Chapter 18

Do you know what a woman is?

Facing each other, if one didn’t look at the table in front of them and the bustling surroundings, it would absolutely look like a philosophical discussion.

In Yue Yuan’s heart, discussing such a question with Yang Guo wasn’t like the high mountains and flowing water, nor was it like standing on a mountain peak watching the clouds roll by, feeling the cool breeze. It was in a brothel.

Sipping a little wine, listening to the courtesan play the lute and sing, they would discuss what a woman is, word by word.

Unfortunately, these could only be Yue Yuan’s current fantasies...

The current scene was in an inn, at the dinner table after a meal, which was vastly different from Yue Yuan’s actual imagination.

Meeting Yang Guo’s gaze, Yue Yuan didn’t immediately give his answer but slowly asked a question: “Do you know what a woman is?”

What is a woman?

Yang Guo was taken aback, muttering Yue Yuan’s words, falling into deep thought.

“You must first understand what a woman is to understand your aunt, Miss Long!”

Lifting the wine cup and taking a sip, the wine here was far less spicy than in modern society, with a low alcohol content. It was watered-down wine. At least, this was the feeling Yue Yuan got from the wine in the inn.

As for the beer in the gourd at his waist, Yue Yuan had already finished it on Zhongnan Mountain, and now it was filled with clear mountain spring water.

He couldn’t possibly drink water at this moment, could he?

Drinking water would absolutely not fit his identity in this scene.

What is a woman?

Yang Guo’s mind was full of Yue Yuan’s question, and he was thrown into confusion by Yue Yuan’s words. Before, it was fine, as he hadn’t thought about it much, but now, suddenly brought up, it immediately put Yang Guo in a corner.

From a young age, after his mother’s death, Yang Guo lived a life similar to that of a beggar. One could say that the first woman who left a deep impression on him was his mother, gentle and kind, yet harboring a resentment he couldn’t understand.

Just like he didn’t understand why his name was Yang Guo.

After the beggar life, the second woman who left a deep impression on Yang Guo was the Immortal Fire Lily, Li Mochou. Her ruthless killing, her cold-heartedness, and her beauty all left an indelible mark on Yang Guo’s heart.

After that, the third woman who left a deep impression on Yang Guo was Aunt Guo, Huang Rong.

Clever and cunning, beautiful and always smiling, she taught him Confucian studies but not martial arts, and there was a vague, inexplicable special treatment.

Yang Guo both respected and feared Huang Rong.

Because he felt Huang Rong seemed to see through his heart, always staring at his weaknesses. This gave him a very peculiar impression.

Then, the woman who left the deepest and gentlest impression on Yang Guo was his master... his aunt, Little Dragon Maiden.

She was as cold and ethereal as a fairy, innocent of the world, dressed in white like snow, and had feelings for him.

They were master and disciple, yet not master and disciple...

Over the years, Yang Guo thought he understood his aunt, but the events of the past few days, combined with the question Yue Yuan raised, left him momentarily confused.

He thought he understood his aunt, but in the end, he realized he didn’t understand her at all.

After a long silence, Yang Guo finally raised his head to look at Yue Yuan, who was still eating peanuts and drinking, and said, “I don’t know!” In the end, Yang Guo could only give such an answer, looking somewhat dejected.

Indeed!

The current Yang Guo was an extremely simple and naive young man, far from the cunning of his father, Yang Kang.

Love makes people lose IQ, truly a profound saying.

“...”

Looking at the somewhat dejected Yang Guo, Yue Yuan could confirm that the events after Yin Zhiping’s failed attempt were somewhat unexpected, possibly because this guy didn’t understand Little Dragon Maiden’s words, leading to some misunderstanding.

“So, what do you think a woman is, Daoist Yue?”

Yang Guo, unable to figure it out himself, immediately threw the question back to the one who raised it, “I want to hear Daoist Yue’s insights!” Honestly, Yang Guo never thought a monk would understand women.

If he really understood women, then the identity of the Daoist Yue Yuan would be questionable.

Looking at Yang Guo’s somewhat challenging gaze, Yue Yuan laughed, understanding the thoughts of the person in front of him, and said with a smile, “Brother Yang, do you think all Daoists are like the Complete Perfection Sect, practicing asceticism?”

“Uh...”

Blinking, Yang Guo was somewhat surprised, “Isn’t that the case?”

“What did you learn in the ancient tomb?”

Squinting his eyes, Yue Yuan looked at Yang Guo with a strange expression, surprised, “Do you not know that Daoism is divided into several schools? Some practice asceticism, like the Complete Perfection Sect, while others can find a Daoist partner and start a family, like my Pure Yang! Even Buddhism is divided into several schools, such as Shaolin Temple, Esoteric Buddhism, and the Heavenly Dragon Temple where Master Yideng resides, each with its own differences!”

“...”

Opening his mouth slightly, Yang Guo felt speechless, as if he had been looked down upon by the Daoist in front of him.

Honestly, Yang Guo’s experience in the world was not much. After his mother’s death, he became a beggar, then went to Peach Blossom Island with Guo Jing for a while, and then to Zhongnan Mountain, finally staying in the ancient tomb for several years.

During these years, as a child, he had to survive, and in the ancient tomb, he learned martial arts from Little Dragon Maiden. Especially facing a Little Dragon Maiden who was innocent of the world, one couldn’t expect her to teach her disciple much about the world.

If Yang Guo himself wasn’t smart and cunning, the story might have developed in a completely different way.

Among the Daoists Yang Guo had contact with, the Complete Perfection Sect and the Immortal Fire Lily, Li Mochou, were the most famous...

Because he had been in the Complete Perfection Sect as a child, he knew about the rules there, so he naturally assumed all Daoists practiced asceticism.

Feeling Yue Yuan’s burning gaze on his face, Yang Guo blushed, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“Hey?”

Feeling embarrassed under Yue Yuan’s gaze, Yang Guo’s face turned red, looking somewhat shy. Especially since Yang Guo himself was an extremely handsome young man, but in Yue Yuan’s eyes, it looked very strange, making his expression even more peculiar, and he frowned, “Brother Yang, why are you blushing?”

Your blushing makes me feel like our relationship is very strange, considering we are just acquaintances who met a few days ago.

“Uh...”

Smiling awkwardly, Yang Guo also lifted his wine cup and took a sip to calm his embarrassment, then said, “Please continue, Daoist Yue, and explain what a woman is!”

“Alright!”

Seeing Yang Guo’s expression return to calm, Yue Yuan seriously began to explain... or rather, share the understanding of countless predecessors and successors.

“What is a woman?”

“Very simple, yet very complex, it’s just one word—water!”

In a fluent manner, under Yang Guo’s gaze, Yue Yuan began his own philosophical discussion.

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