Into Town

I pat my cheeks a few times in wonder. This was definitely something I could get used to! I go back to brushing my hair and after a few minutes, Zhen is coming around the corner. "Are you ready to go?" He asks with a smile.

I eagerly nod my head while saying "I'm starving! Let's go!" Zhen pauses and takes a deep breath before saying "No matter how hungry you are child... you should never eat bugs." I nearly fall over. I give him a strained smile and say "I will take Grandfather's words to heart..."

Zhen nods in satisfaction before grabbing a small silk bag and handing it to me. "This has a few silvers in there. We shouldn't use the gold unless we have to... it'll attract unwanted attention." I nod in agreement and say "I can still change back into male clothes."

Zhen shakes his head and says "Absolutely not! No Granddaughter of mine will walk around crossdressing! You are a beautiful young lady so you should be proud." I give him a helpless look and say "It really doesn't matter to me..."

Zhen snorts and says "And that's why you're going around eating bugs! Start acting like a proud lady. You have everything you could possibly want or need so there's no reason to shy away." Again with the bugs!! I'm never gonna live this down...

I nod my head and give him a warm smile while saying "You're right, let's go get something to eat." Zhen nods and leads the way out of the cave. The sun was high in the sky making everything warm but there was a slight chill to the air.

"Is fall coming?" I ask following behind Zhen. He nods his head and says "The temperatures will drop tonight so we should get some firewood on the way back." I nod my head and continue walking but when we reach the dirt path leading to the town, I keep quiet.

Demon Wolves can't talk... no normal animal can talk so Zhen was no longer speaking. Just in case we run into others along the way. When we get to the City, the air is already filled with delicious smells. After a while, we choose a noodle shop that also sells steamed buns.

I order two portions of both, one for Zhen and one for me. I'm nearly done with my noodles when Zhen suddenly jumps up, scaring me. I choke on the noodles and begin coughing as I desperately gasp for air.

The shop lady runs over asking if I'm okay but I quickly wave her off. I look over to see Zhen staring off to the side with a strange look. I wipe my face off and look over to see several women wearing next to nothing.

One woman sits on a stool and plays an instrument with strings while the others shake their hips back and forth in a provocative manner. "Come to our White Lotus Bar and enjoy drinks with us." One of the women says with a laugh.

Several men stand around them with creepy smiles and retarded laughs. I look at them with a frown before looking back to Zhen. Was he interested in going to the White Lotus Bar? I mean... he is a male... but isn't he old?

Some old men still enjoy spending time with women... "Yue Ming..." Zhen says breaking my train of thought. Did he know one of them? I look back over to the woman but they were all leaving. "Do you know them?" I ask Zhen.

He suddenly looks back to me with tears in his eyes "That's my Granddaughter Ming Ming!!" My jaw nearly hits the ground in shock. "Wh... which one??" I ask in confusion. "The one playing the song! Why is she working with them!?" He says with confusion.