"I won't go!"

Upon hearing that Xiao Mo wanted her to go cultivate at the Tianxuan Sect, Bai Ruxue immediately stood up.

"Ruxue, you have talent for cultivation. You shouldn't be confined to such a small place. You have a much broader world ahead of you."

"But I like it here!"

"Ruxue, listen to me..."

"I won't listen, I won't listen! I refuse to listen!"

The young woman covered her ears and kept shaking her head.

"Xiao Mo! You're a big stinky egg!"

Bai Ruxue wiped away her tears and ran out of the courtyard.

"Ruxue..."

Xiao Mo called out, but Bai Ruxue had already disappeared into the twilight.

Sitting on the stone stool, Xiao Mo looked at the chicken soup on the table and couldn't help but sigh.

In Xiao Mo's view, having Ruxue stay by his side all the time wasn't really beneficial.

If she had a master to guide her, it would be greatly advantageous for her cultivation.

Moreover, when Ruxue transforms into a dragon in the future, she would need to travel through rivers and enter the sea.

Traveling through rivers and entering the sea would require someone to protect her path.

As one of the ten great sects in the world, the Tianxuan Sect would definitely have the ability to protect Ruxue's path.

"Am I the one who has bound her?"

Xiao Mo lowered his head and took the pendant out from his collar.

Looking at the crystal-clear silvery-white snake scale around his neck, Xiao Mo couldn't help but grip it tightly.

Standing up, Xiao Mo walked into Bai Ruxue's room.

Bai Ruxue's room had no decorations, just a bed, a stool, and a dressing table.

This dressing table was given to Ruxue a year ago when Aunt Chen no longer wanted it.

Though the room was simple, it was clean and tidy.

Walking to the dressing table, Xiao Mo saw a small stack of paper sewn together with needle and thread.

Opening it, he saw densely written delicate small characters.

[First day of the fourth month. Duck meat, two catties, seventy wen. Pork, three catties, sixty wen. Tofu, two catties, eight wen. Chili peppers... Today's grocery shopping cost a total of two taels of silver. Hmph, I'll never go to Huang Village's market again. The meat prices keep getting higher lately. Tomorrow I'll go up the mountain to catch a pheasant to nourish Xiao Mo's health and save some money too. But Xiao Mo has the provincial examination coming up, so I need to buy some mutton for him. I heard that eating mutton is better for the body.]

[Second day of the fourth month. No need to buy groceries today. What's stored in the cellar can last two more days. I gathered some medicinal herbs on the mountain and caught two chickens. I'll sell one and use the other to make soup for Xiao Mo, hehe... It's just that Old Lady Huang from Huang Village kept trying to bargain down my prices. So annoying! I won't sell that cheap!]

[Third day of the fourth month. Little silkworms, please spin your silk quickly! Once you spin the silk, I can weave cloth, and once I weave cloth, I can sell it for money, then I can make clothes for Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo will depart for the prefecture at the end of the month. I want to get him a nice new blue robe. Other scholars have new clothes to wear, so my Xiao Mo must have them too!]

[Fourth day of the fourth month. Chinese chives, one bundle, one wen. Bok choy, two wen. Eggplant...]

[Fifteenth day of the fourth month. I made a new set of clothes for Xiao Mo. I'll give them to him to wear on departure day. He'll definitely like them.]

[Twenty-fourth day of the fourth month. Xiao Mo wore the clothes I made. Mm, this young lady's craftsmanship is indeed excellent. Xiao Mo looked very handsome wearing them. But Xiao Mo said he didn't need clothes, and that instead of making him a blue robe, I should make myself a dress. Really, I don't need new clothes. This hemp garment I'm wearing is enough.]

[First day of the fifth month. Xiao Mo and I came to the town. So this is the human race's prefecture? It's really so lively! Xiao Mo accompanied me shopping and bought me candied hawthorn. The candied hawthorn was delicious. Today when Xiao Mo saw the steamed bun stall, he said it reminded him of an old acquaintance. Could it be some woman? And what about brothels? What are intimate matters between men and women? Xiao Mo never explained. But it's fine. When the time comes, Xiao Mo and I can engage in intimate matters together.]

[Seventh day of the fifth month. Xiao Mo entered the examination hall. Without Xiao Mo, it's so boring.]

[Eighth day of the fifth month. Without Xiao Mo, it's so boring. Why is there still another day?]

[Ninth day of the fifth month. Going home, going home!]

[Sixteenth day of the fifth month. Xiao Mo passed the provincial examination and became a juren! Everyone is praising Xiao Mo. Who would have thought Xiao Mo really is the Literary Star descended to earth, though I don't know what the Literary Star is... That county magistrate said he wanted to marry his daughter to Xiao Mo. I was very unhappy. I don't want to leave Xiao Mo, don't want Xiao Mo to be with other girls. I don't know why I have such thoughts. But Xiao Mo said he won't marry the magistrate's daughter and will go to the city tomorrow to refuse the magistrate. I'm very happy. However, I must work hard and strive to be better than all the women in the world. That way, Xiao Mo won't be able to bear parting with me and won't marry other women.]

Closing Bai Ruxue's diary that resembled an account book, Xiao Mo looked toward the pillow on the bed.

"Xiao Mo, you can scold me, you can hit me, but you cannot drive me away. If one day you truly cannot bear it anymore, just place this snake scale under my pillow. The next day, I'll pretend I know nothing and secretly leave."

In Xiao Mo's mind echoed the words Ruxue had spoken at that time.

"Big stinky egg! Big bad egg!"

"I won't talk to you for two days!"

"Stinky Xiao Mo!"

"Bad Xiao Mo!"

On that rock halfway up She Mountain, Bai Ruxue picked up small stones one after another from beside her and threw them forward.

"I never want to see you again!"

"Forever... one month, seven days! Forget it... three days then..."

"Big stinky egg!" Bai Ruxue stood up and shouted toward the bottom of the mountain, "I don't want to see you for these three days! Go starve!"

After shouting, Bai Ruxue sat down again, hugging herself tightly with both arms, burying her head between her thighs.

"Then it seems it would be better if I come find you after three days?"

Just when less than ten breaths had passed since the young woman finished shouting.

Xiao Mo emerged from the night, walking step by step toward Bai Ruxue.

Hearing Xiao Mo's voice, Bai Ruxue's delicate body trembled slightly. She quickly stood up and was about to run into the woods.

"Don't run." Xiao Mo caught Bai Ruxue's tender wrist in time, "If you run again, I really won't be able to find you."

"I don't want you to find me." Bai Ruxue pouted her small mouth and randomly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"But without you, wouldn't there be no one to cook for me?" Xiao Mo smiled, "You wouldn't want to watch me go hungry, would you?"

"Hmph." Bai Ruxue huffed and lowered her small head, muttering, "Let you starve, you big stinky egg."

Xiao Mo smiled, grasped Bai Ruxue's fair shoulders, turned her around to face him, and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingers, "Don't be angry anymore. I really wasn't driving you away."

"Really?"

"Really." Xiao Mo nodded, "But Ruxue, do you really not want to go to the Tianxuan Sect?"

Bai Ruxue raised her misty eyes, "Then if I go, will you come with me?"

Xiao Mo shook his head, "I'm afraid that would be difficult. I'm just a scholar and don't have talent for cultivation."

"Then I won't go!" Bai Ruxue sniffled.

"Ruxue, entering the Tianxuan Sect to cultivate is something countless people dream of. Becoming an immortal is very difficult. Ruxue, you have such an opportunity."

"But Xiao Mo, so what?"

Bai Ruxue's peach blossom eyes gazed at Xiao Mo.

"If I become an immortal but don't have you, what meaning would it have? The path to immortality without you is not the path I want to walk."