After that incident, the rest of the journey went smoothly. There were no more accidents along the way.
The Thunderbolt 122, carrying its passengers, slowly pulled into the high-speed rail station in Yunlan City.
Before they had even left the station, as they walked along the platform after getting off the high-speed train, Fatty An asked curiously, "Where are we going next?"
"You'll know when we get there." Li Qian looked at Fatty An but didn't answer directly. He was deliberately keeping him in suspense, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The two walked at a leisurely pace. Along the way, his father, Li Chengyang, called. Li Qian let him know that he'd already arrived in Yunlan City.
Before long, they arrived at the taxi stand.
After hailing a cab and getting in, the driver asked, "Where to, you two handsome guys?"
Hearing this, Li Qian shot Fatty An a strange look. 'If even *he* can be called handsome, then "handsome guy" must be pretty much synonymous with just "male" these days.'
With a smile, Li Qian stated their destination. "Sir, to the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area."
That's right, Li Qian's entire reason for coming to Yunlan City was the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area.
Cloud Mist Mountain was a famous scenic area, not just in Yunlan City, but throughout the entire Jiangnan Province.
The scenic area was located in northern Yunlan City, about fifty kilometers from downtown, and was famed for its wondrous, perilous, and elegant landscapes.
Cloud Mist Mountain was known for its Three Wonders: first, the sunrise through the clouds and mist; second, the Hundred Feet Waterfall; and third, its unique Cloud Mist Mountain tea.
Li Qian's target on this trip to Cloud Mist Mountain was the Hundred Feet Waterfall.
As for the name "Hundred Feet Waterfall," it surely contained an element of exaggeration.
However, he'd looked it up online, and the actual drop was over a hundred meters, perfectly matching the topographical conditions required for the Koi Carp's evolution.
"It's a bit of a drive to the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area," the driver, a lean middle-aged man, commented casually as he deftly spun the steering wheel.
Under the driver's control, the taxi quickly left the Yunlan City high-speed rail station.
The high-speed rail station was in the south of Yunlan City while the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area was to the north, meaning the taxi ride would cut across nearly the entire city.
This drive gave Li Qian a brief tour of Yunlan City's streetscape.
'It really lives up to its name as a Tier One City,' he thought. 'Even from a brief tour like this, I can tell that its scale and prosperity are on a completely different level from a Tier Three City like Lingshui City.'
Of course, his budding knowledge of Yunlan City was also thanks to the talkative driver.
"Are you heading to the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area to do some sightseeing?" the driver asked, a wide grin on his face as he drove.
Li Qian smiled back. "We're from Lingshui City, right next door. We've heard for ages how lovely the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area is—a real must-see travel spot. So, since we had the weekend free, we decided to come check it out."
Of course, Li Qian was just making this up as he went, playing along with the driver's topic.
'The driver has been more than just a driver on this trip; he's also served as a part-time tour guide. It would be rude to just ignore him. Besides, Fatty An clearly has no intention of talking, so it's up to me to handle this sort of thing.'
"If you're just here for the weekend, you'd better make the most of your time. Half a day isn't nearly enough to see all of Cloud Mist Mountain," the driver added enthusiastically.
Li Qian found the driver's enthusiasm a little overwhelming, so he had to continue playing along. "Oh, we'll still be here tomorrow. We planned to stay for two days."
"..."
And so it went. They exchanged idle chitchat, which mostly consisted of the driver talking while Li Qian offered the occasional reply. Fatty An, on the other hand, had simply closed his eyes and feigned sleep.
After about an hour and a half, the taxi finally reached the foot of Cloud Mist Mountain. The driver slowed down and pointed. "We're here," he announced. "The main gate to the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area is right up ahead."
Seeing this, Li Qian let out a long sigh of relief and blurted out three words, "Thank you, sir."
With that, he promptly exited the taxi. 'The driver was a good guy, no doubt, but he really was a bit *too* enthusiastic. He just kept chattering on and on. Any longer and I might have had to cut him off.'
The moment he stepped out of the taxi, Fatty An—who had just been listless and lethargic—was instantly revived. He asked expectantly, "Qianzi, can you finally tell me what's going on now?"
Li Qian took the lead and started walking. The entrance to the scenic area was so obvious that, frankly, anyone with eyes could have found it without the driver's help. As he walked, he said, "It's hard to explain. And even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to picture it. Just wait. There's a good show in store for tonight. You'll get it then."
"Always so mysterious," Fatty An grumbled. "I just hope you've actually got something good cooked up." He then asked, "What's next?"
"I already checked online before we came. There are hotels inside the scenic area. Let's go get a room and rest up first," Li Qian said with a chuckle.
Fatty An's lip twitched. "What was your original plan?"
Li Qian shrugged. "I was just going to rent a tent."
Fatty An rolled his eyes. 'So, just because I came along, the plan gets upgraded to a hotel? What does he take me for? Then again, I have no interest in camping, and since we're getting a hotel room anyway, I don't mind if Li Qian mooches a bed.'
It had been over four hours since they set out that morning, and it was now past one in the afternoon. After checking into a standard room at a hotel near the scenic area's main gate, the two decided not to rest just yet.
They grabbed lunch at the hotel restaurant first before heading back. But in the hallway on the way to their room, the cheerful smile on Fatty An's face suddenly vanished.
Li Qian noticed the change immediately. "What is it?"
Fatty An's expression grew quite serious. "Those people we just passed by the restaurant entrance... you remember them, right?"
"Of course," Li Qian said, confused.
"They... they give off a really dangerous vibe..." Fatty An said in a low voice, his brow deeply furrowed.
"A dangerous vibe?" Li Qian was now even more confused.
"Let's talk inside." Back in their room, Fatty An let out a breath and explained. "You know I just awakened my Beast Taming Space, right? Well, my Beast Taming Talent is... special. It's Danger Perception."
"For some reason, those people we ran into at the entrance to the restaurant... they gave me a really bad feeling. A dangerous one."
Li Qian's brow furrowed at his words.
'If this was because of his Beast Taming Talent, then he had to take it seriously.'
"Could it just be who they are?" Li Qian suggested. "Maybe they're bodyguards? Or maybe one of them has a contract with a particularly bloodthirsty Pet Beast."
Fatty An shook his head, his tone uncertain. "I guess that's possible."
Li Qian thought for a moment before trying to reassure him. "Don't worry about it. We don't know them from Adam. Even if they're powerful, they have no reason to mess with us. Besides, we're only here for one night. We'll be gone tomorrow morning!"
Fatty An nodded. "Yeah... Anyway, let's just finish what we came to do and get out of here as soon as possible..."