Chapter 12

In the evening, the sky had cleared, and the setting sun cast a gentle glow, like a light veil, giving the snow a faint yellow hue.

Ning Wuxie walked out of the house. Coincidentally, he looked up and saw the young lady who had fallen in the snow that morning sitting on a stone bench under the plum tree, holding a poetry collection in her delicate hands.

The beauty under the plum tree, bathed in the sunset, outlined a perfect silhouette, which made Ning Wuxie almost lose himself in admiration.

"Stinky scholar, what are you looking at?"

An ill-timed, coquettish voice rang in Ning Wuxie's ear, startling him into quickly averting his gaze. He glanced to the side and saw the maid in the flowered dress glaring at him with a fierce, wary look.

"Stinky scholar, I'm warning you, don't have any ideas about my young lady."

Waving her fists, the little maid glanced at Ning Wuxie, who was staring at her, and her face turned red. She took a few steps toward the young lady.

Ning Wuxie touched his nose, thinking, "I'm not a bad person, why are you running?"

"Miss, is your back better?" Ning Wuxie looked at the young lady and smiled gently.

"Xiao Tao, you're talking nonsense again." The young lady, who had been reading, came back to her senses, scolded the maid, and then glared at Ning Wuxie, turning away in a huff.

"How outrageous, to make me look so embarrassed."

Thinking about how she had fallen so clumsily in front of a stranger that morning, Luo Ying felt so embarrassed that she wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in. What was even worse was that the stinky scholar, who could have helped her, had deliberately avoided her, watching her fall flat on her face.

Don't they say that a gentleman is always courteous, and heroes save damsels in distress? Could it be that she wasn't beautiful enough?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. At that moment, seeing Ning Wuxie again, Luo Ying felt an urge to strangle him. "You, a big man, why are you so fair and handsome? Do you even care about the feelings of other women? And you're smiling, so charming, uh, no, so despicable, shameless, and vile."

Ning Wuxie, of course, had no idea what the young lady was thinking. Seeing that she was ignoring him, he assumed she was still angry. After some thought, he left the courtyard and headed toward the kitchen of the Taoist temple. He hadn't had dinner yet, and usually, Qingfeng and Mingyue would bring it to him. For some reason, they hadn't come by evening.

"Miss, Miss, he's gone..." The maid, seeing her mistress still brooding, couldn't help but speak up.

"Ah? Gone?" Luo Ying looked around, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, which was quickly replaced by anger. She said resentfully, "Stinky scholar, I hope you slip and fall, choke on your food, and choke on your drink..."

"Miss, how can a man be so handsome?" The maid said dreamily.

"Who knows, he's just a pretty face..."

Ning Wuxie went to the kitchen of the Taoist temple, got some food, and then went straight to the library. He could read some ordinary books there, and the library was always lit, allowing him to read at night.

"Books are like medicine; good reading can cure foolishness."

Ning Wuxie was determined to become a learned scholar. His family was poor, and he had already read most of the books in the village school. He had to take this opportunity to read more, or he would be struck by lightning.

Time passed quickly, and five days went by in a blink.

Zhang Qing stayed at the Taoist temple for three days and then left for the county with his servants. He was the chief examiner for the county examination and couldn't stay at the temple. The young lady who had stayed with Ning Wuxie for three days also left with Zhang Qing, still looking angry, which left Zhang Qing puzzled.

Ning Wuxie learned from Qingfeng that the young lady's name was Luo Ying, Zhang Qing's daughter, who was deeply loved by her father. She followed her mother's surname, was eighteen years old, and was a famous beauty in Qingzhou. Many young noblemen had tried to court her, but she had rejected them all.

When introducing her to Ning Wuxie, Qingfeng said seriously, "If you could marry her, your future would be limitless."

Ning Wuxie shook his head. Qingfeng didn't know that he had offended her. She was still angry when she left. Besides, so many young noblemen hadn't been interested in her, why would she be interested in him, a poor scholar?

He wasn't like Ning Caichen, who could make Xiao Qian fall in love with him. He didn't have that kind of good fortune, so he shouldn't think too much about it.

To Ning Wuxie, Zhang Qing and Luo Ying were just passersby in his life, and he was the same to them.

In the room, Ning Wuxie changed back into his old, patched, faded robe, walked out of the back courtyard, and headed toward the place where Baiyun Daoist practiced meditation.

It was already February 21st, and he had stayed at Baiyun Temple for 36 days. The county examination was in about ten days, and after much thought, Ning Wuxie decided to leave the temple.

"Are you leaving?"

Baiyun Daoist immediately understood Ning Wuxie's intention. After some thought, he said, "Very well, your injuries have healed, and the county examination is approaching. It's time to let you go. In a few days, I will also leave to travel the world. This parting marks the end of our connection. This small gift is a token of my appreciation."

Ning Wuxie was slightly surprised. Baiyun Daoist was leaving? It made sense, as Taoist practitioners considered the world their home, just like how reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. The Dao follows nature, and one must experience it in the world, not just in a temple.

After exchanging a few polite words with Baiyun Daoist, Ning Wuxie came out with a green bundle in his hand.

He said his goodbyes to Qingfeng and Mingyue, who also knew that their connection had ended. They gave Ning Wuxie a book box as a farewell gift. He then bid farewell to the other Taoists in the temple. By noon, Ning Wuxie, with the book box on his back and a few steamed buns in his pocket, waved goodbye and set off down the mountain.

Baiyun Temple was located on a high mountain, and the path down was rugged and winding, disappearing into the snowy mountains.

On the way, Ning Wuxie munched on a bun and hummed a tune, feeling like a bird that had escaped its cage, walking happily. He knew that Baiyun Daoist was still following him, as the old Taoist was still not fully at ease.

After walking for five miles, seeing that Ning Wuxie was still Ning Wuxie, Baiyun Daoist stopped, sighed, and said, "I was too attached and misunderstood this young man."

With a flick of his body, Baiyun Daoist turned and returned to Baiyun Temple. Ning Wuxie had guessed that Baiyun Daoist would follow him but didn't know when he had left. With his current abilities, he could only sense movements within a hundred meters, and with Baiyun Daoist's cultivation, he could avoid detection even if he was right next to him.

After crossing the small bridge outside Ning's village, he saw two bare willow trees. Below them, a few children with red cheeks were