76: Road rescue

"This road looks too dangerous. Let's just pay to take a shuttle up. Safety first."

"Yeah, my car has low ground clearance. It'll definitely scrape going up there."

Jiang Yuan rolled down the window, listening to the discussions of a few tourists by the roadside, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Change cars?

For this brabus g900, modified with portal axles and possessing terrifying ground clearance, this kind of road was a true playground.

He didn't slow down at all, completely ignoring the surprised gazes of others.

The engine roar became deep and powerful.

The massive all-terrain tires crushed the gravel, kicking up a cloud of dust, and charged directly onto the dirt road leading to the clouds.

As the altitude rapidly climbed, the air became increasingly thin.

A roadside sign indicated the elevation had surpassed 4500 meters.

The shuttle buses ahead were roaring as they struggled up the slope, black smoke billowing from their exhaust pipes, appearing somewhat strained.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan held the steering wheel with one hand, looking relaxed.

At a wide hairpin turn, he casually pressed the accelerator, and the massive white vehicle instantly completed the overtake.

That composure, as if treading on flat ground, formed a stark contrast with the cautious atmosphere around him.

Ten minutes later.

The brabus stopped steadily in the open space in front of the main hall of Zhizhu Monastery.

Jiang Yuan pushed the door open and got out.

The biting mountain wind, mixed with cold, rushed at him. Most of the surrounding tourists were bundled in thick down jackets, clutching oxygen tanks and panting heavily.

Jiang Yuan, however, merely tightened his thin softshell jacket and took a deep breath of the thin yet fresh air.

He raised his camera, aiming the lens at the main hall that seemed to grow out of the rocks, and the continuous snow-capped mountains and sea of clouds in the distance.

The shutter clicked.

Capturing the desolation and grandeur of that moment.

Standing on the main hall plaza of Zhizhu Monastery gave a strong sense of unreality.

It didn't feel like Earth, but more like the ruins of some alien civilization.

Above was the seemingly touchable sky, and all around were six rugged, exotic peaks, piercing the clouds like giant fingers.

These were the legendary "Six Paths of Reincarnation" Peaks.

Red temples were built into the mountainside, hanging precariously on cliffs, while flocks of vultures circled in the mountain valleys, letting out chilling screeches.

Jiang Yuan pulled out his nikon z9 from his bag.

Attaching a 400mm prime lens, he aimed at the famous "Heaven's Gate Cave" at the highest point.

Sunlight passed through the enormous rock cave, casting a holy beam of light, and dust danced in the light and shadow.

"Click."

The crisp sound of the shutter rang out.

Most of the tourists around had pale faces, stopping to take two breaths of oxygen with every step, some even being supported by companions due to severe altitude sickness.

Yet, Jiang Yuan carried several kilograms of camera equipment, moving swiftly along the steep plank road, searching for the best compositional angles.

This overwhelming physical fitness allowed him to appreciate the extreme scenery with more ease than ordinary people.

After touring around and capturing dozens of stunning photos, Jiang Yuan didn't linger.

He checked the time; it was time to go.

Back in the car, he started the engine.

The descent was still perilous, but for Jiang Yuan, who had already come up once, it was familiar territory.

The brabus, with a low rumble, smoothly drove away from this city in the sky.

Rejoining G317 National Highway, he headed west, continuing deeper.

As the sun gradually set, the shadows on both sides of the road stretched long.

Passing through Dingqing County without stopping, Jiang Yuan drove straight to his lodging for the night—Baqing County.

Compared to the bustling Qamdo, Baqing County appeared more compact and tranquil.

The average altitude here already exceeded 4200 meters, and the night wind carried a bone-chilling cold.

Jiang Yuan found the highest-rated hotel in the area.

Although the conditions couldn't compare to a five-star hotel in the mainland, in such a high-altitude, cold county town, clean beds and hot water were a rare luxury.

He parked the car, its body now covered with another layer of dust.

Dinner was at a Tibetan restaurant near the hotel.

A steaming hot pot of yak meat, with a rich broth and firm meat.

Jiang Yuan had a good appetite, finishing most of the pot by himself and drinking a pot of butter tea to warm up.

Back in his room, he briefly checked tomorrow's route.

Baqing wasn't too far from Mount Sap, but the final stretch of road into the mountains was said to be extremely difficult.

However, looking at the vague, majestic outline of the brabus in the dark night outside the window, Jiang Yuan smiled.

The worse the road, the more the car's value could be demonstrated.

Lights off, sleep.

In the headache-inducing high-altitude, oxygen-deprived environment, Jiang Yuan's breathing was steady, and he fell asleep instantly.

Baqing County in the early morning was enveloped in a thin layer of frost.

Jiang Yuan started the car, and the roar of the V12 engine sounded particularly deep on the chilly street.

After driving out of the county town and heading west along G317 National Highway for a while, the navigation prompted a change of road.

The brabus turned onto G558 National Highway, heading south.

Initially, the road conditions were stable. Although the asphalt surface showed some signs of age, for the G900, such bumps were almost negligible.

However, as he delved deeper into Bixu County territory, the scenery outside the window became increasingly primitive.

Road signs gradually became sparse, until after Yangxiu Township, the route on the navigation turned into a dashed line, eventually only showing "unknown road section."

The asphalt road ahead abruptly ended.

In its place was a dirt road, carved out by gravel, mud, and tire tracks, winding deep into the mountains.

This was the final stretch of road leading to Mount Sap.

Jiang Yuan didn't hesitate, casually switching the driving mode to "off-road."

The vehicle's height automatically raised.

The massive all-terrain tires rolled over the gravel, making crisp "crackling" sounds.

The road surface became uneven, with occasional crater-like potholes spanning the road.

If it were a typical city SUV, it would most likely have to crawl at a snail's pace here, or even require getting out to direct and check the road.

But under Jiang Yuan's foot, the speed barely fluctuated.

Outside the window were swirling dust and barren ridges, while inside the car was a comfortable 26-degree Celsius space and Xu Wei's deep voice.

This extreme contrast was precisely the most captivating aspect of long-distance cross-country travel.

He drove for a long time along this uncharted road, crossing one mountain pass after another.

Suddenly, the view ahead opened up.

Although he hadn't yet seen the true face of the sacred mountain, the crisp, icy scent in the air was growing stronger.

The road got worse, the scenery more spectacular.

Turning a shaded mountain bend, the road conditions ahead suddenly changed.

A section of road, where a small landslide had recently occurred, lay across his path.

The original dirt road was buried by mud and rocks that had rolled down from the mountain, mixing with melting ice and snow to become a huge mud pit.

Several cars were stuck at the entrance, their red taillights forming a continuous line in the dim valley.

Although there were only seven or eight cars, in the depths of this sparsely populated wilderness, it was already considered a serious "traffic jam."

In the center of the mud pit, two vehicles were trapped and unable to move.

One was a city SUV belonging to an out-of-town tourist, and the other was an old local pickup truck.

Many people were gathered around, some digging mud with entrenching tools, others pushing the cars from behind. Shouts rose and fell, but the wheels merely spun idly in the mud pit, sinking deeper and deeper.

Jiang Yuan glanced at them, didn't think much, and lightly pressed the accelerator to drive his car over.

The huge white vehicle stopped beside the row of smaller, stuck cars, exuding an imposing presence.

He rolled down the window and leaned out to look at the anxious-faced Tibetan man.

"Do you have a tow rope?"

The man was startled for a moment, then nodded quickly, pulling out an old, mud-stained steel cable from the back of his pickup truck.

Jiang Yuan frowned slightly, looking at the rusty steel cable.

If this cable snapped, the rebound force would be no different from a knife.

"Once it's hooked up, stand clear."

Seeing the man about to leave after hooking up the rope, Jiang Yuan directly pushed the door open and got out of the car.

He walked to the trunk and pulled out his top-of-the-line ARB recovery kit.

From it, he took out a heavy orange cable damper.

Walking to the middle of the taut steel cable, Jiang Yuan skillfully draped the cable damper over it and secured the Velcro.

This move made several old drivers, who had initially been watching for entertainment, narrow their eyes.

An expert.

This was a life-saving rule to prevent injury from a snapping cable, but in a chaotic rescue scene, only true professional players would meticulously adhere to this detail.

"Alright, everyone, step back five meters!"

Jiang Yuan shouted, and after confirming a safe distance, he returned to the driver's seat.

He shifted into low-range four-wheel drive mode and locked the differential.

Lightly pressed the accelerator.