…Such heavy breathing.
But a tiger weasel? Is that the cute creature that likes to hop around? Xue Tuan was somewhat looking forward to seeing their beast forms.
The three young tiger weasels were relatives, and very close brothers named according to their age: Da Hu, Er Hu, and San Hu. Naming in the beastman world was indeed simple and straightforward, even if it might cause misunderstandings.
Last night before going to sleep, Feng Yan and Rong Shan had already made the wooden spikes for the traps. They made spikes that were sharp at both ends, one end for easy embedding in the ground, and the other sharp enough to wound ferocious beasts.
The three young men volunteered to help carry several bundles of wooden spikes, and prepared to set off.
Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan were ordered to stay home and wait.
They were currently standing at the tribe’s gate watching their father and mother’s departing figures.
“Brother, let’s sneak behind Father and Mother,” Xue Tuan said, tugging at Bing Qiu’s sleeve.
Bing Qiu was hesitant. On one hand, he was worried about his parents and wanted to go with them. On the other hand, he was alone with Xue Tuan and needed to ensure his younger brother’s safety.
But if they didn’t leave soon, they would lose track of their parents.
Bing Qiu gritted his teeth: “Let’s go!”
If they encountered danger, he would give his own life to ensure Xue Tuan’s escape. Of course, he hoped they wouldn’t encounter any danger and wouldn’t disrupt their parent’s hunting plans.
After the two of them left the tribe, another black figure quietly followed behind them.
Xue Tuan released Gray, letting him find food on his own and not to rush back. Gray was too young, and it was best not to go with them.
The biting wind howled against Xue Tuan’s cheeks. He simply buried himself in his white fox brother’s furry neck, which provided some protection from the cold.
Bing Qiu ran close behind his parents, carefully avoiding being discovered while also making sure he didn’t lose them. He had never practiced this kind of tracking before, so he needed to concentrate fully and be extremely alert.
After running for an unknown amount of time, his father and mother’s sprinting figures finally slowed down.
Xue Tuan and Bing Qiu observed secretly as they hid behind. It turned out that his father and mother had already scouted the terrain and discovered a huge natural pit.
This pit was wide enough to trap even a beast of such exaggerated size. The pit was about ten meters in diameter and had slopes about four or five meters deep on the sides. The upper part of the pit near the opening was slightly steep while the lower part gradually leveled out. Even a beastman cub could climb out after some time.
But for a mindless creature like the beast, once it slid in, it couldn’t easily climb out and would only mechanically thrash around at the bottom.
The people in the small tribe had never seen the beast before, knew nothing about it, and had no intention of thinking about how to deal with it.
Only beastmen like Feng Yan and Rong Shan would observe the surroundings and devise strategies while hunting.
The young people became even more nervous upon arriving at the hunting grounds, fearing a ferocious beast might suddenly leap out from somewhere. However, they tried their best to control themselves and actively helped Feng Yan and Rong Shan prepare the natural pit.
Densely packed wooden spikes were arranged at the bottom of the pit, inserted into the soil at a slight angle to easily pierce the prey’s abdomen and legs.
After the spikes were in place, they used collected branches to prop up the pit’s opening, then covered it with weeds to disguise it as a natural trap. A thin layer of soil was mixed into the dry grass, and the trap looked almost indistinguishable from the surrounding ground.
Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan, who had been hiding behind a tree, were itching to help but were afraid of being discovered by their parents.
“Now you all hide behind that slope over there. Rong Shan and I will lure the beast over,” Feng Yan instructed. He patted the young men on the shoulders to encourage them and reminded them to be vigilant for any sounds from their surroundings.
Then, Feng Yan suddenly turned and looked behind them: “You three, come out.”
Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan, who thought they were hiding well, were startled. They thought they had been following them successfully, but it turned out their parents had already discovered them?
But…three?
Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan exchanged bewildered glances, then looked back behind them. There were clearly only the two of them.
Bearing a scolding, they habitually headed towards Rong Shan.
After taking only two steps, they heard a “crack” behind them—the sound of a dry branch snapping underfoot.
Bing Qiu whirled around:
“Chong Yan?”
Not far behind them, a small black lion had appeared.
When did this little black lion follow them? He hadn’t even noticed?
But Bing Qiu didn’t have time to think about that, he needed to worry about whether he was going to get a beating.
Da Hu and the other young beastmen were equally surprised. They were completely unaware that they were being followed by other cubs. They were momentarily unsure whether to admire the two powerful snow foxes before them or to submit to the cubs.
Rong Shan sighed, squatted down, and hugged the two cubs. “Don’t sneak over like this next time. If conditions allow, your father will let you come, understand?”
Feng Yan’s expression wasn’t good either, but surprisingly, he didn’t harm Bing Qiu.
Rong Shan stood up and turned to the three young men, saying, “I’m entrusting these cubs to your care.” They were already here so they couldn’t just send them back now.
Da Hu quickly nodded, “Okay, no problem, we’ll take care of it.” It was just looking after a few cubs, they could manage that.
Bing Qiu was secretly pleased. He was already satisfied that they could stay, especially since his father had let them off the hook.
Xue Tuan hadn’t expected the little black lion to have followed so quietly. Xue Tuan went over, stretched out its short arms, hugged the little black lion’s neck, and patted it.
Was it to protect them? Xue Tuan thought fluffy things were just so wonderful. The little black lion lowered his head and nuzzled the soft ball of fur in front of him. He was naturally worried after seeing the two snow fox cubs sneak away. Having grown up in this area, he knew it better than they did, and without hesitation, he followed.
Watching the three cubs obediently climb the small hill with the young men and successfully hide, Feng Yan and Rong Shan finally left, relieved.
Only a few heads peeked out from behind the hill, watching the two giant snow foxes leave.
Now, they could only anxiously await the arrival of the ferocious beast.
Bing Qiu stared at the trap below and whispered, “Da Hu, will the trap work?”
“Of course!” Da Hu replied confidently. The snow fox family’s wooden spikes were the finest he had ever seen. Feng Yan had even taught them many techniques for installing them, so he was full of confidence in the trap.
“Would you like something to eat?” Er Hu opened the bundle left by Feng Yan and Rong Shan, inside were some dried meat.
Feng Yan had a simple plan for them. He and Rong Shan not only needed to find the exact location of the beast, but also lure it here.
Therefore, Feng Yan anticipated the process might be lengthy. He prepared food in advance for Da Hu and his brothers, so they could prepare for the night.
Er Hu, slightly more composed than the other two, shared the jerky with everyone: “I don’t know why, but I feel like we’ll definitely succeed.”
“Not ‘us,’ but Brother Feng Yan and the others,” Da Hu said softly, taking a bite of jerky.
Da Hu knew his three brothers’ capabilities well, and knew what they couldn’t accomplish. This inexplicable confidence came from Feng Yan and Brother Rong Shan.
San Hu was still a bit dazed, asking stupidly, “Is our jerky enough to eat?”
“Eat, eat, eat! Go eat yours!” Da Hu gave San Hu a flick on the forehead.
San Hu rubbed his forehead in frustration, but didn’t stop stuffing jerky into his mouth.
Little Black Lion Chong Yan pushed the jerky he’d given him towards Xue Tuan’s mouth: “Tuanzi’s too skinny, he needs to eat more.”
“No need, Brother Er Hu has more.” Xue Tuan refused the jerky from Little Black Lion. His parents had prepared enough, and he didn’t need Little Black Lion to skimp on his rations for him.
“Tuan zai, eat more. You can’t get thin after this trip.” Bing Qiu gave his younger brother a few more pieces.
Xue Tuan accepted it all. He couldn’t hold back on the trip, and he couldn’t be picky about food.
The three tiger weasel brothers were quite surprised to see the tribe’s “jinx” so familiar with the snow fox cub. Perhaps it was a sense of sympathy among the underdog, but the three brothers mostly felt sorry for Little Black Lion.
However, they weren’t from the same tribe, so they didn’t expect the tribe’s cubs to actively befriend Little Black Lion. Over time, it seemed they’d all forgotten his existence.
Seeing how well the cubs were getting along, especially the fragile little cub from the snow fox family who hadn’t suffered any harm even with the “jinx,” the adults were even less likely to be afraid of a mere cub.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone focused on the traps again, afraid of missing any important moments.
They were also worried that other wild animals might unexpectedly fall in at this crucial moment, requiring them to quickly remedy the situation.
Unlike the others who were more energetic, cubs typically need long sleep periods, especially the weak Xue Tuan.
Bing Qiu shook his head, and watched his younger brother who was clearly exhausted but still forcing his eyes open. Bing Qiu transformed into its beast form, lay down, and used its paw to pull Xue Tuan closer to it.
Sure enough, once lying on the familiar fluffy blanket, Xue Tuan quickly fell asleep.
The sun hung high in the sky, and sunlight gradually illuminated the sleeping cub’s face.
Chong Yan stood up and silently walked to the other side of Xue Tuan, lying down to block the sunlight.
Bing Qiu lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced at Chong Yan, seemingly satisfied with his actions.
Everyone tacitly fell silent, and watched the cub sleeping peacefully curled up on the furry body.
The cub’s small body was surrounded by thick fur. His breathing was light and even, his eyelashes were thick and long, and his fair skin had an inexplicable, luminous sheen.
As if dreaming of something, the cub’s lips curled up slightly, revealing a soft smile.
This was a little cub that could instantly brighten anyone’s mood, and soften everyone’s heart.
“How wonderful it would be if this were my little brother,” San Hu couldn’t help but whisper to his older brothers. He had never seen such an adorable cub.
Bing Qiu, who was contently holding his little brother in his arms, narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, a murderous aura seemingly shooting towards San Hu.
San Hu quickly gave an awkward laugh, and covered his mouth with his hand, afraid to speak again.
Xue Tuan had a good sleep. The fluffy fur was warm and comforting, a truly reassuring presence even in the wild.
Not fully awake, Xue Tuan vaguely remembered being leaned against his brother, but how did he wake up to find himself with a little black lion behind him?
But before he could say anything, he suddenly felt the ground shaking, and the vibrations growing stronger.
Xue Tuan jolted awake. He quickly turned over and looked into the distance with the others.
At that moment, they finally saw the beast in its entirety.