53: Qingcheng is a secluded paradise

"Holy crap! Is this water green?"

"This color is absolutely stunning, it feels like green paint was dripped into milk."

"Streamer, this is Yuecheng Lake, right? You can take a boat across to get to the cable car."

The chat in the livestream became active again because of this lake.

Jiang Yuan stood by the lake, leaning on the damp wooden railing, and took a deep breath of the cool breeze blowing off the water.

A layer of mist floated over the surface of Yuecheng Lake, swirling with clouds, just like a fairyland.

The water was indeed intoxicatingly green, reflecting the equally hazy green mountains around it, making it hard to tell where the water ended and the mountains began.

Right in front of him was a ferry crossing.

Most tourists who reached this point would choose to pay for one of those painted ferry boats to go straight to the cable car station on the opposite side.

The boatman was shouting to attract passengers, his oars slapping against the water, creating ripples.

"Handsome Guy, want a boat ride? Five yuan per person, save some energy!"

Seeing that Jiang Yuan had an extraordinary air about him, the boatman greeted him enthusiastically.

Jiang Yuan shook his head, smiling and waving his hand.

"No thanks, I'll walk."

He looked at the winding plank road along the lakeside.

Taking a boat was certainly less effort, but doing so would mean missing out on the joy of walking around the lake.

He adjusted his phone gimbal and said softly to the livestream:

"Taking a boat is too fast; it's easy to miss the scenery."

"Let's take the plank road instead, and I'll take you to see this water up close."

Jiang Yuan stepped onto the wooden plank road.

The wooden boards under his feet let out a slight creaking sound, which sounded particularly pleasant at this moment.

Being closer to the water, the cool air hitting his face felt even stronger.

Jiang Yuan walked very slowly.

He enjoyed this feeling of wasting time on beautiful things.

After bypassing Yuecheng Lake, the noise seemed to be blocked behind an invisible barrier.

Most tourists chose the easy cable car to go up the mountain, and the originally crowded stream of people instantly thinned out.

Only a few hardcore hikers with backpacks still insisted on walking along this winding mountain path.

The further in he went, the narrower the path became, and the deeper the forest grew.

The vegetation on both sides was excessively lush, with layers upon layers of branches and leaves blocking the sky completely, allowing only a few faint rays of light to filter through.

Through the gaps in the trees, Jiang Yuan vaguely saw a hint of upturned eaves on the highest peak in the distance.

That was Laojun Pavilion.

He raised his phone, zoomed in, and aimed at that distant target.

Someone from the area immediately popped up in the livestream to explain:

"See that? That tower top is the destination."

"It looks quite close, but as the saying goes, 'looking at the mountain runs the horse to death,' though for our streamer, it's just a matter of time."

"Streamer, that's Laojun Pavilion! Keep it up!"

The path under his feet turned into a brick path full of history.

Because of years of rain erosion and soil subsidence, the road surface was slightly sunken, making it uneven to walk on, but it had a sense of rustic charm.

The surroundings were so quiet and secluded that it felt like he had traveled back to a primeval forest.

Only a recycling bin that appeared occasionally by the side of the road reminded Jiang Yuan that this was still a modern tourist attraction.

"A winding path leading to a secluded spot, indeed."

Stepping on a moss-covered stone slab, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but exclaim.

A "Sunset Red" hiking group appeared ahead.

They were all wearing matching windbreakers and carrying professional backpacks; they looked to be in their fifties or sixties, with gray hair, but they were full of energy.

But after all, age spares no one; the elderly folks' breathing was a bit heavy, and their pace had slowed down.

Jiang Yuan didn't change his pace, and his breathing rhythm didn't even falter, as he easily overtook them.

His leisurely and carefree demeanor left a few of the old gentlemen stunned.

As he was walking, a melodious and winding tune suddenly drifted over with the mountain breeze.

At first, it was faint and indistinct, hard to hear clearly.

After turning a corner, the sound became clearer, carrying a unique, slightly distorted, vintage quality.

"Under Mount Qingcheng, Bai Suzhen~"

"Cultivated her body for a thousand years in the cave~"

"Ah~~ Ah~~~"

The familiar melody echoed in the quiet mountain forest, and surprisingly, it didn't feel out of place at all; instead, it added a touch of ethereal charm.

Jiang Yuan looked in the direction of the sound.

In an old-fashioned pavilion ahead, an old lady in her sixties was sitting on a stone bench.

She had an old-fashioned radio in front of her, and she was holding a piece of bread, munching on it while listening to the tune with her eyes squinted.

She looked very content.

"This BGM is perfect."

Jiang Yuan smiled at the camera and lowered his voice:

"Listening to The Legend of the White Snake on Mount Qingcheng, I guess this counts as an immersive experience, right?"

The livestream chat instantly exploded:

"Holy crap, my DNA is reacting! I listened to this song every day when I was a kid!"

"Fitting! So fitting! I feel like Fahai is going to appear the next second!"

"This old lady really knows how to live; this is the joy of hiking."

Jiang Yuan didn't linger too long to avoid disturbing the old lady's enjoyment.

He continued to walk upward.

With the boost of Constant Temperature Body Sensation, even while climbing in this muggy and humid dense forest, his body remained as dry and comfortable as before, without a single drop of sweat.

This feeling of maintaining the most comfortable temperature at all times was just like being a walking air-conditioned room.

Because Jiang Yuan wasn't intentionally rushing, and walked and stopped along the way, after about half an hour, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

An ancient building with upturned eaves appeared before his eyes; he had reached Ciyun Pavilion.

The number of tourists here had visibly increased.

After all, having walked the mountain road for so long, it was rare to encounter such a flat and spacious open area in front of a Taoist temple, so most people chose to stop here to rest, catch their breath, and incidentally go into the hall to burn incense and pray for safety.

The noisy human voices and the curling incense smoke intertwined, giving this Taoist temple deep in the mountains a bit more of a worldly, mortal feel.

Jiang Yuan passed through the crowd and continued walking upward.

Local sedan chair carriers began to appear on both sides of the road, with two long bamboo poles supporting a rattan chair; this was the "sliding chair" unique to Mount Qingcheng.

"Want to take a sliding chair? It's very comfortable, we'll carry you straight up!"

The carriers shouted energetically, occasionally using towels to wipe the sweat off their tanned skin.

In fact, having walked all this way, many tourists were already tired enough that their legs felt weak, and they were indeed tempted when they saw the sliding chairs.

But most people took one look and ultimately felt too embarrassed to take a ride.

On one hand, they felt a bit ashamed to let others carry them, and on the other hand, they felt they could still push themselves a bit more.

Jiang Yuan glanced at them but didn't stop; with his physique, he had absolutely no need for this.

After walking for a few more minutes, a sea of red appeared before his eyes.

It was a long corridor covered in red prayer plaques, with the densely packed wooden plaques gently clashing in the wind, carrying the wishes of countless people.

By the side of the road, a clear pond had been built—the Tianshi Wishing Pool.

The bottom of the pool was covered with a thick layer of coins, shimmering in the sunlight, along with quite a few paper bills swollen from being soaked in the water—all thrown in by tourists when they made their wishes earlier.

Jiang Yuan subconsciously reached into his pants pocket and fumbled around for a moment, but felt nothing.

"..."

He shook his head with some helplessness.

Nowadays, you go out with just a mobile phone to conquer the world; who still carries coins around?

He had no choice but to give up.

But on second thought, he didn't really need to make any wishes.

With the system by his side, as long as he checked in step by step, what wish couldn't be fulfilled? The system was the greatest wishing pool.

After passing this corner and climbing another slightly steep flight of stairs, his view finally cleared above the treetops.

An imposing, ancient, and solemn mountain gate suddenly, without warning, hit his line of sight.