Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the village was not yet fully awake, only a few sporadic crowings of roosters broke through the morning mist.

Cheng Mo slowly woke up.

In the latter half of last night, he finally couldn't hold on any longer, so he found another thin blanket in the room and curled up to sleep on the chair opposite Xia He.

Those who cultivate the Tao have strong bones and muscles, but if they sleep in one position on a hard wooden chair, their bodies will still feel somewhat stiff when they wake up.

He opened his eyes, subconsciously stretched his shoulders and neck, and the moment his gaze focused, his heart skipped a beat.

A face so exquisite it was flawless was almost right in front of his eyes.

Xia He was squatting in front of his chair, her hands supporting her cheeks, her big, watery eyes staring at him intently. She was so close that Cheng Mo could clearly see her long, distinct eyelashes and the reflection in her eyes.

And there was the faint morning light, filtering through the crack in the door, clinging to the tips of her pink hair.

"Good morning, little Taoist priest." Xia He greeted him with a smile, her breath carrying a hint of minty toothpaste as she brushed against Cheng Mo's chin.

Cheng Mo leaned back, his back hitting the back of the chair.

"Good morning." He steadied his voice, but what was worse, his body's natural morning reaction made him somewhat embarrassed.

"Um... I didn't break my promise." Cheng Mo cleared his throat, trying to cover up his embarrassment with his words, his gaze slightly unfocused. "I was waiting here."

"I know~" Xia He tilted her head, took a half step back to look at him, "Little Taoist, you're nervous~"

The girl's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with a smile, her tone full of smugness, "Hehe, I've discovered that you're at your most vulnerable right after you wake up!"

Cheng Mo: "..."

He expressionlessly threw back the covers, stood up, his movements steady and his breathing calm. "I'm going to wash up."

However, her walking posture... was slightly a little unnatural.

Xia He watched his retreating figure and chuckled, like a little fox.

The little Taoist priest is so interesting!

The courtyard has become lively.

The villagers who came to help set up simple stoves early in the morning. Thick white porridge was simmering in the large pot, and steaming baskets were filled with soft white steamed buns. Some people were also making their own noodles, which were mixed with scallions and lard, and the aroma was irresistible.

Cheng Mo splashed his face with cold water, the icy touch suppressing the remaining heat and dispelling the last bit of sleepiness.

He took the bowl of porridge and steamed buns from the hostess and found a corner to eat quietly.

A little while later, Xia He also came out skipping around, in an exceptionally good mood.

She took a bowl of porridge, sat down naturally next to Cheng Mo, sipped it slowly, and looked around at the busy people in the courtyard with bright eyes.

As breakfast was coming to an end, Old Wang led the man in mourning clothes over. Behind them was a young Taoist priest who looked to be in his early twenties, wearing an ill-fitting Taoist robe, who was hanging his head with a sheepish expression, as if he had done something wrong and was waiting for criticism.

"Master Cheng, Miss Xia." Old Master Wang cupped his hands, his face full of gratitude. "This is Xiao Sun, my good-for-nothing disciple. His car really broke down on the road yesterday, and it took until late at night to find someone to tow it away for repairs. He only arrived this morning."

Xiao Sun quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply to Cheng Mo and Xia He: "I'm so sorry, so sorry! I've caused you so much trouble! Thank you both for your kind help!"

The man in mourning handed over two thick envelopes, saying sincerely, "Gentlemen, this is a small token of our appreciation. Please don't refuse. If it weren't for you yesterday, we really wouldn't know how we would have managed to smooth things over. We will remember this kindness."

Cheng Mo didn't stand on ceremony, took it and put it in his pocket, then cupped his hands and said, "Please accept my condolences. We just happened to be there."

Xia He accepted the envelope and added, "Grandma passed away peacefully, which is a blessing."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Cheng Mo and Xia He took their leave.

As they walked out of the courtyard gate, they could still hear Xiao Sun behind them whispering, "Master, those two... they look so well-matched."

Bang!

"Ouch"

A muffled thud was followed by Xiao Sun's cry of pain.

Old Wang said irritably, "Knowing you're a good match, why aren't you rushing to the mourning hall to chant scriptures? Look at them, and then look at you! You can't even be punctual, do you even want to find a wife?!"

Little Sun gave a pitiful "Oh," and quickly took over Wang Laodao's shift. Soon, his solemn chanting filled the mourning hall. Wang Laodao, on the other hand, yawned widely, rubbed his back, and went back to his room to catch up on sleep.

As the morning mist dissipates, sunlight spills onto the country roads.

Xia He accompanied Cheng Mo, walking along the winding mountain road for quite a while.

On both sides are rolling green hills, birdsong is melodious, and the air is so fresh that it makes one feel comfortable and relaxed.

After walking for a while, Xia He couldn't help but ask, "Little Taoist priest, where are you going? Are you just going to keep walking like this?"

Cheng Mo looked ahead: "Guizhou."

"Guizhou?" Xia He's eyes widened. "That's so far! You're just going to walk there? Why not take a car? Don't you have money? I can lend you some, you can pay me back later!"

She patted her small bag, giving off an air of "I'm not short of money."

Cheng Mo shook his head: "When we went down the mountain, Master gave us money, so we had enough for the ride."

Xia He waited for him to continue, but after several seconds, she found that Cheng Mo had already closed his mouth and continued on his way.

She pouted, quickened her pace to walk beside him, and turned to look at him: "Then why don't we take a car? Why do we have to go through all these mountain valleys? To experience life?"

Cheng Mo didn't stop walking, his tone calm: "I just came down the mountain and don't want to be around too many people yet. If you feel uncomfortable following me into the mountains, you can leave on your own."

Upon hearing this, Xia He not only wasn't angry, but instead snorted twice and raised her chin: "Don't think you can drive me away like this! I have plenty of strength and methods. Going through a ravine is nothing, who's afraid of who?"

She pouted and followed beside him in a huff, not saying a word, but her footsteps were slightly heavier, as if she were struggling against the ground.

Cheng Mo's lips curved into a smile, and he became more interested in exchanging pleasantries: "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, when did you awaken your innate ability? Are there any other people with supernatural abilities in your family?"

Xia He paused for a moment, shook her head slightly, and her long pink hair swayed gently with the movement.

"I don't know exactly when I awakened, but I've always been quite attractive to men."

She paused, her tone a mix of self-deprecation and disdain: "Yeah, maybe I'm too popular. People in my area isolate me. Adults look at me strangely, and girls my age don't like to play with me. As for the boys... well..."

Cheng Mo remained silent. In his previous life, when he read comics, he only knew that Xia He was one of the Four Madmen of Quanxing, with seductive methods and an unpredictable nature, but he never knew that she had such a growth experience.

If that's the case, it's not hard to understand why she later came across the Quanxing sect's seemingly "authentic" philosophy, felt a longing for it, and even joined in.

Just as I was thinking this, my arm was suddenly patted.

Xia He looked up at him, the self-deprecation and disdain on her face vanishing completely, replaced by a hint of pride: "Hey, don't think I'm doing badly just because I'm being isolated! My parents are great to me! And—"

She drawled, "I isolated them, not the other way around! I don't care to associate with those people!"

At that moment, a mountain breeze swept by, lifting her pink hair, and sunlight danced on her porcelain-white skin, making her smile radiant and dazzling.

Looking at her, Cheng Mo suddenly felt that perhaps this was Xia He's true nature, and that the murky waters of Quanxing had ultimately polluted this brightness.

His tone was normal: "Well, why did you run out alone? You must have been unable to stand that atmosphere and wanted to avoid seeing it."

Xia He's bright smile vanished instantly, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she glared at him angrily: "Little Taoist! Don't you know how annoying you are!"

Cheng Mo nodded frankly, even with a hint of self-righteousness: "I know. The truth always hurts."

Xia He was so annoyed by his appearance that she couldn't catch her breath. She snorted coldly, turned her head sharply, and looked at the distant, rolling green mountain range, leaving him with only an angry back of his head.

The mountain path quieted down, with only the sound of footsteps and the occasional chirping of birds.

Just when Cheng Mo thought that this girl was really going to sulk and ignore him, Xia He sighed softly and slumped her shoulders slightly.

She didn't turn around, her voice drifting on the wind: "You're right... I really don't like them treating me like an outsider."

"When I was in junior high, my parents brought me to the city where they worked to attend school. I thought things would be better in a different environment... but those girls were even more troublesome than the village aunties. They had all sorts of petty schemes, formed cliques, and spread gossip... I couldn't be bothered with them."

"But I know that my parents took me out of the city so that I could study hard and have a bright future, so I forced myself to finish high school."

"And then?" Cheng Mo asked.

"And then?" Xia He shrugged, her tone becoming more relaxed. "Then I told them I wanted to go out and work, and they agreed."

Cheng Mo added mercilessly, "You didn't get into university, did you? According to what you said, if you had, your parents would have sold everything they owned to make sure you went."

Xia He: "...Cheng, Mo!" She turned her head, gritting her teeth, "I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Cheng Mo chuckled, seemingly oblivious to her anger: "Actually, it's not a big deal if you don't get in. In our town, since the expansion of university enrollment, only three students have gone to university. Most of the other kids started working right after graduating high school, but..."

He looked at Xia He: "Your parents probably never imagined that you would end up working in this remote mountain village and be targeted by the Quanxing gang."

Xia He had originally resolved not to pay any attention to this annoying guy for at least half an hour, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help herself and subconsciously chimed in, "Actually... before I met you, I was actually a little bit smitten by that weird old man."

She kicked at the pebbles on the road, a rare look of bewilderment on her face.

"He said that people like me, who are born with special abilities, are monsters in the eyes of ordinary people and live a stifled life, but in their place, they can do whatever they want without caring about other people's opinions... It sounds like they are quite free."

Cheng Mo asked with a smile, "Then why did you give up after meeting me?"

Xia He turned her head away, looking up at the rolling mountains: "I guess you're more interesting than that weird old man~"

Beep~ Beep~

A truck drove past them.

Xia He asked in surprise, "Huh, how did we end up on the highway?"

"Of course I have to wait for the bus~" Cheng Mo said, walking slowly to the stone bench by the roadside with his hands behind his back.

Xia He: "..."