Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

The old woman's nagging voice rang out: "Young man, you old turtle, your nose is really sharp! You can smell the gold nuggets at the bottom of the river from so far away."

Liu Xingmo looked up and saw a huge crocodile lying by the stream. Its size was so large that it could block the entire waterway if it moved even slightly.

He humbly said, "It's just a little trick, let's see if God will grant me this opportunity."

"Heh! If you really think that way, that's a good thing." The crocodile opened its mouth and yawned. "Ah—! As an old woman with experience, let me give you some advice. Young man, remember this."

"The path of cultivation depends on the individual. Contracted beasts are ultimately just external forces; they can be used, but not relied upon. It must be the human controlling the beast, not the beast leading the human. If you can't understand this, your path will be cut off."

After the crocodile finished speaking, it turned around, walked through the bushes, and returned to its camp.

Liu Xingmo stretched his legs and splashed around on the riverbed a few times to make sure there was no gold left. Then he flipped himself onto the old turtle and quickly gave chase.

sunset.

The fishing team returned to Heilongzhai and set up a seafood wholesale market at Beicun Wharf.

Liu Xingmo calculated the time; he had to go to work at the newspaper office tomorrow, so he could only say goodbye to the people at the Water Margin today.

Master Bao, a grey-haired otter, held a rare, large crab in his mouth: "I swam quite a distance to catch this. Keep it. Crabs are the best Tier 1 contracted beasts, perfect for you."

"Thank you, Master Bao! But I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. My strength is still two or three levels below that, and I can't form a contract with such a powerful crab."

"It's alright, take it home and eat it. Just steam it in a big bamboo tube for about half an hour. When you lift the crab shell, the aroma of the crab roe will waft right out!"

"You're truly generous and magnanimous; that's what an old fisherman who makes his living from the rivers and lakes should be like. In a few weeks, a character based on you will appear in a newspaper story. It's about a martial artist from an ancient mountain and water town..."

"Really?" Master Bao's eyes almost popped out, and the crab in his mouth fell to the ground with a thud, breaking both of its legs.

He pressed on, "Is that character like me? Was it written based on me?"

"I'm a storyteller, how could my words be false?" Liu Xingmo took out a handful of fishing line and tied up the fallen crab. "However, my writing skills are limited, so please forgive me if it's not well written."

"Any story you write can't be bad! Tell me again, what kind of character is that?"

"Oh dear, I can't reveal the plot beforehand. I'll give you a definite answer: that person will be out in half a month."

Liu Xingmo rode on the old turtle, surrounded by goods piled up all around him, filling its carapace to the brim.

Master Bao walked carefully on the crowded street, being careful not to step on pedestrians.

The two walked and talked until they reached the bottom of Birch Avenue.

Liu Xingmo lined up to climb the tree, and Master Bao reluctantly said goodbye.

In the past few days, the gray otter has been visiting Liu Xingmo whenever it's not busy, and the two have become quite familiar with each other without realizing it.

During the days when Liu Xingmo lived with the fishermen, he not only enjoyed delicious food, but also had his long-standing fishing addiction satisfied.

In the future, when you have free time, you can come and come with me when we go out of the city.

Manager Liu Zhouning, also known as the big crocodile, seems easy to talk to and takes good care of the younger generation.

There are also several Level 3 instructors, all of whom are quite good.

Deepening our relationship with the Water Margin, and even officially becoming one of them, are things worth considering for the future.

……

It was getting late; the sun had set and the stars were out.

Liu Xingmo hurried along the birch-lined avenue, head down.

Above, bare branches outlined a sparse silhouette against the dark blue sky, with occasional late-falling withered leaves being swept up by the wind, swirling and drifting in all directions.

In the distance, the mountain wind sweeps through the valley, carrying the bitter scent of pine needles and decaying leaves. The autumn wind whistles softly as it brushes against the exposed rocks.

Liu Xingmo left the wild trees and groves on both sides of the road behind, focusing solely on getting to his own peach tree.

There was no moon tonight, and the woods were dark; even the path beneath our feet was barely visible.

Fortunately, one bus after another, emitting a faint, warm orange light, drove into the dark distance.

Countless buses strung together illuminated the dark mountain forest's main road.

Liu Xingmo estimated the distance; they had already covered half the distance. Bao Hei, having persevered this far, was also getting tired.

When the bamboo poles and planks underfoot swept over a hilltop, many vehicles and pedestrians left the main road and found places to rest on the rocky platform.

They eat, drink, and feed the livestock.

Liu Xingmo took out ten fresh fish from the cargo on the turtle's shell and fed them to the old turtle one by one.

Baohei ate some food to stave off his hunger, then lay down to rest.

Many passersby taking a break turned their gaze in this direction, unable to suppress their envy and jealousy.

Baohei has grown even bigger.

These past few days, all it's done is eat and work, and its belly is always bloated.

The various good medicines I had taken had fully dissipated, allowing my body to grow further and my muscles and bones to become stronger.

This strange beast, resembling both a tortoise and a soft-shelled turtle, has a shell that is over three meters long.

Its limbs were as thick as wooden stakes, with clearly defined muscles, and its eyes, as large as copper bells, were bright and piercing.

What a majestic and imposing fellow!

Even the scruffy wild rabbits nearby paled in comparison. It seemed that if this oddly shaped turtle were taken to the arena, it would surely be the winner.

Ignoring the stares of others, Liu Xingmo sat directly on the turtle's back and began practicing the Turtle Shell Technique.

Suddenly, a gentle male voice called out, "Liu Xingmo, do you remember me?"

Liu Xingmo opened his eyes and saw a vigorous young man.

He wore a long green silk robe, a faint smile on his face. His aura was ethereal, making it impossible to discern his true strength.

"Great-Grandpa! What are you doing here?"

"A walk after dinner will help you live to be 999. I had dinner and went for a stroll, and I didn't expect to run into you."

"Coming to stroll on the main road? You're truly an expert!" Liu Xingmo exclaimed in amazement.

As the two continued talking, passersby stopped paying attention to them. Bao Hei, who had just been the center of attention, was also ignored.

It seems this corner has been forgotten.

This great-grandfather was indeed a master, a fifth-level elder, terrifying indeed.

"Heh, I'm telling you, you write a newspaper article and you still fabricate things. You even issued some solemn statement back then, saying that only the innate mythical beast Rock Boar appeared during the Allosaurus attack. All the rumors about the mythical beast Turtle were just rumors."

When the great-grandfather finished speaking, he patted his eighteenth-generation grandson on the shoulder.

"You'd better hide your precious old turtle well; most people won't suspect anything. But I'm in trouble. At my age, I'll still have people coming to my door asking questions. Hehehe..."

"Oh, well. When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. Your strength and status are there for you, so handling a small matter is no problem for you. I can't do that. If some fool really comes knocking on my door, I can't handle it." Liu Xingmo explained with a smile on his face.

"Alright, do you think I don't understand?" Great-Grandpa strolled closer to Baohei, patted its smooth carapace, and said, "It's been raised quite well. I must say, you've got a knack for making money. At least you've provided it with good food and drink."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xingmo quickly asked, "Great-Grandpa, what did I do wrong? How can I correct it?"