Chapter 957 Don't Call Me Your Benefactor

The words "It's time to go down the mountain" calmed Ouyang Rong down.

He had said this to Huang Xuan before, and there was another sentence he gave her before parting.

Ouyang Rong felt Huang Xuan's gaze, and Fang Shengnan was also looking at him from the side.

Miaosi, perched on the young Taoist nun's shoulders, swung her legs back and forth, glancing over out of the corner of her eye, and muttered something seemingly casually:

"As the ancients said, a calm sea cannot produce excellent sailors; good archers are made by being fed arrows."

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Ouyang Rong frowned, glanced at her, and suddenly said to Xiao Mojing:

"The ancients also said that a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, but once it grows horns, it becomes afraid of a wolf."

Miao Si suddenly widened his eyes and said:

"Then, the ancients also said that the cubs of tigers and leopards, though not yet literate, already have the spirit to devour cattle."

Ouyang Rong had no interest in arguing and returned to silence.

Fang Shengnan roughly understood the situation on the field and tried to speak up for them:

“Young Master Ouyang, the little fairy is highly skilled and has a calm temperament. We are very fortunate to have her escort us on this journey; otherwise, who knows what might have happened on the way…”

Ouyang Rong glanced at her.

Fang Shengnan shut her mouth, walked to the table, poured a cup of tea, and said:

"Haha, Young Master Ouyang, Little Fairy, are you thirsty? Come, have a cup of tea."

Huang Xuan didn't speak, but kept looking at Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong didn't respond. At this moment, he seriously looked at the Taoist-robed girl in front of him who looked very different.

She's really different from the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket she used to be.

Ouyang Rong suddenly looked away and waved his hand:

"I'm not thirsty. It's getting late, let's rest first, and have breakfast together tomorrow morning."

Ouyang Rong turned his back to the two women and walked towards the door:

"I'm going to sleep in the hair salon, he's next door, right?"

Fang Shengnan had just picked up the teacup, ready to hand it to Ouyang Rong, when she froze, staring at the handsome young man's retreating figure as he opened the door and left.

At this moment, Huang Xuan, who had been silent all along, took the initiative to step forward.

"Miss Fang, this humble Taoist priest has come."

She gently took the teacup from Fang Shengnan's hand and followed her out. When she arrived at the next room, Ouyang Rong had already entered, and the noise seemed to have woken up her hair.

Beside the dark bed, the bald-headed young monk had already gotten out of bed, scratching his head in a daze, looking at the handsome young man who had come to squeeze in as night fell.

"Ming...Ming Mansion?"

Shu Sha rubbed her eyes repeatedly, somewhat unable to believe it:

"You...you've come in the middle of the night. Am I dreaming...?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"No dream. Sorry I'm a little late. You can go back to sleep. I'm going to wash my face. I just finished chatting with Miss Fang and the others. Let's squeeze in together. We can talk tomorrow."

"oh oh."

Xiufa obediently returned to bed, hugging the blankets tightly, looking just like a submissive little girl.

However, he also looked curiously at the aloof young Taoist nun who followed him in, and couldn't help but say:

"Little Fairy Huang, you... how about I change rooms? This one is for you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ouyang Rong had already drawn the bed curtains, separating him from the bed.

Ouyang Rong didn't look at Huang Xuan, who was quietly following him. He rolled up his sleeves and went to the basin to wash his face.

Huang Xuan placed the hot tea on the table and turned to look at his back.

As Ouyang Rong turned his back, he heard the voices of two women talking behind him.

"No, this fairy won't sleep with him. Let's go to your place. It's been so long, let's have a good chat... Also, this guy is a control freak, he's so strict with everyone..."

Miao Si's dissatisfied grumbling came over:

"Tell me, who is he to you? Humph, it's none of your business. Xiaoxuan, ignore him and don't be so obedient. Come if you want, he can't stop you. Just don't be afraid of him..."

Huang Xuan remained silent.

After washing his face, Ouyang Rong suddenly turned around and walked to the table.

Miao Si, who was sitting on her shoulders, immediately shut up and pretended to look around casually.

Ouyang Rong looked at Huang Xuan with a calm gaze, as if asking if there was anything else.

Huang Xuan lowered her eyes, felt around in her sleeve, and after a moment, took out a stack of books, placed them on the table, and then turned and walked towards the door.

"My benefactor, please rest well. We'll have breakfast together tomorrow morning. The porridge and rice at this inn are quite good, more fragrant and thicker than those on the mountain, just like the ones in Xunyang. My benefactor will like them."

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly as he watched the young Taoist nun's figure disappear into the distance.

Miao Si also went there.

Ouyang Rong knew that Xiao Mo Jing was afraid that if he really sent Huang Xuan away tomorrow and she returned to the mountain gate, he would never see her again, and it would be another farewell. So he was especially reluctant to part with her and would probably talk a lot tonight.

Speaking of which, it has been two or three years since the two women, one female and one female, separated. Although this span is very short for Miao Si, it is different for Huang Xuan. The next time they meet, the world may have changed again.

Although the fairy's words are sharp, her actions are sometimes quite heartwarming.

Ouyang Rong walked to the table, picked up the things on it, glanced at them, and remained silent.

It was a stack of rolled-up books. He picked up the top one, glanced at it, and saw that it was covered with annotations.

All the scrolls below are like this; many of the pages are worn out from being turned over and over, and it's unknown how many times the owner of the books has read them.

By the light of the tinderbox, Ouyang Rong looked down and flipped through the books, vaguely remembering that stack of books... It seemed to be the Confucian classics that her junior sister had given her before they parted in Xunyang. Her junior sister hoped that Huang Xuan would read more of the classics while she was still young, even if she became a Taoist priest of Shangqing.

Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered a sentence that Huang Xuan hadn't mentioned all night, one of the two sentences he had given her.

This was the sentence he solemnly uttered when he saw the stack of books his junior sister had given him as he was leaving:

"Xiao Xuan, you can sleep less, eat less, but you can't stop reading, even if you become a Taoist priest..."

...

The next day, early in the morning.

When Xiufa woke up, she found that Mingfu had disappeared from her side. When she turned her head, she saw that Mingfu had already gotten up.

The window inside the room had been opened at some point, and a handsome young man was sitting at the table with a bronze mask beside him, which he was not wearing. He rested his elbow on the edge of the table, as if he was looking down and flipping through something.

The young novice was curious. After getting up, he washed up and then quietly went to take a look.

But then they saw that the magistrate was holding a scroll filled with delicate handwriting, studying it intently. He held a pen in his hand, occasionally picking it up to make some corrections, his profile showing a meticulous and serious expression...

Xiufa noticed that, besides the book in his hand, there were many similar books on the table, all covered with annotations in delicate handwriting. However, some of them seemed to have been personally annotated by the Mingfu.

Xiufa scratched her bald head, looking a little strange.

But she obediently lowered her breathing and didn't dare to go forward to disturb them.

Without looking up, Ouyang Rong greeted, "Good morning, Master Xiufa."

Hearing this address, Xiufa blushed slightly and changed the subject:

"When did you wake up, sir? Why are you up so early? You came to sleep so late last night."

Ouyang Rong did not answer, but said casually, "Master is at the age where he is growing, so he should sleep more."

My hair is a little embarrassing:

"Your Excellency, please don't tease this humble monk. It's just that Benefactor Fang and the others misunderstood. I only read their palms and gave them a few words of advice, and they believed me and started calling me that. Hey... Your Excellency, you know this humble monk. I'm just a follower in front of my master. What kind of master am I? My master is the great monk who protects the country."

Ouyang Rong seemed to smile slightly: "They are all eminent monks, there is no conflict."

Without even looking up, he said another sentence:

"Wait a moment, there are a few more pages."

"No rush, no rush, Your Excellency, please take your time. This humble monk will go downstairs and get you some porridge."

She waved her hand and turned to find breakfast.

After a short while, Ouyang Rong finished writing, slowly closed the book in his hand, and placed it on the other side of the table with several other books. However, there was still a stack of books that he hadn't opened, which Ouyang Rong carefully sorted and put away.

Annotating all of them is a considerable amount of work.

He turned his head and glanced at it, then nodded slightly.

A moment later, Ouyang Rong collected them all.

This stack of books is covered with Huang Xuan's reading notes. Ouyang Rong didn't sleep much last night; he was neither sleepy nor able to fall asleep, lost in thought.

After waking up this morning, I lingered for a while, and for some reason, I just started reviewing them and making corrections for her...

Time passed by, and soon, Xiufa pushed open the door and entered.

Huang Xuan and Fang Shengnan followed him into the room.

Fang Shengnan was carrying a plate of fresh vegetables and fruits in both hands.

Behind her, Huang Xuan was carrying a food box. Miao Si was hiding in her sleeve. After entering the house, she poked her head out and looked at the food box with longing eyes.

"My benefactor."

Huang Xuan called out.

"snort."

Miao Si didn't know who she was talking to, and her head shrunk back in a flash.

"Good morning, Young Master Ouyang."

Fang Shengnan greeted him with a bright and cheerful expression.

Ouyang Rong had already put away the entire stack of books and sat by the window, gazing at the drifting clouds in the morning sky.

The two women went straight to the table, and Xiu Fa eagerly went to wash the fruit.

Fang Shengnan opened the food box and set out the bowls and chopsticks.

A young Taoist nun with a cool and aloof demeanor took the initiative to serve porridge, giving each person in the room a bowl.

As Huang Xuan passed by Ouyang Rong, she glanced at the scrolls that had been left on the table the night before and had disappeared, their whereabouts unknown.

She didn't ask immediately.

Ouyang Rong calmly accepted the white porridge handed to him by Huang Xuan and ate it for a while.

He acted as if nothing had happened, first looking up at Fang Shengnan and saying:

“Miss Fang, bring your sister over when she returns. I have something to ask her.”

"Alright, Young Master Ouyang."

After giving these instructions, everyone quietly drank their porridge.

Huang Xuan sipped her porridge slowly, occasionally glancing up at her benefactor. During this time, she also fed Miao Si some porridge, but the female immortal clearly didn't like such bland food. She clamored to go eat ink sticks and asked Xiao Xuan to buy her a few to satisfy her craving.

Huang Xuan looked at Ouyang Rong, who was drinking porridge, and did not immediately agree.

This is not something she can do on her own; it requires someone's consent.

Before long, everyone finished their breakfast.

Ouyang Rong got up and helped clear the dishes.

The aloof young Taoist nun beside her also got up to help clear the bowls.

Fang Shengnan stepped forward and stopped them with a smile:

"No need, Young Master Ouyang, Little Fairy, let me do it, you two go and rest."

Huang Xuan shook her head: "I'll help you, Miss Fang." She added, "My benefactor, please go first..."

Ouyang Rong silently released the bowl, seemingly letting them do as they pleased. Suddenly, he turned to Huang Xuan and said:

"Don't call me your benefactor anymore, and don't call me 'you' either."

The atmosphere inside the room fell silent.

Even the slowest-to-react hair sensed that something was wrong with the surrounding air and silently became invisible.

Fang Shengnan was bending over to clear the dishes when she stopped, remaining bent over as she glanced sideways at a man and a woman not far away.

Miao Si, who was originally making a ruckus in Huang Xuan's sleeve and preparing to jump onto her shoulder, also stopped climbing. She grabbed the fabric of Huang Xuan's Taoist robe with both hands, and her whole spirit was hanging in the air... Xiao Mo Jing's dark eyes secretly glanced at Xiao Rong Zi, whose tone was strangely unfamiliar.

Even with her audacity, she didn't dare to speak first or smooth things over.

Seeing Xiao Rongzi's calm expression, Miao Si hesitated, then looked up anxiously at Xiao Xuan's expression, as if she was worried about something.

Under everyone's gaze, the young Taoist nun stood quietly by the table.

Upon hearing Ouyang Rong's words, she looked over as if someone were greeting her, her expression unchanged.

Huang Xuan looked at the tall, upright figure in front of her, a figure she often thought of when she practiced thunder magic by the lotus pond on the mountain.

Just then, a soft footstep sound came from outside the door.

"Thump thump—thump thump—"

Someone knocked on the door; the knocking had a rhythmic sound.

"I...I'll do it."

Fang Shengnan immediately snapped to attention and quickly went to open the door.

The door was opened.

"elder sister?"

Upon seeing who was entering through the door, she instinctively spoke, and at the same time, glanced inside the room and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Everyone inside turned to look and saw a graceful woman standing at the door.

It was Fang Juxiu, whom I hadn't seen for many days.

She quickly entered the room, and after seeing the scene inside, she paused for a moment, especially after seeing Ouyang Rong, before raising her sleeves and taking a deep breath:

"Young Master Ouyang, you're back?"

Ouyang Rong nodded, remaining silent and motionless.

Fang raised his sleeves as if to say something but then stopped, but soon he realized that the atmosphere was not quite right.

She glanced at Young Master Ouyang and Fairy Huang standing face to face, the atmosphere somewhat strange.

Fang raised his sleeves without speaking, and looked at his sister who was slightly shrinking her neck.

The latter gave her a look.

Inside, silence returned.

Huang Xuan stood there, watching the handsome young man speaking earnestly for a while, and then continued to help Fang Shengnan clear the dishes.

She lowered her head and said in an emotionless tone:

“My benefactor, I will return to the mountain on another day, you…”

"No."

Ouyang Rong shook his head, interrupting her.

As the atmosphere in the room fell silent once more, he calmly outlined the arrangements:

“You can stay here and don’t need to go back to the mountain. Escort the two Miss Fangs between Taoyuan Town and Xunyang City. However, you don’t need to call me your benefactor anymore, and don’t use the formal ‘you’ anymore.”

He paused, then looked at the aloof young Taoist nun who had suddenly raised her head, and said, word by word:

“Xiao Xuan, you’ve grown up. You don’t need to call me that anymore. It’s not appropriate. We can use a different way to address you.”

(End of this chapter)