Chapter Four: An Enchanting Encounter in the Mountains

Dugu Ling ventured alone into the depths of the mountains; the deeper he went, the denser the surrounding forest became. For some reason, the entire mountain seemed shrouded in a dim gloom that day. Gradually, Dugu Ling found himself in a place he had never been before.

Where am I? he wondered. Off in the distance, wisps of mist curled upward into the air.

What’s going on? Why is there mist? Dugu Ling was puzzled. Overwhelmed by curiosity, he instinctively walked toward the source of the rising vapor.

Pushing aside a tangle of underbrush, he gasped—before him was a hot spring, its steaming water releasing clouds of mist into the cool air.

As he looked down, and then raised his head again, his eyes were suddenly filled with the sight of a fair and luminous back.

The silhouette before him was breathtakingly beautiful and alluring. The flawless curves, accentuated by the caress of the hot spring’s waters, made her skin appear even more radiant and supple. It was a vision one could hardly tear oneself away from. Yet her long, lustrous black hair concealed several vital parts, lending a further air of mystique. Amidst the soft haze of steam, the scene took on a surreal, otherworldly beauty, as if a celestial maiden had descended from the stars or a goddess from Greek myth emerging from her bath.

Dugu Ling had never before seen such a beautiful woman, nor had he ever glimpsed a woman in such a state. The natural reaction of his masculinity left his blood racing and a burning sensation rising in his lower abdomen; his face flushed fiercely red. Unwittingly, he let out a slight sound.

“Who’s there?” The celestial maiden, startled by his presence, quickly snatched up an embroidered robe to cover herself and seized a precious sword, pointing it at Dugu Ling’s throat.

Everything happened in a flash, leaving Dugu Ling no time to react.

With a mix of embarrassment and anger, the maiden leveled her sword at his throat and demanded, “Who are you? Why are you here?”

The sight of the blade at his throat instantly cooled Dugu Ling’s fervor. He knew he was in the wrong, yet it truly had been an accident. He hurried to explain, “I’m a villager from the foot of this mountain. I came here to hunt. I’d spent all morning searching in vain for game and didn’t want to return empty-handed, so I let the others rest while I scouted ahead on my own.”

He swallowed hard before continuing, “But today, for some reason, the mountain felt strange and eerie. Before I knew it, I’d wandered here. From a distance, I saw the mist and thought there might be something unusual, so I came over to take a look.”

The maiden’s name was Lin Mengyao, a disciple of the Hidden Pavilion, a reclusive sect on one of the peaks within the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range. She had come to these mountains near Dugu Village with her senior brothers and sisters to hunt monsters for crafting magical treasures.

She hadn’t expected to come across a hot spring here. Feeling weary from the journey, she decided to take a brief soak to ease her fatigue. But just as she began to relax, this incident occurred.

Ashamed and indignant, Lin Mengyao glared at Dugu Ling. Her grip on the sword tightened and released, tightened and released again, her brows furrowing deeply—evidence of her inner turmoil.

She knew he must have seen something, yet her kind heart would not let her harm a mortal, even one who had inadvertently compromised her modesty. She was simply too compassionate.

Moreover, she could tell from Dugu Ling’s eyes that he hadn’t done it on purpose. For Lin Mengyao, killing him would be as easy as flicking her wrist, but to slay an unarmed mortal was something she simply could not bring herself to do.

Dugu Ling, for his part, had no desire to die. Noticing her hesitation, he slowly moved his hands behind his back, preparing to seize her sword if the opportunity arose. He knew he had erred, but surely his mistake was not one deserving of death. Quietly, he readied himself for action.

At that moment, Lin Mengyao made a decision that would surprise anyone.

She tossed away her sword, turned around, and, her back to him, said, “Go. I never want to see you again.”

What? Dugu Ling was taken aback. His hand, hidden behind his back, relaxed its grip.

“Th-thank you, miss…” he stammered, then immediately regretted his words. Was that the right thing to say? He had just spied on a lady bathing—how could he thank her?

Realizing his blunder but at a loss for words, he hurried to leave.

“Wait,” Lin Mengyao called.

Dugu Ling, who had already turned around, froze. Did she change her mind and decide to kill him after all? He braced himself to resist.

But Lin Mengyao merely said, “Don’t speak of what happened today to anyone, or else…”

Relieved, Dugu Ling quickly replied, “I saw nothing, miss. I’ll be on my way now.” With that, he hurried off.

“Go quickly,” Lin Mengyao urged. “If my senior brothers and sisters find out, even if I spare you, I can’t guarantee they will.” After speaking, she suddenly felt a flush rise to her cheeks. It was strange—she was the one who had suffered, yet here she was worrying about him.

Dugu Ling’s heart skipped a beat at her words, leaving him with mixed feelings. He thought to himself, What a kindhearted girl. As he departed, an odd notion crept into his mind: how wonderful it would be to have a wife like her.

Lin Mengyao watched his distant figure, sighed, and bent to pick up her fallen sword. Shaking her head in disbelief, she muttered, “Could it really be him? Impossible.”

Just then, she noticed something on the ground where her sword had fallen—a half-broken piece of jade.

The jade was exquisitely clear and vividly green. Though Lin Mengyao knew nothing about jade, she could tell at a glance that it was of extraordinary value.

She picked it up, surprised to find that it was warm to the touch, further emphasizing its uniqueness.

Watching Dugu Ling’s retreating figure, she wondered, Could this belong to him? No, surely not. She tucked the jade away.

Indeed, the jade belonged to Dugu Ling—it was the only possession he had when he arrived in Dugu Village. When Dugu Bo found him naked and unconscious at the village gate, Dugu Ling had clutched this fragment of jade tightly in his hand.

It must have fallen in the confusion, and now Lin Mengyao had picked it up.

…

Not long after, Dugu Ling returned to where the rest of the hunting party was resting.

At the sight of him, Dugu Bo quickly stood up and asked, “How did it go? Any luck?”

Dugu Ling shook his head. Dugu Bo, seeing his expression, sighed, “It’s all right, as long as you’re safe. Why don’t we head back for today? That wild boar we caught yesterday will feed us for a good while.” With that, he called for everyone to descend the mountain.

So, the group, including Dugu Ling, made their way down. Though they hadn’t caught any game that day, it was nothing unusual for hunters, and the party remained in good spirits, chatting and laughing as they went.

But little did they know, Dugu Village was about to be plunged into a dire crisis.

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