Chaolong Temple stood atop the Golden Palace, facing Chang'an Tower across the lake.
The mountaintop brimmed with mist, which swirled and rose in strange, wondrous formations.
The only flaw in this beauty was the difficult mountain trail, with its many sheer cliffs along the way.
The higher one climbed, the steeper the terrain became.
Even martial artists of the Jianghu could meet with all sorts of mishaps if they were careless, let alone ordinary people.
Still, the journey from the foot of the mountain to its summit offered many sights.
Seas of clouds, waterfalls, and meadows.
After leaving the Mountain God Temple, Li Ping'an and the two Chaolong Temple disciples, Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai, headed straight for Chaolong Temple.
It was still early, so the three of them and the ox began climbing.
"Sir, can you fly?"
As they climbed, Wen Ruohai asked.
"More or less."
"If you can fly, why don't you?"
Wen Ruohai looked excited. He had never experienced the feeling of soaring straight into the highest heavens.
"My ox is afraid of heights, so I usually don't fly," Li Ping'an said with a smile.
"Huh?"
They chatted about this and that as they walked.
The mountain trail was difficult, but Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai had traveled it countless times and knew the way well.
Li Ping'an was in no hurry and walked at a leisurely pace.
As he walked, he admired the clear waters and lovely mountains.
Wen Ruohai and Xuan Ruo also cut some firewood along the way.
By noon, they had only reached halfway up the mountain.
Li Ping'an got up, filled a kettle with sweet mountain spring water, and caught a plump fish.
Thinking that he had not seen Pang Jun in a long time, he decided the fish would serve as