Revelation of the Way of Heaven

By noon on Thursday, Qin Xiaochuan was so excited that he barely ate a few bites of food before running back to his dormitory. He quickly took out his backpack, packed the equipment he needed, and immediately ran to Guo Shiyi's dormitory door to wait for her.

About half an hour later, Guo Shiyi strolled out of the dormitory. It was clear that she had dressed up carefully during this time. Today, she was wearing a gray-white tight-fitting sweatshirt that was easy to move in, and carrying a pink backpack. Her naturally fair face without any makeup, paired with her thick and smooth long hair, made her look lively and cute, and her whole body gave people a sense of agility.

When she walked up to Qin Xiaochuan, he smelled a faint, fresh perfume scent that was very pleasant. So he teased her, "We're not going on a sightseeing trip, why are you dressing up so carefully?"

"I think we're just sightseeing, and besides, isn't my outfit nice?" The girl winked at him playfully.

"Great, of course it's great, it's absolutely beautiful!" he exclaimed sincerely. "Traveling with beautiful women is truly delightful."

Guo Shiyi made a face at him, but couldn't help but show a smug smile. Then the two walked towards the school gate together.

Zhou Bin was already waiting for them at the school gate. The two first got into a car and drove to Han Kexin's villa, then changed into Han Kexin's sports car. Zhou Bin drove, Han Kexin sat in the front, and Qin Xiaochuan, Guo Shiyi, and Xiaoying sat in the back. They headed towards XX City, which Grandma Ding had told them about.

The little girl was clearly very excited at first, and kept talking to Qin Xiaochuan and Guo Shiyi while sitting in the back. But in the end, because she hadn't slept well, she started to get sleepy while chatting. After all, it was the middle of the night for her, so Qin Xiaochuan had no choice but to let her lie on his lap and sleep until they reached their destination.

Grandma Ding told them that Changsheng Temple was located in a remote mountain village called Changsheng Village in XX City. The car could only drive up to Donglin Town, where Changsheng Village is located. By the time they arrived there, it was already 5 p.m. The only way to get there was to take a boat upstream along a river called Lei River near the town and cross two mountains to reach Changsheng Village, which was hidden deep in the mountains.

Han Kexin parked the car in a paid parking garage, and they each carried their equipment bags and walked towards the ferry crossing of the Tears River.

The ferry crossing wasn't far from the town; they arrived in just a few minutes. Many boats were gathered at the crossing, including passenger ferries and fishing boats. The setting sun cast its golden rays across the crossing, giving the ferries and fishing boats a dark golden hue.

On the fishing boats, people either sat chatting on the gunwales or gathered in small groups to play cards. They were waiting until it got a little later to haul in their last nets and then go home for dinner. On the ferries, most people were packing up their belongings to go home, while a few sat at the bow, looking towards the town, hoping to catch the last boatload of passengers.

When the five appeared at the ferry, several people immediately surrounded them and asked where they were going. But when Han Kexin said the words "Chang Sheng Village," the people scattered.

A middle-aged man with a sturdy build and dark skin, wearing a military overcoat and a cotton hat with ear flaps, said to them, "Hey girls, don't you even look at the time? It's almost dark. It'll take at least an hour and a half to get to Changsheng Village from here. There's no way anyone can take you there. I suggest you go back to town and stay the night, then go tomorrow." He spoke Mandarin, but it was very non-standard and had a heavy accent, so Qin Xiaochuan could only barely understand him.

Actually, it's only five o'clock now, which isn't considered late, but it's winter, and the days are already short. Plus, we're in the mountains, so it'll probably get dark in less than an hour.

In the dark, swimming upstream in this turbulent river is extremely dangerous. One wrong step and you could be swept into a creek or crash into a boulder lying across the river. In that case, you won't even be able to call for help; you'll be left with no one to turn to.

But they were in a hurry. Kawamoto Taro had already gone to Changsheng Temple a few days ago, and Qin Xiaochuan and Guo Shiyi's time outside was also limited. Staying in town for another night would mean wasting another day, which was definitely not acceptable. Moreover, each of them possessed special abilities and did not take ordinary dangers seriously at all.

As the saying goes, a generous reward will surely attract brave men. When Han Kexin raised the price of the boat trip by fifty percent, someone finally agreed to take them to Changsheng Village. The person was dressed the same as the one who had come to greet them earlier, but was a little older and darker-skinned. He had a long face and a kind appearance. He held a pipe in his right hand and took a puff from time to time.

"Hurry up and get on the boat, there's no time to waste," the man urged them as he moved the boat across the ferry dock so they could board.

After they had all boarded the boat, the boatman untied the rope tied to the ferry dock, then used a long bamboo pole to push against the dock, and the ferry floated into the water.

The ferry is not propelled by hand, but by an engine, just like a yacht. Of course, it is not as fast as a yacht, but it is twice as fast as a small boat. There is an open canopy in the middle of the boat, which can seat about seven or eight people. Canvas is sewn on both sides, and there are zippers on the canvas. When the zippers are zipped up, it becomes a sealed space, which is probably for tourists to shelter from the wind and rain.

It was already winter, and evening was approaching. The sky was dim, and wisps of white steam rose from the river, clearly indicating that it was icy cold. The surrounding steep cliffs were reflected in the water, appearing gloomy and dark. Every gust of icy mountain wind made these people, who were still living in autumn, shiver.

The boatman sat sideways at the bow, near the engine, avoiding the oncoming gale. He smoked his pipe while keeping an eye on the river, ready to adjust the ferry's direction at any moment. He glanced at the five men and, seeing them shivering, said, "The wind is strong on the river. Your thin clothes won't be enough. You can zip up the awning; my canvas is very sturdy, not a breath of wind can get through."

They did zip up the zipper, but only the back zipper. After all, being in such a turbulent river and confined in a closed space was unsettling, and they also wanted to see the surrounding scenery. Having finally come out, they naturally couldn't miss the beautiful views along the way.

The mountains and forests along the way were indeed beautiful, especially in the twilight, giving a desolate feeling, but their bodies were also icy cold. Because the canvas at the back was up, the wind blowing into the awning could not be blown away, but could only circle back and blow on the back of their heads. Qin Xiaochuan didn't know how to describe that icy feeling, like a basin of cold water flowing down his spine and throughout his body. Anyone who has experienced it knows what it feels like.

When they could no longer bear it, they had to take out their spare clothes from their bags and put them on to feel a little more comfortable, but they still shivered from time to time. The boatman couldn't bear to see them like that anymore, so he sat facing them at the bow of the boat to shield them from the oncoming river wind, and they instantly felt much more comfortable.

Just thinking that the boatman was already quite old, yet he was still shielding them from the cold wind, they couldn't help but feel both ashamed and moved, and for a moment they forgot about the cold.