Liu Anshan doesn't care how much money they offer. As the director of the Copper Bell Mountain Tourism Development and Management Committee, all the expenses for meals can be reimbursed. Besides, with their own leaders present, it's impossible for them to sell cold food to them.
The boss of Lakeju Guesthouse also can't afford to offend Liu Anshan. No matter how high the young man's price is, he dares not sell it to them. After all, he is within Liu Anshan's jurisdiction. If he offends Liu Anshan, there are ways to deal with him.
"Hey, I'm telling you guys, you can't finish that much cold food. I'll pay 500 yuan each, which is enough for you to make a profit."
"You don't need to worry about whether we can finish it or not. Even if I throw it away, it's my business. Who are you, a useless rich guy?"
Liu Anshan was also in a bad mood. As the director, he always had the final say in this small territory. These outsiders were showing off their money in front of him, which was really irritating.
"Uncle, Director Liu, is everything okay?"
Since Qin Yu came out, it was only natural to say hello. Mo Yongxin frowned and looked at them arguing not far away. When she saw Qin Yu appear, a strange color flashed across her face, and she said:
"Younger brother is back."
The young man wanted to argue with them, but when he heard his elder sister's words, he reluctantly turned back. Among the younger generation of the Mo family, the elder sister had the most authority, and he dared not defy her.
"What a lousy place. How can a mere director act so arrogantly?"
Although he walked away, Mo Yongxing couldn't help but mutter discontentedly.
"Mr. Qin, I didn't expect to see you again."
Mo Yongxin walked confidently up to Qin Yu, extending her fair and delicate jade hand, looking at him.
"How did you know my surname is Qin? Did you investigate me?"
Qin Yu furrowed his brows and stared at Mo Yongxin, his tone questioning. Anyone would have a displeased expression if they found out they were being investigated by someone else.
"I wonder if Mr. Qin has any intention of selling the compass. The price is up to you."
Mo Yongxin didn't care about Qin Yu's questioning tone. Her words made Mo Yongxing call out from behind, "Elder sister, is this the lucky guy who bought the magical artifact?"
Mo Yongxing carefully looked at Qin Yu for a while, pursed his lips, and thought that this guy managed to obtain a magical artifact and refused his sister's offer. He didn't seem particularly remarkable, just ordinary.
"Sorry, I won't sell that thing. And I hope you won't investigate me anymore, or else..."
Qin Yu flatly refused. He originally wanted to say something harsh, but he realized that he couldn't really threaten them. Plus, with such a beautiful woman staring at him, he couldn't utter any vulgar words. He could only turn around and bid farewell to his uncle and Director Liu.
"Elder sister, this guy is being stubborn. Should we use some means to teach him a lesson?"
After Qin Yu left, Mo Yongxing whispered to Mo Yongxin.
"Don't mess around. I know what to do. And don't bring out your spoiled ways in front of me. Otherwise, I'll send you straight back home to keep your grandfather company."
"Being with that old fossil is more unbearable than killing me. Fine, I'll listen to you, elder sister." Mo Yongxing said reluctantly. The one at home always looked down on him and lectured him every time they met, so he had to avoid that person whenever he returned home.
Having dispelled her younger brother's thoughts, Mo Yongxin led everyone into the room. Their visit to Copper Bell Mountain was not for eating, drinking, and sightseeing. There were more important matters at hand, and encountering Qin Yu was purely coincidental.
On the other hand, when Qin Yu and the others returned to their room, they didn't mention the incident outside again. After finishing a pot of tea, the kitchen finally started serving the dishes.
The first dish was stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots, which emitted a delightful aroma as soon as it was placed on the table. The dish was served in large bowls, and the fragrance made everyone's appetites soar.
"These bamboo shoots were picked from the mountains. The bamboo shoots in March are tender, and combined with their unique fragrance, they have a sweet and delicious taste. The meat is wild boar meat from the mountains, stewed for an hour in a slow fire, making it tender, juicy, and easy to chew."
Liu Anshan took the initiative to introduce this dish to everyone. As they say, people in the mountains rely on the mountains for their sustenance. Many ingredients on the local dining tables are sourced from the mountains, and city dwellers rarely get to taste such delicacies. That's why farmhouse restaurants have become so popular. Compared to the frequent food safety issues in the city, these rural dishes are well-loved by people.
Qin Yu picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and tasted it. Indeed, it was unusually sweet. It was different from the bamboo shoots available in the market. The bamboo shoots in the mountains grow naturally, and combined with the season being March, which is the tenderest season for bamboo shoots, the freshly picked bamboo shoots left a unique fragrance lingering in his mouth.
The second dish was spicy stir-fried yellow croaker. The yellow croaker, also known as yellow bone fish, had a pale yellow body with a slimy mucus similar to mud loach. It had spines on its back and two twisted whiskers on its head. Although it was not large in size, it was incredibly delicious when eaten. The flesh of this fish was not abundant, so it was usually chewed with the bones, allowing the fish's freshness to flow into the mouth. Combined with the stimulation of the chili, it was an appetizing dish.
Just with these two dishes, Qin Yu had already eaten a bowl of rice. These farmhouse dishes were in no way inferior to the famous dishes in high-end hotels, especially considering that the ingredients were sourced from the wild. The flavors were even more exceptional.
The third dish served was a bowl of cold stewed cured pork belly, brimming with a rich aroma. The homemade cured pork was already mouthwatering, and when eaten cold, it was delicious without being greasy. Despite being a large chunk of meat, it didn't feel heavy in the mouth, and everyone savored it with delight. Qin Yu, without hesitation, finished off two servings of the cold stewed pork by himself.
Meanwhile, in another room, Mo Yongxing finished devouring one serving of the cold stewed pork only to find the plate empty. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, those people are eating so many servings, aren't they afraid of overeating?"
Mo Yongxin cast a faint glance at her younger brother, who quickly closed his mouth. However, looking at the empty plate, his resentment towards Qin Yu and his group grew stronger.
"Mo Shao, there's no point in complaining. We'll probably have to stay in these mountains for over a week. We can ask the innkeeper to buy more servings of the cold stewed pork from the local farmers," He Ping said with a sip of the mellow rice wine. The rice wine from Copper Plateau was also exceptional, mostly brewed by the locals. After the rice wine was brewed, it was stored in jars and buried underground for over a decade. Then, it would be dug up, heated in the wine pot over low heat, exuding a fragrant aroma. It tasted sweet and mellow without the spiciness of liquor, but its intoxicating effect was no weaker than strong spirits.
After finishing this meal, Qin Yu had eaten a total of four bowls of rice, making it the most he had eaten recently. After everyone finished their meal, they consumed a pot of tea before getting up to head towards Nine Immortals Lake.
Upon leaving the room, Qin Yu noticed that Mo Yongxin and her group had already left. Liu Anshan had also arrived in a car, and Qin Yu and his companions entered the off-road vehicle just as they did in the morning, with Liu Anshan driving behind them.
The two vehicles drove one after the other. Soon, the mountain road ahead widened, and Qin Yu looked out and saw a massive lake stretching before his eyes. The azure waves covered a vast expanse, with distant peaks standing tall, and the water and sky merging into one clear blue scene, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere. This was Nine Immortals Lake.
The vehicles stopped at a fork in the road, and they had arrived at the Stone Cliff Peak as mentioned by Hao Jianguo. His grandfather's tomb was located on the mountain near Nine Immortals Lake.
"With green waters surrounding it and mountains stretching endlessly, this is indeed a treasure trove of Feng Shui," Qin Yu remarked, stepping out of the car and surveying the terrain.
The path up the mountain was not easy to traverse. It was the season of flourishing vegetation, with thickets of thorns and lush green grass. Liu Anshan took out a machete used by the locals and took the lead, clearing the path ahead.
However, it seemed that Director Liu hadn't engaged in this kind of activity for a long time as he soon became out of breath. Seeing this, Secretary Wang took the machete and continued clearing the path.
The group took turns, and Qin Yu, being the youngest, persisted the longest. Unconsciously, they had climbed up to the mountainside.
"Master Qin, my grandfather's tomb is over there. We don't need to go further," Hao Jianguo pointed to a nearby location on the left and spoke up.
Qin Yu followed Hao Jianguo's finger and indeed saw a tombstone and a raised mound of earth. The excitement was evident on everyone's faces as they hurriedly walked toward it.
As they approached, Qin Yu put down the machete and observed the tomb. It was a small grave, about ten feet high from the base to the top of the funeral urn. The tombstone was made of ordinary granite, covered in moss, completely obscuring the engraved characters.
Qin Yu circled the tomb, but apart from the flourishing weeds, he didn't find anything unusual.
"Based on the sand spots and ancestral energy, there should be something wrong with this ancestral grave. Why is there no sign of anomaly?" Qin Yu shook his head and carefully searched every inch of the area again.
"Master Qin, have you found anything?" Hao Jianguo's heart skipped a beat when he saw Qin Yu shake his head. Ever since he noticed the sand spots on his daughter's body, he had great faith in Qin Yu.
"Not yet," Qin Yu replied. After a thorough search, he still hadn't found anything. He then took out a compass from his burlap bag and began searching based on the eight trigrams directions.
Among the group, besides Hao Jianguo, Secretary Wang, and Qin Yu's uncle, everyone was staring intently at Qin Yu. Only Liu Anshan looked for a while, feeling somewhat bored, and turned to look at the opposite side of the mountain.
"They've developed the tourist attraction on the right mountain pretty quickly. That giant stone carving on the mountaintop looks quite impressive, giving off a sense of grandeur," Liu Anshan commented with a click of his tongue.
"Well, that's thanks to you, Director Liu!" Qin Yu's uncle chimed in and continued, "But I have to admit, that giant stone does have an imposing presence. It's facing directly towards us, and from our perspective, it does give a faint ethereal feeling."
Qin Yu's curiosity was piqued by their conversation, so he turned his head to glance at the mountain on the right. As he looked, his facial expression suddenly changed, and then he nodded to himself, muttering, "No wonder I couldn't find anything unusual. The reason is on that mountain on the right."