Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Lackey’s Leg Broken

"What a godforsaken place—can't even buy a damn bottle of water."

Several Toyota Prados drove straight up from the foot of the mountain to the base of the back hill. A group of men and women, about a dozen in all, climbed out of the vehicles.

Someone couldn't help but voice their complaint. From Taoyuan County to Donghe Town, they had barely seen a single shop, and even if there was one, it never stocked the mineral water they wanted. Now their throats were so parched, it felt like they were about to smoke.

"Skinny Monkey, you better not have screwed this up. Are you sure this is the place?"

A young man with a pale, almost delicate face and a hint of gloom in his eyes scanned the surroundings, frowning as he addressed a scrawny fellow.

"Don’t worry, Young Master Rui, this is definitely the place. Strong Source Company used to have a fishery base here. My uncle worked as the security captain and brought me along a few times. There's no mistake," Hou Qiwen replied obsequiously, his ingratiating smile only barely concealed.

Within this group, men and women alike deferred to the young man called "Young Master Rui."

"Strong Source Company?" Young Master Rui paused, a smile flickering across his face. "Isn’t that Liu Meijia’s company?"

Hou Qiwen chuckled slyly, his tone low and shifty. "Yeah, that’s the woman."

"You, with those skinny arms and legs, want to get involved with her? That woman isn’t one to be trifled with," Young Master Rui laughed, beckoning with his hand.

Two heavily made-up young women sidled up and nestled into his arms.

"Come on, let’s go see this ‘Ghost King’s Cave’—see if it’s really as mystical as the rumors say. Then we’ll swing by Strong Source Company and see what we can scrounge up," Young Master Rui said with a wicked grin, leading the group up toward the mountainside.

With Young Master Rui in charge, no one dared to object. The group, full of swagger, made their way up to the back hill.

By now, Lian Sheng and the villagers of Yutou had grown accustomed to the daily influx of visitors, so long as the weather held. Every day, a few groups would turn up, drawn by the ever-growing legend of the Ghost King’s Cave—rumors that spread ever more wildly in the surrounding counties and cities.

Anyone who could drive to Yutou Village to see the Ghost King’s Cave was at least moderately well-off.

Upon arrival, they’d find that the Ghost King’s Cave had turned into a sort of informal scenic spot—complete with an entrance fee. Most expressed outrage at the charge.

Of course, being angry was pointless; if you didn’t pay, you didn’t get in. And even if you paid, you had to follow the rules laid out by Yutou Village. It wasn’t just about the money—you had to respect the system.

Those who tried to act tough ended up getting beaten by the villagers. If the police from the town came after someone called them, they’d just quietly take the troublemakers away—no fuss made.

After some time exploring, Lian Sheng and his people had mapped out a rough route through the Ghost King’s Cave: it took about thirty-five to forty minutes to walk through. Only nine people could enter at a time due to limited staff, so new groups could only enter once the previous group had exited.

As Tang Long had stipulated, those who came to play and followed the rules were treated as friends and guests of Yutou Village. Whether you lingered in the cave or hurried through, it didn’t matter much.

Once visitors had had their fill of the Ghost King’s Cave, they could head down to the valley at Liangouwa to wander around.

Aside from the Ghost King’s Cave, which charged a steep entry fee, the other attractions were either cheap or free.

At first, they barely sold a ticket or two per day; now, they were organizing two or three tours daily, with ticket sales pulling in thousands, sometimes over ten thousand yuan a day.

At this rate, the Ghost King’s Cave would soon be providing Yutou Village with a handsome monthly income.

"Skinny Monkey, why is there someone stationed up there?"

As Young Master Rui led his group up, Lian Sheng happened to be organizing a batch of ticket-holding tourists into the cave. The rest were waiting in line for the next round.

"Tickets for sale?"

Hou Qiwen had no idea why tickets were being sold at the Ghost King’s Cave, but he could see the large sign from afar. Three hundred per ticket—not exactly cheap.

Young Master Rui caught sight of the sign advertising the ticket price and a sly excitement glinted in his eyes.

"Let’s go have a word," he said, heading toward the ticket guards with his group in tow.

Hou Qiwen knew it was his moment to shine. His uncle worked down the mountain, and Strong Source Company kept a lot of people in this backwater—he wasn’t afraid of the local villagers. So, he swaggered up.

"Who’s in charge here? Come out!" Hou Qiwen shouted, hands on his hips, head cocked, thoroughly insolent.

Lian Sheng glanced at the group, immediately seeing through Hou Qiwen’s bluster—he’d seen plenty like this lately. This scrawny guy was clearly not the leader.

They were all young, both men and women. They looked like trouble, but such people were often the biggest spenders.

"Gentlemen, ladies, I’m in charge here. What can I do for you?" Lian Sheng stood up from his bench and strolled over with a friendly smile.

"You? Who the hell are you? Who gave you the right to set up a toll here, huh? Come on, come over and explain yourselves," Hou Qiwen sneered, full of attitude.

Even if his uncle weren’t with Strong Source Company, Hou Qiwen wasn’t afraid. With Young Master Rui behind him, who in Taoyuan County would dare cross them?

Lian Sheng had heard this kind of talk more than once. By now, he was unfazed. He smiled and said, "We’re from Yutou Village. This is our mountain, and on our own mountain, we charge what we like. If you want to visit the Ghost King’s Cave, you have to follow our rules. The ticket isn’t expensive—three hundred each. So, what do you say? Interested in a tour?"

"Bullshit! Who says this is your village’s mountain? How come I’ve never heard of that?" Hou Qiwen shot back. "And you people from Yutou Village dare talk to me like that? Do you know who my uncle is? I’ll scare you country bumpkins out of your minds. Zhang Kang is my uncle—ever heard of him?"

The smile vanished from Lian Sheng’s face.

"What did you say? Zhang Kang is your uncle?"

Hou Qiwen grinned smugly. "That’s right. My uncle. If you know what’s good for you, clear out now—don’t say you weren’t warned!"

He knew Zhang Kang had bullied the people of Yutou Village before, and that his name alone cowed them into submission. He used to brag that within ten miles, just mentioning Zhang Kang would make the villagers wet their pants. Here, they were the bosses.

Lian Sheng’s face darkened. With a wave of his hand, several villagers armed with sticks stepped forward.

"If the dog’s leg gets broken, the village will take responsibility!"

Hou Qiwen’s face drained of color. He began backing away, yelling, "Wait, you—my uncle is Zhang Kang! If you dare touch me—"

The villagers didn’t waste words. Gritting their teeth, they charged in, swinging their sticks. Skinny Monkey was sent rolling on the ground, howling in pain.

"Help! Young Master Rui, save me—save me!"