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87: I want to go on a pilgrimage around the mountain.It was twilight.

A massive rift tore through the dark clouds on the horizon, and the golden-red sunset poured down like a waterfall, igniting half the sky.

Against that backdrop of deep ink-blue interwoven with golden-red, a massive, perfect seven-colored rainbow spanned the heavens and the earth.

The end of the rainbow pointed directly toward that legendary King of Sacred Mountains—Mount Kailash.

Its iconic pyramid-shaped peak, covered in perennial snow, radiated a holy golden light under the setting sun that one dared not look at directly.

Shifting the gaze downward.

At the foot of the sacred mountain lay a jade-blue holy lake—Lake Manasarovar.

The lake water was a deep, profound blue, resembling a massive liquid sapphire, reflecting the snow-capped mountain, the rainbow, and the sunset glow.

Sacred mountain, holy lake, rainbow, sunset.

These ultimate beauties of the world had miraculously come together in this single moment.

This scene was so beautiful it didn’t seem of this world; it was more like a still oil painting of the gods.

Lhamo covered her mouth in shock, her eyes slightly reddening.

Although she grew up in Lhasa, she rarely traveled, so she had never seen such a soul-stirring sight before.

The two got out of the car and stood in front of it.

”Xiao Jiu, let’s take a picture together.”

Jiang Yuan was dressed in casual wear, his posture as straight as a pine, one hand in his pocket, looking relaxed.

Lhamo, standing beside him, had clearly dressed up with care.

She had changed into a red and white modified Tibetan robe, tailored to fit, the fabric shimmering with a high-end luster in the sunset, completely devoid of the heaviness and bulkiness of traditional Tibetan clothing.

On her head was an exquisite white Tibetan-style fur hat, its fluffy edges making her face look even smaller, no bigger than a palm.

Beneath the brim were Tibetan-style braids woven with colorful cords, the vibrant ends hanging over her shoulders, preserving ethnic charm while exuding the fashionable feel of a modern photoshoot.

This was no casual tourist snapshot; it was clearly a professionally retouched fashion editorial in Tibetan style.

Without the slightest bit of bashfulness, she generously linked her arm with Jiang Yuan’s, tilted her head gently against his shoulder, and a happy smile bloomed on her face.

Jiang Yuan lowered his gaze, sweeping over her earlobes, which were slightly reddened by the plateau wind. Sensing her attachment, he naturally reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender, soft waist.

”Click.”

In this moment, time seemed to turn into eternity.

After taking the photo, they returned to the car.

”Jiang Yuan.”

After Lhamo sat down, her heart rate didn’t seem to have settled yet, and her cheeks were flushed. She turned her head, her eyes, clean as the water of a lake, staring straight at Jiang Yuan:

”I want to circumambulate Mount Kailash. Can you accompany me?”

She spoke very directly, saying whatever was on her mind.

Having grown up on the grasslands, influenced by that pure environment, she didn’t understand the scheming and convoluted tricks of the big city. To her, if you like something, you express it; if you want to go somewhere, you invite someone. It was that simple.

Jiang Yuan looked at her beautiful, well-defined face and couldn’t help but smile.

He liked this kind of effortless relationship dynamic.

”Sure, I’ll accompany you.”

Jiang Yuan agreed readily, but he paused, his gaze sweeping over her slightly slender frame, his tone carrying a hint of concern:

”However, can your body handle it? A full circuit around the mountain is over fifty kilometers, and the altitude is over five thousand meters. A normal person would be worn to the bone walking it, and it takes several days.”

To him, a cheater who had already broken the limits of the human body, circumambulating the mountain was no different from strolling through a back garden, but Lhamo was, after all, a mere mortal.

”The sacred mountain will protect me. I can do it.”

Lhamo turned to look out the car window, her gaze fixed on the faint, pyramid-shaped snow peak in the distance. She pressed her palms together, her eyes reflecting a near-stubborn piety and determination.

That was the confidence her faith gave her.

Jiang Yuan watched her profile and nodded inwardly.

Fine. Since she had the heart for it, he would act as her protector. With him around, let alone circumambulating the mountain, even if the King of Yaks came, he could protect her well.

”Alright, we definitely can’t do the circumambulation today.”

Jiang Yuan looked at the sunset on the horizon, the golden afterglow being swallowed bit by bit by the night. ”By the time we get there, get settled, and eat, it will be completely dark. We’ll set off first thing tomorrow morning.”

If he were alone, he would have already entered the mountain by now, without needing any rest. But with Lhamo, he had to follow the pace of a normal person.

”Okay, thank you, Jiang Yuan. You are so kind.”

Lhamo smiled happily, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

The car continued on, and before long, they arrived at Baga Township at the foot of the sacred mountain.

This was the starting point for the Mount Kailash circumambulation and the largest transit station in the area, with ticket offices and supply points all clustered here.

As soon as the car stopped, Jiang Yuan peered through the window at the world outside.

Don’t be fooled by the remote location; it wasn’t lacking in popularity. The streets were full of travel-worn people, and that bustle was imbued with a sense of pilgrimage-like solemnity.

The most numerous were naturally the local Tibetan residents; some were holding prayer wheels, others carrying large bags, their faces bearing the red flush of the plateau, yet their eyes were exceptionally bright.

Many people might have traveled thousands of kilometers, performing full-body prostrations all the way.

But what Jiang Yuan found interesting was that there were quite a few foreign faces mixed into the crowd.

Those blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners, carrying half-person-high hiking backpacks, blended in with the Tibetan crowd, looking surprisingly natural.

Jiang Yuan pondered inwardly.

Mount Kailash was considered the center of the world and the King of all Mountains in many religions. So, no matter which country you were from or what religion you believed in, as long as you wanted to find spiritual sustenance, it seemed everyone ended up coming here.

This spectacle of ”nations coming to pay tribute” was quite a sight on this desolate plateau.

”Let’s go, let’s fill our stomachs first.”

The two got out of the car, and the cold wind immediately whipped over like a knife.

They casually found a restaurant that looked quite lively.

”Boss, one yak hotpot...!”

Jiang Yuan called out loudly.

The weather here was too cold, and the temperature difference between day and night was terrifying.

In fact, for Jiang Yuan, who possessed the Constant Temperature Body Sensation, he wouldn’t even feel cold rolling in the snow wearing a single layer, but he glanced at Lhamo’s fingers, which were frozen slightly pale, and thought he had to eat something hot.

He wasn’t cold, but he had to take care of others, right?

There were quite a few people in the shop; the room was steaming, filled with diners from all over. Various dialects and even foreign languages intertwined, making it exceptionally noisy.

The two didn’t join the hustle and bustle, finding a quiet corner to sit in.

Before long, a charcoal copper pot was brought out.

The soup base bubbled and rolled, and the large chunks of yak meat emitted an alluring aroma.

The two ate this meal with great focus, without much verbal exchange.

Sometimes, there was no need to deliberately find topics. On this cold night, the two sitting face to face, listening to the sound of the hotpot boiling, watching each other’s faces flushed by the steam, was in itself a rare tranquility.

After finishing and paying the bill, the two walked out of the restaurant.

Looking at the low, dilapidated small hotels in town, some with windows even letting in drafts, Jiang Yuan didn’t even ask; he directly took Lhamo back to the car.

What a joke.

Why stay in a run-down inn that might not even have hot water when he had the guardian with its holographic projection and top-tier bed? Jiang Yuan didn’t have the masochistic hobby, and he certainly couldn’t bear to let Lhamo suffer that.

Back in the car, the world instantly became quiet.

Because they had to engage in a high-intensity circumambulation tomorrow, neither of them had the leisure to go out for a walk and watch the stars tonight.

To save energy, Lhamo washed up simply and crawled into the covers early.

Perhaps it was because she felt at ease having arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain, or perhaps it was because Jiang Yuan was guarding her side, but she slept exceptionally soundly, and before long, her breathing became long and even.