Chapter 77

Chapter 77

The Pallas's cat tilted its head and raised a paw to pat Lin Qianyu's knee.

“You're saying... it was already in pieces when it crawled up from the river?”

Lin Qianyu rubbed her chin with her fingertips, gazing thoughtfully at the... pile of crocodile in front of her.

The fluffballs didn't react much. The white lion was squatting by the riverbank, its tail curled in front of it.

【I can vouch for it, it came ashore bit by bit.】

【Tragic... this crocodile's combat ability seems pretty average. I was expecting a brutal fight. Seeing this, I feel like I could beat it too.】

【Calm down. Better not try fighting a crocodile. The death roll is no joke — it can twist your arm right off and drag you into the water to drown.】

【Exactly. Being targeted by a crocodile is super dangerous. Just because Lin-jie was fine doesn’t mean we should underestimate how vicious they are. If it were Hang Sisi being targeted, she’d already have withdrawn from the competition.】

【Hang Sisi: ??? You’re really good at causing emotional damage.】

From what remained, one could just barely tell this had been a Nile crocodile.

Lin Qianyu vaguely recalled that there was a full set of regulations regarding whether crocodile meat could be consumed. Vendors selling it had to have a "Special Operation Permit" issued by the Bureau of Fisheries Administration and Port Supervision.

But for now, she glanced at the little wolf pup already nibbling at the crocodile meat — it should be fine for the fluffballs to eat it.

Besides, in times of food scarcity, lions will also hunt crocodiles. Those ambushers lurking in the river that sneak attack lions while they drink — they’re usually quite a headache for lions.

Lin Qianyu propped her chin up with one hand. Crocodile meat is high in protein, good for replenishing energy and nourishing heart and lungs. It’d be good for the cubs to eat more.

In any case, it was prey caught by the fluffballs — they could handle it themselves.

She turned her head to the white lion, who had already turned to leave. She reached out and brushed its tail, not gripping it, just touching it lightly to draw its attention.

When the white lion turned back, she smiled with her eyes. “Why leave just after arriving?”

The white lion’s tail flicked as if unaccustomed to being touched, but it didn’t avoid her.

Lin Qianyu circled around and crouched in front of it. “Stay and play for a while? Or maybe... you want to try some crocodile too?”

From the marks on the crocodile meat, the white lion had definitely contributed to the effort.

With the path ahead blocked, the white lion lifted a paw silently, intending to sidestep, but Lin Qianyu braced her arm to the left and stepped in its way, tilting her face to block it. “Don’t go. As the saying goes, since you're already here, might as well stay, right?”

The little wolf pup, who had been struggling with the crocodile meat, came trotting over after finishing its meal. Young and fearless — or maybe completely unaware of the white lion’s lethality — the cubs had absolutely no fear of the lion.

Even as Lin Qianyu stood so close to the white lion, they still approached eagerly.

Wolf pups would only feel fear if they sensed pressure from other animals. But the white lion hadn’t growled or shown any aggression — it had even helped bring them crocodile meat.

Having played side-by-side with the marsupial wolves and the cheetah, the cubs were now much more open to other animals.

Especially since Lin Qianyu was right next to the white lion — the pups, who were used to crowding around her, had already considered the white lion part of her group.

Worried they’d rush too hard and fall into the river, Lin Qianyu quickly stretched out her arms to stop them.

Seeing this, the white lion leapt onto a nearby rock and shook out its fur.

Lin Qianyu reached behind and picked up the pup that had charged too far, placing it in front of her one by one. Her gaze, however, stayed on the white lion. “Heading back?”

The white lion let out a low hum, then leapt across the large riverbank stones and left.Lin Qianyu patted the little wolf pup on the head. “Maybe the big white lion has a bit of social anxiety and isn’t used to being around so many small animals.”

She held a few wolf pups in her arms, letting the rest run along on their own, muttering, “Alright, we’ll play with the white lion next time. Just picking some wild chives, then we’re heading back.”

Wild chives aren’t very plentiful, and once stir-fried, they shrink and wilt.

Even a big handful only ends up as a small dish once cooked. Lin Qianyu estimated that the wild chives in her backpack wouldn’t even make one full plate.

The cheetah cubs weren’t as active and didn’t run around with Lin Qianyu. Instead, they lay down in the tall grass, flattening it into a soft little bed, rolling around on top of it.

Noticing Lin Qianyu looking over, one of the cheetah cubs raised a paw, seemingly trying to use its core muscles to sit up — but it failed. After rolling over twice and accidentally sliding off the side, it ran over and bit the hem of Lin Qianyu’s shirt, as if calling her to come along.

“You all go play, I’m not lying down. Go on, be good.” Lin Qianyu rubbed the cub’s head with her fingertip. The grass pile was thick enough, but the cheetah cub could lie on it only because it was so light and weightless.

Forget her — even one step from the grassland wolf would flatten it.

“Rr-ow!” The little cheetah raised a paw and hooked onto Lin Qianyu’s hand, its tail swaying agilely behind it, the tip flicking around.

The twitching tail on the grass easily caught the attention of a nearby wolf pup.

The pup with the grayish mark on its forehead took up a hunting stance, watching for a while. Then it suddenly pounced, smacked the tail with its paw, and immediately retreated after the strike — not clinging to the fight at all.

“Rr!” The cheetah cub snapped back to attention and spun around, but behind it was only the slow-reacting wolf pup. Just as it was pulling back its outstretched paw, it got caught red-pawed.

Without hesitation, the cheetah cub raised a paw and unleashed a flurry of punches — papapapa — like someone smacking a watermelon, showing no mercy.

Its paw nearly left afterimages.

The wolf pup being pummeled was completely dazed. “Awoo-woo!”

“Eh?!” Lin Qianyu quickly dropped the wild chives in her hand and reached out to stop them, but the cheetah cub had already stopped on its own.

The wolf pup with the grayish forehead patch was watching from not far away.

The beaten pup staggered, turned its head to glare at the true culprit, then opened its mouth and bit it right on the face. “Aw!”

【Hahahaha help!】

【I’m dying — the gray-furred pup had already run far away, but still jumped back into the scene. Truly, the perpetrator always returns to the crime scene.】

【I’m crying laughing — even after getting pummeled into a daze, it still reacted fast enough to bite the real culprit. This little wolf is surprisingly clever.】

Lin Qianyu watched them tumble into a full-on brawl. One wolf pup had the other’s snout in its mouth, while the bitten one kicked its back legs fiercely, unleashing a full-on rabbit-kicks-an-eagle fury.

It was an absolute chaotic brawl.

The other wolf pups didn’t know what was going on. One that seemed more steady stepped forward, probably to break up the fight.

But as soon as it got close, someone bit it — no idea who. It yelped “Awoo!” and promptly joined the melee, biting whoever, kicking wherever — no target, pure chaos.

“Haha.” Lin Qianyu couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. The wolf pups were all tangled together.

But this kind of fighting seemed more like rough play.

Not the kind of aggressive conflict you’d see between pups of rival wolf packs. Despite all the biting, there was no blood. Some got too tired and just flopped on the ground, not resisting even when bitten. The attacking pups, finding it boring, would just go find someone else to wrestle.

The cheetah cub squatting next to Lin Qianyu calmly licked its paw, gracefully sidestepped the wolf brawl, and leapt back into its soft grass nest.

Seeing this, Lin Qianyu bent down and picked up the scattered wild chives. “Cubs are still the most fun when they’re energetic.”Wild animals can’t be raised like delicate greenhouse flowers — roughhousing with littermates is also a way to train and improve.

Chasing Wind spat out the fruit in its mouth and trotted over to the group of wolf pups to watch them fight.

It watched very seriously, perhaps because this was its first time seeing such a large-scale brawl among wolf pups, and without realizing it, it crept closer.

A nearby wolf pup, who had been napping with its eyes closed, seemed to sense something. It opened its eyes and saw a zebra face right in front of it. “Awooo!” Without hesitation, the pup smacked out a paw.

Chasing Wind: “?!”

The zebra stomped the ground with its hooves, snorting heavily twice through its nose.

A grassland wolf nearby, who was responsible for watching over the cubs, turned its head and slowly blinked.

Chasing Wind paused, then — right in front of the grassland wolf — raised a front hoof and gently rubbed it on the head of the wolf pup.

It was like it was imitating how Lin Qianyu usually comforted the cubs, smoothing their fur. It mimicked her motions completely, with no trace of the frustrated snorting from earlier.

【I, Chasing Wind, survive in this world with one thing: a flexible bottom line.】

【Hahaha, Chasing Wind when the grassland wolf is looking away: “You dare hit me?!” Chasing Wind when the grassland wolf turns around: “Aww, what a cute baby! Let Uncle Horse spoil you a bit.”】

Afraid of being accidentally hit again, Chasing Wind didn’t get any closer to the wolf pups. Then it noticed Lin Qianyu eating a certain kind of grass, and it also walked over and took a bite.

Underneath, there was a layer of densely growing but very short wild chives, and with that one bite, Chasing Wind chomped off quite a few.

Lin Qianyu had almost finished picking wild chives. She lifted her backpack and used her fingers to tidy the contents. When she looked up, she saw Chasing Wind staring at her with teary eyes.

Seeing the chewed-off segment of wild chive still hanging from its mouth, she immediately understood what had happened.

— It got hit by the spice.

Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. “What, you trying to be Shennong, tasting all the herbs?”

Chasing Wind’s mouth was still chewing slightly. It tried to hold it in, but in the end, it couldn’t — it turned its head and spat the chives out.

At the same time, it looked at Lin Qianyu with a strange expression.

The translation of that look was probably something like: You seriously picked so much grass that attacks your mouth?!

Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but curve her lips at Chasing Wind’s comical expression and internal monologue. “You have to cook this before eating it. If you eat it raw, of course it’ll hit you in the mouth.”

Spiciness doesn’t fall under taste but under pain — so saying you got hit by chili is perfectly reasonable.

Lin Qianyu patted the zebra’s head. “Go drink some water, rinse your mouth, you’ll be fine.”

Chasing Wind, eyes full of tears, trotted off.

“Little ones, time to go home.” Lin Qianyu zipped up the backpack filled with wild chives. “We’ve been out for quite a while.”

Though they were still restricted from wandering too far, the new environment was different from the shallow pit and the area near home, so the cubs had been playing happily.

Lin Qianyu hugged the backpack and turned around, only to find the furry bunch hadn’t followed. “Little Wolf, Dou Dou?”

Little Wolf: “Mrr…”

“Going hunting?” Lin Qianyu glanced at the sky. “Be careful.”

The cheetah placed the two cubs in front of Lin Qianyu, then also walked off in the direction the wolf pack had gone.The thylacine had already left with the grassland wolf pack.

Lin Qianyu stretched and, watching them leave, also said, “Let’s go, time to head home.”

“Awoo!”

—Back home.

The first thing Lin Qianyu did was clean the pups’ paws and place them back in the courtyard.

She sat beside the shallow pit, with a pup lying belly-up on her legs, paws reaching upward. She carefully wiped them, not missing even the dirt in the crevices. “You were roughhousing for so long just now, you must be tired. Once you're home, it’s nap time.”

She was worried that when she got busy later, she wouldn’t be able to watch over them. If the pups laid on their backs to sleep and a cold breeze blew, it would be easy for them to catch a chill.

Better to clean them up now, let them snuggle and sleep in the courtyard. The shallow pit could be covered with wooden boards to block the wind. If it got cold, it would still provide some shelter.

【The pups are so well-behaved, lining up one by one to get their paws wiped.】

【Just like dumplings — dumplings drop into water with a “plop,” pups drop into the pit with an “awoo.”】

After wiping down all the pups, Lin Qianyu also smoothed the fur of the ones who got all scruffy during the tussle. “I won’t put the middle divider in today — you all get along well now.”

After several days of interacting across the divider, the cheetah cub and the grassland wolf pups were already familiar with each other.

Sharing one pit without a divider wasn’t a big deal anymore.

Once the pups were settled, Lin Qianyu stood up, dusted off her clothes, grabbed her backpack, and headed to the lake. The fresh wild chives weren’t too dirty and didn’t need root-washing — just rinsing both sides in running water would do.

But when she had chopped the wild chives and placed them on the stone slab, Lin Qianyu hesitated a bit. “Dry-fried chives don’t sound that great.”

Especially when salt was the only seasoning available.

She thought for a moment, then set aside the fire-starting sticks. “You all help watch the pups. I’m going to grab a couple of bird eggs.”

Without waiting for the livestream chat to respond, she directly switched the camera’s focus to the pups in the shallow pit.

Once Lin Qianyu’s image disappeared, all that was left was her final line: “I’m off! Thanks, everyone!”

And then... truly no more sound from Lin Qianyu — not even her footsteps.

Chat comments:

【???】

【We’re just internet strangers, you’ve crossed the line!】

【Huh? This feels like I was walking down the street and someone dumped a bunch of kids on me. Now I don’t dare sit or stand.】

…

Lin Qianyu had already spotted her target beforehand, so her trip was fast. She was back in less than ten minutes. “I’m back!”

She held up the bird eggs to the camera and gave them a little shake. “I noticed a great cuckoo last time — sure enough, it laid eggs in a nearby nest. One egg that had been pushed out, I put it back in. Don’t know if it’ll still hatch.”

Great cuckoos don’t build nests. They pick birds smaller than themselves and lay their eggs in those birds’ nests. Each time they lay one egg, they push out one of the original eggs.

If the egg pushed out lands safely, it still risks dying from cold. If unlucky, it breaks on impact.

Once hatched, the great cuckoo chick will push the other eggs out of the nest too, monopolizing all the food brought back by the foster mother.

It’s not about good or bad — that’s simply the nature of the great cuckoo.Lin Qianyu sat by the fire and lit it. The leftover animal fat from the last time she fried meat had formed a thick layer at the bottom of the bowl. When stir-frying vegetables, she just scooped out a bit with chopsticks, melted it on the stone slab, and added the wild chives.

Wild chives have a strong flavor and need to be stir-fried longer, cooked thoroughly, without much concern for texture.

“This actually smells pretty good.” Stir-frying chives in meat fat made even the vegetables carry a rich, meaty aroma.

Holding chopsticks, Lin Qianyu occasionally stirred the food. The oil sizzled noisily, and white smoke began to rise.

She cracked open one end of a bird egg, peeled back the shell just enough to fit two chopsticks in to beat it. Using the eggshell as a bowl saved her from washing another dish.

The beaten egg mixture was poured onto the other side of the stone slab. Once it solidified, she scrambled it, and after it was almost done, mixed in the wild chives — chive scrambled eggs, a common home-style dish.

At the very end, she sprinkled salt over the dish and stirred it evenly. Though the wild chives had wilted, they still looked green, and paired well with the bird eggs.

“Mm… tasty.” It had been a while since she had vegetables. Even though the preparation was simple, the flavor was excellent.

Plus, this kind of dish didn’t require much seasoning to begin with.

Without rice, Lin Qianyu also used less salt — just the right amount.

“I should find out if there are any chickens around here when I have time,” Lin Qianyu said as she picked up a bite of the chive and egg. “Raise them for their eggs.”

While she was cooking, all the pups had already fallen asleep, not a single one with eyes open.

Lin Qianyu sat on the edge of the shallow pit eating off the stone slab. There wasn’t much, and she finished it quickly.

The sky had darkened before she noticed.

The fluffballs who went out hunting still hadn’t returned.

But Lin Qianyu wasn’t too worried. With the grassland wolves, the cheetah, and the thylacine together, this was not a weak hunting party.

Even if some other animal had ideas about them, they would weigh the pros and cons before actually launching an attack.

Only a brainless predator would be foolish enough to start a fight they couldn’t win.

That’s the advantage of group hunting — confidence.

After eating, Lin Qianyu peeled a mandarin orange. A swipe of her fingertip removed what little pith there was. She held up her finger in front of her, measuring, and said, “What about digging a firepit right here in the center? With a firepit, I won’t have to worry about small flames being blown out by the wind.”

A firepit would also make future fires easier to start.

And it could store wood ash, which she could pull out to use anytime.

The soap pods brought back from the rescue center wouldn’t last much longer.

As she thought, she got up to look around for usable materials. She noticed a lot of fish had quietly gathered in the lake, so she reached over and lifted the spiked fence slightly. Only after most of the fish had scattered did she lower the fence again.

It was still pretty quick to trap fish here.

Biting into a segment of orange, Lin Qianyu mused, “The fish in this lake must’ve been stocked. Some of them don’t look like species that naturally appear in grassland lakes.”

Unlike saltwater fish, freshwater fish are more sensitive to their environment. But if moved somewhere without predators or birds that eat fry, some freshwater fish could thrive even better.

Just like some invasive carp or crucian carp overseas — when no one eats them, they multiply like a plague.

Governments even allocate special funds every year just to deal with them.

The fish in the lake here were all in good shape.【In the future, there’ll be a chicken coop and fish farm by the wooden house, fully automating food production.】

【You’re not wrong—this little life she’s living is actually quite proper. And she doesn’t even need to worry about animals stealing her chickens.】

Usually, when raising chickens or ducks back home, people have to keep a dog for protection. Otherwise, wild animals might break through the fence, and those plump native chickens would become their dinner. A single night could bring heavy losses.

But if native chickens were raised at Lin Qianyu’s place, there would definitely be no risk of them being snatched away by wild animals.

After finishing the orange, Lin Qianyu clapped her hands clean. She spread the orange peel out on a stone to dry—once dried, it could be used to steep in water.

Stored for long enough, orange peel becomes aged chenpi, which helps regulate qi and reduce phlegm.

It wouldn’t become proper chenpi just from drying for a short time, but it could still help clear heat and relieve cough.

It just shouldn’t be consumed too much.

Lin Qianyu filled two cups with water from the lake and brought them to the area where she planned to build a firepit to mix with soil.

She first marked the area, then dug out some earth from within the circle. She lined the inside of the shallow pit with stones, and the dug-up earth was mixed into mud to fill the gaps.

“When camping outdoors, it’s always a hassle to start a fire. This can help. Even if the fire goes out, the inside stays warm, making it easier to relight next time.”

As she spoke, she gradually stacked the outer layer. To be safe, she built both an inner and outer wall, and left an opening at the top about the size of a bucket mouth, and a smaller opening at the bottom to remove ash.

Ostrich egg cups were hung on both sides. Without direct flame contact, it was safer than an open fire.

After checking to make sure the fire structure was stable and wouldn’t collapse, she began sealing the gaps with the mud she had mixed.

She coated both inner and outer layers, ensuring not even the slightest crack remained.

Lin Qianyu used leaves to wipe some of the mud off her hands and looked at the firepit. “It actually looks pretty good.”

The shape resembled a low-budget volcano. She could place the wooden board used for cooking on top. The burning branches would be visible around the edges, and if she didn’t want to adjust the flame, she could just lower the board a bit.

After wiping most of the dirt away, Lin Qianyu went back to the lake to wash her hands. The wild aloe she’d applied earlier had all come off.

Actually, most of it had already worn off while she was picking chives.

Lin Qianyu looked at her hands—spreading her fingers wide still caused some stinging pain. After a moment’s thought, she cut another piece of aloe to apply.

“Aw?”

“Aw!”

With the two cries, Lin Qianyu sensed something had scrambled up onto the roof.

Although the wooden house was wind- and rainproof, its lack of sound insulation was an unavoidable flaw. But in the wild, if she didn’t have any fluffballs guarding her, poor soundproofing could actually be a good thing.

It let her detect problems quickly. The sooner you notice something, the higher your chances of escaping danger.

The pups outside the door stirred at the sound. Half-asleep, they all stood up, heads wobbling as they tried to find the source of the noise—then toppled right back down.

The cheetah cub yawned and fixed a sharp gaze on the animal on the roof, giving off an oppressive air. Even in this tense moment, it nonchalantly licked its fur.

And then… it licked its companion awake.

The companion rolled over and smacked it with a paw, then went back to sleep.

Lin Qianyu came out, bringing a flashlight on purpose. Once she located the animal, she shone the beam beside it. In the edge of the light, she paused in surprise. “Pallas’s cat?”Seeing the one it was looking for, the Pallas’s cat jumped down with the pika in its mouth, walking steadily step by step toward Lin Qianyu. “Aw!”

“This is tuition?” Lin Qianyu glanced at the pika. Its appearance resembled a rabbit, but its expression and body shape were more like a rat. At first glance, she thought the Pallas’s cat had caught a rat to bring to her.

【Tuition? What tuition?】

【The reasons for offering prey nowadays are getting more and more bizarre. Can’t keep up, not at all.】

【I know! Is it because it wants Lin-jie to teach it how to use stones to hit vultures? She did promise that before, didn’t she?】

Lin Qianyu laughed and said, “So eager to learn? I was just thinking of going to find you when I had time.”

She had mentioned it in the morning, and now it was nighttime—the Pallas’s cat’s active hours. It seemed to have come straight over after hunting.

And the prey it hunted was the tuition.

The Pallas’s cat sat upright. It was its first time at Lin Qianyu’s place, and it looked a little nervous. Its tail curled around to the front, and its paws hovered several times without stepping down properly. But on the surface, it still appeared confident, chest puffed out.

“Alright, I’ll teach you now.” Lin Qianyu pushed the pika toward it. “I already ate dinner. You keep this for yourself. You need energy to learn. Using stones flexibly takes a lot of strength.”

It wasn’t just said to coax the Pallas’s cat into eating the pika—it was true.

If you didn’t have the strength, even a thrown stone wouldn’t have any lethality.

If the Pallas’s cat was really willing to learn, she might actually be able to teach it.

The only Pallas’s cat on the grassland that could use stones to hit vultures—just imagining it was cool.

Judging by the time, the Pallas’s cat probably didn’t have time to catch a second prey, so Lin Qianyu said, “Eat first. We’ll start learning after you finish.”

Just right—while the Pallas’s cat ate, she could gather some smooth stones.

The Pallas’s cat had been lying in its den all day. After hearing Lin Qianyu, it hesitated for a moment, then pressed down on the pika and took a bite.

The pika wasn’t very big—just the right size for one meal.

Lin Qianyu picked up nearly all the smooth stones nearby. Most of the others had sharp edges and corners. She didn’t take those, to avoid cutting the Pallas’s cat’s paw pads.

By the time the Pallas’s cat finished its meal slowly,

Lin Qianyu returned, and the Pallas’s cat had already started digging a hole, planning to bury the leftovers.

“No need to worry about that. I’ll take care of it later.” Lin Qianyu placed the stones on the ground and picked one up, holding it between two fingers. “Anyone interested in this technique can also learn—it counts as a survival skill.”

In danger, you could hurl a stone at the eyes. It might not be lethal, but if you got good enough, hitting the temple wasn’t out of reach.

【That said… Lin-jie, are you really going to teach this to a Pallas’s cat?】It couldn’t grip the stone with its paw.

The fur-fluffed little paw pads faced upward, and only the digits above the pads could move slightly—barely enough to make a small bend.

Doing what Lin Qianyu did, pinching the stone between two fingers, was simply impossible.

The Pallas’s cat bent its paw again and again. The stone on top would be squeezed off each time. Occasionally it would get stuck between its claws but couldn’t be flung out at all.

Lin Qianyu was teaching seriously, but seeing the Pallas’s cat nearly start a fight with the stone using its paw, she couldn’t help but stifle her laughter.

“Aw?” The Pallas’s cat held the stone with a paw and tilted its head to look at her.

“Ahem, no.” Lin Qianyu cleared her throat. “I wasn’t laughing. Just suddenly got a little—haha… emotional. The feeling just hit me, and—hahaha…”

She tried to hold it in, but in the end, Lin Qianyu couldn’t.

“—Aw!” The Pallas’s cat bristled.

“Alright, alright, be good.” Lin Qianyu quickly soothed it, stroking its fur.

The stone was about the size of its paw pad. The paw tried its best to move, paired with the Pallas’s cat’s serious little expression—it was too cute.

Lin Qianyu casually flicked the stone from her fingertips, sending it diagonally upward.

Whoosh—crack! A branch snapped on impact.

Learning it was actually quite simple—if you could hold the stone in your hand.

The Pallas’s cat, still struggling with the stone in its paw, looked up and followed the stone's path without blinking. Even in the dim light, it could fully track the trajectory.

Looking down again, somehow the stone had gotten stuck between its pads.

The Pallas’s cat flicked its paw; the stone stayed put. After two more shakes, it suddenly flew out without warning.

Thump—it hit a tree trunk and fell, no one knew where.

Lin Qianyu’s eyes widened suddenly. “Impressive.”

It actually managed to throw it out—that was already halfway to success.

The Pallas’s cat froze with its paw raised: “?”

Confused, dazed, unsure what had just happened.

Even if it was just a fluke, the way it accidentally managed it… actually looked kind of convincing.

The Pallas’s cat opened and closed its paw, looked at it, then ran over to find the stone it had just flung. It circled the tree twice, picked up the stone, and brought it back.

Lin Qianyu smiled and said, “You’re learning fast. Try a few more times—maybe you really can knock down a vulture.”

【I’m still downstairs looking for stones, and the Pallas’s cat already figured it out.】

【Hiss—are Pallas’s cats really this smart?】

【Hmm… I mean, is it possible Lin-jie is just playing along? If you put a stone on your palm and flick it casually, it’ll fly too.】

But that kind of throw didn’t have much force.

It was still a big gap compared to how Lin Qianyu hurled stones.For a Pallas’s cat, being able to do this much was already impressive.

While the Pallas’s cat was deep in thought, Lin Qianyu reached out and rubbed its head. “Want to try again?”

The Pallas’s cat opened its mouth, the stone it was holding dropped, and it reached out a paw to catch it—its claws closed and caught it steadily.

Then it paused, as if suddenly realizing something, and abruptly looked up. “Aw!”

Lin Qianyu’s hand was still on its furry head—caught red-handed.

She blinked and silently withdrew her hand, picking up a handful of stones. “Alright, shall we continue?”

If it could master this skill, then even if it couldn’t beat a vulture, it could at least throw stones to fight back when being chased.

As long as it wasn’t the one at a disadvantage, that was enough.

Even if the stones it threw didn’t have much force, tossing seven or eight—who knows, one might land a lucky hit.

The Pallas’s cat continued practicing. That stone it threw earlier had flown off for who knows what reason, so it just kept swiping its paw. Stones flew toward the trees like raindrops—pa pa pa.

Seeing how serious it was, Lin Qianyu didn’t interrupt. She played with a stone between her fingertips.

She couldn’t help lowering her voice and muttering, “The psychological shadow that vulture must’ve left on the Pallas’s cat…”

Maybe it was treating the tree like a vulture and attacking it.

Come to think of it, vultures really did act like tyrants over the grasslands—bullies of the skies.

Not because they were strong in a fight, just because they were… incredibly annoying.

They’d bother big predators while they were eating—sneakily dropping down, then flying away before getting hit, making even mealtime a headache.

And to the small animals, vultures were even worse. Sometimes it wasn’t even about food—they’d just snatch little creatures, fly up, and drop them for no reason.

As far as Lin Qianyu was concerned, vultures deserved to be hit.

The Pallas’s cat kept throwing stones—completely uncoordinated, but enthusiastically so.

Once the collected stones ran out, it went to pick them up again. Lin Qianyu followed.

“How about trying to hit this?” Lin Qianyu pointed to a wild fruit at the edge of the treetop. “See if you can knock it down.”

A fixed target to aim at repeatedly, and one high up—should be better for practice.

After all, vultures fly in the sky.

The Pallas’s cat looked up. Lin Qianyu shone her flashlight on the chosen fruit. “This one.”

The height was just right, and the position ideal. If it controlled its strength well, knocking down a fruit would be much easier than breaking a branch.

With a clear target, the Pallas’s cat sat upright, gave its fur a shake, and looked determined.

But—its stone flew from its paw in a graceful arc… and landed perfectly at the base of the tree, right where it had before.

【Okay, and how is this any different from the lucky cat statue on my desk?】

【A whole night and a pile of stones. I'm just waiting for Lord Pallas to work a miracle.】

【It’s alright, sweetie. A Pallas’s cat that can throw stones is already amazing. Don’t be discouraged. It’s not your fault—the wild fruit is just too high. It’s the fruit’s fault!】【You can't spoil it like this. This is blindly indulging the Pallas’s cat! I think it’s the tree’s fault—if it were shorter, the wild fruit wouldn’t be so high!】

Lin Qianyu took a sip of water. A small fire was still burning in the earthen pit, and the ostrich egg cup hanging beside it kept the water warm—just hot enough to feel a bit scalding, but still drinkable.

On a cool night, a little hot water was just right.

The sound of stones hitting the ground echoed in her ears. Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but glance around—the area was quiet, but there was no sign of the furry hunter that had gone out.

She didn’t know whether it had gone farther this time or simply caught more prey.

Still no sign of it.

“Tired? Want to take a break and haveGood night, sleep early, love every one of you.