Chapter 11 is raised by humans.
Si'an County is located in the south, where summers are relatively hot, and even the night winds are sweltering. But no matter how hot it is outside, it has nothing to do with the towering Panlong Mountain. A natural forest breeze rises through Panlong Mountain, carrying a biting coolness as it meanders through the mountains, caressing the outstretched branches and leaves.
rustling down
"Hiss!" Song Xingzhi hissed, covering his face and lamenting, "Oh no, my face! What if it leaves a scar?"
After he finished speaking, no one responded; only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and the chirping of cicadas accompanied his awkward silence.
Song Xingzhi's lips twitched, and he turned to look to the side.
A tall, handsome man held a candle in his hand. The dim, yellow light flickered, illuminating his sharply defined profile. He stood there, his brows furrowed, his expression cold and hard.
Under Song Xingzhi's gaze, the man suddenly turned around, his dark eyes looking at him coldly.
Song Xingzhi's joking expression vanished, replaced by seriousness: "Your Highness, the Panlong Mountain range is treacherous, teeming with wild beasts. We've searched for so long without finding any clues. Perhaps we should return to rest first, and then send men in again. Your safety is paramount."
This wasn't Song Xingzhi making a fuss. Just standing there, the howling of wolves could be heard among the roaring mountain peaks. Wild boars and cheetahs had appeared frequently along the way, and even now, a red-eyed owl was perched on a branch above his head, hooting incessantly.
Although Song Xingzhi was a playboy who seemed frivolous and unreliable, he wasn't afraid of hardship or fatigue, and this wasn't the first time he'd gone into the mountains overnight.
But his missing limbs are a minor issue compared to the fact that the person in front of him was bitten twice.
As the only son recently found, if anything were to happen to him, his life wouldn't be enough to compensate.
When he was assigned to this position, Song Xingzhi had a bad feeling. This prince, who grew up outside the capital, seemed like a troublemaker, and now that he was out in the open, he was even more certain.
What kind of noble prince would have nothing better to do than wander into the deep mountains? There are so many jackals and leopards around, and this guy seems determined to explore every inch of the mountains.
Qi Zheng quietly watched Song Xingzhi, his expression flickering in the firelight, making Song Xingzhi feel somewhat guilty.
Well, Song Xingzhi was indeed tempted to slack off. This mountain was so big; it would take them forever to search it all by themselves. It was better to hire someone to search it directly; after all, the thing couldn't escape from the mountains.
He felt that this prince, who had grown up among the common people, was too honest and hadn't yet adapted to his high position, and didn't know how to use people effectively.
Subordinates should be used when they are capable; otherwise, what's the point of having them?
Qi Zheng didn't speak, but simply raised his hand. Under Song Xingzhi's guilty gaze, the blade of grass at his fingertips solidified, and then shot past Song Xingzhi's head like an arrow.
With two cooing sounds, the owl overhead spread its wings and fled in panic, followed immediately by a dark shadow landing.
Startled, Song Xingzhi turned his head and saw a bamboo viper, about the size of a thumb, limply hanging on his shoulder, dripping with foul-smelling blood.
"Oh my god!" He jumped up in fright, clinging to a nearby tree trunk like a skinny monkey climbing, looking nothing like a dashing young master from the capital.
The guard beside him turned his head away to avoid making his smile too obvious.
The prince is someone they must protect, and Song Xingzhi is not someone they can afford to offend.
However, their turning away spoke volumes. Song Xingzhi's face froze, he closed his eyes tightly, and it took him a while to compose himself before he jumped down from the tree trunk as if nothing had happened.
"Ahem, I never imagined Your Highness's martial arts were so superb. I was truly blind..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Zheng's expression suddenly changed, interrupting him.
"Shut up"
Song Xingzhi paused, somewhat bewildered. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, a tiger's roar came from afar.
A roar echoed through the valley.
What's terrifying is that after one tiger's roar, another roar would sound.
Birds, near and far, were startled and took flight from the branches; wild animals fled from the forest.
The tiger's title as the king of the forest is well-deserved.
It can go down into the river and climb up the tree.
Qi Zheng, his face cold and stern, extinguished the torch in his hand: "Turn off the fire, climb the tree."
Song Xingzhi: "Judging from the distance, we shouldn't be that unlucky."
Qi Zheng shouted sharply: "Hurry!"
Song Xingzhi dared not say more, and the other guards were even more vigilant and valued their lives. The group quickly climbed up a giant tree nearby.
Qi Zheng rejected his suggestion to go first, and waited until they had all climbed a certain distance before gracefully ascending the tree as if walking on flat ground. He landed on a branch next to Song Xingzhi, short sword in hand, his expression cold and stern.
As the whistling sounds around them subsided, Song Xingzhi swallowed hard. "Ying, we should be alright now, right?"
Qi Zheng shook his head, his expression growing increasingly cold and solemn, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger, and he said in a deep voice.
"They're coming towards us."
Song Xingzhi shuddered: "No, really?"
Qi Zheng simply said, "Quiet."
The mountains seemed to have pressed the note of silence; the chirping of insects vanished, the calls of birds disappeared, and even the wild animals seemed to have vanished—there was no sound.
Qi Zheng's dark eyes gazed into the distance, his heart heavy.
It's getting closer
Getting closer
If he were alone, he could simply leave, or at least deal with things slowly. But he had so many people behind him who had come into the mountains because of him.
Qi Zheng couldn't possibly ignore them.
Even the most powerful internal energy is not easy to deal with a tiger. After all, no matter how high one's internal energy is, one is still just a mortal. A single swipe of a tiger's claw can break a hand or foot in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, it's now deep into the night, and there's more than one tiger in the mountains—it's a whole pack. Tigers are mostly solitary and have a very strong sense of territory, but occasionally, they'll be found together with relatives, and this is clearly the case in this mountain range.
Qi Zheng gripped the short knife tightly, his eyes flashing with increasing murderous intent as he listened to the growing tiger's roar.
Suddenly, the howling sound rang out again, making their ears ring. The tiger seemed to be fighting with something, and its roars seemed to shake the ground.
Time seemed to stretch out, yet also felt like a fleeting moment.
The surroundings calmed down.
15 minutes
25 minutes
For a full half hour, Song Xingzhi didn't dare to utter a single breath.
He can be eloquent and cunning with people, but with a tiger, no matter how much he talks, it's just a matter of one swipe of his claws. Right now, he's so nervous his legs are almost weak.
"Wait for me here."
Qi Zheng, standing nearby, composed himself and, without waiting for them to speak, lightly descended the tree and followed the tracks to a spot a mile away.
The grass here is rumpled and clearly has been trampled down. Looking further...
Qi Zheng frowned and followed the trail of blood to a spot. He looked down at the torn gray animal, his expression inscrutable.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!"
Song Xingzhi and the others hurriedly followed. It was already disrespectful to have Qi Zheng cover their retreat while they were hiding; to send someone else to explore was something they themselves found chilling, so they immediately followed.
"A wolf? No, this, this should be a wolfhound." Song Xingzhi's expression changed slightly. He immediately approached, ignoring the blood and gore on the wolfhound's body, and examined it thoroughly, even turning over its stomach, asserting with certainty...
"It was raised by a person."
In such a mountainous area, what kind of person would keep such a vicious dog?
The answer is obvious.
Qi Zheng crouched down, rubbed the fine silver powder off the dog's fur, and found a piece of silver ore the size of a fingernail. He turned to look into the depths of the forest, his voice deep: "Continue exploring."
This time, Song Xingzhi didn't voice any objections.
If we were just wandering around like headless flies, that would be one thing, but with clues right in front of us, we have to find out the truth.
Song Xingzhi: "Your Highness is of noble status, so please allow me to go first."
Qi Zheng glanced at his slightly trembling leg, said nothing, and strode forward with great strides, quickly leaving the man behind.
Song Xingzhi: ...
**
Seeing the group regain their spirits and continue their journey into the mountains
Song Jin sat atop a branch, watching them disappear rapidly into the woods through a makeshift telescope. At their current speed and location, they would likely reach their destination in another two days.
As for whether or not the person can be won over
She put away her binoculars, squinting, recalling the aura emanating from the man she had just seen. He possessed profound internal strength, so he was likely not a problem. Since that was the case, the rest was no longer her concern.
Song Jin curled her lips into a smile, jumped down from the tree, stepped on her tiger daughter who was rolling around like a raging thunderfowl, and pinched her ears.
"Huanghuang is so great, it was definitely worth raising you."
The surprise attack and staged fight were executed flawlessly; Huang Huang is simply a born actor. Making him act is much easier than teaching him to hunt.
Huang Huang meows sweetly: "Mmm~"
It hadn't slept all night, but it was still incredibly energetic. If Song Jin hadn't forbidden it from getting close, it would have at least gone to guide the group.
"Good boy/girl"
Song Jin plopped down on the ground, leaning against a tree, and sat there playing with Tiger Girl.
The branches and leaves here are sparse, and the bright moonlight shines down, covering the golden yellow kitten like a layer of silver frost. Yellow Kitten turns and bites the moonlight twice, missing its target, then gets up and chases after it, darting here and there with agility and speed, just like a kitten chasing a butterfly.
Song Jin smiled, her hands behind her head, gazing at the stars and moon, enjoying this leisurely moment.
Compared to my past life, this is what life is all about—unhurried and carefree.
Um?
leisurely?
Song Jin jumped to her feet, then scrambled to the top of a tree. Looking up at the moon, which had already moved to the west, her smile instantly froze.
Even if she flew, it would take her two hours to get here from her house. Two hours to get there, two hours to get there, plus another one or two hours in between.
She closed her eyes in anguish, then landed on the ground with a whoosh. She hastily used her light-footed skill to fly away, pointing to the dog's corpse before giving her some instructions to her fierce daughter.
"Huanghuang, don't run around, don't go looking for those people, you hear me?"
After saying that, she flew away, stepping on the branches and leaves.
Huang Huang, who had been rolling around, shook its head and stood up, staring blankly at her retreating figure with wide eyes. Then it looked at the dog carcass she was pointing to, and tilted its head to look at the place where it had done its work that day.
Its eyes lit up, it gave a sweet meow, and ran off in the opposite direction.
"Roar~"
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