Chapter 208: A Tiger Hunt and a Golden Monkey Reunion

Around eight o'clock in the morning, Ning Fei turned on the stream.

The moment the stream went live, viewers flooded into the room.

On the screen, Ning Fei strode through a deciduous forest. The ground was blanketed in fallen leaves, and the surrounding trees blazed with vibrant shades of red and yellow.

"Did I see that right? Temple Master Ning has entered the mountains?"

"Haha, finally heading back into the mountains."

"What's he doing up there today? Hunting for treasure?"

"There are always plenty of treasures deep in the mountains."

Taking in his surroundings, the chat immediately lit up with excitement.

Ning Fei explained:

"I went into the mountains today for two things. First, to see if there's any good bamboo. Second, to go see Little Qun."

"Because the journey is quite long, I got up very early, and I've already traveled a long way."

That explanation cleared things up for the viewers.

"Seeing Little Qun? Awesome, we get to see the South China tiger again."

"Today's stream is going to be interesting."

"I'm going to holler in the group chat."

"Haven't seen Little Qun in a long time. Can you even find him?"

There were always newcomers in Ning Fei's Live-stream Room. After watching the chat and asking around, they finally realized Ning Fei was heading out to pet a tiger.

Pet a tiger.

A massive wild tiger, at that.

Just listen to that—was that something a normal human did?

"Are you serious?"

Many people were highly skeptical.

Super-admin A Duo was basically watching Ning Fei's stream full-time now. She was a well-connected insider at Douniao Live with a lot of power and could do whatever she pleased.

A Duo immediately contacted the company's artists to make a banner for Ning Fei.

The title was simply: "Temple Master Ning's Tiger Hunt."

When the banner went up, the people over at Tianjun Guild seethed with anger.

"Another banner recommendation? Douniao Live is way too biased. How many banner recommendations have they given him?" General Manager Li He cursed.

"What is he doing this time?"

"Reporting to the manager, he's looking for a wild South China tiger."

Li He's mouth twitched, and he sighed in helpless resignation. "Alright."

Right now, Ning Fei's momentum wasn't something they could stop. Unless Ning Fei got caught in some massive scandal, they could only stare at his back as he pulled ahead.

Ning Fei traveled through the forest.

This time, he traveled light. He hadn't brought many outdoor supplies, just a small backpack with a few basics.

So his pace was quite fast.

Before long, to Ning Fei's surprise, he ran into someone.

Golden Monkey Reserve ranger, Old Zhang.

There had been poaching in the Golden Monkey Reserve before. Several golden monkeys had been killed, and Old Zhang had cried bitterly over the loss.

Nowadays, fewer and fewer people were willing to work as wildlife rangers.

"Old Zhang, you're here early," Ning Fei greeted him when they crossed paths.

"Oh, Ning Fei." Hearing the voice, Old Zhang turned around and replied.

Old Zhang was all alone now. He didn't like dealing with people and only loved golden monkeys, so he stayed out here to protect them.

However, he was always very polite to Ning Fei.

"Yeah, I set out at 4 in the morning to come take a look."

Hearing what time Old Zhang got up, Ning Fei clicked his tongue in surprise. He had set out at six; Old Zhang was actually two hours earlier than him.

Still, some older folks really did get up quite early. Even in the city, there were plenty who woke at four or five for their morning exercises.

"How are the golden monkeys doing now?" Ning Fei asked.

"The batch that was rescued before was released back into the mountains and recovered a long time ago. Remember the one you brought in? The one whose leg got snapped by a bear trap? It was just brought back a few days ago."

"Oh, that one."

Ning Fei remembered. He had used a Trauma Plaster on that golden monkey, but because the bone had been broken, it had still needed professional rehabilitation.

"There shouldn't be any issues in the reserve now, right?"

"Yeah. After what happened last time, the higher-ups assigned several drones to patrol. They're up every day. We can keep a clear eye on the various reserve areas right from the office."

"Then why are you still coming over in person?" Ning Fei asked with a smile, feeling a deep admiration for the older man.

"Drones are fine for spotting poachers, but if a golden monkey has a minor issue and needs treatment, it's better to have a person here. Besides, I'm idle anyway, and I love being in this place."

"Alright, Old Zhang, I'll be going then."

Ning Fei waved goodbye and continued his trek.

Old Zhang truly loved the golden monkeys, the kind of love where he was willing to protect them with his own life. Others might not understand his dedication, but he didn't need their understanding.

Watching this interaction, some viewers recalled what had happened previously, and they were all filled with admiration for the elderly ranger.

In places unseen by the city, there were always many people silently standing guard.

Ning Fei walked onward. This entire expanse was the Golden Monkey Reserve.

Before long, Ning Fei suddenly heard a rustling of leaves nearby.

He turned his head to find a small golden monkey perched in a tree, silently observing him.

"It's a golden monkey!" the viewers exclaimed in awe.

The golden monkey stood at the absolute peak of beauty in the primate world. Covered entirely in golden fur, it looked adorable, nothing like the wild macaques in some tourist spots that just looked obnoxious.

Ning Fei looked at the monkey, smiled, and said, "So it's you."

The golden monkey climbed down the tree to the ground and tip-toed toward Ning Fei.

The viewers quietly watched this reunion unfold.

"Why did this monkey come looking for Temple Master Ning?"

"Look at the monkey's leg. It looks like it was injured."

"This is the monkey Temple Master Ning saved!"

"I remember! I was in the stream watching him search for the trap at the time. This is that exact golden monkey!"

"No wonder it's so close to Temple Master Ning!"

On the screen, Ning Fei extended his hand, and the golden monkey ran straight over, standing by his side like a well-behaved child.

As highly intelligent creatures, golden monkeys definitely understood gratitude.

Back when Ning Fei saved it, it had memorized his appearance and his scent.

Now that Ning Fei had returned, it rushed over at the very first opportunity.

"Come here, let me see how your leg is doing."

Ning Fei squatted down and inspected the monkey's hind leg. The joint had already grown a fresh layer of golden fuzz, though a patch of scarring still remained.

"The injury is completely fine now. That's good."

Ning Fei nodded.

The golden monkey stayed by his side, looking at him gently, clearly trusting him immensely.

Ning Fei patted the little creature. Seeing it again put him in a great mood. Then, he stood up and continued his journey.

The golden monkey followed Ning Fei for a few steps and gazed at his back. Pressing its front paws together in a bow, it let out two low cries, as if expressing its thanks.

Ning Fei hiked over a mountain, circled the foothills, and finally reached the mountain where Little Qun lived.

It was far too difficult to find a single South China tiger on a mountain of this scale.

Ning Fei looked up at the looming peak, his expression calm.

By now, it was noon. Thanks to the banner promotion, Ning Fei's Live-stream Room was booming in popularity.

The viewers were deeply invested.

"Can Temple Master Ning find Little Qun?"

"Finding a tiger on a mountain this big? He must be dreaming."

"It won't be that easy to find."

"Did you guys forget about Little falcon? Whose eyesight is better than Little falcon's?"

"Just watch. I'm sure Temple Master Ning has a way."

Just as the viewers suspected, Ning Fei first sent Little falcon high into the sky to search for traces of the South China tiger.

However, Little falcon circled twice and communicated that it couldn't find any trace of Little Qun.

"Did he go to another mountain?"

Ning Fei's expression shifted slightly.

He suddenly remembered that during a lottery draw back on the Grassland, he had won a Search Card, which could locate specific animals or plants within a certain radius.

Without hesitation, Ning Fei activated the card stored in the System.

"Searching..."

"Search complete. Target distance: 7 kilometers. Location: Mountain Cave."

"So it's here!"

Hearing the notification, Ning Fei broke into a smile.