Chapter Ninety-Four: The Great Sage Sun

The final bill came to twenty-six thousand, which was something of a pleasant surprise—a decent first taste.

Back at the Taikoo Hotel, the girl was very shy. Half resisting and half yielding, she ended up sharing a bath with him, and before long one round was finished in the old-man-pushing-cart position.

When it was over, she carefully helped Zhuang Chen clean himself up, then curled beside him like a kitten, lightly tracing circles with her finger, her ears flushed pink, who knew what she was thinking.

Matters of that sort were entirely mutual, so Zhuang Chen could not be bothered to ask further, and soon drifted off to sleep. The next morning they set out for Mount Emei to soak in the hot springs.

On the road, Feifei kept her head down, busily checking travel guides on her phone. Though she had been there once before, she was no professional guide, and was terrified of making a mistake.

Seeing the girl look so solemn, Xia Long could not help comforting her. “Don’t worry. I spent half a year around Mount Emei, so I know it fairly well.”

The girl looked up gratefully. “That’s a relief. I’ll prepare the travel notes first, and if anything’s wrong, you can correct me later.”

After saying that, she went right back to her hard work. Xia Long shook his head helplessly, and Zhuang Chen said casually, “We’re mainly here for the hot springs. As long as you can find a good hotel, that’s enough.”

They had set out late today, so there was no chance of catching the sunrise or the sea of clouds. They would wait and see tomorrow morning if there was time. By car they first went to Qingyin Pavilion and Wannian Temple, then began hiking toward Leidongping, and after that took the cable car up to the Golden Summit. After sightseeing, they would ride the cable car back down to Leidongping.

They climbed slowly up the mountain. There was no need to mention Xia Long and Xia Hu; Zhuang Chen’s stamina was good as well. Feifei, on the other hand, often dragged them down, since she did not usually get much exercise.

As he looked along the way, Zhuang Chen felt that Mount Emei was defined above all by its beauty. The vegetation was lush, everything everywhere green and thriving. Lying in the southwest of the basin, it received abundant rainfall all year round, and the great mountains were cloaked quite tightly, unlike the clear, open views of Huangshan or Mount Hua.

At an altitude of more than three thousand meters, mist rose from the valleys and became cloud, drifting among the peaks. The whole mountain was wrapped all year long in fog and vapor, half-hidden and half-revealed, like a beauty holding a lute behind a screen—dreamlike, fantastical, and full of immortal grace.

Sichuan is rich in sacred peaks;
of them all, Emei stands unmatched.

The land is anchored by divine splendor,
its green haze rising over Emei.

From the summit one looks down on the clear sky,
pointing out a thousand peaks and ten thousand sheer cliffs.

Auspicious light carries the grandeur of the scene,
piercing the rolling sea of clouds.

Halfway up, they met an old grandmother selling bamboo walking sticks, two yuan apiece. After Xia Long bought some, he handed one to Zhuang Chen and said, “This is a good thing. Not only can you use it as a walking stick when climbing, it can also protect you if we run into a rogue monkey later!”

Zhuang Chen was startled. Taking it, he said skeptically, “I’ve heard there are a lot of monkeys on Mount Emei, but is it really that bad?”

“You bet it is!” Xia Hu said quickly. “The monkeys up there are all practically enlightened. They’re probably distant relatives who ran down from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.”

Everyone burst out laughing. Xia Long explained, “The wild monkey troops are mainly found along the One-Line Sky at Qingyin Pavilion, Hongchun Terrace, Nine-Old Caves, and the Elephant-Washing Pool. They’ve been in contact with tourists for years, so they’re used to people long ago. They swagger right through the crowds and shamelessly hold out their hands for food.”

“Those fellows are all playful and mischievous, plump and adorable, and very human in the way they behave. They are not startled by people, they are friendly with people, and they enjoy people’s company. They bring visitors endless amusement, and in these past years they’ve become one of Mount Emei’s living sights.”

Seeing that Zhuang Chen still looked half unconvinced, he added a reminder. “Feeding monkeys has its rules. It’s best to have the food in your hand first; when you see a monkey, toss it to them, or let the monkey come up and take it itself. After you give them something, clap your hands to show that it’s gone.”

“If you take something out of your bag in front of a monkey, don’t forget to turn the bag inside out afterward and show them it’s empty. Otherwise those fellows will definitely push their luck and come rummaging through your bag without the slightest politeness.”

“Don’t touch the monkeys, don’t make eye contact, and absolutely don’t provoke them. Especially don’t pet the little ones just because they’re cute, or you may very well get jumped by a whole troop of adults. You can’t hit them, either—they’re nationally protected Class II animals!”

Seeing how serious Xia Long looked, Zhuang Chen could only sigh. “If I can’t fight them, can’t I at least avoid them?”

“Boss, you’re far too young,” Xia Hu said with a wry smile. “On the mountain paths in the monkey zone, whether you’re feeding them or just passing through, you have to act completely casual. Don’t show the slightest fear. Those monkeys are clever little devils; they bully the weak and fear the strong. Even after they’ve eaten, they’re still not satisfied, and who knows—they might even frisk you.”

“Some of the older monkeys are especially lecherous. When they see female tourists dressed in bright clothes, they like to get handsy and start pawing and tugging.” He looked at Feifei and warned her, “Don’t tease the monkeys. They’re all experienced old perverts!”

The girl shivered. Xia Long handed her the bamboo stick and comforted her, “Their one weakness is that they’re afraid of walking sticks. When the staff want to drive the monkeys away, they just tap the stick on the ground a few times and it works right away. Be careful later.”

As they continued climbing, Xia Long recalled, “Those fellows are also afraid of one kind of person—trash pickers. I don’t know why, but wherever someone collecting garbage passes by, the whole monkey troop scatters. It’s hilarious.”

As they climbed higher, they passed many farmhouses. There were villages in the mountains, home to more than twenty thousand people, unlike the Five Sacred Mountains, where only monks and Daoist priests live. They often encountered grandparents out cutting pig fodder, the old with white hair and the young with downy hair, a scene of domestic bliss.

Everywhere there were Chinese rural dogs, in pairs or in packs, as if all of them knew one another. They roamed together, slept together, and moved as one. Passing the pavilion in the middle of the road, a monkey suddenly sprang out from somewhere and snatched the dry rations that an old man had brought for his rest stop. The old man was not angry at all; instead, he was delighted.

Xia Long smiled and explained, “Mount Emei is one of the four great Buddhist mountains. Monkeys are spiritual creatures too. If they come asking you for alms, it means you have merit.”

The plank roads in and out of the route were staggered in graceful order, letting them enjoy the refreshing sound of running streams all the way. On the narrow mountain road, sedan chairs passed one another in opposite directions.

Xia Long ran to a little shop and bought several bags of snacks, handing them out to the others. “Once we cross this bridge, we’re in the ecological monkey zone. Hold on to your weapons. Those little hooligans love nothing more than clinging to your leg and acting cute, staring at you as if to say, kind-hearted folks, spare us a bite to eat!”

“So let’s just spend a little money to buy peace. Later, obediently hand over the toll to the Monkey King. Those bandits have been at this for ages, and if they don’t see snacks, they won’t let go. Utterly shameless.”