Chapter 44: Soaring
From Kangding to Xinduqiao Town, crossing the Zeduo Mountain, this place is a photography paradise on route 318 in summer and autumn. Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu encountered several self-driving RVs. The trees were draped in snow in winter, and they got out in their thick sweaters to take photos.
From here, the journey split into southern and northern routes. Lu Xiu, the trip's sponsor, chose the southern route, passing through Litang and Daocheng Yading, and finally heading towards Lhasa via Linzhi.
Although Jiang Hong also wanted to take the southern route, it was rare for Lu Xiu to choose the path, as he had always followed Jiang Hong's decisions. The southern route was tougher than the northern but offered more breathtaking scenery.
"Do you know anyone in Litang?" asked Jiang Hong.
"No," Lu Xiu replied, "I saw it from the sky many years ago, now I want to see it up close."
Jiang Hong said, "Okay, lend me your wings, not to fly far away, just to take a turn around Litang..."
And so, Jiang Hong's bizarre poetry recitation "Just to take a turn around Litang" resumed along the journey, making Lu Xiu almost want to gag him.
"Reincarnation..." Jiang Hong mused while making a U-turn on the highway, "So, does that mean we have no connection with our loved ones, partners from our past life?"
Lu Xiu remained silent, just looking out at the bright winter sun through the car window.
Jiang Hong said, "You've seen my... oh no, Yuan Shiyu's past life, right?"
Lu Xiu, lost in thought, hummed in response.
This time, Lu Xiu didn't refuse the discussion, and Jiang Hong continued, "So, after you became a dragon, why didn’t you go see him right away?"
Lu Xiu seemed to sink into distant memories, squinting his eyes, leaning against the car window. Seeing the temples along the road seemed to stir something in him; it had been a long time since he last returned to Tibet.
After waiting a while, thinking Lu Xiu had fallen asleep in the sunshine, Jiang Hong was startled when Lu Xiu suddenly asked, "After being struck by lightning, could you still go looking for someone?"
"Seems so," Jiang Hong replied, "Is surviving the heavenly tribulation painful?"
It was a memory from over a hundred years ago, all the trials and tribulations had long passed, and the memories were gradually fading. Lu Xiu thought for a moment and said, "All my scales were destroyed. I had to wait for them to slowly regenerate. Even though I had a dragon's body, I still needed to cultivate, absorb spiritual energy, and heal. Only then could I transform into a human, but the process was much quicker."
Jiang Hong asked, "So before you became a dragon, were you a snake?"
"No," Lu Xiu replied, "I don't know exactly what I was, supposedly a 'Hui', according to the books. Just a creature, probably very ugly."
Back then, Lu Xiu's consciousness wasn't fully developed. He had only a vague memory of his life before becoming a dragon. In essence, his true "life" started from the moment he was ordained. Jiang Hong, listening to his story, realized that this was the case for most demons; they were in a state of confusion when they first gained the ability to transform into humans, like infants, but grew much faster than human babies.
"How long did that take?" Jiang Hong asked.
"Three years? Five years?" Lu Xiu hesitated, "I don't remember."
"Were you always alone?" asked Jiang Hong, "Oh, I mean, a lone dragon? Weren't you afraid of danger?"
Lu Xiu: "By that time, there was nothing that could threaten my life anymore. I just needed to grow."
Years later, once Lu Xiu could transform into a human, he chose his appearance and emerged from Yamdrok Lake, starting his clumsy search for the foolish Tibetan boy who had ordained him.
Jiang Hong envisioned a naked Lu Xiu emerging from the icy waters of Yamdrok Lake, encountering a group of herders, receiving Tibetan clothes, holding a prayer wheel, and starting to pray, searching for the child who had ordained him.
"Back then, I wanted to find him," Lu Xiu, lost in memories, said, "to protect him, to be by his side..."
Jiang Hong suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy and was a bit uncomfortable. He stayed silent, then forced a smile after a moment, realizing he had brought up the topic himself.
"Don't you remember what he looked like?" Jiang Hong asked with a hint of sourness. "Not to mention Yuan Shiyu, you didn't even recognize that I don't resemble that child."
Lu Xiu turned his head to look at Jiang Hong and said, "I wasn't originally human. At first, I couldn't distinguish human faces at all. It's like how you look at sheep; to you, two sheep wouldn't have significantly different faces."
Jiang Hong thought about it and realized it made sense. Lu Xiu, having just transformed into a dragon and spent several years at the bottom of the lake, encountered humans for the first time. To him, all humans must have looked alike, which made finding that child even more difficult.
Jiang Hong: "Do you remember the first human you came in contact with?"
Lu Xiu: "Wasn't it you... Yuan Shiyu?"
Jiang Hong: "I mean the first human you met after coming out of the lake."
Lu Xiu: "I've forgotten. It's not important. To me, there's only you... only him."
Clearly, Lu Xiu was still not getting the point and was a bit irritable. They fell into silence, and Jiang Hong thought to himself that he shouldn't have brought up the topic. Lu Xiu remained quiet until they reached the rugged mountain path of the Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends. Jiang Hong parked the car at a viewing platform and stood with Lu Xiu on the vast mountain peak.
In the vastness of the world around them, there were only the two of them.
Eating chips, Jiang Hong said, "This kind of place makes one want to jump off. It would be great to have a drone to shoot from above; the view must be stunning."
Suddenly, Lu Xiu wrapped his arms around Jiang Hong from behind and swiftly moved away from the viewing platform.
Jiang Hong's chips scattered all over him: "Ahhhh—"
Lu Xiu, without a word, transformed into a dragon mid-air, grasping Jiang Hong with his claws and flying away from the viewing platform.
Jiang Hong: "The car is still running—"
The black dragon threw Jiang Hong into the air, causing his heart to nearly stop, then suddenly transformed back into human form. Lu Xiu spread his arms, catching Jiang Hong in a freefall akin to skydiving, and casually took out his phone to snap a photo.
Jiang Hong: "We're going to crash!!!"
Lu Xiu turned around, caught Jiang Hong's hand, and pulled him close, holding him in front of himself. Jiang Hong screamed, instinctively burying his head against Lu Xiu, and then felt the warm body he was holding suddenly expand. Lu Xiu transformed into a dragon again, spiraling and swooping to catch Jiang Hong, who had just grasped the dragon's horns. The black dragon then shot up into the sky with a whoosh, followed by another dive.
Jiang Hong felt like he was on a roller coaster without any warning or safety harness, enjoying the view one moment and then inexplicably kicked off for a bungee jump the next, left only to scream.
"There's a car coming!" Jiang Hong shouted, "Fly higher!"
As they soared wildly, Jiang Hong's clothes were whipped into disarray. Looking down, he saw the serpentine Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Fortunately, the black dragon also noticed a few other RVs winding up the mountain road and returned behind the viewing platform, landing in a spot hidden from others.
"Whew..." Jiang Hong's legs were still shaking.
"Still want to jump?" Lu Xiu held Jiang Hong's hand tightly, their fingers interlocking, pulling him up to stand.
"I was just... talking," Jiang Hong said, feeling dizzy.
Lu Xiu: "Did you take a photo?"
Jiang Hong: "Take a photo? I didn't even know if I still had my phone on me..." He quickly checked for his phone, relieved to find it hadn't flown away.
Lu Xiu: "Let's do it again."
Jiang Hong: "No, no... not doing that again."
Lu Xiu: "I took a photo, I'll send it to you later."
Jiang Hong: "..."
At the viewing platform, two more groups arrived, setting up drones. Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong emerged from behind a clump of small trees, causing everyone to look at them in bewilderment. One of the young men was disheveled and still catching his breath, while the other was holding his hand, a red string tied around his wrist.
"What were you guys... doing?" A tourist asked, startled.
Jiang Hong waved his hand, too exhausted to even greet properly, and returned to the driver's seat to catch his breath, saying, "That was too intense."
Lu Xiu still wore his sunglasses, leaning against the car window, lost in thought.
"Aren't we leaving?" Lu Xiu asked, "We won't make it to Litang tonight if we don't."
Jiang Hong: "My... my legs are still shaking, let me rest for a bit."
Lu Xiu: "..."
By evening, Jiang Hong finally drove the RV to the Litang camper site. The place was bustling with couples resting, everyone had lit bonfires, were cooking their meals, greeting each other, and some were even singing. It was much livelier than the previous stops.
At 7:30 pm, with the sky completely dark, Jiang Hong reported back to his family and began preparing dinner for himself and Lu Xiu. He made clay pot rice and steamed pork, also warming up some braised dishes they had brought from home.
"No need to help," Jiang Hong said.
Lu Xiu seemed to have cheered up again, standing aside watching Jiang Hong steam the pork, saying, "I'll learn to cook."
Jiang Hong started to laugh, admitting that he himself was also not very skilled, but trying was the key.
"Are you two guys out on a trip?" someone greeted them, "Pity, why didn’t you bring girlfriends?"
Jiang Hong said, "He's my senior, and neither of us has a girlfriend."
Lu Xiu, not fond of interacting with others, joined Jiang Hong under the car to finish cooking. Once done, they returned to the vehicle to eat. Jiang Hong noticed Lu Xiu was sending messages on WeChat, with the signal being patchy.
"Should I send a message to Yuan Shiyu?" Lu Xiu looked up at Jiang Hong.
At first, Jiang Hong didn't react, then realized it was a question, not a command, and replied, "Ah? Sure, send it. Why are you asking me?"
Lu Xiu: "Aren't you jealous?"
Lu Xiu sent a photo, telling Yuan Shiyu: [I'm on my way to Tibet. The signal here is bad, so responses might be delayed. If you can't find me, contact Teacher Xuan Hezhi.]
The photo was of the Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends taken that afternoon.
Yuan Shiyu didn't reply, so Lu Xiu left it at that.
The next day, they were awakened by the bells of the Litang Monastery. This time, Lu Xiu took Jiang Hong around the monastery and then to the Eye of Genie in the afternoon, taking the day to rest. During the trip, Lu Xiu received a warning from the school - Cao Bin reminded him that he had been spotted at the Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends yesterday, which greatly annoyed the Demon Hunter Commission, warning him not to cause any more trouble.
"This is the trouble caused by a single photo," Jiang Hong commented.
Lu Xiu changed the photo to his WeChat profile picture and replied: [Understood.]
Cao Bin added: [You went to Tibet without telling me, enjoy but stay safe.]
As Jiang Hong's journey continued without issues, his parents gradually relaxed, trusting that their son could independently drive to Lhasa.
Each day, Jiang Hong sent photos to his parents and the dormitory group chat, receiving admiration and praise. After a brief rest, they entered Daocheng, where, in winter, almost all inns were closed except two, and most shops were shut, so they planned to resupply in Shangri-La.
A sudden snowstorm trapped them in Daocheng for two days.
When they resumed their journey towards the Meili Snow Mountain, Jiang Hong faced his first major challenge: the snow was too heavy, with no village ahead or shop behind, and the signal was very weak.
Wrapped in a down jacket and holding a flashlight, Jiang Hong stepped out to check, finding the car stuck in the snow.
Lu Xiu: "Do we need to tow the car?"
Jiang Hong: "Let's leave it for now. Even if we tow it out, we can't drive."
Lu Xiu: "How much battery is left?"
Jiang Hong: "Not much, 19%. Let's sleep for now."
Charging the RV was a major issue. Jiang Hong had to conserve power, planning to wait until morning. If the car was buried halfway, he'd ask Lu Xiu for help. His fear wasn't that they couldn't tow the car out, but that Lu Xiu, in his dragon form, might accidentally send the RV flying into the air due to the size difference.
After eating a hot meal of yak meat stew, the whole RV was filled with the aroma of food. Huddled in the blankets with Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong remarked, "Look, there's ice forming on the windows."
Lu Xiu: "Let's switch places, I'll sleep by the window."
Jiang Hong then moved to the outside, turning to embrace Lu Xiu for warmth.
Icicles hung outside the car, reflecting dazzling light under the bedside lamp, like a dream. The sound of the wind howled from all sides. At the national road's parking spot, there were no passing vehicles or living creatures, just the dark, ancient-like mountains and the roaring wind.
In the dark night, everything seemed to vanish, except for the faint glow somewhere in the snowy night.
"Years later," Jiang Hong said, "I will definitely still remember this night."
"What about this night will you remember?" Lu Xiu asked.
"This feeling," Jiang Hong said earnestly.
Lu Xiu didn't respond, and Jiang Hong asked, "Do you remember things from over a hundred years ago?"
Lu Xiu: "Some of it, but most is forgotten, especially from when I first became human."
After a moment of silence, Lu Xiu added, "So you see, living a long life isn't necessarily useful. Our lives are sustained by memories, and memories are slowly forgotten."
As he spoke, Lu Xiu unconsciously stroked Jiang Hong's head, gently running his fingers through his hair.
At that moment, Jiang Hong had almost forgotten everything else, as if Lu Xiu had always been his elder brother, born in the same family, accompanying each other, with all their intimate actions and emotions feeling natural and instinctive.
Jiang Hong felt as if there had always been a transcendent connection between them, as if their souls were linked in a past life or even the one before that.
"Wake up," Lu Xiu said, "someone's coming."
The next morning at six, the snow had stopped, and a passing rescue team found them. Due to the blizzard, they were actively searching for vehicles in distress along the national road and came across them.
"Thank you so much!" Jiang Hong exclaimed, "Really appreciate it!"
"No problem," the rescuer replied. "It's common when traveling. Let me register your driver's license, and you'll soon reach Shangri-La... Wow, so young, and you drove all the way from Chengdu? Impressive."
Jiang Hong brought out some liquor and snacks to share as a thank you. After the rescue team towed the car out, they left.
In the deep winter, many attractions were closed, but the continuous snowstorms had made the scenery incredibly beautiful. Upon reaching Shangri-La, Jiang Hong charged the car and he and Lu Xiu enjoyed a hot spring bath, also stocking up on supplies.
More than halfway through their single-line journey, this wasn't the first time Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu had spent time alone together. However, Jiang Hong felt their relationship had changed somehow during this trip to Tibet.
Previously, when Jiang Hong would cling to Lu Xiu, Lu Xiu would feel awkward and ask him to get off. Now, Lu Xiu had gotten used to being used as a human-shaped pillow for warmth. In conversations, Lu Xiu no longer skirted around topics he didn’t want to discuss.
Now, he would say to Jiang Hong, "I don't want to talk about this. Let's discuss something else."
More surprisingly, Lu Xiu had even cooked a meal for Jiang Hong. Although the taste was a bit off, it was clearly made with effort. Eating a meal cooked by a dragon, what an honor! But Jiang Hong was somewhat anxious watching Lu Xiu cook, almost visualizing tangled, knotted black lines over Lu Xiu’s head.
Moreover, Lu Xiu now initiated conversations more often than before, when it was mostly Jiang Hong asking questions or starting topics.
Most of their interactions had followed this pattern, but now, while Jiang Hong was driving, Lu Xiu would occasionally ask non-essential questions, like on the day they left Shangri-La, he asked, "Have you ever thought about following a religion?"
"No," Jiang Hong replied, "But as a demon hunter, I feel like I should believe in something, right? What do you think?"
Lu Xiu: "..."
Sometimes Lu Xiu really couldn't understand Jiang Hong's peculiar way of thinking. Then Jiang Hong added, "Wouldn’t it be strange for a demon hunter to be an atheist?"
Lu Xiu: "Not really strange."
Jiang Hong: "Do you believe in fate?"
Lu Xiu: "Do you want to hear the truth?"
Jiang Hong: "Of course."
Lu Xiu: "I don't believe."
Jiang Hong hummed in acknowledgment, then said, "I don't really believe either... What about you? Do you follow a religion? If so, which one?"
Lu Xiu thought for a long time before finally saying, "I believe in whichever god answers my requests."
Jiang Hong looked at him with a smile and said, "That's very pragmatic. What requests do you have?"
Lu Xiu: "Watch the road, don't look at me."
After a period of silence, Jiang Hong said, "The big boss can summon gods, we could totally go worship Chen Zhen. Does President Cao go to worship Chen Zhen every now and then?"
Lu Xiu: "..."
Jiang Hong: "Has anyone ever worshipped him?"
Lu Xiu: "I don't know. His faith isn't what you think."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, what does he believe in?"
Lu Xiu: "He believes in his own heart."
Jiang Hong: "We're in Linzhi—! I see the road sign! Yay!"
In the cold winter, Linzhi had no peach blossoms but was warmer than most places. Jiang Hong finally managed to buy many supplies and charge the car. They decided to stay in a hotel for the night.
"One king-size bed room," Lu Xiu said, tossing his ID onto the front desk.
The receptionist looked at the two men and asked, "King-size bed?"
"Yes," replied Lu Xiu.
"Huh?" Jiang Hong, holding the room key, suddenly realized that while they had been sleeping together in the car, now in a hotel they could have chosen a twin room.
"Forgot," said Lu Xiu, already accustomed to it. "Anyway, if it's cold, you'll end up squeezing in with me."
The heating in Linzhi was strong, and after having stone pot dishes from Motuo for dinner, Jiang Hong sat cross-legged on the bed, holding a transformer with a stack of talisman papers underneath.
"What are you doing?" asked Lu Xiu.
"I'm trying to make a charger for the car using the Thunder Strike technique," Jiang Hong replied. "Combining the Thunder Strike with the transformer feels so odd."
Lu Xiu: "………………"
After taking a shower, Lu Xiu watched Jiang Hong's creative endeavor.
Jiang Hong: "If I activate the talisman now, will I blow up this room?"
Lu Xiu answered, "No, but the Nine Heavens Thunder Spell would."
Jiang Hong: "Right now, I don't have enough spiritual power in my heart chakra to use the talismans..."
Lu Xiu: “I’ll try to help you later. Next semester, you have a course called 'Magical Practice Innovation,' which also studies these things. It's taught by Xie Liao.”
Jiang Hong wrapped a transformer with a talisman, punched holes in it, and used a clip to hold the wires. After much trial and error, the next day, under Lu Xiu's guidance on magical principles, Jiang Hong successfully generated 48 volts and 100 kilowatts of electrical energy.
"Can I apply for a patent for this?" Jiang Hong asked.
"You can apply for an internal patent for exorcists," Lu Xiu replied, impressed, "but you can't use it in society. Other exorcists have done this before; it's an improved version."
Jiang Hong exclaimed, suddenly remembering. He vaguely recalled seeing transformers and batteries wrapped in yellow talismans, indicating that those people were also exorcists. This was years ago, during a trip with his father.
So, it had been done already... Jiang Hong initially thought he was a genius, but now felt a bit deflated.
"Coming up with this design independently is still quite remarkable," Lu Xiu said.
Jiang Hong cheered up again and charged the RV with his homemade Five-Thunder Strike power source. Today they got up early, preparing to head to Lhasa.
This was their final destination on the trip. Originally, Jiang Hong had planned to drive back home along the northern route, but they had spent too much time on the road and would miss the Spring Festival if they drove back, so he decided to return the car in Lhasa and fly back with Lu Xiu.
As the journey neared its end, Jiang Hong wondered if this might be his last trip with Lu Xiu.
After school started, with Yuan Shiyu's classes, Lu Xiu would have unavoidable responsibilities and couldn't accompany Jiang Hong as he did now... Thinking about this, Jiang Hong hoped the trip wouldn’t end too soon.
Perhaps it should never end.
Chapter 44: Soaring
From Kangding to Xinduqiao Town, crossing the Zeduo Mountain, this place is a photography paradise on route 318 in summer and autumn. Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu encountered several self-driving RVs. The trees were draped in snow in winter, and they got out in their thick sweaters to take photos.
From here, the journey split into southern and northern routes. Lu Xiu, the trip's sponsor, chose the southern route, passing through Litang and Daocheng Yading, and finally heading towards Lhasa via Linzhi.
Although Jiang Hong also wanted to take the southern route, it was rare for Lu Xiu to choose the path, as he had always followed Jiang Hong's decisions. The southern route was tougher than the northern but offered more breathtaking scenery.
"Do you know anyone in Litang?" asked Jiang Hong.
"No," Lu Xiu replied, "I saw it from the sky many years ago, now I want to see it up close."
Jiang Hong said, "Okay, lend me your wings, not to fly far away, just to take a turn around Litang..."
And so, Jiang Hong's bizarre poetry recitation "Just to take a turn around Litang" resumed along the journey, making Lu Xiu almost want to gag him.
"Reincarnation..." Jiang Hong mused while making a U-turn on the highway, "So, does that mean we have no connection with our loved ones, partners from our past life?"
Lu Xiu remained silent, just looking out at the bright winter sun through the car window.
Jiang Hong said, "You've seen my... oh no, Yuan Shiyu's past life, right?"
Lu Xiu, lost in thought, hummed in response.
This time, Lu Xiu didn't refuse the discussion, and Jiang Hong continued, "So, after you became a dragon, why didn’t you go see him right away?"
Lu Xiu seemed to sink into distant memories, squinting his eyes, leaning against the car window. Seeing the temples along the road seemed to stir something in him; it had been a long time since he last returned to Tibet.
After waiting a while, thinking Lu Xiu had fallen asleep in the sunshine, Jiang Hong was startled when Lu Xiu suddenly asked, "After being struck by lightning, could you still go looking for someone?"
"Seems so," Jiang Hong replied, "Is surviving the heavenly tribulation painful?"
It was a memory from over a hundred years ago, all the trials and tribulations had long passed, and the memories were gradually fading. Lu Xiu thought for a moment and said, "All my scales were destroyed. I had to wait for them to slowly regenerate. Even though I had a dragon's body, I still needed to cultivate, absorb spiritual energy, and heal. Only then could I transform into a human, but the process was much quicker."
Jiang Hong asked, "So before you became a dragon, were you a snake?"
"No," Lu Xiu replied, "I don't know exactly what I was, supposedly a 'Hui', according to the books. Just a creature, probably very ugly."
Back then, Lu Xiu's consciousness wasn't fully developed. He had only a vague memory of his life before becoming a dragon. In essence, his true "life" started from the moment he was ordained. Jiang Hong, listening to his story, realized that this was the case for most demons; they were in a state of confusion when they first gained the ability to transform into humans, like infants, but grew much faster than human babies.
"How long did that take?" Jiang Hong asked.
"Three years? Five years?" Lu Xiu hesitated, "I don't remember."
"Were you always alone?" asked Jiang Hong, "Oh, I mean, a lone dragon? Weren't you afraid of danger?"
Lu Xiu: "By that time, there was nothing that could threaten my life anymore. I just needed to grow."
Years later, once Lu Xiu could transform into a human, he chose his appearance and emerged from Yamdrok Lake, starting his clumsy search for the foolish Tibetan boy who had ordained him.
Jiang Hong envisioned a naked Lu Xiu emerging from the icy waters of Yamdrok Lake, encountering a group of herders, receiving Tibetan clothes, holding a prayer wheel, and starting to pray, searching for the child who had ordained him.
"Back then, I wanted to find him," Lu Xiu, lost in memories, said, "to protect him, to be by his side..."
Jiang Hong suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy and was a bit uncomfortable. He stayed silent, then forced a smile after a moment, realizing he had brought up the topic himself.
"Don't you remember what he looked like?" Jiang Hong asked with a hint of sourness. "Not to mention Yuan Shiyu, you didn't even recognize that I don't resemble that child."
Lu Xiu turned his head to look at Jiang Hong and said, "I wasn't originally human. At first, I couldn't distinguish human faces at all. It's like how you look at sheep; to you, two sheep wouldn't have significantly different faces."
Jiang Hong thought about it and realized it made sense. Lu Xiu, having just transformed into a dragon and spent several years at the bottom of the lake, encountered humans for the first time. To him, all humans must have looked alike, which made finding that child even more difficult.
Jiang Hong: "Do you remember the first human you came in contact with?"
Lu Xiu: "Wasn't it you... Yuan Shiyu?"
Jiang Hong: "I mean the first human you met after coming out of the lake."
Lu Xiu: "I've forgotten. It's not important. To me, there's only you... only him."
Clearly, Lu Xiu was still not getting the point and was a bit irritable. They fell into silence, and Jiang Hong thought to himself that he shouldn't have brought up the topic. Lu Xiu remained quiet until they reached the rugged mountain path of the Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends. Jiang Hong parked the car at a viewing platform and stood with Lu Xiu on the vast mountain peak.
In the vastness of the world around them, there were only the two of them.
Eating chips, Jiang Hong said, "This kind of place makes one want to jump off. It would be great to have a drone to shoot from above; the view must be stunning."
Suddenly, Lu Xiu wrapped his arms around Jiang Hong from behind and swiftly moved away from the viewing platform.
Jiang Hong's chips scattered all over him: "Ahhhh—"
Lu Xiu, without a word, transformed into a dragon mid-air, grasping Jiang Hong with his claws and flying away from the viewing platform.
Jiang Hong: "The car is still running—"
The black dragon threw Jiang Hong into the air, causing his heart to nearly stop, then suddenly transformed back into human form. Lu Xiu spread his arms, catching Jiang Hong in a freefall akin to skydiving, and casually took out his phone to snap a photo.
Jiang Hong: "We're going to crash!!!"
Lu Xiu turned around, caught Jiang Hong's hand, and pulled him close, holding him in front of himself. Jiang Hong screamed, instinctively burying his head against Lu Xiu, and then felt the warm body he was holding suddenly expand. Lu Xiu transformed into a dragon again, spiraling and swooping to catch Jiang Hong, who had just grasped the dragon's horns. The black dragon then shot up into the sky with a whoosh, followed by another dive.
Jiang Hong felt like he was on a roller coaster without any warning or safety harness, enjoying the view one moment and then inexplicably kicked off for a bungee jump the next, left only to scream.
"There's a car coming!" Jiang Hong shouted, "Fly higher!"
As they soared wildly, Jiang Hong's clothes were whipped into disarray. Looking down, he saw the serpentine Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Fortunately, the black dragon also noticed a few other RVs winding up the mountain road and returned behind the viewing platform, landing in a spot hidden from others.
"Whew..." Jiang Hong's legs were still shaking.
"Still want to jump?" Lu Xiu held Jiang Hong's hand tightly, their fingers interlocking, pulling him up to stand.
"I was just... talking," Jiang Hong said, feeling dizzy.
Lu Xiu: "Did you take a photo?"
Jiang Hong: "Take a photo? I didn't even know if I still had my phone on me..." He quickly checked for his phone, relieved to find it hadn't flown away.
Lu Xiu: "Let's do it again."
Jiang Hong: "No, no... not doing that again."
Lu Xiu: "I took a photo, I'll send it to you later."
Jiang Hong: "..."
At the viewing platform, two more groups arrived, setting up drones. Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong emerged from behind a clump of small trees, causing everyone to look at them in bewilderment. One of the young men was disheveled and still catching his breath, while the other was holding his hand, a red string tied around his wrist.
"What were you guys... doing?" A tourist asked, startled.
Jiang Hong waved his hand, too exhausted to even greet properly, and returned to the driver's seat to catch his breath, saying, "That was too intense."
Lu Xiu still wore his sunglasses, leaning against the car window, lost in thought.
"Aren't we leaving?" Lu Xiu asked, "We won't make it to Litang tonight if we don't."
Jiang Hong: "My... my legs are still shaking, let me rest for a bit."
Lu Xiu: "..."
By evening, Jiang Hong finally drove the RV to the Litang camper site. The place was bustling with couples resting, everyone had lit bonfires, were cooking their meals, greeting each other, and some were even singing. It was much livelier than the previous stops.
At 7:30 pm, with the sky completely dark, Jiang Hong reported back to his family and began preparing dinner for himself and Lu Xiu. He made clay pot rice and steamed pork, also warming up some braised dishes they had brought from home.
"No need to help," Jiang Hong said.
Lu Xiu seemed to have cheered up again, standing aside watching Jiang Hong steam the pork, saying, "I'll learn to cook."
Jiang Hong started to laugh, admitting that he himself was also not very skilled, but trying was the key.
"Are you two guys out on a trip?" someone greeted them, "Pity, why didn’t you bring girlfriends?"
Jiang Hong said, "He's my senior, and neither of us has a girlfriend."
Lu Xiu, not fond of interacting with others, joined Jiang Hong under the car to finish cooking. Once done, they returned to the vehicle to eat. Jiang Hong noticed Lu Xiu was sending messages on WeChat, with the signal being patchy.
"Should I send a message to Yuan Shiyu?" Lu Xiu looked up at Jiang Hong.
At first, Jiang Hong didn't react, then realized it was a question, not a command, and replied, "Ah? Sure, send it. Why are you asking me?"
Lu Xiu: "Aren't you jealous?"
Lu Xiu sent a photo, telling Yuan Shiyu: [I'm on my way to Tibet. The signal here is bad, so responses might be delayed. If you can't find me, contact Teacher Xuan Hezhi.]
The photo was of the Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends taken that afternoon.
Yuan Shiyu didn't reply, so Lu Xiu left it at that.
The next day, they were awakened by the bells of the Litang Monastery. This time, Lu Xiu took Jiang Hong around the monastery and then to the Eye of Genie in the afternoon, taking the day to rest. During the trip, Lu Xiu received a warning from the school - Cao Bin reminded him that he had been spotted at the Heavenly Road's Eighteen Bends yesterday, which greatly annoyed the Demon Hunter Commission, warning him not to cause any more trouble.
"This is the trouble caused by a single photo," Jiang Hong commented.
Lu Xiu changed the photo to his WeChat profile picture and replied: [Understood.]
Cao Bin added: [You went to Tibet without telling me, enjoy but stay safe.]
As Jiang Hong's journey continued without issues, his parents gradually relaxed, trusting that their son could independently drive to Lhasa.
Each day, Jiang Hong sent photos to his parents and the dormitory group chat, receiving admiration and praise. After a brief rest, they entered Daocheng, where, in winter, almost all inns were closed except two, and most shops were shut, so they planned to resupply in Shangri-La.
A sudden snowstorm trapped them in Daocheng for two days.
When they resumed their journey towards the Meili Snow Mountain, Jiang Hong faced his first major challenge: the snow was too heavy, with no village ahead or shop behind, and the signal was very weak.
Wrapped in a down jacket and holding a flashlight, Jiang Hong stepped out to check, finding the car stuck in the snow.
Lu Xiu: "Do we need to tow the car?"
Jiang Hong: "Let's leave it for now. Even if we tow it out, we can't drive."
Lu Xiu: "How much battery is left?"
Jiang Hong: "Not much, 19%. Let's sleep for now."
Charging the RV was a major issue. Jiang Hong had to conserve power, planning to wait until morning. If the car was buried halfway, he'd ask Lu Xiu for help. His fear wasn't that they couldn't tow the car out, but that Lu Xiu, in his dragon form, might accidentally send the RV flying into the air due to the size difference.
After eating a hot meal of yak meat stew, the whole RV was filled with the aroma of food. Huddled in the blankets with Lu Xiu, Jiang Hong remarked, "Look, there's ice forming on the windows."
Lu Xiu: "Let's switch places, I'll sleep by the window."
Jiang Hong then moved to the outside, turning to embrace Lu Xiu for warmth.
Icicles hung outside the car, reflecting dazzling light under the bedside lamp, like a dream. The sound of the wind howled from all sides. At the national road's parking spot, there were no passing vehicles or living creatures, just the dark, ancient-like mountains and the roaring wind.
In the dark night, everything seemed to vanish, except for the faint glow somewhere in the snowy night.
"Years later," Jiang Hong said, "I will definitely still remember this night."
"What about this night will you remember?" Lu Xiu asked.
"This feeling," Jiang Hong said earnestly.
Lu Xiu didn't respond, and Jiang Hong asked, "Do you remember things from over a hundred years ago?"
Lu Xiu: "Some of it, but most is forgotten, especially from when I first became human."
After a moment of silence, Lu Xiu added, "So you see, living a long life isn't necessarily useful. Our lives are sustained by memories, and memories are slowly forgotten."
As he spoke, Lu Xiu unconsciously stroked Jiang Hong's head, gently running his fingers through his hair.
At that moment, Jiang Hong had almost forgotten everything else, as if Lu Xiu had always been his elder brother, born in the same family, accompanying each other, with all their intimate actions and emotions feeling natural and instinctive.
Jiang Hong felt as if there had always been a transcendent connection between them, as if their souls were linked in a past life or even the one before that.
"Wake up," Lu Xiu said, "someone's coming."
The next morning at six, the snow had stopped, and a passing rescue team found them. Due to the blizzard, they were actively searching for vehicles in distress along the national road and came across them.
"Thank you so much!" Jiang Hong exclaimed, "Really appreciate it!"
"No problem," the rescuer replied. "It's common when traveling. Let me register your driver's license, and you'll soon reach Shangri-La... Wow, so young, and you drove all the way from Chengdu? Impressive."
Jiang Hong brought out some liquor and snacks to share as a thank you. After the rescue team towed the car out, they left.
In the deep winter, many attractions were closed, but the continuous snowstorms had made the scenery incredibly beautiful. Upon reaching Shangri-La, Jiang Hong charged the car and he and Lu Xiu enjoyed a hot spring bath, also stocking up on supplies.
More than halfway through their single-line journey, this wasn't the first time Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu had spent time alone together. However, Jiang Hong felt their relationship had changed somehow during this trip to Tibet.
Previously, when Jiang Hong would cling to Lu Xiu, Lu Xiu would feel awkward and ask him to get off. Now, Lu Xiu had gotten used to being used as a human-shaped pillow for warmth. In conversations, Lu Xiu no longer skirted around topics he didn’t want to discuss.
Now, he would say to Jiang Hong, "I don't want to talk about this. Let's discuss something else."
More surprisingly, Lu Xiu had even cooked a meal for Jiang Hong. Although the taste was a bit off, it was clearly made with effort. Eating a meal cooked by a dragon, what an honor! But Jiang Hong was somewhat anxious watching Lu Xiu cook, almost visualizing tangled, knotted black lines over Lu Xiu’s head.
Moreover, Lu Xiu now initiated conversations more often than before, when it was mostly Jiang Hong asking questions or starting topics.
Most of their interactions had followed this pattern, but now, while Jiang Hong was driving, Lu Xiu would occasionally ask non-essential questions, like on the day they left Shangri-La, he asked, "Have you ever thought about following a religion?"
"No," Jiang Hong replied, "But as a demon hunter, I feel like I should believe in something, right? What do you think?"
Lu Xiu: "..."
Sometimes Lu Xiu really couldn't understand Jiang Hong's peculiar way of thinking. Then Jiang Hong added, "Wouldn’t it be strange for a demon hunter to be an atheist?"
Lu Xiu: "Not really strange."
Jiang Hong: "Do you believe in fate?"
Lu Xiu: "Do you want to hear the truth?"
Jiang Hong: "Of course."
Lu Xiu: "I don't believe."
Jiang Hong hummed in acknowledgment, then said, "I don't really believe either... What about you? Do you follow a religion? If so, which one?"
Lu Xiu thought for a long time before finally saying, "I believe in whichever god answers my requests."
Jiang Hong looked at him with a smile and said, "That's very pragmatic. What requests do you have?"
Lu Xiu: "Watch the road, don't look at me."
After a period of silence, Jiang Hong said, "The big boss can summon gods, we could totally go worship Chen Zhen. Does President Cao go to worship Chen Zhen every now and then?"
Lu Xiu: "..."
Jiang Hong: "Has anyone ever worshipped him?"
Lu Xiu: "I don't know. His faith isn't what you think."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, what does he believe in?"
Lu Xiu: "He believes in his own heart."
Jiang Hong: "We're in Linzhi—! I see the road sign! Yay!"
In the cold winter, Linzhi had no peach blossoms but was warmer than most places. Jiang Hong finally managed to buy many supplies and charge the car. They decided to stay in a hotel for the night.
"One king-size bed room," Lu Xiu said, tossing his ID onto the front desk.
The receptionist looked at the two men and asked, "King-size bed?"
"Yes," replied Lu Xiu.
"Huh?" Jiang Hong, holding the room key, suddenly realized that while they had been sleeping together in the car, now in a hotel they could have chosen a twin room.
"Forgot," said Lu Xiu, already accustomed to it. "Anyway, if it's cold, you'll end up squeezing in with me."
The heating in Linzhi was strong, and after having stone pot dishes from Motuo for dinner, Jiang Hong sat cross-legged on the bed, holding a transformer with a stack of talisman papers underneath.
"What are you doing?" asked Lu Xiu.
"I'm trying to make a charger for the car using the Thunder Strike technique," Jiang Hong replied. "Combining the Thunder Strike with the transformer feels so odd."
Lu Xiu: "………………"
After taking a shower, Lu Xiu watched Jiang Hong's creative endeavor.
Jiang Hong: "If I activate the talisman now, will I blow up this room?"
Lu Xiu answered, "No, but the Nine Heavens Thunder Spell would."
Jiang Hong: "Right now, I don't have enough spiritual power in my heart chakra to use the talismans..."
Lu Xiu: “I’ll try to help you later. Next semester, you have a course called 'Magical Practice Innovation,' which also studies these things. It's taught by Xie Liao.”
Jiang Hong wrapped a transformer with a talisman, punched holes in it, and used a clip to hold the wires. After much trial and error, the next day, under Lu Xiu's guidance on magical principles, Jiang Hong successfully generated 48 volts and 100 kilowatts of electrical energy.
"Can I apply for a patent for this?" Jiang Hong asked.
"You can apply for an internal patent for exorcists," Lu Xiu replied, impressed, "but you can't use it in society. Other exorcists have done this before; it's an improved version."
Jiang Hong exclaimed, suddenly remembering. He vaguely recalled seeing transformers and batteries wrapped in yellow talismans, indicating that those people were also exorcists. This was years ago, during a trip with his father.
So, it had been done already... Jiang Hong initially thought he was a genius, but now felt a bit deflated.
"Coming up with this design independently is still quite remarkable," Lu Xiu said.
Jiang Hong cheered up again and charged the RV with his homemade Five-Thunder Strike power source. Today they got up early, preparing to head to Lhasa.
This was their final destination on the trip. Originally, Jiang Hong had planned to drive back home along the northern route, but they had spent too much time on the road and would miss the Spring Festival if they drove back, so he decided to return the car in Lhasa and fly back with Lu Xiu.
As the journey neared its end, Jiang Hong wondered if this might be his last trip with Lu Xiu.
After school started, with Yuan Shiyu's classes, Lu Xiu would have unavoidable responsibilities and couldn't accompany Jiang Hong as he did now... Thinking about this, Jiang Hong hoped the trip wouldn’t end too soon.
Perhaps it should never end.
