Chapter 142 - 130: Warning! Supreme Elder Discovered

Yang Qi waited for their affectionate reunion to quiet down before walking over and using the Basic Spirit Communication Technique to ask a question.

"Caiyun, that powerful, foreign beast you found in the mountains last time—is it still around?"

[It is.]

Caiyun raised her head, her vertical pupils exceptionally bright in the fading light of the forest.

[It’s very cautious. It almost never leaves the territory it marked.]

[The food in this forest is abundant. It can eat its fill from a single hunt, so it doesn’t spend much time active outside.]

She paused, then added,

[I’ve kept an eye out for it a few times, trying to confirm its trail.]

[But the timing of its appearances is hard to predict. I’ve never managed to run into it.]

’It only stays within a fixed territory?’

’And it rarely shows itself?’

This beast’s behavior was indeed unusually cautious; one might even call it a homebody.

Yang Qi pondered for a moment, then approached it from a different angle. "So, you’re saying that as long as no one actively ventures deep into its territory, the situation in the mountains is manageable for other people and animals?"

[Yes.]

Caiyun let out a low, affirmative growl and affectionately nuzzled the eager Ta Xue with her nose.

[Ta Xue can come back now. I’ll continue teaching him how to hunt.]

"MROWL~!"

Ta Xue hopped on the spot excitedly, his eyes gleaming.

[I want to hunt! I want to be as strong as Mom!]

Seeing how eager the little guy was, Yang Qi smiled.

’He also understood that for a clouded leopard, the mountain forest was the best classroom for growing up.’

"Be careful, you two."

Yang Qi instructed, "If you encounter any danger you can’t handle, remember to leave the mountain immediately. As long as you don’t actively attack the Two-legged Beasts, your safety won’t be an issue."

[Understood.]

Caiyun gave a calm response, letting out a low growl to signal for Ta Xue to follow her.

The two agile, spotted figures, one large and one small, quickly turned and vanished silently into the dense woods.

Yang Qi watched them disappear, then stood still for another moment before turning to head down the mountain. He returned to his car and drove back to the Zoo.

After getting settled, he dialed Deng Lei’s number.

"Captain Deng, I just got back from the mountain behind the Zoo. I’ve spoken with Caiyun."

Yang Qi got straight to the point. "She said the beast is definitely still in the mountains; its presence hasn’t faded. But it’s extremely cautious, rarely shows itself, and seems to stick firmly to its own territory, never crossing the line."

"Caiyun has patrolled the outskirts of its territory a few times specifically to find it, but she’s never run into it directly."

"I see."

Deng Lei was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the line. "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Advisor Yang. This information is crucial. I’ll compile it and report it up the chain immediately."

"Of course. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Yang Qi offered the pleasantry, and they ended the call.

...

Meanwhile, in the conference room of a district’s forest police brigade, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Deng Lei hung up the phone and looked up at the people waiting in the room.

His direct superior, Cheng Wenming, along with a vice-detachment leader and the detachment leader from the main unit, were all present. Their eyes fell on him in unison.

"Well? What did Advisor Yang say?" Cheng Wenming asked first.

"He said the clouded leopard, Caiyun, confirmed that the beast is still in the mountains and its presence hasn’t faded."

Deng Lei reported truthfully, "But the animal is extremely cautious and rarely shows itself. It seems to stick to its territory and doesn’t venture out. Caiyun specifically scouted the perimeter of its territory a few times but couldn’t spot it directly."

After hearing the report, the vice-detachment leader stroked his chin and said, half-jokingly, "You don’t think... Advisor Yang is just messing with us, do you? I mean, no matter how clever a clouded leopard is, it’s still an animal. Relaying a message..."

"Impossible!"

Deng Lei blurted out, his tone firm.

He immediately realized his reaction had been a bit much. Meeting Cheng Wenming’s glare, he quickly lowered his head.

"Watch your tone."

Cheng Wenming scolded him before turning to the vice-detachment leader and explaining in a gentler tone, "Vice Li, what Xiaodeng means is that Advisor Yang knows the gravity of this situation. He would never joke about a major issue involving public safety and wildlife conservation."

"No worries, no worries, I was just kidding. Don’t be so tense."

Vice Li waved his hand with a smile. "I’ve heard about Advisor Yang’s reputation; of course he wouldn’t play around with something like this. You probably haven’t heard, but a couple of days ago, the narcotics division cracked a huge case. The key lead was found by Advisor Yang and the police cat and dog he trained! It was a massive help, and they’re all getting commended for it."

"Oh? Is that so?" Cheng Wenming was taken aback, a little surprised.

"So there you have it."

The detachment leader picked up the thread. "This business about a beast in Cangshan—the warning Advisor Yang relayed through the clouded leopard—is most likely true. The problem now is that this beast is so cautious and stays hidden in its territory, we don’t even know what kind of animal it is."

"Of course."

He continued, "But looking at it from another angle, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The ecosystem in Cangshan has been recovering well in recent years. The populations of animals like wild rabbits, pheasants, and wild boars have grown rapidly. The boars in particular often come down the mountain and damage the surrounding farmland, causing a lot of complaints from the public."

"Having a powerful beast capable of intimidating the other animals ’presiding’ over the deep mountains might actually be beneficial from an ecological standpoint."

"Speaking of which."

Vice Li laughed. "That clouded leopard on the mountain behind the Zoo has been a great help. Infrared cameras have caught it hunting young boars several times. Its movements are incredibly swift—it snatches one and scampers up a tree, leaving the adult boars to just stare helplessly from below."

"It’s really helping us effectively control the expansion of the wild boar population!"

"Hahaha~"

This remark brought a wave of lighthearted laughter to the conference room.

Ever since wild boars were granted protected status, their lack of natural predators has allowed their populations to boom in certain areas, causing considerable damage.

The farmlands around Cangshan were frequently harassed by them.

There were wolf packs in the mountains, but they were small. Faced with large boars—with their thick hides and sharp tusks—the wolves’ hunting success rate was low, and the risks were high.

However, a top predator like the clouded leopard, skilled at climbing trees and highly agile, was much more efficient when it came to hunting small to medium-sized boars, especially their young.

...

...

The "miracle" of Big Flower’s septuplet pregnancy continued to create ripples.

Over the next few days, the Zoo’s research building grew noticeably busier. Vehicles with logos from various outside organizations were frequently seen coming and going.

Unfamiliar faces in white lab coats or outdoor gear began to appear frequently—clearly peers and experts from other zoos, research institutions, and universities, all coming to exchange information or verify the situation.

Other than assisting with another non-anesthetized ultrasound on Big Flower at Jiang Kai’s request—which confirmed the embryos were still developing well—Yang Qi didn’t get too involved in the external attention and discussions.

Around ten o’clock one morning.

Yang Qi had just finished cleaning the raccoon enclosure and was putting his tools away when the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

He took it out and saw it was a call from Cheng Yao in the marketing department.

"Hello, Cheng Yao?"

"Yang Qi, do you have a minute? If you’re not busy, could you come over to the alpaca exhibit?" Cheng Yao’s voice said through the receiver.

"Sure, I’m on my way." Yang Qi agreed readily and hung up.

After straightening his slightly disheveled work clothes, he walked quickly toward the alpaca exhibit.

The alpaca, a camelid species native to South America, had once become a massive internet sensation under the meme nickname "Grass Mud Horse," enjoying a period of unrivaled popularity.

The alpaca exhibit at Donghua Zoo was quite large—an open, grassy field enclosed by a low fence, simulating their native habitat. It was normally very popular with visitors, especially children.

Before he even got close, Yang Qi saw a small group of people gathered outside the grassy area.

Cheng Yao, the keeper for the alpaca exhibit, and two other staff members were huddled together, pointing into the enclosure and discussing something.

A few lingering visitors stood nearby, peering curiously and chiming in with a comment or two from time to time, making the atmosphere a bit noisy.

"What’s going on?" Yang Qi asked as he walked over quickly.

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the enclosure.

Several alpacas of different colors were scattered across the grass. Some were grazing leisurely, others were resting on the ground. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary?

[WARNING! WARNING! A Supreme Elder has been detected in your presence! Host, please do your best to perform well, showcase your abilities, and win their favor!]

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