Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

The river in front of us is called Xueyang River. All the water veins of the mountains in the entire Heilongzhai area eventually converge here.

It is merely a tributary, which will merge into a wider river and flow eastward to the sea.

The world is too big. Or rather, humans are too small, only about the size of a squirrel.

Most rivers and lakes inspire awe and wonder. As for the true ocean, its vastness is beyond comprehension.

Liu Xingmo looked at the waves crashing against the shore, shook his head with a wry smile, and then walked along the river until he found the dock.

Thick bamboo poles were driven deep into the shallows, supporting the wooden platforms.

Magnificent dugout canoes, tied with hemp ropes to bamboo poles, bob and sway in the river.

Countless workers directed swarms of beetles, which carried sacks and moved between the dugout canoes and the dock using bamboo sampans.

There were also burly men with dark skin, bare-chested and naked, with rubber rags covering their crotches. They rode on the backs of large fish, cutting through the rolling waves of the river.

Liu Xingmo suddenly changed his mind: "Bao Hei! You're a soft-shelled turtle in the water, not a tortoise on land. Get in the river!"

Reluctantly, Baohei took a step forward, walked to the edge of the dock, looked down at the surging river, and hesitated.

Liu Xingmo jumped off the tortoise's back, channeled all his blood energy, and kicked his contracted beast: "Get off me!"

Bao Hei's eyes widened in surprise, and after a brief fall, he splashed water everywhere.

Then, Liu Xingmo also jumped into the river. Following the soul imprint, he found the location of the old turtle, paddled with both hands, splashed onto its body, and grabbed the saddle tightly.

Baohei bobbed up and down in the river, instinctively remembering how to swim.

It stretched out its paws, which were hanging down below, and paddled desperately in the river. It stretched its neck out and its head peeked out, panting heavily through its nostrils.

Liu Xingmo wiped his face, spat out some river water, and said, "You're quite the swimmer, aren't you? See that boat over there? Overtake it!"

Bao Hei paddled with all his might, chasing after an unattainable goal.

Liu Xingmo's lower body was submerged in the river, while his upper body was also submerged by the waves from time to time.

A man and a turtle drifted on the river.

Just then, a black figure disappeared into the murky river water in the distance, its slender body meandering as it swam.

As a wave crashed down, a brown head with a beard emerged from the water; it turned out to be an otter.

The guy shouted into his head, "Young man, this isn't a place for you! Go back to shore!"

After being thoroughly drenched, Liu Xingmo revealed the scales in his robes and shouted, "I want to join the Water Margin! Please show me the way."

"You're so delicate and fair-skinned, you're clearly not someone who lives by the rivers and lakes!" The otter shook its whiskers, its gaze deep. "This is a mighty river, not some mountain pond. All those who drown are people like you who think they can swim."

While fishing is a lucrative profession, it's also undeniably dangerous. Therefore, the industry has high barriers to entry, and it's understandable that they are wary of outsiders, even those who are clearly exceptionally talented.

Liu Xingmo had no choice but to unleash his ultimate weapon: "I'm a storyteller! I'm going to write a story about fishermen!"

"Huh?!" The gray otter gaped, speechless, its eyes glazed. A large wave crashed down, jolting it awake. "Come with me, young man!"

The otter dived into the water and quickly approached the old turtle paddling. It untied the rope from its waist, hooked the saddle with a hook, and then plunged into the distance.

As the rope suddenly taut, Baohei accelerated instantly, pushing aside layers of water waves, almost floating on the surface.

Liu Xingmo struggled to steady himself.

The otter before us is probably a third-tier powerhouse, quite capable. With him involved, there will be far fewer problems.

We sped along, going downstream.

The water surface grew wider and wider, with rolling waves in all directions, and the riverbanks could not be seen.

Only the distant, grayish-yellow mountain ridges indicate that this place is still within the territory of Heilongzhai.

This place should be called Dabazi Lake. As the name suggests, it is a large lake in the mountains formed by a dam that acts as a city wall.

Liu Xingmo choked on a lot of water and was dragged half-dead into the fleet, where he was placed in the spacious cabin of a dugout canoe.

This boat was made of a giant log, ten meters in diameter and over a hundred meters long. It was tapered at both ends, hollowed out inside, equipped with a simple sail, and also had animal power.

Liu Xingmo recovered and climbed to the edge of the boat.

By this time, several giant beasts had gathered. Although they were all slender and adapted to the river, they were over ten meters long.

They were all humans who had transformed into beasts, high-ranking officials in the Water Margin, and in charge of the lifeline of the Black Dragon Village's aquatic product trade.

Liu Xingmo shouted, "Gentlemen, I have a favor to ask! I want to join the Water Margin, and I want to go out of town to fish!"

A large catfish, its fleshy whiskers swaying, spoke in a tone like that of a decrepit old man: "Fishermen rely on the weather for their livelihood, unlike others. Young man, are you really sure you've thought this through?"

Liu Xingmo said in a deep voice, "I've already thought it through. You can send someone to Xizhen to inquire. My reputation for fishing is known far and wide."

A beaver clapped its paws and cheered, its tone like that of a gossipy woman from the neighborhood: "By the way! I heard from the fishmonger that you're Air Force Liu Xingmo! Air Force, Air Force... I just couldn't think of such a fitting title."

Liu Xingmo fell silent this time.

The otter leading the way spoke up, its tone that of a simple, middle-aged man: "This is the storyteller! How could a title he gave him be anything less than excellent?"

These words caused a huge uproar. A literal uproar, stirred up by these giant beasts.

The last one is a white egret, standing gracefully in the water, stretching its slender head over to carefully examine the little man in the canoe.

Her voice was clear and melodious: "A storyteller? I do know your story. You are a hidden genius, carefully nurtured by our ancestors. After completing your studies, you traveled far and wide, and returned eight years ago to create newspapers and storybooks."

She asked with scrutiny and skepticism, "What brings you here?"

Liu Xingmo pursed his lips.

Their intelligence was transmitted to a remote waterway, and it was distorted to such an absurd degree.

He solemnly declared, "Gentlemen, I am who I am, Liu Xingmo. You can verify this at any time. As for why I'm here, there's only one purpose: to go fishing outside the city!"

The giant beasts fell silent, huddled together, and whispered among themselves.

Finally, the egret replied: "Welcome to the team. Starting tomorrow, rigorous training awaits you. I hope you will take good care of yourself."

"Huh? When can I leave the city?" Liu Xingmo asked hurriedly.

"You can wait until you reach the second tier. This is for your own good, you understand?" The egret raised its slender claws and paced in the water. Her tone left no room for argument.

Liu Xingmo fell silent.

Just then, the water surface churned and surged. The huge dugout canoe began to bob and pitch.

A mountain-like figure, its body covered with jagged, rock-like bone spurs, parted the waves and pushed aside boats as it waded through the water from afar.

Liu Xingmo held his breath.

That's a crocodile!

The old woman's nagging voice came through the air: "Young man, is this turtle in the boat yours?"