When Gu Yueqing turned her disdainful gaze toward him, the youth immediately snapped to attention.
He slowly rose and bowed. "This humble student is Tao Dongran, a descendant of Sage Tao Yuanming's Sage Domain. Greetings, Miss Gu."
"Don't the people of your Sage Domain love nothing more than holing up in Sage Tao's Peach Blossom Source Sage Domain to farm and read? Why did you come out?"
Gu Yueqing raised an eyebrow. "Besides, little brother, I like burly men. You're far too scrawny."
Tao Dongran scratched his head. "Oh, all right."
Gu Yueqing looked at Tao Dongran, then thought of Kong Ru behind her. Her eyes darted before she suddenly smiled. "Besides, little brother Dongran, esteemed Sage Son though you are, you still pale beside Brother Kong Ru."
She turned her smiling gaze toward Kong Ru behind her, her eyes brimming with affection. "Brother Kong Ru has a great talent for poetry. I'm afraid you can't compare, little brother Dongran~"
As she spoke the latter half, she glanced back at Tao Dongran.
Yet Tao Dongran did not grow angry at her words. Instead, he scratched his head and gave an honest smile. "A descendant of Confucius is indeed impressive."
When Tao Dongran failed to provoke Kong Ru as she had expected, an odd gleam flashed through Gu Yueqing's eyes.
"I've been restless since childhood. I don't like staying home, but I do enjoy traveling the world on foot and wandering the four seas," Tao Dongran said with a smile.
"Though I've practiced a little calligraphy, I lag far behind others in poetry."
As he spoke, longing appeared in his eyes. "My wish is to travel the world like Sage Li Daoyuan, then compile books and write treatises, leaving my name in the annals of history."
Li Daoyuan?
For a moment,