"Big Brother, I still don't think it's feasible."

"What do you mean it's not feasible? If I say you can do it, you can, and more than that, I want you to manage our village well and set an example for others to see. Don't make me, your big brother, lose respect for you." Long Hai's voice was very serious, and it even sounded a bit angry.

Ling Zhenfei, not wanting to anger Long Hai, hurriedly said, "Then I'll give it a try, but whether the villagers choose me or not is not up to me to decide."

Long Hai finally laughed happily, "Just rest assured. Your Big Brother Long is absolutely reliable. Now, half of the villagers work at your villa, you're providing them with employment opportunities, how could they speak ill of you or not choose you?"

After hearing this, Ling Zhenfei also realized, yes, more than half of the villagers were working at his villa. The conditions Ling Zhenfei offered were good and currently, Chen Qian was handling construction, using locals as well. It could be said that the whole village was mobilized, it seems Chen Qian had this in mind early on.

Recruiting villagers to work for him, who wouldn't choose him at the election? No wonder Long Hai was so confident.

"Alright, Big Brother Long, I promise you, give me one year, and I will definitely present to you a unique eco-village."

"Good, Ling Zhenfei, that's the spirit I want from you. There's nothing else, and I should be leaving Binyang now," Long Hai said with a smile.

"You're leaving Binyang? When are you leaving?" Ling Zhenfei obviously wanted to meet Long Hai one last time.

"I might leave in a couple of days. I've been given a new assignment. Don't worry, Feng Li and Zhou Xia will still be here. If there are any matters you're unsure about, just go to them."

"It seems I won't be able to see you off." Ling Zhenfei said, somewhat regretfully.

"Don't worry, we'll meet again. You're such an expert, I'm sure there will be places I'll need your skills. We'll meet again if fate wills it."

"Farewell, Big Brother Long!"

After the two had hung up the phone, Ling Zhenfei fell into deep thought. Long Hai was indeed a good man, honorable and reliable, a friend worth deepening ties with. It was a pity that he couldn't see him off because he himself was bound for the Capital City.

As he was thinking, the driver spoke, "Divine Doctor Ling, we've arrived at Tianquan Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Ling Zhenfei hurriedly looked outside the car and saw a very tall mountain range appear before him, verdant and beautiful.

The driver continued, "I just asked for the directions to Bamboo Forest Villa, and it should be just beyond that ridge."

As the driver spoke, the car had already entered the mountain road, surrounded by lush vegetation and even the occasional bamboo, suggesting they were indeed not far from Bamboo Forest Villa.

The car continued up the mountain road and finally reached mid-mountain, where Ling Zhenfei saw the Bamboo Forest Villa, located on the edge of a large bamboo forest, with most of the villa enveloped within the bamboo—it truly lived up to its name.

Checking the time, it was just past noon; there were still hours left until nightfall.

"Driver, let's do this. I'll hire your car for the whole day, and you don't need to go back. Just park the car at the mountain base and wait for me there. I'll call you once I'm done with my affairs, and there will certainly be no shortage of pay for you."

The driver laughed and said, "Sure, Divine Doctor Ling, I'll follow your instructions. I'll go down the mountain and grab some food. Just give me a call when you're done, and I'll come up to pick you up."

After they had agreed, the driver drove down the mountain while Ling Zhenfei walked alone toward Bamboo Forest Villa.

Upon hearing the name Bamboo Forest Villa, one might first think it was a restaurant, only slightly quieter than others. However, once he entered, Ling Zhenfei realized it wasn't just a restaurant but a hidden gem.

Once inside the villa, he saw houses neatly lined on both sides with various signs including restaurants, clothing stores, and blacksmith shops — it really looked like a village in the mountains.

Strangely, upon entering, no one came out to greet him. It felt as though there were no people in the villa. If it were a restaurant, at least one person should have come out to welcome him.

Bamboo was planted on both sides, rustling with the wind, but the sound of bamboo alone was oddly unnerving, making Ling Zhenfei, already slightly regretful, even more nervous.

All the doors of the rooms in the front courtyard were closed, with no sound whatsoever. Ling Zhenfei walked into the second courtyard, which was even more peculiar. Beyond the gate of the second courtyard, it seemed as though he had entered the Bamboo Sea.

Amid the Bamboo Sea, a path made of stones twisted through, creating a secluded and elegant environment. The bamboo trees around were thick, showing they had been growing there for some time.

The bamboo forest was equally quiet, but suddenly at the end of the path, a row of bamboo-structured houses appeared. The entire building was made of bamboo and quite large, with at least dozens of rooms.

One of the houses had a large pot outside with flames burning brightly beneath it, and the pot was bubbling over, though it was unclear what was being cooked.

Seeing this scene, Ling Zhenfei knew he had come to the right place. Someone was cooking, so there must be people inside. At that moment, Ling Zhenfei suddenly felt a faint movement of Northern Spiritual Energy around him. Then, a woman's voice came through, "Ling Zhenfei, you have finally arrived. Good of you to come."

This was a woman's voice, and as soon as he heard it, Ling Zhenfei recognized it as the voice of the woman who had called him.

Ling Zhenfei was shocked. With just a single sentence, this woman made Ling Zhenfei feel her cultivation was very high, at least at the Zhiyi Boundary.

"Who is it? Stop playing tricks and come out," Ling Zhenfei yelled around him.

But there was still no movement in the surroundings, making Ling Zhenfei wonder if he had misheard earlier — the place had been completely silent just a moment ago.

Just then, the door of the bamboo house suddenly opened, and a woman came out from inside.

Ling Zhenfei was taken aback. He could hardly believe that even though the voice clearly came from beside him, the person could emerge from a bamboo room. It was almost inconceivable.

"Hello, are you the one who called me here?" Ling Zhenfei took a couple of steps forward and asked.

The woman looked to be in her fifties, with clear wrinkles on her face, dressed in white garments not of modern style, her robes flowing as if she were from ancient times.

But the old woman seemed not to hear him at all, busying herself with stirring whatever was simmering in the pot. Only after she had finished did she finally look directly at Ling Zhenfei.

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