A Lucky Catch, A Fateful Encounter

[ Heaven Dou Empire, Vast Sea City ]

Unlike most other bustling cities, Vast Sea City felt as if it was innately serene due to the scenic view of the ocean. As a result, fishing was a popular both as an occupation and as a hobby.

This was why no one took notice of a hooded figure sitting on a boat in the distance. His hands were steady and marked by old calluses, indicating he had years of experience fishing. Of the kind of fisherman, he appeared to be the later, caring not to catch but to idly pass time while silently pondering. However, the line was cast and the acute tug pulled the man from his stupor as he began to reel in.

The man's profound blue eyes flashed with a hint of surprise upon discovering how heavy his catch was. Determined, he continued to reel and reel until... a large mass broke through the ocean surface and landed on him.

Though this man had seen many things on the path of life, his jaw was still left unhinged by the sight before him. He had pulled up a girl! And not just any woman, but a great beauty too. She had the porcelain skin of a doll with flowing golden hair that reminded him of the ocean breeze. She was thinly clad in a dress that appeared to be fashioned with seaweed.

"A mermaid?" The man was quick to recollect himself and questioned thoughtfully.

As if by command, the woman slowly opened her trembling eyes. Within them, he saw luminescent yellow irises which, paired with the black beauty mark under her left eye, had completely captured his heart. She slowly sat up and looked around, pausing on the cloaked figure.

Seeing her stare which began to gleam dangerously, the man was the first to speak. A hoarse voice that appeared unused for a long time could be heard from him. "Don't worry, Miss. I am a simple fisherman who lives in the city you see behind me."

Quickly looking behind the man, she indeed saw the city he spoke about. The confusion in her eyes lessened a bit but she was still on guard.

Knowing that it would be hard to get her trust without showing his face, the man sighed as he pulled down his hood. It revealed a man with black hair and deep blue eyes who, although his face unkempt, was still not considered bad-looking and even had a unique kind of charm. His voice sounded out again, but was much smoother this time. "My name is Lingbao. Although the circumstances are a bit odd, I am pleased to meet you. What is your name?"

The hesitation on the beautiful women's face lessened significantly. She thought for a moment before a sharp pain rang in her head, causing her to clutch it while falling down. Lingbao rushed to save her from the fall. He caught her just in time.

The woman opened her eyes again, clearly showing a lost expression. Lingbao immediately understood that she did not remember and was unsurprised. 'For a woman to be reeled up from the ocean meant that she must have been drowning. It would be a miracle if she was not amnesiac due to the trauma. Actually, it might be better this way as she could at least forget the pain.'

Not wanting her to hurt herself again, he offered his suggestion. "Since you cannot remember, how about I give you a name? When you get your memory back, we can just act like it never happened, right?" Though he said this, Lingbao felt a great sense of disappointment in his heart thinking that their meeting would just be forgotten. Shaking his head, he dismissed any possessive thoughts regarding her.

The woman's beautiful eyes glimmered as she nodded in agreement. Seeing her cute duck-like nod, Lingbao laughed for the first time in years. "I'll call you... Mengwu. How about it?"

Rather than giving a response, the woman leapt onto Lingbao, almost causing the boat to turn over as she began to rub their foreheads together affectionately. Hammered to the boat, Lingbao could only wryly smile as he silently thought to himself.

'The winds seem to be telling me... of a great storm lying ahead.'