themonasnovels Chapter 62 Eight-Star Beetle
Chapter 62 Eight-Star Beetle
Cai Xuan looked at the water before him, a hint of amazement in his eyes.
This is a vast body of water formed by countless interconnected lakes, with large lakes leading to smaller ones, and smaller lakes flowing into larger ones, scattered like stars across the landscape, stretching endlessly.
The lake water was emerald green, shimmering in the sunlight, like pieces of broken jade scattered on the earth.
Narrow waterways connect the lakes, their waters flowing gently and crystal clear. On some lakes, huge leaves resembling water lilies float, with pink and white flowers blooming among them, emitting a faint fragrance.
Several water birds were startled from among the leaves, flapping their wings and flying into the sky, leaving ripples on the water's surface.
Further away, verdant mountain peaks are reflected in the lake, their reflections shimmering on the water, creating a breathtaking scene reminiscent of an ink wash painting.
The lake was surrounded by thick, tall weeds, the tops of which resembled wolf tails, and when the wind blew, they looked like countless people waving.
If you saw it at night, it would probably be a bit scary.
The air by the lake was moist and fresh, carrying the coolness of the water and the fragrance of grass and trees. Cai Xuan took a deep breath and felt refreshed. Standing by the lake, looking at this vast expanse of water, he felt that the aquatic products here must be abundant. If he could fish here, he would never have to worry about not having enough to eat.
However, he did not rashly walk into the lake.
The water looked calm, but who knew what lurked beneath the surface? Perhaps a terrifying beast was hiding there. After thinking it over, and deciding that safety was the priority, he led the little ones along the lakeshore.
The lakeside was overgrown with weeds and densely wooded, making it difficult to walk.
Xi'er led the way, swinging her long axe and cutting down tall weeds and trees, carving a path through them.
After walking for about half an hour, the lake shore gradually widened, revealing a shallow beach. Looking out, the lake was covered with emerald green water plants, like an underwater grassland, swaying gently with the ripples. Large fish swam to and fro, some weaving through the water plants, others leaping out of the water, drawing silvery arcs in the sunlight and splashing up sprays of water.
"What a huge fish!"
Xi'er's eyes lit up, and she grabbed the long axe, eager to try it out.
"Don't rush, we'll catch them when we get back. Let's clear the way first, the important matter is ahead," Cai Xuan said hurriedly.
Xi'er pouted, glanced longingly at the plump fish in the lake, and continued walking forward.
Walking a little further, the lake shore becomes gentler, and a wide mudflat appears before you. This seems to be a habitat for waterbirds, with flocks of them resting, foraging, and nesting on the mudflat.
The water birds varied in size; some were the size of ducks, some were like domestic geese, and some were like cranes.
Some of them swam in the water, some strolled along the shore, some hovered low in the air, and some incubated their eggs in their nests.
Bird nests were everywhere on the mudflats, each containing either eggs or chicks. They poked their heads out of the nests, chirping and chattering, creating quite a lively scene.
Fat bird, such a fat bird!
Cai Xuan looked at the flocks of plump waterbirds ahead, raised an eyebrow, and thought that he must catch a few to take back and taste when he returned.
However, he did not disturb them. Instead, he slowed his pace and led Xi'er and the others quietly along the lake shore.
A few little birds imitated him, crouching low and tiptoeing, sneaking past the edge of the birds' territory like thieves. Passing through the waterbird habitat, the terrain gradually rose ahead, leaving the lake behind and giving way to rolling hills.
As he walked, Cai Xuan was suddenly drawn to a grove of trees on the hillside.
The trees were enormous, their trunks so thick that several people couldn't encircle them, their canopies blocking out the sky and shrouding the hillside below in dense shade. The bark of these trees was particularly peculiar, peeling off layer by layer like old clothes, revealing smooth new bark beneath.
Cai Xuan walked over and touched it. The bark was soft and thick, and felt like cotton cloth. When he pressed his fingers on it, he could feel a slight rebound.
He peeled off a layer of bark, held both ends with his hands, and pulled hard. The bark was extremely resilient; even when stretched taut, it showed no signs of breaking. After releasing his grip, the bark quickly springed back to its original shape, completely intact.
"This is good stuff!" Cai Xuan's eyes lit up.
This tree bark is a rare treasure—soft, breathable, and resilient, it's perfect for making clothes for the little ones to wear next to their skin. Besides... his underwear is sorted out too.
You see, he used to only have one pair of underwear to change into. Usually, he had to wear wet underwear if it wasn't dry after washing, and dirty underwear if it wasn't washed after drying. Now, with this tree bark, he can finally say goodbye to that predicament.
"Brother, this bark is soft and smooth, it feels so nice to touch." Xi'er also peeled off a piece of bark and touched it.
"Hmm, this bark is really good. Come and help us, we'll peel some to make clothes." Cai Xuan took the lead and started peeling.
As soon as the kids heard that they were going to make clothes, they immediately started helping.
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Under the wooden frame, four small golden gourds hung quietly on the vines.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from the distant mountains and forests, growing louder and louder as it approached.
It wasn't the soft buzzing of bees, but a dull, metallic sound of wings flapping, like countless metal plates vibrating in the air, sending chills down one's spine. The sound grew closer and denser, as if something was surging towards them in a massive, overwhelming rush.
The fifth golden melon was the first to notice something amiss.
A flash of light appeared on the melon's body, and two invisible beams of light shot out, piercing through layers of space. Looking in the direction from which the sound came, a large patch of colorful lights rose from the distant dense forest, like a moving colorful cloud, and flew rapidly toward the wooden house.
As the colorful cloud drew closer, it became clear that it consisted of enormous eight-spotted beetles.
Each one is about the size of five or six palms, and their carapaces are multicolored and dazzling, with eight huge spots on their backs, like eight stars. Wherever they fly, the grass and trees bow their heads, as if fleeing a disaster.
These eight-spotted beetles seemed to have been prepared; as soon as they flew over the wooden house, they swooped straight down on the large golden pumpkin vine.
They landed on the thick leaves, gripped the veins tightly, opened their sharp mouthparts, and began to gnaw at them frantically.
"Click, click, click—"
The soft, chewing sounds blended together, like countless scissors opening and closing simultaneously. Tiny cuts immediately appeared on the leaves of the giant pumpkin vine, green sap seeping from the wounds, shimmering in the sunlight.
I don't know if it's just my imagination, but the giant pumpkin vine seems to be trembling.
"Oh no! They're eating the leaves!" Fifth Golden Melon exclaimed.