Chapter 138 - 136: Searching for a Bird

Chapter 138: Chapter 136: Searching for a Bird

Lin Feng led Mo Yu and Xiaohong toward the western woods, where a large number of birds were gathered.

Many birds nested in the trees on West Mountain, and he had initially assumed the attacker was one of the larger local birds.

But instead, Mo Yu led him directly deeper into the mountains.

By now, most of the leaves in the mountains had fallen, leaving only a few evergreens.

"Wild goji berries!"

Lin Feng looked at the bright red, slightly dried fruit. There was a surprisingly large patch of them.

People used to come to the mountains to pick them, but now that the area was deserted, these wild medicinal herbs had become much more plentiful.

Not long after, he spotted wild walnut trees. The nuts were small and didn’t have much of a kernel inside.

Xiaohong scampered from his shoulder up the tree, picked a few walnuts, handed one to him, and even tried to give one to Mo Yu.

Apparently, Mo Yu saving it had greatly improved Xiaohong’s attitude.

After walking for over forty minutes, Lin Feng finally reached the spot where they had been attacked, an area near a cliff face.

"What were you two doing all the way out here?"

Xiaohong chittered and then pulled a sizable stash of food from a hollow in a nearby dead tree.

"You little scamp. We have plenty of food for you at home, so why are you still hoarding it out here?"

Lin Feng saw there was a lot in there. ’No wonder Dad used to say that during the famine years, some people would come up the mountain in winter to raid squirrel stashes.’

He looked at the spot Mo Yu was pawing at. A claw mark was still visible on the tree trunk.

"What in the world left this? It couldn’t have been an eagle, could it?"

Lin Feng gauged the mark with his finger. It seemed longer than his own, and a chunk of bark had been clawed right off.

He took a picture of the mark with his phone and then searched the surrounding area, but he couldn’t find any feathers.

He did, however, find some of Mo Yu’s fur that had been torn out. ’It must have been a vicious bird of prey,’ he thought.

’Otherwise, given Mo Yu’s size, an ordinary bird would never have dared to attack it.’

He came up empty-handed. Although Mo Yu could track by scent, the creature had come from the sky and returned to it, leaving no trail to follow.

"Let’s head back. It looks like I can’t get revenge for you two."

Leading the two little ones back, Lin Feng checked the security logs on his way but found no alerts for any large animal intrusions, which puzzled him.

’Logically speaking, a bird capable of attacking Mo Yu should have triggered an alarm.’

"From now on, you two shouldn’t go into the open areas of the mountains. Especially you, Xiaohong. Be careful, or some other predator will eat you."

Frightened, Xiaohong ducked its head, then began chittering angrily in protest at its master.

Mo Yu, on the other hand, was clearly defiant and wanted another go at its attacker.

Judging by its attitude, if it hadn’t been protecting Xiaohong, it would have surely caught its opponent.

’Should I put these two through some training?’ Lin Feng wondered.

’The number of wild animals is increasing, and it’s very possible some felines might show up. Of course, there aren’t any tigers anymore.’

’The South China tiger is extinct, but there are definitely still animals like wolves, leopards, and civets in these mountains.’

’It would be very dangerous for a little critter like Xiaohong to run into one of them while scurrying around the mountains.’

Back in the village, after settling the two little ones, Lin Feng headed for the research area where the professors were based.

"Excuse me, is Professor Zhang Ying here?"

"Hello, Boss Lin. Are you looking for Professor Zhang Ying? Right this way."

The student Lin Feng had stopped enthusiastically led him toward the laboratory.

"Boss Lin, is Lin Xian Village about to undergo a Spiritual Qi Revival? Are all the Immortals and Demons going to return?"

"And also, Boss Lin, can you use Magic? Could you teach me? I want to try Cultivation, too."

"Don’t worry! When the Spiritual Qi Revival happens, I’ll be your most loyal follower."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Lin Feng said, "You’ve really got a wild imagination. If you find a place undergoing a Spiritual Qi Revival, be sure to let me know. I’d like to try Cultivation, too."

"Come on, Boss Lin, you can tell me in secret. I won’t tell anyone else."

"Wang Zijie! How many times have I told you not to treat novels like they’re real? It’s like you don’t listen at all!"

A professor walked over, rapped him on the head a couple of times, and shooed him away.

"What brings you here, Mr. Lin?"

"I’m looking for Professor Zhang Ying. There’s something I’d like to ask her."

"Please wait here a moment. I’ll go get her for you."

Professor Zhang Ying came over quickly, followed by two graduate students who wore curious expressions.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Lin?"

Lin Feng took out his phone, pulled up the photo he had taken, and asked, "Professor Zhang, could you take a look at the claw mark in this photo? What kind of animal do you think made this?"

Zhang Ying took the phone and studied the photo carefully, her expression a little surprised. "This looks like the claw mark of a bird—and a large bird of prey, at that."

"Most likely a hawk or an eagle. The mark isn’t entirely clear. Where did you find this, Mr. Lin?"

"At the foot of a cliff in the mountains to the west."

"One moment. I’ll ask someone I know at the Wildlife Protection Bureau. They should be able to tell."

She had Lin Feng send the image to her, which she then forwarded to a professor who studied animals. A reply came back two minutes later.

"It’s the mark of a Golden Eagle. Professor Zhang, where did you find it? Aren’t you supposed to be in Lin Xian Village studying the environment?"

"It was found right here in Lin Xian Village. The local boss found the trace not far from the village."

"Then it must be a Golden Eagle that strayed from the Qinling Mountain Range. This area is considered a spur of the range, even if it’s a bit far."

"Thanks. I’ll treat you to a meal next time."

Once she had the answer, she looked at Lin Feng and said, "It’s a Golden Eagle from the Qinling Mountain Range. I didn’t expect one to wander this far."

"I’ll pass this information on to the Jiangcheng Wildlife Protection Bureau shortly and have them send someone to investigate."

’A Golden Eagle... I never expected to find a creature like that here.’

’No wonder it wasn’t afraid of Mo Yu. A creature like that can carry off sheep and even small children. Second only to the Tiger-headed Sea Eagle, it’s a force to be reckoned with.’

Zhang Ying said, "This is probably an effect of the environmental changes here. It looks like things are about to get busy for me."

Her research subject wasn’t just the environment itself, but also its effects on the local plants and animals.

After Lin Feng left, she relayed the information to the wildlife protection department in the hope that they would come help investigate.

The wildlife protection department in Jiangcheng City was stunned to hear that traces of a Golden Eagle had been found in Lin Xian Village. They had never before recorded a Golden Eagle sighting in Jiangcheng City.

To them, this was absolutely wonderful news. Some people hurriedly reported the finding to their superiors, and a team was dispatched to Lin Xian Village to investigate.

Lin Feng hadn’t expected the Golden Eagle’s appearance to attract so much attention.

He received a phone call right after he woke up. The wildlife protection department was coming over today to install infrared cameras in the mountains to search for signs of the Golden Eagle.

Once the team arrived, Lin Feng first led them to the spot where he had found the claw mark the day before. They searched the surrounding area, especially on the cliff, but found no trace of the Golden Eagle.

They were a bit disappointed, then began to install the camera equipment on the surrounding trees.

After they finished installing the equipment and emerged from the woods, they were pleasantly surprised by the sight of the flocks of birds on West Mountain.

"Look at all these birds! Quick, get some footage. We’ll apply to set up an avian monitoring station here when we get back."

They had already applied after investigating the unusual animal activity in Lin Xian Village last time, but unfortunately, their request was denied.

The main reason was that professors were already conducting research in Lin Xian Village, which essentially meant someone else was already doing their job.

If they made a genuine discovery this time, they had to apply to conduct a research investigation here. They absolutely could not let this opportunity slip by.

After returning, Lin Feng rushed over to the Restaurant. The Sichuan cuisine chef he was expecting, Chen Yuyuan, had arrived.

As soon as he walked into the Restaurant, he heard that the chef was already cooking in the back kitchen. ’Just as Huang Yi said,’ Lin Feng thought. ’The man has no social graces.’