Chapter 82: The Little Squirrel in Impotent Rage

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: The Little Squirrel in Impotent Rage

The furry creature, convinced he had completely covered his tracks, failed to notice the three "two-legged beasts" sneaking up behind him. He had grown so accustomed to the scent of Liang He and the others—even carrying their smell on his own fur—that unless he actively sniffed the air, he simply couldn’t detect them.

"Let’s follow him secretly and catch him in the act!" Hoder communicated through practiced hand gestures to Liang He and Lan Zhuo, afraid the sharp-eared feline might hear them.

Once the trio reached a consensus, they crept sneakily behind him until they entered a grove of trees.

"Stop! Target spotted!" Liang He signaled with a halt gesture.

The three of them hid behind a massive tree, quietly watching the agile figure bathed in the moonlight—a snowy white coat adorned with beautiful rosettes. That’s right. The true culprit behind the Great Pinecone Mystery was none other than the Mengji Snow Leopard!

They watched as the Mengji Snow Leopard skillfully sniffed around the bases of various trees. The moment he caught the unique scent of pinecones, he immediately activated his innate racial Skills.

Digging!

[Huohuohuohuohuohuohuohuo: Good heavens, Kuang Ye is incredibly skilled at raiding homes!]

While the Mengji Snow Leopard was completely engrossed in digging his hole, Hoder sneakily used his Light Brain to chat with Liang He and Lan Zhuo in their private group. Fortunately, they had all set their devices to silent mode and lowered the screen brightness to the minimum before coming. With the moonlight providing natural cover, they weren’t easily spotted.

[Liangliang Yue Se Chenghe: I don’t know why, but I feel a little bad for the little squirrel whose home is being raided.]

[Lan Zhuo: I think I see that little squirrel.]

Right after Lan Zhuo sent the message, Liang He and Hoder followed the direction of his pointing finger. There, standing on a tree trunk, was an adorable little squirrel. It was staring angrily at the Mengji Snow Leopard, CHATTERING at the top of its lungs. However... the Mengji Snow Leopard didn’t even notice its existence.

It couldn’t be helped. Compared to the massive Mengji Snow Leopard, the little squirrel was simply too small and inconspicuous. If the Mengji Snow Leopard had been running, he probably wouldn’t have even realized it if he stepped on the tiny creature.

[Huohuohuohuohuohuohuohuo: Hahaha! I’m dying of laughter. This little squirrel is so cute! It’s the definition of impotent rage!]

If he wasn’t afraid of alerting the Mengji Snow Leopard, Hoder absolutely wouldn’t have been able to hold back his laughter. He was already pinching his own thigh, desperately trying to calm himself down.

[Lan Zhuo: Put yourself in the shoes of that little squirrel trying to survive the winter. If the food you spent two or three months painstakingly gathering was not only stolen by a thief, but the thief completely ignored you to boot, you wouldn’t be laughing.]

Huh?

Hoder’s smile vanished instantly. What was he supposed to do? He actually felt Lan Zhuo made perfect sense, and he had been brutally forced into the squirrel’s perspective!

On the other side, the little squirrel was still sparing no effort in trying to scare off the Mengji Snow Leopard. Unfortunately, the disparity in their strength was too vast; it couldn’t attract a single shred of the big cat’s attention. Then again, if the Mengji Snow Leopard did notice it, the poor thing might just end up as a midnight snack.

[Liangliang Yue Se Chenghe: Logically speaking, a squirrel wouldn’t put all its pinecones in one place. Leopard wouldn’t single out this one specific squirrel to rob, would he?]

Seeing the little squirrel hopping mad but too afraid to actually provoke the Mengji Snow Leopard, Liang He couldn’t help but feel sorry for it. She let out a sigh. Burdened with such a troublesome little wildcat, she, as his Breeder, felt truly helpless.

[Lan Zhuo: Hard to say. Judging by how skilled Kuang Ye looks, he probably memorized this particular squirrel’s scent.]

Logically, even if the Mengji Snow Leopard knew there were squirrels hoarding food for the winter in this forest, he would still need to search for a while. Yet, he locked onto the squirrel’s stash the moment he arrived. He clearly had a predetermined target.

[Huohuohuohuohuohuohuohuo: Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel even worse for this little squirrel. Tsk, tsk.]

Not that Hoder truly pitied the little squirrel; he seemed more interested in enjoying the drama. Seeing that the little squirrel’s granary was about to be completely looted, and catching a glimpse of the poor, weak, and helpless expression on the squirrel’s face that looked like it was about to cry, Liang He couldn’t bear it anymore and quickly stepped out.

"Leopard, what are you doing?"

"MEOW!"

The sudden voice scared the already guilty Mengji Snow Leopard so badly that he jumped straight into the air. When he turned his head and realized it was Liang He, the expressions crossing his feline face were incredibly rich. Shock at first, followed by relief, and finally, a cat-like sense of guilt and the utter embarrassment of being caught red-handed.

As a Veterinarian who specialized in studying animals, it was Lan Zhuo’s first time seeing such human-like expressions on an animal’s face. Then again, the Mengji Snow Leopard was a transformed Beastman, so this should fall within the normal range, right? Lan Zhuo didn’t speak; he simply followed silently behind Liang He, watching her lecture the Mengji Snow Leopard.

"Leopard, who taught you to bully the weak? And to steal someone else’s pinecones!" Liang He pretended to be fierce, pinching the Mengji Snow Leopard’s ears, terrifying him so much that he didn’t dare move a muscle.

It wasn’t a matter of whether he could beat her in a fight; he simply couldn’t bear to raise a paw against Liang He. Thus, he could only obediently listen to the scolding.

"MEOW~" The Mengji Snow Leopard acted coquettishly to please her, constantly rubbing his large head against her palm in an attempt to escape punishment.

Before Liang He could say anything else, however, the little squirrel whose home had been robbed scrambled straight up onto Liang He’s shoulder, its beady little eyes glaring directly into the Mengji Snow Leopard’s golden pupils.

"MEOW... WOOO?" Feeling the little squirrel’s provocative gaze, the Mengji Snow Leopard let out an angry roar at it. But before he could finish, Liang He forcibly clamped his mouth shut.

"Leopard, it’s time for you to brush your teeth again."

Liang He separated the Mengji Snow Leopard and the little squirrel. She turned her head slightly to look at the little creature on her shoulder, listening to it CHATTER away, waving its tiny paws in accusation. It was clearly furious at the Mengji Snow Leopard’s repeated burglaries, having been unhappy with this behavior for a long time. However, one had to admit that the little squirrel was quite perceptive; it had immediately found the right backer.

"Mhm, I know. Leopard was wrong to steal your pinecones. I will compensate you on his behalf."

At the end of the day, the Mengji Snow Leopard had only stolen the little squirrel’s pinecones to bring Liang He a gift, and she, Hoder, and the others had eaten them. As his Breeder, it was only right for her to apologize to the little squirrel.

"How about I trade these nuts for your pinecones?" Liang He pulled out a large bag of nuts from seemingly nowhere, all of which were the little squirrel’s favorites.

The little squirrel, which had just been complaining about the Mengji Snow Leopard, instantly fell silent. With a WHOOSH, it snatched the bag of nuts into its embrace and hugged it tightly, terrified that the human before it would go back on her word.

Liang He’s reasoning was simple: she didn’t want to let the Mengji Snow Leopard’s good intentions go to waste, but she also needed to appease the little squirrel. Since the pinecones had already been dug up, she would treat it as a food exchange between herself and the squirrel. This way, everyone would be happy.

"Does this mean you agree to let me take these pinecones?"

The little squirrel leaped down from Liang He’s shoulder, its arms still securely wrapped around the bag of nuts. Scurrying quickly up the tree, it set the bag of nuts down on a branch, planning to find a good place to hide it once they left. Then it came back down and pushed the pinecones the Mengji Snow Leopard had dug up toward Liang He, gesturing for her to take them. The little squirrel even dug out a few stray pinecones left behind in the hole and handed them over.

"Wow, so many pinecones. Thank you." Liang He smiled and accepted the peace offerings. After pulling out a bag to pack them up, she finally led the Mengji Snow Leopard—who was pitifully biting his own tail in grievance—out of the small grove.

"Liang He, I have a question, but I’m not sure if I should ask?" Hoder said, feigning deep thought with a solemn expression on his face.

"What is it? Just say what’s on your mind."

Seeing Hoder hem and haw, Lan Zhuo leaned in, completely curious himself.

"It’s just... you used a bag to pack the pinecones. So, what exactly did Kuang Ye use to bring the pinecones back earlier?"