Chapter 26: The Mysterious Taoist Temple

  (Some readers asked when this book is usually updated, so I'll say something about it. The update time for this book is generally 7:00 AM with one chapter and 7:00 PM with another chapter. Of course, there may be extra updates, but the main principle is to prioritize stability. By the way, I'd like to ask for some votes again. My principle for asking for votes is that if you think it's good, give me more votes; if you don't think it's good, criticize me in the book review section. I'm thin-skinned and felt embarrassed to ask for votes yesterday when there were fewer updates~~)

  Zhao Yanzi walked at the front with a relaxed and carefree attitude, her short skirt made of cotton and denim revealing two slender and smooth legs. The low-necked sleeveless top showed off her plump arms, and a patch of fair skin was visible below her neck, giving off a slightly sexy vibe that was quite bold for someone of her age or compared to Hao Ren's relatively conservative views.

  And the Roman sandals with straps on her feet, revealed a small sensuality and youthful vitality, jumping and skipping like two fluttering butterflies.

  It's great to have a mother who is a designer. She can casually mix and match a few pieces of clothing, but they never look bad on her. On the contrary, she looks as beautiful as a print model.

  In comparison, Hao Ren's outfit was even more rustic. A dress shirt that hadn't been washed in three days, a crumpled pair of jeans, and a pair of grey sneakers with scuff marks.

  The only thing that's slightly attractive about him is the pink backpack behind him, which also belongs to Zhao Yanzi. Anyway, a boy carrying a pink backpack is strange enough.

  Zhao Yanzi hurriedly ran ahead, while Zhao Guang and Zhao Hongyu walked side by side with Hao Ren. Zhao Guang was dressed relatively casually, but still maintained a sense of orthodoxy. Zhao Hongyu, on the other hand, wore more youthful and sporty attire, making it almost impossible to tell that she was already a mother of a middle school girl.

  They walked up along the stone steps and finally arrived at the ticket office of the scenic spot.

  Zhao Yanzi was already standing beside the ticket window, eagerly waiting for his parents to come and buy tickets. This anxious look made Hao Ren think of his own childhood when he followed his parents out to play.

  Zhao Guang calmly walked over and bought four tickets at once. Hao Ren felt a bit uneasy, but at this time, he didn't want to pretend or argue about anything either.

  They went through the mountain gate and climbed up the steps.

  It has to be said that the scenery here is indeed very beautiful, with lush greenery and a hint of coolness in the air. The creek, which was hidden from view, flowed gently down the mountain path, creating a babbling sound at their feet.

  Zhao Yanzi was breathing in the fresh air here with big mouthfuls, her silly appearance making Hao Ren unable to help but want to laugh.

  After staying in the city for a long time, returning to nature is so comfortable.

  Zhao Hongyu and Zhao Guang walked hand in hand, admiring the scenery around them as they strolled forward. Hao Ren didn't want to walk alongside Zhao Yanzi, so he followed behind them at a leisurely pace. In reality, Zhao Yanzi also didn't want to be with Hao Ren, and like an excited little animal, she ran far ahead, scouting out the situation up front.

  "Ah Zi! Run slower!" Zhao Hongyu reminded.

  "Mom! There's a hole here!" Zhao Yanzi exclaimed excitedly in front.

  Zhao Hongyu smiled and beckoned to Hao Ren, walking over. "This cave was formed by the impact of underground water. The stream in the mountain forms an underground tunnel, and where the rock is weak, it bursts out. Like what we've seen along the way, they're all tributaries of the mountain water. The real water flow is actually inside the mountain..."

  "Why is there no water?" Zhao Yanzi asked curiously.

  "Because the water flow also has its ups and downs with the seasons, when the water flow is too big, it will overflow from this side. Of course, it's also possible that the water flow changed direction. This was once an exit in the past, but due to a small-scale collapse of rocks inside, this cave was blocked from the inside." Zhao Hongyu explained patiently.

  Zhao Yanzi nodded slightly, and suddenly discovered a new continent, her eyes lit up, pointing forward, "There is another line of words there!"

  "This is a blessed land. It's said that this was the inscription written by Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty. On this flat ground, there used to be a Taoist temple called Xianyun Temple..." Zhao Hongyu walked towards it while explaining patiently and in detail.

  Zhao Yanzi also calmed down, blinking her big eyes, closely following her mother, watching and listening at the same time.

  Hao Ren did not expect Zhao Hongyu's knowledge to be so profound, not only has she made achievements in design, but also talks fluently about astronomy, geography and humanities classics.

  They walked all the way, Zhao Hongyu explained all the way, and she often dispersed from one point to teach Zhao Yanzi more knowledge. Her voice was gentle and pleasant, even Hao Ren listened with some infatuation, unknowingly learning many things he didn't know before.

  After walking for almost two hours, they reached the middle of the mountain and looked for a small restaurant on the mountain to have lunch.

  The table was placed under the cool shed outside. They ate mountain vegetables and rice while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Qingyan Mountain.

  Hao Ren had been cooped up in school for too long. Today, as they came out to travel, facing the green mountains and clear waters, his mood also became more pleasant.

  "On the top of this mountain, there is a Taoist temple called Tianyi Temple. It is said that Zhang Tianshi once cultivated here. The largest hall in the temple is called Zushi Hall, and its eaves are all covered with gold foil. There is also a pine tree in the temple with an age of over 2,000 years, as well as a stele written by Zhang Tianshi himself..."

  Zhao Guang was eating when he suddenly became enthusiastic and said to Zhao Yanzi.

  "Is it really fun?" Zhao Yanzi looked at her father expectantly, "Then let's go take a look after we finish dinner!"

  "It takes three hours to get up there, and there's no cable car here. Your mom and I didn't want to go up anymore. Your mom and I were going to walk a bit further and then slowly head back down the mountain to rest at the hotel," said Zhao Guang.

  "Ah......" Zhao Yanzi's face fell in disappointment.

  "Or else, let Hao Ren accompany you up there to take a look?" Zhao Hongyu said.

  "I don't want him to accompany me!" Zhao Yanzi gritted her teeth, "I'll go up and take a look by myself!"

  "That won't do, you can't go up the mountain alone, we're worried!" Zhao Hongyu flatly rejected Zhao Yanzi's proposal.

  Zhao Yanzi knew she couldn't win against her parents, so she hung her head and said nothing more.

  After dinner, they continued to climb the mountain and walked for about half an hour before visiting a very historic Laojun Cave. Then, Zhao Guang and Zhao Hongyu prepared to go down the mountain.

  Zhao Yanzi's interest was not yet exhausted. In fact, she still wanted to go further up the mountain to see what the Taoist temple at the top of the mountain looked like. However, when she saw her parents preparing to descend the mountain, she had no choice but to follow them.

  "Otherwise, I'll let you continue playing in the mountains today." Zhao Hongyu said to Zhao Yanzi, who was pouting with a look of displeasure on her face.

  Zhao Yanzi's eyes sparkled with a "ding" sound, and a smile also appeared on his face.

  "But we must have Ah Ren accompany you, otherwise we really won't be at ease." Zhao Hongyu said.

  "Alright, I'll go take a look on the mountain!"

  Zhao Hongyu's face flashed a hint of joy, and she said to Hao Ren, "Aren, you stay with Azi, go up to the mountain top and come down as soon as possible. If anything happens, just give us a call. At your speed, it should take about four hours for the round trip, and another two hours from here to the foot of the mountain, so six hours in total. You should be back at the hotel by 7 o'clock."

  Hao Ren rarely came out once, and actually didn't want to return to the hotel to rest so quickly. He nodded towards Zhao Hongyu, "Alright, Auntie, I'll take good care of Zi."

  Zhao Guang nodded slightly in encouragement towards Hao Ren, then turned around and went down the mountain with Zhao Hongyu.

  Hao Ren was well aware that Zhao Yanzi's parents were intentionally creating opportunities for them to spend time together. However, he didn't think much of it and just wanted to go to the mountain top to take a look at the legendary Taoist temple.

  Zhao Yanzi also had such thoughts, and when she saw her parents walking a little further away, she shouted at Hao Ren, "Alright! Hurry up and go up the mountain! Don't dawdle, or you'll hold me back!"

  Hao Renbai gave her a glance, looked up at the seemingly endless mountain path, and took a step forward.