Chapter Fourteen: The Stone Man’s Hill

Lunan is a magical place. Nestled to the south of the imposing Mount Tai, it borders the vast heartland of the Central Plains and the water-laced region of northern Jiangsu, forming one of the ancient centers of Chinese literary tradition. For thousands of years, sages like Confucius, Yan Zi, Mencius, and Zisi emerged from this land, shaping the thoughts and spirit of the Chinese people through the trajectory of their lives and philosophies. Their teachings have endured for over a millennium, permeating every facet of our lives.

Lunan, one could say, is one of the birthplaces of Chinese thought and legend. And the Yimeng Mountains are the most enigmatic barrier of this land, a fence and gate that tightly guards its secrets. Even from a scientific perspective, the mountains themselves are a mystery, their geological structure remarkably unique. They contain the largest and most numerous mountain formations known as "Gu"—singular flat-topped hills—in both Chinese and even world history.

What is a "Gu"? Simply put, it’s a solitary mountain rising high into the clouds, its summit as if sliced flat by some divine force, with no peak or crest, but instead a plateau or highland perched atop. From a distance, these mountains appear as if their tops have been neatly shorn off. Thus, a "Gu" refers to this striking landscape of high-altitude flatlands.

If we could see these "Gu" from above, we'd be astonished to find that the Yimeng region contains few true mountain ranges. Instead, it's filled with these distinctive formations. Accordingly, there is a saying: seventy-two great Gu, three hundred and sixty small ones. The famous Menglianggu Battle during the War of Liberation took place amidst these unique terrains.

Each Gu is like an upturned basin scattered across the Lunan landscape, with villages and counties nestled in the narrow gaps between them. Thus, the Lunan mountains are sometimes called Table Mountains, Square Mountains, or Basin Land—a unique landform in China, second only to Danxia and karst topographies, and utterly singular in the world.

Perhaps because of this unique geography, traces of ancient legends and tales—surviving from the earliest days of Chinese civilization—can be found throughout Yimeng. Stories of truth and myth, indistinguishable at times, stand alongside the Gu, forever rooted in the land of Lunan.

Among them, the Shiren Gu region, where the old squad leader’s home is located, is one of the lesser-known of the seventy-two Gu. Honestly, when I first received this address, I was quite surprised. The last time I spoke to the old squad leader, he was still working as a chef in an upscale restaurant in Jinan. Why had he returned home in just half a year?

Though he had mentioned hurriedly over the phone that something urgent had happened in his family, I sensed there was more to it, but didn't press for details. In those chaotic days, we were already entangled in the “white food gu” incident and cooperating with the police investigation. Because of all this, our trip to Lunan was delayed for several days, and I hadn’t called the squad leader back to clarify.

I kept thinking: I’ll wait until we meet to learn the truth…

Now, as we were on our way to this Shiren Gu, I figured everything would become clear once we arrived and the squad leader explained what he needed help with. But when I told the taxi driver our true destination, his reaction completely overturned my assumptions, making me suspect this journey would not be as smooth or simple as I’d imagined.

The moment he heard we were heading to Shiren Gu, the driver’s face changed. He quietly pulled over, smiled awkwardly, and said, “Sorry, I won’t go to Shiren Gu. You’ll have to find another car.”

His words left everyone wide-eyed. Just moments before, everything was fine—why refuse now?

“What’s wrong?” I asked, helpless.

He smiled apologetically and replied, “I don’t do long-distance trips. I have plans tonight.”

“Oh…” I nodded. “Then let’s head to Dezhou first. Once we reach the city, we’ll find another car.”

The driver nodded and started the engine again.

All the way, I felt he was lying. From his hesitant expressions and evasive responses, I sensed he was afraid of something, unwilling to take us to Shiren Gu. Yet what was he afraid of? I couldn’t guess, nor could I ask directly. The steering wheel was in his hands, and it wasn’t wise to press the issue.

So, I decided to wait until we reached Dezhou before making further plans.

Once we arrived in Dezhou’s city center, we didn’t hesitate. We got out and immediately flagged another taxi.

“Where to?”

I recalled the address and replied, “Shiren Gu, Yimeng County, Lunan—Zhao Family Building.”

“Not going, not going…” The driver said impatiently, shutting the door and driving off, leaving the four of us dumbfounded.

“My God!” Wang Hou shook his head at the disgruntled driver. “If you won’t go, at least say so clearly… Driving off like that, as if we’re plague-bearers!”

Hongye and I could only shake our heads in resignation. What else could we do but keep flagging down cars?

When the next taxi stopped, I immediately asked, “Brother, will you go to Shiren Gu?”

“Yes!” he agreed without hesitation.

Relieved, I quickly called Hongye, Wang Hou, and A Si to load our bags into the car. After settling in, I looked expectantly at the friendly, smiling driver.

“Let’s go!” I prompted him.

“For long-distance, pay up front…” He held out his hand.

His words caught me off guard; it was the first time I’d heard such a rule for taxis.

But since we were here, we could only follow local customs—maybe this was the norm in Dezhou. I asked Wang Hou to pay and smiled, “How should we pay? A deposit, or…?”

“Five thousand!” He grinned. “Five thousand! I’ll take you!”

His light-hearted demand froze Wang Hou’s hand and my jaw at the same time, as if we’d turned to ice.

Five thousand! This was daylight robbery.

Before coming to Shandong, we’d done our homework. I’d checked online: from our county to Cangzhou, Dezhou, Yimeng, then onto Shiren Gu via country roads—it’d cost five thousand yuan round trip, at most six hours. From Dezhou to Shiren Gu’s Zhao Family Building, at most two thousand yuan, about three hours. This driver’s five thousand was outrageous.

Facing this, Wang Hou was indignant, A Si chimed in, Hongye clicked her tongue in disbelief, and I…could only try to negotiate.

I forced a smile, “It’s not easy traveling…”

“Five thousand!”

“Can’t you make an exception?”

“Five thousand…”

“Brother, how about a deposit first?”

“Five thousand!” He held up five stiff fingers, laughing. “Not a cent less!”

His words utterly enraged me.

“Get out!”

So, we got out, standing by the roadside, frustrated and waiting for another ride.

But the results were disappointing. Plenty of taxis passed by, but as if they’d all agreed, they either made excuses or demanded extortionate prices. The trip to Shiren Gu, supposedly not far, now cost five thousand, even seven thousand, and always required prepayment.

After nearly an hour, not a single ride panned out. That little Shiren Gu had become a taboo among taxi drivers, who simply refused to go.

I was baffled—what was the reason?

Suddenly, I remembered the warning from Lei Ren’s nephew, Wang Cai: “Without my uncle, let’s see how you get to Shiren Gu…”

Now, with the current situation, I realized he must know something, which is why he’d dared to leave us with such a cryptic threat.

Understanding it didn’t solve our problem. Even if we grasped his meaning, what could we do without a ride?

As we grew more distressed, Hongye sighed and suggested, “Either pay the high price, or go back and find Lei Ren…”

Before she could finish, Wang Hou and I cut her off, forcefully rejecting the idea.

“Absolutely not!” I added fiercely, “Anyone who mentions going to that shady Lei Ren again will see me dead first!”

The suggestion was quickly dropped.

Though I said this, as time passed and reality pressed in, we gradually realized those were our only two options.

Helpless, Wang Hou and I discussed trying to hire an illegal cab.

But five thousand was outrageous! Even after working a month, our profits wouldn’t match that. Worst of all, we’d only brought ten thousand in emergency funds—spending half before we’d even started was a serious concern.

Yet, as the saying goes, fate has its own plans. If things had gone as we expected, the coming adventures might never have happened.

As the four of us stood dejected in the shade by the roadside, Wang Hou suddenly tensed, mechanically turning his head to glance across the street.

“Let’s go…” he whispered. “Someone’s watching us.”

I looked up, but saw nothing suspicious amid the crowds opposite.

As I tried to spot the “eyes” Wang Hou mentioned, he suddenly tugged me, “Don’t look. Let’s move! It’s probably one of Lei Ren’s men.”

I immediately packed up and moved, saying nothing more.

I knew we had no acquaintances in Dezhou. If someone was watching us, it was almost certainly Lei Ren’s men.

If so…perhaps we could turn the tables and uncover the truth!

As we moved, the “tail” shadowing us quickly followed.