

“Only two left now!”

“Hmm… I’m full, but two fruits hardly justify taking up a whole bag.”

I frowned, considered for a moment, and clapped my hands:

“Might as well make an effort and finish them!”

Then I lifted a fruit toward my mouth.

“Wait!”

A voice came from the tree behind me.

I suppressed the little smile tugging at my mouth and turned in surprise.

A man was crouching in the branches.

He wore white brocade embroidered with silver dragon patterns, his flowing sleeves studded with golden lotuses.

Hmm. Rich. You could tell at a glance.

But there was dirt on the hem of his robe. His handsome, white-jade face also looked somewhat haggard and disheveled.

Hmm. A rich man who’d fallen on hard times. You could tell at a glance.

He looked a little embarrassed when he saw me watching him.

I beckoned. He jumped down from the branch.

Then I patted the patch of ground beside me.

He came over and crouched down too.

His eyes, clear as spring water, looked from me to the fruit, full of longing and shyness.

Faced with such an exquisite immortal beauty,

I was, naturally, quite used to it.

So I moved the fruit a little closer to my own mouth.

To my satisfaction, his eyes widened, and he looked as though he might shatter.

I paused and asked, smiling with my eyes:

“Want some?”

His eyes lit up. He nodded rapidly:

“Yes!”

Then, realizing how eager he’d sounded, he grew embarrassed again:

“If… if you can’t finish it, could I have it?”

I handed him the fruit.

His brows relaxed. Light seemed to flicker through his dark, lacquer-bright eyes, and he gave me a radiant smile.

He thanked me and began taking big bites.

He ate quickly, but without looking messy.

That convinced me even more that he was no ordinary man.

Swallowing the last bite, he glanced at the remaining fruit, even more shyly than before.

I held it up and said:

“For this one, you’ll have to answer my questions. Willing?”

He nodded almost without hesitation:

“Yes.”