Chapter 34: Clouded Leopard Seeking Help

They hadn’t even reached their destination, Ancient Goose Forest, yet their target—the clouded leopard—had already appeared before them in the most unexpected way.

Everyone in the group reacted differently.

The researchers—Professor Tang, Wang Gu, and He Shengnan—were both surprised and delighted, not expecting to find their target so soon.

The forest police officers, like Qiao Fei, Li Rui, and Wang Xiaochao, were tense, their hands instinctively moving to their gear.

Chen Ze and Fang Dawei were tense with a hint of fear. After all, they were facing a beast that could easily kill a man.

Zhang Zhi, on the other hand, quickly calmed down after the initial shock. He carefully observed the clouded leopard in the tree and spoke softly.

"Professor Tang, Uncle Cai, look. Something seems off about this clouded leopard’s condition."

"Hmm?" Startled, everyone took a closer look.

Yang Qi focused his gaze on it. Indeed, compared to the furious, agile creature he’d seen at the manor, the mother leopard now looked bedraggled and exhausted. Her fur, which should have been sleek and smooth, was disheveled and dotted with bits of grass. Her eyes were no longer purely cold and wild, but instead held a palpable anxiety.

"She’s not hostile," Uncle Cai said quietly. "Captain Deng, Xiaoqiao, whatever you do, don’t draw your guns and provoke her."

"Is she looking for someone?"

Professor Tang had also noticed something was amiss.

The leopard’s gaze seemed to scan the crowd, carrying a hint of... hope?

"Looking for someone?"

Wang Gu, Qiao Fei, and the others were taken aback.

A thought struck Yang Qi, and his gaze met that of the clouded leopard in the tree.

Instantly, the mother leopard froze. Her gaze, fixed on Yang Qi, conveyed anxiety, helplessness, and a hint of pleading.

While staring intently, she let out a low, mournful growl at Yang Qi.

The growl made the others tense up, but Yang Qi understood its meaning.

’Trouble.’

’Help.’

’Help?’

’The mother leopard is asking me for help!’

Although she was exhausted and disheveled, Yang Qi looked closely and saw no obvious wounds on the mother leopard.

’Then what does she need help with?’

The answer was obvious—

’The cub is in trouble!’

Without a second thought, Yang Qi stepped past the others and walked toward the large tree where the leopard was perched, speaking quickly as he went.

"Everyone, relax. She’s here for me."

Huh?

Astonished, everyone turned to look at Yang Qi, thinking they must have misheard.

Yang Qi moved swiftly, lifting Xiaojiu from his shoulder and placing the creature in the arms of a still-dazed Chen Ze.

"Brother Chen, do me a favor and look after Xiaojiu."

"Xiaojiu, you stay here. Be good and don’t run off."

Before anyone could react, Yang Qi strode to the base of the tree. He looked up at the clouded leopard and said, in the tone one might use with a friend, "No problem. I’ll go with you."

"ROAR~"

The clouded leopard seemed to understand. It let out a low growl in response, then its agile body made a nimble turn on the branch. It leaped lightly from the tree several meters high and landed steadily, sending a few dry leaves scattering.

It glanced back at Yang Qi once before taking off toward the forest up the mountainside.

Yang Qi followed at once, without hesitation.

At first, the leopard kept its pace slow, as if accommodating the "two-legged" human who had put her at ease. It would run for a short distance, then stop and look back to make sure Yang Qi was still following.

Yang Qi kept up with a brisk walk, moving at a normal human’s pace.

Once they rounded a fern-filled hollow and were completely out of the search party’s sight, Yang Qi’s gaze sharpened. He controlled a wisp of Magical Power and channeled it into his legs—

Spirit Crane Body Technique, activate!

SWISH~

In an instant, Yang Qi’s form became incredibly light and graceful.

The Spirit Crane Body Technique might look like a common Qinggong, but it was in fact a true Cultivation Technique!

Empowered by Magical Power, Yang Qi seemed to transform into a spirit crane. With a light tap of his toes on a blade of grass or a rock, he could launch himself several yards through the air.

He rarely needed to touch the ground fully, instead skimming along at incredible speed as if in flight.

SWISH~

SWISH!

The rushing wind battered his face.

The sound of his passage howled in his ears.

The clouded leopard leading the way sensed the commotion behind it. It stopped and turned its head, its eyes widening in a moment of stunned disbelief.

It was clearly shocked by Yang Qi’s speed and method of travel.

Thankfully, it recovered quickly. With a low growl, it dug in its claws and shot forward, its speed suddenly increasing as it raced ahead like a golden bolt of lightning.

WHOOSH~ WHOOSH~

SWISH! SWISH!

For a moment, it was a chase: one human behind, his figure ethereal as he skimmed over the grass.

One leopard in front, agile as the wind, darting through the trees.

Man and beast raced through the mountain forest at a breathtaking speed.

...

Meanwhile, the search party remained frozen in place, staring dumbfounded in the direction of the hollow where Yang Qi and the clouded leopard had vanished.

"This... this..."

Wang Gu stood with his mouth agape, pointing ahead. He wanted to say something but found his throat was too dry to form any words.

He Shengnan looked completely bewildered, unconsciously murmuring, "How did he do that?"

Qiao Fei wore a nearly identical expression, her lovely eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Li Rui instinctively pinched Wang Xiaochao, who was standing beside him.

"OW! What’d you pinch me for?" The pain in his arm snapped Wang Xiaochao back to reality, and he glared at Li Rui.

"I... I wanted to see if I was dreaming..." Li Rui mumbled, his eyes still vacant.

"Jerk!"

Speechless, Wang Xiaochao shot him the middle finger.

"He’s... he’s really one of a kind..." Deng Lei took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

"That young man... he’s certainly not ordinary."

Uncle Cai mused, his worldly-wise eyes still holding a deep sense of astonishment.

"Indeed..."

Professor Tang agreed instinctively, the look of astonishment yet to fully fade from his face.

His lips moved as if he wanted to analyze the situation from a scientific perspective, but he realized any theory would seem feeble at this moment.

’Since when does a wild clouded leopard act like a pet dog?’

"Hahaha!"

Chen Ze, still holding Xiaojiu, finally snapped out of it and burst into loud laughter, his face beaming with vicarious pride.

"What did I tell you? Huh? What did I tell you? Brother Qi is a Druid!"

"You all didn’t believe me, but now you see it, don’t you? Even a clouded leopard came looking specifically for Brother Qi’s help!"

"If that’s not a Druid, then what is?"

"He... he really is a Druid..." Qiao Fei, Li Rui, and Wang Gu exchanged glances, forced to admit that this fantastical title seemed to be the only thing that could even begin to explain what had just happened.

"Help?"

Zhang Zhi seized on the key word, frowning in thought. "The mother leopard came specifically to ask Yang Qi for help... Could it be that something happened to her cub? Maybe it’s injured?"

"Well..." Chen Ze’s laughter died in his throat.

"That’s more than likely."

Professor Tang’s expression grew serious. "Xiao Yang has had contact with the mother and her cub before, and now he just so happens to be in the mountains. If the cub really is in trouble and the mother leopard is desperate enough to seek human aid, then Xiao Yang—someone she’s met and who left a strong impression on her—is undoubtedly the most logical choice."

"Professor Tang is right."

Uncle Cai spoke slowly. "In fact, just a few minutes ago, Xiao Yang quietly told me he felt like something was following us. He thought it was a wolf at first. It seems now that the one following us was this clouded leopard all along!"

"And she probably wasn’t tracking our whole team. Her target was most likely just Xiao Yang!"

What?!