This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 5 Wen Zhixia (Thanks to YunchenxiatianruY16109 for being the Alliance Leader)
Just as people in their teens and twenties can't imagine what they'll look like when they get old, always feeling that youth will last forever, Chen Shi'an also thought he was very good at enduring loneliness when his master was alive.

It wasn't until his master actually left that he realized that deep down, he still hoped to have someone to talk to along the way.

Driven by curiosity about the Taoist priest's identity, the talkative girl asked all sorts of strange questions, and even though she had no professional knowledge whatsoever, Chen Shi'an didn't mind chatting with her.

Sometime later, the black cat in the backpack woke up, its big head popping out from the zipper gap, and quietly listened to the two bored companions rambling on.

Its entire body was jet black, and its fur almost blended into the black backpack. Even though it was right next to her, the girl didn't notice its presence.

It wasn't until a certain moment, when her gaze inadvertently swept over the backpack in the Taoist's arms, that she noticed a dark, fluffy ball of fur where the zipper was open.

"What's this……"

She leaned closer and squinted to see clearly.

The cat also raised its amber eyes and met her gaze directly.

"……what!"

The girl was startled! But after recognizing what the moving black ball of fur was, her initial shock instantly turned to delight.

"A cat?!"

"You even brought a cat?"

"It's so dark! I wouldn't have seen it if its eyes hadn't moved just now!"

"It's so fat..."

Shimo: "?"

It's clear that the girl really likes cats; once she spotted one, her attention was completely drawn to it.

Although this black cat is not as eye-catching as a Ragdoll, its jet-black fur exudes a unique and profound temperament. Its amber eyes hold disdain and aloofness, yet they are so lively that they seem to understand human speech.

Wen Zhixia became increasingly itchy and restless as she looked at it, but she still politely refrained from making any inappropriate advances, and simply asked:
"Can I pet it? I really like cats!"

"That won't work. It doesn't like strangers and will scratch you."

"All right……"

It's a bit of a pity for Wen Zhixia.

But the cat was being mischievous. Seeing the girl's unsatisfied expression, it started to scratch and pose, making Wen Zhixia drool with desire, yet unable to resist.

Hmph, serves you right for calling me fat, it'll make you feel awful!

……

As the journey progressed to the halfway point, the temperature rose higher and higher.

On the leisurely bus, some complaints gradually began to rise:

"Sir, is your car's air conditioning on? Why is it so hot in the back? I was woken up by the heat!"

"Yeah, yeah, there's not a breath of air coming from this air conditioning vent..."

"It's so hot, we can't just turn on the air conditioner in the front..."

Hearing the complaints from the middle and rear passengers, the driver felt helpless.
"The air conditioner in the back is broken, just bear with it, there's nothing I can do."

"In this sweltering summer heat, it's unbearable to be alive without air conditioning!"

Hearing this, Wen Zhixia noticed that the air conditioning in the middle and back rows was not on. She turned to look at the passengers around her and saw that it seemed rather stuffy, but she herself did not feel stuffy at all.

"Is the air conditioner here not blowing air either?" the girl asked the young Taoist priest sitting by the window curiously.

"Yes, it should be broken too." Chen Shi'an nodded.

"Are you hot? Your robe doesn't look cool, and you're sitting in the corner..."

"It's not hot; a calm mind brings coolness. Are you hot?"

"No, I'm usually very sensitive to heat, but I don't feel hot at all now."

Although her name is Zhixia, the girl is usually most afraid of the heat. Right now, everyone around her is unbearably hot, but she, who is most afraid of the heat, doesn't feel hot at all, which makes her feel very strange.

Could it be that calming the mind and feeling cool really works?
Wen Zhixia knew she wasn't the type to stay still, but perhaps it was the warm, comfortable, and peaceful atmosphere she felt when talking to the young Taoist priest beside her that made her feel at ease.

The heat was unbearable, and many passengers in the back rows couldn't sit still any longer. They simply left their seats and moved to the front or middle, where standing was more comfortable than sitting.

An older woman stood next to Chen Shi'an and his companion, fanning herself with her palm while chatting with the young Taoist priest.

"Young master, are you a Taoist priest?"

"He is a Taoist priest."

"I have a few questions I'd like to ask, is that alright?"

"Please go ahead." "It's my old man. Lately, he's been feeling a tightness in his throat at night, and his breath is terrible every morning when he wakes up. A few days ago, he went up the mountain with some fellow villagers. Do you think it could be..."

Seeing the old woman's serious expression, Wen Zhixia perked up her ears, and instantly imagined a ghost strangling her neck.

Chen Shi'an simply nodded and said, "It's probably because of excessive liver fire. Drink more water and, if possible, brew some cooling tea."

"Nothing happened, right...?"

"No."

"Also, my son went with us that day. Lately, he's been listless, lethargic, and drowsy all the time. His legs even feel weak when he walks. He's so young, yet he already has backaches. The other day, I saw him playing games and talking to someone about succubi and stuff..."

"This state is like excessive indulgence."

"Oh? He doesn't have a girlfriend yet!"

The older woman clearly hadn't quite caught on yet, but Wen Zhixia, a modern young woman, had already figured it out. She blushed slightly, covered her mouth, and chuckled.

Despite his young age, Chen Shi'an is not shy at all when talking about this kind of topic.

He was already used to questions like those from middle-aged women. Many people misunderstand Taoists and ask questions that have nothing to do with the real 'Tao', such as headaches, hot feet, insomnia, and excessive dreaming. When science and medicine can't solve these problems, they think of seeking solutions from metaphysics.

This is like someone who is a programming student but is always asked to fix computers. As a Taoist priest, Chen Shi'an felt that he could also be a half-doctor.

"You can have your son check whether he has kidney yang deficiency or kidney yin deficiency. If it's yang deficiency, you can use Suoyang Gujing Wan or Guifu Dihuang Wan. If it's yin deficiency, you can use Liuwei Dihuang Wan or Zhibai Dihuang Wan. If it's kidney essence deficiency, you can use Wuzi Yanzong Wan. In addition to taking medicine, you should also pay more attention to maintaining your health in daily life."

"Um... Oh, thank you, little master."

Whether the older woman believed Chen Shi'an or continued to firmly believe that her son was possessed by evil spirits, the young girl beside her was already completely impressed.

"You know so much! Do you Taoists also study this?"

"It's just something you learn through exposure."

Wen Zhixia became interested and turned to face him: "Then, could you also take a look at it for me?"

"..."

Chen Shi'an began to examine the young woman in front of him.

It must be said that the girl in front of me was quite beautiful. Wearing this blue and white school uniform, she exuded an invincible youthful charm. Her forehead was full and round, like a flower bud just beginning to bloom in spring, a sign of great fortune. Her eyebrows were soft and relaxed, with slightly upturned ends. Her eyes were clear and bright, with large, expressive pupils, revealing her exceptional intelligence and cheerful personality.

When Chen Shi'an was reading her fortune, she was also looking at Chen Shi'an.

The girl had her fortune told on the street for twenty yuan before. Those fortune tellers were either old men or middle-aged women, and in terms of appearance, they were naturally no match for Chen Shi'an.

Perhaps because they were of similar age, and Chen Shi'an was handsome, Wen Zhixia began to feel shy after being stared at like that for a while, and quickly interrupted this strange feeling:
"So, so, what did you figure out?"

"you……"

"Let me warn you first, I don't have a boyfriend yet, so don't talk nonsense!" The girl quickly added, remembering what Chen Shi'an had just said to the old lady.

"Your face is very auspicious, indicating that you will be successful in all endeavors and blessed with good fortune. However, you have been experiencing some internal heat lately, so try to get less sleep, rest more, and drink more water."

Although she didn't take the young Taoist priest's words too seriously, people always like to hear nice things, and the girl's expression visibly brightened: "Really?"

"I always say what I think."

"Hehe, thanks~~"

……

What was originally a tedious journey became much more interesting because I had someone to talk to.

Before they knew it, the bus had arrived at its final stop. Passengers got off one after another, and Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia, who were sitting in their seats, also picked up their bags and stood up.

They chatted like this the whole way, without exchanging names, contact information, or knowing where the other was going next.

Firstly, the girl felt that her identity as a student and that of a Taoist priest were from two different worlds;
Secondly, Chen Shi'an never forces fate. Everyone is a stranger who happens to travel together for a while, and then goes their separate ways when they reach the fork in the road. The relationships between people in this world seem complicated, but in the end, they are nothing more than this.

"I'm leaving now. See you again sometime, little kitten, bye-bye!"

The girl, whom Chen Shi'an described as blessed with good fortune, waved goodbye to him and the cat in his backpack, and boarded another bus that happened to arrive at the station.

Watching his fellow passenger leave by car, Chen Shi'an took a sip of glucose water and checked the route to Yunqi No.1 Middle School on his phone.

Not far away.

It's only a 50-minute walk.

Let's go over there.

(Thanks to Yunchen Xiatian and RUY16109 for being our Alliance Leaders! They're both long-time readers and Alliance Leaders! Thank you so much for your continued support!)
　Many thanks to cc载入中, 花红正合嗅, 归兮怜雨墨, 久伴灬孝辉, and 鸽子丶 for their generous donations! Thank you also to klinia, 不知起什么名所以冉冉个名, 昵称不能为空吗, 地球风暴组织, and 笑归红尘 for their generous donations of hundreds and thousands of coins! And thank you all for your monthly tickets and follow-up comments! These are all familiar faces; I am very grateful for everyone's support of the new book!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)