See each other 35 times

Gu Jiao went to the other side of the mountain with a basket on her back.

The temple was halfway up the mountain, and the path was extremely difficult. There was a section without steps and entirely covered in accumulated snow. Luckily, Gu Jiao, who had been diligent in climbing and exercising since she arrived here, was not deterred by this hazardous mountain road.

Her pace was faster than average, but it still took her about two hours to reach the temple, almost at noon.

The temple was not large, and the ancient and weather-beaten plaque read "Ning'an Temple" in large characters. Perhaps it was because there were fewer people due to the snow, but Gu Jiao did not encounter a single worshipper along the way.

There weren't many monks in the temple either. Gu Jiao hadn't seen a single one since she entered.

"Could it be that this temple is deserted?"

But the ground was clean and tidy, as if it was taken care of every day.