Chapter 6

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On the 15th day of the first lunar month, a heavy snow began to fall, continuing for half a month. The snow-covered land stretched for thousands of miles, the world wrapped in silver, with a Daoist temple standing atop a snowy peak, amidst the clouds. After the snow cleared, the white clouds in the sky and the snow on the distant mountain peaks merged, making it hard to distinguish between cloud and snow.

Ning Wuxie stood by the redwood window, gazing into the distance, lost in thought as he looked at the misty mountain peaks, which seemed like jade belts, pure and natural, giving him a hazy sense of beauty.

He couldn't tell if this was a dream. He had been in this world for half a month, lying in this room for half a month, thinking a lot but still feeling lost. The past seemed to have left him, like a dream that had ended, and he had woken up with it.

Knock, knock, knock...

A gentle knocking on the door interrupted Ning Wuxie's scattered thoughts. The door opened, and a young Daoist boy with clear eyes and a fair complexion entered, carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of herbal medicine.

"Sir, it's time to take your medicine..."

Seeing Ning Wuxie standing by the window, the Daoist boy quickly placed the medicine on the square table in the room, walked over to close the window, and scolded, "Sir, your cold hasn't fully recovered; you shouldn't be exposed to the cold. Opening the window like this will only make your illness worse."

"Alright, alright, I'll lie down. Qingfeng, don't be angry."

Feeling the Daoist boy's reproachful gaze, Ning Wuxie rubbed his nose and lay back down. He wondered what he had done to deserve this. It was just a cold, yet he had been bedridden for half a month, his bones feeling weak.

Half a month ago, Ning Wuxie and Daoist Baiyun returned to Baiyun Temple. Although the snow was heavy, the talismans they used kept them warm, but Ning Wuxie's body was already weak, and he had suffered physical pain. The cold had made him fall ill upon reaching Baiyun Temple.

Ning Wuxie had a high fever and was unconscious, causing a lot of trouble for the entire Baiyun Temple. Qingfeng was the Daoist boy who had applied the talismans to Ning Wuxie, and another person named Mingyue. These two had been taking care of Ning Wuxie, and over time, they had become familiar with each other.

Qingfeng smiled in satisfaction as he saw Ning Wuxie lie back down. He picked up the bowl of medicine from the table and handed it to Ning Wuxie, saying, "Drink it while it's hot. The medicine is bitter, but it's good for your health."

Pinching his nose, Ning Wuxie drank the medicine, gagging for a long time, tears streaming down his face. It was not just bitter; it was unbearably so. Fortunately, he had been drinking this medicine every day for half a month and had become somewhat accustomed to it.

"Haha, you've improved. Yesterday, you were vomiting for a long time, but today, you just gagged."

Qingfeng teased, taking the empty bowl and said, "Master's medicine is good, but it's very bitter. The disciples both love and hate it. You've been drinking it for half a month, which is a blessing."

Ning Wuxie lay sprawled on the bed, rolling his eyes at Qingfeng's words. In his previous life, he had also taken traditional Chinese medicine, but it had never been this bitter. This wasn't just medicine; it was a matter of life and death. The first time he drank it, he almost vomited out his internal organs.

"Good medicine tastes bitter but benefits the disease. Daoist Baiyun's benevolence is truly remarkable, and I am deeply impressed..."

Ning Wuxie said weakly, but it was the truth. The medicine was bitter, but its effects were extraordinary. He could clearly feel a warm sensation spreading from his stomach to his internal organs and then to his limbs, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, warm and comfortable.

Over the past half a month, his injuries had healed quickly, thanks to this medicine. The scars left by the thorns had gradually faded, his skin had become rosy, and his body had become strong, almost like a rebirth, visible to the naked eye.

"This is the book you asked me to bring you. Read it first; I still need to attend to Master."

Qingfeng took out a book with a green cover from his robe and placed it on Ning Wuxie's pillow. He then left the room, closing the door behind him, his footsteps gradually fading away.

Ning Wuxie propped himself up against the bed, picked up the book with the green cover, and read the four ancient characters on it. Having passed the child examination and studied for four years at the school, he naturally recognized the characters.

It wasn't a Daoist cultivation book or a Confucian text, but a history book, *The History of the Former Dynasty*!

In his university days, Ning Wuxie had studied chemical engineering, but due to his introverted personality, he had always been most interested in history. A Western philosopher once said, "Reading history can enlighten the mind." Exploring the vast ocean of history, one could feel the extraordinary wisdom of the ancients.

To understand a place, the fastest way was to understand its history. Ning Wuxie's memories of this world were all left by this body. He knew he was in Ning Family Village, which belonged to Lu County, Luoshan Town. Beyond that, his knowledge was very vague.

A 16-year-old scholar who had spent his entire life in the school had no real understanding of the outside world. Therefore, Ning Wuxie had to rely on history books to understand this world.

Chinese history was long and profound. Ning Wuxie compared the dynasties in *The History of the Former Dynasty* with his memories. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Qin and Han dynasties, and the Three Kingdoms were all consistent. Historical figures like Qin Shi Huang, Han Wu Di, and the rulers of Wei, Shu, and Wu all appeared.

The key was after the Three Kingdoms, where history diverged. In the original history, the Three Kingdoms were followed by the Jin Dynasty, the Five Barbarians' invasion, the Sui and Tang dynasties, and eventually the New China. However, in this world, the Three Kingdoms were not followed by the Jin Dynasty but by the Sui Dynasty!

In the original history, the Three Kingdoms ended in 280 AD, and the Sui Dynasty began in 581 AD, with a 300-year dark period in between, which was a source of shame for many Chinese people.

However, in this world, a high-ranking official of the Wei Kingdom usurped the throne, and the Sui Dynasty emerged in 280 AD, conquering Shu and Wu, resisting the Five Barbarians, and ruling for 320 years. Due to the incompetence of the Sui Emperor, the people rebelled, and the Li Tang Dynasty took over, restoring the historical course and ushering in the Tang Dynasty's golden age.

*The History of the Former Dynasty* only recorded up to the Li Tang Dynasty's conquest of the Sui Dynasty, and the world was not yet unified. Many dynasties were only briefly mentioned, indicating that it was still the early Li Tang period. This history book was the latest revision, and the world was not yet unified, allowing Ning Wuxie to deduce that it was shortly after the Li Tang Dynasty's founding.

The Li Tang Dynasty was founded shortly after the fall of the Sui Dynasty, around 618 AD, and by 620 AD, what major events had occurred in China?

Prince Li Shimin led military campaigns in the north and south, making significant contributions to unification. The Xuanwu Gate Incident saw Prince Li Shimin ascend to the throne, initiating the Zhenguan Era and the Tang Dynasty's golden age.

At this time, a young monk took the full precepts, studied the Vinaya, and gained fame in the Buddhist community. In 627 AD, after being enlightened by the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, he was entrusted by Emperor Li Shimin to embark on a journey to the West, taking the Dharma name Xuanzang.

Ning Wuxie, recuperating in the Daoist temple, was unaware of these events. Knowing the era he was in, he pondered his future path. Would he leave his mark in the Tang Dynasty's golden age?

However, the course of fate was never so simple.

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