Chapter 69

From Binhai to Qingzhou, it takes almost a whole day by car. After Ding Ning got in the car, he sat in the back seat.

At the beginning, the people in the car were still chatting and laughing. After the car left Binhai and entered a road with few sights, the people gradually fell silent.

Some people fell asleep, and some were fiddling with their phones.

Ding Ning didn't play games on his phone; that would drain the battery too quickly. He closed his eyes to rest and think about how he should deal with the giant cat if he really found it.

After swaying for more than two hours, the car stopped at a gas station.

It took some time to refuel, so people got out to use the restroom, smoke, and get some fresh air.

When they returned, Ding Ning noticed that there was an additional person in the seat in front of him, a burly man wearing a large hat, whose face was unclear.

Through his keen senses, Ding Ning could feel a faint aura of hostility from this person. He was sure that this person had seen blood, and might even have killed someone.

However, Ding Ning didn't pay much attention. Perhaps the person had made mistakes and corrected them; it had nothing to do with him. The car continued on its journey.

This time, the drive was longer, and after five hours, the car stopped at a service area.

People got out to eat; this place was not far from Qingzhou.

Ding Ning ordered two boxed meals at the service area. He ate a lot, and even two meals weren't enough for him.

He wouldn't get off the bus in the city of Qingzhou. The place where the mountain people lived required getting off at a junction called Shuizhuan Town.

After eating and returning to the car, Ding Ning found that there was another person in the car, and he was a foreigner!

He had yellow hair, white skin, a hooked nose, and was not very tall, but he exuded a very dangerous aura!

If the previous person gave Ding Ning the feeling that he might have killed someone, then this foreigner definitely had killed someone, and not just one.

The foreigner was carrying a long box. After getting in the car, he didn't look at anyone and just closed his eyes in a corner.

Ding Ning watched this person warily for a long time. Such a person should not be on a bus, and he wondered what he was doing here. Was he planning to rob someone?

If that were the case, Ding Ning would definitely use a lightning talisman to kill him immediately. At his current level, with the talisman, Ding Ning wasn't afraid of anyone at close range.

After eating at the service area, it was already afternoon. The car started again and, after about an hour, arrived at the junction of Shuizhuan Town.

Shuizhuan Town was on the border of Qingzhou, which was mountainous and a natural reserve for South China tigers. In the past, there were many poachers here, and even now, there were still many poachers, making it a rather chaotic place.

So when the mountain people said they came to Shuizhuan Town to sell tiger bones, many people in Binhai believed it, because whenever tiger bones appeared, they usually came from Shuizhuan Town.

Four people got off the bus at this junction, including the burly man with the hat and the foreigner.

After getting off the bus, Ding Ning found himself next to a middle-aged man.

The man was about forty years old, wearing branded clothes. He was relatively quiet on the bus, but became more talkative after getting off.

Perhaps the burly man and the foreigner seemed hard to approach, so the man didn't chat with them. Instead, he asked Ding Ning, "Young brother, are you going to Shuizhuan Town?"

"Just taking a look around."

After getting off the bus, they weren't immediately in Shuizhuan Town. There were short-distance buses, but only one every hour, so a few people were waiting at the junction.

"Hehe, young brother, don't joke with me. What's there to see in this desolate place? If you're here for tiger bones, I can believe that."

"Is there really tiger bone here?" Ding Ning neither confirmed nor denied it.

This attitude seemed like an acknowledgment to the man, who immediately became excited. He first looked around warily at the burly man with the hat and the foreigner, then pulled Ding Ning aside.

"Brother, let me tell you, out of ten people who come here, eight are here for tiger bones or tiger skins. You saw those two, right? They don't look like good people, and they're definitely here for the same reason. To be honest, I'm in this business too. Since we hit it off today, I know a group that's about to go into the mountains. If you don't mind, I can take you with me, and you'll get the goods first. How about it?"

"Is there no stock available?"

"Ah, it's not like it was a few years ago. There are fewer tigers now, and the government is cracking down. New stock is snatched up immediately. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have approached you today."

"Where do you usually go in the mountains? I mean, are there any villages nearby?"

"Even if there are, they're not very close. Usually, we go to places like Zhou Village or Majiabao. But in recent years, we have to go deeper into the mountains."

Ding Ning wasn't there for tiger bones; he was there for cat bones. He couldn't explain this to the man, but since the mountain people he was looking for were from Majiabao, he decided to follow this man to avoid getting lost. He nodded in agreement.

Seeing Ding Ning agree, the man became excited and took out a Yuxi cigarette to offer him.

Ding Ning was a cultivator and shouldn't even drink alcohol occasionally, let alone smoke, which he considered a filthy thing. He waved it off.

The man lit his own cigarette. "Brother, I'm Chen Jintai. What's your name?"

"Ding Ning."

"Good name, simple and straightforward. I have friends in Shuizhuan Town. I've already called them to pick us up. You can ride with me."

Ding Ning nodded. Soon, a Toyota SUV drove up. It was a large car but looked very dirty, as if it often drove on dirt roads.

The driver was a man in his thirties, looking wind-worn, which matched the car.

"Brother Chen, you're here. Get in."

"Sure, come on, let me introduce you. This is Brother Ding, who's going into the mountains with us. Brother Ding, this is Li Shuangqiang, a famous hunter in Shuizhuan Town."

"Hello, Brother Li. Please take care of me in the mountains."

"Since you're Brother Chen's friend, no problem. Get in."

As Li Shuangqiang spoke to Ding Ning, his eyes swept over the foreigner and the burly man, with a hint of caution.

Ding Ning nodded slightly. This Li Shuangqiang seemed to be no ordinary person. His ability to sense danger from those two people indicated an instinctive reaction to danger.

Following such a person into the mountains would likely save him a lot of trouble.

Ding Ning and Chen Jintai got in the car. The burly man walked over.

"Brother, can I hitch a ride to Shuizhuan Town?" The man's hat was pulled low, and although his face was hidden, Ding Ning felt like he had seen him before.

Li Shuangqiang shook his head. "The car is full. You'll have to wait for the bus. It's coming soon."

He started the car, and the SUV drove off, leaving a trail of dust as it headed for Shuizhuan Town.

Ding Ning had been paying attention to these two people. After the car left, he clearly saw the burly man look up with a reluctant expression.

It was that bald guy!

Ding Ning's eyes narrowed slightly. This was the bald guy he had seen at school. He didn't expect this guy to follow him here, truly asking for death.

However, he had no memory of the foreigner, not knowing what he was up to.

Without a doubt, the bald guy was after him, and Chen Mengyao had sent him. If there hadn't been a good opportunity to act on the way, this bald guy might have already made a move.

"Is he waiting until we get into the mountains to make his move? That would be interesting."

Ding Ning leaned back in his seat, a hint of killing intent rising in his heart.

The bus arrived, and the bald guy and the foreigner got on, heading for Shuizhuan Town.

Ding Ning's car was fast, averaging around 140 km/h on the dirt road, and they arrived at Shuizhuan Town in about ten minutes.

The town was in a mountain valley, with a central road lined with mostly two-story buildings and some bungalows. There were all kinds of places like karaoke bars and restaurants.

The car stopped in front of a dog meat restaurant.

Li Shuangqiang said to Chen Jintai, "Brother Chen, I got a big black dog from a village today. Let's try it out. We'll eat and drink to our heart's content, then rest. We'll go into the mountains early tomorrow."

"Sure, the smell of dog meat can make even a god jump over a wall. I love it. Brother Ding, from your build, you seem to enjoy eating too."

"More than women." Ding Ning smiled.

"Ha ha ha! Good, a man should enjoy life while young. But no matter how good a woman is, nothing beats a good meal. Come on, let's drink to our heart's content today."

Chen Jintai, seeing that Ding Ning was really a good match, pulled him into the dog meat restaurant.