Chapter 26: Mysterious Taoist Temple
step, calming himself down as he went downstairs: "It'll be fine, Su Han means well...The bracelet on his hand became lighter and lighter as if it had gradually lost weight, making the descent less st...Chapter 26: The Mysterious Taoist Temple
(A reader asked about the usual update time for this book. Little Dragon will clarify here: Generally, a chapter is updated at 7 AM and another one at 7 PM. Of course, there might be additional updates occasionally, but the primary focus is on stability. By the way, I'm also requesting votes. My principle for asking for votes is that if you find it enjoyable, please give more votes; otherwise, kindly criticize me in the book review section. My face isn't thick enough to ask for votes after updating less yesterday...)
Zhao Yanzǐ walked briskly and cheerfully at the front. Today she wore a skirt made of cotton fabric and denim, revealing her delicate, smooth legs. Her sleeveless vest with a low neckline exposed her plump arms and fair skin below her neck, hinting subtly at sensuality. For someone her age or for He Ren's relatively conservative views, this was considered rather daring.
The lace-up Roman sandals on her feet added to the youthful vitality of her slight sensuality, making her bounces resemble fluttering butterflies.
Having a designer mother is indeed wonderful; even casual mixed outfits look good and even like those in fashion magazines. In contrast, He Ren was as plain as could be. His shirt hadn't been washed for three days, his jeans were crumpled, and he wore gray running shoes.
The only thing somewhat attractive about him was the pink backpack on his back, which actually belonged to Zhao Yanzǐ. It was quite unusual for a boy to carry a pink backpack.
Zhao Yanzǐ rushed ahead while Zhao Guang and Zhao Hongyu walked alongside He Ren. Zhao Guang's attire was casual yet still proper, whereas Zhao Hongyu's clothes were youthful and sporty, making it hard to tell she was already the mother of an early middle school girl.
They ascended along stone steps until they reached the ticket office at the scenic spot entrance.
Zhao Yanzǐ was impatiently waiting beside the window for her parents to buy tickets. This eagerness reminded He Ren of his childhood, going out with his parents.
Zhao Guang calmly walked over and bought four tickets at once. He Ren felt a little uncomfortable but didn't want to pretend to argue about it then.
They passed through the mountain gate and continued up the steps.
Indeed, the scenery here is quite beautiful, with lush greenery and even a hint of coolness in the air. A faint stream meanders down the mountain path, creating a pleasant tinkling sound at their feet.
Zhao Yanzǐ breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh air, her innocent expression making郝仁want to smile.
After living in the city for so long, returning to nature is truly refreshing.
Zhao Hongyù and Zhao Guǎng walked hand in hand, admiring the scenery around them while slowly strolling forward. 郝仁 didn't want to walk side by side with Zhao Yanzǐ, so he followed at a leisurely pace behind them. In fact, Zhao Yanzǐ herself didn't want to stay close to 郝仁 either; she ran ahead excitedly like a little animal, exploring the area up front.
"Zi Zi! Slow down!" Zhao Hongyù called out.
"Mom! There's a cave over here!" Zhao Yanzǐ shouted excitedly from the front.
Zhao Hongyù smiled and turned to wave 郝仁 over, then walked up. "This cave was formed by underground water erosion. The mountain streams create subterranean channels within the mountains, and where rocks are weak, they break through and form caves like this one... "
"Then why isn't there any water now" Zhao Yanzǐ asked curiously.
"Because the flow of water varies with the seasons. When the stream is too large, it might overflow here. Of course, it's also possible that the water changed its course; this used to be an exit for the underground river, but due to a small rockslide from inside, the cave was blocked off." Zhao Hongyù explained patiently.
Zhao Yanzǐ nodded and suddenly brightened up as if she had made a new discovery. Pointing ahead, she said, "There's writing over there!"
"Heavenly Cave of Blessings," Zhao Hongyù walked towards it while continuing to explain. "It is said that these characters were inscribed by Du Fu from the Tang Dynasty. On this flat land used to stand a Taoist temple called Xianyun Temple..."
Zhao Yanzǐ restrained her excitement, blinked her big eyes, and followed closely behind her mother, listening intently as she looked around.
Hao Ren didn't expect Zhao Hongyu to be so knowledgeable. She not only made achievements in design but could also eloquently discuss astronomy, geography, and cultural anecdotes.
As they walked along the way, Zhao Hongyu continuously explained things to them, often branching out from one topic to teach Zhao Yanzi more knowledge. Her voice was gentle and pleasant; even Hao Ren found himself captivated by her words, learning many new things without realizing it.
They had been walking for about two hours when they reached halfway up the mountain and stopped at a small restaurant on the hillside to have lunch.
The table was set outside under a canopy, where they could enjoy Qingyan Mountain's beautiful scenery while eating their meal of fresh vegetables and rice from the mountains.
Hao Ren had been cooped up in school for too long. Today, coming out with them to travel made him feel happy amidst the green mountains and clear waters.
"At the top of this mountain, there's a Taoist temple called Tianyi Temple. It is said that Zhang Tianshi once practiced here. The main hall in the temple is called Ancestor Hall; its eaves are all covered with gold leaf. There's also a pine tree inside the temple over two thousand years old and a stele written by Zhang Tianshi himself..."
Zhao Guang, who was eating his meal, suddenly became interested in Zhao Yanzi and said this.
"It sounds so interesting!" Zhao Yanzi looked at her father with anticipation. "Then after we finish our lunch, let's go up to see it!"
“Walking up there will take three hours, and there’s no cable car here; I and your mom aren’t willing to go up. We plan to walk a bit further and then leisurely come back down the mountain to rest at the hotel.” Zhao Guang said.
"Ah..." Zhao Yanzi showed disappointment on her face.
“Or maybe Hao Ren can accompany you there” Zhao Hongyu suggested.
“I don’t need him!” Zhao Yanzi clenched her teeth. “I’ll go up and see it by myself！”
"No way, we won't feel at ease if you go up the mountain alone!" Zhao Hongyu firmly rejected Zhao Yanzǐ's suggestion.
Zhao Yanzǐ knew she couldn’t win against her parents and hung her head in silence.
After finishing their meal, they continued climbing the mountain. They walked for about half an hour before visiting an old cave with a rich history. Soon after that, Zhao Guang and Zhao Hongyu prepared to descend.
Zhao Yanzǐ still felt unsatisfied; she actually wanted to go higher up and see what the Daoist temple on top of the mountain was like, but seeing her parents wanting to come back down, there wasn't anything else she could do.
"Why don’t we make an exception today and let you stay in the mountains a bit longer" Zhao Hongyu noticed how unhappy Zhao Yanzǐ looked with her pouting lips, so she suggested.
Zhao Yanzǐ’s eyes immediately brightened up, a smile appearing on her face.
"But you need to let Ah Ren accompany you. Otherwise, we truly won’t feel at ease," Zhao Hongyu said.
After biting her lip and contemplating for several seconds, Zhao Yanzǐ finally agreed with reluctance, "Alright then, I’ll go up the mountain."
A hint of joy flashed across Zhao Hongyu’s face as she turned to Hao Ren and said, "Ah Ren, you stay with Ah Zi. Climb to the top and come back down quickly, and call us if there's anything. With your speed, it should take no more than four hours round trip. Plus another two hours from here to the foot of the mountain, that’s a total of six hours. You guys should be back at the hotel around 7."
Hao Ren rarely got out on his own and didn’t really want to return to the hotel so soon either. So he nodded to Zhao Hongyu in agreement, "Alright, Auntie, I’ll do my best to take care of Ah Zi."
Zhao Guang gave Hao Ren an encouraging nod before turning around with Zhao Hongyu to head back down.
Hao Ren was well aware that Zhao Yanzǐ’s parents were deliberately giving them time together. But he didn’t think much into it; he simply wanted to go up and see the legendary Daoist temple on top of the mountain.been working hard on his training recently, so we asked Elder Lu for six Qi-supplementing pills and crushed them up to put in the cake," Lu Linlin replied."Umm... Is there going to be any problem with...