Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

"You! You! You!" Liu Sanniang stared at Liu Xingmo, her mouth agape. "How did you guess?"

Liu Xingmo sat there calmly, even crossing his legs, with an air of profound mystery: "In your situation, either a powerful being of destiny has changed your fate against all odds, or a wild, extraordinary beast of destiny has fallen into your hands."

Liu San Niang became agitated, stood up, and paced back and forth in the living room.

After a long while, she stopped and said, "Never mind, never mind! Liu Xingmo, please take a look at me."

Liu Xingmo appeared calm on the surface, but his heart skipped a beat.

Are there really innately blessed beasts with good fortune?

"That guy, I keep him in the woods. If you want to see him, come with me." Liu San Niang stood up with great momentum and pushed open the door to leave first.

Liu Xingmo quickly followed and woke up Bao Hei at the door.

The two rode the old turtle down the steps on the cliff and followed the main road away from the deep, dark mine.

The hot spring river flows gently, with thick mist floating on its surface.

The mountains and fields are covered in a blanket of white; it turns out to be a spring snow that started falling last night and is still swirling down now.

Liu Xingmo picked up the leather umbrella beside him and held it over his head.

Liu San Niang leaned over directly and casually lifted the quilt to cover her thin shoulders.

Liu Xingmo tried to move away a little, but Liu San Niang stuck to him without any hesitation.

The woman put one arm around the young man's waist and pointed into the distance with the other: "In the mountains northwest of the city, I have an old treehouse that has been passed down through generations."

"Understood." Liu Xingmo rode the old turtle, climbing towards the remote mountain.

The territory of Heilongzhai is very large, including an entire mountain range and several peaks, with city walls erected along the border.

Several flat areas within the area were developed into urban areas, while the other rugged and precipitous regions were planted with trees to serve as grain-producing areas. Scattered throughout were also fields and outposts.

This is probably where Liu San Niang's old house is located.

Deep in the mountains, ancient trees stand silently as snow falls.

The pine needles, wrapped in thick snow, resembled fluffy jade hairpins, weighing down the branches. Occasionally, a gust of wind would pass by, and a mist of snow would fall in a soft rustling, shimmering with tiny silver glints in the cold light.

Liu Xingmo wrapped himself tightly in a thick old cotton quilt and sat on the broad back armor.

Baohei took steady steps, his feet sinking into the knee-deep snow with a soft "crunch," before slowly pulling himself out, leaving deep snow pockets.

Its squirrel fur hat gradually accumulated a thin layer of snow, and its two pointed ears were stained white, making it look like a rabbit.

Its eyelids were covered with frost, and it had to shake its head vigorously like a tabby cat.

Snowflakes fell heavily onto Liu Xingmo's face, carrying a bone-chilling cold. He tightened his collar and vigorously shook the snow off his leather umbrella.

Liu San Niang poked her head out from under the quilt: "Let me see where we are? Oh dear, we still have half a day's journey ahead. It's so cold! Let me warm myself up." As she spoke, she hugged the man beside her tightly.

"What are you doing, Third Sister? I'm on my way, don't disturb me," Liu Xingmo said seriously.

"Oh dear, young man, why are you speaking so softly? Are you scared?" Liu San Niang reached out and pinched Liu Xingmo's cold face. "That's right! This desolate place is perfect for some good things to happen."

"You can't just say things like that! We're law-abiding citizens, we have to follow the rules."

"What happened? Like that scene in 'The Snow Mountain Swordsman'." Liu San Niang's soft voice took on a dangerous tone as she reached out and pinched the young man's chin. "A group of bandits surrounded Hua Xinyu, and then..."

"Okay, I was wrong. I shouldn't have written this kind of plot." Liu Xingmo readily admitted his mistake. "Speaking of which, didn't that person return just in time?"

"You bastard, can't you even remember your character?" Liu Sanniang's grip suddenly tightened. "Lu Heyan was such a good man, how could he end up like that?"

"Okay, okay, it's all my fault." Liu Xingmo reached out and pulled away the woman's slender fingers, then rubbed his chin.

"You still know you were wrong? I send you a razor blade every month, and you don't even glance at it, do you?" Liu San Niang grinned, her two sharp canine teeth gleaming brightly.

At this moment, Baohei, who was running in the cold wind, stopped and looked back at its master.

Liu Xingmo pondered for a moment and said, "The snow is too heavy today; it might not be suitable to go out. Let's go back."

"Oh ho?" Liu San Niang couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, the cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye shimmering with her gaze. "Don't you want to see that cute little bird I caught? It's a rare beast with innate destiny! A lucky beast that can defy fate! You really don't want to take a look?"

"Ugh... Third Sister, stop fooling around. Let's hurry up, that way we can still make it home before dark." Liu Xingmo gave the order, and Bao Hei continued to run wildly with his head down.

"Ha! Men." Liu San Niang scoffed, then burrowed into the quilt, snuggling close to the young man beside her.

Liu Xingmo felt a headache coming on.

This woman is clueless and acts like a fool when it comes to important matters. But when it comes to dealing with a specific person, she becomes incredibly difficult to handle.

Perhaps the difference between men and women is reflected in this.

It was freezing cold, and the wind and snow were howling.

An old turtle, carrying two people, continued its journey through the mountains and forests.

The distant peaks were shrouded in a hazy mist, only a pale blue outline visible. The nearby tree trunks stood silently by the roadside, like giants draped in white furs.

In a mountain hollow where the wind and snow have subsided, there is a tall chestnut tree and a pointed-roof treehouse.

This should be the place.

Baohei stopped under the tree and dug a snow hole to crawl into.

Liu Xingmo and Liu Sanniang climbed the stairs covered with icicles step by step.

"Caw! Caw caw—!" The deep chirping of birds echoed through the woods.

Liu Xingmo's breathing quickened. Through Bao Hei's senses, he discovered a strange presence in the dilapidated wooden house in the tree.

Liu San Niang turned around, smiled at Liu Xingmo, then took out her key and opened the door.

"Caw!" Another bird chirped.

Liu Xingmo quickly crawled into the house.

The space was dimly lit, and the surrounding area was piled with fluffy grass.

In the very center of the straw was a huge black iron cage, its bars rusted and confining a bird to a tiny space.

Its feathers weren't pure black; the edges were tinged with a grayish hue. It stood at the bottom of the cage, one claw slightly curled, the other gripping the rough iron post tightly, making a soft scraping sound.

This is a crow.

Liu Xingmo took a deep breath and found that the crow's obsidian-like eyes were staring intently at him.

He stepped forward and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"Gah!" The hoarse cry was the only response.

"How about it? It's a genuine innate rare beast, isn't it?" Liu San Niang said proudly.

At the same time, two large, brightly colored snakes emerged from the pile of grass.

A ring encircled Liu San Niang, making the woman appear even more alluring.

Another one approached the iron cage, opened its mouth wide, revealing its venomous fangs, and silently sneered at the bird in the cage.

Liu Xingmo asked in a deep voice, "Third Sister, you haven't branded your soul yet?"