Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Liu Xingmo left the woods.

He followed the river until he reached its end, where a wide expanse of water lay.

The waters of all nine rivers in the city converge here, forming a crescent-shaped lake with pointed ends. That's why this place is called Crescent Lake.

Crescent Lake is the starting point of the Xueyang River. Continuing northward, it will reach the water town of Beicun.

Liu Xingmo arrived at the dock in the forest.

The clear water rippled with the shadows of trees, and countless giant trees lay across the lake.

Liu Xingmo carried two boxes of medicine as he walked among the giant trees.

Underfoot, damp moss clung to the tree bark like a soft carpet, so wet you could wring water from it; overhead, intertwined branches strung with leaves, like a verdant canopy, letting in sparse glimmers of light; in the distance, lush aquatic plants took root in the rocks, like soft strands of hair, swaying in the dappled light and shadow.

There was no sign of people, not even a fish.

Is this the place? Where are the Bone Sturgeon caravan members?

"Hey! What are you looking at?" a woman walking along the shore called out. "Wet logs are slippery, be careful not to fall in."

"Auntie, where is the Bone Sturgeon caravan's camp?"

"The Bone Sturgeon Caravan? At the beginning of the year, their main force went out of the city to trade, but they never returned. The caravan has already disbanded!"

"What?" Liu Xingmo exclaimed in surprise, "Such a big thing, they really know how to keep it a secret, there's no news about it in the newspapers..."

It's unbelievable that such a large caravan, which had traversed countless mountains and rivers over hundreds of years, would simply disappear like that.

No wonder the dock is covered with moss and weeds; it's because no one is taking care of it.

"Forget it, I'll find someone else." Liu Xingmo shook his head and prepared to walk back.

"Wait, young man." The old woman on the shore pointed to a cluster of low warehouses in the distance. "I remember the rest of the caravan are over there. You can go and take a look."

Thank you.

Liu Xingmo drove his insect-shaped vehicle to a row of horizontal logs on the shore.

These thick tree trunks lay on the ground, half buried in the soil. Doors and windows were cut into the bark, revealing a vast space inside, but it was mostly empty, with little cargo and few people.

Liu Xingmo knocked on each door, but there was no response until the last warehouse.

"Hello, this is the Bone Sturgeon Caravan's office." A haggard-looking young man appeared at the door.

His eyes were sunken, his face was full of sorrow, and he had none of the energy and spirit that a fifteen or sixteen-year-old should have. Instead, he was lifeless.

"Hello." Liu Xingmo put on a smile. "I'm here to sell medicine."

"Selling medicine? Please come in." The young man invited the medicine seller who had come to his door into the house.

In the dimly lit warehouse, the two sat on wooden stakes made of chopped tree branches.

Liu Xingmo pushed the medicine box between the two of them and took out a small bamboo bottle: "This is a blood and qi potion produced by our Mushroom Fortress."

"Mushroom Castle? Blood Qi Potion?" The boy forced a smile onto his worried face.

A place I've never heard of before, a product I've never heard of before.

It's probably a herbal decoction made from some folk remedy; this kind of thing is the most common and readily available commodity in Heilongzhai.

But it's perfect for my predicament.

Can I start from here, make a comeback, and restore the caravan to its former glory?

Liu Xingmo handed over the small bamboo bottle: "There's no point in saying more, just try it."

"Okay." The boy took the bamboo bottle, uncorked it, and took a small sip.

It has a thick texture, but not a strong bitter taste. It tastes like it has syrup, with a clear sweetness. But that's not the point.

Most importantly, the blood and energy in the whole body seemed to be awakened, absorbing and merging with the spiritual energy in the air, and then flowing through the meridians.

The potion itself clearly has no spiritual energy, so how can it have this effect?

Could it be concocted by a professional alchemist? Only they have that ability...

The boy took another swig, confirming his guess, and at the same time, a strong sense of dejection welled up in his heart.

This isn't a mass-produced item! This is a high-end product! This is a transaction that I absolutely cannot get involved in right now...

"It's a very good potion, really, very, very good." As the boy spoke, his voice seemed to carry a hint of a sob.

"If you think it's good, then it's fine." Liu Xingmo reached out and patted the two boxes. "There are 100 bottles in total, 1.9 yuan per bottle. Is that a good deal?"

"One hundred and ninety yuan, one hundred and ninety, one hundred..." the boy muttered to himself, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.

He looked up, his eyes, already surrounded by dark circles, appearing even more dull and lifeless: "Sorry, your stuff isn't for me."

"Oh? The price is a bit high? But the other two stores are charging the same price, so I can't offer you a special discount. That wouldn't be fair to them. In that case, I'll take my leave."

Helpless, Liu Xingmo closed the suitcase, slung it over his shoulder, and prepared to leave.

The spacious warehouse was dimly lit. Only a few meager rays of light pierced through the leaky wooden windows.

The boy sat on the wooden stake, his mind in turmoil.

Should I seize this opportunity? Should I take a gamble?

Oh dear! The medicine seller is about to leave!

Am I capable of selling them? Do my former clients still recognize me as a person?

Oh dear! The medicine seller is at the door!

What should I do? What should I do?

Liu Xingmo opened the dilapidated door, and in an instant, bright light dispelled the darkness.

The boy reached out, trying to grasp the light: "Please wait!"

"What's wrong?" Liu Xingmo turned around.

"Please let me sell your potion! Please!" the boy shouted, almost hoarse.

"The price is fixed. Can you accept it?" Liu Xingmo's voice was calm.

"Sure! I have a little bit of money left; I can take this shipment!"

"Then let me tell you, I have many partners. That means you have many competitors, including the White Horse Caravan and the Wild Goose Caravan. Do you accept that?"

"This..." The boy gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words with difficulty, "I...I accept..."

"Great! Then we're partners." Liu Xingmo walked back and sat down on the wooden stake again.

The young man took a deep breath and said, "I am Bai Daoyuan. May I ask your honorable name?"

"Liu Xingmo." Three words spoken calmly.

"Liu Xingmo? That Liu Xingmo?" The boy's eyes widened.

Liu Xingmo crossed his arms and smiled calmly: "That's right, I am indeed Liu Xingmo, the deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper."

"I'm sorry, I don't know anything about a vice president. I heard that your wife, Su Mali, has advanced to the second rank and is one of the few second-rank alchemists in the entire city." The young man was a little hesitant. "I also heard that her husband is named Liu Xingmo... This information is from our caravan's internal records."

"Hahaha! So that's how it is..." Liu Xingmo laughed calmly.

No, he was anything but composed.

Liu Xingmo gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "I am a storyteller. Yes, that's right, the storyteller."

"Ah? Sorry! I..." The boy hurriedly stood up, trying to explain, but the more he spoke, the more incoherent he became.

"Never mind, I knew it. Nobody remembers my name." Liu Xingmo waved his hand dismissively. "Sit down, young man. You need to work on your interpersonal skills."