Among them was an elder seated in a wheelchair who looked quite ordinary, but Xia Liang noticed that Kawai Matsutake and Kurokawa Kiseki had a very humble demeanor before him. Although Kawai Matsutake explained that he was their grandfather, Xia Liang naturally wouldn't believe it.

This old man was evidently the leader of these Sakura nationals.

Once everyone got on board and placed their luggage properly, Kawai Matsutake looked at Xia Liang and said.

"Mr. Xia Liang, we are all gathered, we can depart now."

"Please fasten your seat belts, we are about to set off. It will take approximately three hours to reach Mount Hua."

After Xia Liang finished speaking, he started the vehicle and headed towards Mount Hua.

During the journey, Xia Liang watched the Sakura nationals through the rearview mirror, yet found that they didn't do much other than sleeping in their seats or gathering together to mess around, appreciating the scenery outside the window.

Three hours later, the bus stopped, and one of the Five Great Mountains, Mount Hua, appeared in sight.

"Mount Hua is one of the Five Great Mountains of Dragon Country, historically known as the 'Most Dangerous Mountain'. It connects south to Qinling and overlooks Huang Wei to the north, with a scenic area of about 148 square kilometers.

Mount Hua is also a sacred site for the Quanzhen Sect, a major branch of Taoism, classified as the fourth grotto-heaven, boasting 72 semi-suspended caves, over 20 Taoist temples, among which Yuquan Courtyard, Du Long Temple, East Taoist Temple, and Zhenyue Palace are listed as prominent national Taoist temples."

Kawai-san, let's go in; ahead is the Yuquan Courtyard of Mount Hua, a sacred site of our nation's dominant Quanzhen Sect.

The architectural style here adopts the Jiangnan garden style, surrounded by terraces and pavilions, giving an impression of seeing the big in the small. The current main buildings in Yuquan Courtyard include Wuyou Pavilion, Seven Masters of Quanzhen Sect Hall, Main Hall, Tongtian Pavilion..."

As Xia Liang spoke, he led the group inside while the old man in the wheelchair was carried on the back by Kurokawa Kiseki.

Yuquan Courtyard is backed by Mount Hua on all sides, ancient trees tower, and inside the courtyard, there's a spring, sweet and clear.

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, Princess Golden Immortal fetched water from the jade well at Zhenyue Palace on the mountain to wash her hair but accidentally dropped her jade hairpin into the water. It was later found in Yuquan Courtyard.

Thus, she realized this spring mirrored the jade well and named it Yuquan, giving rise to the name Yuquan Courtyard.

Additionally, Yuquan Courtyard houses the Xi Yi Ancestral Hall, stemming from the title granted to Master Chen Tuan Xi Yi by Emperor Taizong of Song.

"Mr. Xia Liang, your Dragon country's profound culture truly amazes me."

Walking inside Yuquan Courtyard, looking at the various landscapes, Ueno Matsutake and others felt a bit emotional.

Xia Liang smiled without speaking; if he hadn't known their complexity, he might have believed it.

After touring Yuquan Courtyard, Kawai Matsutake and others took photos for memories and proceeded to climb Mount Hua.

They crossed the Five Dragons Bridge, passed through the Stone Gate, and soon arrived at Maonu Cave.

In ancient mythology, Maonu is a fairy lady covered with long hair, feeding on pine nuts, and agile as a swallow.

Maonu Cave ahead is a natural stone alcove, atop which a temple is built, housing a painted statue of Qin Maonu, rumored to be where jade maidens secluded themselves.

Opposite Maonu Cave are two stone holes, above which lies a platform called 'Liuxi Platform, where, according to legend, Liuxi from the Lotus Lantern was secluded after being oppressed by the Three Holy Mothers beneath the western peak of Mount Hua, abandoning his official post.

Beside Liuxi Platform is the Three Emperors Platform, with seven big characters 'View First Platform for Panoramic Advantage' engraved on a large stone.

Aside from these sights, Maonu Cave is also a crucial reception center for tourists, featuring a kiosk, accommodation, cold drinks, snacks, offering a place for a temporary rest.

"Mr. Xia Liang, your Dragon country is truly eye-opening, every locale has hundreds or thousands of years of history and culture."

Kawai Matsutake looked around with eyes full of admiration.

"Glad you like it, Mr. Kawai."

Xia Liang nodded; throughout the journey, he constantly introduced the sights to the group without particular observation. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

However, noticing these individuals behave entirely like ordinary tourists, exclaiming at odd scenes, especially the few ladies, joyfully taking photos all the way.

If it weren't for sensing the malice from Kawai Matsutake and others, he might have believed them to be mere ordinary tourists.

After resting at Maonu Cave for about half an hour, the group continued their journey, quickly arriving at the East Taoist Temple, also known as Nine Heavens Palace.

Nine Heavens Palace was built during Emperor Kangxi's reign, featuring a courtyard style with front hall, main hall, corridor, terraces, etc.

At the palace gate hangs a plaque inscribed "Hua Qing Cong" by Emperor Guangxu, while another plaque "Pan Dao Lian Yun" in front of the hall was inscribed by Empress Dowager Cixi, named Nine Heavens Palace due to the sculpture of Nine Heavens Lady inside.

"Nine Heavens Lady is a revered ancient goddess in Taoism, described as human-headed and bird-bodied. She was a disciple of Holy Mother Yuan Jun, and mentor to Emperor Xuanyuan.

During the battle between the Emperor and Chiyou at Zhuolu, Nine Heavens Lady descended to earth, offering treasures like Liu Ren, hidden armor, military seals, and swords to the Emperor, crafting the Kui Sheng drum to assist him in defeating Chiyou, thus Taoist altars usually house shrines of Nine Heavens Lady."

As Xia Liang explained, the group entered Nine Heavens Palace, observing the dignified and vivid sculpture of Nine Heavens Lady.

After paying respects to Nine Heavens Lady, they left Nine Heavens Palace and soon arrived at the Heart-returning Stone.

"Heart-returning Stone? Mr. Xia Liang, what does it mean?"

Looking at the engraved "Heart-returning Stone" on the cliff, Kawai Matsutake showed a trace of curiosity.

"Surprised that Mr. Kawai understands Chinese."

"Not very fluent, but our Sakura country's text borrowed from your Dragon country, allowing some comprehension."

Upon hearing this, Xia Liang glanced at him in surprise, unexpectedly finding Kawai Matsutake candidly admitting Sakura country's text borrowed from Dragon country.

"Mr. Kawai, the origin and author of Heart-returning Stone's engraving remain unknown to us in Dragon country."

Xia Liang explained.

"These three characters are here because only at this point one truly climbs Mount Hua; right below are Qianchi Zhuang and Baichi Xia, famous perilous spots where a slight mistake could lead to eternal regret.

Thus, predecessors left these words as a warning for climbers to recognize their naïveté and avoid self-harm."

As he spoke, Xia Liang playfully glanced at the group, subtly advising them against causing trouble in Dragon country, lest regret comes too late.

"Interesting, interesting! I'm quite intrigued by these perilous spots. Lead the way, Mr. Xia Liang, I'd like to see what eternal regret looks like."

Whether responding to Xia Liang or simply interested in the upcoming path, Kawai Matsutake laughed heartily.

Subsequently, the group prepared briefly, with Xia Liang leading them towards Qianchi Zhuang.