The beautiful mage was kidnapped by the contracted beast again

Grandpa carried Miaomiao back into the house.

As night approached, the heat in the forest dissipated, and the ground and leaf tips were covered with wet cold dew.

Miaomiao has had a weak health since childhood and would get sick if he was caught in a cold. It would be fine during the day, but he would never let the child stay outside for long at night.

After entering the house, the old man waved his hand, and warm light instantly fell, dispelling the original darkness.

The light came from a strangely shaped lamp hanging in the center of the wooden house's roof. It didn't look very dazzling, but the milky white and soft light rippled like water waves, evenly filling every corner of the house.

Miaomiao knew that this thing was called a magic lamp. There was a light golden sun crystal inlaid on the base of the lamp. She could inject magic power into it to make it glow, or she could let it slowly recover through the natural energy absorbed during the day.

What he didn't know was that this kind of lamp was usually only used in the homes of nobles and some wealthy people.

Sun crystals are extremely scarce in the outside world, and due to their valuable automatic energy storage properties, most are used for crucial weaponry. Only prominent families, deeply concerned with appearances, would purchase magic lamps for sprucing up their facades. For ordinary people, standard mechanical lamps are sufficient for daily life.

Grandpa hadn't chosen the magic lamp out of any desire to show off. In fact, with no one alive around them, there was nothing to show off to.

He made this choice because the magic lamp has one major difference compared to the mechanical lamp - the light it emits contains subtle and soft magical energy.

This energy is of no use to his level of practice, but for children who have not yet started practicing, it is the best choice to remove impurities and moisturize the meridians silently.

The child was six years old, almost old enough to practice cultivation. Some children from prominent families began practicing at three or four, under the pretext that the earlier they worked, the more talented they would be. But Grandpa wasn't prepared to do such a desperate move. He wanted Miaomiao to have a carefree childhood. So he waited until now.

Of course, some preliminary preparations still need to be completed during this period.

Miaomiao didn't know that the seemingly ordinary green vegetables and meat he usually ate were actually high-grade spiritual plants and spiritual beast meat carefully selected by his grandfather. Each one could be auctioned for thousands of gold coins.

Even the imperial court could not guarantee that every meal and every dish would contain such precious things.

The pure energy contained in these foods is stored in his body, just waiting for the day when he can put them into operation.

After returning to the house, Miaomiao immediately threw herself onto the bed, took off her coat in a few seconds, and snuggled into the soft quilt.

Grandpa moved quickly, and in a few moments, the house was filled with the aroma of food. Before Miaomiao could say anything, her stomach started growling.

He was so hungry that he covered his stomach and rolled around in the quilt, grumbling, "Grandpa, can I eat now?"

Grandpa hummed, but said, "Wait a little longer, there's another dish that will be ready soon."

He lowered his eyes, and a bracelet on his left wrist under his wide robe flashed, and a fat chicken appeared in front of him.

It looked very fresh, as if it had just been killed, with the blood flowing from its wounds still warm. But in fact, it had been dead for most of the day.

This is something that only the highest-level space bracelet can do, completely freezing the time of the object placed in it. It is not limited to inanimate objects, even living things can be carried.

A bracelet like this, a life-saving artifact at a crucial moment, is completely unavailable in the outside world. Even the creator couldn't guarantee a second replica. If the knight who arrogantly tossed the bag of supplies to the old man three years ago had seen it, his eyes would probably have widened in horror. A treasure not even the royal family possessed, casually worn by an old scavenger whom he utterly despised, and used merely as a simple refrigerator freezer?

What a waste of natural resources. But the old man did not seem to be reluctant at all, and even sincerely felt that this was the most useful function of the bracelet.

You know, the Lost Forest only has fantasy beasts, no spirit beasts. While fantasy beast meat is edible, the magical power it contains is often violent and disordered, and a careless act could lead to obsession. Grandpa wouldn't feed Miaomiao with it.

To obtain the flesh of spirit beasts, which also contained abundant magical power but had a milder nature, he would regularly go hunting in the distant Magical Beast Mountains. With the divine artifact-level "Eternal Blessing" space bracelet, he could easily store the spirit plants and spirit beasts he had obtained.

The Warcraft Mountains are located in the western part of the continent. On his way back, he inevitably passed through the surrounding cities, so he disguised himself as an old scavenger. As expected, the Moon Shadow Principality's high-ranking officials, who were still searching for him, were completely surprised that such a top-tier expert could behave so demurely. Even when he swaggered among the soldiers, no one paid him a second glance. Even the occasional glances were filled with condescending disdain and ridicule, sometimes even malicious provocations. They knew that such a lowly being had no choice but to bow their heads and tolerate.

On this continent, even if someone is still alive and powerless, they are no different from dead bodies that can be bullied at will in the eyes of others. This is one of the reasons why Grandpa was determined to let Miaomiao practice.

He is old, and even if his powerful magic can support his body to prolong his life, it cannot guarantee that he can protect Miaomiao forever. He has too many enemies, and once they find out that Miaomiao is their adopted child, Miaomiao will be involved in countless bloody storms.

Moreover, Miaomiao himself has an unclear background. To survive, he must have strength, at least enough to protect himself.

Even as he pondered, the old man's hands kept moving, their aged hands moving with a swiftness belying his age. In a flash, the cleaned carcass of the Spirit Beast Chicken lay on the chopping board, its white, tender, and delicious appearance tantalizing. Unfortunately, before him stood a merciless killer intent on dismembering it. With two sharp cuts, the chicken was completely chopped off, from the neck up to the buttocks, leaving only the center, where the fat and lean parts were balanced.

Grandpa evenly spread the various spices and seasonings he'd prepared on the chicken, kneading every inch of it repeatedly to ensure it fully absorbed and infused with flavor. Then, with a crisp snap of his fingers, a flame condensed from magical power rose from his fingertips, the scorching heat causing the surrounding air to distort slightly.

The flame that was powerful enough to burn people and mythical beasts to ashes now restrained its power and gently rolled up the marinated chicken like a mother holding a baby, without touching the wooden chopping board at all, demonstrating a control that was precise and almost terrifying.

The chicken sizzled and tumbled under the flames, its skin shrunken slightly from the heat. The golden oil dripped from the chicken before it could even drip, being devoured by the rising flames. Soon, a mouth-watering aroma filled the cabin.

Miaomiao really couldn't sit still anymore.

He got out of bed and ran to his grandfather's side, holding the chopping board with both hands, staring at the roast chicken slowly rolling in the flames with his big black eyes, which seemed to be glowing.

"Little greedy cat, go set the dishes on the table." Seeing how pleased he was, Grandpa's wrinkles filled with a smile, and his usually cold eyes were now full of tenderness. For a chef, the most joyful moment is to receive the approval of diners.

"Okay," the child said briskly, then dashed around the room like a whirlwind. He quickly cleaned the table and laid out a clean white tablecloth. He also neatly arranged the wooden bowls, large and small, and the chopsticks. As if with some obsessive-compulsive disorder, he aligned the tips of the chopsticks perfectly.

After doing all this, he sat down on the small stool obediently, supporting his head with his hands, his eyes shining: "Grandpa, when will Dahei come back? Should we save a portion of dinner for him?"

Grandpa raised his hand to extinguish the flame, and a wooden plate appeared out of thin air, catching the roasted chicken that fell from the air. I don't know how he moved, but the whole chicken was instantly cut into more than ten pieces, which were arranged beautifully on the plate.

"Don't worry about it, it will be back tomorrow. Dahei is very smart and can find food by himself."

Miaomiao nodded and said "hmm".

Dahei is indeed very smart. Many animals in the forest seem to understand what he says, but not many can speak and communicate with him like Dahei. Perhaps because of this, my grandfather sometimes takes him out. If he is fast, he can come back the same day, but if he is slow, it may take three or four days.

Miaomiao felt a little discouraged when he thought of this. Grandpa would rather take Dahei out than take him. In fact, he also wanted to go to the city and take a look.

The food was served on the table, and the starving child didn't care about his image. He ate at a speed that was inconsistent with his small body.

The first thing we tried was, of course, the long-awaited roast chicken. Grandpa had perfect control over the heat, not only keeping the flame low enough to avoid burning the chicken, but also ensuring it was roasted evenly, ensuring every bite was rich in flavor.

The chicken is fragrant when you put it in your mouth. The white soft meat and slightly crispy chicken skin are mixed together. When you bite it, the juice overflows, creating a wonderful taste.

The hot white rice grains are crystal clear and are placed in half of a green bamboo tube. You can smell the fresh aroma of bamboo when you chew it.

Taking a bite of the salty chicken and chewing a mouthful of the sweet rice, Miaomiao was so happy that her eyes narrowed into crescents.

"good to eat!"

Grandpa looked at his small bowl filled with meat, picked up a handful of vegetables with chopsticks and handed it to him: "Eat more vegetables, too."

"Yeah." Miaomiao didn't even raise her head and accepted everyone who came.

When his belly was bulging and so round as if he had gained weight, he finally put down his bowl and chopsticks, sighed like an old man, patted himself, and there was a hint of regret on his face.

"I can't eat any more. I'll have the sugar cake tomorrow."

Grandpa looked at the mischievous little kid with a smile and waved his hand: "Go play, walk for a while first, don't run right away, or you'll get upset in your stomach. I have something to tell you later."

"Okay, Grandpa." Miaomiao blinked. In fact, he was so full that he couldn't run even if he wanted to.

He got off the chair with difficulty, put on his coat, and went for a stroll around the cabin to help digest his food.

Grandpa looked at the table where there was still a lot of food left, and continued to eat slowly.

-

The night is cool, and the stars in the sky twinkle silently, spreading a brilliant sky in the distant sky.

In places invisible to ordinary people, circles of white mist emerged from the soil, rising and spreading from every corner of the Lost Forest.

The mist was thin and light, almost blending into the inky night. It swirled over the low roots of the bushes, climbed up the tall treetops, and finally completely enveloped the entire Lost Forest.

The roars and cries of the mythical beasts disappeared, and pairs of scarlet eyes lit up in the silence, flashing a ruthless and biting light.

In the darkness, they no longer concealed their true form. The elegant and agile fur in the daytime was torn apart in an instant. Countless huge and strange shadows fell crookedly on the silver-white ground illuminated by the moonlight, and their ferocious fangs were exposed in their open mouths.

They raised their heads and simultaneously looked towards the depths of the forest. Not the center of the forest where the grandfather and grandson were, but deeper, deeper, a place no one had ever reached.

They felt a strange and terrifying breath suddenly appear in the forest.

wow-

The coastal beaches are completely exposed, naked under the bright stars and moon, and covered with a layer of bright frost.