Chapter 117: An Old Friend Arrives

Page 1 of 3
Thanks to "Yi Xi Zhao Ge" and "Xiao Long Ying" for the tips and pink tickets. Mwah~
——————————
"Tomorrow is the auspicious time for the hair-pinning ceremony. Madam Wen has entrusted me to look after you well. Once the ceremony is complete, you will be a disciple of our Huaqing Temple, and your household registration has already been transferred here. If there is anything you do not understand in the future, you may consult Senior Sister Mingqing," Abbess Feng said indifferently.

Wen Jing bowed slightly and replied, "Yes."

"Master, this young lady is not like ordinary girls; I am afraid I cannot take on such a heavy responsibility," Mingqing glanced at Wen Jing, a flash of malice in her eyes.

Abbess Feng looked at the two of them. "What makes you say that, Mingqing?"

"Master, you may not know, but this young lady arrived only yesterday and already found our temple's food subpar. She even threw white flour steamed buns onto the floor and then insisted I eat the ones from the ground," Mingqing said, grinding her teeth in resentment.

Upon hearing this, Abbess Feng frowned slightly. "Oh? Is that so?"

Wen Jing bowed her head. "That is indeed the case."

Seeing that Wen Jing admitted it so readily, Abbess Feng said angrily, "Do you realize that our Huaqing Temple is a place for pure cultivation? How can you be so insolent! Mingqing did this for your own good. Not only are you ungrateful, but you have also committed an act of insubordination. It seems you need to be taught the rules of the temple."

A hint of a smile flashed in Mingqing's eyes.

"Guards, throw her into the dungeon. She is not to be given food or water. She shall not come out until she realizes her mistake and apologizes to Mingqing in front of everyone," Abbess Feng commanded.

Qingliu was shocked. She had assumed the Abbess would be above these crude nuns, but she proved even more ruthless. A moment ago, she had the air of an ethereal immortal; now, her face was twisted with malice, as if she were about to devour someone.

Two burly nuns stepped forward to grab Wen Jing, but Qingliu stepped in front of her.

"Who dares to lock up our young mistress! You'll have to step over my dead body first!"

"Just you?" the two nuns sneered, rolling up their sleeves to reveal thick, sturdy arms.

Though Qingliu was dark and plain, she was no match for these two nuns in stature; ten of her would likely not be enough to defeat them.

Just as Wen Jing was about to speak, one of the nuns began wrestling with Qingliu.

"Stop!" Wen Jing shouted, but she heard no response from Abbess Feng. It seemed she had no intention of interfering. No wonder the nuns were so savage—it was all thanks to this Abbess.

Qingliu was quickly overwhelmed. The two nuns pinned her to the ground and began striking her. Qingliu covered her face, but she took several blows, and her face soon began to swell.

Wen Jing stepped forward, trying to pull the two strong nuns off Qingliu, but they pressed down like two mountains of flesh. Despite using all her strength, she could not move them an inch.

Suddenly, Qingliu bit down on one of the nuns' arms with all her might.

"Agh!"

The nun pulled her arm back in pain and sprang off Qingliu, colliding with Wen Jing nearby.

Mingxin looked at the blood gushing from Mingxiu's arm and then at the crazed look in Qingliu's eyes. She couldn't help but feel a flicker of fear. As the saying goes, the person with nothing to lose is the most dangerous. Judging by Qingliu's expression, she looked ready to die trying to take them down with her.

"Who is making such a racket?"

A familiar voice came from inside the hall. Wen Jing felt a start; she knew that voice all too well.

Ji Changge walked over to Wen Jing and helped her up.

Seeing that the man before her was indeed Ji Changge, Wen Jing looked at him in surprise. How could a man appear inside this nunnery?

"Seventh Lady, are you alright?" Ji Changge asked, looking at Wen Jing. There was no surprise in his eyes, as if he had known all along that she was in Huaqing Temple.

"I am fine," Wen Jing said, picking up the flute that had fallen to the ground.

Ji Changge’s gaze fell upon the flute in her hand; he took it, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Abbess Feng looked at the two with a complex expression, while the nearby nuns looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

"What are you dawdling for? Why haven't you dragged this young lady away yet?" Abbess Feng asked, looking at Mingxin and Mingxiu.

"Yes, Abbess," Mingxin and Mingxiu replied and began to advance on Wen Jing again.

Page 2 of 3
Ji Changge looked at the two women approaching hesitantly and asked coldly, "What are you doing?"

"Young Master Ning, this is a matter within our temple..." Abbess Feng said coldly, implying that Ji Changge should not meddle in their affairs.

Ji Changge smiled slightly. "Feiran certainly has no intention of interfering with your temple's affairs, but I am afraid that you, Abbess, might accidentally commit an unforgivable, monstrous crime."

A flash of doubt crossed Abbess Feng's eyes, though she felt it was somewhat ridiculous. A monstrous crime? She was merely disciplining a novice devotee; how could that be a monstrous crime?

Ji Changge returned the flute to Wen Jing and then knelt down, saying, "Your humble servant pays respects to the Sacred Object. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live the Emperor."

Wen Jing was startled, thinking to herself that Ji Changge would surely not dare to joke about the Emperor. Was this flute actually a sacred object? It was clearly given to her by her master, Lin Bai, when she started her apprenticeship...

Abbess Feng and the surrounding nuns were terrified; they quickly knelt and prostrated themselves, shouting "Long live."

Ji Changge stood up and smiled. "Abbess, do you still intend to have the Seventh Lady taken to the dungeon while holding the Sacred Object?"

"I would not dare," Abbess Feng replied hurriedly, secretly feeling fortunate that the young master had spoken up. Otherwise, she would have truly committed a grave act of disrespect, and she might not even have been able to keep her temple.

Wen Jing breathed a sigh of relief and helped Qingliu up, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.

"You may all leave," Abbess Feng said impatiently, waving her hand at Mingqing and the other nuns.

The nuns were already pale with fright, especially Mingxin, who felt a chill down her spine at the thought that she had just knocked the Sacred Object to the ground. Once the Abbess spoke, they scrambled away as fast as they could.

"To think you carried such a noble object on your person, why did you not say so earlier?" Abbess Feng stared at Wen Jing.

Wen Jing smiled faintly. "The Sacred Object is of such supreme nobility; one does not show it lightly unless necessary."

Abbess Feng's gaze turned cold. She had almost fallen into this young lady's trap. Madam Wen was truly something else; she hadn't even mentioned such an important matter to her.

"The temple is quite lively today."

A voice like silver bells reached their ears. Wen Jing looked up to see the Holy Nun, Ruan Qinglian.

Ruan Qinglian glanced at Ji Changge, her eyes flickering, then looked at Wen Jing beside him. She smiled and said, "Abbess, I was just about to speak with you about this. I happen to be short two nuns. I find these two newcomers rather pleasing to the eye. May I take them? I shall discipline them properly for you."

Abbess Feng looked at Ruan Qinglian and nodded. "As you wish. You may take them."

"Thank you, Abbess." Ruan Qinglian bowed slightly, her eyes drifting toward Ji Changge.

"Come with me," Ruan Qinglian said to Wen Jing and Qingliu.

Watching Wen Jing disappear into the morning mist, Ji Changge turned and walked toward the back of the palace.

Abbess Feng’s expression was cold as she flicked her horsetail whisk and turned back into the palace.

...

"You have quite a lot of nerve. I heard you shoved a dirty bun into Mingqing's mouth yesterday. You are the third person in this temple to have dared such a thing," Ruan Qinglian said with a lazy smile.

Wen Jing smiled. Ruan Qinglian seemed somewhat frivolous and possessed exceptional beauty. Her nun's robe was a modified, waist-cinching version, giving her a different air than most beautiful young ladies. It was said that Ruan Qinglian was highly talented in literature, often invited by young scholars to compose poetry and enjoy wine with her.

They arrived at a guest room, which was much better than the one Mingqing had led them to. It was cleaner and well-furnished. To Qingliu's delight, there was a small stove in the room, and the quilt on the bed was thick enough to ensure a good night's sleep.

"Thank you, Holy Nun. This place has everything one could need. With the beautiful mountain scenery, it is like a paradise on earth," Wen Jing said with a smile.

Ruan Qinglian looked at Wen Jing and laughed. "A paradise? It would be a true fairyland if there were a handsome man like Young Master Ning on the bed."

"Pfft!"

Qingliu spat out her tea.

Wen Jing smiled slightly. "It seems Young Master Ning truly lives up to his title as the most handsome man in the capital. I would not dare to entertain such thoughts."

Ruan Qinglian's smile deepened as she leaned into Wen Jing's ear. "Seventh Lady, didn't you used to chase after that young master relentlessly?"

"Times have changed. Please do not tease me, Holy Nun," Wen Jing said calmly. It seemed Ruan Qinglian knew everything about the capital, but Wen Jing did not offer an explanation.

After Ruan Qinglian took her leave, Qingliu whispered, "That Holy Nun doesn't look like a nun at all; she looks more like a courtesan."

Page 3 of 3
"Do not speak such nonsense. This Holy Nun is no ordinary nun. She knows most of the dignitaries in the capital, can read feng shui, and is skilled in poetry and music. Such extraordinary women are rare, and ordinary morals and etiquette do not constrain her."

Qingliu pursed her lips. Whatever she was, she was grateful to her. If not for her, they would have likely spent the night hungry and cold. She was tough-skinned, but she worried about her mistress.

In the afternoon, while Wen Jing and Qingliu were tidying up the room, Abbess Feng sent over several chests of supplies. This was beyond Wen Jing's expectations. Since when had the Abbess become so reasonable?

After cleaning, Wen Jing suggested, "Qingliu, let's walk in the mountains and see if we can find some fresh ingredients."

"That sounds lovely," Qingliu replied happily.

The mountains were covered in wildflowers, and the air was filled with their fragrance. Birds took flight as they walked. They gathered some wild vegetables and mushrooms, and before they knew it, darkness had fallen.

"Qingliu, let's head back," Wen Jing said.

"Very well, Mistress," Qingliu replied.

Then, the two looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Which path did we take to get here?"

Qingliu shook her head. "I don't remember, Mistress."

Wen Jing sighed. She was directionally challenged, but was Qingliu the same? This was a disaster.

"I think it's this way," Qingliu said, pointing to the path on the right.

"Alright, let's try this one," Wen Jing said, though she wasn't confident. There was no other choice; if they were late and the nuns found her missing, they would report her to the Abbess again.

Night fell quickly, and before they could find their way back, they were plunged into complete darkness.

In the silent night, the low growls of wild beasts could be heard.

"Mistress, don't be afraid," Qingliu said, trying to bolster her courage.

Wen Jing held Qingliu's trembling hands and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mistress, there are lights ahead. Let's go take a look," Qingliu said.

Wen Jing looked at the flickering candlelight ahead, wondering, "Where would there be lights in these mountains..."

"Let's go."

A moment later, they reached the house.

Just as Qingliu was about to knock, Wen Jing stopped her and peeked over the courtyard wall. An old woman was scooping water from a vat.

"She doesn't look like a mountain bandit," Qingliu whispered.

Before she could finish, a blade flashed. Wen Jing felt a chill on her neck—a sword was held against her jaw. A familiar scent reached her.

"Young Master, it's me," Wen Jing whispered.

The sword vanished. Ji Changge looked at them with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you here?" he asked, then added, "Come inside first."

The old woman looked them over and smiled. "I apologize, did my nephew startle you?"

"No, we were the ones who were intrusive. We lost our way in the mountains today and followed the lights here," Wen Jing explained.

Ji Changge sighed. After all these years, she still hadn't lost the habit of getting lost.