"Sis, it’s been so many years, can your aunt still recognize you?"
Huang Shou murmured as he pulled a rickshaw, his movements showing no delay.
"I heard from my mom that I look like my distant aunt who used to take care of me when I was a child, she should be able to remember me."
Gu Tong made up a story, having spun a tale about a distant aunt at some point to trick Huang Shou into taking her up the mountain.
Huang Shou was a straightforward man, believed her story, and found his old rickshaw, ready to take her up the mountain, saying, "Then let’s try our luck, but right now Taiping Mountain is not peaceful and is very guarded against outsiders. If found out, there might be trouble..."
Gu Tong hesitated for a moment, not having realized that the security on Taiping Mountain was so strict, to the point of being wary of outsiders to such an extent.
"But luckily you’re a woman, so it shouldn’t cause any trouble. If anyone asks, just say you are a distant cousin from my relative’s family."
Huang Shou had thought up a plan and was quite thorough, fearing someone on the mountain might give Gu Tong a hard time. His character matched the simplicity of the mountain villagers.
It must be said, he was the first honest mountain folk Gu Tong had encountered.
"Thank you, Brother Huang Shou."
Gu Tong sat in the cargo area at the back of the rickshaw, lowering her gaze a bit, feeling some guilt for deceiving Huang Shou.
"It’s nothing, don’t stand on ceremony with your brother."
Huang Shou waved it off, entirely laid-back, as he got on the rickshaw, pedaling, "Sis, hold on tight, the mountain road is bumpy."
He was meticulous, even considering such minor details.
Gu Tong didn’t forget her real purpose, quickly adjusting her emotions, "Brother Huang Shou, why is Taiping Mountain not peaceful?"
She subtly probed, finally getting to the point!
Huang Shou’s face changed slightly, and his riding became more intense, recalling some unpleasant memories, his mind a bit restless!
Gu Tong felt that Huang Shou knew something, or perhaps the mountain’s secret.
Of course, she didn’t think so without reason; she had an analytical basis.
First, she remembered having met villagers who lost money without knowing events on the mountain. Otherwise, how could they gamble halfway up the mountain right after a fight occurred!
Second, Huang Shou’s home was remote, giving a sense of avoiding the mountain, yet this person connected both the top and bottom of the mountain, establishing his position in the mountain.
Third, Gu Tong hadn’t forgotten the day Huang Shou came out with the weapon! That’s something one could only do with long-term experience, and Taiping Mountain had few beasts, and Huang Shou wasn’t a hunter, so besides having some special identity, there’d be no chance to handle weapons.
"There’s nothing that can’t be said!" Huang Shou’s face turned dark, looking rather unpleasant, yet he said, "It’s just a bunch of thugs causing chaos on the mountain, fighting nonstop for years now!"
"A perfectly nice mountain turned into a development base by them, exploiting the villagers’ labor! Thinking about it makes me angry! Remembering a few years back, before they came, Taiping Mountain was such a peaceful place."
"Now, due to their troublemaking, the whole mountain is in disarray and even attracted trainees to come and take them down. I really hope these trainees can get rid of them and stop them from continuing to ruin Taiping Mountain!"