52: Asking about Qingcheng Mountain

Back at the homestay, the night passed without incident.

The next day in Chengdu, the sun made a rare appearance.

At eight in the morning, sunlight filtered through the ginkgo leaves in the mansion's courtyard, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone path.

Just as Jiang Yuan stepped out the gate, a black Toyota Alphard Mona Lisa edition was already parked quietly by the roadside; this was the private driver the homestay had specially arranged at Jiang Yuan's request.

The car body was polished to a shine, reflecting the surrounding old buildings.

"Mr. Jiang, good morning."

The driver, Old Chen, was a local from Chengdu who looked very honest and simple, wearing a neat white shirt, waiting early by the car door.

Seeing Jiang Yuan come out, he immediately opened the automatic car door, holding his hand against the door frame.

The air conditioning inside the car was set just right, and the faint scent of sandalwood was refreshing.

The captain's chair was wide and soft; when Jiang Yuan sat down, he felt as if he had sunk halfway into it.

"Go to the Mount Qingcheng scenic area."

Jiang Yuan gave the instruction, adjusted the seat angle, and half-lay back in the most comfortable position.

"Alright, it's about an hour's drive, you can rest for a while."

Old Chen started the car smoothly; it moved as if gliding on ice, silently merging into the traffic.

Through the dark privacy glass, Jiang Yuan watched the Chengdu streetscape flashing by outside.

From the bustling Taikoo Li to the gradually widening Ring Expressway.

High-rise buildings were gradually replaced by low residential houses, and the greenery in his field of vision began to increase.

Although they hadn't reached the foot of the mountain yet, the air seemed to have become much more moist and fresh.

Jiang Yuan took out his phone and glanced at the comment section of last night's TikTok post.

Under that reply of "Leaving tomorrow," there were already thousands of comments.

"Holy shit, the big shot really just up and left?"

"Is this real? I'm also in Chengdu, hoping for a chance encounter!"

"Waiting for the big shot to livestream Mount Qingcheng; I heard there are tons of stairs there, it'll climb you to death."

Looking at these comments, Jiang Yuan smiled.

Climb to death?

With the system's constitution bonus, today's Mount Qingcheng was probably just the equivalent of a post-meal stroll for him.

"Old Chen, play a song."

"Sure thing, how about Zhao Lei's 'Chengdu'?"

"Fine."

The soothing sound of guitar began to flow through the quiet cabin.

Outside the car window, the silhouettes of distant mountains were already looming in the thin mist.

Mount Qingcheng is the most secluded place under heaven.

Those sixty million and two skills were already waiting for him at the summit.

Mount Qingcheng, one of the four famous Taoist mountains, with its highest peak, Laojun Pavilion, standing at an altitude of 1,260 meters.

Compared to the towering and imposing grandeur of Mount Tai, this place certainly seemed much more "delicate."

For Jiang Yuan, who possessed 40 points of constitution, this intensity of climbing was roughly equivalent to a warm-up exercise.

His outfit today could be described as the ultimate in "de-touristifying."

No windbreaker, no trekking poles, just a baseball cap, a pure cotton white T-shirt with excellent texture, and dark athletic pants.

Among the crowds of fully equipped, panting tourists, he looked as relaxed as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

Entering the scenic area gate, Jiang Yuan bypassed the long queue for the sightseeing bus.

What's the point of taking a bus?

Climbing a mountain is only interesting when you do it on foot.

Since it had just rained, the air in the mountains was so moist it felt like you could wring water out of it.

The path underfoot changed from gray cement to a deep black asphalt road, washed shiny by the rain, winding its way into the thick, impenetrable sea of green ahead.

On both sides were towering ancient trees, their canopies intertwined overhead, almost blotting out the sky.

The originally bright sunlight filtered down through the layers of branches and leaves, leaving only fine, dappled spots of light.

The green here was not a single shade of green.

It was the deep green moss growing on the rocks, the tender green tree tips that had just sprouted, and the dark green old vines that had coiled here for a hundred years.

Everywhere he looked was green, and even his breath carried the fresh fragrance of crushed plant sap.

That cool, sweet, chilled air rushed through his nasal cavity into his lungs, instantly sweeping away all the stagnant air accumulated in the city.

The surroundings were excessively quiet.

Apart from the occasional chirping of unknown insects and the faint sound of babbling brooks in the distance, there was only the rustling of the wind through the treetops.

The mist in the forest had not yet fully dispersed, winding in wisps between the tree trunks, draping the entire mountain in a mysterious veil.

"This is the true scent of nature."

Jiang Yuan stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath of the air rich in negative oxygen ions.

This feeling was ten thousand times more comfortable than being in an air-conditioned room.

He took out his phone and snapped a few photos.

The images in the lens didn't need any editing at all; the sense of clarity, as if it came with its own filter, meant that any random shot could be a wallpaper.

It would be a pity to enjoy such beautiful scenery all by himself.

Jiang Yuan took out an ultra-thin magnetic power bank, stuck it to the back of his phone, and skillfully opened his TikTok livestream.

The title was concise: "Seeking the Dao on Mount Qingcheng."

As soon as he clicked "Start Livestream," the number of viewers in the top right corner of the screen began to jump wildly.

"First!"

"Holy shit, this image quality! These colors! My eyes have been healed!"

"Where is this? It feels like the air is so moist; it looks cool just by looking at it."

"The title says it, Mount Qingcheng! The big shot's execution is amazing; he just said he was coming last night, and today he's already in the mountains."

Jiang Yuan walked upward at a leisurely pace while adjusting the angle of his phone camera.

Although he didn't have a professional gimbal, his hand was as steady as Mount Tai, and the camera footage was as smooth as watching a blockbuster movie.

"This is the front mountain of Mount Qingcheng."

Jiang Yuan's voice transmitted through the microphone, his breathing steady, without the slightest hint of exertion from climbing.

"Taking you all on a virtual tour, and while I'm at it, washing your eyes."

The camera swept across the roadside.

Crystalline water droplets hung on the rough bark, and a few unknown colorful birds hopped on the branches, flapping their wings and flying into the deep forest after being startled.

In the crevices of the stone steps by the road, a few wild ferns stubbornly poked their heads out, their leaves still bearing the dew from last night.

The number of viewers in the livestream soon exceeded one thousand.

In this internet era full of noise and product sales, Jiang Yuan's livestream—where he didn't talk, just walked, and everything was green—was simply a breath of fresh air.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the view suddenly opened up.

The magnificent mountain gate came into view, with the three gold-stamped characters for "Mount Qingcheng" shining brilliantly on the antique plaque, and next to it was the famous Jianfu Palace.

As soon as Jiang Yuan stepped into this area, a unique scent drifted into his nose.

It was the incense that lingered year-round, mixed with the unique damp smell of the mountain forest after the rain.

It wasn't choking; instead, it carried a sense of coolness and tranquility that instantly calmed one's mind.

Jiang Yuan took a few photos, didn't linger too long, and went through the ticket check to enter the mountain.

Perhaps because it was still early, or perhaps because it had just rained, there was no annoying feeling of being crowded along the way.

The path underfoot was flat and easy to walk on, with no major steps, and the ancient trees on both sides were like giant open umbrellas, completely shielding the heat from outside.

He walked for another ten minutes or so.

His gaze pierced through the dense forest, and a tranquil, emerald green lake burst into his view without any warning.

That was Yuecheng Lake.

It was like a piece of high-quality jade, quietly inlaid between two green mountains, the water surface so calm it didn't stir a single ripple.