Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

If you want to go fishing, you must leave the city.

The entire village was safe land, and all fish, birds, beasts, and dragons that could potentially harm humans were driven out.

After all, there are so many contracted beasts that are difficult to distinguish from ordinary wild animals. A lack of a blanket approach could lead to tragedy.

Before, Liu Xingmo would go fishing in the river outside the city with his fourth uncle, who was a second-tier expert.

That path is now blocked. Uncle Si won't take his promising nephew into such danger.

How can I leave the city to release the bad luck while ensuring my own safety?

Many organizations are able to leave the city:

Caravans, patrol teams...

bodyguards, opera troupes...

Hunters, lumberjacks...

Liu Xingmo thought about it for a while and finally made a decision.

I can only join the waterworks and work part-time as a fisherman!

They acted immediately and headed straight for the West Town market.

Amidst the bustling vendors, I found a corner of the fish market and went to the stall I knew best.

The boss was dozing in his recliner when he was startled awake by a series of heavy footsteps.

He looked up and saw someone arriving riding a tall, large tortoise.

This is a big client!

He quickly turned over and stood up. This time he saw clearly that the person sitting on the tortoise was an old acquaintance who had returned.

"Hmm? What's wrong, buddy? What's wrong?" The shopkeeper scratched his head and asked tentatively, "Didn't you like the river clams? I'll get you a different one tomorrow?"

"It's alright, this beast is enjoying its meal." Liu Xingmo patted the tortoise shell beneath him.

Baohei stared at the seafood scattered on the ground, its slender tail swishing incessantly. If it weren't for its master's soul imprint constantly suppressing it, it would be feasting right now.

"Oh. So what brings you here?" The boss was even more puzzled.

"I just came to ask how to get in touch with the Water Margin. Brother, can you introduce me? Money is no problem." Liu Xingmo sat on the turtle's back, looking down.

"I get it! Your turtle is quite robust, so you want some good fish and shrimp every day?" The boss patted his chest confidently. "It's nothing, I just brought it over for you on my way. We're all regulars, I buy at cost price and sell at cost price. I won't make a single penny off you."

The fish market owner, who runs such a large stall, must be quite well-off. Plus, being so close, he immediately recognized the giant turtle before him as the "acquired mythical beast."

He quickly realized that the tortoise's master's advancement to the third rank was practically a certainty. Why not deepen their relationship further, so he could benefit from it in the future?

"No, no. Don't you know what kind of person I am, brother?" Liu Xingmo jumped off the turtle's back, rubbed his hands together, "I'm just itching to catch something fresh. Why don't I just join the Water Margin and make a living off the rivers and lakes from now on?"

"That's great! Maybe I'll need to buy from you again in the future!" The boss reached out and wiped his clothes to get rid of the smell of blood.

Then he took out a large fish scale and handed it out: "Take this, go to Beicun, to the Xueyang River, and walk all the way to the downstream dam. Then just ask any fisherman for directions."

"Thank you! I'll definitely sell you a big one cheaply next time I get my hands on something huge."

Liu Xingmo took the scale.

It was about the size of a palm, shimmering silver, and engraved with two rows of small characters. It emitted a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy, undoubtedly originating from some mythical beast-level fish.

These scales are likely tokens used in the seafood trade to verify identity when shipping or receiving goods.

As for the Water Margin, it is the organization that manages all the fishermen in Black Dragon Village. Every day, skilled fishermen lead large fishing teams to go out of the city to catch aquatic products.

To be honest, these kinds of jobs, which require no initial investment, are highly competitive. It's almost a hereditary system, with older fishermen passing their positions down to their sons, grandsons, and so on…

With his precious black jade, Liu Xingmo can now compete for a share of the prize.

Once you have fisherman status, you can go out of town with the main group every day, which means you can do many more things.

It's definitely not because I'm itching to go fishing.

……

Liu Xingmo straddled the old turtle's back, then pointed out the direction, leaving the market and heading towards Birch Avenue.

People crowded together on the main road, climbing the tree up the wide spiral staircase.

The birch trees in this world can grow to be one or two hundred meters tall. The main road, depending on the terrain, passes through the canopy or the trunk of the trees.

Baohei carried its master, huffing and puffing as it crawled along. When it finally stepped onto the wooden plank road, it was so tired that its tongue lolled out.

Liu Xingmo carried away a wisp of blood energy.

"Bao Hei, you're lacking exercise, wasting so much good medicine. From now on, you have to go out and run around every day, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Bao Hei rolled his eyes upwards, and almost foamed at the mouth.

"The place we're going to next has so many fish we can't eat them all! They're huge fish, the biggest ones are even bigger than the badgers running on the road! If you keep running, you'll be able to eat fish when we get there."

Bao Hei lowered its proud head, took four big strides, and ran with its head down.

"That's right! See that rabbit over there? Run faster and overtake it! You, as the tortoise, can't afford to lose to the rabbit! When the rabbit runs, you have to chase it! When the rabbit rests, you have to chase it even faster! That's the principle behind the tortoise and the hare race."

Bao Hei looked at the various contracted beasts on the road, tears almost welling up in his eyes.

Once Liu Xingmo was settled, his mind began to wander.

You can add a backrest to the seat cushion, preferably one that can be adjusted, and then add a sun umbrella overhead. You'll feel much more comfortable when you go out.

One advantage of using contracted beasts for travel is that it doesn't require much brainpower, essentially acting as an autopilot.

The only downside is that the feel for it wasn't great. Or rather, it required using your brain the whole time, and you couldn't really use your hands.

You can also put a rein on Baohei's head, so that you can pull and swing it later, which will give you the feeling of riding.

As Liu Xingmo pondered this, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Baohei carried its master on its back with a miserable expression, unaware of what kind of future was being planned for it.

……

Along the way, we passed through mountains and tunnels, and crossed rivers and bridges.

The birch-lined avenue stretches smoothly, leading to distant villages nestled among the mountain peaks.

In the late autumn mountains and forests, orchards are adorned with a variety of vibrant colors.

The branches of the big tree were covered with orange-red lanterns, hanging heavily, swaying and emitting a warm glow when the wind blew.

The air was filled with the chill unique to late autumn, and every breath carried the dryness of withered vegetation.

This was Liu Xingmo's first ever road trip. His excitement gradually subsided, and an unprecedented sense of freedom filled his heart.

The vast mountains and rivers, the boundless sky and earth, are hidden beyond the horizon.

We must not let the village bind us, but rather embark on a journey to distant places.

……

As the sun sets in the west, golden sunlight filters through the bare branches, casting dappled shadows.

A mighty river flows from afar, and a cluster of well-arranged villages and towns sits along its banks.

We've arrived at Kitamura.

Liu Xingmo urged Bao Hei down from the tree and directly to the riverbank.

Only from here can you truly appreciate the vastness of the river.

The vast, yellow waves stretched to the horizon, almost obscuring the opposite bank. A strong wind swept across the water, creating raging surges.

Bao Hei gazes intently at the great river before him, conveying a resolute conviction:

I don't want to go down!