"Hello there."
Yang Qi smiled and waved at it, not using the Spirit Communication Technique.
But Lin Lu seemed drawn to the aura of "Ten Thousand Beasts Affinity" that he naturally exuded. It hesitated for a moment, but instead of running, it cautiously approached him.
It stopped two meters in front of Yang Qi, its big, moist eyes studying him curiously as its nose twitched gently.
Yang Qi extended his hand, palm up.
Lin Lu tentatively drew near, sniffed his hand, and then nudged its head against him.
Yang Qi smiled and stroked its smooth, warm neck. It felt wonderful.
"It must be fate that we met."
With a flick of his wrist, he produced a Strengthening Pill and held it to Lin Lu’s mouth.
"Here, this is for you."
Lin Lu’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, it flicked out its tongue and swallowed the pill.
It then let out a cheerful, soft cry and rubbed its head against Yang Qi’s palm again and again.
[Delicious]
[Thank you]
"Haha, you’re welcome."
Yang Qi rubbed its ears. "Be careful out here in the mountains. If you run into a wolf, remember to run fast."
Lin Lu tilted its head back and cried out twice, responding as if it half-understood.
At that moment—
"WOOF WOOF!"
Leopard came bounding and leaping down the slope, its excited barks startling Lin Lu.
Lin Lu shuddered, spun around, and with all four hooves in the air, bolted deep into the dense woods, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Yang Qi shook his head and chuckled.
Leopard had already rushed to his side and was now circling him, its tail wagging like a pinwheel, full of excitement.
[Master, are you okay?]
[That was amazing just now!]
[Master, you can fly!]
[You really flew!]
"It was alright, I just borrowed a little wind."
Yang Qi smiled and patted Leopard’s sturdy back. "Let’s go. Time to bring your Brother Xue home."
[We’re going home!]
Leopard barked happily and ran ahead to lead the way.
The man and his dog retraced their steps.
By the time they walked out of the deep mountains and returned to the outer area behind the Zoo, it was already evening.
The setting sun stained the clouds golden-red, bathing the mountain forest in a warm light.
Yang Qi stopped, formed a ring with his thumb and forefinger, brought it to his lips, and blew a long, loud whistle.
The whistle echoed through the forest.
He waited for about two or three minutes.
In the distance, the treetops swayed.
Immediately after, two agile figures, one large and one small, shot through the woods like streaks of gray lightning. With just a few leaps, they were in front of Yang Qi.
The larger one was Caiyun. She had a slender, graceful build, with grayish-brown fur marked by dark spots. Her gaze was sharp and vigilant as she scanned Yang Qi and Leopard. Only after confirming it was safe did she relax, a low purr rumbling in her throat.
The smaller one was the now five-month-old Ta Xue.
Compared to a month ago, Ta Xue was clearly a size larger. Its shoulder height was nearing that of a full-grown dog, with long, powerful limbs and thick paw pads.
Its grayish-white coat was covered in irregular dark patches, like plum blossoms on snow. A faint golden vertical stripe ran down the center of its forehead, making it look exceptionally majestic.
After living with its mother in the mountain forest for nearly ten days, Ta Xue exuded a wildness, its eyes nimble and alert. But the moment it saw Yang Qi, that wildness instantly melted into affection.
"Mrow~"
With a soft cry, it darted to Yang Qi’s leg in a few bounds, rubbing its head against his knee. Then it began to circle him, its tail held high.
Yang Qi casually rubbed its fluffy head. The fur was soft and warm.
He took out his phone and snapped a head-on photo of Ta Xue, with the sun-gilded mountain forest in the background.
In the photo, the Little Clouded Leopard’s eyes were clear and its posture agile, its wild nature suffused with Spiritual Qi.
Yang Qi sent the photo to Cheng Xiaoou and Jiang Kai respectively, with a message.
[Ta Xue has been back in the mountains for ten days. Wilderness training is going smoothly, and it’s in excellent condition.]
Soon, they both replied.
Cheng Xiaoou: [As expected of Xiao Yang. The Little Clouded Leopard looks very healthy.]
Jiang Kai: [Not bad. It’s adapting well to the wild.]
Yang Qi sent a reply.
Then, he put away his phone, bent down, and picked up the affectionate Ta Xue to feel its weight.
"You’ve gotten much heavier. Looks like the food in the mountains is good."
Ta Xue purred comfortably and licked the back of Yang Qi’s hand with its barbed tongue.
[It’s okay.]
[Not as tasty as Master’s food.]
"Haha."
Yang Qi laughed, put it down, and waved to Caiyun, who was standing to the side.
"You’ve worked hard, Caiyun. I’ll bring it back next week."
Caiyun let out a low "aow," glanced at Ta Xue, then nodded at Yang Qi. With a turn, her agile figure disappeared into the deepening twilight of the forest with a few bounds.
"Let’s go. Time to go home."
Yang Qi called out, and leading Ta Xue and Leopard, he walked toward the lit-up area of the Zoo.
...
By the time they returned to the mountainside dormitory, the sky was already dark.
First, Yang Qi gave Ta Xue a bath, dried its fur, and dusted it with some pet-safe powder. Ta Xue immediately became fluffy and soft, like a large, grayish-white plush toy.
Then, he turned on the TV and put on Ta Xue’s favorite, "Tom and Jerry."
Ta Xue leaped onto the sofa, curled up, and stared at the screen without blinking, the tip of its tail occasionally twitching with delight.
After settling Ta Xue in, Yang Qi went into the kitchen to cook some Spirit Rice Porridge.
As the aroma of the porridge began to fill the air, he went to the backyard to set up the Demon Extermination Array again and connect it to the power source.
By the time Yang Qi, Xiaojiu, Ta Xue, and Leopard finished their Spirit Rice Porridge, it was nearly nine o’clock at night.
Just then—
From Hu Zi’s den in the corner of the living room came a low whimper.
Immediately after, Bai Wan also shook its body and lifted its head, its gaze quickly shifting from a drowsy slumber to clarity.
On the shelf, Liu Fu’s pale yellow eyes slowly opened, its pupils contracting as they adjusted to the indoor light.
The three Guardian Beasts had woken up one after another.
"You’re awake?"