Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Chen Ji's scanning gaze caught the white tiger's attention. It tilted its head to look, and Chen Ji, pulling a wet wipe, gently tugged its furry collar to bring it closer, wiping the crab roe from its mouth. "Where's Second Grandpa?" he asked. "And Little Red? I haven't seen them."

The white tiger remained perfectly still, allowing Chen Ji to clean it. Once done, it replied, "They went hunting."

"Oh, right." Chen Ji thought, a touch unethically, *Good thing they didn't stay. I wouldn't have known how to feed them. I'd probably have to drone in food from the temple.*

The thought of delicious food at home made Chen Ji's heart ache even more for the gentle, well-behaved, and earnest creature before him. He stroked its fur, speaking softly, "Do you like fish, baby? Shall I buy you some more of that orange-fleshed fish we had last time?"

The white tiger immediately recalled the rich, sweet taste and nodded. Chen Ji hugged it, planting a kiss, then excitedly began planning their next activity.

"Next, I want to go fishing! Baby, do you know where I can find crucian carp or common carp? The fish in your pond are too clever and fierce—I just want to catch ordinary ones!"

The white tiger obediently responded, "Awoo."

"Come on, help me dig up some earthworms!"

"Awoo."

"Xiao Ba, don't be lazy either—go help!"

"Meow!"

...

***

Three peaceful days passed. On the third day, as Chen Ji drove down the mountain to town, he encountered several cars just outside Shangyang Village. The narrow mountain road was already slow, and meeting other vehicles made it even slower. The windows of those cars rolled down, and heads popped out to look back. Chen Ji surmised they were probably tourists.

His reaction was swift.

After all, it took courage to travel to such a remote place like theirs, devoid of hotels or guesthouses, and even home to tigers.

While driving, Chen Ji had Xiao Ba dial Village Chief Liu. The call connected quickly, and Chief Liu's booming voice came through, "Hello! Xiao Chen, what's up?!"

Chen Ji raised his voice too. "Grandpa, I think some tourists have arrived on the road. Could you please take charge of welcoming them..."

"Tour what?" Chief Liu didn't quite catch it.

"People here to have fun!" Chen Ji clarified. "I'll call the village committee later. They should be arriving soon~!"

Hearing it was about visitors, Chief Liu understood. "Leave it to me!"

Chen Ji hung up and called the village cadre, a recent college graduate named Zhao Ling, who had been assigned to their village. Zhao Ling was even more excited than Chen Ji about the tourists: "Ah?! Great, great, I'll definitely arrange everything! Thanks, Brother Chen! I'll make sure to arrange a guide for going up the mountain!"

Zhao Ling then added, "Brother Chen, I watched that livestream too... Is there really a tiger on the mountain? Is it yours?"

Chang Xu was a tiger spirit—or perhaps not even a tiger—and could easily remain invisible to anyone. Even if someone saw it, what then? Even if someone shot at it with a hunting rifle, it likely wouldn't be harmed.

Chen Ji reminded her, "It's spring now, and there are lots of snakes and insects on the mountain. Remember to bring insect repellent."

Zhao Ling thanked him profusely, almost bowing three times to the phone as if saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty." Tourists were coming! Their little backwater village had tourists! The hardest part was getting started, and Chen Ji had already done that. As long as they hosted this group well and built a good reputation, more tourists would come in the future. There was hope for their village's economy!

Zhao Ling's grin stretched from ear to ear at the thought.

Chen Ji hung up and mentally reviewed the situation. He had already informed Xiangxiang and the Mountain Lord at the temple. Second Grandpa and Little Red were keeping an eye on the road. Even if the Mountain Lord suddenly went wild, he couldn't leave the temple, and Xiangxiang could certainly protect two tourists from a distance. So, there shouldn't be any major problems—after all, the road from Shangyang Village to Little Green Mountain wasn't too treacherous. As long as no demons or monsters caused trouble, it was truly just an ordinary mountain.

With that in mind, he didn't dwell on it further and headed to town.

***

Second Brother stepped out of the car, zipped up his jacket, and put on a straw hat, obscuring most of his face. Several other middle-aged men followed, all similarly dressed.

They opened the trunk and pulled out several fishing rod bags, their straps taut, indicating the heavy contents within. One of the men asked Second Brother, "Second Brother, do we start from here?"

"Mm," Second Brother replied. Another man chuckled, "Fourth Brother, you're not thinking of going through Shangyang Village, are you? Want to stop by your relative's place for a meal before heading up the mountain?"

Fourth Brother chuckled. He did have a relative in Shangyang Village, but he knew this was dirty work—and not just ordinary dirty work. They couldn't risk going through the village, even if that path was easier—the creature they were after might not appear on the easy path.

It was safer to stop here.

The brothers were all experienced mountain climbers, with excellent stamina. Taking a slightly longer route was no big deal.

"Everyone clear-headed?" Third Brother pulled a list from his pocket. "Let's check the list again. The boss wants that big white tiger—one million for dead, three million for alive, but be careful not to damage the fur. That super popular fox is also a target—three hundred thousand for alive. The weasel? Forget it, too small and slippery. How would we even catch it?"

After Liu Datie returned, he edited the video overnight, and it predictably went viral. The white tiger was the most popular, followed by the red fox, then Second Master Huang, then Fourth and Fifth Grandpas. Chen Ji, surprisingly, ranked fifth. Not only did ordinary people see it, but some with ulterior motives did too.

They had come in such a hurry because they heard animal protection experts were also coming—an official organization. They had to finish the job before the officials arrived.

"Three tranquilizer darts each, fifty regular bullets each. Count them to make sure it's right." Third Brother finished and looked at Second Brother. "The guy living up there, Second Brother knows him—Chen Ji, twenty-five years old, not in great health, lives at the Mountain Lord Temple. If we can't find the targets, we might have to ask him for help... But my opinion is, avoid contacting him unless absolutely necessary."

Because Second Brother knew him, it was best to avoid him. If they asked him to help locate the animals, whether he agreed or not didn't matter—they could make him agree if he refused. But dealing with him afterward would be troublesome.

They just wanted to catch a few animals for money, not kill anyone. Killing and poaching were on different levels. Besides, they all lived locally and might even be distantly related. If they killed him and the village held a funeral, they might end up sitting at the same table eating—how awkward would that be?

But if they didn't kill him, how could they keep him quiet? After all, he knew Second Brother and had been to Boss Li's shop. If he reported them, the investigation would lead to Boss Li, and they'd all be finished... The only option would be to pay him off. But how much? Judging by how he bought medicinal herbs and released monkeys, he didn't seem short on money.

So, unless absolutely necessary, avoid this guy. Best to steer clear.

Second Brother's voice was cold. "My count is correct."

Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother also nodded, indicating no issues. The four of them zipped up their fishing bags and headed up the mountain along a small path through the woods.

After about two hours of walking, the four stopped to rest. Fourth Brother took a swig of water. "Damn, what's up with this mountain? All we've seen are some wild rabbits and birds—nothing bigger."

"Probably hiding," Third Brother said. "It's broad daylight—they're alert."

"We're getting close to the main path," Second Brother reminded them. He suddenly fell silent, listening carefully for a moment, then said, "There's movement."

Everyone tensed up, loading their hunting rifles. They stood back-to-back, looking around to see what was coming. Suddenly, a series of goose-like cackles came from afar. Fifth Brother paused. "Geese?"

Their rifle muzzles lowered. Fifth Brother complained, "Who the hell raises geese on a mountain?! Got us all worked up for nothing!"

Fourth Brother smacked Fifth Brother on the head, looking at him disdainfully. "That's someone laughing!"

As soon as he said it, the sound became clearer, and voices were distinct: "Really? If you eat poisonous mushrooms, will you really see Smurfs?"

"Not necessarily," a female voice said. "Last time I went home on break, I brought some back and accidentally ate the wrong kind. I saw subtitles above my mom's head when she talked. She said she saw me walking on the ceiling. My dad said there was a God of Wealth next to me singing 'Here comes money!' while slapping my face with banknotes..."

"Honk honk honk—!!!"

The four men exchanged glances and quickly stashed their gear. Sure enough, just after packing up, they saw a woman in her twenties leading a group of young men and women toward them. The woman's eyes lit up when she saw them, and she approached enthusiastically. "Are you here touring too?"

Third Brother shook his head, speaking in dialect. "Miss, we're just here to hunt in the mountains."

The girl looked at their equipment, her eyes shining even brighter. She switched to dialect too. "Even better! Uncles, are you familiar with the paths? Is this the right way to the Mountain Lord Temple?!"

The village cadres didn't go up the mountain much. Before Chen Ji moved back, no one lived up there anyway. Why would anyone go up to such a remote place for no reason? Asking for trouble?

"To the Mountain Lord Temple?" Third Brother nodded, pointing. "Just follow this path up the mountain! There's only one path—you can't miss it!"

"Oh, that's good then!" Zhao Ling said with a laugh, thanking them, then turned back and said to her companions: "Alright, then I'm not afraid anymore! I told you to follow Aunt Wang and the others, but you insisted on following me, and I'm not familiar with the area..."

One of the youngsters grabbed Zhao Ling's arm and said: "But we're familiar with you! Zhao Ling, I didn't expect you to come to such a remote place to serve the people after graduation. Aren't we the people? You can't play favorites!"

Zhao Ling also laughed: "Alright, let's go, let's go, today I'll go all out to show you around!"

Third Brother called out to the others and was about to leave, but Zhao Ling suddenly turned back and stopped them. She stepped forward a few paces and handed over a business card: "Uncle, this is my business card. If you have any trouble during your mountain trek, give me a call! Be careful!"

Third Brother took the business card, and only then did Zhao Ling leave.

He looked at the backs of the group of young people, then looked down at Zhao Ling's business card—well, isn't this a fine start? On the first day in the mountains, he ran into the village official of Shangyang Village!