Chapter 257: Chapter 170: Sword Points to the Heavens, Divine Abilities Achieved

On a branch of a crooked old pine, about seven or eight meters from the fire, lay a clouded leopard. It had a fit, streamlined body and a dappled coat like a vibrant sunset.

It was Caiyun!

She was sprawled relaxedly on the branch, her tail hanging down, swaying gently.

Her eyes, gleaming like amber in the firelight, watched the young man waving the stick with great interest.

It was as if she were watching an amusing performance.

On another branch slightly below Caiyun, a much smaller, fluffier little clouded leopard was mimicking its mother’s pose. It was Ta Xue.

But unlike Caiyun’s somewhat scrutinizing gaze, Ta Xue’s big, round eyes were filled with pure curiosity.

He tilted his little head, looking from the young man to his mother, occasionally letting out a faint, questioning rumble from his throat.

Suddenly.

Ta Xue’s ears perked up warily. His little head snapped toward the direction Yang Qi’s group was coming from, and he sniffed the air intently.

Then, he let out an excited, low growl. With a twist of his small, nimble body, he leaped gracefully from the branch, landed on all fours, and shot off like a tiny lightning bolt, bounding eagerly toward Yang Qi.

"Something’s coming! Be careful!"

Tang Bin, who was walking slightly ahead of the group, heard the distinct rustling of leaves and the sound of an animal running from the side and immediately shouted a warning.

The others instinctively fell into a defensive stance, their flashlights all swiveling to illuminate the source of the sound.

"It’s fine. Don’t be alarmed."

Yang Qi’s voice rang out at just the right moment. "That’s Ta Xue. He’s here for me."

As he spoke, he quickly walked a few steps forward.

Bathed in the beams of several flashlights, a half-grown clouded leopard with a glossy coat and a round head rushed to Yang Qi’s feet. It affectionately circled his pant legs, rubbing its head against his calf and letting out a happy, contented purr.

At the same time, the three police dogs—Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard—also came closer. They sniffed the little clouded leopard, their tails wagging gently.

Leopard even stuck out his tongue and tried to lick Ta Xue’s furry head, but Ta Xue dodged nimbly and let out a displeased growl.

This... This scene, as harmonious as if they were all domesticated pets, left Tang Bin and the rescue team members behind him dumbfounded.

They stood frozen in place, flashlights in hand, their minds struggling to process what they were seeing.

Deng Lei, however, seemed quite calm. He walked over to Tang Bin and explained, "Captain Tang, don’t worry. This little clouded leopard is named Ta Xue. Advisor Yang looks after him, and he’s semi-wild on this mountain. His mother is the big one in the tree, Caiyun. She also has a very good relationship with Advisor Yang."

"It looks like Caiyun has been guarding this student the whole time, keeping him from wandering off or being approached by other wild animals."

Deng Lei pointed to the large clouded leopard in the nearby tree, which had now stood up and was looking in their direction.

"Huh? Semi-wild? A good relationship with clouded leopards?"

Hearing this, Tang Bin and the others were too astonished to speak.

Everything they had seen and heard tonight was shattering their understanding of the world, one piece at a time.

First, a Beaked Eagle acted as a messenger, then an army of owls conducted the search, and now a mother-and-son pair of wild clouded leopards were acting as "temporary bodyguards"...

’Just who on earth is this Advisor Yang?’

"Let’s go. We’ve found him. And apart from being frightened and having a few scrapes, he seems to be in good shape."

Deng Lei looked toward the young man by the fire, who was so emotional at seeing them that he was on the verge of tears. A look of relief washed over Deng Lei’s face.

As if waking from a dream, Tang Bin and the others quickly suppressed their astonishment and followed Deng Lei toward the firelight.

Their steps were a little unsteady. The whole experience tonight felt like a bizarre yet incredibly real dream.

...

Yang Qi didn’t walk toward the emotional young man by the fire. Instead, he led Hu Zi, Leopard, Bai Wan, and Ta Xue to the base of the tree where Caiyun was.

"Caiyun, thanks."

Yang Qi thanked her using the Basic Spirit Communication Technique.

Given Caiyun’s caution and her wariness of humans, she had likely only "guarded" the young man as a favor to him.

Caiyun flicked her long tail, and her throat moved.

[You’re welcome.]

Having responded, she turned decisively and, with a few leaps, vanished deep into the forest.

Ta Xue nuzzled Yang Qi’s calf with his head, then quickly followed his mother.

Yang Qi had considered taking Ta Xue back to the Zoo for a few days, but since the little one chose to stay with his mother, he wouldn’t force him.

"Hu Zi, Leopard, Bai Wan, you three stay here and rest for a bit."

Yang Qi instructed the three police dogs, then turned and walked in another direction.

On a pine tree a short distance from the fire, the faint firelight and the residual glow from the flashlights revealed six or seven owls of various shapes and sizes perched on its branches.

There were large Eagle Owls, as well as smaller tawny owls, long-eared owls, and others.

They sat quietly on the branches, their big, round eyes glittering in the darkness as if they were waiting for something.

Yang Qi approached the base of the tree, looked up at these spirits of the night, and used his Basic Spirit Communication Technique.

"Thank you all for your help. You’ve worked hard. We wouldn’t have found him so quickly without you. This is the reward I promised you."

As he spoke, with his back to the fire, he took out three whole blocks of Vitality Nutrient Cream from his Hundred Pouches Belt and placed them on three flat, clean stones under the tree.

The moment the special aroma, fatally attractive to animals, was released, the owls on the branches immediately grew restless. They let out urgent gurgling noises from their throats, their eyes fixated on the three "delicacies."