In the following weeks, Lin Feng devoted almost all his energy to expanding the flock and finding high-quality pasture.
He rode White Moonlight, White Emerald, and Wangcai with four hunting dogs, venturing deeper and deeper into the hills and valleys time and time again.
His sheep-catching skills became increasingly refined.
He no longer relied solely on brute force to lasso the sheep; he began to observe the sheep's habits, using the terrain to create traps, or driving the flock into narrow passes before capturing them. The process remained arduous; the wildness and strength of the giant black sheep were not to be underestimated, and Lin Feng nearly got injured several times.
But thanks to his superb physical abilities, calm mind, and perfect teamwork, he always manages to turn danger into safety.
One after another, he successfully captured nearly twenty more black giant sheep, most of which were relatively docile ewes and easy-to-tame lambs.
The sheepfold had to be expanded repeatedly, taking up a large area of the yard. The bleating of sheep replaced the usual silence, adding a strange "pastoral" atmosphere to this sanctuary.
However, a new problem arose – food.
The black giant sheep has an astonishing appetite.
While ordinary weeds could provide sustenance, Lin Feng discovered that after the sheep ate a type of grass with thick, dark green leaves and a faint, unique fragrance, they were noticeably more energetic, and their milk (though he hadn't yet had a chance to use it) was also more concentrated. He named this grass "Ink Grass".
This herb grows on specific sunny slopes or in secluded valleys with abundant water, and its quantity is not very concentrated.
Relying on him to harvest alone is too inefficient and would seriously reduce the time he has to hunt for other resources and explore.
"These sheep consume a lot of black grass every day."
Lin Feng frowned slightly as he watched the flock of sheep scrambling for food in the pen.
He said to Su Wanqing and Tang Bao, who were struggling to grind something with a stone mill, "Cutting grass is a waste of my time."
Qin Lan was instructing Qian Xiaoxiao and Shen Jiaqi on how to make more durable hay baskets using animal sinews and wooden strips when she heard this and walked over: "Mr. Lin, do you mean...?"
Lin Feng turned his gaze toward the stables, where White Moonlight and White Emerald were leisurely snorting.
“Starting tomorrow, you will learn to ride horses. Then, you will go and cut grass for me.” Lin Feng’s tone left no room for argument.
"Ride...ride a horse?" Tang Bao's hand trembled in fright, almost hitting her foot with the millstone. Her baby face turned deathly pale instantly. "I...I dare not..."
Su Wanqing also looked troubled: "Mr. Lin, we...we've never ridden a horse before, what if we fall off..."
Qian Xiaoxiao and Ruan Mengtian shrank back, their eyes filled with fear.
In their minds, horses were tall and powerful creatures, far beyond the capabilities of weak women like themselves.
Only Qin Lan's eyes flashed with a strange light. She sized up the two exceptionally fine horses, then looked at Lin Feng, and nodded: "We... can learn. But we don't know the temperament of these two horses..."
Lin Feng snorted coldly: "They are very docile, as long as you don't do anything foolish. Training will begin first thing tomorrow morning."
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Feng herded the six women to the open space in the center of the courtyard.
White Moonlight and White Jade have been brought out, and they stand there quietly, occasionally swishing their tails.
Lin Feng's training methods were simple and brutal. He first personally demonstrated how to prepare the saddle, mount the horse, and control the reins, and then let the women take turns trying it.
The initial scene was utter chaos.
As soon as Tang Bao was helped onto the horse, she screamed in fright and tried to climb down using both hands and feet. However, she lost her balance and tumbled off the other side of the horse, landing in a daze. Fortunately, the ground was soft soil.
Although Su Wanqing tried her best to remain calm, her stiffness was obvious. As soon as Bai Yueguang moved slightly, she closed her eyes in tension and gripped the saddle tightly with both hands.
Qian Xiaoxiao and Ruan Mengtian were no better off; they needed immense courage even to approach the horses, let alone mount them.
Shen Jiaqi was relatively better off. She had ridden ponies at an amusement park when she was a child. Although the big guys in front of her were not in the same league at all, at least she wasn't as scared.
Qin Lan was the fastest learner. She carefully observed Lin Feng's movements and tried her best to overcome her nervousness. Although she wobbled a bit when she first mounted the horse, she quickly mastered the basic balance.
Lin Feng showed no pity for them, simply watching coldly, occasionally correcting their incorrect postures, or using an irresistible force to "press" them back onto their horses when they were about to fall off.
"Useless! You can't even ride a horse properly, what can we expect you to do!" Lin Feng's scolding voice rang out from time to time, making the women feel both afraid and aggrieved.
They spent the entire morning in this environment, a mixture of fear, pain, and Lin Feng's cold reprimands.
By noon, everyone was exhausted, covered in bruises, but they could still manage to sit still on their horses and control them to walk slowly around the yard.
"Come out with me this afternoon." Lin Feng gave them no chance to catch their breath.
Next, Lin Feng led them to a hillside he had already scouted out, where lush black grass grew.
"Use these sickles to cut the grass, tie it up, and put it in the pack baskets on both sides of the horse's back." Lin Feng distributed the tools and demonstrated.
Although Qin Lan and Su Wanqing's riding skills were still rusty, they could still manage to control their horses to graze or move slowly on the flat grass.
They wielded their sickles clumsily, their clothes quickly soaked with sweat.
However, after they had been working diligently for about half an hour, Lin Feng's expression suddenly changed, and he looked sharply at a mountain hollow in the distance.
"Something's coming," he whispered.
Qin Lan and Su Wanqing felt a tightness in their chests and quickly looked around nervously.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, White Moonlight and White Jade let out a long and strange neigh, completely different from that of ordinary horses.
Immediately afterward, amidst the horrified screams of Qin Lan and Su Wanqing, the White Moonlight and White Jade beneath them suddenly unfurled a pair of wings, each covered in fine, snow-white feathers and with a wingspan of three to four meters!
The single horn atop their heads, which they had always considered decoration or a symbol of their special breed, now glowed faintly, emitting a soft, milky-white halo!
"ah!"
"What...what is this?!"
Qin Lan and Su Wanqing were almost scared out of their wits! They never imagined that they were riding not an ordinary horse, but a creature that only existed in myths and legends!
"Hold on tight!" Lin Feng shouted in a low voice.
Before the words were finished, White Moonlight and White Jadeite flapped their wings suddenly, creating a strong wind, and lifted the three people on their backs off the ground!
They don't soar straight into the sky like birds, but after taking a few steps, they glide a considerable distance using the power of their wings.
They easily crossed a shallow ditch about seven or eight meters wide and landed steadily on another slightly higher slope.
Qin Lan and Su Wanqing felt dizzy and the wind was whistling in their ears. They instinctively clung tightly to the horse's neck, their screams caught in their throats.
When the horses' hooves touched solid ground again, they realized they were in a completely new location, and the ditch they had just crossed was now far behind them.
Their faces were deathly pale, and they were panting heavily. They looked at each other, and each saw extreme shock and disbelief in the other's eyes.
"Horned...wildhorse...a horse with wings..."
Su Wanqing murmured incoherently, feeling as if her worldview had been completely overturned at that moment.
Qin Lan took several deep breaths before she could finally calm her wildly beating heart.
She looked at Lin Feng, who was still riding on Chidian's back with a calm expression, her eyes filled with complex emotions—awe, fear, and a trace of indescribable...dependence.
Just how many secrets is this man hiding?
Looking at their distraught appearance, Lin Feng smiled faintly: "Now you know their benefits? With them, you can reach those remote pastures faster and bring back the cut grass more quickly."
So that's how it is! The women finally understood why Lin Feng's mount always seemed so unique.
Lin Feng didn't answer, but urged, "Don't just stand there, keep cutting grass. We must fill all the pack baskets before dark."
With the wildebeest's ability to glide short distances, their range of movement has greatly increased, and their efficiency has also improved.
Although still afraid, under Lin Feng's intimidation and their awe of this magical creature, Qin Lan and Su Wanqing gradually adapted to this "flying" way of mowing grass. They could quickly reach some steep slopes that were difficult for ordinary people to access, where the freshest black grass often grew.
That evening, when two wildebeests, carrying two large baskets full of black herbs, gracefully glided down into the shelter courtyard in the afterglow of the setting sun, Tang Bao, Shen Jiaqi, Ruan Mengtian, and Qian Xiaoxiao, who were left behind, were all dumbfounded.
They rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
After Qin Lan and Su Wanqing described their experiences during the day, the four women were even more astonished, their mouths agape as they marveled at Bai Yueguang and Bai Feicui, their eyes filled with envy and longing.
With an ample supply of black herbs, the sheep's condition improved.
The ewes began producing milk, though not much, but with simple processing, it served as an extra source of nutrition. The lambs also grew very quickly.
Lin Feng watched all this, secretly making plans in his mind.
This temporary sheepfold is still too small. Once winter is completely over and the ice and snow have melted, he will build a large, real pasture around the shelter using more robust materials, so that the sheep will have enough space to roam.
Moreover, the value of wildebeest is not limited to cutting grass.
Their mobility and certain loiter capabilities give them unparalleled advantages, whether for reconnaissance, hunting, or rapid relocation.
"It seems we need to find a few more wildebeest like these." Lin Feng gazed at the distant, rolling mountains, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
In the dim light of dawn, the shelter's walls cast long, jagged shadows.
Inside the walls, the deep bleating of the giant black sheep and the occasional chatter of the women created a scene of barely peaceful tranquility.
Qin Lan has managed to manage everything perfectly, and the women's faces are gradually regaining their vitality.
At this moment, Lin Feng had a bold plan.
Lin Feng stood at the top of the newly built watchtower, the cold wind cutting his cheeks like shapeless ice blades.
In the distance, the snow-capped mountains reflect a dazzling yet cold white light under the rising sun, and further away, vast expanses of dark green primeval coniferous forests stretch to the horizon like a frozen ocean.
"It's time to go," Lin Feng muttered to himself, his voice carried away by the wind.
His luggage was already prepared. A neatly folded, more detailed blank animal hide scroll, and charcoal sticks carefully sealed with the nodes of iron-boned bamboo.
A flint, a sharp, multi-functional peeling knife, several bundles of tough, thin rope made from ice silkworm grass, and enough compressed jerky and sweet potato flour to last for dozens of days.
Wangcai, the hunting dog that had survived countless life-or-death trials, quietly crouched at his feet.
White Moonlight and White Emerald, two magnificent wildebeests, leisurely swished their tails beside the stable, occasionally nuzzling each other's necks affectionately.
When their fleshy wings fold up, they resemble two magnificent cloaks clinging to their bodies; in the sunlight, their white, moon-like fur seems to shimmer like moonlight.
He came down from the watchtower, where the women had already gathered in the open space.
Qin Lan stepped forward, her eyes filled with worry: "Mr. Lin, how long are you going to be gone?"
"uncertain."
Lin Feng's answer was always the same: "It will take anywhere from a month to several months. The safety of the shelter is in your hands. Remember what I emphasized before: under no circumstances should you leave the shelter for more than three kilometers, unless I return."
"From now on, you are free to use the shelter's resources. Feeding the horned wolves and the phantoms is your responsibility."
His gaze swept over every woman, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"We understand."
Qin Lan nodded solemnly, and the other women followed suit. They knew that every time Lin Feng went on a long journey, it meant that the shelter would gain more resources for survival, but it also meant potential risks after the leader left.
Tang Bao couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Lin, what are you planning to do this time?"
Lin Feng smiled slightly, looking at the magnificent scenery in the distance: "This world is so big, I want to go and see it."
Without much talk, Lin Feng mounted the White Moonlight, and Wangcai leaped lightly, landing steadily on the broad back of the White Jade Horse, close to a spare leather pouch that Lin Feng had placed there.
This is not its usual mode of transportation, but occasionally Lin Feng will let it ride temporarily when a quick transfer is needed or when the terrain is complex.
"Set off."
Lin Feng gently spurred the horse's flanks, and White Moonlight let out a low neigh as its four hooves lightly trod onto the snow.
White Jade followed closely behind, while Wangcai cautiously observed his surroundings from horseback.
One person, one dog, and two horses, like a small expedition team, slowly disappeared from the complex gazes of the people in the shelter, heading towards that wider and more dangerous unknown world.
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