"How did it go, Advisor Yang?"

Watching Yang Qi return with the surviving cockerel in hand, the old village chief wrung his hands nervously and asked with hopeful eyes.

"It should be fine now."

Yang Qi handed the still-flapping, terrified cockerel back to the village official named Big Class and replied, "The toxins in the weasel’s body have been cleared, and it’s regained its senses. As long as it doesn’t mistakenly eat that hallucinogenic plant again, it most likely won’t go back to killing without eating for no reason."

He paused, then added as a precaution, "However, just in case, if it does come back and goes back to only killing without eating, you can call me anytime, Village Chief."

With that, Yang Qi recited his phone number.

Upon hearing this, the wrinkles on the old village chief’s face bloomed into a smile. He quickly pulled an old flip phone from his pocket. His movements were a bit clumsy, but he very carefully saved Yang Qi’s number, muttering to himself all the while.

"Good, good, good. With your assurance, Expert Yang, we can finally rest easy. Thank you so much! We’re truly grateful."

Seeing this, Luo Kaifeng, Yu Bo, Chen Shuangquan, and the others nearby joined in with a smile, half-joking.

"Advisor Yang, could you grace us with your contact info, too? That way, if we run into any other tricky animal problems, we can shamelessly ask for your guidance!"

"Of course."

Yang Qi had no reason to refuse. He smiled, took out his phone, and exchanged WeChat contacts with Luo Kaifeng, Yu Bo, Chen Shuangquan, and the enthusiastic deputy town head.

Then, he carefully wiped the borrowed night vision goggles and other equipment clean before returning them to Luo Kaifeng.

With the matter perfectly resolved, the old village chief was in high spirits and insisted on taking everyone for a late-night snack to properly thank them.

Yang Qi checked the time—it was already close to three in the morning. He politely declined, "Village Chief, thank you for the kind offer. But it’s really getting late, and I still have to drive back to the city. I have work tomorrow."

"Oh, I see." The old village chief sounded a little disappointed. "I was hoping to have you stay at my place for a bit of sleep, Expert Yang."

"Next time, perhaps. I’ll take you up on that offer another time, Village Chief," Yang Qi replied with a smile.

"It is indeed late today."

Chen Shuangquan chimed in, patting his chest. "Advisor Yang, the next time you come back to Dahe Town, whether for work or for fun, be sure to let me know in advance. I’ll make the arrangements, and we can have a proper get-together!"

"Alright, I’ll definitely come back when I have the time," Yang Qi agreed.

He then blew a soft whistle toward the foot of the mountain.

A moment later, Xiaojiu and Ta Xue emerged from the shadows, one after the other.

Hu Zi, Leopard, and Bai Wan also got up from Luo Kaifeng’s side and ran to Yang Qi, their tails wagging.

Yang Qi called for his companions to get into his SUV.

Luo Kaifeng, Yu Bo, Chen Shuangquan, and the others also got into their respective vehicles.

Yu Bo and the people from the town returned to Dahe Town, while Yang Qi and Luo Kaifeng drove away from Liujiagou Village.

Partway there, Yang Qi and Luo Kaifeng parted ways at an intersection. Luo Kaifeng headed back to the county, while Yang Qi turned onto the highway back to Donghua City.

The drive was swift.

By the time Yang Qi slowly drove his SUV through the gates of the Donghua Wildlife Park, a faint, pearly light was breaking on the eastern horizon, signaling the dawn.

He returned to his dormitory—a small, mountainside villa—with Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Ta Xue, Hu Zi, and Leopard.

After parking the car, he prepared cat food, dog food, and a special nutritional feed for his furry kids, then refilled their water bowls.

Watching his furry companions dig in, Yang Qi quickly washed up and changed into a clean work uniform.

Despite not having slept all night, thanks to his Cultivation at the Third Level of Qi Cultivation, he was still full of energy.

He went to the warehouse, picked up the feed, and began his routine feeding work.

He fed the Gray Wolves and raccoons, cleaned their enclosures, and observed and recorded their conditions.

...

「The next few days」

Life returned to its usual, peaceful rhythm.

During the day, Yang Qi diligently carried out his duties: feeding and cleaning the animals in his assigned area, as well as conducting basic behavioral training and keeping records.

In his free time, he would either immerse himself in his studies at his dorm, completing the animal behavior and ecology assignments given by his teacher, Song Chunfang.

Or, he would visit the plum-headed parakeet that had been moved after being bullied.

In its new environment, the small parakeet received meticulous care and individual attention, and its spirits improved day by day.

Its feathers gradually regained their luster, and it even began to chirp tentatively when a keeper approached.

Seeing its progress, Yang Qi felt a sense of relief and satisfaction.

「That evening」

As usual, Yang Qi was in his dorm room, sitting cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion. He circulated the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique, absorbing the Spiritual Qi gathered by the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array to focus on his Cultivation.

Suddenly—

[Mission Complete]

[Reward: Object Manipulation Technique]

’Mission complete...’

’Has the plum-headed parakeet overcome its trauma?’

Yang Qi’s mind stirred, and he slowly withdrew from his meditative state.

Without opening his eyes right away, he focused his mind, receiving the information about the "Object Manipulation Technique" that was flooding into his brain.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a flash of pleasant surprise in them.

Object Manipulation Technique, as the name implied, was a type of Magic that used one’s own Magical Power as a catalyst and Spiritual Sense as a control to move objects.

It was a basic form of Magic.

The weight, distance, and precision of the objects that could be moved depended on the caster’s depth of Cultivation and the richness of their Magical Power.

On the surface, it seemed to overlap with the Small Transport Technique he already knew, as both were used to move objects.

But in reality, there was a fundamental difference between the two!

The Small Transport Technique was more like using an invisible "brute force" to push an object. Although it could move heavier and larger items, it could only move them in a straight line designated by the caster. It was impossible to change direction or turn back midway, let alone perform any fine-tuned manipulation, making it seem rigid and inflexible.