202: Chapter 201 The Four-Legged King

By his estimation, this should be a tree species that existed in ancient times but had long since gone extinct. When it was alive, it likely stood thirty to forty meters tall, making it a towering giant. Although its growth form was rather strange and the burls on its surface looked repulsive, its texture was extremely dense. After carbonizing, its hardness had actually become somewhat soft, even softer than typical hardwoods. Whether cut horizontally or vertically, the grain on the surface was stunning. Dense, fine, radiating ribbon-like ripples of pale red and yellow looked like clouds in the sunset scattered by the wind, dazzlingly beautiful. Setting aside its texture, this unique grain alone could rival Golden Silk Nanmu. Moreover, this might be the first instance of Bogwood from a rare ancient tree species, a one-of-a-kind existence. No matter what an object was, as long as it was beautiful and scarce, its value would be infinitely elevated. Thus, the value of this piece of Bogwood might be much higher than that of Golden Silk Nanmu Bogwood, holding extraordinary significance. Cao Xiao had once again picked up a treasure that no amount of money could buy.

In addition to the timber, he collected enough wild edible plants, fungi, and medicinal herbs to store in his space. What surprised Cao Xiao the most was the abundance of wild bees here. Large hanging honeycombs on trees dozens of meters high, cliff honey on rocks, and ground honey in earthen mounds were discovered from time to time. The Yeren Mountain primeval tropical rainforest is located south of the Tropic of Cancer. Its unique humid and hot subtropical rainforest climate is a breeding ground for countless wild bees. There are thousands of species of wild plants in the primeval forest, including towering ancient trees and precious medicinal herbs. Every year after March, various wild plants bloom and produce nectar. Wild bees collect nectar from hundreds of these plants to brew authentic wild multi-flower honey. Its quality is pure, its floral fragrance intense, and it exudes the unique aura of the primeval forest, even possessing certain medicinal effects!

Actually, Cao Xiao just liked the fragrant and sweet taste of natural honey; he didn't care about medicinal value at all. He had been fortunate enough to eat authentic natural wild honey once as a child, and the wonderful sensation from that time lingered in his memory to this day. He had always been unable to forget it, but it couldn't be bought on the market. Having found so much this time, he naturally refused nothing and happily swept it all up. He even intentionally left one spot on a tree ahead. When passing by, he pretended to notice the beehive by chance, then excitedly put on gloves, grabbed two daggers, and ran over. With a series of thuds, he stabbed the daggers into the trunk and climbed the thirty-meter-tall tree in a few swift movements. As he approached the hive, his hands moved so fast they seemed impenetrable, forcibly driving away the lunging wild bees before cutting off a large section of the honeycomb. He couldn't wait and began enjoying it right there on a branch, so entranced that he completely forgot the people salivating below. Only after he had eaten his fill did he climb down the tree with satisfaction and share it with them.

"Mr. Cao, we can't go any further! We're about to enter the central area of Yeren Mountain. The sun is setting, and mist is beginning to rise in the mountains. The toxic gases in the mist will get thicker and thicker. Moreover, dusk is when predators hunt, and walking through the dense forest in low light is even more dangerous. We must find an open space to camp first. If those Japanese people don't want to die, they'll stop too. They're traveling with livestock and have left obvious tracks all along the way; we can catch up tomorrow just the same." Cheng Xiaodao and Huang Sheng, who had been scouting ahead, suddenly returned, and Huang Sheng spoke to Cao Xiao.

Seeing that the Japanese ahead showed no signs of stopping, Cao Xiao realized their destination was only five kilometers away and wouldn't escape his sight. So, he nodded and said, "Then let's find a place to camp. Everyone is tired after walking for most of the day and hungry too. Let's get some good rest tonight and continue tomorrow."

"There's a small stream a few hundred meters ahead with a pool. The terrain around it is open and filled with rocks, with no shrubs or weeds. We can camp there. However, wild animals from the vicinity will go there to drink at night, so we must stay alert," Huang Sheng suggested.

"Then let's go there. As long as there are no obstacles blocking our line of sight, we don't need to fear wild beasts," Cao Xiao decided.

The sky had already begun to dim. When they arrived at the rocky beach Huang Sheng had mentioned, everyone began clearing and leveling the ground. Considering the unique environment of Yeren Mountain, they hadn't prepared individual tents this time but brought one large military tent instead. The forty-odd square meters of space was enough for them all to stay in. After assembling the tent, they laid down moisture-proof mats inside, brought out storage batteries, and installed LED lights. Once this was done, it was time to cook. Before the Huang father and son could go hunting, the prey delivered itself. A herd of wild cattle came to the stream not far away to drink—twelve in total, large and small. Surprisingly, they weren't afraid of humans. Even when Cao Xiao approached within ten meters, they didn't flee, continuing to drink leisurely. Three small calves were playing by the water, and one calf, about two months old, actually approached Cao Xiao curiously.

This type of wild cattle is the Banteng, also known as the White-rumped Cattle, which inhabits the tropical rainforests of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Its body shape resembles a common ox, but it has a unique, disk-shaped white patch on its rump, and the fur below its knees is white. They are nocturnal, feeding on grass, bamboo, wild fruits, leaves, and branches. A Banteng is about two meters long, with adults weighing approximately six hundred to eight hundred kilograms.

Seeing the little calf approaching, Cao Xiao found it interesting and walked toward it, wanting to pet it. But just then, a faint gunshot rang out. A bull in the herd collapsed instantly, a small hole appearing in its forehead as blood began to gush out. The sudden turn of events threw the herd into chaos, and they fled into the jungle in a panic. For a moment, Cao Xiao's ears were filled with the lowing of cattle. He had intended to experience the beauty of harmony between man and nature and take a few photos to send to He Yueyou, but this bloody scene had utterly ruined it. He turned back in annoyance only to see Niu Zhen nonchalantly removing the silencer from his rifle.

Cao Xiao walked fiercely up to Niu Zhen, pointed at the bull's carcass, and said, "Don't you know this is a rare and endangered protected animal? It wasn't attacking us, and no one else made a move, yet your hands were itching! Since you're so capable, you're responsible for processing it yourself. No one else is allowed to help. In one hour, I want to see enough clean steak and offal for everyone. Later, you can only eat beef, and you'll be responsible for curing the leftovers and carrying them on your back when we leave. If you want a lighter load, then eat as much as you can!"

Upon hearing this, Niu Zhen lost all his composure, and his face fell. Butchering it was one thing, but the bull was too large; he couldn't bear the hardship of carrying the leftovers back. While secretly cursing his own impulsive hands, he also grumbled about Cao Xiao. Although he was a bit of a mood-killer, there was no need to bring up endangered animals! The purpose of coming to Yeren Mountain was to hunt; before they arrived, Cao Xiao himself had said they should get some tiger bones and skins. Now that he had shot a bull, Cao Xiao had suddenly become an animal rights activist, which made him feel miserable. But he knew the consequences of talking back would be even worse. He had long since figured out Cao Xiao's temperament—if he resisted, even more bizarre tasks might fall on his head. Regardless, he had to try to struggle a bit, so he looked at Cao Xiao pitifully and explained softly, "Boss, there's prey everywhere here. If we can't finish it, let's just leave it. That's hundreds of kilograms! After bleeding, skinning, deboning, and discarding some organs, there will still be about three hundred kilograms. Even if each of us eats two kilograms a meal, we couldn't finish it in a week. We might even head back tomorrow; I can't carry over two hundred kilograms."

Cao Xiao completely ignored Niu Zhen's unmanly, aggrieved expression and said ruthlessly, "If you knew we couldn't finish it, why did you pick the biggest one to shoot? Leave it if we can't finish? Are you even Huaxia anymore? Have you forgotten the traditional virtue of thrift? Let me remind you, you'd better clean it up quickly and leave no scent of blood. Otherwise, if predators are drawn here, I'll leave them for you to handle just like this bull! Or I'll leave you alone in Yeren Mountain to hunt for us every day!"

Niu Zhen didn't want to say another word. He had been utterly suppressed by Cao Xiao's dominance and resignedly began venting his frustration on the bull's carcass with a boning knife. Cao Xiao ignored him; the others were busy tidying the camp and looking for food for dinner. He felt too grimy and needed to wash up before eating, or he'd have no appetite. Taking a change of clothes to the pool, and since there were no women in the group, he stripped naked and dove in. The pool was quite deep, about three or four meters. Likely being close to the source, the water was clean. Cao Xiao had checked it for harmful substances and dangerous creatures; there weren't even any fish, shrimp, or crabs, which was why he felt safe washing there so comfortably.

Just as he had washed enough and was about to head ashore, he noticed an unexpected guest in the pool—or rather, an animal. A yellow python about ninety centimeters long was swimming in the water just like him. Ever since his last bath in Baiyun Mountain, he had developed a bit of a psychological shadow regarding snakes. His first thought upon seeing one was to kill it, and his second was to eat it. However, the little yellow python before him didn't trigger those thoughts. Instead, he found it beautiful and wanted to catch it to play with.

This was because it was a Albino Burmese Python—specifically, an albino variant. Albino Burmese Pythons are very docile, do not actively attack humans, and are non-venomous. In human society, they are kept as premium pets. The Albino Burmese Python is an amelanistic mutation of the Myanmar python, a very rare variant. Adult Albino Burmese Pythons can grow to seven meters long, with females being even longer. They are golden-yellow all over with irregular white patterns, smooth scales, large scales on the head, and heat-sensing pits. In the wild, Albino Burmese Pythons cannot survive because the condition itself is a defect; they lack melanin, have low immunity, and are prone to various diseases. The loss of their natural camouflage makes them unable to hide from predators, and they can die from absorbing too much ultraviolet light. Most existing individuals are captive-bred.

There are no wild populations of Albino Burmese Pythons, only extremely rare individuals. These individuals are characterized by an inability to evade predators due to the loss of camouflage in their youth, and they tend to die young from overexposure to UV rays. Thus, a Albino Burmese Python is an exceptionally precious variety, with pure yellow ones of pure lineage being even rarer! The one before Cao Xiao was purely wild and pure yellow, looking like a dazzling golden ribbon. Furthermore, unlike ordinary Albino Burmese Pythons, it actually had four legs—small, jewel-like legs. Seeing how nimbly it moved in the water, it should be able to crawl on land like a lizard. While it's normal for pythons to have vestigial spurs, they are usually deformed and unusable. This one likely possessed healthy limbs due to atavism or mutation. Such a perfectly mutated Albino Burmese Python was incredibly rare, and Cao Xiao felt the urge to raise it. He had no desire to harm such a beautiful creature, and if he left it alone, it would likely fall ill and die before long. By keeping it, he might save its life.

According to relevant domestic laws, to keep a Albino Burmese Python as a pet, one must apply for a Domestication and Breeding Permit from the wildlife authorities and complete source introduction procedures. Lacking either makes it illegal, and authorities can seize the animal according to regulations! But none of this mattered to Cao Xiao. First, he wouldn't go around flaunting it, and if he wanted to keep it, obtaining legal permits would be simple. Furthermore, in Huanghe City, no one would be blind enough to oppose him over a python.

Albino Burmese Pythons feed on birds and mammals. They usually only drink water and take one to two weeks to digest a single meal. While they are sometimes very docile, they can still bite; after all, they are carnivores with low intelligence, so some aggression is normal. However, this Albino Burmese Python was still a juvenile; if domesticated from a young age, such problems wouldn't exist. He Yueyou would surely love such a beautiful, magnificent, and docile pet.

Having made up his mind, Cao Xiao immediately dove into the water. When he resurfaced, his hand was already gripping the Albino Burmese Python's neck. He let it coil around his arm and placed it on the ground after going ashore. It didn't flee, instead rolling around lazily. After dressing, Cao Xiao put it into his space. The Albino Burmese Python is a rare protected animal, and its trade or export is prohibited in Myanmar. If discovered by customs, it would be confiscated, and he would be arrested. Besides, while in Yeren Mountain, the python wasn't yet tamed and would be inconvenient to carry. It was better to keep it in his space for now and bring it out once back in the country, claiming it was captive-bred. With all sorts of deformed animals popular these days, a captive-bred Albino Burmese Python with four legs wouldn't seem too strange.

Since he had decided to adopt it as a pet, he had to give it a name. Seeing its body shimmering with golden light like gold, and knowing the pinyin for gold is 'JIN'—which sounds like the English word 'KING'—and since 'King' also had a connection to gold, plus its beauty surpassed all other snakes and it was male, 'King' was a fitting name.