Chapter 162: Wei Youqing's Love Poem! (Seeking Monthly Votes!)

"Liuli, you have ultimately failed to sever ties with the mortal world..."

Gazing toward the south, Zen Master Bolu, seemingly sensing something, let out a long, faint sigh.

Beneath the Fututa.

A continuous stream of monks and nuns from Bolu Ciyun Temple had already gathered.

They then stood respectfully beneath the tower, hands pressed together, praying devoutly.

Unlike other temples or nunneries.

Bolu Ciyun Temple had pioneered a precedent in the Buddha Gate; the temple did not consist only of monks.

Because Zen Master Bolu herself was a woman, there was a significant number of nuns in the temple.

Relative to the number of monks, the nuns accounted for at least one-third or more.

At this moment.

Beneath the tower, almost all the virtuous and sufficiently high-ranking monks and nuns of the entire Bolu Ciyun Temple had arrived.

The Zushi rarely emerged from seclusion.

Now that she had appeared without warning, there must be some decree that needed to be issued.

"I wonder what instructions the Zushi has for us upon emerging from seclusion this time?"

Just then.

An Elder draped in a precious-light kasaya, with nine precepts received on his head and a somewhat withered face, stepped out from the crowd. He looked at Zen Master Bolu atop the tower spire, pressed his hands together, and asked respectfully.

Zen Master Bolu lowered her head.

She looked at the temple's Abbot and said, "It is nothing major. You have worked hard, Daokong. Is everything in the temple well?"

"Amitabha. Replying to the Zushi, thanks to the Zushi's blessed shade covering the world, everything is well." Abbot Daokong of Bolu Ciyun Temple recited a Buddha name, pressed his hands together, and replied respectfully.

Bolu nodded.

Then, her gaze swept across the crowd.

"Daoxing, stay behind. The rest of you, disperse."

"Yes."

Except for the nun Daoxing who had been named, the others all dispersed under the leadership of Abbot Daokong.

Very quickly.

Around this Fututa, apart from Bolu on the spire and Daoxing standing respectfully at the base, there was no one else.

The Dao-generation monks were already the great-great-grandchildren in the lineage of Bolu.

Yet, in this Ciyun Temple, they were the monks with the highest seniority besides her and Liuli.

And this Daoxing was also the youngest nun among the Dao-generation.

Therefore, although there was a vast difference in seniority, she was one of the people with the best relationship with Liuli.

"Grandmaster, I wonder what instructions Grandmaster has."

Daoxing wore a Vairocana hat and monk's robes, standing before the tower with hands pressed together, looking up at Zen Master Bolu atop the spire.

Bolu's figure flashed.

In an instant.

Before Daoxing could even react, she felt a person's shadow appear before her.

Focusing her eyes, she saw Zen Master Bolu staring at her with a complex expression.

"Grandmaster!"

"Daoxing, I have a matter to entrust to you."

Bolu looked at Daoxing and said with a solemn expression, "You and my wayward disciple have a close relationship. Now, my wayward disciple has been deluded by the mortal world. You shall go and pull her out of the sea of suffering; let her turn back before it is too late!"

"This matter must not be known to others, do you understand?"

Hearing Bolu's words, Daoxing was stunned.

Junior Uncle Grandmaster Liuli, deluded by the mortal world? How is that possible!

However, despite being filled with confusion and doubt, she still nodded respectfully and said with hands pressed together, "Very well, Grandmaster, I shall depart at once."

"Mm, she wrote to me some time ago saying she was near Yonghang; you can find her there!"

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

During these three days.

Everything in Ningyang Stronghold was in perfect order.

After experiencing the sneak attack by Yunxiao Stronghold, the people of Ningyang Stronghold had become even more united.

Wang Dalong was filled with immense guilt.

As the captain of the Patrol Team, failing to discover the intrusion in time made him blame himself deeply.

Therefore, in the days that followed, he worked even more diligently.

The disaster victims in the stronghold also gradually understood that Ningyang Stronghold needed everyone to protect it together; the farmers responsible for planting crops and the combat personnel assigned to the training team all worked even harder.

And amidst this orderly development.

There was one person who was about to scratch her scalp raw.

In the room.

Wei Youqing was dejected, lying irritably on a simple desk she had made herself, the fine-tipped brush in her hand caught between her fingers, rotating rhythmically.

Those eyes, filled with tenderness and shyness, gazed out the window.

They appeared somewhat hollow and listless.

"How on earth am I supposed to write this!"

A long time passed.

Wei Youqing suddenly sighed, her whole body collapsing onto the desk with no regard for her image.

It was easy to see that on the floor to her left and right, there were crumpled balls of paper everywhere, with ink occasionally visible on them.

These were the substandard works she had written while shut away for the past three days.

She did not understand what exactly could be considered explicit.

After all, in her years at the Academy, she had always followed the rules; let alone writing such poems, she had never even seen one.

Weren't those kinds of lewd songs and erotic tunes only written by scholars who mingled among the lowest classes?

To make a dignified Disciple of the Master like herself write such base things.

It was simply a form of torture.

"What do you mean, how to write it?"

Just as Wei Youqing let out a long sigh, a voice sounded at the door.

Wei Youqing instinctively turned her head to look.

Swish! In an instant.

Her complexion flushed red.

The person who had come was none other than Ning Mu!

The very object of her confession.

Gasp.

Wei Youqing stood up nervously, grabbing the paper and brush in a flurry and hiding them behind her back.

"N-nothing, it's nothing!"

Wei Youqing's face was bright red; as she replied, she used her feet to kick all the paper balls on the floor under the bed.

She was worried that Ning Mu might be curious and pick one up to read.

Inside them were nothing but unfinished love phrases.

Written to be used as reference.

"Why does Stronghold Master Ning have time to come here?" Wei Youqing hurriedly looked for an excuse to change the subject.

As she spoke, Wei Youqing's eyes became incredibly glistening, and two extremely alluring blushes hung on her face.

"I went to Jigong Ridge to check on the planting, and when I passed your door, I remembered that the Libationer hadn't appeared for three or four days, so I came to check, thinking you might have already left."

Ning Mu stood by the door with his hands behind his back, looking at Wei Youqing, and said with a smile.

On the surface, he remained calm.

But in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a bit of amusement.

Before, he hadn't been quite sure if Wei Youqing had been scared silly by receiving the system and had run away.

Now he knew.

So she was worrying about writing a love poem for this first task!

"Oh... then thank you for your hard work, Stronghold Master Ning!"

Wei Youqing blinked, not knowing what else to say; she gave a casual, perfunctory reply, then stared at Ning Mu with bright, sparkling eyes.

For a moment.

The two stood looking at each other in silence.

"Stronghold Master Ning, is there anything else?"

Wei Youqing frowned slightly, her face flickering with anxiety; seeing that Ning Mu lingered, she even began to feel a bit uneasy.

Ning Mu was also taken aback.

He then smiled and said, "Nothing much. I wonder what Libationer Wei is writing? If you really can't go on, why not accompany me for a walk? Perhaps you might find some inspiration?"

Hearing Ning Mu's words, Wei Youqing instinctively wanted to refuse.

After all, what she was writing was meant for him, and it was that kind of low-class love letter.

But then she thought about it.

Since it was meant for him, why not chat together to improve their understanding? Maybe she really would find some inspiration.

Furthermore, since this system had bound him as her Xia Lu.

Then she should probably have some contact with him.

This was, after all, a marriage ordained by heaven.

To blaspheme heaven would be foolish! At this thought, Wei Youqing nodded a bit naively, looked at Ning Mu, and said, "O-okay, then wait for me outside; I will change my clothes."

Ning Mu raised an eyebrow with a smile and stepped out.

Inside the room.

Wei Youqing was incredibly nervous, pondering what kind of clothes would be best to wear.

In the end, she chose the blue and white Hezi skirt she had worn when she first arrived here, paired with a large-sleeved robe on the outside.

It might truly be her destined Xia Lu marriage.

Naturally, she had to treat it with care. At eighteen years old, Wei Youqing had lived in the Academy for years and was actually still very naive when it came to matters of the heart.

She stepped out of the room.

Seeing Ning Mu standing by the road waiting for her, Wei Youqing's eyes brightened slightly, and she took the initiative to walk toward him.

At the same time, she spread her arms, opening those wide sleeves, moving with the wind; her dancing, fluttering appearance was full of ethereal grace.

After getting close, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said shyly, "Stronghold Master Ning, does this outfit look good?"

Her eyes were bright, but the shyness on her face was plain to see.

Ever since Wei Youqing stepped out, Ning Mu's gaze had not shifted, his eyes revealing a hint of something strange.

The places we are going to later are either farmland or irrigation ditches.

Dressed in such finery, I fear it will be quite inconvenient.

But hearing Wei Youqing ask and looking at him with eyes full of anticipation, he could not bear to leave her in an awkward position, so he nodded immediately and praised her sincerely: "Libationer Wei is a natural clothes hanger, beautiful as a celestial being; naturally, you look extremely lovely!"

More importantly, it is truly a feast for the eyes!

Wei Youqing was taken aback by these words.

A clothes hanger?

What a strange description this is.

However, she was not stupid; she could tell that Ning Mu was praising her, so her beautiful eyes blinked immediately, brimming with smiles.

Next, Wei Youqing followed Ning Mu and walked through the mountains.

The mountain paths were not easy to walk, and they were covered in thorns.

A moment of carelessness would result in the hem of her skirt being scratched and frayed.

But as he busied himself with official business, Ning Mu had no time to consider her feelings.

The land reclaimed by Ningyang Stronghold was mostly in a place behind the mountain called 'Leigong Ao'; it faced the sun and was sheltered from the shade, the soil was fertile, and the mountain's terrain kept the soil in this area moist year-round, so even in the scorching summer, it would not be excessively arid.

It was an excellent place for crops to grow.

It was just that this place was previously desolate and uninhabited, ignored by all, and because it was located on the border and was a bandit den, no one dared to come here to farm.

Crossing Leigong Ao, one arrives at Jigong Ridge.

After careful surveying and confirmation by A Diao, this area could also be reclaimed to create nearly a hundred mu of dry land.

Now, the land at Leigong Ao had all been planted, and in some places, one could even see corn seedlings breaking through the soil.

Except for one or two farmers maintaining the area to keep birds and beasts away, most of the others had been taken by A Diao to Jigong Ridge to reclaim new land and dig ditches to divert water, busy and bustling.

Following Ning Mu for a tour, Wei Youqing's expression gradually became filled with gravity.

She watched with her own eyes as the farmers faced the yellow earth and turned their backs to the sky, sweating like rain as they swung heavy hammers to strike violently against boulders weighing over a thousand catties.

She also saw mothers still carrying their young, with children strapped to their backs, hunched over with weeding sickles in hand, grabbing thorns that left their palms covered in blood, cutting them down one by one.

She also saw the young and strong laborers treating themselves like old oxen, pulling plows and harrows, taking difficult steps; with every step taken, an inch of land was broken open by the iron plow blade.

And there were those towering trees that required several people to embrace, falling from the sky through the concerted efforts of over a dozen people.

Hundreds of people were all devoted to this exhausting and heart-wrenching labor.

But what was strange was this.

Although they had no smiles, very few people wore expressions of sorrow; instead, they were full of drive, pouring all their strength into this land reclamation or irrigation ditch construction.

"Stronghold Master Ning, these trees are so thick and sturdy; it takes them a dozen or twenty people half a day to cut one down. Why not save this manpower and let martial artists do it?"

Wei Youqing frowned in confusion, following behind Ning Mu, pointing at a tree in the distance that had crashed down under the concerted efforts of the stronghold residents, and asked in bewilderment.

"Besides, it easily causes casualties and wastes time."

"Don't say that martial artists cannot do these things; I previously saw your stronghold's Huang Zhushi personally use his Cultivation Points to pull a stone roller to tamp down the road surface!"

"And this, they are actually using themselves as old oxen; even if this land is reclaimed, can it really grow seeds?"

Wei Youqing asked several questions in a row.

Ning Mu smiled and said: "Libationer Wei, what do you think is the most important thing for a person living in this world?"

Wei Youqing was startled, thought carefully, looked at this group of people who were formerly disaster victims, and said thoughtfully: "Food? No, that's too one-sided. The desires of the palate? No, it should be desire!"

As she spoke.

Wei Youqing became certain of her answer.

Ning Mu glanced at her, nodded, and smiled: "Libationer Wei is right, but not entirely."

"Desire can drive people to multiply endlessly, but for a person living in this world, what is actually most important is value; simply put, it is a sense of existence!"

"Value?" Wei Youqing frowned and pondered.

Seeing that she seemed confused, Ning Mu smiled and continued: "To give a very simple analogy, if one day, Libationer Wei lost the status of Libationer, what would happen?"

Hearing this, Wei Youqing was stunned for a moment, then said: "I would be very miserable, feeling that my strength is insufficient..."

"That is value!"

"In this world, whether it is people or things, including you and me, even the royal families of various countries are no exception; all need a sense of existence to integrate into society. It is just that everyone's circumstances are different, and the sense of existence varies in intensity. Just like the Libationer, losing the status of Libationer would be very painful."

"And these disaster victims, if they are not allowed to engage in labor, they will also lose their sense of existence. Without a sense of existence, their value will also disappear, or they will be replaced by others. Then, what is the meaning of their survival?"

Wei Youqing knitted her brows, her eyes wide, looking at Ning Mu, filled with shock.

This was the first time she had heard such a theory.

But thinking about it carefully, there was nothing wrong with it.

She thought for a moment and said: "But, if martial artists came forward to do the labor, couldn't they rest?"

Ning Mu shrugged and said: "If the places where they are needed were all replaced by martial artists, then I would not need them, and their existence would still have no value."

"To me, they are creating value for me!"

"And for themselves, is it not also creating the conditions for their own survival?"

Wei Youqing was stunned, and then her face turned crimson.

She suddenly realized that she had asked a very stupid question! "But, Stronghold Master Ning, you are mountain bandits; instead of going down the mountain to rob, you are here reclaiming land and hoarding grain. Isn't this going against the grain?"

"If you can rob easily, why make them so exhausted?"

Wei Youqing's expression revealed a hint of oddity.

This Stronghold Master Ning could be considered the most unconventional bandit king in this world, right?

From ancient times to the present, one has never heard of any mountain bandit who does not rob, but instead relies on their subordinates to reclaim fields and grow grain to maintain their livelihood.

It is not that there are none.

But those are mostly border garrison households who have descended; most will reclaim wasteland to hoard grain, and then expand their territory and recruit more people until they become too big to be controlled, and the Imperial Court cannot restrain them. As for the end, naturally, they want to overthrow the dynasty and sit on the throne themselves.

Not exactly...

Wei Youqing seemed to have understood something; she suddenly turned her head to look at Ning Mu, her eyes filled with shock.

Could this fellow be plotting a rebellion? But then she thought again, it couldn't just be that, could it? Relying on just a few disaster victims?

Wei Youqing couldn't help but shake her head.

Ning Mu, however, gave a calm smile and said placidly, "Plundering is never a grand Dao, and it is prone to living hand-to-mouth. Isn't it better to be self-sufficient like this now, keeping the grain in one's own hands?"

"There is a saying among the people: with grain in hand, there is no panic in the heart."

"My ideal is to have the entire Xima Mountain join in this endeavor of self-sufficiency. With less plundering, passing merchant caravans would only need to pay a fixed fee at regular intervals, and they would no longer need to worry about being robbed. In this way, it is a win-win situation for everyone; isn't that wonderful?"

"For this very purpose, I have even managed to get my hands on all the land belonging to Yonghang Prefecture."

Ning Mu looked at Wei Youqing candidly and said.

Wei Youqing blinked, looking at him with some astonishment, then a strange glint flashed in her eyes as she said, "Stronghold Master Ning is so candid; are you not worried that I might leak the secret?"

"Not worried," Ning Mu shook his head without hesitation.

"Why?"

Ning Mu shrugged: "The Stronghold Master of Yunxiao Stronghold has already been captured by me; what could happen even if these words were spread?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Youqing was immediately rendered speechless.

It really was so.

Afterwards, the two walked around the mountain for a short while.

Wei Youqing's skirt was truly torn to shreds by the thorns, so she had to blush and bid farewell to leave.

She now realized why, when she had just set out earlier.

Ning Mu had looked at her with that strange gaze.

In these deep mountains, wearing such a skirt made moving about truly inconvenient! And upon returning to her room.

Just as she took off her clothes and had not yet had time to change, a flash appeared in her eyes, as if she had thought of something.

Immediately.

She threw herself before the desk, ground the ink, moistened the brush, and then wrote away with a swish-swish.

Soon, after she finished writing.

Wei Youqing gently blew on the wet ink on the paper and nodded with satisfaction.

But her complexion turned incomparably flushed.

She, a dignified Libationer of Jixia Academy and a Disciple of the Master, would actually write such base, lewd, and erotic poetry? And, what's more, she was using it to actively pursue a minor mountain Stronghold Master.

If this were to get out, her colleagues and Disciples in the Academy would probably laugh their heads off, right?

After confirming the paper was dry.

Wei Youqing, with a flushed face and feeling as guilty as a thief, peeked at the window and folded the paper filled with lewd poetry.

Afterwards, she crouched behind the window, watching the small path outside the courtyard.

Ning Mu would pass by this path again in a moment.

Why not take this opportunity to give this poem to him! Wei Youqing thought to herself, yet she could not suppress her heart from pounding; that little heart of hers was like a startled deer, as if it might jump out at any moment!

She had just turned eighteen.

Such a beautiful woman, let alone in this wild mountain area, even in the Academy, had countless pursuers.

There was no lack of sons from noble families and wealthy, powerful clans who had expressed their intent to pursue her.

Yet she had rejected them all.

She looked down upon those playboys.

Even among the imperial family, there was no lack of pursuers.

One can imagine how great her reputation was in the Imperial Capital Linzi, and how high-ranking and powerful her pursuers were.

But now.

She, who could almost be called the pride of the Confucian Dao in Qi.

Looked down upon imperial sons and noble Young Masters, yet here in this remote mountain wilderness, she was actively writing love poems—and such explicit, lewd poetry at that.

Just to win the favor of this small mountain Stronghold Master.

This contrast made her so nervous she almost forgot her own name!

(End of this chapter)