Chapter 84

Chapter 84

The African Wildcat Widened Its Eyes in Shock.

But... having so many vultures crowding around like this wasn't a good solution either.

What if the manul eventually got tired of throwing stones and tried to exit through another tunnel? With so many vultures around, the chances of it being spotted would greatly increase.

Even if it reacted quickly and managed to retreat again...

If the vultures kept blocking the entrances, over time it would be bad for the manul.

Lin Qianyu tapped her stick to draw the vultures’ attention. “Hey, everyone. Could you back off from my cat a little?”

There must be some kind of communication among the vultures that humans didn’t know about—otherwise, it didn’t make sense for this usually solitary species to be gathering in a group like this.

At the sound of her voice, the vultures all turned their heads.

In fact, they had already noticed Lin Qianyu approaching earlier. They just kept their focus on the manul in the burrow and ignored the nearby human.

They didn’t take humans seriously to begin with.

But now, they only spared her a glance.

Lin Qianyu spun the stick in her hand, and the tip swept one of the vultures aside. “Tch. Not out hunting on a sunny day and instead bullying a small animal—what are you doing?”

One vulture got hit, and the rest finally reacted. Their loud, hoarse cries pierced the air.

Lin Qianyu furrowed her brow. Damn, they sounded awful.

【Ugh… how can a creature be this ugly and sound this terrible at the same time?】

【They’re not that ugly, really. I think they look okay.】

【Compared to the Bateleur eagle?】

【Hiss—okay, yeah, maybe kinda ugly.】

【This mass of black in the sky—damn! Is Lin-jie gonna be okay?!】

A bunch of vultures took flight at once, circling overhead in warning, creating an intense pressure.

Especially since it had rained today, the sky was overcast all day, and now near dusk it was even gloomier—though it wasn’t even 5 p.m., the light was as dim as 8 p.m. on a normal day.

With all the vultures circling above her, it truly felt like the sky was being swallowed.

Sensing something was off, the manul emerged from the burrow, grabbed Lin Qianyu’s pant leg with its paw, and tugged her toward its tunnel.

The vultures, already full of hostility toward the manul, instantly ignored Lin Qianyu. One dove straight down.

“Hah!” The manul met it head-on, completely unafraid.

Lin Qianyu swept her arm under the manul’s belly and scooped it up. With a twist of her wrist, she struck the vulture cleanly on the head with her stick, then flicked it upward, flinging the vulture into the air toward the others circling above.

With the open sky and their natural aerial combat skills, the vultures easily dodged.

They viewed Lin Qianyu’s actions as provocation, but now kept their eyes cautiously fixed on the stick in her hand.A brief moment of tension—both sides were observing each other.

Lin Qianyu was planning to move with the manul toward the trees.

The dense, overlapping canopy would interfere with the vultures, and the terrain would give her a better chance to counterattack.

When dealing with aerial animals, if it was just a few, she could take the initiative. But with this many vultures, tossing a few stones clearly wouldn’t cut it.

Lin Qianyu tightened her hold on the manul in her arms. “When the fight starts, stay in my arms. Don’t jump down.”

She was afraid the manul might leap out to draw the vultures’ attention on purpose.

—In fact, that was exactly what the manul was planning to do.

But Lin Qianyu wasn’t giving it the chance to land on the ground.

After a moment of standoff, the vultures broke the silence first. With a shriek, they dove in.

They’d gotten smarter this time—attacking all at once.

Lin Qianyu twisted her wrist, striking down two that came at her head-on. She sidestepped another one, but its sharp talons grazed her with a tearing sound—‘zi-la!’—ripping off half her sleeve.

She rolled to the ground, using a nearby tree to shield most of her body.

Glancing at the torn fabric, Lin Qianyu’s gaze darkened, and her grip on the wooden stick tightened.

Suddenly—“Roar!”

The roar of a predator echoed across the grassland.

A pride of tawny yellow lions burst into the vulture swarm, the lead lion biting straight into the neck of the nearest one. The crack of shattering bones rang out, loud enough for every nearby animal to hear—and the livestream audience heard it crystal clear.

Lin Qianyu didn’t have much interaction with this lion pride. At most, they’d crossed paths once because of Hang Sisi and Nie Lingyang. She’d only met the tawny lion once or twice.

But now... it was obvious this pride had come to help her.

Huh?

Why would they help her?

Even Lin Qianyu had never seen anything like this.

If we’re talking pure strength, lions could easily kill vultures—it wouldn't even be difficult.

But lions harassed by vultures rarely went for the kill, and even if they did kill them, they didn’t eat them.

These beaten vultures probably never imagined they’d one day be attacked by an entire lion pride.

Especially with the male lions joining in—usually, lionesses do most of the hunting.

Lacking coordination, the vultures had no real unity. Once the lions began killing them and they realized something was wrong, the vultures didn’t linger. They flapped their wings and fled without hesitation.

The ominous cloud-like pressure they’d created moments ago vanished instantly.

Lin Qianyu, who didn’t get the chance to avenge her sleeve personally, pressed her lips together and decided to let the matter go for now. She’d settle it later if they met again.

She adjusted the manul in her arms to face her. “So, uh…”

The lion pride seemed to have come just to help. Now that the vultures were gone, they were already turning to leave.The tawny lion, seeing that she had something to say, paused and gave a low, chivalrous growl: “Awo!”

Lin Qianyu, about to thank them, was cut off mid-sentence. Her tone lifted slightly: “What?”

What do you mean by we won’t allow ugly birds to bully one of our kind?

The lions nearby chimed in with their own agreeing growls: “Awo…”

Right, she was already pitiful enough.

Lin Qianyu: “……”

Deep breath.

The manul keenly sensed that something was off with the human’s emotions. It tilted its head up to look but couldn’t see her expression, so it cocked its head to the side, trying its best to read anything from her blank face.

But it eventually decided it had probably judged wrong.

Hmm… humans are weird.

Lin Qianyu raised her hand and gave the manul a firm rub. The lions, having righteously done their good deed without leaving names, turned and left after leaving that one sentence behind.

Mainly because they felt that if they didn’t leave now, that bald white lion with the stick might start swinging at their heads.

They didn’t know why they had that impression, but lions—used to ruling the savannah—trusted their instincts.

Lin Qianyu didn’t get a chance to say anything. “...Lions really are…”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. They were loyal, good lions—if only they didn’t talk.

The vulture situation was finally wrapped up for now. As for the manul—it was officially at war with the vultures now.

Looking at the fluffed-up ball of fur in her arms, Lin Qianyu said, “You’ve been marked by vultures. Staying here is really dangerous.”

“Awo!” The manul raised a paw, completely unafraid of those ugly birds, and even looked ready to engage in a war of attrition.

“But what if they ambush you? What if next time they come again in a big group and block your doorway, and I’m not here to pass by and help? Wouldn’t you just be stuck inside with no way out?”

Lin Qianyu spoke calmly and slowly, carefully explaining all the possible scenarios and risks to the manul.

Otherwise, if she just tried to take it home by force, with the manul’s personality, it might avoid her altogether and sneak back to fight the vultures alone.

Sure enough, hearing her reasoning, the manul quieted down, blinking and thinking seriously about what she’d said.

Lin Qianyu then offered at just the right moment: “How about coming to stay with me for a few days? I’ve got lots of fluffy friends I can introduce you to.”

Vultures still needed to hunt for food. At first, they might come to block the manul’s home regularly, but over time, if they never managed to catch it, they’d naturally give up.

By then, if the manul didn’t like living with her, it could always come back, right?

The burrow was still here—it wasn’t going anywhere.

Besides… no small animal would voluntarily take over a home still scented with a manul’s presence.

Only once it was clearly abandoned would others even consider moving in. In the short term, the burrow would stay vacant.

By the time the scent faded, the vultures would’ve long lost patience and stopped coming.

So the manul could totally move elsewhere temporarily—without worrying that its home would be gone when it returned.Lin Qianyu said, “So? Isn’t that a great idea?”

“Awoo…”

“Don’t hesitate, then. It’s settled.” Lin Qianyu carried the manul out. The ground outside was a mess—none of the vultures had dared stay behind to eat the meat.

But even if they didn’t eat it now, once the corpses started to rot, the surviving vultures would still return.

Lin Qianyu avoided the scene and was about to head home.

But when they got close to the manul’s den, it started struggling. “Awuu!”

“Hm? You need to grab something?” Lin Qianyu paused and set the manul down.

The manul dove into the burrow and began digging around.

From outside, Lin Qianyu could hear the sounds. “Don’t tell me… you’re packing?”

It sounded like there was a lot.

Just as she was thinking that, the manul came dragging a corner of a kerchief out. It seemed like something heavy was weighing it down—pulling it was a real effort.

【Treasure? Must be something the manul treasures enough to want to bring along.】

【Might be food too. For a war of attrition with vultures, the manul probably stockpiled plenty.】

With all the speculation, everyone’s curiosity hit a peak.

Finally, as the camera zoomed in and Lin Qianyu gave a tug to help, the items under the kerchief were revealed—smooth, round stones.

【???】

I even got my magnifying glass out and you show me this?

“How many rocks have you hoarded?” Lin Qianyu was speechless. And that wasn’t even counting the ones it had already thrown out—there were plenty by the burrow’s entrance too.

So… after digging such a long tunnel, it stored nothing but food and rocks?

【Good grief, I’m speechless.】

【Who started that treasure rumor? I nearly believed the manul had real loot.】

All those stones had been collected one by one by the manul itself. After coming out, it even glanced at the scattered ones by the burrow entrance and tried to gather them all up, “Awo!”

Looking at its earnest little face, Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh, “Let’s not take these, okay? I’ve got plenty of stones at my place—remember the ones you practiced with last time? They’re still there.”

The manul tilted its head.

Lin Qianyu said, “Over at my place, vultures don’t dare come around. Those stones are more than enough.”

Lots of fluff means lots of strength.

The white lion drops by from time to time, and vultures seem to have some kind of inexplicable fear of it.

With no vultures causing trouble, there’s no need to stockpile so many stones.

“Awo…” The manul chose to listen to her, though it still tugged at the kerchief and pushed the rocks off with its paw.

“Want to take this, then?” Lin Qianyu helped clear off the stones, picked it up and brushed off the dirt, then folded it. “Alright, let’s go.”The manul nodded. It was very familiar with the road to Lin Qianyu’s home, but after just a few steps, it suddenly floated into the air—its paws didn’t touch the ground, suspended midair and wiggling.

Lin Qianyu held the manul in her arms again and tucked the folded kerchief into its chest. “We’re too slow on our own.”

Chasing Wind was still waiting at the original spot. Earlier, Lin Qianyu had told it to stay put, so it hadn’t wandered.

As a herbivore, it really didn’t want to draw the vultures’ attention.

Now that Lin Qianyu was back, Chasing Wind finally dared to move.

“Let’s go.” Lin Qianyu mounted the zebra, placed the manul in front of her, and looped her arm in front of it.

That way, if the manul tried to jump off, she could easily block it with a lift of her arm.

Falling off a running zebra, no matter how nimble the manul was, would still cause injury.

From the moment it sat on the zebra’s back, its eyes had been darting everywhere.

Running on its own versus sitting on a zebra watching the scenery sweep by was a completely different experience.

Very novel.

The manul looked to the left, then to the right, far too busy to settle down.

By now, Lin Qianyu and Chasing Wind had developed a bit of tacit understanding. As long as Chasing Wind didn’t start too abruptly and maintained a steady pace, she could keep her balance just fine.

The manul raised its front paws onto Lin Qianyu’s arm and leaned out to look around.

Its fluffed-up fur was blown messily by the wind, blocking its eyes. It tried pawing at it, but couldn’t push the fur aside, so it looked up and cried, “Awuu!”

Lin Qianyu leaned down slightly, freeing one hand to brush the fur away and gently pressed it down at the back of its head.

It didn’t help much, but at least it gave the manul a few more seconds of clear sight.

【Ahhh that little expression is so lively and adorable.】

【Auntie’s curious little baby.】

【Did it just call out? I swear I heard it call me mama. It must be missing me—send it over now!】

【I’m dying—why did it sound like it wanted to come to my house?】

…

Before they even got home, a prairie wolf came out in the distance to greet them.

When it saw Lin Qianyu on the zebra’s back, it paused its steps and waited in place for her to approach.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t run into any danger.” It was only a short distance from home—Lin Qianyu dismounted and walked with the little wolf. “Look, I brought the manul back.”

The manul, being lifted up, blinked in confusion. “Awo?”

“Woo.”

Lin Qianyu liked bringing little animals home, and the prairie wolf had clearly gotten used to it.

The manul often caught the scent of many animals from Lin Qianyu, with the prairie wolf being the most prominent. So it wasn’t unfamiliar with the little wolf.

The water on the grass had already been baked dry.The prairie wolf pups and cheetah cubs were all playing on the grass near the shallow pit.

The newly returned cheetah cub was fitting in well. Two other cubs were playing with it, while Dou Dou squatted to the side, watching them roll into a heap. Every now and then, it would push a little wolf pup that rolled over near it back into the pile.

The cubs had no defenses against unfamiliar cubs—especially one carrying Lin Qianyu's scent. If the two other cheetah cubs hadn't been blocking the way, the others would have already swarmed it.

Lin Qianyu placed the manul down nearby. “You’ve probably seen these cubs before. The cheetah is Dou Dou, and those are Xiao Huang and Xiao Hui. Everyone’s very friendly.”

With the manul’s temperament, it didn’t get nervous in this environment. It found a wooden board at a higher spot and sprawled out on it.

From the high ground, it could take in everything happening below.

Lin Qianyu sat down beside Dou Dou and leaned back against it, hugging the prairie wolf pup in her arms. “Did the cubs get fed any meat tonight?”

She had only given them milk during the day.

“Woo.”

Lin Qianyu nodded. The prairie wolves usually went hunting and brought food back for the cubs—it was good to know they had been fed.

She leaned back further, resting most of her upper body on the cheetah. Dou Dou didn’t budge at all and turned its head to lick her cheek.

The wolf pups, who had originally wanted to play with the new cheetah cub, saw her sit down and all ran over. The cheetah cubs also crowded in without hesitation.

Soon enough, Lin Qianyu was once again surrounded by fluff. If she hadn’t pulled off the ones trying to climb onto her, she’d likely have been buried under them by now.

Plop—a sound of something dropping hit especially sharply in the quiet night.

Lin Qianyu turned her head at the sound.

She saw the grassland serval staring with wide, stunned eyes, its mouth slightly open, completely disbelieving: “...Awuuu???”

So many?!

Author’s note: Goodnight, sleep early, love you all.