"It's neither difficult nor easy." The Taoist said, pointing to the east, and said, "To the north of Dacang Mountain is Lushou Peak. There is a Youzhen Temple on the mountain. Do you know?" Shi Feng nodded and said, "I know." "Tomorrow night at three quarters past midnight, you come to Youzhen Temple alone. If you can come up, I will help your mother cure her leg disease. If you can't come up, or if the time is too late, I will never help you. In addition, you must not tell others about this. Okay, I'm leaving." After that, he floated out of the courtyard without waiting for Shi Feng's agreement.
Shi Feng said, "I will be there on time tomorrow night." After sending the Taoist to the door, he saw the Taoist's robe sleeves fluttering as he walked towards the north. He didn't seem to be walking fast, but in a few seconds, his figure became blurred and disappeared in the vast snow. Only Shi Feng and his sister were left standing at the door, staring in horror.
………………………………………..
"Brother, are you really going to Lushou Peak?"
"Um."
"Feng'er, don't go. It's icy and snowy here, and the road is slippery. Even an adult can't climb up to Lushou Peak."
"Don't worry, Mom. I've been to Lushou Peak more than once and I'm very familiar with the road."
"That's not the case. You went there before in the summer, and you went with other villagers. Now the mountains are covered in snow, and the roads are obscured. It's the middle of the night, so how can you go there? If something happens to you, even if your mother dies, she won't be able to face your father."
"Mother, don't cry. I've already made up my mind. The Taoist priest wants me to reach Youzhen Temple at 12:30, but he didn't say I have to climb the mountain at night. I plan to set off tomorrow at noon and arrive at Youzhen Temple before dark. I think the snow will stop tonight, and tomorrow will be sunny, which will be just the right time to set off."
"Brother, even if the sky clears up, the snow on the mountain won't melt, so we still can't see the road clearly."
"Haha, you've never been hunting, so you don't know the ins and outs of it. I'm very familiar with Lushou Peak. Even if the snow covers the road, I can still tell it apart. The floating snow on the tree cave is different from the snow on the ground. Plus, there are fir trees all along the mountain path of Lushou Peak, so it's easy to tell apart."
"That being said, you are only thirteen or fourteen years old after all. How can you cope with the wild beasts in the mountains? Even if you need help, others will not accompany you at this time."
"The Taoist priest has already told me not to tell anyone else, nor to seek help. These masters have strange tempers, so I must not break my promise. As for the wild beasts, mother, you can rest assured, there are no ferocious beasts on Lushou Peak."
"Brother, you're lying. If there weren't any wild beasts on Lushou Peak, the villagers wouldn't want to go there. I heard Uncle Shi Jian say that of the eleven peaks of Dacang Mountain, Lushou Peak is the one he fears the most."
"That's right. I'm usually afraid of Lushou Peak, because although there are no ferocious beasts there, there are many poisonous snakes. But now it's winter and the snakes are hibernating, so it's safest. I have a bow and arrow with me, so I can handle any unexpected situation. Don't worry, I will definitely help my mother recover this time."
"How about you take me with you, brother? I won't be considered an outsider."
"Go away, what are you doing there, little girl? I have to take care of you along the way. Besides, the Taoist priest told me to go up the mountain alone and I can't take you with me."
The next day at noon, the sky had cleared up. As the saying goes, snow doesn't keep you cold, but melting snow does. The temperature actually dropped even lower. Shi Feng had a hearty meal, packed up, and, carrying his mulberry wood bow, headed for Dacang Mountain.
Although he repeatedly comforted his mother and younger sister, he knew in his heart that it was not easy to climb the highest North Peak of Dacang Mountain in such weather.
Although Dacang Mountain is right in front of us, it is still about ten miles from the village to the foot of the mountain. This section of the road is not difficult to walk on. After all, even though it is snowing, there are still people in the village who go to the foot of the mountain to pick up some firewood, so the mountain road is still vaguely visible.
When they arrived at the foot of the North Mountain, there was no trace of human beings. The white peaks looked like a prehistoric beast sitting cross-legged. Shi Feng took a long breath and cut a five-foot-long wooden stick from the nearby woods. He sharpened it with a knife. This stick had two uses. One was to explore the way. When the snow was covered, sometimes it was difficult to see an ice hole underneath. Once you stepped on it, you might fall into it immediately. The other was to use it for self-defense. In case a ferocious beast suddenly jumped out of the woods and you couldn't use a bow and arrow in a hurry, this stick would come in handy.
There was once a faint pine forest on the way up the mountain, but unfortunately, after three or four days of snow, the entire forest and mountaintops were covered in white, making it impossible to distinguish them. Shi Feng was extremely careful, trying to recall the path signs up the mountain. When he couldn't make out any, he used a wooden stick to slowly feel his way.
It took nearly two hours of walking to reach the halfway point, my shirt already drenched in sweat. Winter days are short and nights long. The sun, a giant egg yolk, slowly sank to the west. The sky gradually darkened, and the mountain wind grew stronger, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, whistling down from the mountaintop, carrying large flakes of snow.
The climb up the mountainside became increasingly difficult. Due to the low temperature, the snowflakes in the shade had all frozen into solid ice, which was hard and slippery, and it was easy to fall every time you stepped on it. Shi Feng took out a pair of large straw sandals from his backpack and put them on his cowhide boots. He also took out a straw rope and wrapped it around the soles of the shoes several times, tying them together tightly. Straw sandals are very slip-resistant and are a great way to walk on ice.
After everything was ready, Shi Feng rested for a while, ate some steamed buns and drank some water, and then continued on his way. Night fell, but fortunately, the fields were covered with white snow, so he didn't have to worry about not being able to see clearly.
In the wind and snow, a young man struggled forward. When he encountered some dangerous places, he could only use his hands and feet and chisel on the ice with a sharp knife. His hands had already been frozen red. The hard ice, branches, and rocks cut his hands in many places, but he was unaware of it.
The closer they got to the top, the harder the path became. At several points, the path was completely blocked. Shi Feng could only pull out the rope he had prepared, throw it around the opposite branch, and use the force to swing across. One of the most dangerous moments was when the opposite branch was frozen through by snow and ice. Shi Feng barely swung across when the branch snapped with a loud "bang," sending a cold sweat through Shi Feng.
After walking like this for more than two hours, they finally saw a corner of a house exposed in the wind and snow in front of them. Shi Feng couldn't help but look up and shout excitedly.
Lushou Peak is named after its shape which resembles a deer head. The highest point is two dangerous peaks shaped like deer antlers. Youzhen Temple is actually not built at the top, but slightly below on the back of the deer, where there is a wide and flat area.
It is no longer possible to determine when Youzhen Temple was first built. According to legend, there was an evil dragon in the Wanzhang Cold Pond west of Lushou Peak. A Taoist priest with great magical powers killed the dragon and built Youzhen Temple on Lushou Peak to suppress the evil spirit in the cold pond.
Thousands of years later, due to the high altitude and the infestation of venomous snakes on the mountain, the Taoists in Youzhen Temple could no longer endure the hardships and left one after another. Youzhen Temple gradually fell into disrepair and became ownerless. Shi Feng had gone into the mountains with the villagers to hunt and had rested here for a few nights.
Shi Feng gripped the sharp knife tightly in one hand, walked through the mountain gate, and slowly approached the temple. Youzhen Temple originally had many houses and was quite magnificent, but hundreds of years of wind and rain had destroyed all the houses, leaving only the main hall in the center still intact.
Shi Feng called out, "Master, Master." No one answered, so he slowly approached the main hall. The plaque above had been blown away by the wind long ago, and half the guardian spirits on either side had collapsed. But the one or two remaining massive stone statues, eyes wide open, swords in hand, poised to pounce, were truly terrifying on the mountaintop in the still, cold night, accompanied by the howling mountain wind.
As Shi Feng approached the main hall, the mountain breeze died down, and he felt a little warmer. Shi Feng was sweating all over, but he didn't dare take off his fur coat. It was really cold on the mountain, and if he took off his clothes, the sweat would immediately freeze, and he might get seriously ill.
Shi Feng glanced around and saw that the hall was empty. He figured it was still before midnight and the Taoist hadn't arrived yet. Shi Feng pulled a dry cloth from his bosom and wiped the sweat off his body. He then took some dry food and ate it, finally calming down.
Inside the hall, there are several makeshift shacks, haphazardly built by the village's hunters. The main hall is constructed of bluestone mixed with glutinous rice paste, making it both sturdy and tightly sealed, making it an excellent snake-proof shelter in the summer. When villagers head up the mountain to spend the night, they often rest here, closing the hall door and blocking it with bluestone to protect against both venomous snakes and wild animals.
Shi Feng didn't dare close the hall door, fearing the Taoist would miss him. He also didn't dare sit down to rest, fearing he'd freeze. He could only pace back and forth to keep warm. In the dimly lit hall, a massive statue of Zhenwu could be vaguely seen in the center. Shi Feng silently prayed, "Great Emperor Zhenwu, may that Taoist possess divine medical skills and be able to cure my mother's leg ailment!"
