The calico cat twisted its head and looked around the cave. Finally, it turned its attention to the Taoist and took the initiative to speak its first words in nearly half a day.
The voice was still soft and thin.
The thunder outside the cave gradually became smaller, and the thunder inside the cave also gradually became smaller, and the murmurs of those different languages became increasingly vague and obscure, almost inaudible.
"..."
Song You then retracted his gaze, lowered his head for a moment, then looked into Mao'er's eyes filled with fire, and said softly: "It's just the voice from before."
"Whose voice?"
The cat was a little less vigilant at this time, but a little more doubtful.
"People from the past." Song You finally put the naan in his hand into his mouth, "Like us, people who have climbed this mountain before and stayed in this cave."
"where are they?"
"Before."
"Before?" Mao'er looked serious, tilted his head slightly, and looked around, "Where did the sound come from?"
"From this cave." Song You replied patiently, "Sometimes some places have a magical ability. If it's a thunderstorm, you can record the sounds and even images at that time, and they may appear again during the next thunderstorm.
If descendants happen to come here at this time, they can have a distant conversation with the ancients through the wonders of heaven, earth and weather."
"Well……"
Mao'er's expression was still serious and he was still staring at the Taoist, but his eyes were a little more thoughtful.
"..."
Another bolt of lightning flashed outside.
"The voice of Empress Sanhua may also stay, and if someone comes here many years later, she may hear it." The Taoist's voice was very gentle, "Is there anything you want to say, Empress Sanhua?"
"Rumble..."
The thunder was long overdue.
"Well……"
Mao'er thought for a while: "I don't know..."
"Now Sanhua Empress is stupid."
"Miss Sanhua is not stupid!"
"Yeah?"
"Sanhua Empress is very smart!" Sanhua Cat said seriously, "It's just that my mind is empty and I don't know what to say!"
"That's good too."
"Good……"
"Sanhua Empress, please take a rest. You are tired today. Please recuperate your energy. When the wind and snow stop tomorrow, we will get up early and climb to the top of the mountain in one go. The prerequisite is that we can climb it."
"OK……"
There was a crackling sound of fire in the cave.
Thunder sounded intermittently, accompanied by murmurs that were hard to hear clearly in the cave. Perhaps traveling through time is difficult for these sounds. Only when there is lightning outside can these sounds suddenly become louder.
, becomes clearer.
The Taoist had finished eating the naan and half of the honeydew melon. At this time, he sat down with his back against the wall and closed his eyes to meditate.
I don’t know how high this sacred mountain is and how old it is. It has been revered by the local people at the foot of the mountain for thousands of years. The aura of the mountain is ancient and sacred, and it also contains a biting chill.
What was echoing in his ears at this time was also an ancient voice. Coupled with the aura, it seemed to be able to take Song You back to that time. He saw the previous climbers who came here one by one and rested in the cave. They said a few words.
Or a few syllables can show their character.
Some people are pure and open-minded and just want to climb higher. Some people are depressed and decadent and come here to seek death. Some people are confused and come here to find some kind of salvation and enlightenment. Some people have strong goals and come here to find the aura of ice.
Today happens to be Bailu.
The sacred mountain brings Song Dynasty tour to taste the ancient charm.
The wind and snow were blocked out.
Early the next morning.
It was calm outside.
It was so calm that there was no sound at all. Whether it was the roar of birds, the sound of wind and snow, or the subtle noises that existed in nature, there was not a single sound. They were all absorbed by the snow. What Song You felt was a kind of
The dead silence was more terrifying than the noise of the wind and snow last night, but it felt peaceful at the same time.
The Taoist got up silently.
I lit the last bit of firewood, walked out of the cave with the pot, felt the clear and biting cold, filled a pot full of snow, came back to boil water, and immediately started to pack my things.
The calico cat lay on the cloth mat, huddled up, just in the sun pattern in the middle of the cloth mat. When she heard his movements, she only raised her head slightly and glanced at him quietly. When it was almost done, she got up and sat on the cloth mat.
He leaned over and stretched, yawned, changed his position and lay down again, and said to the Taoist in a sweet voice:
"Last night the wind was whining in front of me, but there was no sound at all from behind!"
"Because the wind and snow have stopped."
"The wind and snow have stopped..."
"Have you rested, Sanhua Empress?"
"Miss Sanhua is awake."
"Was it cold last night?"
"Miss Sanhua's fur is very long!"
"It seems that he has recovered a little bit."
"I've recovered a little~"
"But it's still very high from here to the top of the mountain. The air above is very thin. It's steep and tiring to climb up. You'll get even stupider when you get to the top of the mountain. Lady Sanhua must be prepared."
"Miss Sanhua is very smart."
"It's natural."
The snow in the pot has melted, and small bubbles are appearing on the edge of the pot.
The cat was still lying on its side on the blanket and staring at him, with a fluffy tail patting the blanket up and down, and said to him: "You sat up all night last night!"
"yes."
"Why don't you lie down? Curl up? It's very comfortable this way!"
"I'm practicing."
"Practice~"
"This is a rare opportunity for practice."
"Then have you finished practicing?"
“Benefited a lot.”
"Miss Sanhua wants to eat chicken..."
"After going down the mountain."
The Taoist poured a bowl of hot water and held it in his hand. The temperature came from the bowl, and his hands, which were originally red from the cold due to all the hard work, were gradually warmed.
The snow at this height is very clean and the water is clear. Song You himself planned to use boiling water to cook the naan. Later, he simply broke the naan into pieces, threw it into the pot and cooked it together, and cooked it into a pot of paste. As the aroma of wheat spread, he would
I also threw in some dried meat and raisins that I brought in the bag, and stopped the calico cat who was holding a rat in its mouth and wanted to throw it into the pot, and it was a steaming pot of breakfast.
In this place, it is considered a luxury.
The Taoist gave a large bowl, the cat a small bowl, and the swallow ate some meat residue. After eating, his whole body felt warm and he became energetic.
After eating and packing for a while, Song You left his luggage and the horses that were unable to climb in the cave. He only took Sanhua Empress's robe, packed some food and water, and set off with a bamboo stick.
Today’s goal is to climb to the top of the mountain.
Sure enough, the wind stopped and the snow fell outside, and the sky was clear. The sky and the earth were only blue and white. There was no cloud in the sky. It was complete and unbroken. There was only a white sun on the horizon, and the earth was covering the entire mountain.
There was thick snow, and in the distance was a sea of rolling clouds, covering the appearance of the earth.
The cat couldn't help but turn its head and look into the distance.
Every breath is filled with white steam.
A group of people walked through, leaving a series of footprints on the intact snow.
Although the calico cat had just experienced the exhaustion of climbing here yesterday and the splitting headache when dizzy, it still couldn't help its playful temperament. It seemed that it had completely forgotten yesterday overnight. From time to time, it would
He jumped in the snow, jumped up high, and then plunged down suddenly, as if he was trying to catch some mice or rabbits hidden in the snow.
The Taoist saw her and ignored her.
After a while, the cat had almost finished playing, and then it calmed down and slowly followed him up the mountain.
Just like yesterday, the Taoist walking on the mountain was many times more difficult than climbing on others. This was definitely not caused by the higher, steeper and thicker snow here. It was the care given to him by this sacred mountain, so that he could feel how wonderful it was.
It’s the feeling that ordinary people feel when climbing mountains.
The Taoist still did not resist it.
That's rude and pointless.
But the difference from yesterday is that yesterday we only reached the foot of the peak, and today we have to climb to the top.
The road beneath my feet became noticeably steeper.
The magnitude of the change is still dramatic.
Not long after climbing up the mountain, the Taoist's figure quickly tilted, almost leaning forward as he walked. Sometimes the snow could cover his waist. It was already steep enough, and he would be knocked off every step he took.
Thick snow, overcoming huge resistance.
However, the higher you climb, the steeper it gets.
Sometimes you have to use your hands and feet to climb.
This is still the result of choosing to pass by.
Many places on the top of the sacred mountain are unclimbable. They are so steep that they are almost vertical. They even extend upside down. Even the snow cannot accumulate. There are only stones. It is almost impossible to climb up without magic. Therefore, you must find a slightly gentle road.
, at least be able to walk and climb.
The Taoist chose the ridgeline on the south side.
The road here is longer and relatively gentle.
However, the difficulty was still beyond his imagination.
Because there is no mature route and there is snow everywhere, it is difficult to know the true face of the sacred mountain when you are in the mountain. Taoists will make mistakes as they walk, and may even reach a dead end and have to turn back. This is so high that every step of the way is difficult.
It's really a torture to be on the sacred mountain, which requires a lot of physical strength.
Because there is no road left by the predecessors, even if it is a relatively gentle road, there are still very steep places occasionally. There is no place for stepping on by the predecessors. There is not even an iron rope like Yunding Mountain.
Because it is connected, Taoists can only climb up with bare hands, and they have to bring a cat and a swallow with them when climbing.
The higher you go up, the narrower the ridge becomes.
It becomes dangerous to walk on it.
Sometimes the snow is unstable and will collapse if you step on it.
Sometimes it will break if you step on the ice.
The Taoist was on the verge of danger several times. Thanks to his quick reaction and lack of fear in his heart, he was able to stay calm without fear and was able to avert danger.
After all, he still had many advantages.
"Soon……"
The Taoist looked at the top of the sacred mountain with only a small tip left in front of him. He knew that even such a small tip was only a short distance. It would be very difficult to walk at this height, and he had to be cautious and face many dangers. However,
Still turning his head, he said to a cat and a swallow behind him:
"We will reach the top of the mountain soon."
The cat had no strength, so it only looked up at him, without saying a word, and silently followed him.
The whole body was covered with snow.
The swallow was also silent.
He was not very good at running and jumping, but after hearing what the Taoist said yesterday that anyone could go up there, he wanted to go up there once, so he never gave up.
Rest while walking.
Even every ten feet away, I have to stop and rest for a long time.
Went forward a little further.
Fortunately today, at least the weather is good, there is no wind, and there is only the sound of Taoist breathing between the sky and the earth. Otherwise, on this ridgeline, it may take a lot of effort to stand firm and not be blown down by the wind.
The summit is already in sight.
"We're almost successful. Lady Sanhua, Yan An, let's take one last rest, work harder, and then work hard to reach the top of the mountain. Then we can relax."
The Taoist stopped for the last time and said to the two little monsters behind him.
Of course there was no response.
The Taoist was not in a hurry. He took out a piece of warm naan from his arms and put it in his mouth. He softened it with saliva and temperature, and then swallowed it to replenish his strength. After a while, he finally
ready to go.
"Let's go."
But there was no movement behind him.
The Taoist took just two steps before he stopped again and looked back.
Unexpectedly, the cat had completely lost its strength. The cat lay down on the snow and made a nest. It stared at him with weak eyes, opened its mouth slightly, and did not make a sound.
The swallow stopped next to her, looked at the cat, and then at the Taoist. He was also extremely tired.
"..."
"Would you like to rest more?"
"..."
Mao'er didn't have the strength to speak, so she only used her eyes to tell him to go forward alone, and she would lie here and sleep and wait for him.
It looked like he couldn't walk at all.
Song You couldn't help but smile.
Then without hesitation, he turned around and took two steps, grabbed the cat with one hand, grabbed the swallows with the other hand, one in each hand, turned around and moved forward - no matter how tired he was, his
His steps are still firm and his expression is still calm, which has not changed over the years.
Using elbows and feet together, we climbed to the top of the mountain with difficulty.
The top of the mountain is like a halberd, and only one person can stand on it.
The snow was flat and there were only one person's footprints.
The Taoist couldn't help but sit down on the ground.
In front of you is a scenery far away from the world.