"I’m not going!"
Hearing Xiao Mo say he wanted her to go train at the Tianxuan Sect, Bai Ruxue shot to her feet.
"Ruxue, you have a gift for cultivation. You shouldn’t be confined to a small place like this. A wider world awaits you."
"But I like it here!"
"Ruxue, listen to ..."
"No! I’m not listening! I won’t listen!"
The girl covered her ears, shaking her head nonstop.
"Xiao Mo! You’re a huge jerk!"
Wiping away her tears, Bai Ruxue ran out of the courtyard.
"Ruxue..."
Xiao Mo called out, but Bai Ruxue had already vanished into the twilight.
Sitting on the stone bench, Xiao Mo looked at the chicken soup on the table and couldn’t help but sigh.
In Xiao Mo’s view, it wouldn’t do Ruxue any good to stay by his side forever.
If she had a master to guide her, it would be of great benefit to her cultivation.
Besides, for Ruxue to transform into a dragon in the future, she would need to travel down the great rivers to the sea.
And that journey would require a guardian to protect her.
As one of the ten Major Sects in the world, the Tianxuan Sect was more than capable of protecting Ruxue.
’Am I the one holding her back...?’
Xiao Mo lowered his head and pulled the pendant out from his collar.
Gazing at the translucent, silver-white Snake Scale hanging around his neck, Xiao Mo couldn’t help but clutch it tightly.
Standing up, Xiao Mo walked into Bai Ruxue’s room.
Bai Ruxue’s room had no decorations to speak of—just a bed, a stool, and a vanity.
The vanity was one Aunt Chen didn’t want anymore and had given to Ruxue a year ago.
Though the room was simple, it was spotless.
Walking over to the vanity, Xiao Mo saw a small stack of Xuan Paper bound with thread.
He opened it to find it filled with dense, elegant handwriting.
[Fourth Month, First Day.]
Two catties of duck, seventy cash.
Three catties of pork, sixty cash.
Two catties of tofu, eight cash.
Chilies...
Spent a total of two qian of silver on groceries today.
Hmph, I’m never going to the market in Huang Village again. The price of at has been getting higher and higher lately.
Tomorrow, I’ll go up the mountain and catch a pheasant for Xiao Mo to help him recuperate. I can save so money that way, too.
But Xiao Mo has his provincial exams soon. I should buy him so mutton. I heard it’s even better for you.]
[Fourth Month, Second Day.]
I don’t need to buy groceries today; the food in the cellar will last for another two days.
I gathered so dicinal herbs on the mountain and caught two chickens. I’ll sell one and make soup for Xiao Mo with the other, hehehe...
That Granny Huang from Huang Village kept trying to haggle with . So annoying! I’m not selling it that cheap!]
[Fourth Month, Third Day.]
My little silkworms, please spin your silk quickly! Once you’re done, I can weave cloth, sell it for money, and then I can make clothes for Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo is leaving for the State Capital at the end of the month. I want to make him a handso new set of blue robes.
Other scholars get to wear new clothes, so my Xiao Mo has to have them too!]
[Fourth Month, Fourth Day.]
A bunch of chives, one cash.
Rapeseed, two cash.
Eggplant...]
...
[Fourth Month, Fifteenth Day. I made a new set of clothes for Xiao Mo. I’ll give them to him on the day he leaves. I’m sure he’ll love them.]
[Fourth Month, Twenty-fourth Day.]
Xiao Mo wore the clothes I made.
Mhm, my handiwork is truly amazing. Xiao Mo looks so handso in them.
But Xiao Mo said he didn’t need clothes, and that instead of making him blue robes, I should make a dress for myself.
Honestly. I don’t need new clothes. This hemp garnt I’m wearing is good enough.]
[Fifth Month, First Day. Xiao Mo and I arrived in the city. So this is a State Capital of the Human Race? It’s so lively! Xiao Mo walked around town with and bought a candied hawthorn stick.]
It was delicious.
Today, Xiao Mo saw a stead bun stall and said it reminded him of an old friend. It couldn’t be so girl, could it?
And the brothel... what are the "matters between n and won"? Xiao Mo never told .
But that’s okay. When the ti cos, Xiao Mo and I can just do those "matters" together.]
[Fifth Month, Seventh Day. Xiao Mo went into the examination hall. Without Xiao Mo, it’s so boring.]
[Fifth Month, Eighth Day. Without Xiao Mo, it’s so boring. Ugh, still one more day.]
[Fifth Month, Ninth Day. Going ho, going ho...]
[Fifth Month, Sixteenth Day. Xiao Mo passed the exam and beca a Scholar! Everyone is praising him. I didn’t think he was actually the Wenqu Star descended to earth, though I don’t know what the Wenqu Star is...]
That County Magistrate said he wants to marry his daughter to Xiao Mo. I’m very unhappy. I don’t want to leave Xiao Mo, and I don’t want him to be with another girl. I don’t know why I feel this way.
But Xiao Mo said he won’t marry the County Magistrate’s daughter and will go to the city tomorrow to refuse him. I’m so happy.
Still, I have to work hard and try to be better than any other woman in the world.
That way, Xiao Mo won’t be able to part with , and he won’t marry anyone else.]
Closing what seed to be Bai Ruxue’s account-book-like diary, Xiao Mo looked at the pillow on the bed.
"Xiao Mo, you can scold , you can hit , but you can’t make leave.
If one day, you really can’t stand anymore, just put this Snake Scale under my pillow.
The next day, I’ll pretend I don’t know anything and just quietly leave."
Ruxue’s words echoed in Xiao Mo’s mind.
...
"You huge jerk! You big villain!"
"I’m not going to talk to you for two days!"
"Stupid Xiao Mo!"
"Bad Xiao Mo!"
On a large rock halfway up She Mountain, Bai Ruxue picked up one small stone after another and threw them forward.
"I never want to see you again!"
"Forever... no, for a month... a week! Forget it... maybe three days..."
"You huge jerk!" Bai Ruxue stood up and shouted down the mountain, "I don’t want to see you for the next three days! You can just starve!"
After shouting, Bai Ruxue sat down again, wrapping her arms tightly around herself and burying her head between her thighs.
"In that case, would it be better if I ca back to find you in three days?"
Less than ten breaths after the young woman had finished shouting.
Xiao Mo erged from the darkness, walking step by step toward Bai Ruxue.
Hearing Xiao Mo’s voice, Bai Ruxue’s delicate fra trembled slightly. She quickly stood up, about to run into the woods.
"Stop running." Xiao Mo caught Bai Ruxue’s slender wrist just in ti. "If you keep running, I really won’t be able to find you."
"I don’t want you to find ," Bai Ruxue said with a pout, hastily wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"But without you, who would cook for ?" Xiao Mo smiled. "You wouldn’t want to just watch starve, would you?"
"Hmph..." Bai Ruxue huffed, lowering her head and muttering, "Serves you right if you starve, you huge jerk..."
Xiao Mo smiled, taking Bai Ruxue’s fair shoulders and turning her to face him. He wiped the tears from her eyes with his fingers. "Don’t be angry anymore. I really wasn’t trying to send you away."
"Really?"
"Really," Xiao Mo said with a nod. "But Ruxue, do you really not want to go to the Tianxuan Sect?"
Bai Ruxue lifted her tear-filled eyes. "If I go, will you co with ?"
Xiao Mo shook his head. "I’m afraid that would be difficult. I’m just a scholar with no talent for cultivation."
"Then I’m not going!" Bai Ruxue sniffled.
"Ruxue, training at the Tianxuan Sect is sothing countless people can only dream of. Becoming an immortal is very difficult. Ruxue, you have this chance."
"But Xiao Mo, what does that matter?"
Bai Ruxue’s peach-blossom eyes gazed at Xiao Mo.
"If I beco an immortal but don’t have you, what’s the point?
A path to immortality without you is not a path I want to walk."
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