Chapter 328 The mischievous little red-haired wild boars were caught and fell silent.
Just then, the sound of flapping wings came from the sky.
Jixiang, the gyrfalcon responsible for tracking the bait red fox, returned in a flash.
It landed precisely on the crossbeam next to Xia Zhining, carefully carrying the red fox's neck skin, which had been used as bait, in its mouth.
The red fox's four paws were suspended in the air, too frightened to move.
Jixiang released its grip, and the red fox landed lightly with a "thud," curling up into a ball.
[Expert Xia, mission accomplished!]
Jixiang puffed out his chest: "[This cunning little red-haired creature led you here, then went around in circles and hid in a tree hole.] I've looked around; there are no other two-legged creatures."
"Well done!"
Xia Zhining crouched down and reached out her hand to the trembling red fox, her voice soft and gentle: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, the bad guys have been chased away by us."
The red fox raised its wet, black eyes and looked at her, still trembling violently.
Xia Tang, who had been standing quietly by the sidelines, walked over.
She took a sedative from her medical kit and sprayed it very lightly near the red fox's nose.
The calming spray, with its light herbal scent, worked quickly.
The red fox's tense body slowly relaxed, and it cautiously sniffed Xia Zhining's fingers.
Then, tentatively, little by little, he moved into her warm embrace, finally curling himself into a fluffy, warm, reddish-brown ball.
I didn't mean to do anything bad.
The red fox, looking aggrieved, said: "[The professor captured us and trains us every day with unpleasant sound waves and pungent-smelling drugs. We have no choice but to obey him, otherwise it will be even more painful.]"
Xia Zhining gently stroked its smooth fur and asked in a low voice, "Besides you, did the professor catch any other small animals?"
The fluffy ball in my arms stirred, and a faint, slightly frightened voice came from it:
[And... a brown horse, a gray pigeon, and a sable that lives in a crevice in the rocks.]
It buried its head in Xia Zhining's arms: [The professor told me to lead you all this way... as far as possible.]
[The professor has run out of the animal-repelling reagent he used, so we have to move you all away.]
Xia Zhining's heart sank slightly. She raised her eyes, her gaze sharpening.
"Then...where is the professor? Where is he now?"
Red Fox strained to recall, his ears twitching: [When I overheard him talking to a black box, I think I heard... according to the original plan, we were supposed to meet at the Blackwater Pool.]
Xia Zhining looked at the trembling little fox in her arms. Although she felt reluctant, she remained rational.
Did Professor Lin foresee this outcome and deliberately say it to Red Fox to mislead the pursuers?
Or did the little fox really overhear crucial information by accident?
Xia Zhining beckoned to Boss Ya and whispered a few words of instruction: "Find a few fast-flying birds and go to the vicinity of Blackwater Pool to verify whether Professor Lin has appeared."
Upon hearing Xia Zhining's animal language translation, the Oroqen hunter looked up in astonishment: "Blackwater Pool!"
"This is a death zone passed down by word of mouth among hunters, a swamp hidden deep in the old forest, shrouded in strange mist all year round. Even the most experienced Oroqen hunters will avoid it."
Xia Zhining's heart sank as she awaited news from Boss Ya.
After a while, Boss Crow came to report: [The intelligence has been verified; we must go to Blackwater Pool immediately to intercept them!]
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