Cheng Zongyang was a little surprised to hear about the Points he had earned.
He hadn't received many Points for killing a leopard and a brown bear.
But this giant python had actually given him ten Points!
'Looks like this Black-Horned Python was stronger than them!'
Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but guess as much.
The information this world provided was very limited, and there were many things he didn't recognize.
A seemingly ordinary plant had made the giant python chase him like mad.
The Black-Horned Python's body was indeed black, but it had no horns. Yet this seemingly unremarkable giant python awarded ten times the Points of other animals...
He didn't understand any of it.
But Cheng Zongyang never dwelled on things he didn't understand.
For him, at least, these ten Points compensated for the cost of his treatment.
He walked over to the giant python and began to examine it.
Blackened blood flowed from the wounds on its body.
This confirmed for Cheng Zongyang that the Snake Pattern Grass was extremely venomous. The python had only lasted so long due to its tenacious life force.
Cheng Zongyang pulled out the arrows one by one, setting them aside separately to avoid using them by mistake later.
He then examined the giant python's head. Feeling it, he indeed found two small bumps, but they could hardly be called horns.
'Could it be that it hasn't fully developed yet?' Cheng Zongyang murmured. Thinking of the Snake Pattern Grass's effects, a realization dawned on him:
'That would make sense. The Snake Pattern Grass can promote the growth and development of snakes. This nearly hundred-year-old herb must have been crucial for the Black-Horned Python's development, involving the growth of the horns on its head.
'That's why it chased me so frantically, risking its life to get the Snake Pattern Grass back!'
But then, he looked at the enormous python with a face full of disbelief.
'This is *not* fully developed? If it were fully developed...'
Cheng Zongyang's mind reeled.
A giant python with horns on its head... what else could it be but a mythical creature?
For a moment, he couldn't fathom what the rest of this world was like.
'For now, I'll just focus on using the Wilderness World to change my life, make more money, and strengthen myself. I'll ignore everything else for the time being.'
Pulling his thoughts back, Cheng Zongyang looked at the Black-Horned Python again.
'It's full of poison, so I can't eat it. What a waste. If I had some Martial Arts Cultivation, I might have stood a chance fighting it with a Long Saber. This is all because I'm not strong enough.'
With a sigh, he immediately set to skinning the giant python and cutting off its head.
First, the python skin was valuable, and so was the Snake Gall.
Second, he wanted to see if there was anything special about the python's head.
Third, he could hang the python head nearby later, perhaps to deter other beasts from approaching.
And so, Cheng Zongyang got busy.
He started cutting from the original wounds. As he peeled off a complete python skin with only four arrow holes, he grew quite excited.
'If I sell this to one of the family clans that likes this sort of thing, I should be able to get a few hundred taels, right?'
He tested its toughness. It was very strong; his dagger couldn't cut it with normal force. With his full strength, however, he could pierce it.
But compared to the Refined Long Blade, it was nothing special.
'As expected, this thing has a hidden sharpness Attribute.'
Cheng Zongyang rolled up the python skin to be processed later. Then, he removed the Snake Gall.
The fist-sized Snake Gall was an eye-opening sight for Cheng Zongyang.
It was the first time he had ever seen a Snake Gall so large.
He searched the bloody abdomen for anything else but found nothing special. The internal organs were all a dark, blackish-red.
He wondered if it was because of the poison.
He then dragged the python's carcass far away and tossed it into the mountain forest. He'd see what unlucky creature got poisoned.
Returning to the cabin's entrance, he placed the python skin, Snake Gall, and python head inside the cabin to "keep them fresh," then began to clean up the mess outside.
The grain and guardrails were strewn all over the place. Some of the sacks of rice and flour had even burst, spilling their contents everywhere.
He could only clean it up as best he could and restack everything.
By the time he was finished with all this activity, it was already afternoon.
With no time to rest, he grabbed his Long Saber and Bow and Arrow and headed back up the mountain to retrieve the basket and other items he had left behind.
「Half an hour later」
Cheng Zongyang came down the mountain with the basket on his back.
He was also carrying a wild pheasant and a wild rabbit.
At the cabin's entrance, Cheng Zongyang brought out a bucket of fresh water from inside, washed up briefly, and then started a fire to cook.
He had some pots and bowls, as well as seasonings, so he no longer had to eat dry, tasteless roasted meat.
As the pot of pheasant and rabbit meat stewed, Cheng Zongyang got to work.
He started making plans based on the hundred guardrails.
Using the marketplace cabin as one side, he marked out a twenty-five-meter square area.
Within this area, he planned to build farmland, a warehouse, and other things in the future.
This wasn't something that could be done overnight; it had to be done slowly.
To him, this world was just a place to acquire resources, not a place to live.
His home in the outside world was what truly mattered.
After marking out the perimeter, Cheng Zongyang began digging holes, intending to set up the guardrails first.
The guardrails were one meter wide and one and a half meters high.
To ensure the stability of the guardrails, the holes needed to be at least thirty centimeters deep.
He dug a hole with a hoe, then planted a guardrail. He didn't bother tamping down the earth just yet.
As time ticked by, Cheng Zongyang poured washed rice into the nearly-finished stew and let it continue to simmer.
As the first guardrail was set, the stew and rice were ready.
After washing up, Cheng Zongyang ate the fragrant meat and rice from a large bowl, continuing to mull over his detailed plans for the area.
'In the future, I'll have to cut down the trees near the marketplace cabin. Otherwise, they'll block the sunlight, which will be bad for growing fruits and vegetables.'
'I also need to dig a cistern and divert water from the stream. It'll not only be convenient for irrigation, but I also won't have to walk two kilometers for water anymore.'
'Hmm, I can also build a small pen for livestock. I can keep live pheasants, goats, and the like. If I can bring poultry in, I can raise them here too.'
Cheng Zongyang had many plans in mind. Gradually, he found himself with more to look forward to in the future.
As long as his family was with him, he was confident he could provide them with a life free from want.
After the meal, he washed the dishes and began to brew a medicinal soup. He planned to finish his daily medicinal bath and training before nightfall.
The dangers here had given him a greater sense of urgency.
While waiting for the medicinal soup, Cheng Zongyang went into the marketplace cabin, brought the python head to the fire, and prepared to dissect it.
He would deal with the rest of the guardrails tomorrow.
Gazing at the python head, which was the size of a puppy, Cheng Zongyang used both his saber and his dagger. Within a quarter of an hour, he had split the head in two.
The python's brain had already turned black, clearly a sign of severe poisoning.
'The toxicity of the Snake Grass Root is truly terrifying. But that's what's so magical about Medicinal Materials. The root is highly toxic, the leaves are an antidote, and the fruit promotes growth.'
He picked up the nearby Firewood Knife and prodded the brain. Finding nothing special, he tossed it into the fire to burn.
Finally, all that was left of the hollowed-out python head were two horn-like growths of flesh.
They were about three centimeters long and blood-red all over, just like newly grown Antlers.
'Could these be something good, too?' Cheng Zongyang stared intently at the two objects in his hand.
He immediately turned and entered the marketplace cabin.
"Appraise," Cheng Zongyang said, placing them on the counter.
One Point was deducted, and information about the Antler-like fleshy horns appeared.