Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

The whole night passed in anxiety.

The eerie Nian beast did not reappear.

The next day.

Liu Xingmo rubbed his bloodshot eyes, held the spirit stone lamp and shone it around to make sure there was no sign of any monsters.

He immediately decided, "Mary, prepare some food, we're going to Midtown!"

"Okay." Sumali walked briskly towards the woodshed.

There was one more person who panicked at this moment.

Liu San Niang hurriedly grabbed Liu Xingmo's arm: "Wait! Are you going to run away?"

"I'd like to report the situation to the curator and also find out some information. Besides, there are more experts in the central city, and it's safer there." Liu Xingmo didn't hide anything.

"Aaaaaah! Don't leave me behind, I want to go too!" Liu San Niang screamed.

She gritted her teeth, rushed out of the room, returned to her own home, packed some dry food, and then waited by Bao Hei's side.

Liu Xingmo found this both amusing and exasperating, but he didn't chase them away. At this moment, having another companion was indeed more reassuring.

Sumali quickly prepared three days' worth of food, and she also brought along the secret weapon she had developed the night before: a firecracker.

It explodes when thrown on the ground; no ignition is required, making it easy to use.

The three of them got ready, dressed Bao Hei in his gear, strapped the cargo to its back armor, and then rode the old turtle toward the central city.

As for other things, we can't worry about them for now.

The residents of the mine celebrated the Lunar New Year as happily as ever, with joy and leisure permeating the streets and alleys.

At that moment, a strangely shaped giant tortoise was seen carrying three people on its back, running along the main road as if they were fleeing a disaster.

Many people are discussing it.

Liu Xingmo couldn't care less about that.

The monster that appeared yesterday was so bizarre; I won't feel at ease until I figure things out.

Bao Hei quickly left the dark and gloomy mine.

The dazzling sunlight poured down, and the snow-covered forest under the blue sky and white clouds shone with blinding light everywhere.

These lights brought an unparalleled sense of security, and Liu Xingmo felt a little relieved.

He mobilized all his blood and energy, channeling it to Bao Hei beneath him.

The old turtle kicked up its four hooves, turning the light snow that had accumulated on the road overnight into a cloud of smoke, which it dragged behind it.

We sped along, climbing the birch-lined avenue, and continued our rapid advance.

Bao Hei's size has now reached its limit, with its carapace alone measuring over four meters long. It's no different from the elephant Liu Xingmo was in his previous life.

With its robust physique forged from spiritual herbs and the blood cultivation bestowed upon it by its master, it galloped ahead of everyone else, leaving the rabbit bus far behind.

Liu Xingmo covered his body with a cotton quilt to ward off the cold wind.

Liu San Niang, having recovered from her initial shock, lifted a corner of the quilt and slipped her legs inside: "Make way, give me some room..."

"How long are you going to follow me?" Liu Xingmo asked.

"Until it's safe," Liu San Niang replied shamelessly.

"Don't cause me any trouble." Liu Xingmo pulled the quilt tighter.

"Okay, okay!" Liu Sanniang took advantage of the situation, burrowing herself into the quilt and lying comfortably on the thick deerskin.

After driving at full speed for an hour, we finally arrived at the library.

The snow on the massive building had been cleared away, leaving only a trail of icicles under the eaves and frost flowers on the windows, a testament to the arrival of winter.

Liu Xingmo led Bao Hei to the animal enclosure by the side gate, and then they arrived at the main gate.

Reaching out and pushing open the heavily patinated wooden door, it creaked open, like a long sigh from an old house.

The entire library is permeated with the scent of wood. Turpentine, mixed with the rich aroma of time, seeps out from the grain of the floors, walls, and bookshelves.

Stepping on the interlocking wooden floor, even a slightly heavy footstep will raise a soft "creaking" sound, startling the dust particles in the sunlight into a disarray within the beams of light.

The familiar environment put Liu Xingmo at ease.

He greeted the large macaque behind the counter: "Hello, curator!"

"Oh, what brings you here?" The giant macaque was quite surprised, then his face broke into a wide smile. "Great timing! I was just worried about who would cover for me, and here you are."

The curator lifted his buttocks and left the seat he had occupied for years.

He stretched out his furry paws, grabbed Liu Xingmo, and pressed him back into his original position.

He continued, "It's the New Year, and I'm going to my ancestral home for an important meeting that will last for several days! You'll have to watch the library for me."

"Wait! Director!" Liu Xingmo looked around, then lowered his voice, "I have something important to say!"

"What? You've found another clue about the spy?"

"Not human, but monster!" Liu Xingmo jumped onto the counter and said to the monkey ears that were leaning in, "Do you know about the Nian beast? I've encountered the real one!"

"What? Isn't that just a joke for kids?" The curator looked suspicious, but he knew the young man in front of him wasn't the type to joke around. "Tell me in detail what exactly happened."

Liu Xingmo explained in detail what happened last night.

The giant macaque stretched out its paw and tugged at the white beard on its chin: "There's such a thing..." Its eyes behind its gold-rimmed glasses darted around, and finally it lowered its voice, "Xiao Mo, listen to me, there is no Nian beast in this world."

"What do you mean?"

"This was said by an old deity, and it's widely circulated. I don't know much more than that." The giant macaque looked up at the minute and second hands of the clock. "I'm leaving now! The library is in your care. I'll report what you said to the higher-ups. Perhaps the Mountain Goddess, with her vast knowledge, can provide an answer."

The curator opened the door and left in a hurry.

Liu Xingmo was even more confused and felt a sense of impending crisis.

He went straight into the bookshelf, following his memory to search for his target.

The towering bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, divided into many layers, each filled with books, requiring ladders to climb up and down.

Most of these books lack elegant covers; the titles are written with ink on the spines of the books, which are wrapped in kraft paper or coarse cloth, and the edges of some of the characters are already blurred.

Liu Xingmo set up a ladder and flipped through the pages one by one.

I read that book when I was a child. Where was it again?

Search quickly! Search quickly!

……

found it!

The Compendium of Strange Beasts

Holding a relatively new book, Liu Xingmo jumped down from the ladder.

Ignoring everything else, he sat down on the ground, opened the book, and began searching for the answers he wanted.

Nian beast, Nian beast...

Liu Xingmo found the corresponding page number from the table of contents and quickly flipped to the end of the book.

A sketch is presented directly before your eyes.

It has a round body covered in black fur, two long ears on its head, thick feet and claws all over its body, and striking black and red swirling eyes.

It looks like Totoro from a past life cartoon, only far too ferocious. The same monster as yesterday.

Just as Liu Xingmo was about to examine it closely, he was shocked to find that the entire text had been blacked out.

Information about the Nian beast was covered up by a brush with thick ink marks.

Only that page of images was preserved intact.