The Dragon King's Son-in-law
Listen or suffer

Regardless of Hao Ren's reaction, Zhao Yanzi jumped towards the Taoist temple. Carrying his backpack, Hao Ren stepped across from the entrance of the Taoist temple chasing after him.

The golden roof of the temple absorbs the last vestiges of the afternoon sun, and the entire Taoist temple looks more wise and serene.

Since it was already late afternoon and the temple was located at the top of the mountain, there were no visitors there. Since there was no cable car only healthy and strong-willed people like Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi could visit this temple at this hour. Otherwise, one should start the climb in the morning so as to arrive here during the day and then spend the whole afternoon to come down again.

Therefore, arriving at an unusual hour, Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren did not meet any other visitors. In the courtyard of the Taoist temple, some young Taoists were sweeping away the fallen leaves. Even Zhao Yanzi who was yelling and cheering as he was about to advance had become silent as soon as he stepped into the temple.

Conblocks on the page are made up of a wide variety of different colors and are used as one to form the image of Tai Chi and the Eight Trigrams are very large. In the southwest corner of the courtyard, there was an old and towering ancient fir tree. Hao Ren knew that this tree must be the one thousand year old tree Zhao Guang told him about. With a heart filled with respect, he walked there calmly. Because the temple does not have many visitors, this ancient tree has not been given a fence. The tree just silently occupied its place in the corner of the courtyard.

Hao Ren walked over and stretched out his hand, gently stroking his branch that was filled with aging and strength.

The bark of the tree is firm and smooth. From its outer appearance, it did not look like wood anymore.

Hao Ren secretly began to run a Cultivation Concentration Scroll and became aware of the essence of the nearby realms. He was even able to receive a blast of dense wood essence from the stiff bark of this ancient fir tree.

Moreover, the Dragon essence within his body seemed to resonate with that ancient tree at the moment when Hao Ren felt it vibrate within him. A warm and moist stream of energy had traveled through Hao Ren's hands and towards the inside of the tree. At the same time, the ancient tree also emitted an explosion of wood essence towards Hao Ren, providing nourishment to his body.

Zhao Yanzi silently watched Hao Ren. He understood Hao Ren must have gained a moment of enlightenment and was unwilling to disturb him.

After a full minute, Hao Ren withdrew his hand and exhaled heavily. The tiredness he felt while climbing the mountain had completely disappeared. Instead what dwells within him is pure power and rich life.

With a respectful heart, Hao Ren slightly bowed to the ancient tree.

Hao Ren noticed Zhao Yanzi had barely fallen asleep while watching him. Hao Ren called out to him with a smile, "Come on."

For a moment, Zhao Yanzi was unable to react properly. He couldn't bear to say, "Oh" and started following Hao Ren's footsteps. As he passed through the courtyard and entered the main palace, he finally became himself. The shadow of the smile that Hao Ren had just given him lingered in his mind, and he suddenly felt his heart tremble.

Hao Ren was not even aware of how gentle the smile he was giving Zhao Yanzi was. On entering the main palace, he raised his head to observe the statue of the San Qing Religious Founder that was several meters tall. Then he went on inside.

The entire main palace provides a magnificent and magnificent atmosphere, wisdom and wonder. This instantly made Hao Ren feel this visit was in line with their effort and time.

Zhao Yanzi followed Hao Ren. Surrounded by statues that look a little scary wisdom.

Through the main palace, they walked into another courtyard. There was a stone hut north of the grounds and inside the hut stood a stone monument that seemed to have been there for a long time

Somehow, after the enlightenment on the ancient tree, Hao Ren suddenly sensed that Zhao Guang had a purpose in telling them about the ancient tree and the stone monument.

Hao Ren stood in front of the stone monument and began to carefully read the inscriptions engraved there.

"This is eternal and cannot be named. Is the origin of 'non-existent' emptiness'. 'This 'Unity' is Tao which is invisible and formless. Can be considered vague and unfeelable. As the Taoist Unity advanced, its front could not be seen. If someone tried to follow him, he could not see his back. By obeying the true Tao one can master that existence …."

As hard as Hao Ren tried, he could only understand a few sentences.

Standing beside Hao Ren, Zhao Yanzi also tried to read the words on the monument in silence.

"If desire will hide its true self, its true self will be more revealed. If desire weakens the true self, the true self strengthens itself. If desire will ignore its true self, its true self will get richer. If desire will rob him of his true self, his true self will give more. This is what is called a vague but profound natural enlightenment. Softness overcomes strength, and the soft overpowers the strong …."

The more Hao Ren read, the harder it was for him to understand. Just like her, with her brows furrowing deeply, Zhao Yanzi seemed to have trouble interpreting it as well.

This is the way to rule the water.

Suddenly, a sense of enlightenment flashed through Hao Ren's mind.

It seemed like consciousness had risen from within his heart. That consciousness was about to break out from his chest and reach his head.

Then Hao Ren thought about the prosperity and life of the ancient tree again; it reminded him of when he was working on math problems. He felt like now his thoughts were finally on the right track and were about to solve a challenging problem.

"Water gives life and provides nutrition to all things on earth. Water breaks through and overcomes all obstacles."

Bongs..

The sudden clanking of bells, suddenly interfered with Hao Ren's reflection.

Zhao Yanzi who was also deep in thought also jumped up because of that loud noise.

Hao Ren turned around and looked at his phone. He realized they had spent exactly half an hour standing in front of the stone monument.

The fallen leaves found a home on their heads and shoulders, and the young Taoists in charge of cleaning had also rested.

Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi were now alone in this empty courtyard.

"Now it's late afternoon, let's go home, "Hao Ren said.

"Good ..." Zhao Yanzi responded obediently. It seems that his thoughts are still on the writing on the monument.

Hao Ren extended his hand and helped Zhao Yanzi clear the fallen leaves on his head and shoulders.

His movements were relaxed and gentle, and Zhao Yanzi did not immediately react. He felt surprised and a glimpse of sweet excitement.

"This guy is actually pretty good to me." Zhao Yanzi silently thought to himself.

On the other hand, Hao Ren did not think too much about the intent of his movements. He lowered his head and flicked a leaf at him before leading Zhao Yanzi out of the front gate.

The twilight seemed to come a little early on the mountain. When the sun could still be seen hanging from a distance, its last rays were desperately trying to shine through the sky; it seemed that darkness soon consumed the world.

"Let's get down right away." Hao Ren urged Zhao Yanzi because they could not delay anymore.

With his lips pursed, although Zhao Yanzi denounced Hao Ren as having no empathy for the opposite sex in his mind, he did not dare to cause any delay. Thus, he obediently began to follow Hao Ren down the path.

As expected, the journey downwards is physically less demanding than the trip upwards. Even so, as the sun was already down, visibility was much reduced. Since they cannot see the path under their feet clearly, they must move more carefully and more slowly.

The road is dialasi green stone plates that are like strings on a musical instrument and mountain river flow like beam notes. Together they played the rhythm of the mountain. The cool and gentle gusts of mountain breeze swiftly passed through the countless branches, producing the most natural music.

As they walk, they become more aware of all the changes around them. In the end, they seemed to have built up a deeper understanding of the natural simplicity that the Taoists had promoted.

Taoist temples and pavilions stood quietly far away in a secluded place of greenery that did not end up in the forest. Adapting itself well to the natural landscape, the building is completely one with mountains and forests. This incredible sight was certainly enough for Hao Ren to suspect a legendary Taoist master would naturally live in this forest.

Hao Ren was immersed in the surrounding scenery along the way. When he suddenly recalled Zhao Yanzi and turned to check on her, Zhao Yanzi had long since stopped moving and was far behind him.

Hao Ren formed a trumpet with his hand, placed it in his mouth and shouted at Zhao Yanzi, "Hi … "

Zhao Yanzi heard Hao Ren. But instead of walking forward, he sat down.

Pouting, Zhao Yanzi turned away from him.

Hao Ren thought Zhao Yanzi was exhausted, so he sat down beside him to rest as well. He did not understand the mind of a little girl at all; he was too fixated on her on their journey and did not check on Zhao Yanzi at all. Although Zhao Yanzi did not speak a word and tried to follow him with all her might, she felt extremely sad and ignored.

"Can you still move?" Seeing that Zhao Yanzi seemed to have no intention of rising up and moreover the sky had darkened, Hao Ren could not bear to ask.

"If I have my Dragon's essence, I've been down a long time and not listened to you speak!" He answered with anger.

Now Hao Ren finally realized he had forgotten the fact that Zhao Yanzi was just a little girl and had limited strength. Zhao Yanzi's parents asked her to take care of him, but all she was worried about was arriving on time. He was worried that they could not get down the mountain in time and did not think about Zhao Yanzi's well-being. They rushed on their way up and now they were also rushing as they descended down.

"How about ... "Hao Ren stopped to think, "I carry you on my back?"

"yeah! Who wants to!?" With cheeks bulging with anger, Zhao Yanzi stood up and started walking down.

"Hey! Slow down!" Hao Ren immediately ran after him because he was afraid that Zhou Yanzi would stumble.

He began to understand a little of the little girl's thoughts. Although Zhao Yanzi kept stressing he did not need Hao Ren to take care of him, he became quite annoyed when Hao Ren actually did what he said.

On the way down, Zhao Yanzi added speed, and Hao Ren followed next to him, trying to protect him from something potentially dangerous. The two took up positions like black and white twists in Tai Chi symbols as they traveled downwards along the peaceful path.

However, as quickly as they moved, the sky became increasingly dark.

"You! Hurry along!" Now the last beam of light disappeared and they were still two hours away from the foot of the mountain. Zhao Yanzi had truly become anxious.

"Side over there or side over there?" With the light dimming, Hao Ren held onto the map and asked. The closer they are to the midpoint of the road, the smaller the directions and divided paths they encounter.

"Surely this side!" Zhao Yanzi pointed to the left.

"Oh, then definitely the other side!" Hao Ren moved straight to the right. After Zhao Yanzi three times in a row gave the wrong direction, Hao Ren became disbelieving of his ability to determine directions and believed he should have fought Zhao Yanzi's premonition to get to their destination.

Zhao Yanzi. But he himself did not believe in his ability to determine directions. In the end, he could only follow Hao Ren. Surprisingly whenever Hao Ren disobeyed Zhao Yanzi's premonition and went the other way, it was ultimately the right path to descend the mountain.

There was no sign of any other humans on the entire mountain, and it was almost completely silent. As a result, the footsteps of Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi became increasingly clear as they resonated in the darkness.

When the sun had set, the once charming scene had now become gloomy and terrifying. Being on a remote mountain and with a dense forest, Zhao Yanzi was certainly very frightened since she was only a young girl. As a result, his speed decreased and he no longer ran in front. Slowly, he started walking next to Hao Ren.

This time, Hao Ren had estimated what Zhao Yanzi was thinking and took the initiative to hold his small hand. He did not intend to take advantage of her, he was worried that Zi might slip on the mountain if her legs started to tremble in fear.

As the sky grew darker, they walked more and more slowly. Unaware, it was already past seven o'clock. It was night time, and they were at least two hours away to get to the hotel at their speed.

What's more, except for areas near Taoist temples that have transmitter towers, their cellular phones have no signal anywhere on the mountain. For them, there is no place to ask for help. Hence Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi could only steel themselves and continue.

The trails on the mountain were full of twists and turns. Sometimes they are directed up, other times down. Sometimes, the two became confused whether they were climbing or descending the mountain. However, overall, they felt they were getting closer to the foot of the mountain.

"Hey, we're not going to starve to death here, are we?" Pinching Hao Ren's palm, Zhao Yanz couldn't bear to ask.

"If there's nothing left to eat, you're the first one I'll eat" Hao Ren said to him.

"You.. " Sniffing his nose, Zhao Yanzi glared at Hao Ren while his cheeks bulged with rage. While he was talking to Hao Ren, his fear automatically decreased.

Time passed, it was eight o'clock. Even so, the foot of the mountain still seemed to be unable to reach.

Trapped in this forest where the birds had the most terrifying chirps, Zhao Yanzi could not lean on anyone but Hao Ren. He stayed close to her and clasped his hands even stronger.

Hao Ren was also unfamiliar with this mountain. Since he did not bring a flashlight, he could only turn on his cellular phone and use his weak light to shine down the road under their feet. He prayed he did not miss his steps and rolled down the mountain with Zhao Yanzi.

On their way down, they found a strange insect that emitted a golden light. Nonetheless, these insects are not fireflies because they tend to clump attached to mountain cliffs.

Zhao Yanzi had a strong adherence to insects. He curled up next to Hao Ren and gripped his hand firmly. A sense of regret now filled his heart. He regretted climbing the mountain peak with Hao Ren which resulted in them being stuck in the middle of the forest at night and unable to come down again.

"Hey, how can I walk if you hold on to me so tightly?" Hao Ren turned around and asked him.

Decorating her pretty face, Zhao Yanzi's starry eyes looked beautiful and attractive in total darkness.

"I'm not afraid. I just felt a little cold." the persistent Zhao Yanzi's pretext unintentionally revealed his true feelings.

Grasping his smooth and slippery hand firmly in his hand, Hao Ren steeled his determination to go down the mountain and to keep going.

After searching their way in the darkness for more than an hour, they finally found a glimpse of light from somewhere close to the foot of the mountain. Hotels that shone wonderfully also appeared before their eyes.

"We're almost there!" Pulling Zhao Yanzi's hand, Hao Ren increased his speed. His cell phone was on the verge of death, and the beam Hao Ren's phone emitted was too weak to help. If they did not descend now, they would be completely stuck in the mountain.

Zhao Yanzi also exhaled a sigh of relief and accelerated his pace.

Finally, after roughly fifteen minutes, they made it to the mountain entrance.

Because he was so anxious during the trip down, Zhao Yanzi's palm was now covered in sweat.

Now that they were safe, he finally realized Hao Ren had been holding his hand for hours and suddenly pulled his hand from Hao Ren's.

"An incredible way to turn someone's good goal into a bad goal." Hao Ren sighed at his aggressive attitude.

"Who gave you permission to hold my hand?" Zhao Yanzi affirmed eloquently.

Hao Ren was unwilling to argue with Zhao Yanzi because his stomach was now incubating hard. They had long spent all the snacks in the backpack on their way down.

He directly walked towards the hotel, Zhao Yanzi followed behind them, looking torn apart by his mixed feelings. To be honest, he knew he had relied heavily on Hao Ren on their way down. If not for him, he would not know what to do in such a situation.

At the same time, he was unwilling to admit to himself, that he could only come down with Hao Ren's help. She believed him that if he were to come face to face with any real danger, his parents would definitely come to his aid.

By the time they got to the hotel, it seemed that their alliance had been destroyed. Zhao Yanzi gave an angry look at Hao Ren as if he owed him millions.

Now that Zhao Yanzi had given him the cold treatment, Hao Ren was also unwilling to spend more effort to be friendly to him. What he thought the most about now was that he had to share a room with Zhao Yanzi's father; he thought it might be awkward.

As they entered their respective hotels, they returned to their rooms. Listless and exhausted, Hao Ren was shocked to find a note in the room. On it it read: "Mother Zi and I will visit a friend who lives nearby; we may be late back."

Ding dong .. Ding dong ….

At that moment, the bell in his room started ringing.

He ran over to open the door and found Zhao Yanzi standing there awkwardly. "Hmm... Let's go eat?" he said while biting his lips.