Ancient Doomsday Traveler

Chapter 3 Admitting Defeat Was the Right Choice

That woman is so fast!

If she were to launch a sneak attack, and I was so focused on telling the story that I was completely absorbed, wouldn't I be stabbed in the back in no time?

Fortunately, it seems that the woman was just playing around and didn't mean anything by it.

Lin Xiu didn't hesitate to betray his donkey: "It seems the heroine is quite interested in my donkey. How about I give it to you?"

Brother Donkey shuddered and let out a "humph" as if protesting to Lin Xiu.

The woman giggled, glanced at Lin Xiu sideways, and said, "I'm not interested in Brother Donkey. I'm much more interested in you, sir. What do you say?"

The donkey lowered its head and tilted its body, making it difficult for the woman to sit still. She slipped off, then swung its rump, bumping Lin Xiu towards the woman. It shook the tuft of hair on its head and called out to the woman, "Hmm~".

Good heavens, this black donkey betrayed Lin Xiu without hesitation.

The woman was amused and giggled.

Lin Xiu gave the woman a deep look and said, "What benefits do you have for me, heroine? If the benefits are satisfactory, it wouldn't be a problem for me to obediently submit to you."

The woman smiled, her eyes narrowing, "Of course. Since you've asked, sir, how could I refuse? Consider it payment for your storytelling."

She carried a bag on her back, and as she spoke, she took it off, opened it, took out a small paper packet, and tossed it to Lin Xiu, saying, "This is top-quality wound medicine, which I obtained from elsewhere. In these times, you never know when you might need it, so please keep it safe, sir."

Lin Xiu took the paper packet, squeezed it between his fingers, and could feel the powder inside.

However, whether this thing is actually a wound medicine or whether the woman is telling the truth is still uncertain, and he wasn't sure either.

But he still put the paper package away.

Since it's free, why not take it?

After putting away the paper package, he said, "Mengzhou City is quite large, with plenty of empty houses. Why don't you find a place to rest yourself, heroine? We'll meet at the North Gate tomorrow morning, and I'll take you to the Wolong Mountain Star Gazing Sect. What do you say?"

The woman asked, "Where does the gentleman live? I live near him."

By this time, it was already dark. The last rays of the setting sun in the west were almost gone, while the half-moon in the east rushed into the sky, finally shining a little light from its gray-white color.

Lin Xiu did not refuse, and said, "This way." He then pulled the black donkey and led the woman north.

The city was dilapidated and desolate, with many houses collapsed because they had been uninhabited for a long time and had lost their vitality.

The lifeless undead huddled in houses, or stood on the street, some standing, some lying down, some supine, some prone, each with its own unique posture, but without exception, they all gave people a sense of eerie stillness.

Lin Xiu lived near the Yuanyang Tower in a lane called Zishi Lane. This lane was adjacent to the street and had multiple exits. The house Lin Xiu occupied also had a backyard with doors at both the front and back, making it easy to escape if things went wrong.

Moreover, there is a shed in the backyard where the donkey can rest. The previous owner was not a living dead man; he ran away with the remaining people, so it is a perfect place for the donkey to stay.

He led the woman past the living dead on the street to his lodgings, saying, "I'll stay here; you'll have to find your own place."

The woman smiled and said, "Okay," before walking away to find a place to stay.

After Lin Xiu went home, Brother Donkey didn't need Lin Xiu to take care of it and went straight to the shed in the backyard to eat hay.

The fodder was sourced by Lin Xiu from various parts of the city, and some is still left, but it has become damp due to the long storage time.

In the past, the donkey would never have eaten such fodder, but now it doesn't care about being picky anymore; it's good enough to have something to eat.

The sky gradually darkened completely.

Lin Xiu packed his luggage for tomorrow and prepared to cook. Suddenly, the donkey in the backyard brayed and ran out.

The hoofbeats were clattering loudly, clearly indicating that it was heading around to the front gate.

Lin Xiu was puzzled. He took the wood-chopping knife, opened the door, and saw that it was the woman who had come to knock on the door.

In the short time that followed, the woman had changed her clothes. She wore a light red brocade dress with a front opening, and a moon-white brocade half-sleeved garment over it. The skirt was layered and decorated with fine lotus patterns, completely different from the coarse cloth shorts she had worn before.

She removed her straw hat, and her hair was simply tied in a high ponytail, making her bright and beautiful oval face look less like contemporary attire and more like someone who had traveled from the future, just like him.

The woman deliberately showed off, twirling in front of Lin Xiu, her skirt blooming like flowers, and paired with her alluring face, she was indeed quite captivating.

"How is it? Does it look good?"

The woman asked.

As soon as she finished speaking, Brother Donkey came galloping over, braying loudly, and crashed into something with a loud bang.

Lin Xiu looked around and noticed a wine jar at the woman's feet.

The wine jar had been knocked over by the donkey's trunk, and the wine spilled onto the ground. The donkey hurriedly went to lick it up, looking flustered and pale.

Good heavens, this black donkey came running over in a hurry. It turned out it had smelled the aroma of wine and was craving it!

Does Brother Donkey have a dog's nose?

"It tastes good."

Lin Xiu gave a nonsensical reply, which made the woman laugh again.

The woman laughed and scolded, "Sir, you black donkey, you're so shameless! You even stole my wine!"

Lin Xiu asked, "Where did these things come from?"

The woman said, "Of course, we found them at the homes of wealthy families in the city."

I had some free time, so I went to check out the main house on the left. There's a cellar there, with a stone slab door hidden under the bed. It looks just like anywhere else, no wonder you didn't notice it.

Lin Xiu was somewhat surprised.

He had visited every corner of the city. The large house on the left that the woman mentioned was the former residence of the wealthy Chen family. When the disaster struck, the entire family became living dead and were all resting in the courtyard.

Lin Xiu had also carefully inspected his house and indeed found no cellar with the door hidden under the bed.

Lin Xiu noticed a burlap sack next to the wine jar, its contents unknown, and asked, "How did you find it so discreetly?"

The woman smiled and said, "Sir, I am a frail woman who travels alone all over the country. In this world, I have to go around looking for things to use and eat. The more I travel, the more I see."

It's not uncommon for wealthy families to secretly open cellars in their homes to hide good things. I've seen them hide the entrances under beds, cabinets, and dry wells.

Some families hoard gold and silver jewelry, while others, seemingly without any fear, hoard only wine, food, and clothing.

This one too. The clothes I'm wearing, and this jar of wine, were all taken from the cellar. There was also rice and smoked meat inside, but unfortunately, most of it was eaten by insects; only this little bit of good meat was left, which I managed to salvage.

She opened the sack and showed it to Lin Xiu. Sure enough, it contained half a sack of rice and two pieces of smoked meat.

Lin Xiu's eyes lit up immediately. He thought to himself, "This woman is no weakling at all! She's incredibly strong, has experience exploring on her own, and can even find food on her own. She's absolutely amazing!"

I was right to admit defeat before!

If we can cooperate long-term in the future, I can find a place to settle down. This woman goes out every day and brings back good things every now and then. How wonderful!

Isn't this more fun than Travel Frog?