Chapter 686 - 302: The Snow Giant’s Stunning Arrival!

"Village Chief, that’s about it."

"Does the Snow Giant my kid found have anything to do with the giant footprints around the village?"

At the village chief’s home,

Zhao spoke worriedly about what Little Zhao had seen and heard, then glared fiercely at Little Zhao looking down: "Anything else you haven’t mentioned?"

Little Zhao lifted his head, revealing a pair of reddened eyes, and sniffed with difficulty: "No... nothing else."

The village chief’s face looked very grim, deep wrinkles furrowed his forehead as he paced the room with hands behind his back, finally looking at the man sitting on the stool puffing dry tobacco: "Old Mu, what’s your take?"

Old Mu, about fifty years old, was tall and lean like an old pine on a cliff, his weathered face etched with deep wrinkles, skin tinted a dark reddish ocre from years of exposure to wind and snow.

Upon hearing the village chief’s question, Old Mu raised the ebony tobacco pipe, taking a deep draw, smoke could not conceal his curling smile, his voice was as hoarse as the cold night wind: "Can’t be wrong, that’s the one."

A cloud of smoke came towards them, Zhao reached out to pull Little Zhao behind him, frowning at Old Mu: "Mr. Mu, there are kids here."

Mr. Mu, an old man who had watched over the village alone for decades.

He was the sole forest ranger in this area, and after the Spiritual Energy Revival, he successfully awakened as a Beastmaster, naturally becoming a forest ranger of the new era.

Old Mu put down the pipe, got up and went to the window, his dark hands opened the window with a snap, cold wind suddenly swept into the house, he squinted slightly and his voice merged with the wind: "This blizzard has brought us many guests."

Anchang Village experienced three days of blizzard, thick snow covered inside and outside the village, traffic was severely affected, which was also the fundamental reason for Zhao’s difficult journey.

At the same time, this blizzard posed a survival crisis for the wild Pet Beasts residing nearby.

Relying on Spiritual Energy can indeed basically meet the energy needs of Pet Beasts, but the winter in Qinling is extremely harsh, just relying on Spiritual Energy is difficult to last through the winter.

Food, Pet Beasts need food.

Old Mu’s eyes were deep, gazing out at the snowy world, his voice hoarse and low: "This Pet Beast is probably here for food, like that group of Split-tooth Steel Manes."

He paused, a faint smile appearing on his face: "Unlike those hot-tempered Split-tooth Steel Manes who know only violent plunder, this Pet Beast seems quite gentle for now and hasn’t shown any signs of forceful grabbing."

Zhao’s expression gradually turned serious.

In a previous emergency meeting, the village chief talked about three major issues:

Firstly, with the blizzard just past, the village should swiftly gather all forces to clear the snow from the streets and restore normal traffic.

Secondly, a group of hungry Split-tooth Steel Manes had set their sights on the village’s food, they were active around the village, waiting for the best opportunity to invade.

Like most villagers, Zhao loathed these Pet Beasts that had evolved from wild boars.

Before the Spiritual Energy Revival, the Qinling area was populated with large numbers of wild boars, a significant issue for the local ecosystem.

The overpopulation of wild boars led to crop destruction and frequent conflicts between humans and livestock, and the Spiritual Energy Revival left the conflict between humans and boars unresolved.

Under normal circumstances, these powerful Split-tooth Steel Manes would have no trouble finding food and would hardly bother with vulnerable Anchang Village.

But having experienced this blizzard, the grain stored in Anchang Village tempted the Split-tooth Steel Manes to brave the storm and break into human habitation.

If these Split-tooth Steel Manes break into the village, losing food would be a minor issue, fearing the threat to villagers’ lives is the real concern.

No one wants this to happen.

Therefore, the village chief is both reaching out for external help and instructing all villagers to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

But the blizzard has buried the road to Anchang Village, clearing the snow will take time, external aid won’t arrive quickly.

Fortunately, as a local, Zhao knows a shortcut, his car was parked halfway and he walked in with his wife and kids.

Zhao secretly sighed: "Looks like this trip to Baokun City is going to be aborted."

The elders wouldn’t budge, and now there’s this troublesome matter too, he doesn’t dare take his wife, kids, and elders away from the village.

The third issue is about the giant footprints Old Mu found near the village, urging all villagers to stay alert and report any findings promptly.

Unexpectedly, Little Zhao stumbled upon the footprint owner.

The threatening Split-tooth Steel Manes, the enigmatic Snow Giant with unknown intentions.

As these troublesome matters gather, a somber and heavy atmosphere enveloped Anchang Village, the piercing cold wind deepened the concern.

Zhao wanted to leave this troublesome place quickly, but this was where he’d lived all his life.

He couldn’t leave, nor could he abandon it.

Silence filled the room, only the tobacco pipe emitted wisps of smoke that vanished in the wind.

"Old Mu, you know these matters best, what do you think we should do?" The village chief rubbed his brow, suppressing the anxiety and worry on his face.

Old Mu snapped the window shut, cutting off the piercing cold wind, he raised his chin slightly, revealing the untrimmed green stubble, his tone seemed somewhat nonchalant: "I think, you all are too pessimistic."

With his face full of confidence, Old Mu’s eyes flickered with light: "Just a group of Split-tooth Steel Manes, not much of a threat."

Looking at Old Mu brimming with confidence, the village chief opened his mouth, softly reminding: "We only have you and one other Beastmaster in our village."