They returned to Yan City but didn't go home.

After driving around the city outskirts twice, they spotted an extra-long heavy-duty truck parked by the roadside, its hazard lights flashing. It was carrying a tree in its bed. Not far off, a small crane, also with its hazards on, was parked.

Brother Nan parked their car in front of the truck.

Zhou Li got out, phone in hand. Seeing Boss Xiong in the truck's passenger seat, he was taken aback. "Mr. Xiong, what brings you here personally?"

Boss Xiong immediately climbed down from the truck, saying respectfully, "When it comes to Master Zhou's affairs, I must personally oversee them!"

"It's just transporting a tree..."

"It's only right, only right..." Mr. Xiong paused, then added, "Master Zhou, would you like to inspect the tree? I had my people handle it with extreme care and personally supervised. Aside from some unavoidable minor damage, there were no issues at all. Please, take a look."

"Alright."

Zhou Li climbed onto the truck bed to inspect it.

Two little demons were sitting primly in a shaded spot in the truck bed. They greeted him with adorable expressions.

"Zhou Li, you can sit here!" Xiao Yuan scooted over, making a spot for Zhou Li, and patted the space next to him.

Unable to speak aloud, Zhou Li just shook his head.

He examined the tree again. The tree's branches were mostly undamaged, and it retained far more roots than typically seen on transplanted trees. Specialized nutrient solution was also nearby.

Zhou Li waved to Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan, then climbed down from the truck bed.

"Master Zhou, how is it?" Boss Xiong asked eagerly. "If there are no problems, we can depart."

"No problems. Thank you for your trouble."

"Then you lead the way. Drive slowly, and we'll follow."

"Mr. Xiong, please go back to your business. We can lead the truck ourselves," Zhou Li said, unaccustomed to such fawning.

"No problem, no problem! I'm free today anyway!" Mr. Xiong said repeatedly.

"Alright."

「Two hours later.」

The truck driver scratched his head, looking around at the desolate surroundings. "Just here?"

"Yes."

"Boss, there's nothing around here, not even a house. What are you putting this tree here for?" the puzzled truck driver asked. "Just tell me where you want this tree taken. As long as the truck can get through, we can take it there for you along the way, especially since we have nothing else to do today."

"It's not passable further on."

"This tree is so big and still has its leaves. If a truck can't get through, you couldn't have brought it over either."

"We have our ways," Zhou Li maintained.

"If Master Zhou says there's a way, there's a way. Old Zhang, don't you worry about it!" Boss Xiong told the driver. "You've worked hard today. When you get back, don't mention this to anyone. Tonight, I'll treat you to some fun."

"Sounds good!"

The truck driver said no more and began to arrange the unloading of the tree.

But the more he thought about it, the less he understood. This tree was just an ordinary Small Ye Rong, perhaps a bit older than most. How could it be worth the boss personally finding him and escorting it here? The boss had also repeatedly reminded him to be careful not to damage the tree, constantly advising him to drive slowly and to slow to a crawl over every pothole. At first, he thought some tycoon had taken a liking to this tree and wanted to plant it at his front door, but it turned out to be just three youngsters. And they were leaving it in such a place.

The driver's imagination began to run wild.

Before long, the tree was on the ground.

Zhou Li saw Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan jump down from the truck as well. He said to Boss Xiong and the driver, "Thank you both. It's quite a long journey back for you, so I won't hold you up any longer. We can handle it from here."

"Sounds good," said the truck driver.

"Are you sure there's nothing else, Master Zhou? If there's anything else you need, just let me know!" Boss Xiong said with a bright smile, leaning closer to Zhou Li. "That deity statue you provided is really something! Now my wife's spirits are good, my spirits are good, and I feel like my health has improved a lot, hahaha! I have a business friend who asked me to inquire if he could also get a deity statue like that. He's very sincere!"

Before Zhou Li could respond, Huai Xu's voice came from behind—

"Alright!"

The Old monster squeezed out a smile. "But it also depends on how sincere he is... We aren't some lofty masters; we're just businessmen."

Boss Xiong cautiously looked toward Zhou Li, but Zhou Li said nothing.

Boss Xiong immediately understood and slapped his chest, assuring, "Don't worry! If his sincerity isn't enough, I won't let him get away with it!"

Only then did Zhou Li speak, "Which style do you want?"

Boss Xiong was bewildered. Realizing what had been said, he hurriedly asked, "There are styles to choose from?"

Zhou Li nodded. "We also support cat, dog, Pikachu, and Minion styles. Guanyin and Buddha can also be made, but I'm not very good at sculpting human figures, and it takes time. So, even if the effect is the same, the charge will be higher."

Boss Xiong was momentarily dazed. Previously, he had always thought that large, round mouse was some kind of 'Household Deity.' He had to find time every day to speak with His Lordship and pray for blessings. Had he known earlier, he would have chosen something like Guanyin, so he wouldn't have felt so awkward during daily worship. As for the money... that wasn't an issue!

After some thought, Boss Xiong coughed twice. "I won't make things difficult for Master Zhou. Let's go with a Minion model; I think those look quite nice too!"

Tuanzi ran out from the car at some point and playfully tried to crawl into the tree hollow. Zhou Li hurriedly stopped her, holding her in his arms as he told Boss Xiong, "This order will take at least a month to fulfill."

"Thank you, Master Zhou."

Boss Xiong didn't rush to leave. Instead, he started complimenting how cute Tuanzi was, how handsome Brother Nan was, and how good-looking Huai Xu was. And he did it skillfully, without any awkwardness. This continued for a few more minutes before they finally departed.

The truck drove slowly. The path was winding with many obstructions, and soon they lost sight of each other. However, after turning a bend, Boss Xiong suddenly realized he could see Zhou Li and his group again. Their car, worth tens of thousands, was still there, but the big tree had vanished.

"TSK TSK!" Boss Xiong clucked his tongue, his eyes filled with astonishment.

His driver quickly asked him what was wrong, but he just waved his hand, telling the driver to focus on driving.

In his heart, his reverence for Master Zhou grew. He seemed to have developed a 'reverse psychology'—the more Master Zhou's behavior deviated from the traditional image of a master, the more Boss Xiong felt Master Zhou was incredible. He increasingly believed that true masters should be like this, and that those adhering to the traditional image were all frauds...

「An hour later.」

Yin Yang Temple, in a small mountain village.

Xiao Yuan had transformed into a giant beast. He first timidly glanced towards the distant mountaintop. Seeing that he indeed couldn't attract the Evil God's attention, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and then eagerly started digging a hole in the ground, continuously churning up soil.

Huai Xu watched from the side with great amusement. "This little fellow is truly skilled at digging holes; he ought to work for a construction crew..."

Zhou Li seemed not to hear, only turning to Lao Hui. "The environment here is indeed good, isn't it?"

Lao Hui nodded, looking around. Nearby, one could see vegetable fields and fruit trees. A pear tree was laden with fruit, just ripe for picking. Several pomelo trees had just begun to bear fruit, yet they already promised a bountiful autumn harvest. Behind Zheng Zhilan's house was a large bamboo grove; for them, even the bamboo shoots were edible raw. Many blooming flowers made the place seem like a paradise.

He then sneakily glanced at Miss Zheng. The young woman was delicate and pretty, with fair, clear skin. Disregarding her eyes, she had an inherently approachable appearance.

Lao Hui once again bowed to Zheng Zhilan. "Sorry for the intrusion."

At the same time, Xiao Yuan also popped his head out from the pit, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry for the intrusion."

Zheng Zhilan smiled. "You're welcome. From now on, we'll be neighbors. Life on the mountain can be a bit quiet and lonely, but you'll get used to it. With you two here, though, it should become much livelier."

She had always been a woman of few words with strangers. However, she knew Zhou Li had told them she was very easy to get along with, so she consciously tried to appear that way to leave a good impression on her two new friends.

Once the pit was dug, they carefully planted the tree, filled the soil back in, and hung up a nutrient bag. The tree planting was almost complete. It just needed to take root in its new home.

Zheng Zhilan saw their apprehension and comforted them, "It will definitely survive. Where the Evil God resides, the survival rate for all plants is very high. Even animals thrive there. Don't worry."

Xiao Yuan then nodded.

Lao Hui remarked with gravitas, "I'd long heard that the Evil God was tyrannical, like the Grim Reaper himself. I never imagined he also possessed such an ability. It's truly wondrous..."

Life is indeed full of wonders.

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