Su Lai and Da Hu on the side looked somewhat helpless.
Why did this guy have to bring up the term "pretty boy"?
Although they knew Yu Ye wouldn't actually make a move, a severe beating was inevitable.
The tractor, covered in dust, arrived at Daige Village.
As the group alighted, Su Lai handed the driver a cigarette. "Brother, have there been any outsiders entering the village recently?"
The driver accepted the cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled. "You know, lately, there have been quite a few strange people heading towards the back mountain of the village."
After speaking, the driver glanced at Yu Daohen.
The reason they were considered strange was similar to this young man.
He looked gloomy, and there was something resembling a saber strapped to his lower back.
Su Lai turned and chuckled at Yu Daohen, "Alright, thanks, brother."
The driver waved his hand and said enthusiastically, "No problem, welcome to Heilongjiang!"
Su Lai nodded. The driver then drove off in his dusty tractor.
Su Lai looked at Yu Daohen and the other two. "It seems someone has gotten a head start."
Da Hu shook his head. "I suspect the treasure is still here. Otherwise, we wouldn't have met fellow treasure hunters at the hotel."
Yu Daohen agreed with a nod. "Brother Da Hu is right. Perhaps the treasure hasn't been discovered yet."
Hearing this, Su Lai's spirits suddenly lifted. "Good, let's set off now. We won't return until we find the treasure!"
Seeing Su Lai's almost manic obsession, the other three could only shake their heads and follow him towards the back mountain.
The fields on both sides of the mountain path were all planted with rice, a golden expanse. The style of the houses was also different.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, a wide river came into view.
The four of them looked straight ahead, and in the middle of the water, there was a large cave connecting to the mountainside.
The three exchanged glances, unsure of how to proceed.
Yu Daohen said, slightly exasperated, "Don't you see the ferryman over there?"
Following Yu Daohen's pointing finger, the three finally noticed an old man wearing a straw hat sitting by the water's edge in a small pavilion, fishing.
The four walked over. Before they could speak, the old man, without even looking at them, said, "Are you also here to search for treasure in Taohua Village?"
Hearing this, all four became vigilant. The old man slowly turned his head and glanced at them. "Many people have gone to Taohua Village these past few days, but none have come out."
Yu Daohen became curious. "Oh, hearing you say that, Master, does Taohua Village hold some danger?"
The old man shook his head and began to speak. "Thirty years ago, many people in Taohua Village died overnight..."
Everyone grew curious. Su Lai couldn't help but ask, "And then?"
The old man turned to look at Su Lai with an expression like he was looking at an idiot. "After everyone died, no one lived there anymore."
Su Lai was left speechless. Yu Daohen, however, grew more curious. "Master, judging by your tone, do you know something about what happened?"
The old man seemed unwilling to discuss the matter and changed the subject. "Aren't you going to Taohua Village?"
Su Lai nodded. "That's right, we are indeed going to Taohua Village, but we don't know how to proceed."
The old man pointed at the water cave. "It's about an hour by water, but it would take almost a whole day to climb the mountain."
Su Lai's face lit up with a smile. "So, Master, you can take us across the river."
The old man rolled his eyes speechlessly. "Nonsense, why else would I tell you all this?"
After speaking, the old man held up four fingers. Su Lai looked bewildered. "What is it?"
"Four people, forty thousand yuan. Otherwise, why would I, an old man, ferry you across for free?" The old man sounded as if he had eaten gunpowder, directly confronting Su Lai.
"Forty thousand yuan!?"
Su Lai's eyes widened in disbelief, and he blurted out a curse. "Holy crap, you're already halfway into the coffin, why do you need to earn so much money?"
He only made ten thousand yuan for retrieving a corpse, but this old fellow charged ten thousand yuan to ferry someone across in a small wooden boat. How could anyone not feel unbalanced?
The old man wasn't angry. He let out a soft哼 and retorted, "What, can't this old man buy a crystal coffin? Besides, who would say no to more money? Would you?"
"This..." Su Lai was rendered speechless by the retort.
Yu Daohen and the other two beside him also remained silent.
Forty thousand yuan was indeed outrageously high. It wasn't that they couldn't afford it (those who know, know), but it truly wasn't worth it. It wasn't even as expensive as an airplane ticket.
No one's money came from the wind.
Zhang Xiaoqiang chuckled and took out a pack of Furong Wang from his pocket, offering it. "Master, can you make it a little cheaper?"
The old man raised his hand to stop him. "One price, ten thousand per person. Also, I cough when I smoke this stuff."
After speaking, the old man took out a pack of Da Chong Jiu from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
The few exchanged glances, contemplating whether they should just take the mountain path.
They really couldn't afford the forty thousand.
Even Zhang Xiaoqiang shook his head. If it were an official assignment, he could get reimbursed by his sect, but this wasn't the case.
Su Lai raised his hand and made a gesture across his neck, implying whether they should kill this old fellow.
The old man saw Su Lai's action and understood its meaning. He began to curse loudly, "Oh, you want to kill me, an old man who's already halfway into the coffin? Do you think I'm afraid of you?"