Chapter 174: Something Happened to the Fluffies?!

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Something Happened to the Fluffies?!

Generally, the fluffy ones would go out hunting as soon as they woke up in the morning, rushing back before noon for lunch. After all, in their minds, they still needed to feed their hunted prey to Liang He. If they didn’t return in time, she would go hungry. So, when Liang He realized that Lanton and the others hadn’t returned yet, she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

"Doctor Xu, contact Hoder and have him ask his colleagues in the surveillance room to check the locations of Lanton and the others," she requested. Using the surveillance cameras was the fastest way. If they could successfully track their location and confirm they were safe, that would be for the best. Even if they had actually run into trouble or danger, Liang He could still rush over in time.

"Cedriel, I need you to go through the trouble of accompanying me to find the other Beast Beasts now, okay?" Liang He looked at the Mojin King Tiger somewhat apologetically. He had worked hard all morning and was supposed to be enjoying his lunch and a midday nap. Now, not only was he missing his meal, but he also had to go out searching for the beasts. However, the Mojin King Tiger usually spent the most time with the other beastmen and was the most familiar with their scents. With his help, the search would obviously be much faster.

"ROAR!" The Mojin King Tiger didn’t hesitate. He crouched down, allowing Liang He to climb onto his back, and they vanished into the snowy landscape in the blink of an eye.

Silver Feather, who had originally wanted to follow Liang He, had to give up on the idea. Instead, he kept a close eye on Xu Yi’s side to relay any news to Liang He right away.

"Cedriel, do you know where Lanton and the others are?" Seeing the Mojin King Tiger sprint in one direction without the slightest hesitation, Liang He figured he must know where he was going.

"ROAR!"

Just as Liang He suspected, the Mojin King Tiger had quickly sensed the location of Lanton and the others. Perhaps because they weren’t moving, all he had to do was charge straight ahead.

RING RING RING.

The Light Brain rang. Sitting steadily on the Mojin King Tiger’s back, Liang He answered the call.

"Liang He, we’re still trying to pin down their exact coordinates, but it looks like they’re in the forest zone." On the other end of the line was Chief Stationmaster Uncle Liao. After learning that Lanton and the others might be in danger, he had immediately rushed to the surveillance room to personally supervise the search and stay in contact with Liang He.

"Understood. Cedriel and I are currently rushing toward the forest."

Uncle Liao’s update made Liang He even more certain that the Mojin King Tiger was heading in the right direction. However, until she saw the fluffy ones with her own eyes, she couldn’t put her mind at ease.

"SCREECH!"

Liang He anxiously looked around, but as far as her eyes could see, there were only snow-covered trees. It was a rare, sunny midday. The warm sunlight filtered through the gaps between the trees and fell upon the branches and leaves, creating a stunningly beautiful scene. Unfortunately, at this moment, Liang He was in no mood to appreciate the beauty of nature.

"Lanton!" Hearing the Canglan Hunting Eagle’s cry, Liang He breathed a sigh of relief, yet her heart remained tightly strung. Because other than the Canglan Hunting Eagle, she didn’t see any of the other fluffies.

"SCREECH!" His eagle eyes quickly locking onto Liang He’s location, Lanton flew straight toward her and the Mojin King Tiger. With a swift dive, he landed right in front of them.

"Lanton!" Liang He slid off the Mojin King Tiger’s back and quickly ran over to the Canglan Hunting Eagle. After confirming that he had no signs of battle on his body, she felt much more relieved. "Lanton, where exactly did you guys go? Where are the other Beast Beasts?"

"SCREECH!" Lanton first rubbed against Liang He’s neck affectionately, then took off and circled in mid-air, signaling for her to follow him. Flying through the forest posed a high risk of getting scratched by branches, so the Canglan Hunting Eagle opted not to let Liang He ride on his back.

"Cedriel!" Liang He decisively vaulted back onto the Mojin King Tiger’s back, urging him to follow the Canglan Hunting Eagle as they continued deeper into the forest.

"Liang He, did you find Lanton?" The call with Uncle Liao was still ongoing. This was partly to allow the surveillance room to easily track Liang He’s location, and partly to ensure they could communicate and exchange information immediately if anything happened.

"Yes, I’ve found Lanton. He’s currently leading me to the other Beast Beasts."

"Good. Stay safe."

In the surveillance room, Uncle Liao had immediately dispatched the Guard Team to Liang He’s location. However, it would take them some time to arrive, so he could only ask Liang He to ensure her own safety until then. Fortunately, the Combat Power Liang He had previously displayed was enough to reassure Uncle Liao and the others. Coupled with the fact that she was now being protected by the Mojin King Tiger and the Canglan Hunting Eagle, they figured she would be fine.

"ROAR!"

"MEOW!"

As they neared the center of the forest, Liang He faintly heard the cries of the Platinum Giant Lion and the Mengji Snow Leopard. She immediately straightened her back and leaned forward, straining to hear more clearly.

"MEOW!"

"ROAR!"

She wasn’t hearing things! Liang He stared intently in the direction of the sounds. They were coming from the exact same direction Lanton was flying in, which meant they would arrive very soon.

"ROAR!"

Sensing Liang He’s anxiety, the Mojin King Tiger accelerated his pace, nearly matching Lanton’s flying speed. Of course, this was primarily due to the dense forest environment, which prevented the Canglan Hunting Eagle from flying at full speed.

"SCREECH!" Unsurprisingly, the Canglan Hunting Eagle was the first to spot the Mengji Snow Leopard and the Platinum Giant Lion.

However, a second later, Liang He was utterly shocked by the scene unfolding before her. She leapt off the Mojin King Tiger’s back and sprinted straight toward the Mengji Snow Leopard and the others.

"Jiao Jiao!" Liang He immediately called out to the Iron-eating Beast Xuan Jiao, and him alone. It wasn’t out of favoritism, but because the Iron-eating Beast was clearly in a terrible state. "What’s going on here?"

The Mengji Snow Leopard and the Platinum Giant Lion were using their own bodies to stop the Iron-eating Beast from sliding down into the river. They were positioned by a large river in the forest. Aside from them, there were quite a few other animals on the riverbank that had come to drink.

"Liang He? Liang He!" After hearing Liang He’s voice over the call, Uncle Liao had been shouting her name repeatedly. Receiving no response, he grew frantic. He had no idea what Liang He had seen that could shock her to such an extent.

"Chief Stationmaster, I’m here." Finally remembering to respond, Liang He took a deep breath, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. "I’m at the river convergence in the central zone of the forest. I need backup. Down here..."

She trailed off, unsure of how to describe the scene. She tentatively approached the myriad of animals lying motionless on the ground. After checking and confirming that they were still breathing, she closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. "There are dozens of animals lying by the river. For some unknown reason, they’ve all fallen unconscious. I’m not sure if their lives are in danger."

"What? Alright, I’ll send people over immediately! Make sure to protect yourself!" The moment Uncle Liao heard Liang He’s report, he immediately dispatched additional personnel. He then quickly brought up the surveillance feed based on the location Liang He had provided. The moment the screen loaded, the entire surveillance room plunged into a tense, heavy silence.

"Chief Stationmaster, these should all be ordinary animals. Why would they pass out by the river?" Logically speaking, ordinary animals wouldn’t dare approach the overwhelming presence of beastmen like the Mengji Snow Leopard. This clearly bizarre scene made everyone in the room incredibly tense.

"Is that Xuan Jiao that Liang He is dragging? Why is he unconscious, too?!"

Xuan Jiao was a beastman sent from Blue Star. If anything happened to him, neither the sanctuary nor the Federation would be able to justify it. And as a Blue Star person, Liang He might end up being recalled. If that happened...

"You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Uncle Liao was just as anxious, but he knew that panicking wouldn’t solve anything. "Go notify Xu Yi and Lan Zhuo! Have the Guard Team pick them up, and then head to the river together!"