Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

The weather started to get hot in the latter half of May, especially at midday.

The cicadas, no bigger than a palm, clung to giant trees tens of meters high, their courtship songs echoing in all directions.

The blinding sunlight shone across the ancient city on the distant plains, creating a wave of heat that blurred the green hills on the horizon.

On the farm, the black soil was dried and hardened by the sun, and three gray wolves lay down under the shed again.

Liu Xingmo held the leaf stem and placed a camphor leaf on his head to block out the sunlight.

Liu San Niang walked over gracefully, her phoenix eyes fixed on the young man's face: "Your cultivation has improved considerably; you are finally out of danger."

"Thanks to your guidance, Third Sister, I was able to quickly master the power of the Blood Path Perfection level," Liu Xingmo said in gratitude.

"Young master, what you did earlier was far too reckless. You must never rely on the medicinal herbs to force a breakthrough, or you will face endless troubles." Liu San Niang's face darkened, and a look of concern appeared on her face. "If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can always come to me."

"Yes, Instructor Liu San Niang," Liu Xingmo replied.

The woman smiled faintly; her bright red dress shimmered with a fiery hue under the blazing sun, like a flame that warmed the air.

For some reason, this woman really broke through some inner demon and suddenly became intelligent, no longer as confused as before.

She not only learned to read and write, but also could systematically summarize her spiritual practice experience and provide guidance and advice.

She truly deserves the title of instructor.

"By the way, I made a few servings of ice cream yesterday. Would you like to try some, young master?"

Liu San Niang walked to the edge of the deep well, picked up a bamboo bucket filled with crushed ice, and inside the ice was a wooden box with neatly arranged wooden strips.

"The Western-style butter is finally ready. Please, sir."

Liu Xingmo reached out and grabbed the wooden strip, then pulled hard. The white-yellow cube, emanating a chill, came out of the wooden box.

This ice cream has a glistening sheen, and if you smell it closely, you can even detect a hint of milkiness.

Liu Xingmo couldn't wait to stick out his tongue and lick it. The cool and sweet taste was just like the hot summer with the smell of asphalt in his distant memory.

His eyes welled up with tears.

"What's wrong? Does it taste bad?" Liu San Niang frowned, reaching out her fair hand to gently stroke the corner of the man's eye.

Liu Xingmo waved the woman's hand away: "It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered my childhood."

"Is that so?" Liu San Niang continued to smile nonchalantly. "If you would like to try ice cream again in the future, please come to my place."

"By the way, how's Needle?" Liu Xingmo asked as he walked towards the small garden enclosed by an iron fence.

The tall foxtail grass has even deviated from its grassy shape, with its main stem as thick as a pillar and slender leaves wrapped around it in layers, giving it a bit of a tree-like feel.

More importantly, the sharp sword energy flowed through the plant textures, converging on the top of the grass spikes, where it shone with a dazzling white light, as if vying with the sun for brilliance.

Liu Xingmo asked excitedly, "Can we start picking now?"

"That's exactly what I've been waiting for, young master."

With light steps, Liu San Niang leaped to a height of over ten meters, grabbed a blade of grass, snapped it in two, and landed lightly back on the ground.

Holding a blade of grass in her hand, she showed off a meter-long spike of grass: "Got it."

The dazzling white light gradually dimmed, and the sword energy receded. The grass ears returned to their original color, a golden hue symbolizing a bountiful harvest.

The plump, glistening grass seeds are neatly arranged on the grass stem, each topped with a long hair, like a soft, fluffy tail.

Liu Xingmo tentatively reached out his hand, but before he even touched the thorn, he felt a slight pain.

He put his finger in his mouth and muttered, "This is sword energy? Pretty powerful! Third Sister, what do you think we should do?"

"This humble woman will leave the decision entirely to you, sir."

"Put it away first, figure out a way to refine it into sword-cultivation pills, and then ask someone to sell it. If we sell it directly to a merchant caravan, we probably won't make any money."

"Then let it be so."

Liu Xingmo took out a glass bottle with an engraved pattern and a pair of scissors from his storage bag.

I picked the grass seeds off the ears one by one, put them into a bottle, and stored most of them.

"This quality is probably top-grade yellow. The needle-like grass has just entered the second rank. If it accumulates some years, the seeds will probably reach the mystical rank."

Liu Xingmo looked at the needles in the small garden.

This plant has experienced flowering and fruiting once, and now, freed from its burdens, the sword energy flows back to its slender leaves, and the entire plant shimmers with tiny, shimmering lights.

"That's great! Judging by this growth, it looks like another ear of grain will sprout soon. I estimate we can harvest a crop in about a month; that's a pretty good yield!"

Liu Xingmo opened the fertilizer bag at the corner of the garden and sprinkled it under the grass.

He picked up a hoe again, broke up the dry clods of soil, and mixed the soil with fertilizer.

He went to the well to fetch water again, carrying bucket after bucket to the grass, thoroughly watering the roots.

He wiped the sweat from his brow: "Haha, I guess I've finally done my job, working hard in the fields under the scorching sun!"

"Young master, are you reciting poetry? How about I respond with a line: 'The leaves are dry, the cicadas' song is withered'?" Liu San Niang covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Huh? The standard answer is 'sweat drips onto the soil.' But..." Liu Xingmo stared at the woman before him, feeling incredulous. "Third Sister, how come your education level has suddenly become so high?"

"When you were in school, I learned to read and write along with you. In my spare time, I also read a few other books. Over time, that's how I acquired my current knowledge."

"Impossible, right? You've always been literate. You're just trying to fool me, aren't you?"

"Oh ho ho ho... Young master, guess what?" Liu San Niang smiled faintly, but there was no smile in her deep eyes.

Liu Xingmo felt a sudden sense of panic for no reason, as if the woman in front of him was no longer the familiar person, but some kind of monster.

Leaning on his hoe, he casually remarked, "By the way, if my family were to refine and sell these needlegrass seeds, then we'd have to discuss the profit sharing again."

"This humble woman has no special skills, I will obey your every command, young master." Although she spoke words of submission, Liu San Niang remained composed, as she had been these past few days.

Liu Xingmo chuckled憨厚ly: "Haha, since that's the case, let's split it 10/90! You get 10% and I'll take 90%, after all, I put in more effort."

"Well, young master, I also helped out..." Liu San Niang still smiled faintly, but her mouth kept flowing, "When you weren't here, I did all the watering and fertilizing. This plant has a lot of nutritional needs, so I had to check on it every few hours, so..."

"Physical labor and skilled work are separate things! Physical labor is easy, isn't it? Hiring an old farmer wouldn't cost much. My family does most of the physical labor." Liu Xingmo put down his hoe and walked towards the farm gate. "Then it's settled, 10/90 split!"

"Young master! I... cough! I..." Liu San Niang reached out, but couldn't stop the fleeing man. "Stop! Young master!"