Yang Qi knew he had to give a reasonable explanation—one that would dispel the park’s doubts without revealing the Array’s existence.
He paused to organize his thoughts, then spoke.
"Director, Department Head, Sister Mei, to be honest, I have indeed noticed some changes."
Hearing this, the gazes of Huang Zhongmu, Jiang Kai, and Mei Ying immediately locked onto Yang Qi.
"But it’s not something that just started recently."
Yang Qi continued, "It started about a month or so ago. When I would occasionally take Bai Wan, Hu Zi, Leopard, and the others into the back mountains, I faintly felt that the mountain’s ’aura’ seemed different than before."
"It felt quieter, and also heavier. The animals seemed more alert, but it wasn’t the kind of alertness you see when they sense danger. It was more like a... hmm, an instinctive reverence?"
He was speaking half-truths.
"Reverence?" Jiang Kai said, looking thoughtful.
"Yes."
Yang Qi nodded. "It’s as if an unseen ’patriarch’ has appeared in the mountains, and all the animals are consciously abiding by some sort of rule. Moreover, this change seems to be spreading slowly, from the deep mountains outward."
He looked at Huang Zhongmu and said seriously, "Director, I personally don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps Cangshan’s own ecosystem has been triggered by something and has begun to self-regulate and protect itself?"
"Like how some primeval forests are said to have their own ’barriers’? Maybe the research team couldn’t get in because the mountain’s self-protection mechanism was triggered?"
"Self-regulation? A protection mechanism?" Mei Ying thought the explanation sounded a bit far-fetched.
Huang Zhongmu, however, fell into deep thought.
He recalled the intelligence the mother and cub clouded leopards showed when Yang Qi brought Ta Xue and Caiyun back to the park.
He recalled the Beaked Eagle Qi Zai’s unbelievable tracking abilities.
He recalled the Chinese Mergansers, a rare bird species with demanding environmental requirements, living safely deep within Cangshan...
He recalled the Chinese Pangolin...
And he recalled the magnetic anomaly that had existed in the heart of Cangshan since ancient times!
"What Xiao Yang said... isn’t entirely without reason."
Huang Zhongmu said slowly, "We still know so little about the wonders of nature. Perhaps there really are some changes happening deep within Cangshan that we are unaware of."
He looked at Jiang Kai and Mei Ying. "How about this? For our response to the Forestry Bureau, we’ll go with the line that ’there have been recent changes in the activity patterns of the mountain forest animals, possibly involving unknown natural phenomena, and a cautious approach to any investigation is advised.’"
"At the same time, our park must also strengthen patrols and management of the back mountain area. Until the situation is clearer, we will restrict entry for all non-essential personnel."
"Okay," Jiang Kai and Mei Ying nodded.
Yang Qi nodded along with them.
"Oh, by the way, Xiao Yang."
Huang Zhongmu remembered something else. "If you go into the mountains recently, be extra careful. Even though you feel it’s a positive change, the unknown always carries risk."
"Understood!"
...
Leaving the administration building, Yang Qi felt much more relaxed.
Professor Zhou’s application to organize an interdisciplinary team of experts to investigate the mountain would, in all likelihood, only lead to the conclusion of a ’magnetic anomaly’.
After all, the central region of Cangshan had a long-documented history of magnetic anomalies and electronic device failures, mentioned in both official records and local folklore.
This was now just a case of the ’anomaly intensifying’.
Of course, all of this was predicated on the expert team actually being able to enter the deep mountains.
The effects of the Cloud Plate Enchanting Array gave Yang Qi plenty of confidence.
As he was walking along the tree-lined path toward the staff living quarters, a familiar gray shadow suddenly darted out from a side path and landed lightly by his feet.
"Meow~"
Xiaojiu looked up and called out, its eyes filled with pride.
"What is it, Xiaojiu?" Yang Qi asked casually.
"Meow meow~"
Xiaojiu rubbed its head against Yang Qi’s pant leg, meowing in response.
[Master, I found it.]
"Found what?" Yang Qi stopped in his tracks.
[It’s that powerful, dangerous beast we encountered in the mountains before!]
Xiaojiu replied.
[I found an aura similar to it here in the park.]
Upon hearing this, Yang Qi’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Last time, on the outskirts of the Ancient Goose Forest, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and the others had suddenly bristled and barked madly, sensing a life form with vigorous lifeblood and a powerful, oppressive presence that had quickly retreated.
Afterward, Xiaojiu had said it seemed to have encountered a similar aura in the park before, but it couldn’t recall it at the time.
"Let’s go. Take me there," Yang Qi said immediately.
"MEOW!"
Xiaojiu turned, its tail held high, and trotted ahead to lead the way.
Yang Qi followed close behind.
Soon, Xiaojiu led him to the Tiger District.
Seeing the sign, and connecting it to the "unknown beast" that had been giving the Forest Police and the forestry department such a headache—a creature they could never track down—Yang Qi had a moment of clarity. He had basically guessed the answer.
Just as he expected.
Xiaojiu expertly bypassed the main visitor path and led him to the side entrance of the staff observation area behind the enclosure of the Northeast Tiger, "Great King."
Inside the enclosure, the massive, gorgeously striped Northeast Tiger, Great King, was lying lazily in the shade of a tree. Its fur was soaking wet; it had clearly just taken a dip in its pool to cool off.
It had its eyes half-closed, the tip of its tail twitching occasionally, the very picture of the lazy King of Beasts.
Xiaojiu stopped outside the side entrance and, through the safety railing, meowed twice at Great King inside.
"Meow meow~"
[It’s him! His aura is basically the same as the beast in the mountains!]
Yang Qi walked up to the railing, his gaze fixed on Great King. He could feel the sense of majesty and power belonging to a top predator that emanated from the tiger, even in its lazy state.
"Excellent, Xiaojiu. You’ve really accomplished something great."
Yang Qi stroked Xiaojiu’s head, praising it sincerely.
Xiaojiu closed its eyes in comfort, a purring sound rumbling in its throat.
Yang Qi’s gaze, however, grew intense, and a sense of awe surged within him.