Chapter 173 Altitude Determines the Mind (Part One)
Luodong has experienced three different kinds of flying in his life.
When he was seven or eight years old, Luodong was such a shy boy. On Goldie’s back, he clenched his fists because of the tension. He was curious and nervous while looking down at Mount Qingcheng from the mid-air. Luodong remembered that he almost forgot to breathe back then.
Flying on a plane was a completely different experience. Clouds blocked his view. The blue sky was peaceful. Luodong always wanted to roll on the clouds and have a good sleep there.
Riding on Goldie’s back and on a plane were both comfortable and unmanly.
Unlike now!
Lin Luodong is standing on the front part of the Bright Sword. A light dome is around him and Lin Luoran. The fresh air in the mid-air is so energizing after being filtered by the light dome. The dome is also able to keep the strong wind out. It is indeed a necessity of flying!
Luodong believes that his classmates, who only talk about video games, will never have experience like this. He is looking down at the Great Wall from a flying sword. Lots of tourists are on the ground, yet they don’t seem to notice Luodong and his sister. This is such a thrilling and fancy feeling.
“Sister, can’t all these people see us?”
After all, the light dome is transparent and gleamy. The tourists can’t all be blind. Can’t they see that a “light bulb” is flying over their head?
There are just too many ways for cultivators to hide themselves from the mortals. Take this light dome as an example. It is cast by a water spell, which helps reduce the friction while flying at a high speed. With “Mini World”, an enchantment that is sound-proof and invisible, no mortals will be able to see this dome surrounded by Reiki. Therefore, the flying sword and two people in the dome become invisible too.
Of course, a spell like “Mini World” is a waste of Wakan when it is used while flying. It was not popular at all even in the previous world of cultivation. This was the reason why cultivators used to ride on their swords and fly in the sky in broad daylight.
Lin Luodong gets excited when his sister nods. He keeps telling her to control the sword and go lower. However, his sister, who always gives him what he wants, smiles and goes higher into the sky!
The wind is blowing. The Great Wall becomes smaller and the tourists almost are in the size of ants… Higher, higher…
Luodong feels that his heart is ponding. The flying makes his blood flow so fast in the veins! For a moment, Luodong believes that if time could go backward, he would have been brave enough to fight for himself when he was beaten up by the cripples…
Clouds float by the light dome. Without noticing, the two of them have reached a high altitude.
Luodong is not scared anymore. He starts to enjoy the beautiful view in the sky. Lin Luoran says nothing. Silence suits this moment best.
Where should they go next?
********
So many people in the capital, like Minister Chen of the special department and Mu Tiannan who has become a mature businessman, want to meet Lin Luoran for their own reasons. However, Lin Luoran and Luodong don’t go back after making a tour around the Great Wall. They buy two train tickets to Xi’an and get on the train two hours later.
In fact, riding the sword is much quicker than taking the train. However, Lin Luoran wants to help her little brother overcome his fear for the crowd. She bought two hard berth tickets.
In simple summer clothes, the two of them are still outstanding in the noisy carriage. Other passengers, who are busy organizing their luggage, can’t help peeking at them.
In the crowd, Luodong gets nervous again. Lin Luoran pushes a way out by herself — actually, most passengers make way for Lin without themselves noticing. Lin finds her bunk easily.
Lin Luoran turns around and finds Luodong at the other side of the carriage. She waves to him like she never thinks about whether he can get used to the environment and whether he has the nerve to walk in here alone.
Nevertheless, Lin Luoran does nothing else but look at him with a smile. Luodong hesitates for a moment and braces himself to start walking. However, he immediately bumps into the suitcase of a passenger.
“Pah!” Luodong is startled. He says “sorry” in a low voice. The passenger says angrily, “Kid! Watch yourself!”
Lin Luodong becomes stiff.
However, the passenger keeps saying, “You may hurt your feet!”
What? The strong man is not blaming him?
Luodong nods and says sorry again in a louder voice. He feels confident all of a sudden. Luodong goes through the crowd swiftly.
Lin Luoran watches everything that just happened with the tail of her eyes. She says nothing.
The train sets off. Lin Luoran and Luodong’s bunks are right across. Luodong wants to tell what he felt back then. Seeing that his sister is enjoying the view outside of the window, he remains silent.
Lin Luoran doesn’t prepare any snack. It’s at 5 pm. Other passengers start to eat snacks or instant noodles for dinner.
Lin Luodong seldom gets the chance to eat instant noodles because Mrs. Lin insists to prepare nice food for her family. Smelling the noodles, Luodong gets hungry.
Lin Luoran actually notices that Luodong keeps glancing at other’s noodles. She almost can’t hold back her laughter anymore. Lin Luoran is waiting for her brother to say something first.
It is at 8 pm. Most of the passengers are chatting after having dinner. Before Lin Luoran says anything, a young boy on the upper berth of Luodong’s can’t bear to see this — neither of the brother nor the sister has eaten anything since they got on the train. They didn’t even drink any water. Are they too poor to eat and drink?
In fact, the boy has overlooked something. If the brother and sister are so poor, how can they afford two hard berth tickets? He doesn’t dare to talk to the elder sister, so he thinks for a minute and waves to the younger brother,
“Hi there. Are you on a trip with your sister?”
What?!
Someone nice just talked to him! Luodong answers that he and his sister are on the trip to Xi’an.
“I see. My name is Rong Donglin. What’s your name?”
Luodong likes the boy immediately because he also has “Dong” in his name. Meanwhile, Luodong doesn’t let down all his defense. He tells the boy his name and doesn’t mention her sister, who seems to be asleep.
The two boys get along well. Rong Donglin takes out three bowls of instant noodles and says, “I will get off the train at Chang’an too. I can’t eat all these instant noodles… Luodong, my friend, can you do me a favor and eat some?”
Luodong licks his lips. Is that really ok?
After all, he is a twelve-year-old kid who never thinks much. Luodong glances at his sister who is “asleep”. He assumes that his sister must also be hungry, so he nods to Rong Donglin.
Rong rolls over and sits up. Luodong thinks that it is impolite to let the boy prepare the noodles for him, so he braces himself up and says he can go and prepare the noodles by himself.
Rong Donglin is a patient boy. He also knows to take care of the pride of the kid. Rong shows Luodong where he can get boiled water and warns him to be careful. This is the first time that Luodong makes instant noodles. He follows Rong’s instruction and puts all the seasoning bags in. He is soaked in sweat when he holds two paper bowls and goes to get the boiled water.
As soon as Luodong left, Lin Luoran, who was “asleep”, opens her eyes. Her eyes are extremely shiny. For the moment, Rong Donglin doesn’t even dare to look into her eyes!
Seeing that the young boy is awkward, Lin Luoran smiles and says in a low voice, “Good things will happen to nice people.”
What? Rong Donglin didn’t follow. Lin Luoran closes her eyes again.
Luodong is back with two bowls of instant noodles.
Luodong puts the instant noodles on the table and offers one to Rong. He leaves with another bowl. Rong Donglin looks at the woman who pretends to be asleep and feels confused — she is obviously awake. Why did she let her younger brother prepare the noodles? Why did she open her eyes and let him know that she was awake?
Lin Luodong puts boiled water in the second bowl of instant noodles and comes back. Lin Luoran “wakes up”. After Luodong tells her the story, she says “thank you” to Rong lightly.
Lin Luoran blushes. He can’t figure out why his sister, who is always kind, acts so coldly this time. He keeps talking to Rong, trying to make his nice “brother Donglin” feel less embarrassed. However, he is a kid with autism. Luodong can’t think of too many topics to talk about. Goldie is a secret, spells are secrets, and so is the flying sword. Nothing funny ever happens in his school… Luodong can only talk about the villa he lives in.
Luodong talks about the delicious peaches grow in the yard, the fruit wine his sister makes, and the flowers which always bloom. Rong Donglin doesn’t connect all of these with a huge villa. He assumes that Luodong lives in the countryside, and he is interested.
Certainly, Rong thinks that Luodong and his sister don’t seem to come from the countryside.
Luodong invites Rong to visit his house. Rong Donglin agrees. Since Lin Luoran says nothing, Rong assumes that this is just a random promise.
Soon, it is the time of light out. Luodong falls asleep with the excitement of making a new friend. By midnight, everybody is asleep.
The beam of flashlight swings. Lin Luoran opens her eyes and asks, “Who’s there?”
The man shines the flashlight on the luggage rack. He answers carelessly, “I’m looking for my kid.”
Lin Luoran sneers. Looking for a kid at the luggage rack — does the man really think she is stupid? Nevertheless, she can’t sit and watch the man take Rong’s luggage, which is on the floor.
The man hears Lin’s sneer and shines the flashlight on her. Lin Luoran opens her mouth and says, “Get out”. The man drops the flashlight and clasps his head in his hands.
Some other passengers are awakened by the noise and start to complain. The man runs away, regardless of his sudden headache.
Lin Luoran rolls over on her bunk.
The carriage is filled with the sound of breathing, teeth-grinding, and snoring, yet Luodong sleeps like a baby. In the dark, Lin Luoran’s clear eyes are wide open. She smiles.
This is a nice night on their trip, isn’t it?
