Chapter 101: The Old Fox Arrives

Liu Datie had a sudden flash of inspiration. After getting the okay from Chen Ji and the three little ones, he aimed the live stream camera right at them and dug into his meal with wild abandon, stuffing himself so full that he nearly burst.

The viewers in the live stream chat didn’t raise a single objection.

Once the meal was done, it was time to think about heading back. Any farther ahead lay the back mountains—Grandpa Sang’s territory. Chen Ji had zero interest in going there. It was a place he couldn’t handle on his own, so there was no way he was dragging Liu Datie along. He’d only sent Second Master Huang over as a courtesy greeting, a gesture of goodwill.

As long as this bunch of demons didn’t stir up trouble, that was already more than enough.

Chen Ji glanced sideways at Liu Datie, who was rubbing his bloated belly. In that condition, the big guy wouldn’t have made it much farther anyway.

Life wasn’t some novel, after all. In stories, the protagonist’s party would brave deadly perils and near-death ordeals, take down the boss, pass out—and wake up safe in a hospital bed. Chen Ji often puzzled over how those teams ever made it back home, battered and unconscious as they were. It couldn’t be like a video game with a teleport pad popping up right after the boss fight to whisk you back to town, right?

He and Liu Datie were in the same boat now. They had all that gear to haul, and even if the drone could carry some of it, they still had to hike back the old-fashioned way. Just that slanted slope through the woods on the way home was going to be a killer.

Chen Ji explained the situation to Liu Datie. The man reflexively blurted out, “I can still keep going!” But then he remembered nearly smashing into a tree on the descent and immediately deflated. “Yeah, okay.” Chen Ji strapped the baskets and bamboo shoots to the drone for a lighter load on the return trip.

As they passed through that stretch of jungle, Chen Ji gently released Fifth Grandpa back into the dry leaves. “Fifth Grandpa, we’re dropping you home. Time for us to head out.”

Fifth Grandpa nodded slowly before settling down. Its patterns blended seamlessly with the fallen leaves—anyone with poor eyesight wouldn’t spot the five-step snake hiding there.

Second Master Huang perched on Chen Ji’s shoulder, while the System Cat trotted along beside him. It had overeaten, so a little extra walking wouldn’t hurt. Liu Datie eyed them enviously. “Hey, Second Grandpa, mind hopping on my shoulder for a bit?”

Chen Ji grinned. “You’ll have to ask Second Grandpa if he’s up for it.”

“Second Grandpa?” Liu Datie sidled up with a cheeky grin, draping an arm over Chen Ji’s shoulder. “You’re looking mighty fine, Second Grandpa. How about I give you a ride? If you’d grace me with the honor, it’d be the luck of three lifetimes!”

Remembering how much Second Grandpa loved compliments, Liu Datie let the praise flow like cheap wine. “Second Grandpa, you’re majestic and stately, with shoulders broad as a double-door fridge, eyes gleaming like cold stars, eyebrows sharp as inked brushes…”

【Mm-hmm… Kid’s got quite the silver tongue…】 Second Grandpa bobbed his head, clearly delighted, a smug look crossing his face. 【That’s right—that’s this grandpa to a tee!】

“My admiration for Second Grandpa runs like the mighty Yangtze, endless and surging, or like the Yellow River in flood, impossible to contain!”

With enough flattery piled on, Second Grandpa deigned to accept. He clambered up Liu Datie’s arm and settled on the man’s shoulder, draping his nimble tail across Liu Datie’s neck. Liu Datie lit up with joy, petting him ever so carefully, his eyes sparkling. He was clearly smitten.

The System Cat pawed at Chen Ji’s pant leg. [Don’t look so down. You can carry me.]

Chen Ji shot back coolly. [It’s hot out. Walk on your own.]

[Pfft! Ungrateful wretch!] The System Cat grumbled.

Chen Ji chuckled and bent down to scoop it up anyway. The System Cat, ever obliging, planted its back paws on his arm and swung itself onto his shoulder like a dangling sandbag, head pointed downward. Chen Ji gave its plush back fur a rub. [You gonna hurl?]

[Nope. I’m not a real cat, after all.] The System Cat paused, then added, [If I do, I’ll jump down first. Won’t spew on you.]

Where else could you find a cat this well-behaved?

Chen Ji was thoroughly pleased.

It took the pair more than an hour to reach the slope again. Liu Datie eyed it and felt his legs go weak. Chen Ji was just about to climb up and haul him with a rope when he noticed something off about the hillside. A closer look revealed several small platforms crudely carved into the slope like makeshift steps. He let out a soft chuckle—he had a pretty good idea who’d done it.

He tested the climb first. The steps weren’t fancy, but they beat a sheer incline by miles. Halfway up, he descended and beckoned Liu Datie to follow.

Liu Datie didn’t believe it at first. Once Chen Ji pointed them out, he gawked. “Wait, why didn’t we take the steps on the way down?”

Chen Ji kept a straight face. “Rolling’s quicker than walking.”

Liu Datie was stumped for a retort, and the barrage exploded with laughter.

{Reasonable suspicion the Big Druid just wanted to watch Da Tie make a fool of himself.}

{Probably used to flying straight down. Da Tie’s presence must be a real headache for the senior brother!}

{Maybe they always rode mounts before.}

The viewers loved their jokes, but Liu Datie was used to it by now and brushed it off with a laugh. “Why do you guys call my bro the Big Druid, anyway? Though yeah, he does have a way with animals.”

“Alright, no more chit-chat—I’m climbing!”

With the steps, Liu Datie summited without a hitch. Before long, the pair spotted the eaves of the Mountain Lord Temple. Liu Datie wiped the sweat from his brow. “All I wanna do when we get back is shower and crash… Bro, what do you usually do around this time?”

Chen Ji played along. “Nap till about four, chill a bit, make dinner, pay respects to the Mountain Lord, then game or hit the sack.”

Liu Datie pictured that routine and felt a strange pang of envy. “Bro, you living off savings these days? That enough to get by?”

“Sometimes there’s a little income, but it’s fine.” Chen Ji shrugged casually. “Don’t worry—there’s always plenty of food on the table.”

{Ah, yeah yeah, not much, but express shipping starts at two grand, right?}

{Eating your fill means feasting on mountain delicacies worth hundreds per pound?}

Liu Datie remembered the king crab in Chen Ji’s fridge and burst out laughing. They bantered idly a bit more before reaching the Mountain God Temple—and were surprised to find three people waiting at the entrance.

Chen Ji took a closer look and saw it was Daoist Qingjing with two unfamiliar men in suits.

“Daoist!” Chen Ji called out first, then murmured to Liu Datie, “Daoist’s not big on streaming. Keep the camera off his face.”

“You got it!” Liu Datie swung the camera aside.

Seeing the stranger with the selfie stick, Daoist Qingjing knew conversation would be awkward. He called back from afar. Only when they drew near did he speak. “These two pilgrims insisted on coming to offer incense, so I brought them along.”

Chen Ji smiled. “Why not wait inside?”

The courtyard buzzed with workers still hard at labor.

Daoist Qingjing snorted. “Without your say-so? As if I’d dare.” He tilted his head, prompting an introduction. Chen Ji obliged. “Friend of mine, does live streams. Staying a couple days.”

“Oh, gotcha.” Daoist Qingjing nodded at Liu Datie in greeting before heading inside with Chen Ji. The two pilgrims hung back, stiff and ill at ease. Chen Ji sized them up and knew the score right away. What normal devotee hikes two hours up the mountain in a suit and dress shoes just to burn incense?

Feeling too comfortable in life, were they?

Liu Datie knew when to bow out. With a grin, he said, “I won’t intrude then. I’m beat—gonna rest up. Holler if you need help with dinner, bro!”

“Will do. No holding back.” Chen Ji nodded. Second Master Huang leaped from Liu Datie’s shoulder to his. Daoist Qingjing instinctively sidestepped half a pace to dodge the fox. Chen Ji rubbed Second Master Huang’s head with a smile. “Second Grandpa’s got a good temper. No need to jump every time.”

Daoist Qingjing, who had been fox-napped up the mountain and nearly thought his end was nigh, respectfully declined to test that theory.

Since the men were there for incense, Chen Ji duly led them to the main hall. Daoist Qingjing tagged along and went through the motions too. When in someone else’s home, it paid to greet the master of the house properly, after all.

“Take the incense and bow three times.” Chen Ji handed it out. The suited men exchanged a glance, paid their respects, then stuffed a thick wad of cash into the Merit Box before following Chen Ji to the side hall for tea.

As Chen Ji went to brew it, Daoist Qingjing trailed after and filled him in. “Folks from those two S City families… They’re on their last legs, come begging you for a lifeline.”

“My ancestor’s orders—I couldn’t just say no.” Daoist Qingjing nudged Chen Ji with an elbow. “You get the picture.”

Meaning: orders were orders, he’d brought them, but whatever happened next was on Chen Ji.

Chen Ji had suspected as much. He chuckled lightly. “I figured it’d be their parents showing up.”

“And risk you snapping and wiping out the whole family?” Daoist Qingjing shrugged. Once you were on Little Azure Mountain, Chen Ji had endless ways to make someone vanish without a trace. People got lost on trails, bitten by snakes, stung by bugs, plummeted off cliffs. A helicopter? Even better—one crash and done.

“Am I that vicious?” Chen Ji asked.

They probably wanted to negotiate but were too scared to send anyone important, so these underlings were testing the waters. If talks seemed possible, they’d keep going. If Chen Ji stonewalled, no one big would risk it.

The pair returned with tea. The suited men rose to receive the cups. Daoist Qingjing cut to the chase. “No beating around the bush. Skip the pleasantries—we’ve gotta be down the mountain before dark.”

The men nodded. One spoke up. “Hello, Mr. Chen. I’m Zhao Fei, sent by the Yun, Xiao, and Zhou families. We’d like to discuss a business deal with you.”

“The terms are exceptionally generous. Please consider it.”

He handed over a document. Chen Ji took it and scanned the contents. In essence, it was an investment proposal led by the Yun, Xiao, and Zhou families to develop Little Azure Mountain and the surrounding villages: building roads up the mountain, rebuilding the Mountain Lord Temple, refurbishing farmstay homes in Shangyang Village—even handling operations and promotion for the first three years after completion.

The contract meticulously outlined the profit-sharing arrangement between the investors and Chen Ji. The Yun, Xiao, and Zhou families would each claim 10 percent of the revenue, with another 10 percent allocated to Shangyang Village. The remaining 60 percent would go straight to Chen Ji. The document went on to detail the projected earnings once the project was up and running.

All Chen Ji needed to do was give his approval for them to start development. He wouldn’t have to lift a finger for anything else—the three families would handle it all.

Chen Ji closed the contract.

These three families had likely spotted him through the live stream. They’d noticed he had even permitted Liu Datie’s broadcast from the mountain, which led them to piece together his intentions. They’d promptly dispatched someone with this contract to negotiate. As long as Chen Ji ensured the safety of those three young masters, everything would unfold exactly as he desired.

—All old foxes.