Ye Tian, of course, conceded. There was no way not to since he currently couldn’t even tie up a chicken, let alone the bird on his shoulder. How was he supposed to fight a big monk? If he tried anything, he’d just be asking for a beating!
"Little master, why are there so many bamboos on this mountain? Who planted them all?"
"The master said, some unknown predecessors planted some, he also planted some, and I myself planted some. Originally, the three mountains nearby were all bamboos. The master’s master’s master said that the villagers below needed to go up the mountain to chop firewood, so later on those two mountains gradually turned into forests, planted by the villagers and also those unknown predecessors. Later, the master also planted some. But now the villagers below no longer burn firewood, so they stopped caring about it."
Ye Tian looked at the distant sea of green and couldn’t help but sigh: indeed, the saying ’the forebears plant the trees under whose shade the future generations rest’ is true.
"So, it doesn’t matter if we chop some bamboo here for use, right?"
The little monk carried a bamboo basket on his back, which contained two hook-shaped sickles. He smiled and shook his head, "No problem at all."
Actually, what Ye Tian wanted to ask was whether they could make some business out of the bamboo. But thinking again, he felt it was going a bit too far to make money off bamboos someone else had planted. Seemed a bit shameless, no? No worries, no worries, he was never one to be ashamed. Ye Tian comforted himself with this thought.
When they finally found a place to start chopping bamboo, Ye Tian noticed a tiny crack under his feet. Despite being quite small, it was certainly not something you’d just come across here, considering the layer of dead leaves was about a foot thick. A crack visible through such a thick layer of leaves wasn’t made by any minor disturbance.
After chopping two bamboos, Ye Tian excused himself to "go do something" and walked away, while the little monk stayed behind and continued chopping bamboo.
Ye Tian followed the crack on the ground to the site of last night’s battle.
What a clever tactic.
Despite the mess on the ground, these chaotic traces would never lead anyone to think there had been a fight here. Looking at the neatly tied as well as the untied bamboos, it all seemed like the work of a group stealing bamboo. The ropes and scattered bamboos gave the impression that someone had not finished cleaning up in time. But in reality, who would care about it? Even if one did nothing, who in the middle of nowhere would bother looking for some bamboo thieves?
The bamboos contaminated by the herbicide were all removed. As for whether they were buried deep or burned, Ye Tian did not know. Anyway, the scent in the air was definitely not from last night’s poison but likely from a medicine used to neutralize it.
Ye Tian saw some unnatural marks on the rocks at the site. He walked over, crouched down, and touched the surface of the rocks with his hand. They were scratches from a knife—apparently, even the corroded surface of the rocks had been meticulously dealt with by the Sixth Group. A cold smirk appeared on Ye Tian’s lips; this Zhang Liang was indeed ruthless and thorough, yet meticulously careful.
Working with this kind of person—if well managed, you get the best assistant; if not, you probably end up chewed up and digested without a trace left.
Ye Tian stood up and looked around the mess, weighing and contemplating in his mind. According to Zhang Liang, this country cannot tolerate those beyond control. Liu Zhiming was one, so was he considered another?
A controllable substance might not stay in hand obediently, but an uncontrollable thing will definitely not.
Step back ten thousand steps, if Liu Zhiming were willing to cooperate, the Sixth Group might not disagree with this arrangement. However, he did not propose this condition and left no room for negotiation. That is the foundation of what triggered Zhang Liang’s uncontrollable condition.
Ye Tian speculated that Zhang Liang found him probably because, as he said, it was the upper echelon’s requirement. If it wasn’t under the auspices of the higher-ups, in Zhang Liang’s definition, he would probably belong to the uncontrollable category.
"Group Leader Zhang, if I still refuse your offer to join the group this time, using your logic, wouldn’t that be too disrespectful?"
Looking at the mess in front of him, Ye Tian said quietly. He finally understood; what Zhang Liang said last night was just a final warning to him.
After one last look at the battlefield, Ye Tian turned around and went back to continue chopping bamboo.
Before long, when he hadn’t reached where they were cutting the bamboo, he heard the gentle and polite voice of the little monk and a woman’s voice.
Wow, has the little master developed an affection?
It was a girl with a high ponytail, wearing a gender-neutral green camouflage outfit which was not suitable for summer. However, the cooler mountain temperature justified it. If it had been at the base of the mountain, she would’ve probably been roasted alive. Yet, the bulky camo couldn’t hide her shapely figure — a form of uniform allure in its own right.
The girl in bulky camo was talking to the little monk, who kept bowing with his hands together, muttering something. From the back, the girl seemed to have a decent figure, but Ye Tian wondered what her face looked like from the front. If it turned out to be a disappointment, it might be better to race a wild boar.
Hearing the noise, the girl turned around, and she saw Ye Tian bending over; he also saw her.
Hey, what a lively and handsome face. Ye Tian was certain that this girl, if put in ancient times, would have overshadowed the women generals of the Yang family.
The girl had a strikingly good look, and what’s rare was her face carried a heroic air typical of men. The ponytail that pulled back all her hair from her forehead and temples further highlighted her vibrant demeanor. Truly a spirited and dashing appearance.
"Hello, hello, I’m Ye Tian, a pleasure to meet you," Ye Tian said.
Ye Tian’s bending over was a precaution. If the girl turned out to be unattractive, he was ready to pretend to pick up bamboo while bending down. If she looked okay, he could pretend to lift his head and see her. The old generation’s flirting wisdom really works!
"So you’re Ye Tian? The one who’s shameless and thick-faced, compelling Group Leader Zhang to personally come down the mountain to invite you?"
So many adjectives? Ye Tian felt a bit overwhelmed.