The next morning, Lin Feng took his tools and prepared to dispose of the saber-toothed tiger's carcass.
His first task was to remove the two precious fangs intact. Then came the skinning; such a large, complete saber-toothed tiger skin would be extremely useful, whether for warmth or for making other items. The remaining bones and internal organs could also be utilized.
However, when he returned to the site of the battle with Wangcai and Meiying, he found that the saber-toothed tiger's corpse was gone.
Only a pool of dried blood and a mess of fighting marks remained on the ground.
A faint smell of blood still lingered in the air, but the enormous corpse had vanished without a trace.
"They were dragged away by other wild beasts?"
Lin Feng frowned, inwardly lamenting his loss. He carefully examined the marks on the ground and discovered some huge claw marks that didn't belong to a saber-toothed tiger, as well as drag marks. It seemed that after he left, a more powerful predator had come here and enjoyed this "free lunch."
This set off alarm bells in Lin Feng's mind.
The danger in this forest was far greater than he had anticipated. Even a ferocious beast like a saber-toothed tiger couldn't preserve its corpse after death, demonstrating just how terrifying the creatures lurking there were.
"What a pity about those fangs and that skin."
Lin Feng was somewhat disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.
Faced with absolute power, any scheming is futile. He could only be thankful that he hadn't lingered in the same place too long yesterday.
Now that the saber-toothed tiger's carcass was gone, Lin Feng changed his plans and began hunting in the nearby area.
He needed to replenish his fresh meat supply, and also wanted to try his luck to see if he could encounter any other valuable prey.
Under his command, Wangcai sniffed around the forest, searching for traces of prey. Meiying, meanwhile, vigilantly observed the surrounding movements, providing early warnings to Lin Feng.
A man, a dog, and a beast worked together seamlessly in the forest.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and it was almost noon in the blink of an eye.
Lin Feng didn't find any large prey, only catching a few rabbits and a small pheasant. Although the harvest wasn't plentiful, it was better than nothing.
Just as he was about to head home, Wangcai suddenly stopped, sniffing in one direction and making low "woofing" sounds in its throat, appearing somewhat restless.
"What's wrong, Wangcai?" Lin Feng became alert and looked in the direction Wangcai was warning him.
It was a relatively dense forest, where sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
A faint, peculiar fragrance filled the air, unlike any floral or herbal scent he had ever smelled before.
Lin Feng gestured for Wangcai to be quiet, then gripped the steel spear in his hand, carefully parted the bushes in front of him, and stealthily made his way into the depths of the jungle.
The phantom followed silently behind him, its crimson eyes flashing with vigilance.
The deeper he went, the stronger the strange fragrance became. The forest became unusually quiet; even the chirping of insects and birds disappeared, leaving only Lin Feng's own heartbeat and the soft sound of his footsteps.
After passing through a dense patch of ferns, the view suddenly opened up before me.
It was a small clearing in the woods. In the center of the clearing, an unnamed ancient tree was lush and leafy, and sunlight filtered through its canopy, casting a soft glow.
Beneath that ancient tree lay a creature, a creature that made Lin Feng hold his breath instantly, his eyes flashing with disbelief.
That was a horse.
A horse that was pure white, without a single blemish.
Its fur is as smooth and lustrous as the finest silk, reflecting a sacred glow in the sunlight.
Its body is elegant and agile, with long and powerful limbs, full of explosive beauty.
But this was no ordinary horse.
In the center of its smooth forehead, there is a spiral horn about a foot long, with the tip of the horn shimmering with a faint jade-colored luster, as if it has gathered the essence of the moon.
And even more astonishingly, on both sides of its broad back, lies a pair of equally snow-white, enormous wings!
Every feather on those wings was flawless, layer upon layer, like the wings of an angel, full of sacredness and nobility.
Unicorn? Pegasus? Or a combination of the two?
Countless mythical creatures flashed through Lin Feng's mind in an instant.
He never dreamed that he would witness such a wondrous existence in this primeval forest.
The magnificent creature lay quietly on the grass, unconscious.
Its chest and abdomen rose and fell slightly, proving that it was still alive.
On its snow-white left foreleg, there was a deep wound that exposed the bone, and the fur around the wound was stained with dark red blood, making it particularly striking.
It was clearly badly injured, and the situation was not optimistic.
Lin Feng's heart pounded, and an indescribable excitement and elation surged into his heart.
A horse! And such a wondrous horse!
If we could save it, if we could tame it...
What does that mean?
This means he will have the coolest and fastest mode of transportation in the world!
This means his range of activities will be greatly increased, and his efficiency in exploring this unknown world will be multiplied!
This is simply a priceless gift from God!
Lin Feng suppressed his excitement and began to carefully observe the injured unicorn.
It was completely unaware of its surroundings, and its breathing was weak. The wound looked very serious; if it wasn't treated promptly, it could be life-threatening.
Wangcai and Meiying also discovered this strange creature, and they both showed great curiosity and a hint of unease.
Wangcai cautiously took a few steps closer, whimpering softly, as if asking Lin Feng what it was.
The phantom arched its body, letting out a low hiss, wary of the powerful creature.
"Quiet."
Lin Feng whispered to his two companions, signaling them not to make any rash moves.
He slowly lowered the steel spear in his hand and slowly, step by step, approached the unicorn Pegasus.
He tried to walk as quietly as possible, without making any noise, so as not to disturb it.
As he drew closer, he could more clearly sense the sacred and noble aura emanating from the creature, as well as a faint, refreshing fragrance.
Lin Feng stopped about three meters away from the Pegasus.
He dared not approach any further, fearing that his actions might provoke it.
He examined its wounds closely, his brow furrowed.
The edges of the wound were somewhat black, which made him a little worried.
This forest is home to many highly poisonous creatures and plants. If the wound was caused by some kind of poison, then it would be troublesome.
"I have to find a way to bring it back." Lin Feng quickly made a decision. No matter what, he couldn't give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But this is another huge problem.
This unicorn Pegasus is quite large, even taller than an ordinary horse.
It would be virtually impossible for him to move it and transport it back to the wooden house more than ten miles away by himself. Moreover, it was seriously injured and could not withstand too much jolting.
Lin Feng began to quickly think of a solution. He first checked the surrounding environment, hoping to find some tools that could be used.
The open space was surrounded by tall trees and dense shrubs, and there was nothing readily available to use.
"A simple drag-and-drop tool must be created."
Lin Feng thought to himself. He could cut down some thinner trees, make a frame similar to a sled, put the Pegasus on the frame, and then figure out a way to drag it back.
But this will take time, and Pegasus's injuries can't wait.
Lin Feng glanced at the unconscious divine steed, his eyes filled with reluctance and anxiety.
He knew that if he left now to find tools, the horse might be gone by the time he returned…
Just as he was caught in a dilemma, the unicorn seemed to sense something. Its eyelids twitched slightly, its long eyelashes fluttered, and then it slowly opened its eyes.
What eyes they were!
Deep and clear, like the purest sapphire, yet containing the vastness of the stars and the sea. His eyes held a hint of confusion, a trace of pain, and an innate arrogance and wariness.
When its gaze fell on Lin Feng, its wariness instantly intensified.
Its body tensed slightly as it tried to stand up, but the sharp pain in its left foreleg caused it to let out a low groan, swayed, and then collapsed again.
It stared at Lin Feng, its eyes filled with wariness and hostility. A low, melodious sound, similar to a horse's neigh but far more pleasant, emanated from its throat, as if warning Lin Feng not to approach.
Lin Feng immediately stopped all his movements, raised his hands, and indicated that he meant no harm.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."
Lin Feng tried to speak in a gentle tone, even though he knew the other party might not understand him.
The unicorn Pegasus clearly didn't believe him. It continued to stare at Lin Feng warily, its nostrils flaring slightly, as if trying to discern the scent on Lin Feng's body.
Lin Feng's heart stirred. He recalled a passage he had read in some novels where certain mystical creatures had a fondness for pure things.
He took out a water pouch from his bosom, which he had made from tanned animal hide, and filled it with the cleanest water he had collected from a mountain spring.
He slowly unscrewed the stopper of the water bladder and handed it towards the Pegasus, his movements slow and gentle.
Pegasus looked at the water pouch in his hand, its wariness lessening slightly, but it remained vigilant.
Lin Feng pushed it forward again, placing the water pouch on the grass not far from the mouth of the unicorn pegasus.
The unicorn Pegasus hesitated for a moment, then stuck out its pink tongue and licked its chapped lips. Clearly, it was thirsty.
It glanced at Lin Feng again, then cautiously lowered its head, trying to reach the water pouch. But because of its injuries, its movements were somewhat difficult.
Seeing this, Lin Feng slowly and gradually pushed the water sac closer until the Pegasus could easily lick the opening of the water sac.
The cool spring water quenched its thirst, and the Pegasus let out a satisfied hum.
It sipped the water slowly, and the hostility in its eyes seemed to have lessened somewhat, but its vigilance remained.
After drinking the water, the Pegasus seemed to feel a little better.
It looked at Lin Feng again, its eyes filled with complex emotions.
Lin Feng knew this was a good start.
He slowly sat down, keeping a certain distance from the unicorn pegasus, and made no further moves, simply watching it quietly.
He needs to make it feel that he has no ill intentions.
Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere in the forest seemed somewhat stagnant. Wangcai and Meiying stayed quietly beside Lin Feng, without making a sound.
The unicorn's breathing gradually calmed down, and it realized that the human in front of it had no intention of harming it.
It began to try to treat its wounds itself, licking the scars on its left foreleg with its tongue, but the wounds were too deep and seemed to be poisonous. Its licking did not help much, and instead it made it whimper in pain.
Lin Feng felt a pang of pity seeing its suffering. He knew he had to treat its wounds as soon as possible, or the consequences would be dire.
"Let me take a look for you, okay?" Lin Feng spoke again, his tone gentle.
He pointed to the unicorn's injured leg, then to himself.
The unicorn Pegasus understood what he meant. It tilted its head and looked at Lin Feng with a hint of hesitation and inquiry in its eyes.
Lin Feng took out a clean piece of linen cloth that had been sterilized by boiling it in wood ash water from his animal skin bag, and also took out some herbs that he had collected earlier, which had hemostatic and anti-inflammatory properties. He had already crushed these herbs, ready to use them at any time.
He spread these things out in front of him and showed them to the Pegasus.
Then, he slowly, little by little, approached the Pegasus.
He would stop every time he got closer and observe the unicorn's reaction.
The unicorn Pegasus tensed up again, its eyes sharpening. But it didn't make any aggressive moves; it simply watched Lin Feng warily.
When Lin Feng was only a step away from it, he stopped. He reached out his hand, slowly and tentatively, toward the Pegasus's injured left foreleg.
Just as his hand was about to touch the wound, the Pegasus suddenly raised its head, a faint light flashing from its horn on its forehead, and an invisible pressure emanated from it.
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately withdrew his hand.
He knew this was a warning.
"Don't be nervous, I just want to help you treat your wound," Lin Feng said patiently, his eyes sincere.
He reached out his hand again, this time with even slower and gentler movements.
The unicorn Pegasus stared into his eyes, trying to discern the truthfulness of his words.
A moment later, the light from the single horn on its forehead gradually faded, and the oppressive aura dissipated. It no longer tried to stop Lin Feng from approaching.
Lin Feng was overjoyed. He carefully lifted the injured left foreleg of the Pegasus. It was burning hot to the touch, and the muscles around the wound were already somewhat swollen.
He first used a clean linen cloth, dipped in water, to gently wipe away the blood and dirt around the wound.
The Pegasus trembled slightly from the pain, but it endured it without making a sound, simply gazing at Lin Feng with its sapphire-like eyes.
After cleaning the wound, Lin Feng applied the crushed herbs evenly to it, then carefully bandaged it with clean strips of linen. His movements were gentle and practiced, trying his best not to cause the Pegasus any unnecessary pain.
During the bandaging process, Lin Feng noticed that the Pegasus's skin was unusually smooth and delicate, full of elasticity, and had a strange warmth. Its bones were also thicker and stronger than those of ordinary horses.
After bandaging it up, Lin Feng gently patted the unicorn pegasus's neck to indicate that it was all healed.
The unicorn Pegasus looked down at its bandaged leg, then at Lin Feng, a mixture of gratitude and confusion flashing in its eyes. It seemed not to understand why this human was helping it.
Lin Feng smiled slightly and remained silent.
He knew that building trust required time and patience.
The next question was how to bring it back to the cabin. Lin Feng fell into deep thought again.
He looked around at the trees and gradually formed a plan in his mind.
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