As dawn broke, Old Hu, with his simple gear, came to the hotel to find Long Xiao and Xiao Ming.
Old Hu was the guide Long Xiao hired for five hundred yuan a day. He was in his early forties, dressed neatly, and appeared energetic.
"A'Long, when are we leaving?"
Old Hu, with a slight regional accent, spoke softly, making people feel comfortable.
Long Xiao, having just finished washing up, smiled upon seeing Old Hu and said, "We'll leave right away."
Following Old Hu out the door, they got into his old, dilapidated Jinbei van. As it started moving, the entire vehicle shook and rattled incessantly.
Old Hu was a warm person and a good storyteller. Knowing what Long Xiao and his companion were looking for, he regaled them with many local legends.
There were poignant love stories, epic historical tales, and, most of all, various legends.
Xiao Ming listened intently, urging Old Hu to tell another story after each one.
When Old Hu spoke of the legend of the Ice Dragon, both Long Xiao and Xiao Ming wore expressions of surprise.
"Old Hu, do Ice Dragons really exist here?" Long Xiao asked.
Old Hu nodded and said, "They do. Many people have seen them. That Ice Dragon is like a giant python, but it has horns on its head and can swallow clouds and exhale mist. Many who encountered it were turned into ice statues."
Water energy is the coldest of the five elemental energies. An Ice Dragon must possess a vast amount of water energy to turn people into ice.
The legend of the Ice Dragon dates back over a thousand years. It is said that during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, people saw an Ice Dragon nearby.
In every era, people have seen the Ice Dragon, which is why its legend is the most prevalent in the local folklore.
Listening to the legends of the Ice Dragon, and enduring the bumpy ride in the rickety van for the entire morning, Long Xiao and Xiao Ming finally arrived by the river.
The river breeze swept past, carrying a hint of moisture that made them feel refreshed.
While there was a large amount of water energy near great rivers, its purity was too low to be absorbed during cultivation.
The battered Jinbei van chugged along the riverside road for a while before turning onto a dirt track. A few minutes later, the three arrived at the parking lot in front of a restaurant.
The restaurant was large, but had few customers, most of whom were passing through.
As the three entered the restaurant, Xiao Ming exclaimed, "I'm starving! Stir-fry me a whole menu!"
The waiter looked at Xiao Ming and said, "Young man, have you been possessed by a comedy sketch? You keep saying 'stir-fry a whole menu.' Can you even finish it?"
"How many dishes do you have on your menu?" Xiao Ming asked.
The waiter tossed the menu onto the table and said, "See for yourself."
Xiao Ming flipped through the menu, then threw it back to the waiter. "Stir-fry me a whole menu. I'll order more if it's not enough."
"Can you eat it all? If you can, I'll treat," the waiter said.
Xiao Ming happily nodded and said, "Great, a free meal! Thank you, thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, let's see after you eat. If you can't finish it, you'll pay double. What do you say?"
The waiter thought Xiao Ming would back down, but to his surprise, Xiao Ming said, "Deal. It's settled. You pay if I finish, I pay double if I don't."
Old Hu quickly pulled at Xiao Ming and said to the waiter, "My friend is just joking, don't take it seriously."
Xiao Ming, displeased, said, "Joking? A gentleman's word is his bond. I, Xiao Ming, am a man, and what I say goes. If what I say doesn't count, am I still a man?"
Seeing he couldn't dissuade Xiao Ming, Old Hu stopped trying. Long Xiao sat aside, smiling and watching the spectacle, saying nothing.
Soon, a large spread of dishes was laid out on the table. The waiter who had made the bet with Xiao Ming stood by, ready to witness firsthand how Xiao Ming would finish this banquet.
Long Xiao and Old Hu were full after eating only a little. Xiao Ming ordered two bowls of rice and began to eat with ferocious speed.
When Xiao Ming had eaten about half the food, the waiter who had bet with him could no longer stand it. He saw that Xiao Ming's speed of eating had not slowed down, and it looked like he would indeed finish all the dishes.
"Young man, you'll get stuffed if you eat any more," the waiter warned Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming turned and glared at the waiter, saying, "I'm only half full. Do you want me to starve to death?"
Watching Xiao Ming devour the entire table of food, the waiter regretted it deeply.
After finishing, Xiao Ming wiped his mouth and said, "Thank you for the meal. I'll come again next time."
"No, young man, please don't come again. I can't afford it," the waiter who had bet with Xiao Ming hurriedly said.
The three got back into the car. Old Hu asked curiously, "Young man, how did you manage to eat so much food?"
Xiao Ming patted his bulging stomach and said, "I have a big appetite. I eat seven or eight roasted chickens every meal, or I'm not full."
The three set off again. The battered Jinbei van rattled along for the rest of the afternoon, and they arrived at the foot of a small hill as dusk began to fall.
"This is the place you're looking for," Old Hu said, stopping the car and opening the door.
Long Xiao looked at the bare hill and asked curiously, "Are you sure? This should be by the river."
Old Hu shook his head and said, "There's no mistake. The location you pointed out on the map is right here."
Long Xiao took out his phone and looked at the electronic map for a while longer. He confirmed that the location Zhao Lingyan had told him was indeed this place.
It was completely dark now. Long Xiao decided to wait until tomorrow and planned to spend the night in the car.
The three got back into the car, ate some food, and reclined their seats to rest.
As soon as Long Xiao lay down, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, hurried and chaotic. Judging by the sound, there were at least seven or eight people.
"Someone's coming," Xiao Ming whispered.
Old Hu pricked up his ears and listened, but heard nothing.
"My hearing is very good, why can't I hear anything?" Old Hu asked.
Long Xiao looked out the pitch-black car window and said, "The people are still some distance away. They'll be here soon."
A few minutes later, Old Hu heard the sound of footsteps. As soon as he opened the car door, a gleaming military knife was pressed against his neck.
"Hey, everyone, I don't have any money. The most valuable thing I have is this car. If you want it, take it."
"Tell me what I ask, and I won't hurt you. We're not robbers, and we don't want your stuff. Relax," a deep voice said.
Long Xiao looked at Old Hu and saw a burly man with his face covered standing beside him.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" the burly man asked.
"We're here for tourism. We heard you can see Ice Dragons here."
"Tourism? I don't think so. Three grown men traveling together, isn't that a bit strange?" the burly man said.
Long Xiao nodded and said, "It is a bit strange. To tell you the truth, we're not here for tourism. We're here to catch an Ice Dragon."
The burly man let out a snort of laughter. "You want to catch an Ice Dragon? Even if you found one, you'd be frozen solid."
"The Ice Dragon is a legend. How can it be real?" Long Xiao asked.
The burly man looked at Long Xiao and said, "It seems you don't understand the Ice Dragon yet, which is why you ask."