The Road Was Blocked

[New User 002: Take it easy and do nothing? No chance. Ever heard of inflation?]

[New User 003: Put three hundred million in the bank and the annual interest alone is over ten million. You could take it as easy as you liked.]

[New User 004: The thing is, she can keep making money too. She's made an absolute killing.]

[New User 005: Doule really went all out this time.]

[New User 006: No kidding. Seventy million followers—wouldn't you go all out too?]

[Clear-Eyed Observer: Honestly, Doule isn't losing out. Chen Hao is worth ten times that three hundred million.]

[Snow Blows at the East Gate: Exactly. You can't measure Celestial Master Chen's worth in money.]

[I Am Ying Zheng: When is Celestial Master Chen taking disciples? I've been waiting forever.]

The car continued onward, passing through the canyon until the view suddenly opened up.

An enormous grassland stretched before them, its green pure and dazzling. In the distance, an unbroken range of snowcapped mountains gleamed gold in the sunlight. A river wound through the grassland like a silver ribbon.

"Wow..." Yang Wanqing raised her phone. "This is so beautiful!"

The livestream chat erupted again:

[New User 001: Northern Frontier is the GOAT!]

[New User 002: This scenery is incredible.]

[New User 003: I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go!]

[New User 004: A tour of Northern Frontier with Celestial Master Chen—what kind of heavenly luxury is this?]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: When are you starting a tour group, big brother? I'll be the first to sign up!]

Chen Hao parked by the roadside and said calmly, "Get out and have a look."

Everyone got out and stood on the grassland, enjoying the cool breeze as they gazed at the distant snowcapped mountains and the river nearby. They felt utterly at ease.

The Wolf Cub jumped out of the car and raced joyfully across the grass, chasing butterflies one moment and pouncing on wildflowers the next, having the time of its life.

Watching it, Li Li smiled for the first time in a long while.

Cai Jingwen stood beside Chen Hao and said softly, "It's beautiful here."

Chen Hao nodded. "Mm."

Cai Jingwen turned to look at him. Sunlight fell across his face, bringing his features into sharp relief.

She parted her lips, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words.

Never mind. Just standing here quietly like this is nice too.

Yang Wanqing held up her phone, pointing the camera at the scenery as she kept up a running commentary. "Everyone, this is the Northern Frontier! This is the Northern Frontier our Celestial Master Chen is showing you! If you like it, follow and send some gifts. We'll keep moving!"

Gifts began flooding the livestream again:

[Chancheng Ye Family] sent Carnival ×30! Message: Celestial Master Chen certainly knows how to enjoy himself!

[Luocheng Wu Family] sent Carnival ×30! Message: This scenery is worth it!

[Wuling Mountain Qin Family] sent Carnival ×30! Message: The Qin Family patriarch says he wants to see it too...

[I Am Ying Zheng: Hahahaha, the Qin Family patriarch is back again.]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: Qin Family patriarch: Am I not allowed to have travel goals?]

[Clear-Eyed Observer: The Qin Family's antics have given me enough laughs for a whole year.]

Looking at the gifts covering the screen, Yang Wanqing couldn't stop grinning.

Chen Siyao came over and asked quietly, "Wanqing, do you think I should give my brother some of my three hundred million?"

Yang Wanqing blinked. "Give Hao some? Does he need money?"

Chen Siyao thought about it and shook her head. "I guess... he doesn't."

"There you go." Yang Wanqing rolled her eyes. "For someone like Hao, money is just a number. If you gave him money, he'd probably think it was a hassle."

Chen Siyao realized she had a point and stopped worrying about it.

The car traveled along the grassland highway for more than three hours, the scenery outside gradually changing from open meadows to rolling mountains. Chen Hao held the steering wheel, his gaze calmly fixed ahead, while the Wolf Cub slept soundly on his lap.

"Where are we going next, Bro?" Chen Siyao scrolled through a travel guide on her phone. "Apparently there's a place ahead called... Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon? Sounds pretty impressive."

Yang Wanqing leaned over to look. "Mysterious Grand Canyon? How mysterious? More mysterious than the Gu Diao we saw yesterday?"

"Probably not." Chen Siyao laughed. "We've already seen a Gu Diao. What could be more mysterious than that?"

Cai Jingwen said softly, "Actually, Xinjiang has plenty of unsolved mysteries. Like the lake monster in Kanas, the Twin-Fish Jade Pendant in Lop Nur, or..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Yang Wanqing hurriedly waved her hands. "Jingwen, don't say any more. Keep going and I won't dare sleep tonight."

Holding the Wolf Cub, Li Li muttered, "I'm already afraid to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see that Gu Diao..."

In the livestream chat:

[I Am Ying Zheng: Hahaha, Li Li has PTSD now.]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: Fair enough. If I saw a monster like that, I'd probably faint on the spot.]

[Snow Blows at the East Gate: The Gu Diao is actually recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It's a Primordial Era exotic beast. Seeing one is a stroke of luck.]

[Clear-Eyed Observer: Someone else can have that kind of luck. I'm scared.]

[Evening Breeze Meets the Woods: Don't be scared, Wanqing. With Celestial Master Chen around, any demon or monster that shows up will have to kneel.]

Seeing that comment instantly bolstered Yang Wanqing's confidence. "Exactly! With Hao here, what do I have to fear? Even ten more Gu Diao would be easy pickings!"

Chen Hao glanced at her in the rearview mirror and said calmly, "Don't jinx it."

Yang Wanqing blinked. "What do you mean?"

Chen Siyao laughed. "Jinxing it means whatever you say ends up happening. You say you're not scared of a Gu Diao, and one might show up right away."

Yang Wanqing's expression changed, and she hurriedly pressed her palms together. "Amitabha, Amitabha! I was wrong! I didn't say anything!"

The livestream dissolved into laughter:

[I Am Ying Zheng: Hahahaha, she chickened out so fast.]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: Wanqing's survival instinct is off the charts.]

[Snow Blows at the East Gate: Full marks for that move.]

[Clear-Eyed Observer: One sentence from Chen Hao, and Wanqing is scarred for life.]

Just then, the car suddenly jolted violently.

Chen Hao frowned slightly and slammed on the brakes.

"What happened, Bro?" Chen Siyao asked hurriedly.

Chen Hao said nothing, staring intently ahead.

Everyone followed his gaze. A landslide had completely blocked the highway ahead, burying the road beneath rocks of all sizes. There was no way through.

"What..." Yang Wanqing stared dumbfounded. "The road's blocked? How are we supposed to get through?"

Chen Hao surveyed their surroundings. A steep mountainside rose to their right, while a seemingly bottomless canyon fell away to their left. They could just make out a river at the bottom.

"We'll go around," he said calmly, turning the steering wheel to head back.

Just then, the Wolf Cub suddenly raised its head and let out a low whine toward the canyon.

"What's wrong with it?" Li Li asked nervously.

Chen Hao looked at the Wolf Cub, then into the depths of the canyon, his gaze sharpening slightly.

"There's something down there."

"Something?" Yang Wanqing instantly tensed. "What kind of some—wait, Hao, don't scare me!"

Chen Siyao clenched her hands too. "Bro, is it a wild animal?"

Chen Hao's fingers paused on the steering wheel. An almost imperceptible flicker of surprise crossed his previously placid eyes.

This aura... it's so familiar.

After a moment of silence, he said calmly, "I'm not sure, but the Wolf Cub's reaction... doesn't suggest danger."

He paused, then looked at everyone. "Want to go down and take a look?"

"Down there?" Li Li paled. "Mr. Chen, that's a canyon. It looks so deep..."

"There's a path." Chen Hao pointed to the left, where a barely visible trail wound down to the canyon floor.

Yang Wanqing hesitated. "Hao, could there be another monster like that Gu Diao down there?"

Chen Hao looked at her and suddenly chuckled. "Scared?"

That chuckle instantly fired up Yang Wanqing's fighting spirit. "Who's scared? Let's go! With Hao here, what do I have to fear?"

Chen Siyao nodded at once. "I'm going too!"

Cai Jingwen said softly, "I'll come with you."

Holding the Wolf Cub, Li Li looked around at everyone before finally gritting her teeth. "Then... then I'll go too! After all... after all, Mr. Chen is here!"

Chen Hao nodded, parked the car on a level patch beside the road, and led everyone down the trail.

The livestream instantly erupted:

[I Am Ying Zheng: Here we go, here we go! Adventure time!]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: So exciting! Going on adventures with Celestial Master Chen is awesome!]

[Doing Just Fine: I have a feeling there's more to that place down there than meets the eye.]