Super Zoo

After descending from the hilltop of the Fox Immortal Residence, nestled within a valley among the three trapezoidal peaks, lies the tranquil Lure Community, where around two hundred Lure People live under the leadership of Amir. At a glance, the community looks not much different than those tribes in Africa, with rows of dome-shaped wooden houses distributed haphazardly. Around the perimeter of the tribe is a small wall about half a person's height, with grass roots poking out from the dried mud walls. Many wooden houses have strands of salted fish, dried meat, and dehydrated vegetables hanging at their entrances. Only those who participated in the construction and those who live there can truly appreciate that this seemingly rudimentary community is in fact a case of "coarse exterior with a hidden shine." Have you ever seen a primitive tribe with central air conditioning, where every household has an air vent? The sign of the 'Lure Tavern' flutters in the wind, and every so often, there is a small shop selling trinkets made by the Lure People after work. Some individuals who clearly look like tourists appear in the community, glancing around here and there. The Lure Community is open to the public, but access is strictly controlled in terms of time and number of visitors. It's only open two days a week, and every hour the number of tourists within the community must not exceed the number of local Lure People. For one, Suming did not want to overly disrupt the Lure People's way of life. Secondly, he had witnessed firsthand what Lijiang Ancient Town became under commercial development and the drive of profit—a ghastly sight he did not want the Lure Community to devolve into, transformed into a place reeking of insincerity and the stench of money. In the center of the community, the largest dome-shaped wooden house is the Lure Social Committee. A national flag hangs atop the Social Committee's roof, with lively music playing through loudspeakers. "On the other side of the mountain, the other side of the sea, there is a group of Smurfs; They are lively and smart, mischievous and agile, freely living in the green embrace of nature..." This was originally a bit of a mischief on Suming's part, but to his surprise, the Lure People grew quite fond of this song. A Lure girl in charge of broadcasting at the Social Committee would play this song whenever she felt like it. Just below the flag, at a slightly lower position, flies the banner of the Pyro Deity of the Fire Worshiping Sect. No matter how Suming looked at it, he couldn't help thinking it resembled the Mazda logo. With people coming and going every day, it was like free advertising for Mazda. If he had the chance, he should secure some sponsorship from Mazda—at the very least, provide the Social Committee with a few public service vehicles. Wang Jin was riding on a wild boar, initially a bit nervous. Soon, he realized that the creature beneath him seemed even more docile than a horse, apparently well-trained, and he grew bolder. He let go with both hands, took out two cigars, passed one to Suming, and leisurely smoked his own. "Su Sheng, I hear your two horses are going to compete at the end of the year. I'll definitely come to support them," Wang Jin said with a cheerful smile. "Afraid you might lose your money," Suming shrugged. Passing through the Lure Community, not a single tourist was in sight. The area beyond was not yet open to the public. Following Suming's plan of 'one scenery per hill,' the hill where Lanruo Temple was located, although not yet fully developed, gave a completely different feel upon entering its base than that of the Fox Immortal Hilltop. The Fox Immortal Hilltop brought a leisurely and detached sense, like an ink wash landscape painting; Whereas the hilltop of Lanruo Temple was covered with old trees blotting out the sky, their roots entwined like strange snakes. A few broken stone paths, barely visible through the tall weeds, snaked through the area. 'Lanruo Temple' A bloody stone stele was inserted askew in the dirt, its vine-entwined body marked by the erosion of time and traces of chop and ax. Two blood-red eyed ravens perched on top of the stele, letting out mournful cries. Just entering the base of the hill sent shivers down one's spine, as if one had arrived in the Ninth Abyss Devil Domain. "Squeak squeak squeak..." Several long-tailed macaques huddled in trees, baring their teeth and shrieking at the group of 'intruders,' as though threatening them or warning them not to venture deeper into the forest. "This... this snake... such a huge snake..." Having had the experience with the wild boar before, Wang Jin remained relatively calm upon seeing the huge python coiled on the old tree. He swallowed hard and looked at Suming with effort, squeezing out a faint smile, "Mr. Su, this one is trained by you as well?" Suming's expression darkened, "No! Be careful!" "Ah?..." Wang Jin's body swayed, almost falling off the pig's back from fright, but Suming reached out to steady him, "Heh heh, just kidding." Wang Jin: "..." Although it was a joke and he knew there couldn't be any real danger here, Wang Jin still felt his heart hanging by a thread for the rest of the journey. From a distance, occasional mournful howls of wolves could be heard. In the surrounding dense forest, creatures resembling wolves darted past, the tall grass constantly rustling. No longer could he see the cute animals like those around the Ancient Moon Xian Residence. Slimy snakes twisted their bodies on the treetops, ugly lizards stared with swollen eyes, coldly watching them. Frogs, large enough to scare him, jumped out from the roadside as if mocking their foolishness. Sitting behind the wild boar, Wang Jin even looked down from his elevated position to see a marsh a few meters away in the dry grass, where a creature that was clearly a crocodile was idly napping in a pond. Not far away, scattered white bones lay... Wang swallowed hard, suddenly recalling a casual remark Suming had made earlier, 'On the way, there might be some dangers...' This wasn't just dangerous; it was like a dragon's den and a tiger's lair! Wang instinctively gripped the bristles on the back of the second pig. If it weren't for riding such a big fellow, he wouldn't dare venture deeper into this place by himself. After wandering in the mountain of Lanruo Temple for more than half an hour, the view suddenly cleared. A slanted mountainside lay before them, like a reclining beauty, with murmuring water trickling down the slope. Above the mountainside stood an ancient yet rundown temple. A few dilapidated lanterns, which let the wind blow through them, hung around the temple. Accompanied by the soft sound of wind chimes, they dimly illuminated the path into the temple. "Mr. Wang, we should get off the pig. We need to walk from here, the stone slabs at the entrance are fragile and won't withstand these two big fellows," Suming said. "Oh, oh, okay." Just as he dismounted, he suddenly heard the sound of girls' laughter, like ringing silver bells, coming from the Lanruo Temple up the slope. A large group of girls draped in thin veils rushed out of the gates of Lanruo Temple, laughing. The semi-transparent veils fluttered in the wind, their skin shimmering into view. "Is this... arranged for me?" Wang Jin was stunned and then turned back, flashing Suming a smile that every man understands. This kid's got potential! Suming gave a mysterious smile but before he could speak, a thunderous shout echoed from above. "Tao tao tao!" A shadow flashed, and Big Beard roared as he leaped down from an old tree. Upon landing, Big Beard obviously staggered, looking rather awkward, barely managing to stand by propping himself against a tree. The girls, seeing this scene, couldn't help but burst into giggles, leaning on the gates of Lanruo Temple, their bodies shaking so hard with laughter they couldn't even straighten up.