Chapter 516: Sister, You Really Are So Beautiful
The students of Cold Mountain Academy could roughly be divided into two categories.
The first consisted of children from the great dynasties and major sects.
They came to Cold Mountain Academy to study partly to receive the gift of Confucian literary fortune, and partly to add a layer of prestige to themselves.
More importantly, when Cold Mountain Academy was established, it received no small share of the demon-race world’s fortune.
Naturally, the rulers of those dynasties and the sect masters of those sects also wanted their sons and daughters to gain a portion of it.
The second category consisted of demon-race children from ordinary backgrounds who were devoted to study.
Most of the families behind these students could hardly be called distinguished. Their origins were comparatively plain, even poor.
In truth, this group was what truly counted as Cold Mountain Academy’s students in the real sense.
After all, they were the ones who studied earnestly and devoted themselves to learning.
As for whether any of those noble children worked hard?
Of course there were some, but very few.
And after the phenomenon appeared above the academy that day, all sorts of guesses emerged inside Cold Mountain Academy.
Some guessed that the Headmaster’s realm had advanced again, which had triggered such a phenomenon of heaven and earth.
Others guessed that perhaps some great Confucian from the Ten Thousand Arts world had quietly come to Cold Mountain Academy.
Cun Caiguang did not send anyone to dispel these rumors, nor did he pay them much attention.
A few days later, because there was no further movement, the matter gradually stopped being mentioned.
Moreover, over these days, more and more noble children began leaving Cold Mountain Academy one after another.
They had all received letters from their respective dynasties, sects, or clans urging them to return as soon as possible.
Although they did not understand why their families were in such a hurry to make them leave Cold Mountain Academy, they could only obey.
As for the other thousand-plus disciples in the academy, they were secretly informed that they would soon travel far away for study—but as for where they were going, none of them knew.
On Elementary Learning Peak, Tushan Jingci had long since packed her luggage.
Barring any accident, in three days, she and Xiao Mo would leave Cold Mountain Academy and set out for Tushan.
Looking at this place where she had lived for more than ten years, Tushan Jingci’s heart was naturally full of reluctance to part.
So whenever she had spare time, she would walk through various parts of Cold Mountain Academy, wanting to paint every beautiful view in the academy into her pictures.
Otherwise, who knew what year or month it would be before she returned again?
In truth, Tushan Jingci wanted even more to wander the academy with Xiao Mo and paint together with him.
It was just that ever since her mother had come that night, Tushan Jingci had noticed that Xiao Mo had become even more diligent in his cultivation.
There was even a kind of urgency about him.
With that, naturally, he did not have much time to accompany Tushan Jingci on walks.
But Tushan Jingci did not mind all that much.
After all, she and Xiao Mo still had a long future ahead of them. They did not lack this small moment.
The day before leaving the academy, Tushan Jingci planned to visit Crescent Moon Peak.
Crescent Moon Peak was a rather secluded mountain peak with a quiet and elegant environment. It was mainly used to receive guests.
Precisely because it was used to receive guests, most academy disciples were not allowed to enter without permission, so as not to disturb the visitors.
Because the academy’s rules were strict, and because everyone in the academy was a scholar and had always understood propriety, over time, whenever they saw this mountain peak, they had all developed the habit of taking the initiative to go around it.
However, Tushan Jingci thought that she would be leaving tomorrow anyway. If she was discovered, then so be it. At worst, she would be scolded a few times.
No matter what, she had to paint Crescent Moon Lake on Crescent Moon Peak.
She reached Crescent Moon Peak smoothly and followed the small path toward Crescent Moon Lake.
But just as Tushan Jingci arrived by the lake, she saw a woman sitting in the pavilion beside Crescent Moon Lake.
That woman was dressed in a white gown and was especially beautiful.
This goddess-like woman was quietly gazing at the lake. Those beautiful peach-blossom eyes seemed to contain all the colors of the world, yet also seemed to hide endless loneliness and desolation. One look was enough to break one’s heart.
As if sensing Tushan Jingci’s gaze, the woman in white slowly turned her head and looked in Tushan Jingci’s direction.
The two women’s eyes met across the distance.
“This junior came here rashly and disturbed Senior’s peace. I ask Senior’s forgiveness.”
Tushan Jingci came back to herself and hurriedly dipped in a respectful curtsy toward the woman in white.
“You did not disturb me.” The woman in white smiled faintly, her gaze falling on the easel tucked at Tushan Jingci’s waist. “Little sister, did you come here to paint?”
“Yes.” Tushan Jingci nodded. “This junior will be leaving Cold Mountain Academy in a few days. I feel a little reluctant to part with it, so I wanted to paint the scenery here and bring it back to my clan.”
“I see. Then in that case, I am the one who has disturbed you instead.” The woman in white nodded lightly, her voice soft. “Why don’t you come into the pavilion? The view is best from here.”
“Really? Thank you, Sister.” A hint of delight rose in Tushan Jingci’s eyes. She did not decline, and happily walked into the waterside pavilion in the lake.
Inside the pavilion, Tushan Jingci would sometimes lift her brush to paint the scenery, and sometimes could not help looking at the goddess-like woman beside her.
As for that goddess-like woman, she only gazed quietly at the fish swimming back and forth in the lake, her expression indifferent.
“Sister, you really are so beautiful...”
Tushan Jingci discovered that with this goddess-like woman beside her, she simply could not concentrate on painting. She kept unconsciously looking over at her.
“Thank you.” The woman in white withdrew her gaze and smiled gently. “Actually, little sister, you are the more beautiful one.”
“Not at all. Sister is clearly more beautiful.” Tushan Jingci shook her head, her tone sincere.
“Hehehe...”
The woman in white covered her mouth and laughed softly. She did not continue arguing with Tushan Jingci, and simply turned her head to look into the distance.
Tushan Jingci felt that her peach-blossom eyes clearly reflected the blue sky and white clouds, yet it also seemed as if nothing had entered those eyes at all.
“Sister... is there something unhappy weighing on you?” Tushan Jingci knew it was somewhat impolite to ask this, but she still could not help speaking.
“Why do you say that?” The woman in white turned her head slightly and looked at her.
“I don’t know...” Tushan Jingci could not explain the reason clearly herself. “I just feel... Sister does not seem very happy. It seems as if you are hiding something on your mind.”
“It is not really anything on my mind.”
The woman in white shook her head, her tone calm.
“It is only that I have been searching for someone all this time, and I still have not found him.”
“I was just thinking about where he is now, what sort of life he is living, and whether there is a woman taking care of his daily needs...”
“This person...” Tushan Jingci asked softly, “has Sister been searching for him for a very long time?”
“A long time?”
The woman in white thought about it, then smiled faintly. Her tone seemed even gentler than the ripples on the lake.
“Compared with his lifetime, what do these thousand years of mine amount to?”