Chapter 525
Chapter 525 The Difficult Journey
A melancholy tune floated through the air, tinged with faint sorrow and sadness, deeply touching the hearts of these young men who were about to embark on a distant expedition.
"Brother Lin, look, it's Miss Xu. She has come to see us off!" Gao Qiu whispered.
Lin Wanrong looked back towards the eastern hills. In the hazy red glow of the sunrise, Xu Zhiqing's slender and beautiful figure stood like a lone flower on the mountaintop. The morning sun illuminated her pure face, shimmering with a faint golden light. Two streams of crystal-clear tears silently rolled down her cheeks, as pure as the morning dew in the Helan Mountains—heartbreakingly poignant and beautiful.
Thinking of the sand-burial story Xu Zhiqing had told him, Lin Wanrong sighed lightly, his heart flooded with both joy and sorrow. Gritting his teeth, he flicked his horsewhip, and his galloping steed dashed away, leaving all behind, never looking back.
A brilliant array of rosy clouds burst forth, and Xu Zhiqing's figure remained motionless atop the peak, like a petrified 'wife-waiting' rock, unable to move for a long time.
...
As they moved from east to west into the Helan Mountains, the weather gradually turned colder. At first, the road was wide, and towering pine and spruce trees lined both sides. A sea of clouds stretched for miles, and the eye could not see their end. Cherry trees blushing red, lilacs a deep purple, almond blossoms a delicate pink—various uniquely beautiful shrubs filled the valleys and ravines. Layer upon layer of colorful forests complemented the songs of birds, the fragrance of flowers, and the babbling streams, making for exceptionally beautiful scenery. Countless petroglyphs decorated both banks of the valley, creating a vivid gallery that chronicled the history of the Helan Mountains through depictions of the sun, moon, and stars, cattle, horses, sheep, hunting scenes, religious rituals, and weddings.
With such enchanting scenery, they initially did not feel fatigued. The procession meandered westward at a swift pace, breaking through rocky forests.