Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

As the sun set, the large fishing team gathered their catch and sailed upstream along the river back to their village.

Beicun Wharf is bustling with people.

The canoes are moored here, and then the fresh seafood is unloaded and piled up on the shore in a messy little mountain.

The next task was equally arduous: sorting the fish and shrimp by size and selling them at different prices.

Fishmongers from Dongzhen, Xizhen, Nancun, and Zhongcheng would rush to Beicun Wharf overnight to buy wholesale fish after setting up their stalls all day.

Beetles pull wooden carts, spiders carry silver fish; scorpions crawl while clutching packages, lizards carry heavy loads down the mountain; and there's the snow-white and majestic rabbit, dragging a ton of black carp.

The bustling fish market continues until dawn.

Not only fishermen, but people from all walks of life will be involved.

Potters who make earthenware pots, bamboo weavers who make steamers, blacksmiths who forge kitchen knives...

Fish from outside the city entered the city, and after several transfers and twists and turns, they fed a large number of people.

This is how towns operate.

That's how the world is. Whether you're a third-level instructor or a fourth-level manager, you have to work to earn a living—and it's just ordinary work that's not fantastical at all.

Liu Xingmo once fantasized about a novel-style adventure, making a living by hunting high-level mythical beasts in the wild.

Anyone with a brain knows that even in a dominant game with a nine-out-of-ten chance of winning, after a dozen or so games, you're likely to lose unexpectedly.

People who spend their days fighting and killing are simply bullying the weak. Those who love challenging strong enemies don't survive more than a few evenly matched battles.

However, there is, after all, a genuine cultivation system. And those desperate, reckless individuals who risk their lives do exist, and in considerable numbers.

If I had to name a few, non-professional anglers and hunters would be included.

Liu Xingmo and his fourth uncle risked great danger to go fishing outside the city, their original intention being to capture strange beasts and collect rare seedlings.

I can't believe it actually worked!

Now that Liu Xingmo possesses a rare beast, he has a path to advancement. He plans to develop steadily for a while.

He made money, bought medicine, learned secret techniques, and received instruction.

In this way, it gets stronger layer by layer.

Wait until you are fully prepared before embarking on the adventure.

……

Liu Xingmo then stayed in Beicun for two more days, going out of town to fish with the main group every day.

On this day, we set off as usual and arrived at the wetlands.

After wreaking havoc on several ponds, Bao Hei exhaled its last wisp of black energy.

Liu Xingmo was overjoyed. He repeatedly checked through the soul imprint and confirmed that the old turtle's body only had a restrained aura of good fortune.

How about a fortune telling to try your luck?

The moment the thought arises, it causes a restless and unsettling unease.

Liu Xingmo looked left and right.

The group was scattered across a field, with a crocodile guarding each of the four directions: east, west, south, and north.

And their master, the old steward of a fourth-tier powerhouse, Liu Zhouning, transformed into a colossal crocodile with solid scales, was dozing off and sunbathing on the riverbank.

This protective force should be fine. Ultimately, the luck accumulated over a few days won't cause any real trouble.

Liu Xingmo issued the order:

"Bao Hei! Quick, look around, where's the treasure?"

The old turtle climbed to the top of the slope and calmed its mind.

Bathed in sunlight, the jet-black, rounded carapace gleamed, resembling an obsidian mountain.

A faint, indescribable light flashed by, and Bao Hei opened his eyes, took four steps, and turned to look westward.

At the same time, Liu Xingmo received a mysterious message:

Clear flowing water, withered water plants, smooth pebbles, and settled silt...

I don't understand, I'll go take a look.

Liu Xingmo climbed onto the turtle's back and crawled westward.

After crossing several ponds, they gradually arrived at the edge of the camp. However, Baohei did not stop and headed towards the distant stream.

At that moment, a voice rang out, old and kind: "Young man, it's dangerous over there, don't go."

Liu Xingmo turned his head and saw a massive crocodile, as large as a mountain, staring intently at him from a distance. It was the crocodile's contracted beast that guarded this place.

This isn't the old steward's true form, but her current cultivation level is enough to make all contracted beasts her eyes and ears.

Liu Xingmo scratched his head, half-concealingly saying, "My tortoise has a nose as sharp as a gray wolf's. It seems to have smelled something..."

"Then I'll go with you." The large crocodile, which had been lying down, stood up, its four paws supporting its weight. A strange light flickered in its narrow, golden pupils. "Remember this: humans crave to enslave strange beasts. But in the eyes of strange beasts, humans are excellent tonics. The roles of hunter and prey are always shifting."

Thank you for your guidance.

The beavers in the group put down their work and ran over to guard the area.

Liu Xingmo rode the old turtle away from the camp, traveling through the bottom of the withered reeds, over roots and weeds.

There was hay all around, making you dizzy. You also had to use your arms to protect your face from the leaves scratching your skin.

A large crocodile followed not far behind, its massive body causing the earth to tremble with every step it took.

Liu Xingmo walked for a long time until he heard the sound of flowing water. He directed the old turtle to rush out of the foxtail grass that had buried the uninhabited area, and suddenly the view opened up before him.

A shallow stream meanders along, flowing gently over a pebble riverbed.

Bao Hei stopped in his tracks, confirming that his target was right there.

Liu Xingmo looked left and right but couldn't find any obvious treasures. After thinking for a moment, he simply waded into the shallow water and searched the pebble riverbed.

The water is a bit cool in late autumn, especially the constantly flowing fresh water, which quickly takes away the body's surface temperature.

However, Liu Xingmo was already used to it. He wore a specially made rubber fish scale suit and stepped on the round pebbles, sometimes sinking deep and sometimes sinking shallow.

The water flows over the stones, creating ever-changing ripples, and the clean sunlight shines on the water's surface, refracting into a scattering of golden light.

Liu Xingmo squinted and carefully examined the area, walking around in the shallow water again and again.

It's nothing but stones.

Suddenly, a small, shimmering golden dot caught his attention.

It's not that the light was particularly dazzling, but rather that the point of light was stationary, quite different from the shimmering light on the water's surface.

Liu Xingmo walked over, forcefully lifted up a few pebbles, and then cleared away the mud and sand at the bottom of the river.

Once the soil and rocks settled, a palm-sized piece of gold was revealed.

Its surface is uneven, with black stone veins. However, its bright yellow color reveals its extraordinary nature.

A gold nugget!

That is, natural gold ore!

Liu Xingmo unearthed the gold nugget, held it in his hand, and weighed it; it felt unusually heavy.

They've really struck it rich!

Gold is associated with immortality and indestructibility, and is an essential material for many magical artifacts. It can also be melted into the shells and bones of contracted beasts.

A gold coin with a face value of 1000 shows the value of gold.

I'll have this nugget of gold refined by Su Mali later. It can be made into ten gold coins, which will earn me ten thousand yuan!

Liu Xingmo took out a cotton cloth, wrapped the gold ore, and carefully put it in his pocket.

He bent down and groped in the river, trying to find more scattered gold particles.

Perhaps Baohei's abilities can be used to find mineral veins; what if he finds a gold mine...