The road was steep, but fortunately, all four of us were in fairly good physical condition.
Relatively speaking, Xu Qiuyan and I were the weaker ones. But my body had been modified, while Xu Qiuyan had undergone Unit Nine's most rigorous training. Even so, by the time we reached the mountain, I was already panting heavily.
"We can finally see the village. I was starting to wonder if we'd been scammed," Jiang Xiaohui said.
On the way up, we truly couldn't make out what was on the mountain, as though a layer of fog shrouded its peak.
Ye Jinghong frowned. "Are you sure what we're seeing is a village?"
It really didn't look like a village. It looked more like a cluster of villas.
The villas looked beautiful, arranged in a neat yet staggered pattern. There was a certain distance between each one, ensuring a degree of privacy.
"Come on, let's take a look first."
After saying that, I headed toward the nearest villa. As soon as I reached its entrance, I saw an old man with a cane walk out. He wore a smile on his face. "I was wondering why the magpies had been chirping nonstop so early in the morning. Turns out distinguished guests have arrived. Please come into my humble home and rest for a while. Have some tea and shake off the fatigue."
The old man looked kindly and amiable, as if he truly regarded us as his guests.
Jiang Xiaohui glanced at me, and the others looked over as well.
Only then did I say to the old man, "Then we'll impose on you."
Since we were already here, we might as well settle in. We had come to figure out Upper Kū's situation, after all. Without interacting with the people here, it would