No animal can understand why a human pet is an indispensable contributor to the South Canyon, but they know perfectly well who the leader's favorite little darling is.
The leader, who was usually tense and never smiled, smiled like a flower for the first time ever, as if he were descending from the sky holding a precious treasure.
The Doberman watched as the majestic tiger leader slowed down to a crawl, like a drifting cloud, muttering something under his breath, and grinning foolishly to reveal a mouthful of ferocious teeth.
Even when it was so weak that it almost lost control and fell face-first to the ground, the arm holding the human pet was still raised high, and there was not a jolt when it fell.
Sensing the blatant gazes lurking in every corner of the dense forest, Big Axe immediately turned around as if guarding against thieves, using his broad shoulders and back to block all eyes.
Then they heard what should have been a fierce tiger roar turn into a gentle breeze and drizzle. "Baby, are you tired? Are you thirsty? Are you sleepy? Look, your hair is all messed up by the wind. Do you want Daddy to braid it for you?"
All the animals were horrified.
The fox witnessed firsthand how all the furry animals around it bristled, causing static electricity that spread from one to another, turning them all into plump figures. It silently retreated, putting some distance between itself and the animals.
It felt a subtle, secret pleasure.
That feeling of misery, which no one else knew except me, was finally released. Look! Look! The tall, majestic, powerful, and wise leader in the eyes of all the animals in the South Canyon is this kind of bottomless doting father.
The elite team followed closely behind. Si Hu hopped and skipped, trying to get closer to its uncle, shouting, "Uncle, I want to brush my little pet's fur too!" But the two tigers were only a hair's breadth apart when one of them kicked Si Hu away with its leg.
The Doberman, standing on the wooden house, wiped away a bead of sweat and tears of bitterness. "Who says the leader is old? Look how energetic he is!"
Animals: We don't want to talk to sycophants, it's unbearable for animals!
Undeterred, Si Hu rolled up from the ground, puffed out his cheeks, and shouted indignantly, "Uncle, it's alright. This little pet is very sturdy. She's not afraid of me. Quick, let me hold her for a while. I've been so busy getting on the road that I haven't had a chance to chat with her."
Seeing it continue charging forward without any sense of propriety, Ling Hu quickly stopped it and glanced at Long Zhiyan, who was standing not far from the dense forest, looking around with his head held high. He then instructed Si Hu, "If you're not tired, go find that guy. Maybe he'll want to play with you!"
Si Hu followed Ling Shu's gaze and curled his lip, "Ugly four-legged snake, thinking it can pretend to be a bird just by sticking on wings, I'm not going!"
"Didn't you want to get to know your pet? Go chat with it, and maybe you'll find out its preferences and win it over!"
Si Hu was instantly fooled. It hesitated, glancing at Lie Hu's indifferent back, then at Long Zhi Yan, who was boredly digging in the mud. After thinking for a moment, it gave a loud "Okay!" and ran off to Long Zhi Yan.
Dragon Flame tilted his head: "?"
Si Hu: "Um... what's your relationship with the little pet?"
Dragon Flame: "Awoooooo!"
Si Hu: "Her name is Ao Ao Ao? Such a strange name. What does she like to eat? How old is she? Does she get angry and bite animals? Can I pet her freely?"
Dragon Flame: "Awoooooo!" A burst of fire shot out towards Si Hu's tail.
Anyone could see that Si Hu had said something that offended someone, and was being chased all over the dense forest by a flying animal, causing chaos and confusion.
If they weren't actually using real weapons, and the flames they spewed out almost immediately extinguished upon landing, the animals hiding in the dense forest would have rushed to help long ago. Now, the furry creatures, always eager for a good show, remained hidden, wanting only to see just how far their leader's behavior could go.
Doberman: "I never expected the leader to be so gentle."
Panda: "I never expected the leader to be so energetic."
Tiger: "I never expected the leader to be a word-repetition monster..."
The animals: "Shh! We see through it but don't say it! Doesn't our leader have any dignity?"
Their leader really has no shame.
The animals, feeling a bit nauseated by the overly sentimental display, dispersed, leaving only the Doberman and the fox on the cabin.
The Doberman stood upright, determined not to let its once-firm belief falter. Its large, round pupils were dazed and confused. After a long while, it muttered as if in a dream, "I'm not awake yet. No, I should go back to sleep!"
The fox chuckled, "Go on! Go on! Go to sleep! Mr. Axe doesn't want any animals disturbing his time with his baby girl."
The Doberman wobbled into the cabin. Just before closing the door, it hesitated for a moment, glancing longingly at the leader under the tree. Finally, it let out a desperate whimper and shut the door.
What a baby! Daddy will carry you around and show you around our house, okay?
What's wrong, baby? Are any animals at the elephant sanctuary bullying you? If so, Daddy will beat them up and let you play with them, okay?
What baby? Don't pay attention to that brat. Daddy has no relation to him. He's just Daddy's nephew by blood. Daddy isn't familiar with him. Let him play with your toy, okay?
Dobermann's mind was filled with countless thoughts of "good or bad." Back at base, facing his subordinates, he choked up again, "The leader... has changed!"
"Changed? What changed? Boss, say something! Why are you crying?"
"Wait, did I hear that right? It's changed, no... it's not dead, is it?"
The last sound was extremely faint, but it was so loud that the Doberman, overwhelmed with grief, heard it immediately and bared its teeth, biting its bewildered subordinate.
"Aww! Boss, you're not a prehistoric beast, why are you talking to me!"
The entrance to the base was immediately thrown into chaos. Some were fighting, some were trying to break up the fight, and before anyone knew it, news of the leader's death had spread throughout the entire canyon. It was quite a lively scene.
Despite the devastating flood inside the base, Cheng Shuang and her axe-father remained close and affectionate.
The old axe was too excited and barely gave Cheng Shuang a chance to speak. The little girl noticed that the old axe was speaking in human language. Unlike the elephant chieftain's stuttering communication, it spoke very fluently, meaning that in the past hundred years, it had become self-taught in the absence of orcs in the South Canyon.
You know, language skills aren't just about talent, they also depend on the environment. I never expected that Old Axe would speak so well.
The little girl was deeply moved and gently rubbed against her axe-daddy's big paws.
Axe Baba had become much thinner than before, and looked more and more like Si Hu. The ugly scars on its cheeks told Cheng Shuang what kind of brutal battles it had endured in the era of war and how it had led its troops to survive.
If she had known, she would have saved more of its powder pellets so that it could save more carnivores and gain a foothold in the midst of war, instead of hiding away from the world.
The old axe lay low to the ground, partly to prevent the little girl sitting in its palm from falling, and partly because it simply didn't have the energy to get up.
"Axe Daddy, are you feeling unwell?" Cheng Shuang asked softly in animal language, standing on tiptoe and touching the white fur on the old axe's sideburns.
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