Ignoring Hao Ren's reaction, Zhao Yanzi jumped up and ran towards the Taoist temple. Hao Ren carried his schoolbag and stepped into the door of the Taoist temple.
The golden eaves of the Taoist temple absorb the afterglow of the afternoon sun, making the entire Taoist temple look solemn and quiet.
Because this Taoist temple is located on the top of the mountain, and it is already afternoon, there are not many tourists. Because there is no cable car, if you want to visit this Taoist temple, unless you are physically strong and perseverant like Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi, you have to go up the mountain early in the morning. Only in this way can you hope to reach the Taoist temple at noon and use an afternoon. Go down the mountain.
Therefore, when Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren arrived here in the afternoon, they would hardly encounter ordinary tourists. In the courtyard of the Taoist temple, there were only a few Taoist priests cleaning the fallen leaves. Even Zhao Yanzi, who had been shouting outside the door just now, suddenly became quiet after entering.
On the floor tiles of the yard, bricks of different colors are used to spell out a large Tai Chi and Bagua diagram, and in the southwest corner of the yard, there is an old and towering ancient pine.
Hao Ren knew that this must be the thousand-year-old tree that Zhao Guang said, so he walked over slowly with admiration. Because there are not many tourists who can get here, this ancient tree is not enclosed, but grows quietly in the courtyard.
Hao Ren stepped forward and reached out to gently caress the old and resolute trunk of the ancient tree.
Its outer skin is as hard and smooth as iron stone. From the outside, it no longer looks like wood.
Hao Ren quietly ran the "Concentration Art" and felt the aura of heaven and earth nearby. He could actually feel a strong aura of wood from the outer skin of this hard ancient pine.
And the Dragon Pill in his body seemed to be beating a little, echoing the ancient tree. The moist and warm air flowed along Hao Ren's arms and led to the inside of the ancient tree, and the smell of the wood of the ancient tree in turn nourished Hao Ren's body.
Zhao Yanzi looked at Hao Ren quietly. She understood that Hao Ren must have some thoughts at this moment and did not disturb him.
After a full minute, Hao Ren took his hand back and took a long breath. The fatigue of going up the mountain was swept away, leaving only pure physical strength and vigorous vitality.
Hao Ren bowed slightly towards the ancient tree with reverence in his heart.
Seeing Zhao Yanzi looking at him blankly, Hao Ren smiled at her and said, "Let's go."
Zhao Yanzi stayed for a few seconds, responded "Oh", and couldn't help but follow Hao Ren. When she stepped into the hall from the courtyard and reacted, Hao Ren's smile just now appeared in her mind, and suddenly her heart moved.
Hao Ren himself didn't even realize that he had smiled so tenderly at Zhao Yanzi just now. He entered the main hall, looked up and looked at the sculpture of the Sanqing leader, which was several meters high, and then continued deeper inside.
The entire hall is majestic and solemn. Hao Ren suddenly felt that it was really worth spending so much time to come up and have a look.
Zhao Yanzi followed Hao Ren step by step. Facing these solemn-looking statues, she felt a little scared.
After passing through the main hall, they entered the second courtyard of the Taoist temple. To the east of this courtyard, there is a stone house, and inside the stone house, there is an ancient stone tablet.
For some reason, after studying the ancient tree, Hao Ren suddenly felt that there was a reason why Zhao Guang deliberately mentioned the ancient tree and stone tablets of the Taoist temple to attract them to the Taoist temple on the top of the mountain.
Hao Ren stood in front of the stone tablet and carefully looked at the words on the stone tablet.
"The rope cannot be named, and it returns to nothingness. It is the shape of formlessness, the image of nothingness, and it is called trance. You can't see the head when you welcome it, and you can't see the back after it. Adhere to the ancient way to resist the present..."
Hao Ren tried his best and finally understood one or two sentences.
Zhao Yanzi stood next to Hao Ren and silently read the words on the stone tablet.
"If you want to suppress it, you must strengthen it; if you want to weaken it, you must strengthen it; if you want to destroy it, you must strengthen it; if you want to seize it, you must strengthen it. This is called twilight. The weak is stronger than the strong... "
The more Hao Ren looked at it, the more profound and mysterious it became. Zhao Yanzi frowned and read very hard.
This is the way to control water.
Hao Ren's heart suddenly felt clear.
It was like a feeling was rising deep in his heart, trying to break through his chest and reach his forehead.
Thinking of the vigorous vitality of the ancient tree, Hao Ren felt like he had done math problems before, as if he had found an idea and a trick and was about to solve a difficult problem.
Water nourishes all things. Water breaks through obstacles.
when…
The sound of a bell from nowhere suddenly interrupted Hao Ren's thoughts.
Zhao Yanzi, who was immersed in thinking, was also shocked.
Hao Ren turned around and looked at his phone, only to find that he and Zhao Yanzi had been standing in front of the stone tablet for half an hour!
The leaves falling from the sky were already covered on their heads and shoulders, and the little Taoist priests who were cleaning the yard had already gone back to rest.
In the empty courtyard, only Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi were left.
"It's getting late, let's go back." Hao Ren said.
"Oh..." Zhao Yanzi responded obediently, as if his mind was still immersed in the words of the stone tablet.
Hao Ren reached out and brushed the fallen leaves off her hair and shoulders.
This unconscious move made Zhao Yanzi unable to avoid it. Apart from being surprised, there was also a hint of sweetness.
This guy is actually pretty good to me. Zhao Yanzi thought secretly in his heart.
Hao Ren didn't think too much. He lowered his head and patted the fallen leaves off his body, then took Zhao Yanzi out of the front door.
Dusk in the mountains seems to come very early. The sun is teetering on the top of the mountain in the distance. The last few rays of light are struggling to support the sky, as if... the sky will soon become dark.
"Hurry down the mountain." Hao Ren didn't dare to delay and urged Zhao Yanzi.
Zhao Yanzi pursed her lips tightly, blaming Hao Ren for not showing any mercy to her, but she didn't dare to really delay, so she followed Hao Ren down the mountain obediently.
The way down the mountain seemed easier than the way up the mountain, but due to the weakening of the sunlight, the steps under their feet became less clear, so the two of them walked more slowly and cautiously.
The mountain roads paved with bluestones are like strings on a musical instrument, and the flowing water in the mountain stream is like a musical note playing the rhythm of the mountain. Waves of refreshing and soft mountain wind pass through the branches, making a rustling sound. Sound softly.
As they walked, they paid attention to the movements around them, as if they had a deeper understanding of the simplicity and nature advocated by Taoism.
The Taoist temples and pavilions in the distance are hidden among the lush green trees, creating a profound tranquility. And these buildings, borrowed from the natural scenery, are integrated with the entire mountain and forest, making people suspect that there is indeed a peerless master living in seclusion in this mountain.
Hao Ren admired the surrounding scenery and walked along. He suddenly thought of Zhao Yanzi. Looking back, he found that she had stayed very far back and was completely motionless.
"Hey..." Hao Ren put his hand to his mouth to form a trumpet and shouted to her.
When she heard Hao Ren calling her, Zhao Yanzi sat down instead of walking forward.
What are you doing... Hao Ren stepped up his pace, walked back up quickly, and came to her, "Why don't you leave?"
Zhao Yanzi pouted and turned his face to one side.
Hao Ren thought she couldn't walk anymore, so he simply sat next to her and rested. But he didn't understand the little girl's thoughts at all: he only focused on going down the mountain and almost ignored Zhao Yanzi. But Zhao Yanzi kept silent and insisted on following him, but felt extremely aggrieved in his heart.
"Can't walk?" Seeing that she still didn't get up and the sky was getting darker, Hao Ren couldn't help but ask her.
"If I had the Dragon Pill, I would have gone down by myself. Who cares about you!" She said angrily.
Only then did Hao Ren realize that he was in a hurry to go down the mountain and had neglected the physical strength of a little girl like her. Zhao Yanzi's parents asked him to take care of her, but he didn't consider Zhao Yanzi at all. He was in a hurry, going up the mountain in a hurry, and going down the mountain in a hurry.
"Otherwise..." Hao Ren thought for a while, "I will carry you?"
"Bah! Who wants you to carry me on your back!" Zhao Yanzi stood up angrily and walked down the mountain.
"Hey! Walk slower!" Hao Ren was afraid that she would fall, so he hurriedly chased after her.
He had a little understanding of this little girl's thoughts. It turned out that she said she didn't need his care, but Hao Ren really didn't care about her, and she became really unhappy again.
One of them stepped up, one guarded the other, like the black and white in Tai Chi, entangled, winding down the quiet mountain road.
However, no matter how fast they walked, the sky would inevitably darken early.
"You! Hurry up!" Seeing that there were still two hours to go down the mountain, and the last ray of sunset was gradually fading away, Zhao Yanzi became really anxious.
"Are we going here or here?" Hao Ren asked in the dim light, holding the map. The closer you get to the mountainside, the more various small attractions there are and the more forked roads there are.
"Of course, this way!" Zhao Yanzi pointed to the left.
"Oh, that must be heading here!" Hao Ren walked towards the right. After Zhao Yanzi pointed the wrong way three times in a row, Hao Ren no longer believed in her sense of direction. Hao Ren would go in the opposite direction of her intuitive direction.
Zhao Yanzi was furious, but she couldn't believe her sense of direction, so she could only follow Hao Ren. Strangely enough, every time Hao Ren chose the opposite direction pointed by Zhao Yanzi, it was really the way down the mountain.
There seemed to be no other people in the whole mountain, and it became increasingly quiet. The footsteps of Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi in the darkness became increasingly clear.
As the sun goes down, the originally beautiful scenery becomes eerie. After all, Zhao Yanzi was a little girl. Facing such deep mountains and old forests, she was inevitably a little scared. She didn't go down the mountain as fast as before. Of course, she didn't dare to rush ahead. She gradually walked side by side with Hao Ren.
Hao Ren guessed her thoughts this time and took the initiative to hold her delicate little hand. He didn't want to take advantage of her, but he was worried that her feet would tremble and she would accidentally roll down the mountain.
The darker it gets, the slower they walk. Unconsciously, it was already past 7 o'clock, but according to the speed in the dark night, they were still at least two hours away from the foot of the mountain.
In this mountain, except for the signal towers near the Taoist temples just now, there is almost no mobile phone signal in other sections of the road. The sky and the earth were so unreliable that Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi could only bite the bullet and keep going.
The mountain road was winding and twisting, sometimes going up and down. Sometimes they couldn't tell whether they were going up the mountain or down the mountain, but the general feeling was that they were getting closer and closer to the foot of the mountain.
"Hey, we won't starve to death here, right?" Zhao Yanzi couldn't help but said while squeezing Hao Ren's palm.
"If there is really nothing to eat, I will eat you first." Hao Ren said to her.
"You..." Zhao Yanzi wrinkled his nose and looked at Hao Ren angrily. In spite of himself, his fear was relieved a little.
Time ticked by, it was already eight o'clock in the evening, and the foot of the mountain was still far away from them.
In the mountains, birds cooed strangely. Zhao Yanzi had no one to rely on, so she could only stay close to Hao Ren and hold his hand tighter.
Hao Ren, on the other hand, was not familiar with the mountains and did not bring a flashlight. He could only turn on his mobile phone and use the weak light of his mobile phone to illuminate the road at his feet, hoping that he would not miss the mark and the two of them would roll down the mountain together.
Some strange bugs emit golden light. They are not fireflies, but lie softly on the mountain wall.
Zhao Yanzi was very afraid of bugs and snuggled close to Hao Ren, holding his hand tighter. She now felt a hundred regrets in her heart. She should not have followed Hao Ren to the top of the mountain. As a result, she was unable to go down the mountain in the middle of the night.
"Hey, you hold me so tightly, how can I walk?" Hao Ren turned to ask her.
In the dark environment, Zhao Yan's purple and white face was shining with two star eyes, which was very beautiful and lovable.
"I... I'm not afraid. I just feel a little cold." Zhao Yanzi's stubborn sophistry was unintentional and self-defeating.
Hao Ren grasped her slippery palm tighter into his own, strengthened his determination to go down the mountain, and continued walking forward.
After groping in the darkness for almost an hour, they finally saw the lights on the plains below the mountain. The brightly lit hotel also appeared in front of them.
"Almost there!" Hao Ren pulled her and quickly accelerated his pace. His cell phone was almost out of battery, and the light of Zhao Yanzi's cell phone was too weak. If it were any later, they would really be trapped in the mountains.
Zhao Yanzi also breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously speeded up his pace.
Finally, almost ten minutes later, they returned to the entrance of the scenic spot.
Zhao Yanzi's palms were already covered in sweat, which showed how nervous she was on the way down the mountain.
Now that the crisis was over, she realized that she had been led by Hao Ren for several hours, and she suddenly pulled her palm out of Hao Ren's hand.
"It's so kind to treat her like a donkey's liver and lungs." Seeing her extreme behavior, Hao Ren said with emotion.
"Who allowed you to hold my hand!" Zhao Yanzi asked plausibly.
Hao Ren didn't bother to explain to her. His stomach was growling with hunger, and all the snacks in his schoolbag had been eaten on their way down the mountain.
He walked towards the hotel, and Zhao Yanzi followed him with a complicated expression. In fact, she knew that she really relied on Hao Ren when going down the mountain. If Hao Ren hadn't held her hand and led her down the mountain, she really didn't know what to do.
However, she didn't want to admit that she relied on Hao Ren to get down the mountain. She believes that even if there is any danger, her parents can save her.
When they returned to the foot of the mountain, it seemed as if their alliance was immediately dissolved. Zhao Yanzi had a straight face, as if Hao Ren owed her a million.
Seeing that Zhao Yanzi didn't want to talk to him, Hao Ren didn't bother to complain. What he was thinking about was whether it would be a bit weird to share a room with her father tonight.
They returned to the hotel one after another and entered their rooms. Hao Ren, who was exhausted, was surprised to find a note left in the room: Azi's mother and I went to visit a friend nearby and might come back later.
Ding dong… ding dong…
The doorbell of Hao Ren's room rang.
He ran over to open the door and saw Zhao Yanzi biting her lip with an embarrassed look on her face, "Well... shall we go out to eat?"