In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

He called out again, as if he were praying for something.

Xie Yige's eyes were hazy. She raised her head slightly and kissed him.

He was jolted and immediately retaliated fiercely, his hands, now beyond his control, roaming over her body.

Her hips and waist, which had just been swaying wildly in front of him, were heavily touched by his hand, whose veins were slightly bulging. The temperature of his palm was surprisingly hot, and she could feel the burning heat even through her clothes.

She trembled slightly in his arms, but did not back down; instead, she held him even tighter.

The carriage had stopped at some point.

Bao Yu sat on the carriage shaft and only after hearing the carriage finally quiet down did she carefully clear her throat.

"Master, we have arrived at the Great Ci'en Temple."

There was no response from inside the car.

Bao Yu took a deep breath and reached out to lift the carriage curtain—

The next second, he gently snapped the curtain shut.

He and Zhixia exchanged a glance, and both blushed.

After a very long time, the carriage curtain was finally lifted from the inside.

Cui Yutang got out of the car first. His expression was normal, except that the tips of his ears were still flushed.

He turned around and reached out to support Xie Yige.

Xie Yige lowered her head and leaned gently against him, letting him support her.

Her cheeks were flushed with a lovely blush, her lips were slightly swollen, and her eyes sparkled like peach blossoms freshly washed by spring rain.

Bao Yu and Zhi Xia simultaneously looked away, pretending they hadn't seen anything.

"Let's go." Cui Yutang's voice still carried a hint of hoarseness.

Xie Yige gave a soft "hmm" and followed in his footsteps.

They passed through the main hall and went directly to the meditation room where the monk Xuanling was.

Push the door open and enter.

The room was filled with a pleasant sandalwood scent, calm and lingering, as if it could soothe all the restlessness in one's heart.

The base notes of the sandalwood scent on Cui Yutang's body seem somewhat similar, but his are fresher and cooler.

Xie Yige unconsciously moved closer, almost touching his arm as she walked.

At this moment, the monk Xuanling was sitting cross-legged on a futon. His eyes were slightly closed, and he looked like an ancient Buddha in deep meditation.

Upon hearing footsteps, he slightly opened his eyes, his gaze detached and indifferent, as if his eyes could see right through people's hearts.

He had a gaunt face and was actually over sixty years old, but he looked very young.

"Benefactor, we meet again." His gaze fell on Xie Yige, with a knowing smile on his face.

"Master, you still remember me?" Xie Yige was very surprised.

"Of course." Monk Xuanling smiled slightly. "After all, it's been many years since anyone asked me to draw talismans."

"Oh, you don't usually draw talismans for others?"

"This humble monk has not been a Taoist priest for many years." He chanted a Buddhist prayer, "Excellent, excellent."

"Master Xuanling used to be a Taoist priest," Cui Yutang explained helplessly from the side.

Xie Yige caught a whiff of the big melon and her eyes widened instantly.

"Then why didn't you become a Taoist priest and instead became a Buddhist monk?"

"Being a Taoist priest is a bit too poor, so this humble monk has switched to Buddhism." The monk Xuanling said with a matter-of-fact expression, "Food is the most important thing for people. Only by following nature can one achieve the Great Way." After saying that, he chanted a Buddhist prayer.

Finally, he added, "The great paths may differ, but they all lead to the same destination."

Xie Yige turned to look at Cui Yutang in shock, her eyes asking—Is he reliable?

Cui Yutang's lips twitched involuntarily, and he continued to explain helplessly, "When the master was young, he studied under Huang Guanzi and mastered the unique skills of both Master Li and Master Yuan. He had profound attainments in divination, Taoist arts, physiognomy, and astrology. He was chased and killed, which led him to enter the Buddhist order."

"My martial arts skills were also taught by a master," he added.

"No wonder the talismans drawn by the master are so effective! They are so powerful!" Xie Yige's eyes were filled with admiration when he turned to the monk Xuanling again.

"I already know why you two have come." Monk Xuanling raised his hand in a gesture of invitation. "Produce your birth dates and times."

Cui Yutang took out two red paper marriage certificates from his bosom and respectfully placed them on the table. Monk Xuanling glanced at them but did not pick them up immediately. Instead, he first took out a rather old tortoise shell from his bosom, then took forty-nine yarrow stalks and arranged them into three piles to form a hexagram. This was the ancient method of the Great Derivation, each step of which was rigorous and slow, carrying an ancient rhythm.

He closed his eyes for a moment, his fingers moving rapidly among the yarrow stalks, muttering incantations. After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes.

"You two, born in the years of the Tiger and Horse, are of compatible elements, a match made in heaven." He paused, "The auspicious days in the coming month are all afflicted by negative influences, incompatible with your horoscopes. From today onwards, thirty-eight days from now, will be the most auspicious time for your wedding, a day of double blessings."

"Thirty-eight more days?" Cui Yutang's expression darkened. He looked at Xie Yige as if seeking some kind of comfort.

Xie Yige also pouted, clearly dissatisfied with the number.

Looking at the two people with mournful faces, Monk Xuanling said with a hint of helplessness, "The best auspicious time is when the 'three elements' of heaven, earth, and humanity gather to bless you. If you cultivate well in this life, you will have a good connection in the next."

The two of them then became happy.

"We'll choose this one," Cui Yutang said decisively.

As they were bidding farewell to the monk Xuanling, he suddenly uttered a profound statement: "Thank you, benefactor, for the 'variables' inherent in your destiny. By grasping these variables, you can also create new opportunities."

The two looked at him with suspicion, about to ask him more questions, but he had already closed his eyes, entered a meditative state again, and stopped speaking.

It was noon when I came out of the meditation room.

Sunlight streamed down from overhead, casting a soft white glow on the temple's blue brick floor. Several old locust trees in the back courtyard swayed in the breeze, their branches casting dappled shadows on the ground, creating an atmosphere of exceptional tranquility.

They hadn't gone far when suddenly, a woman in red jumped out from behind a tree.

She had a wound on her arm, the blood of which had partially dried, but it was almost invisible against the backdrop of her red dress.

Cui Yutang looked closely—it was actually the Miao woman. He quickly stepped forward, instantly shielding Xie Yige, his figure like a barrier, completely blocking her behind him.

Xie Yige peeked out from behind him, blinking her beautiful peach blossom eyes at the woman in red. The woman's face was cold and beautiful, with a broken beauty—alarm bells went off in her mind instantly.

"Young Master Cui," the woman in red spoke, her voice filled with a desperate plea.

"I have evidence of that man's treason. Can we cooperate to overthrow him? My 50,000 Black Miao people will be eternally grateful for your great kindness."

Cui Yutang frowned slightly.

Most of the Miao people's territory has now been incorporated into the fiefdom of the Rong'an King, indicating that a major upheaval must have occurred on the southwestern frontier. We must not intervene rashly before we have investigated the matter thoroughly.

"I've said it before, I'm not interested in cooperating with the Miao people." He refused coldly, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Fine, you don't have to cooperate with me then." The woman in red gritted her teeth. "I can give you the evidence too. I've left it here." She handed over a slip of paper with an address written on it. "Go get it yourself."

Cui Yutang did not answer. The air suddenly froze awkwardly.

Suddenly, Xie Yige peeked out from behind him.