Tang Dynasty World.
Mount Song was full of wild charm in summer, its slopes covered with lush trees and wild grass.
Between the ridges, one could occasionally see small plots of reclaimed farmland, tended by monks in monastic robes.
However, unlike proper monks, these men still had hair and had not yet been tonsured. They could only be considered lay devotees lodging at the temple, not true renunciants.
After all, ordination certificates were not easily obtained. Even if they were truly devoted to Buddhism, they still had to wait patiently for the imperial court to grant them the qualifications to become monks.
Under normal circumstances, that process could be exceedingly long.
Even the renowned Shaolin Temple on Mount Song was no exception...
On the mountain road, Yun Ye, dressed in a blue robe, sat on a bluestone by the roadside. A smile rested on his lips as he admired the beautiful scene below, where nature and labor blended together.
On the grass not far behind him, two beautiful women with their own distinct charms sat close together, chatting and whispering with laughter.
The woman on the left wore a pale yellow dress. Her skin was creamy, her hands soft and delicate, and her smile radiant. Her lovely eyes flickered with grace, while every gesture she made was poised and natural, without the slightest restraint.
Compared to her, the woman on the right appeared much gentler and more demure.
She wore a white dress, her skin fair as jade. A translucent flush colored her exquisite, breathtaking face, giving her a shy air that made one want to cherish her.
At that moment, the woman in yellow had an arm around the white-clad woman's fragrant shoulders. She lifted a jade-like hand and gently stroked the latter's lower abdomen, seemingly murmuring something softly.