Chapter 20

ps: If the number of favorites can break 130 before midnight tonight, I will add an extra chapter. Currently, there are 110.

Ning Wuxue stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him.

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Clearly, the reason the demon snake did not eat the Zhu Guo (a type of fruit) was that it had not yet ripened. Ning Wuxue arrived quickly, and the demon snake had to pretend to be dead, intending to kill Ning Wuxue first before eating the Zhu Guo to heal its wounds. By a stroke of luck, Ning Wuxue ended up getting this opportunity for nothing.

However, a heavenly spirit like the Zhu Guo needs to be stored in a jade box to preserve its energy. Ordinary boxes would cause the energy to dissipate within a few days, rendering it ineffective.

Ning Wuxue had not brought any jade boxes when he came, and given his current financial situation, he could not afford one. He had no choice but to pick the Zhu Guo, wrap it in his clothes, and go to the water pond to wash off the bloodstains, then quickly return the way he came.

He was afraid that the human might come after him, so he was very cautious on his way back. When he reached a spot not far from the mountain temple, he hid the Zhu Guo under a tree, gently sighed, tidied up his clothes, and headed towards the mountain temple.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a fierce battle. Ning Wuxue was taken aback, slapped his forehead, and scolded himself for being careless.

The commotion from the fight between the demon snake and the Taoist earlier must have awakened Ning Bo Wu and Ning Wu Shuang in the mountain temple. They were probably now fighting the Taoist. No wonder the Taoist did not chase after the demon snake; he was tied up here.

Before Ning Wuxue could reach the place where the rocks were scattered, Ning Wu Shuang darted out from a bush, grabbed Ning Wuxue, and whispered, "Cousin, there's a highly skilled villain ahead. Don't go; Elder Brother is fighting him."

The place where Ning Bo Wu and the human Taoist were fighting was only about thirty meters away. Under the crescent moon, two figures could be seen moving among the scattered rocks, their staff and sword movements creating a flurry of shadows and flashes.

Ning Wu Shuang had been bullied by Ning Bo Wu since childhood and knew his strength well. Ning Wu Shuang had also learned martial arts from his father and knew a few moves. He was clear that he could not join the fight and could only watch from the side.

Seeing Ning Wuxue appear, Ning Wu Shuang assumed he had gone to relieve himself and did not ask more.

Ning Wuxue watched the intense fight between the two. Having seen the sword light emitted by the Taoist in green robes earlier, he knew that the Taoist was not using his full strength. However, he was surprised that Ning Bo Wu could match the Taoist in martial arts.

His adoptive father must be a remarkable person. Ning Bo Wu's martial arts skills were not something an ordinary person could have. However, during times of war, many heroes emerged, and it was not strange for a hidden martial artist to appear.

"Stop, stop..." After watching for a while, Ning Wuxue and Ning Wu Shuang stepped out and shouted at the two fighters.

Hearing Ning Wuxue's voice, Ning Bo Wu swept his staff and jumped out, dragging his iron staff to Ning Wuxue's side. He wiped the sweat from his face, his red face showing excitement from the intense battle.

The Taoist in green robes looked disheveled, sheathed his sword, and looked at the three of them, his righteous face showing a hint of anger. If not for these people, he would have killed the demon snake long ago.

"Who are you? In this desolate mountain, are you not afraid of encountering wild beasts or ghosts?" The Taoist in green robes shouted, his gaze finally landing on Ning Wuxue.

Among the three, only Ning Wuxue looked clean and refined, giving a good impression. Moreover, from the way Ning Wuxue shouted and stopped the frenzied Ning Bo Wu, it was clear that Ning Wuxue was the leader.

"Master, we are from Ning Family Village. My name is Ning Wuxue, also known as Zhongyuan. This is my brother Ning Bo Wu and my cousin Ning Wu Shuang. We are on our way to the county for the county examination. Why did you attack my brother without cause?"

The Taoist in green robes grimaced, feeling frustrated. Clearly, it was your brother who started the fight, but in your words, it became as if I started it. However, he also sensed that Ning Bo Wu, who fought him, had some mental issues. He couldn't possibly take a fool seriously, could he?

Seeing Ning Wuxue's polite manners and clear eyes, the Taoist in green robes believed him to some extent. His tone softened, and he bowed to the three, saying, "I am from the Qin region, surnamed Yan, and my courtesy name is Chixia!"

Boom...

One sentence made Yu Hao's ears ring, and his body felt as if it had been struck by lightning. He stared wide-eyed at the handsome and dignified young man in front of him, stammering, "Yan... Yan... Yan Chixia?"

Where am I? Isn't this a world of immortals and Buddhas? How did "A Chinese Ghost Story" come into play? Yan Chixia, the bearded hero with a free-spirited sword, is actually such a young and handsome man?

"Golden jade bow opens like the first sun, red dragon sword flies like a meteor. Silver horns flip through the flowing long hair, fiery wings flash through the frightened faces. The long robe flutters, shedding countless pink peach blossoms; a crescent moon hangs, on whose worried heart?"

Ning Wuxue thought of these words. This is Yan Chixia, not the bearded man. In fact, in "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio," Yan Chixia is described as a scholar-like gentleman. The book has this passage: "The scholar introduced himself as surnamed Yan, with the courtesy name Chixia. Ning suspected he was a candidate for the examination, but his accent did not sound like it was from Zhejiang. When questioned, he said he was from the Qin region, and his speech was very sincere and simple."

"Hey, Ning, have you heard of my name?" Yan Chixia looked at the stunned Ning Wuxue, feeling quite depressed. His name wasn't that bad, so why such a big reaction?

Ning Wu Shuang poked Ning Wuxue's back, and Ning Wuxue finally came to his senses. He looked up and down at Yan Chixia, making Yan Chixia feel very uncomfortable. After all, anyone would feel uneasy if a man looked at them with an ambiguous gaze, unless that man had a different orientation.

Ning Wuxue also realized it was inappropriate and shook his head slightly, saying, "I haven't heard of it. The Qin region is thousands of miles away. How could I have heard of it? I just feel that Master looks like a talented person, and it's a pity for him to be a Taoist."

The Qin region is in Shaanxi, while Ning Wuxue is in the Jiangnan region of Zhejiang. In ancient times, these places were far apart, and only someone like Yan Chixia, a Taoist practitioner, would travel around.

"I was also sent to find my Uncle Baiyun, but I didn't expect Uncle Baiyun to have already left on a journey. I happened to meet you. You are also surnamed Ning, which is quite coincidental. Not long ago, I met a scholar in Wuzhou (Jinhua) who was also surnamed Ning, named Ning Cai Chen. Could it be that I have a connection with the Ning family? Do you know Ning Cai Chen?"

Yan Chixia smiled slightly, lowering his guard. The reason he said this was because he had encountered two Ning scholars who both let the demons escape. This impression was quite deep. Yan Chixia even wondered if he was being cursed by the Ning surname, which made him so unlucky.

Ning Wuxue opened his mouth, well, Brother Cai Chen is here, so Sister Xiao Qian can't be far behind. The main characters of the real "A Chinese Ghost Story" are all gathered, just waiting for the show to begin.

In fact, Ning Wuxue was also puzzled. In "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio," Yan Chixia is from the Qin region, so how did he end up in Jinhua? It turns out there was a reason. Baiyun Taoist was actually Yan Chixia's uncle!