77: Golden Mountain under the Sun

The V12 engine let out a low roar, like an awakened lion.

Four wide all-terrain tires gripped the wet ground tightly, showing no signs of slipping.

"Snap—"

The steel cable instantly tautened, and the middle cable flag vibrated sharply, firmly absorbing the force.

The pickup truck, deeply stuck in the mud and immovable even with several people pushing, was forcefully pulled out.

As the pickup was successfully dragged to solid ground, the onlookers erupted in cheers.

Jiang Yuan opened the door and got out, not in a hurry to leave.

He calmly walked to the middle of the steel cable, untied the orange cable flag, and then skillfully coiled and retrieved the tow rope.

This series of actions was smooth and flowing, showing a practiced hand.

The rescued Tibetan man excitedly ran over, wiped his hands on his clothes, his face flushed.

He kept saying "tashi delek" and tried to press a wad of crumpled cash into Jiang Yuan's hand.

"No need, this is a free rescue."

Jiang Yuan smiled and gently pushed it back, his tone mild but firm.

Before the other party could say anything more, he turned and got into the car.

With the heavy thud of the car door closing, the outside noise was cut off.

The brabus started again, carrying half a car's worth of mud, like a warrior who had just rolled in a mud pit, roaring as it drove deeper.

"Splish, splash."

Mud splattered on the car body and rearview mirrors; the once pristine white paint was now mottled.

But this only added a wild beauty to this top-tier luxury car worth tens of millions.

Beyond this landslide area, there were no more obstacles ahead.

After crossing the last gravel slope, the view suddenly burst open.

The shock was overwhelming.

Mount Sap stood there, unreservedly, between heaven and earth.

Unlike the continuous winding of other snow mountains, its main peak was an almost perfect isosceles triangle.

Like a sharp ice sword, it pierced straight through the sky.

At the foot of the mountain was the sacred lake, Sam Co, as green as jade.

A huge glacier tongue extended down between two snow-capped mountains, reaching into the lake, with broken ice floating on the surface, glowing with an ethereal blue luster.

Jiang Yuan slowed down, his wheels rolling over the lakeside meadow.

He positioned the car directly facing the sacred mountain and stopped steadily.

Engine off.

The world instantly fell silent, leaving only the howling of the wind across the glacier.

Jiang Yuan opened the door and got out.

At this moment, the brabus was largely covered in black mud, yet its massive B-logo still gleamed in the sunlight.

This muddy steel behemoth, juxtaposed with the utterly sacred snow mountain and glacial lake before him, created an extremely strong visual contrast.

Violence and sanctity, defilement and purity.

Jiang Yuan leaned against the hood, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

All the bumps and rescues along the way were worth it upon seeing this scene.

He restarted the car and slowly drove along the lakeshore, searching for the best spot.

Finally, beside a sea of blooming gesang flowers, he found a flat, firm meadow.

The location was excellent, directly facing Mount Sap's main peak and the huge glacier extending into the lake.

Engine off, he opened the roof cargo box.

The fully packed, top-tier outdoor equipment saw the light of day again.

Staying in hotels along the way was convenient and quick, so these expensive items, each costing hundreds of thousands, hadn't had a chance to be used.

Now, in this desolate place, was their best stage.

Jiang Yuan pulled out the complex tunnel tent.

It was spacious and solidly built; once set up, it was essentially a mobile "one-bedroom, one-living room" in the wilderness.

Even with Jiang Yuan's exceptional physique, setting up such a heavy tent alone took some effort.

From reinforcing the ground stakes to pulling the wind ropes, every step was meticulously done.

As he hammered in the last ground stake and straightened up,

the sun had already set behind the mountain ridge, and the surrounding light rapidly dimmed.

In this unintentional glance upwards,

Jiang Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

The entire world seemed to ignite.

The last ray of sunset accurately struck the pyramid-like peak of Mount Sap.

The originally pristine and cold snow mountain transformed into dazzling pure gold.

The golden light spread down along the mountain ridges, even dyeing the glaciers below with a sacred and magnificent glow.

The visual impact was enough to make one forget to breathe, even to want to prostrate in worship.

This was what countless Photographers dreamed of—Golden Mountain in Sunlight.

Jiang Yuan almost instinctively turned and rushed back to the car.

He grabbed the Nikon Z prime lens cannon, not even having time to set up the tripod.

He half-knelt on the grass, steadied the camera, and locked the lens onto the burning peak.

No complex composition was needed; nature had already laid out the most perfect masterpiece before his eyes.

"Click, click, click..."

The rapid-fire shutter sound echoed like dense drumbeats by the silent lake.

Every frozen frame was a breathtaking masterpiece capable of stunning the retina.

The soul-stirring Golden Mountain in Sunlight came and went quickly.

Just a few minutes later, the last golden light faded from the mountaintop, and Mount Sap returned to its cold, grayish-white hue.

Night fell like a huge black curtain, rapidly enveloping the entire glacial lake area.

Jiang Yuan unhurriedly continued to set up camp.

Several vintage-style LED gas lanterns were hung, and their warm yellow glow instantly illuminated this small patch of land.

Next to them was a large-capacity outdoor portable power station, quietly supplying power to various devices; here, there was no electricity anxiety at all.

In the sky, stars began to pop out one by one.

Dinner's theme was barbecue.

Jiang Yuan set up a cast-iron griddle over a fiercely burning cassette stove.

Fresh yak meat, just bought locally, was sliced thick and sizzled on the hot griddle, emitting an enticing aroma of fat.

Sprinkled with a handful of secret spicy dipping sauce, the red meat slices instantly became glistening and appealing.

Picking up a piece and putting it in his mouth, it was hot, tender, crispy, and spicy, bursting in his mouth instantly.

In this icy, snowy no-man's-land, this mouthful of hot meat was simply a kingly indulgence.

One person, one tent, one car, with a whole brilliant galaxy overhead.

This was an extreme solitude, and also an extreme romance.

Jiang Yuan thoroughly enjoyed these moments that belonged only to him.

After eating and drinking his fill, he tidied up the aftermath.

Jiang Yuan comfortably semi-reclined in his camping chair, gazing up at the starry sky.

Tonight's wind wasn't too strong, but at an altitude of 4700 meters, the temperature dropped extremely quickly at night.

The perceived temperature was probably already below negative ten degrees Celsius, and the surrounding grass blades were already covered in a layer of white frost.

But Jiang Yuan, with his strong physique and Constant Temperature Body Sensation, was still only wearing his thin jacket and felt no cold at all.

Here, there was no light pollution from industrial civilization, and coupled with the thin air, the stars were almost unrealistically bright.

A spectacular Milky Way arch clearly spanned above the main peak of Mount Sap.

Jiang Yuan picked up his nikon z9 again.

Adjust parameters, long exposure.

The shutter clicked softly, capturing the starlight from billions of light-years away, along with the sacred snow mountain before him, onto the sensor.

The photos wirelessly synced to his phone, each one a wallpaper-worthy masterpiece needing no editing.