Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Liu Xingmo was caught in a dilemma.

Su Mali advised him impatiently, "Xingmo, my dear husband, don't let a little money cloud your judgment. Even if this scorpion is just a fighting force to protect our family's property, it's still very necessary."

"That's right, we're not short of money now." Liu Xingmo made the decision, "We won't sell this scorpion, we'll keep it as our bodyguard."

The two men decided to free the scorpion from the net, put it in a bamboo cage they had prepared beforehand, and then place it on the roof of the car and cover it with a thick cloth.

As for the fox instructor, he waited until she finished speaking before refusing her, and then branded her soul mark. This was considered polite.

……

Next, Liu Xingmo and his wife strolled around the camp and bought a squirrel that a hunter had shot.

The squirrel is skinned, gutted, and hung on a string of branches for roasting. Soon, the enticing aroma fills the air.

If you ask what the best thing to eat in this old forest is, it has to be squirrels.

The meat of carnivores is too fishy and smelly, while the meat of large animals is too dry and tough.

Squirrels, these little herbivores, have a nutty aroma permeating their fur and even their marrow.

Of course, even though it's called a small one, it's almost as tall as a person. It sits on a wooden skewer and requires two people to carry it for grilling.

Liu Xingmo estimated that this thing was about the same size as a whole roasted lamb from his previous life.

But now I can eat and drink as much as I want, and I can eat as much meat as I want. Anyway, that's how cultivation in the Blood Path works; it all depends on what good things your mouth can consume.

We ate from noon until afternoon, and from afternoon until evening.

Liu Xingmo downed five bottles of wine in a row.

The other hunters gradually returned to camp, and campfires were lit in the dark valley, which gradually became lively.

A huge red figure wandered around a bonfire and finally came to the old turtle and the carriage.

The fox instructor was accompanied by a middle-aged man this time.

This man had a small mustache, small but bright eyes, and a shrewd air about him.

He bent down to the two people sitting on the ground and said with a smile, "You must be Xiao Mo? You've grown so much! I used to hold you when you were little! You might have forgotten, but I'm a friend of your parents."

Liu Xingmo gritted his teeth, feeling a chill run down his spine.

That old fox has ulterior motives; he's actually pulling strings! And it's this kind of connection that's hard to refuse!

Upon closer examination of his childhood memories, the middle-aged man's words proved true; he used to frequently visit with delicious treats.

Helpless, Liu Xingmo could only stand up, forcing a smile: "Uncle! Quickly sit down and warm yourself by the fire, it's chilly at night."

The middle-aged man lifted the hem of his shirt and sat down on a rock: "Xiao Mo, you're practically my nephew, so I'll be frank. Do you intend to sell that old scorpion you caught?"

"Hmm... well..." Liu Xingmo was speechless for a moment.

"Alright, I understand. I won't bring this up again." After saying that, the middle-aged man turned to look at Su Mali, "Oh, and who is this?"

"My wife!" Liu Xingmo reached out and put his arm around Su Mali's waist.

"Oh dear! Such a big thing, and you didn't even make it public. It makes me seem like I've been indifferent all these years and have failed my old friend's trust."

The middle-aged man reached into his sleeve and pulled out half a piece of pure white mutton-fat jade. A look of nostalgia crossed his face.

"Back then, your father and I were traveling as merchants when we were caught in a torrential rain. We were swept into a ravine by the flood and happened to find a piece of jade. We were pushing and shoving it between us, and we accidentally dropped the stone and broke it. In the end, we each got half."

"Now I'm giving you this stone, don't refuse!"

Liu Xingmo stared at the jade, his eyes shining.

This thing is a spirit stone!

The spiritual stones in this world are extremely valuable.

Because they are not consumables, but can absorb and store natural spiritual energy, and can be used repeatedly over many years, and even passed down as family heirlooms from generation to generation.

The middle-aged man grabbed Liu Xingmo's hand and placed the jade in his palm: "Take it! I'm often away with the caravan and can't take good care of you for your parents, so this is all I can do."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Bai."

"Oh, you still remember me!" The middle-aged man's face lit up with joy, then turned solemn. "I've been investigating your parents' matter for a long time, but the more I investigated, the more frightened I became. Xiao Mo, try to take it easy, let some things just pass..."

After saying that, he patted Liu Xingmo on the shoulder, got up and left.

The fox instructor lying beside him had its two large ears drooping limply.

She stood up and left without saying a word.

As she approached the middle-aged man, her large tail swung casually, as if she had accidentally knocked him down.

Liu Xingmo stood there, stunned.

He knew little about the accident his parents had suffered. His fourth uncle was also unwilling to talk about it.

All we know is that we encountered a crazed monster.

But there are countless strange beasts in the world. Are they born or natural? Are they domesticated or wild?

In that incident, a small caravan of over a hundred people, including a newly appointed manager, were all killed.

confusing.

Liu Xingmo's rare good mood was ruined, and he carefully put away the spirit stones with a heavy heart.

I'll ask Liu Yizhu about it later; he should know quite a bit.

In short, without strength, you can't move an inch.

Liu Xingmo climbed onto the roof of the car and lifted the cover.

The large scorpion was huddled in the bamboo cage, its pincers and venomous stinger firmly bound. Eight round, dark eyes glared fiercely at the person before it.

"Your carapace is black with a bluish tinge, so let's call you 'Bluish-Black'!"

Liu Xingmo concentrated his mind and drew out the soul imprint, gathering it at his fingertips, and then placed it above the eight scorpion eyes.

As soon as it probed downwards, it encountered fierce resistance. Countless chaotic and hazy thoughts surged out at once.

They hunt crickets under fallen leaves, hide from predators in crevices of rocks, run swiftly through bushes, and hibernate peacefully in burrows...

Liu Xingmo received these thoughts one by one, integrated them all, and condensed them into the soul imprint, finally forming a simple pseudo-soul.

The scorpion that had been struggling violently stopped moving; it is now called Qinghei.

Liu Xingmo gave the instruction to move his second leg on the right side.

Qinghei's entire body instantly tilted to the side.

I'm not proficient yet, but I'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

Liu Xingmo walked around the entire camp, buying up the crickets that others had caught and feeding them to Qinghei.

The rope binding the scorpion was untied, and its large pincers clamped down on the insect, which it then stuffed into its mouth and devoured.

It now possesses a rudimentary spirit and can barely obey commands. However, it remains wild and untamed, and it's best to keep it in a cage to prevent it from harming people with its poisonous hook.

The grand hunt is six days away.

Liu Xingmo calculated the time and found that Bao Hei could still accumulate enough luck for a divination. Qing Hei also needed some training.

Then they continued hunting.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali rode their old turtles and scorpions around every day, wandering around in the deep mountains and forests.

There's been no news of those spies; they must have fled far away.

In short, the forest near the campsite is safe.

Day after day passed, and before we knew it, it was the tenth day.

early morning.

Let the divination begin, prepare for the treasure hunt!