With great enthusiasm, Ji Yueni rushed to the foot of the mountain, but the scene before his eyes left him bitterly disappointed.
He had thought he might meet some fellow mountain climbers, but instead, everyone was pilgrims—hardly any were taking the stairs, most were riding the cable car.
“Taking the cable car to worship and burn incense—how can their hearts be sincere at all?” Ji Yueni glanced at the cable cars going up and down nonstop, pursed his lips, and looked on with disdain.
This was normal.
Jiang Chi, fully equipped for mountain climbing, appeared at Ji Yueni’s side. Hearing his complaints, he spoke up, “So-called worship is nothing more than praying for one’s own desires, just seeking some peace of mind. Since they’re praying to the gods, of course they choose the easiest way.”
“Let’s go, then.”
“Let’s not take the cable car—let’s hike up.”
Ji Yueni shook the somewhat worn trekking pole in his hand, turning to speak to Jiang Chi beside him.
Jiang Chi nodded.
The two picked a rugged path, slung on their climbing gear, and began their ascent.
Not long after they set off, a pair—a man and a woman—arrived at the spot they’d just vacated. Yao Shiming raised his hand to look up at the towering mountain peak that seemed to reach into the clouds, then glanced at the crowded cable car queue, and couldn’t help but twitch his lips.
“Old Hu, with so many people here, who knows how long we’ll have to wait. Why don’t we take the stairs?”
He pointed at the stone steps in the distance. No sooner had he finished speaking than he regretted it—the stairs must be at least a thousand steps, and walking them would take at least three hours.
Hu Li, after hearing him, rolled her eyes speechlessly. The words “stupid idea” seemed written in bright letters across her face.
“Only an idiot would climb thousands of steps.”
Saying this, she shook the phone in her hand.
“I’ll call my brothers. There’s a staff cable car that’ll come pick us up.”
Soon, with the envious, jealous, and resentful stares of the surrounding pilgrims following them, the two boarded a cable car, which slowly headed toward the summit.
Hu Li leaned back against the seat, contentedly closed her eyes for a moment, but then seemed to remember something. She looked up toward the top of the mountain, a hint of worry flickering in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Yao Shiming turned his gaze to the window.
The mountain wind ruffled his black hair, revealing eyes as dark as the night.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look at the girl reclining in her seat, as if something had come to mind. He asked, “By the way, Old Hu, this time you went home because…”
“It’s nothing.” Before Yao Shiming could finish, Hu Li interrupted, her gaze calmly drifting to where the Zijin Palace sat atop the mountain, her tone indifferent.
“It’s just that my father got struck by lightning. I’m going home to check on things.”
*****
“Hahaha! Jiang Chi, look, I just searched for this mountain on Douyin and found something amazing!!”
The mountain road was rugged and the journey difficult, yet Ji Yueni was in high spirits. Sweat streamed down his face, and whenever he was thirsty, he’d gulp down some salty soda. When hungry, he’d chew on a few pieces of beef jerky. If he truly ran out of energy, he’d just find a spot to sit and recover for a while.
Resting under the thick shade of a lush tree, Ji Yueni scrolled through short videos on his phone. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he shoved the screen in front of the man beside him.
The video was simple: an elderly Taoist in tattered yellow robes clung desperately to something as he climbed to the top of a grand hall, acting completely deranged. Below him, a group of Taoists kept shouting, “Dad, come down!” with a ridiculous BGM and manic editing after being struck by lightning, making it hard not to laugh.
After the video ended, the two continued their climb—walk a stretch, rest a bit. When they reached the mountainside, many vendors were selling souvenirs and snacks. They replenished their supply of salty drinks and beef jerky, then moved on.
On the way, they even witnessed a cable car halted mid-air. According to a vendor, it had broken down and was under repair.
Finally, when Ji Yueni took his last step to the summit, a radiant Zijin Hall towered before him in the waning daylight. A half-moon hung faintly in the sky. After the customary photo and check-in, he glanced at the Taoist temple—which was already closed for the day.
Ji Yueni looked back at the narrow path they’d just climbed and exchanged a glance with the equally breathless Jiang Chi. Without needing to say a word, both decided to take the cable car back down.
Just then, a cable car wobbled into the station nearby with a screech and came to a shaky stop. The doors opened, and two people tumbled out and immediately turned to vomit.
“Old Hu, your family’s cable car really is worrisome. We were dangling in the air for more than two hours, and with the mountain wind rocking us the whole time, I thought I was going to puke my guts out.” Yao Shiming looked absolutely miserable, his face flushed a liver-purple from holding back the vomiting.
“I guarantee the quality, but apparently the electrical wiring burned out—I heard that from my eldest brother.” Hu Li also wore a mask of pain, her voice feeble.
As they complained, the two on the ground seemed to sense something strange and looked up in unison, only to see two young men in climbing gear watching them not far away.
For a moment, four pairs of eyes met.
After a brief silence, they all cried out at once.
“Old Ji! School Hunk!”
Ji Yueni frowned slightly, scanning the two up and down. Hanging in mid-air for two hours, Hu Li’s small face was pale from the cold, and she was now wearing Yao Shiming’s jacket.
“You guys climbed the mountain too?”
“I…” Hu Li opened her mouth to say something, but a distant voice called out, “Xiao Li, you’re back?”
Everyone turned to look and saw a plain-looking young Taoist in robes walking over. Smiling as he approached, his eyes kept sweeping over Ji Yueni and the others, and he offered a Taoist greeting with his hand.
“This humble Taoist, Xuanlei, greets you, fellow laymen.”
“I suppose you must be my little sister’s classmates—Xiao Li said she’d be bringing some friends home this time.”
Little sister? Xiao Li?
Ji Yueni glanced at the petite “boy” beside him, and Hu Li shot him a look that said, I’ll explain later.
“Everyone, please follow me.”
After Lin Xuanlei finished, he led the way, and the rest naturally followed.
As they walked, Hu Li gave a brief explanation: her family are descendants of the Zhengyi Sect, and a few hundred years ago, thanks to the industrial revolution and incense offerings, they prospered. In short, they now ran tourism businesses—this scenic spot, this mountain, this Taoist temple, it all belonged to her family.
But due to certain issues, Hu Li’s relationship with her family had become strained, and this rare visit home was only because her father had fallen ill and was struck by lightning.
As Hu Li said this, Ji Yueni turned his face away, but the corner of his mouth twitched silently.
What a sin~ She really shouldn’t have laughed so hard at the time.
A few minutes later, they were brought to the entrance of a simple and elegant courtyard within the Zijin Hall.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from inside the house.
Ji Yueni looked up to see three Taoists walking out.
“Eldest Brother.”
“Second Brother.”
“Fourth Brother.”
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