I served as Li Bai's page.

We started from Ziyun Cave and walked down the mountain along the narrow path halfway up the mountain. Although going down the mountain was easier than going up the mountain, it was no less dangerous.

Cen Xun and Li Bai walked ahead of me, with Yuan Danqiu following behind. Li Bai would occasionally turn around and pull my hand. By the time we reached the foot of the mountain, my legs were completely exhausted. For my sake, everyone rested for a while at the foot of the mountain before continuing their ascent to higher peaks.

We traversed through valleys and ravines, trudging through jungles and thorns, until we arrived at Sanhuangzhai, on the western slope of Shaoshi Mountain.

I looked up at this natural mountain village hanging halfway up Shaoshi Mountain. The mountain was steep and slippery, with lush trees and countless pine trees growing from the crevices of the rocks, reaching upwards against the wind.

We arrived at the foot of Sanhuangzhai Mountain and climbed up the hillside next to it. After passing the Heavenly Ladder, we reached the South Heavenly Gate. Along the way, ancient trees reached for the sky, and the lush greenery added to the mystery of Sanhuangzhai.

We lingered at Nantianmen for a while; it's essentially the summit of Sanhuangzhai, a flat and wide area. We then walked through Nantianmen towards the Sanhuangzhai Songshan Zen Temple.

Songshan Zen Temple is hidden in the forest of Sanhuangzhai. With Sanhuang Temple as the central axis, it has buildings such as mountain gate, Zen pagoda, bell and drum tower, Manjushri Hall, Guanyin Hall, Bodhidharma Hall, and Xixindi, which look very grand.

Li Bai said, "This is the main venue for Buddhist activities at Shaolin Temple, and also the place where Shaolin martial arts were developed."

"Why don't I see any Shaolin monks practicing martial arts?" I asked.

"Ordinary monks usually practice their skills at the Shaolin Temple; this place is just where martial arts masters research their techniques," Yuan Danqiu said.

At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed as a Taoist priest emerged from the Songshan Zen Temple. Seeing that we had just come out of the temple, he stepped forward and asked, "You four gentlemen have also come to witness the splendor of Shaolin martial arts, haven't you?"

"Indeed, you are also a martial artist, aren't you?" Li Bai said.

"My name is Yang Shanren. I came to Shaolin Temple to learn some things, but I haven't come to the right place," Yang Shanren said.

"We're here to learn too, so we're kindred spirits. Let's go together. My name is Li Bai, also known as Taibai," Li Bai introduced himself.

Our group arrived at the platform in front of the Sanhuang Hall, where we gazed at Shaoshi Mountain, which possessed all the qualities of grandeur, wonder, danger, and beauty. Connecting the platform was a suspended walkway of about three to four kilometers, a passage built by the monks of Shaolin Temple to facilitate travel between Shaolin Temple and Sanhuang Village. It was connected by iron chains and paved with wooden planks.

"Young master, you go ahead, I won't go. I'll go down the mountain and wait for you." When I saw the plank road on the edge of the cliff, my legs wouldn't obey me.

"With me here, what are you afraid of? Didn't you want to observe Shaolin Kung Fu? How can you learn if you don't go?" Li Bai said.

"I'm not going," I said, turning to walk back, but Li Bai grabbed me.

"Yuehua, come on, don't be afraid. What man is afraid of a suspended walkway?" Yuan Danqiu said.

"I'm not a man, I'm just a little girl. I'm not going, I'm scared," I said, squatting down on the ground.

"It can't be that bad, can it? Just because of a boardwalk, you changed your gender." Cen Xun said, walking up to me and looking me up and down. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and ran up the boardwalk.

When you first enter the plank road, you don't feel anything special. But the further you walk, the more your legs feel like they don't obey you. In addition, the plank road has been in disrepair for many years, and some of the wooden planks have fallen off, so you have to take big steps to get across.

I gripped Cen Xun's hand tightly, my face deathly pale with fright.

Li Bai walked to my side, grasped my right hand, and said, "Cen Xun and I will be on your left and right, respectively. Don't be afraid. You are a wise man; the most beautiful scenery is found at the most dangerous peaks."

I was practically being carried along the plank road by Li Bai and Cen Xun. I dared not look down, letting the clouds and mist rise around me. As we passed Book Cliff, Zhuojian Peak, and Elephant Trunk Hill, I only dared to look up. Li Bai and the other three chatted and laughed, seemingly strolling leisurely, completely oblivious to my feelings. Only when I stepped off the plank road did I realize how precious life truly is.

What's even more terrifying is that the boardwalk is connected to a suspension bridge that seems to stretch endlessly, and the bridge sways back and forth in the mountain winds.

"After crossing this suspension bridge, we'll reach Liantian Peak, the highest peak of Shaoshi Mountain. A couple more hours' walk will take us to the Shaolin Temple Pagoda Forest," Yuan Danqiu said.

Having reached this point, I was torn between retreating and advancing. I steeled myself, let go of Li Bai and Cen Xun's hands, and walked onto the suspension bridge alone. I had barely taken two steps when the bridge began to sway, and I ended up sitting on it. Li Bai came over, helped me up, and pulled me by the hand, quickly running across the bridge. My heart, which had been pounding in my chest, finally settled.

We followed the path trodden by the Shaolin monks on Liantian Peak toward Shaolin Temple. The first thing we arrived at was a forest of pagodas at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain.

"This pagoda forest is the burial ground for eminent monks, abbots, and presiding monks of Shaolin Temple. It is the largest existing pagoda forest in my country," Li Bai said.

The five of us entered the pagoda forest and carefully studied the inscriptions on the pagodas. We felt a deep respect for the contributions made by the Shaolin monks to humanity.

"Let's go to Shaolin Temple. It's getting dark, so we'll have to stay at the temple tonight," Yuan Danqiu said.

We followed Yuan Danqiu toward Shaolin Temple. This ancient temple, hidden in the dense forests of Shaoshi Mountain at the foot of the Five Peaks of Songshan Mountain, gave people a solemn and dignified feeling.

Yuan Danqiu led us from the Shaolin Temple gate into the temple. Along the way, we encountered many Shaolin monks. When we arrived at the Thousand Buddha Hall, a monk wearing a yellow kasaya walked towards us.

"Master Yuan, you have some free time today, so please come visit my temple." the monk said.

"Master Tongling, I've come with some friends to observe the unparalleled Shaolin martial arts. Will this be a disturbance?" Yuan Danqiu said.

"Welcome, welcome. All martial arts practitioners are one family. It's good for everyone to learn from each other." Master Tongling said, leading us into the Thousand Buddha Hall.

In this solemn and sacred place, I dared not utter a single word. I walked to the incense burner, took down three sticks of incense, lit them, and knelt devoutly before the Buddha.

Li Bai followed my example and knelt down beside me.

The spiritual master struck the wooden fish, which meant that Buddha knew of our prayers.

After worshipping Buddha in the Thousand Buddha Hall, it was already dark outside, making the hall appear brightly lit.

The spiritual master said, "Esteemed benefactors, it's getting late. Why don't you rest at the temple for the night, and then we'll watch our Shaolin martial arts performance tomorrow?"

"I will follow your instructions, Master. Thank you." Li Bai said.

The spiritual master called his disciple Hongyi to lead us to the guest rooms at the back to rest.

Entering the Shaolin Temple guest room, we found a shared dormitory-style room with six beds, enough for the five of us to sleep.

We were resting on the edge of the bed when three bells rang out from the temple.

"Master Yuan, does this bell sound indicate an invasion by foreign enemies?" I asked curiously.

"Can't you think of something else? This is the dinner bell," Yuan Danqiu said, tapping my head.

Just as Yuan Danqiu finished speaking, Hongyi, who had led us to the guest rooms, came over and said, "Master invites all of you to dine in the dining hall. Please follow me."