Great, it's just a lackey, we're saved!

Chapter 303 The White Jade Staircase!

The distance between Zhengshan Academy and Kongshan Temple cannot be measured by worldly standards.

To reach Zhengshan Academy, one must pass through obstacles resembling illusory cliffs. In Zhou Wei's eyes, these two places resembled small worlds created by powerful cultivators.

Not long after the convoy started driving, Tan Lin reminded everyone that they had entered the territory of Zhengshan Academy.

Jiang Zao poked her head out of the carriage, sniffed, and her eyes showed surprise.

"Eh, how strange. The air here smells nice, but it's not quite the same as the one at Kongshan Temple. It seems to have a scholarly air about it."

Zhou Wei couldn't help but look at Jiang Zao. How could she smell that?

Anyway, she didn't have that special feeling.

"What does the air in the Kongshan Temple area smell like? Pine resin?"

Jiang Zao shook her head: "No, it's the fragrance of flowers and fruits."

Zhou Wei was taken aback, then smiled. "Fragrant with flowers and fruits? That's quite fitting."

Judging from this, Jiang Zao is indeed exceptionally talented; no wonder she can remember herbs after recognizing them only once.

Perhaps what she remembered was the taste of these herbs.

After driving for a while, we suddenly heard Tan Lin's voice.

"Everyone, please get off the bus."

The group jumped off the carriage as instructed, and when they looked up, they saw a solitary peak that appeared out of nowhere.

"Everyone, this is the foot of Zhengshan Academy. You will need to walk up the mountain."

Upon hearing this, the princess patted the little red horse on the head.

"I'm going up the mountain. Find a place to eat grass and play by yourself, and wait for me to come back."

The little red horse snorted excitedly and disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye.

The princess couldn't help but chuckle; the little red horse had been pulling the carriage all these days, and it must have been cooped up for too long.

Tan Lin then looked at Zhou Wei and gestured with his lips to A Bao, who was drinking milk from a basin.

"Mr. Tan, can't Abao come along?"

“The situation at Zhengshan Academy is complicated now. I’m afraid that if Abao goes there, he will be in danger.”

Zhou Wei thought for a moment, then stroked Abao's head and asked, "Do you want to go?"

Abao nodded as he ate, without the slightest hesitation.

Nonsense, why wouldn't I go?

Zhou Wei smiled and looked at Tan Lin: "Mr. Tan, you see, if A Bao wants to go, then let her go."

Tan Lin hesitated, but Zhou Wei insisted, so he had no choice but to compromise.

“Alright, but Zhou Dianjun needs to tell A Bao not to wander around Zhengshan Academy.”

Ah Bao understood and quickly nodded.

Don't worry, the bag won't wander off!

The group followed Tan Lin on foot to Zhengshan Academy. As they passed by, they noticed many thatched huts built on both sides of the road.

Tan Lin said, "This is where people from the surrounding area gathered to do business when the academy was at its peak."

Zhou Wei looked at the thatched hut; much of it had collapsed and rotted.

It is clear that this place has been abandoned for a long time.

After walking a while further along the area where the thatched huts were gathered, Tan Lin stopped.

A strange sight appeared before everyone's eyes.

A wisp of mist meanders above it, obscuring one side of the solitary peak.

Wan Qianliang looked up and whispered to Shen Shuqing, "This is the road leading to Zhengshan Academy. Master said there should be a white jade staircase here."

Shen Shuqing had never seen it before and asked curiously, "Then where are the white jade steps now?"

Wan Qianliang said he didn't know, then thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps the white jade staircase disappeared after the Zhengshan Academy's gate was closed."

The eldest princess and Tan Lin were also discussing the white jade staircase.

“Mr. Tan, the reason you were able to see the white jade steps leading to Zhengshan Academy last time was because someone wanted you to give up completely.”

"Now that the mountain gate is locked and the steps have disappeared, I'm afraid we have no way to get in anymore."

Tan Lin wasn't sure if he would be able to return to the academy this time.

Zhou Wei calmly replied, "Don't worry, we'll definitely be able to get in."

Just as Tan Lin was about to ask why, he suddenly saw the mist at the foot of the mountain begin to swirl, but it dissipated completely in a moment.

The white jade staircase leading into the academy suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

Seeing this, Wan Qianliang was shocked: "How could this be? Didn't Master say that the Zhengshan Academy's gates were closed many years ago, and these steps have never appeared since, unless the academy opens its gates again..."

Unaware of the key point, Shen Shuqing casually remarked, "Perhaps the academy's gates just happened to be open today?"

Wan Qianliang sighed inwardly, knowing that his junior sister didn't care about the matter of the blessed land at all.

All she thinks about are worldly matters like marriage and power struggles within the household.

When Zhengshan Academy closed its gates, it was a major event in this blessed land.

If they really wanted to open the mountain gate, they would have sent someone to notify the other major sects. Why would they do it so suddenly?

The fog had completely dissipated, and the white jade steps looked like a winding ribbon hanging down from the mountaintop.

Looking at Zhengshan Academy from this perspective, it truly exudes a refined and scholarly atmosphere.

Tan Lin took a deep breath and said, "Let's go!"

The crowd followed him up the white jade steps.

As the last person's foot touched the steps, the dissipated mist slowly reappeared, completely enveloping everyone.

Abao curiously used his paw to push aside the white mist, his little nose twitching as if he were sniffing something.

Because of the reduced visibility, the group slowed their pace.

Wan Qianliang was even a little nervous walking in the middle of the group.

He had heard of the famous white jade staircase of Zhengshan Academy. It was not only a necessary path to enter the academy, but could also be transformed into a protective formation for the mountain in critical moments.

After completing their studies, the students of Zhengshan Academy would climb the white jade steps again, a ritual known as "asking their hearts".

At that time, the white jade steps will become extremely dangerous, thus tempering the disciples' minds.

Thinking of all this, Wan Qianliang couldn't help but look back.

Then Zhou Wei's voice, which was at the back, came: "What are you looking at? There are no wolves behind us, hurry up and move on."

Upon hearing this, Wan Qianliang felt annoyed.

However, he did not retaliate. Although Zhou Wei, that wretched servant, spoke rudely, Wan Qianliang felt inexplicably at ease with her backing him up!

Abao was walking with the princess. Zhou Wei had instructed Abao to protect the princess well.

So Abao's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yueli.

But after a while, Abao started to feel sleepy.

When it shook its head again and looked ahead, it suddenly realized that everyone had disappeared.

Abao got a little anxious and cried out twice, but no one responded.

"Zhou Wei, are you there? Why am I the only one left?"

There was still no response from within the fog.

Suddenly, Abao's nose twitched twice as he smelled the milk from the basin.

It squinted its little eyes and looked carefully, and found a large basin of milk on the ground in the mist not far away.

Looking at the basin of milk, Abao's mouth was practically watering.

Just as it was about to take a few steps forward and take a big gulp, it suddenly remembered what Zhou Wei had told it.

"This stuff has a high sugar content. One bowl a day is the limit. You also have to eat watermelon, which is also quite high in sugar. For the sake of your teeth, you can't drink too much of this milk."

"Also, this stuff is something only I have in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. No one else can get it. If someone tries to lure you with a bowl of milk, they definitely have bad intentions. Turn around and leave, understand?"

Abao's eyes darted around, but he resisted the temptation.

With a reluctant look at the bowl of milk, she resolutely continued climbing the stairs!