Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Liu Xingmo gathered his energy and focused his mind, concentrating the soul imprint between his fingers and gently touching it onto the old turtle's head.

The ethereal soul imprint, like a hot knife cutting through butter, vanished directly into the depths of this turtle's soul.

In an instant, it felt as if my fingertips were pricked by an ice needle, and a faint, indescribable tremor flowed back through the invisible connection, reaching straight to my heart.

"It's done..." Liu Xingmo murmured, somewhat incredulous.

"It really worked?" Fourth Uncle's eyes widened, and his clenched fists trembled slightly.

"Without a doubt, it's a success!" A smile appeared on Great-Grandpa's face. He nodded and murmured, "A blessing or a curse? Interesting..."

Liu Xingmo snapped out of his daze, staring into her beady eyes, and said, "Old turtle, you're my treasure. I hope your luck will bring me even more treasures. Let's call you Bao Hei!"

The turtle lazily shrank its neck, spitting bubbles as it sank into the water.

……

As the sun set, the entire town was bathed in a warm, golden light. The shadows of the trees and houses were stretched long, creating a surreal and fantastical effect.

The uncle and nephew, riding on the cat, both felt a little lightheaded.

From the treehouses by the roadside, one can hear the chatter of everyday life. People returning home from work ride various insects and beasts, walking slowly along the road.

Uncle Si couldn't help but sigh, "Xiao Mo, you'll be the most successful one in our family from now on, so you'd better work hard!"

"I will," Liu Xingmo said solemnly.

"Now that you have this rare beast, don't go running around aimlessly anymore. Just tell me about those fishing spots where you can catch big fish..."

"Impossible!" Liu Xingmo said resolutely.

"Hey! You rascal." Uncle Four turned around and stared at his nephew. "But, Xiao Mo, your wife doesn't seem very easy to talk to. She hasn't been home for two days and one night. You're going to have a tough time tonight!"

"Haha, our marriage was just a sham, to get me a local residency permit," Liu Xingmo chuckled. "When I want to go fishing is my own business!"

"A fake marriage? Hehe, I don't think it's fake, does it?" Uncle Si said with a half-smile.

"It's just about living together as a couple!"

Uncle Si chuckled, then said with even greater certainty, "Go fishing together? Going fishing together would make her rush to me to complain about your fishing spree? You're such a stubborn kid!"

Liu Xingmo stopped talking, whistling indifferently and humming an unknown tune.

"Sigh! I always said I shouldn't have married a foreign woman. She's always causing trouble. Local women are much better. They're virtuous and family-oriented."

"Mary isn't considered a foreigner; only her maternal grandmother is."

"With that high nose and big eyes, what's so attractive about her? How did she manage to captivate you?" Uncle Si said, exasperated. "If you ask me, a woman should have a big face; she's lucky."

"That's an outdated idea from hundreds of years ago. These days, new styles are all the rage."

"Sigh! I understand you young people less and less."

Liu Xingmo rolled off the cat: "Goodbye, Fourth Uncle! Next time, let's ride Bao Hei and swim to the middle of the river to go fishing!"

……

This place is the West Town Market.

On the large, spread-out leaves, various fruits and vegetables were laid out. They were all very large; even a single radish had to be sliced ​​and weighed for sale, just like the winter melons of my past life.

The market was rather deserted in the evening, with many stalls already packed up.

Liu Xingmo easily found the corner of the fish market.

River snails, shrimp, and fish fry were piled up into small mountains on lotus leaves. After a day of drying, they emitted a pungent smell.

Liu Xingmo didn't even glance at it, walking straight to the large wooden basin: "Boss! Ten live fish! Put it on my tab!"

The shop owner on the recliner opened his eyes, and after seeing who it was, he forced a smile: "Hey, brother, another no luck today? I'm telling you, you should be more careful. At least poke a hole in the mouth of the fish you buy with a fishhook, so you don't embarrass yourself when you get home."

"Okay. Hurry up, I need it urgently!" Liu Xingmo was in a good mood and didn't mind.

Holding a turtle in his arms and carrying a fish in his hand, as he walked to the south end of the market, a strong, nauseating smell of blood wafted over, causing his stomach to twitch slightly.

"Dinosaur meat, on sale! Rare Allosaurus, come and have a taste!" the boss shouted loudly.

Liu Xingmo subconsciously held his breath and stopped in his tracks, staring at the mountain of flesh that was several people tall.

Thick blood vessels and fascia spread through the bright red muscles, and the strong, pungent smell of blood attracted fist-sized flies, which were precisely swatted away by the boss's frogs with a single swipe of their tongues.

What goes around comes around; yesterday's dragon is today's meat on the chopping block. Those cold, vertical pupils have probably lost their luster, and who knows whose table they'll end up on.

With another piece of red meat added to his back, Liu Xingmo walked all the way to the foot of a peach tree.

A spiral staircase was nailed to the thick tree trunk, spiraling upwards to a treehouse nestled among the branches and leaves.

As Liu Xingmo climbed the stairs, gradually approaching his house, his initially leisurely mood began to turn uneasy.

This is a two-story wooden building, ten meters long and wide, and five meters high, built on several forked branches.

Liu Xingmo hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

"Tap tap tap..." Footsteps approached.

A woman opened the wooden door.

Her hair was as black as a waterfall, her eyes as black as stars, her lips slightly upturned, and her nose high and straight.

His deep-set features carried an exotic air, and his pale skin exuded an unspeakable coldness. A wide brown robe draped over his tall figure, and three brass hairpins secured his hair in a bun at the back of his head. There were no superfluous decorations.

The woman examined the man who hadn't returned home all night, along with a turtle and five fish.

The wooden door was quickly closed.

Liu Xingmo quickly blocked the door: "Mary! I encountered a dinosaur! I almost got eaten!"

The force on the wooden door has lessened.

Liu Xingmo quickly went inside, put all his haul on the floor, and then reached out to hug the woman in front of him.

"Ah, I'm finally home!"

The woman's robe was stained with many dirt and smelled of a mixture of various medicines.

Liu Xingmo sniffed a few times, then pressed his face against the woman's neck, finally catching a pleasant scent.

"I thought we were never coming back! The dinosaurs were huge! Like a mountain!"

The woman was silent for a moment, then her clear, flat voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Okay. I'll go cook, you rest for a while."

"Hehe, I want to eat braised dragon meat with fermented soybeans!" Liu Xingmo handed the piece of meat on his back to the woman.

The woman took the dragon meat and then reached for the turtle and fish.

"This isn't for eating!" Liu Xingmo quickly covered the old turtle. "This is a rare beast! A primordial rare beast!"

The woman froze, her dark pupils suddenly contracting to pinpoints upon hearing the words "innate rare beast".

Liu Xingmo looked around, then carefully closed the door: "Its name is Bao Hei, I just caught it yesterday! I just branded it with my soul today! A genuine innate rare beast!"

A vivid look of astonishment appeared on the woman's usually expressionless face: "Xingmo, is this true?"

"Would I lie to you? Keep your voice down, let's go inside and talk!" Liu Xingmo put his arm around the woman and went into the inner room.

The woman's surname was Su, and her full name was Su Mary. She was of mixed race, born in a Western country, and was Liu Xingmo's wife. Her Central Plains accent was somewhat broken because she was unfamiliar with the local culture.

The two went to the kitchen.

It was late, and the room was dim, with only the firelight from the stove providing a bit of warmth.

The pots and pans were somewhat messy and emitted a faint medicinal smell, clearly having been requisitioned by the lady of the house.

Liu Xingmo found his family's large water vat, put Baohei inside, and watched its clumsy figure paddling in the dim firelight.

Liu Xingmo took a deep breath and focused his mind to sense through the soul imprint: "Alright, let me see what you're capable of..."