Immediately after, as if in response, a similar but slightly different-pitched HOOT echoed from another direction.

Then came two more, then three...

In an instant, at least five or six different owl calls—some low, some high, some short, some long—rose and fell throughout the surrounding mountains, like a relay of signals in the dead of night!

Some of the sounds were close, seeming to come from the canopy of a nearby tree.

Others were distant, echoing from a mountain pass or the far end of a creek valley.

They called back and forth to one another, filled with a strange, indescribable rhythm of communication.

Even more shockingly, after a brief exchange, the calls seemed to reach some sort of consensus. One by one, they began moving rapidly westward and away!

The soft WHOOSH of wings beating against the air was exceptionally clear in the quiet night sky.

It was the sound of multiple nocturnal birds of prey moving in unison!

This... this...

Tang Bin and the few rescue team members with him were completely dumbfounded!

Their jaws hung open and their eyes were wide. They subconsciously swept their flashlights toward the direction the sounds were receding, but they could only catch fleeting, blurry shadows.

’It... it actually worked?!’

’Yang Qi didn’t just "persuade" the first Eagle Owl—that Eagle Owl actually went and gathered its companions?!’

’And judging by the sound of it, there are quite a few of them!’

At least five or six different species of owls had been mobilized, launching an unprecedented "joint aerial search" to the west!

If you hadn’t seen and heard it with your own eyes and ears, who would believe such a story?

It would probably be dismissed as a fairy tale or some unreliable ghost story from the deep mountains!

"Advisor Yang..."

Tang Bin took a deep breath, trying to calm the shock rippling through him.

The way he looked at Yang Qi had completely changed. His earlier suspicion and scrutiny were replaced by a complex emotion bordering on awe.

He gave Yang Qi a forceful thumbs-up, his voice trembling slightly. "You... you’re something else! I, Lao Tang, have really had my eyes opened today!"

"That was amazing! Advisor Yang, how did you do that?" one of the rescue workers couldn’t help but exclaim.

"This is even more... more fantastical than a well-trained search and rescue dog!"

another person murmured.

Even Deng Lei and the two Forest Police officers, who were somewhat mentally prepared, felt their hearts pound with excitement as they witnessed this bizarre scene, like a procession of a hundred night owls.

Deng Lei clapped Yang Qi firmly on the shoulder. Words were unnecessary.

Regardless of whether the owls could ultimately find the person, Yang Qi’s ability to "command" wild nocturnal raptors was genuinely and profoundly astonishing!

This completely surpassed their understanding of the term "Animal Expert."

Faced with everyone’s astonishment and praise, Yang Qi just smiled humbly.

"Now, it’s up to them."

He also felt a trace of anticipation and nervousness. After all, while the temptation of the Vitality Nutrient Cream and Strengthening Pills was great, the owls’ search capabilities and their level of understanding of the task "find a person" remained an unknown variable.

Filled with an unprecedented sense of novelty and expectation, the group once again settled into an anxious wait.

This time, even the most skeptical rescue team members couldn’t help but periodically crane their necks to listen for any sounds from the west, or look up at the night sky, fragmented by the tree canopy, hoping to see the returning figure of an owl.

「About ten minutes passed.」

A somewhat hurried sound of flapping wings grew closer!

Everyone’s spirits lifted, and they immediately aimed their flashlights in the direction of the sound.

A tawny owl, slightly smaller than the previous Eagle Owl and with different feather markings, was flying rapidly toward their position.

Instead of landing in a tree as the other had, it descended directly, circling low above Yang Qi’s head while letting out a series of short, continuous "HOOT! HOOT!" calls.

"They found him!"

Yang Qi’s face lit up as he said excitedly, "They found the male student! Everyone, hurry and follow!"

"They found him? They really found him?!"

Deng Lei was overjoyed.

"Quick! Keep up!"

Tang Bin was instantly energized. His earlier shock and doubt transformed into action as he immediately ordered his team to gather their gear.

Seeing that Yang Qi had understood its message, the returning tawny owl stopped circling and began flying steadily toward the northwest.

It wasn’t flying fast, clearly intending to guide the people on the ground.

"Follow it!"

Yang Qi took the lead, bringing Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard with him as they closely followed the figure of the tawny owl, heading northwest.

Deng Lei, Tang Bin, and the others didn’t dare to delay. They rallied their energy and followed close behind.

With a clear guide, the group was no longer moving blindly.

The party weaved through dense woods and scattered rocks, climbing over small hills and crossing streams.

The tawny owl was very responsible. Every so often, it would fly a certain distance, then wait in a conspicuous tree or circle a couple of times to make sure Yang Qi and his group were keeping up before moving on.

And so, with the ground team trekking arduously and their aerial guide leading patiently, the group traveled northwest for about half an hour, arriving at the base of a relatively hidden cliff face.

The terrain here was rather unique. Two steep cliff walls formed a corner, at the bottom of which was a relatively flat, dry patch of gravel.

At that moment, a small, not-very-strong but eye-catching fire was flickering in the clearing.

Beside the fire, a young man in an outdoor jacket—disheveled but with a look of terror and defiance still in his eyes—was leaning back against the cold cliff wall, tightly clutching a crude club made from a thick branch.

His face was pale, his hair a mess, and he had visible scrapes on his face and hands. He was staring nervously into the darkness beyond the firelight, swinging his club forcefully while shouting in a hoarse voice tinged with fear and forced bravado.

"Go away! Go away! I... I’m not a monkey, my meat tastes bad! It’s sour! Astringent! Ptooey~"

"I’m begging you, go away... Help!"