A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

How could the country possibly ignore the 10,000 square kilometers of territory in the Ailao Mountains?

The infrastructure gene of our great Han people is ingrained in our bones; we feel restless if we don't make use of any land we see.

Look at it, even sacred places like Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain have had half of their land reclaimed and turned into 5A scenic spots, receiving visitors from all directions every day and contributing to local finances.

The Ailao Mountains are a place with high mountains and dense forests, beautiful scenery, and abundant natural resources.

The higher-ups had already devised a plan long ago—

First, designate it as a nature reserve, then apply for a 4A-level tourist attraction designation.

I heard that they've even drawn up the blueprints and are planning to build a water park, with the budget already exceeding a dozen small goals.

The project proposal was handed down, and the people responsible for its execution were eager to get started, but they got stuck at the very first step.

Why?

The indigenous people in the mountains were unhappy.

The indigenous people here are not from any ethnic minority villages.

Rather, they were the old demons who had been living in the mountains since Li Shimin ascended the throne, or even earlier, and had cultivated themselves into powerful beings.

People were living happily and carefree in the mountains when they suddenly heard that their doorstep was going to be turned into a tourist attraction, with plans to build things like a "water slide" and a "giant horn slide"...

Isn't this like building an amusement park on someone else's ancestral grave?

Illegal construction! Blatant illegal construction!

A group of powerful demons were so angry that their beards trembled, and their demonic aura caused dark clouds to linger over Mount Ailao for three days.

It looked like a major news story about "monsters descending from the mountain, causing widespread suffering" was about to break out.

When the relevant national departments saw this, they realized it wouldn't work and they needed to communicate with the authorities.

So, the special envoy went into the mountains with a mission.

He didn't bring any magical artifacts, talismans, or even an army.

They brought several large truckloads of stuff—

Zhonghua cigarettes, Moutai liquor, Wuyishan Dahongpao tea, West Lake Longjing tea...

They are all top-quality goods on the market, and even some rare items that are specially supplied.

The negotiation expert is said to be an old monk who specializes in handling "inhuman matters," and he is quick-witted and has extremely high emotional intelligence.

He set up his formation at the entrance of a powerful demon's cave, without mentioning the scenic area, and started chatting, offering cigarettes, pouring wine, and brewing tea.

"Grandpa, try this. It's called a filter, so it won't choke you when you smoke it."

"Senior, is this wine alright? I heard it's been buried for fifty years."

"This tea was picked from those old trees on the mountaintop. Only a few kilograms are produced each year. Smell the aroma."

These great demons in the mountains, some in seclusion, some sleeping, have been isolated from the world for thousands of years. They've never seen anything like this before.

What's a cigarette? Never tried one before, let me give it a try...

Wow, it's a bit strong, but it's pretty good. I'll have another one.

What is wine? After drinking homemade fruit wine, what is this white, fragrant, and fiery liquid?

It seems... much stronger than fruit wine?

Not to mention tea. In the past, when we were thirsty, we drank dew. Who knew that tea leaves could be brewed to produce such a mellow and sweet taste?

At first, the most senior and powerful old demons were able to maintain their airs and keep a straight face, saying:

"Hmph, these mere external objects dare to shake our resolve?"

"How could we cultivators be bought off by such gluttonous desires?"

"Take it away, take it away! Don't defile our sacred place of cultivation!"

The negotiation expert smiled and wasn't annoyed. He offered cigarettes and poured drinks as needed, and even left a few cases behind before leaving, saying they were "some local specialties for you seniors to try."

They came again the next day, continued chatting, and continued delivering.

Day three...

On the seventh day, just as the negotiating experts reached the mountain gate, they heard a loud, slightly drunken greeting coming from inside:

"Hey there! Little Zhang, right? Come here, come here! What good wine did you bring today? That Moutai from yesterday was pretty good, do you have any left? I have a problem with my cultivation, I'd like to discuss it with you..."

Well, I've ruined it.

Therefore, regardless of whether they are human or demon, in some aspects, their essence is the same.

The old foxes who once claimed to be "unmoved by external things" have completely changed their attitudes after experiencing half a month of modern comforts.

They met up privately and whispered among themselves:

"Well... Xiao Zhang said last time that if we agree to develop it, we can get a share of the scenic area's revenue? Tobacco, wine, tea... as much as we want?"

"Plenty of food! I heard it even has internet access! We can watch shows on our phones while lying in the cave."

"Wow—such a good thing?!"

As a result, the subsequent negotiations went exceptionally smoothly.

The powerful demons not only agreed to designate most of the area for tourism development, but even pointed to the map and said, "This area, this area, and this area—the scenery is quite nice too. Let's develop them together! Don't waste them!"

"Water and electricity must be connected! And the WiFi signal must be full strength!"

"Could you leave us a few 'honorary directors' or 'special consultants' positions in the scenic area? No need for regular office hours, just a nominal post, and we'd get a stipend!"

The negotiation expert, suppressing a laugh, nodded repeatedly: "No problem, no problem at all! You are all top talents; the country is more than happy to welcome you!"

Some monsters, having heard that the city was so lively and full of all sorts of novelties, also got interested and hesitantly expressed their desire to "train themselves at the grassroots level of human society."

The country welcomed it with open arms.

High-end combat capabilities are needed everywhere! As long as people abide by the basic law and don't reveal their true colors to scare the public, there will be plenty of job opportunities!

And so, the Ailao Mountain tourism development project proceeded smoothly in a harmonious atmosphere.

Of course, rules were also established.

The powerful demons have received so many benefits, so naturally they should do them a favor.

Both parties agreed that the scenic area would be developed according to the plan, and tourists would be allowed to move around in designated areas with their safety guaranteed.

As for those undeveloped, pristine forests, if hikers or explorers stray in, or like these college students today, are lured in by unscrupulous guides...

As long as you don't do anything reckless or court disaster...

The bigwigs in the mountains turned a blind eye, treating it as if a few ignorant little flies had flown in, and couldn't be bothered to pay them any attention.

After all, we accepted their cigarettes, alcohol, and tea, received their dividends, and even had access to their internet... We still have to give them some face.

Unlike in earlier years, those who strayed into forbidden areas generally met the same fate—

It can be used as fertilizer, and it's the kind that's all-natural and pollution-free.

Ji Zuodao naturally wouldn't tell these college students about any monsters in the mountains.

Otherwise, we'd have to go through the whole process of getting them to sign confidentiality agreements, put their fingerprints, and give statements, which would be incredibly troublesome.

Instead of wasting time, you might as well roast a couple more mandrill legs.

Without stopping, he deftly tore off the mandrill's single leg, which had its head hollowed out, and skinned and plucked it by the firelight, his movements as skillful as if he were handling an ordinary pheasant.

Skewer the meat with iron sticks, place it near the fire, and slowly rotate it so that the flames can evenly lick the gradually turning golden-brown skin and flesh.

The grease dripped onto the hot coals, creating a soft sizzling sound and releasing a fragrant aroma.

"If you ask me..."

As Ji Zuodao leisurely flipped the grilled meat, he said:

"You guys have really hit the jackpot this time."

"What's so lucky about it? Luckily, I happened to be strolling around nearby today, and I smelled the barbecue and came over to take a look."

He paused, poked the sizzling, oily piece of leg meat with the tip of a metal skewer to test its doneness, and continued:

"If it weren't for me..."

Ji Zuodao raised his eyelids, glanced at them, and the lazy smile on his face faded slightly:

"That guide you hired just dumped you in this remote mountain forest with his hungry pets..."

"Guess what, even if someone discovers you're missing after a while, and the police bring a search and rescue team into the mountains, what they'll find in the end?"

"If you're lucky, you might find a few torn pieces of clothing and a few cleanly gnawed bone fragments scattered in some remote mountain gully."

"If you're unlucky, you might end up with just a backpack or a shoe, hanging on a tree branch."

"What will be written on the report?"

Ji Zuodao imitated a certain rigid, official tone, putting on airs:

"Preliminary investigation suggests a possible attack by a large wild animal. Struggle marks and a few belongings were found at the scene. Outdoor enthusiasts are reminded to exercise caution when entering undeveloped areas and to be mindful of personal safety."

"See that?"

He resumed his normal tone and shrugged:

"There won't even be any suspicion of 'homicide,' it will be directly classified as—the unlucky guy who was carried off by a wild animal."

"My family was devastated, and the online discussion about the importance of wilderness safety lasted for three days at most, and then... nothing happened."

The college students listened, their faces turning pale then green, then pale again.

They had no doubt about the truthfulness of Ji Zuodao's words.

If it weren't for the sudden appearance of this seemingly sly but actually wicked young man...

Their fate at this moment is probably no different from that of "the unfortunate soul carried away by a wild beast".

No, it might be worse.

So—

Seeing their mournful expressions, Ji Zuodao shook his head, tore off a large piece of the roasted, crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside, and fragrant mandrill leg meat, blew on it, and handed it to Qi Qi, who was staring expectantly. He then tore off another piece for himself and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly:

"Learn a lesson, kids."

"Some bargains are simply not worth taking advantage of."

"There are some places you really shouldn't wander into."

He chewed on the chewy mandrill leg meat, squinted at the deep, mysterious, yet unusually quiet forest across the fire, and added meaningfully:

"To be able to sit here unharmed and listen to my rambling..."

"You guys should just be happy about it."