Chapter 3, Objects are not similar to humans

"Little monk, Lingji Temple is this way, and that way leads to Yingshan." The old farmer, seeing Xu Haoyue heading towards the direction of Ying Ruolan and Liu Chongjian, couldn't help but call out.

"Why?" Xu Haoyue asked in confusion, "Your spouse has clearly passed away, how can you think of marrying someone else?"

When will Liu Jingru be able to ride a horse? Although this young lady resembles Liu Jingru quite a bit, her demeanor and the way she speaks exude a certain boldness, which is certainly not the delicate and gentle nature of Liu Jingru. Xu Haoyue found herself at a loss for words in that moment.

Xu Haoyue's heart sank; it turned out she merely resembled Liu Jingru. Ying Ruolan could never be Liu Jingru, for Jingru had died in her embrace. How could she appear in ancient times? Xu Haoyue's dreams were shattered as she lowered her head and sighed softly, handing the coin to the old farmer and saying, "Elder, this is for you; I have no need for it."

As Xu Haoyue saw the riding whip coming towards her, she instinctively turned her head to dodge. However, she noticed that the lady leisurely raised the whip in her hand, and the slender whip, like a nimble snake, swiftly extended out, tightly wrapping around the man's whip to deflect it, sparing Xu Haoyue from the misfortune of being struck. Following this, she shot a fierce glare at the man and said, "My affairs do not require your intervention! Your family has strict teachings; if you recklessly strike someone and it reaches Uncle Liu's ears, you will surely face reprimand."

The old farmer chuckled and said, "Since the heavens have arranged it this way, there must be a profound reason behind it. Perhaps that person is the reincarnation of my late wife. In any case, bringing her home to care for her is far better than leaving her out there, suffering all alone. Even if I cannot marry her, I must ensure she is well taken care of. I cannot just stand by and watch someone who resembles my wife and child being bullied."

Upon hearing these words, Xu Haoyue felt as if a sudden enlightenment had struck her, awakening her to the realization that on that night when she traversed time and space, she had indeed seen Jingru's figure. It was she who had guided her here, perhaps it was also the arrangement of fate; otherwise, why would Ying Ruolan bear such a resemblance to Liu Jingru? This must be the will of heaven. The old farmer was right; she truly could not stand by and watch someone who resembled Liu Jingru suffer even the slightest injustice.

Xu Haoyue said with a bitter smile: "I have lost the most precious thing; what use is there in keeping these trivial items?"

Aren't you lonely? How can one get by alone? Xu Haoyue hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question

Upon hearing this, the young woman’s expression softened slightly, a faint smile appearing on her face. Her bright eyes sparkled as they turned to Xu Haoyue, scrutinizing him closely. The coldness on her face faded, making her resemble Liu Jingru even more. Every gesture she made stirred the most delicate nerves within Xu Haoyue’s heart. He watched as the young woman was overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down her face. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but found himself at a loss for words, as if something was stuck in his throat, only able to emit a few hoarse sounds. Liu Chongjian, observing Xu Haoyue’s foolish demeanor, felt a deep contempt in his heart and chuckled lightly, saying, "This monk is a lunatic. Rulan, let us continue on our journey; otherwise, we won’t reach Yingshan by tomorrow."

At this moment, Xu Haoyue finally noticed the man behind Ying Ruolan, Liu Chongjian. He was adorned in a golden crown and purple robe, with a handsome and refined appearance, exuding an extraordinary presence. In contrast, Xu Haoyue looked at himself, dressed in tattered clothes and appearing emaciated, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed. After Ying Ruolan finished speaking, she pulled the reins of her white horse and rode past Xu Haoyue. Liu Chongjian cast a disdainful glance at Xu Haoyue, snorted, and also rode past him, following Ying Ruolan. Liu Chongjian rode a chestnut horse, staying beside Ying Ruolan. The contrast of white and red between them, their garments fluttering, they galloped along the country path, resembling a pair of celestial lovers.

The old farmer nodded and sighed, saying: "Yes, it is only me."

The woman in white was galloping on horseback when, unexpectedly, someone dashed onto the road. She immediately let out a sharp cry, pulled the reins fiercely, and tightly squeezed her long, elegant legs against the horse's belly. The white horse neighed loudly and reared up. The young lady, skilled in horsemanship, did not fall off. Following that, she let out a long sigh and forcefully pressed the horse's head down, causing the white horse to obediently stop without struggling in the slightest. With her brows raised and her face as cold as frost, she glared at Xu Haoyue and scolded, "Who are you? Suddenly rushing out like that, are you seeking death?"

The young woman snorted, her delicate face turning serious as she confronted Liu Chongjian angrily, "Who cares about you? You are being overly sentimental!" Following that, she ignored Liu Chongjian, whose smile had stiffened, and turned to Xu Haoyue, coldly saying, "You better step aside quickly. How dare you block my way? You certainly have some nerve. Haven't you heard of my reputation?"

His face flushed red and then pale. After a moment of thought, he shouted, jumped up, and joyfully said: "Old man, thank you so much! I understand now. I want to go to Yingshan. Do you know the way?"

At that moment, the old farmer hurriedly ran forward, pulling Xu Haoyue aside. He bowed deeply to the woman in white and smiled, saying: "Young Master Ying, he is a monk who fled from the Central Plains. He is unaware of your esteemed name and has inadvertently offended you. I kindly ask you to show mercy and not hold it against a monk."

Xu Haoyue held the coin tightly in his hand, staring blankly at the figures of the two as they finally disappeared into the fields. A wave of confusion washed over him; the woman in white introduced herself as Ying Ruolan, yet she did not recognize him at all. Moreover, she acted with boldness and generosity, exuding a spirited demeanor that suggested she was a woman of remarkable strength, not yielding to men. Just moments ago, she had wielded her riding whip to intercept Liu Chongjian's strike, clearly demonstrating her martial skills, which allowed Xu Haoyue to witness a glimpse of ancient martial arts. Nevertheless, she shared a kind-hearted nature similar to Liu Jingru, always willing to help others.

The man on horseback behind the young woman, upon seeing this, urged his horse forward. Noticing Xu Haoyue's tattered clothing, he assumed he was just an ordinary rural farmer and shouted at Xu Haoyue, "You filthy peasant, are you seeking death?" Following this, he raised his whip and struck down with lightning speed.

Little monk, you are indeed fortunate to encounter the young master Ying. Although she is a woman and hails from a family of renowned bandits in Ying Mountain, she roams around our prosperous Tang County, acting with righteousness, rooting out evil, and aiding the needy. She is well-known far and wide. You should quickly go to Lingji Temple and dedicate yourself there; what the young master Ying has said will surely come to pass.

Xu Haoyue glanced at the old farmer and thought to himself, if I were to speak the truth, would you believe me? He then smiled and said, "It's alright, old man, you have helped me time and again, this money is rightfully yours." With that, he took a step forward and was about to leave

Xu Haoyue suddenly stopped in his tracks, a faint bitter smile appearing on his face. He did not expect that he had subconsciously followed the direction in which Ying Ruolan had departed. In fact, deep down, he still wished to see Ying Ruolan again

The old farmer said, "Little monk, you are wandering aimlessly, and it is extremely dangerous to roam about like this without a plan. In these times, the world is not peaceful; there are bandits and soldiers everywhere. Wouldn't it be a great injustice to be mistakenly killed by someone? You should go to Lingji Temple, or else stay with me for a while; at least it would be some company for me."

The old farmer's murky eyes became somewhat moist: "My wife and I agreed that whoever dies last must live on. Only those who have death anniversaries will have paper money burned for them. The one who dies first will save money in the underworld, and when the last one also reaches the end of their life, only then will they have a chance to reunite down there."

Seeing the young monk's troubled expression, the old farmer genuinely desired the money. He took the coin and said, "Little monk, I cannot take this money from you for free. As a person who has renounced the world, you should be free from all attachments. What precious thing have you lost? Let me help you find it."

The old farmer hesitated and said: "This is a donation from the young master Ying Shao to you; the old man cannot accept it"

Xu Haoyue turned around and saw the old farmer's concern evident in his expression. Unable to restrain himself, he asked, "Elder, I just heard you say that your old companion has passed away. Are you the only one left in the house now?"

The young woman let out a sound of acknowledgment, furrowing her brows as she said, "Seeing his tattered clothes, he must have endured a lot of hardship. The Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty driving away monks is truly a sin. My mother respects Buddhism, and seeing him like this, she cannot just stand by. " After saying this, she took out a string of coins from her bosom and leaned down to hand them to Xu Haoyue. A smile blossomed on her originally stern and beautiful face, and she gently said, "Monk, this is for you. Walk east for five miles, and you will find Lingji Temple. Go there and tell them that Ying Ruolan from Ying Mountain's Wuwang Villa sent you; they will surely take you in."

When Na Yingruolan saw him take the money, she did not notice that his gaze was somewhat disrespectful, and she smiled cheerfully: "Alright, you go ahead. www.hetushu.com.com." Then she turned back and coldly said to Liu Chongjian: "Let's go, cousin, hurry up, if it weren't for you being a hindrance, I would have arrived at Yingshan long ago"

Upon hearing this, Xu Haoyue felt a jolt in his heart, a wave of sorrow washing over him as he recalled the promise he had made to Liu Jingru. Unable to restrain himself, he asked again, "Elder, if heaven were to let you meet someone very similar to your late partner, what would you do?" The old farmer grinned widely and replied, "Naturally, I would marry her."

The man said with a playful smile: "Rulan, it seems you still care about me. It was worth it for me, Liu Chongjian, to risk being punished by my family law to sneak out with you for some leisure time."

Two fine horses galloped closer, and Xu Haoyue observed more clearly. The foremost horse carried a lady dressed in white, her long hair, as dark and lustrous as flowing water, wrapped in a white silk scarf. Her hair hung down naturally without being braided or tied up, fluttering in the wind like green willow tendrils. Clad in a pure white fitted dress, her garments billowed gracefully, exuding an indescribable elegance and vigor. A white ribbon danced around her waist in the breeze. Her eyes sparkled like stars, her lips were like cherry blossoms, her teeth were pearly white, and her complexion was fair. Her beautiful face, adorned in pure white alongside the white horse, truly resembled a celestial fairy. Her visage was so familiar, yet if not Liu Jingru, then who could it be? Xu Haoyue was dumbfounded, unable to believe he had truly encountered Liu Jingru. After a brief moment of daze, he dashed forward in a single leap, executing a standard hurdle jump over the low fence beside the thatched cottage, positioning himself in the middle of the path.

Xu Haoyue's eyes brimmed with hot tears, and through the tearful light, he saw the delicate jade-like hands of Ying Ruolan reaching out before him. Her soft and gentle words were reminiscent of Liu Jingru. His trembling hand reached out to take the coin, his tear-filled gaze fixed intently on Ying Ruolan, unable to part with her for even a moment.