Chapter 417: Master's News, Lop Nur's Underground City?

"Although this kind of cat is cute, it absolutely cannot be kept as a pet."

"Otherwise, it's a minimum of five years in prison."

Ning Fei extended his hand. The rusty-spotted cat jumped into his palm, and he spoke in a leisurely tone.

That single sentence extinguished the desire of many viewers who wanted to keep a rusty-spotted cat of their own.

This species of cat was incredibly rare.

Resting in Ning Fei's hand, the netizens could get a much clearer look at the rusty-spotted cat's appearance.

The little cat looked more like a leopard. It had massive eyes and looked absolutely adorable.

However, unlike a domestic cat, this one had a very serious expression, carrying a natural air of adult sophistication.

Combined with its tiny size, this created a striking and endearing contrast.

"The rusty-spotted cat, also known as the rusty-spotted leopard cat, is one of the top ten cat species globally prohibited from being kept as pets."

"The others are the Chinese mountain cat, Pallas's cat, caracal, leopard cat, ocelot, sand cat, Asian golden cat, serval, and lynx."

"These cats are not suited for domestic life."

Ning Fei stroked the rusty-spotted cat in his palm, speaking with a hint of regret.

Truth be told, he really did want to keep a rusty-spotted cat, or perhaps a lynx.

However, a lynx's danger level was far too high, and people were rarely permitted to raise them. Furthermore, these felines truly belonged to nature; keeping them as pets would only lead to them dying of depression. Ning Fei would never do such a thing.

At this moment, the rusty-spotted cat lay on Ning Fei's palm.

It curled its body up slightly. Astonishingly, it was even smaller than Ning Fei's hand, looking incredibly cute.

"The rusty-spotted cat is the smallest cat in the world. Its main habitats are India and Sri Lanka, though they can also be found in the Tropical Rainforest."

"Running into one here is quite a stroke of luck on my part."

"Seeing this rusty-spotted cat suddenly brings a question to mind. Does anyone know what the second smallest cat in the world is? In fact, many people rank it alongside the rusty-spotted cat as tied for first place."

Ning Fei looked at the sleeping rusty-spotted cat in his palm and posed the question to the stream.

It's here, Temple Master Ning's Q&A session.

I really don't know this one.

There's actually a cat as tiny as this one?

The world is so big, it's full of wonders!

Yeah, I've only ever seen these things in short educational videos. I've never actually encountered one in real life.

Temple Master Ning, what kind of cat is it?

Everyone was drawn in by Ning Fei's words, eager to know the answer.

Ning Fei explained, "It's the black-footed cat, which lives in Africa."

"The black-footed cat is also exceedingly small. It gets its name because all four of its feet are black. They have black fur on the soles of their feet, which protects them from being burned by the hot sand."

"This cat's hunting traits are almost identical to the rusty-spotted cat's. They can both hunt birds roughly their own size, and they also catch various insects."

"They are extremely fierce."

Ning Fei sat on the thick, horizontal root of a large tree, leisurely explaining as he stroked the rusty-spotted cat in his palm.

On this trip, being able to pet such a rare cat could be considered a bountiful harvest.

Afterward, he played with the rusty-spotted cat for a little while longer before packing up his things. He was officially ready to leave the Tropical Rainforest.

It was finally time to leave.

He took a boat from the island to a neighboring country, then boarded a plane back to Huaxia.

After returning to Huaxia, Ning Fei didn't immediately start his live stream.

However, news about him on the internet only continued to multiply.

The current level of hype surrounding Ning Fei was absurdly high. Many people traveled to Qingfeng Temple out of admiration to pay their respects.

However, the Daoist temple's doors were tightly shut, devoid of any sign of human presence, forcing quite a few people to return home disappointed.

Meanwhile, Ning Fei was resting at the Wenyan Deer Enclosure.

His time on the tropical rainforest island had been called a vacation, but in truth, it was still somewhat exhausting.

He had placed that Longevity Pill into the well at Qingfeng Temple. On ordinary days, he liked to draw well water and boil it to make tea. Doing this would also allow the Longevity Pill's effects to disperse continuously over a long period.

In the gardens of the Wenyan Deer Enclosure, Ning Fei was teasing Little Fox and Xiao Heijiu, while Little Dog and Xiao Yu the Deer stood obediently to the side.

The surrounding environment was also wonderful.

Ning Fei planned to just rest here at the deer enclosure for a while, holding off on live streaming for the time being.

The staff at the deer enclosure kept a tight lip, telling everyone that Temple Master Ning hadn't returned. They didn't even tell their own families, fearing that if the news leaked, it would cause unnecessary trouble.

"Little Dog, go."

Ning Fei threw the frisbee in his hand. Little Dog immediately sprinted after it, leaping into the air to catch the frisbee in his mouth with an incredibly stylish posture.

"Nice one!"

Ning Fei praised him.

Just then, Ning Fei's mobile phone suddenly rang.

This was a relatively private number. Generally, only people who were well acquainted with him would call it.

Ning Fei checked the caller ID and saw it was his master, Bai Yuanche.

"Hello, Master."

Ning Fei picked up the phone, greeting him with a smile.

"I received the tea leaves you sent. I have to say, the tea grown on that plantation for so many years really does taste quite good."

Bai Yuanche nodded in satisfaction, then said, "I'm looking for you regarding serious business."

"I have an old friend at the Cultural Heritage Bureau. They've recently made a new discovery and need to investigate a certain location."

"He originally came looking for me, but I recommended you instead. You're the perfect fit for this trip."

Hearing Bai Yuanche's words, Ning Fei's expression grew serious.

He asked, "Master, where to?"

Bai Yuanche replied slowly, "The Sea of Death, Lop Nur."

"Lop Nur? What is he doing going there?" Ning Fei asked in surprise.

"Lop Nur connects to the Taklamakan Desert to the west. Do you know what 'Taklamakan' means?" Bai Yuanche asked in return.

"I do. 'Takla' means 'underground,' and 'makan' means 'domain' or 'homeland.' Taklamakan translates to the city beneath the earth."

"Exactly. What he wants to find is precisely this underground city!"

"What?!"

Hearing Bai Yuanche's confirmation, Ning Fei also became somewhat excited.

He had always loved traveling to these legendary, mysterious places.

If there truly was an underground city in the Taklamakan Desert, going there to witness its glory with his own eyes wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

Little Dog squatted beside Ning Fei, waiting for him to throw the frisbee again.

Seeing that Ning Fei was on the phone and had stopped playing, he gave a soft bark.

Ning Fei waved his hand, signaling for Little Dog to lie down and behave.

Little Dog obediently laid down, though his expression still showed he was eager to play.

Ning Fei continued discussing the matter with Bai Yuanche.

"Master, if there really is a city beneath the desert, it should be completely buried under the sand by now."

"How exactly is he supposed to find it?"

Ning Fei asked.

Bai Yuanche replied, "Actually, they've already made some discoveries."

"That place is incredibly dangerous. The Government considers the risk factor to be too high, so they don't dare send too many people over, fearing that something might go wrong."

"Therefore, they are preparing to form a specialized archaeological expedition team."

"Whenever exploring ruins is brought up, everyone immediately thinks of you. One of them happens to be an old friend of mine from my earlier years, and he entrusted me with this matter."

Hearing Bai Yuanche's explanation, Ning Fei understood.

It was true. During his live streams, Ning Fei had already found numerous ancient ruins across Huaxia.

Huaxia was a vast land with abundant resources. In remote, untrodden places, there was no telling how many secrets were still waiting to be unearthed.

Moreover, Ning Fei had always acted with incredible professionalism and skill, and he was someone the state frequently praised. Therefore, it was only natural that the expedition team would consider him first.

"Master, that's not a problem. When do we leave?"

Highly interested in this upcoming journey, Ning Fei asked with a smile.

"In about a week's time," Bai Yuanche answered.

"Perfect, that gives me just enough time to rest up."

Ning Fei hung up the phone. He saw Little Dog still lying on the ground, looking up at him with eager eyes.

He immediately ruffled the dog's face and chucked the frisbee out again.

"In a few days, I'll take a trip to Lop Nur."

"The Sea of Death, the underground city."

"There might just be some unexpected surprises waiting for me."