Chapter 7

When Feng Yi woke up, the "genealogy" that had been spread out was already closed.

The upper layer of the stone platform had returned to its original state, sealing the "genealogy" inside.

The stone pillar slowly sank until it merged with the ground.

Feng Yi squatted down and examined it carefully, even worrying that his eyes might be deceiving him, so he took out his phone and used the high-definition camera to zoom in and see every detail of the ground.

However, whether with his naked eye or the high-definition camera on his phone, all he saw and captured was a completely smooth ground without any fine lines, let alone cracks.

It was as if everything he had experienced was just an illusion.

He searched the room thoroughly several times but still found no suspicious traces.

Feng Yi checked the time on his phone.

He had actually stayed there all night!

It was now 7:00 AM the next morning!

He must have stood there all night, yet his body felt no stiffness or discomfort!

Finding no more clues, Feng Yi could only give up and walk towards the door in the wall.

The door moved aside automatically.

As he approached the door, the lights in the room turned off one by one, and by the time he stepped out, the door closed automatically, leaving the secret room in complete darkness.

Stepping out of the house, he heard some commotion in the courtyard outside.

"Good morning, Uncle Ya. Is it foggy?" Feng Yi said.

"It will clear up soon," Uncle Ya's phone replied.

The fog blocked the sunlight, but the morning glow was already visible, shining through the gradually thinning mist, casting an orange-red light.

The various flowers and trees in the old house's courtyard were covered with water droplets on their leaves, and the soil, which had been dry and hard the day before, was now either turned to mud or changed shape due to the moisture.

"Did it rain last night?" Feng Yi was surprised. He had checked the weather forecast, which clearly said it would be sunny for the next two days!

However, someone had mentioned to him that the weather on the mountain was unpredictable and could change at any time, and the local weather forecast often changed several times a day.

So, Feng Yi just asked casually.

Uncle Ya took out his phone and quickly typed, converting it to voice: "Breakfast is baozi and noodles, in the kitchen. Go and eat them yourself. They're all for you, don't go hungry, eat them all! I'm going to the tea garden to pick some tea leaves."

"Is there a tea garden here? Do you need help? I'm not hungry right now," Feng Yi asked.

"No, you are hungry!" Uncle Ya replied.

Feng Yi wanted to say more, but Uncle Ya waved his hand, put on a bamboo basket, and left.

Seeing this, Feng Yi had to give up. He had hoped to gather some information while helping.

The kitchen was easy to find, but the food on the kitchen table exceeded his expectations.

A large porcelain bowl, or rather, a large porcelain basin, almost as big as an adult's washbasin, was filled with hand-pulled noodles.

A large steamer contained 10 large baozi, each about the size of his palm, all filled with meat.

Feng Yi's eyes widened.

What misunderstanding did Uncle Ya have about him?

Why did he think he could eat so much?

He used to manage his figure while working part-time at school, and his appetite hadn't changed much since then.

For his appetite, a normal bowl of soup noodles plus one baozi... at most two, would be enough.

He couldn't waste food!

So, Feng Yi, being self-aware, found a normal-sized bowl from the cabinet, took a portion of noodles from the large porcelain basin, and started eating with a baozi.

As he ate, he realized he had finished.

He actually felt a bit hungry.

He took another portion and continued eating.

The hunger grew more noticeable.

After 15 minutes.

Feng Yi looked at the large porcelain basin, which was empty, and the empty steamer, and remained silent.

On the other side.

Uncle Ya, carrying a bamboo basket, arrived at the tea garden.

Overnight, many new buds had sprouted on the tea trees.

The large leaves were covered with water droplets.

Dew slid down the edges of the leaves, gathered, and hung at the tips, swaying.

The morning glow, shining through the thin mist, created a strange light on the clear water droplets.

Uncle Ya's old eyes watched the tea garden as the fog gradually cleared, and he smiled, taking out a specially made basket from the bamboo basket, wearing it on his back, and moving between the tea trees.

His hands picked tea leaves on both sides simultaneously, only picking the new buds on the tea branches.

Each time he waved his hands, multiple new green buds jumped into the basket.

His arms moved so fast that they were just a blur, and the sound of the leaves being picked was a continuous, light rustling.

Faster than a vacuum cleaner's brush.

His clothes were soon soaked with dew, and the basket was visibly filling up. After emptying it into the large bamboo basket, he continued the next round.

When Uncle Ya finished picking the tea and returned, Feng Yi was sitting on a stone step at the door, lost in thought, as if pondering some profound philosophy of life.

Seeing Uncle Ya, Feng Yi came to his senses and glanced at the time on his phone, "Did you finish picking the tea so quickly?"

The fog had cleared, and the sun was warming the earth, but the air still felt moist.

Uncle Ya put down the bamboo basket and replied on his phone: "Wait two hours before going down the mountain. I'll roast the tea and give you two cans."

Feng Yi: "…Okay, thank you, Uncle Ya."

I didn't plan to leave immediately!

I still want to gather more information!

But Uncle Ya quickly started roasting the tea, fully engrossed, even putting his phone aside and not letting Feng Yi help.

Feng Yi could only wait.

After two hours, Uncle Ya finished roasting the tea, divided some into two specially made cans, and handed them to Feng Yi: "Wait two days before drinking it."

After eating and taking the tea, Feng Yi felt awkward not paying, and was about to say something.

Uncle Ya casually waved his hand and typed on his phone: "Don't worry about the money! Go back quickly, others will tell you the rest."

Feng Yi wanted to ask about the ancestral home, the genealogy, the old butler, and the great-aunt, but hearing Uncle Ya's words, he knew he wouldn't get any useful information.

It was clear he was being asked to leave.

Feng Yi packed the tea cans, tidied up, and looked at Uncle Ya.

Uncle Ya gestured: Hurry up!

Feng Yi sighed, shouldered his backpack, and walked out. Not far away, he heard a voice message from Uncle Ya's friend.

【Log in! One more needed!!!】

Feng Yi turned around and saw Uncle Ya typing quickly and walking back into the house.

The old man was really busy.

Sighing, Feng Yi walked down the mountain.

This time, he didn't wear a helmet or mask, and put his gloves in his backpack.

He somehow knew it was fine not to wear them.

Flying insects gradually increased, but as Feng Yi walked down the mountain, they actively avoided him, as if sensing something they disliked.

Near the halfway point, Feng Yi met the two people who had driven him up the mountain the day before.

They were lifting large boxes out of the car and placing them on a machine at the isolation zone, which would transport the boxes to the other side of the isolation net and empty their contents.

The boxes were filled with rats.

Judging by their plump bodies and shiny fur, these rats had been living well.

Feng Yi greeted the two men, not asking for a ride down the mountain this time. After completing a major task, although his doubts had increased, he felt more at ease and less tired than when he arrived.

"Going back?" the two men asked.

"Yep, what are you doing?" Feng Yi walked over.

"Feeding the snakes with rats. We do this every few days, it's resource utilization. The rats are brought from the city, and they've been living well, stealing a lot of food."

They poured another box and watched the yellow-bellied snakes on the other side of the isolation net.

"Why do the snakes seem less active today?"

"Indeed, they're not as lively as before, and they seem a bit timid," the other man said.

"But they still seem to be eating the rats aggressively, so they don't seem sick."

"Probably because of the rain last night, it's still a bit cool on the mountain. They'll be more active when it warms up a bit."

Hearing this, Feng Yi also walked over to take a closer look.

"Aren't you afraid of snakes anymore?" one man asked.

Feng Yi paused, then nodded, "I don't feel as afraid."

Indeed, he wasn't as afraid as yesterday.

Just like he somehow knew the insects would avoid him, he also knew:

【These gluttons can't hurt me!】

To verify, Feng Yi took another step closer to the isolation net.

On the other side, a king cobra over two meters long, with a body thicker than an adult's forearm, was swallowing a rat. When Feng Yi approached, it paused, slowly turned, and moved away, then continued eating.

Not just this one, but the others, whether eating or about to start, also quickly moved away.

The two men were surprised: "Why are they suddenly afraid of people? They were usually quite aggressive."

These king cobras usually continued eating even with people watching, and this sudden "shyness" was the first time they had seen it.

The two men didn't pay much attention, guessing that Feng Yi might have sprayed some snake repellent.

Feng Yi continued down the mountain and sent a message to the driver from yesterday. If the driver was driving, it would be inconvenient to answer the phone, but he would see the message when free. If he didn't reply by the time Feng Yi reached the bottom, he would find another car.

Fortunately, the driver replied quickly and called him.

The driver remembered him, "Good to hear you're safe... Okay, I'm not far from there, I'll be there in... at most 50 minutes."

Feng Yi wasn't in a hurry, so after making the arrangement, he walked down the mountain, enjoying the scenery.

He even saw a frog hiding.

He heard that there were frogs and toads in the protected area, but not many. The king cobras, being fed rats, had reduced their predation on frogs and toads, allowing a few to survive on the mountain.

When Feng Yi reached the parking lot from yesterday, the driver was just arriving.

The driver looked him over, "You look good."

"Thanks," Feng Yi put his backpack in the car and got in.

As the car left Little Phoenix Mountain, they encountered a patrol chasing a "escaped" snake that was swallowing a frog.

The driver: "Phew, seeing a snake eat up close is still pretty scary, isn't it?"

He turned to seek agreement and saw Feng Yi staring out the window, drooling.

The driver: ???

Feng Yi quickly wiped his mouth, seeing the driver's inquisitive look, and explained, "A classmate just messaged me, inviting me to a big meal."

The driver understood, nodding vigorously: "Yeah, I'm the same. If someone invites me to a big meal, I can't control myself either!"

The driver then warned: "But remember, one is illegal, ten is a crime! If you want to eat, go for farmed bullfrogs, not wild frogs. Bullfrogs are common, large, and meaty. I love bullfrogs with perilla leaves!"

Feng Yi laughed and responded, then, when the driver turned back to drive, lightly slapped himself.

What's wrong with me! How could I get so hungry just from looking!