Seeing that Zhuang Rui had gone to great lengths and the clumsy leopard hadn't reacted at all, the white lion began to growl incessantly and actually started communicating with Xiao Xue.
"Awoo... Awoo," Xiaoxue seemed to understand this time, letting out a low growl. She pointed ahead with her paw, then walked to Zhuang Rui's side, biting the clothes around his waist, signaling Zhuang Rui to follow her.
Upon seeing the golden eagle appear, Zhuang Rui felt that it couldn't be far away. He made up his mind to stay on the mountain for another day at most, and find the golden eagle's nest to see if there were any chicks.
"Let's go, Xiaoxue will lead the way. White Lion, you can clearly communicate with Xiaoxue, why didn't you do that earlier?"
Zhuang Rui followed behind the snow leopard, not forgetting to scold the white lion, saying that the guy was just pretending to be ignorant and unwilling to communicate with Xiao Xue.
Although there are no known hybrid varieties of snow leopards, hybridization is possible among other felines such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars.
Although the white lion belongs to the canine family, both have been nourished and transformed by their own spiritual energy. Perhaps a new species could be created between the white lion and Xiaoxue. However, the white lion is too disrespectful and often threatens Xiaoxue. In Zhuang Rui's opinion, the two are destined to be apart.
The white lion whimpered a few times in grievance, and then chased after them. In its opinion, its status seemed to have plummeted after Xiaoxue and Xue'er came along.
Have we arrived?
After walking for more than an hour, they arrived at the mountainside. The snow leopard running ahead suddenly stopped and, in Zhuang Rui's opinion, looked rather sneaky at the rock wall above a valley on the right.
Chapter 749 Golden Eagle (Part 2)
"Waaah..."
Xiaoxue seemed to be wary of the rocky cliff. After peeking at it tentatively, she turned back to Zhuang Rui's side and, in a very human-like manner, stretched out her front paw and pointed ahead.
"There?"
Zhuang Rui was puzzled because this place was very strange. On the right side of the hillside where he was, the mountain, which was originally relatively flat, suddenly sank into a deep valley as if it had been cleaved by a knife and axe. The rock walls there were almost all at right angles of 90 degrees, with no footholds to climb.
"Perhaps it really is there..."
Zhuang Rui walked another thirty or forty meters down, so he could see the entire rock face. He planned to use his spiritual energy to check if there were any caves or bird nests on the cliff.
Since his spiritual energy level was raised in that small mountain village in Henan, Zhuang Rui's perception of spiritual energy's range has reached five or six hundred meters. Within this range, Zhuang Rui can clearly see (or sense) even a needle.
As Zhuang Rui's gaze moved across the rock face, a surge of spiritual energy penetrated more than two meters into the rock, scanning it like a detector. The terrain here was not very high, and on the cliff face, there were several low-lying alpine trees.
"Hmm? There's a hole..."
Zhuang Rui's gaze suddenly stopped, because above a small tree, he discovered a hole about three meters in diameter. Calling it a cave was an understatement; it was more like a crack in the rock, as the three-meter-long opening was only seventy or eighty centimeters high.
They really know how to pick a location. This cave is sheltered from the wind and faces the sun. It is in a dangerous location and difficult to climb and approach. The rocks above the cave protrude outwards, which can also provide shelter from the wind and rain. It is suitable for people to live in, let alone eagles.
Although he hadn't looked inside yet, Zhuang Rui was already convinced that the golden eagle's lair was most likely inside.
The problem now is whether there are any chicks inside. Zhuang Rui is very anxious. The adult golden eagle is obviously impossible to tame. If he can't find any chicks, all his efforts for the day will have been wasted.
"Haha, found it..."
As the gaze went deeper, the scene inside the cave came into view. The first thing that came into view was an adult golden eagle crouching in the cave. However, it was much smaller than the one Zhuang Rui had seen before, and its body length should only be more than 60 centimeters.
But to Zhuang Rui's delight, there were four chicks with white feathers next to the golden eagle. This made Zhuang Rui tremble with excitement. Four chicks! Damn, we could form a Flying Tigers team!
Seemingly sensing something, the golden eagle suddenly turned its head and looked at a corner of the cave with a puzzled expression. Of course, it was unable to detect the colorless and odorless spiritual energy.
"Calm down, stay calm..."
Zhuang Rui withdrew his gaze, took a few deep breaths, and confirmed the location of the golden eagle's nest. He also discovered the chicks. Now, the only thing to consider was how to get the chicks out of the nest.
This task is extremely difficult. Not to mention the steep rock walls, the golden eagle in the cave is something I can't handle. Even if I lower myself down with a rope, I'll only become a victim of the eagle's claws.
Zhuang Rui had witnessed the power of the golden eagle's claws yesterday. Two inches thick yak hide, which even a machete couldn't cut through, was like tofu under the golden eagle's claws. Zhuang Rui didn't believe that his forehead could withstand such a scratch.
After calming himself down, Zhuang Rui focused his attention again, first observing the rock wall next to the cave. He wanted to see if he could climb over it from the side without using a rope.
However, upon seeing the few slightly protruding rocks, Zhuang Rui quickly abandoned the idea. Climbing the rock with bare hands would be suicide, and he guessed that only Xiaoxue could make it.
"We need to lure that golden eagle out, preferably far away, and then lower a rope down from the mountain into the cave..."
Zhuang Rui thought for a long time and it seemed that this was the only way. He then checked the situation in the cave. If people went down but couldn't get back into the cave, that would be a very tragic thing.
"It's three meters long and sixty centimeters wide; there shouldn't be any problem getting in..."
Zhuang Rui continued to peer into the cave with his spiritual energy. The crack between the rocks wasn't very big, only about two meters deep, but it was quite low, less than fifty centimeters deep. Zhuang Rui would probably have to crawl in headfirst.
These two eagles are quite particular; even in the cave, they built a nest. It's a huge nest made of piled-up branches, with an outer diameter of nearly 2 meters and a height of 1.5 meters. The nest is lined with twigs, pine needles, grass stems, fur, and other materials.
At this moment, the golden eagle, which should be female, was inside the nest, using its sharp beak to pick up pieces of torn meat from a spot out of reach of the chicks and feed them to the mouths of the little ones who were raising their heads, their beaks wide open, and crying for food.
The mother eagle moved with practiced skill, almost like a chick pecking at food, accurately stuffing tender strips of meat into the mouths of several chicks.
Zhuang Rui stared blankly for a while. The emotions between these animals didn't seem to be much different from those between humans. Protecting one's offspring is probably a characteristic of many creatures, right?
Of course, there are also animals in nature that eat their own young.
However, what Zhuang Rui was seeing now made him feel very warm, and he was thinking about whether his act of stealing the baby birds was appropriate.
"Damn it, it's good enough that only one of the four survived. I'll just take one and use my spiritual energy to groom the other three later. That'll be doing right by this eagle mother..."
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui made a decision. You see, hatching four golden eagle chicks at once is very rare in nature. Due to factors such as food and natural selection, generally speaking, only one of the four chicks will survive and become the strongest.
Zhuang Rui took one away, and then used his spiritual energy to keep the remaining three alive. Just as he said, he had done right by his golden eagle parents.
"Hehe, this one's not bad, I'll choose this one later..."
Zhuang Rui was suddenly amused by a scene in the cave. After swallowing the meat strips fed to him by his mother eagle, a chick actually ran to the side and used its relatively strong body to push aside another chick that was opening its mouth, and ate the food that the mother eagle fed it a second time. The little guy next to it who hadn't gotten any food was so anxious that it cried out.
The golden eagle chicks looked incredibly cute to Zhuang Rui. They were probably only a month old at most, covered in fluffy white feathers, with only their eyes and slightly curved beaks being black.
Perhaps because they are too young, the little guys are not very steady on their feet, but their behavior of fighting for food just now has already shown the cruelty of natural selection.
As they grow older, their feathers will turn the same golden yellow as their parents, their beaks will become sharp and curved, their wings will soar through the sky, and their shaky talons will be able to tear apart jackals and tigers. "I need to think of something quickly, otherwise when that golden eagle that went out to hunt comes back, I won't be able to steal the chicks anymore..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at his watch; it was one o'clock in the afternoon. At this time of year, it wouldn't be difficult for a golden eagle to hunt, so he needed to hurry.
"White Lion, when you get to the rock wall, roar loudly and make a climbing motion to lure the golden eagle out. Then run a little further away and be careful not to get scratched by its claws..."
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and began to explain. There wasn't a good way, so he used the white lion to lure out the mother eagle, and then went down to retrieve the golden eagle chicks himself. If all went well, there shouldn't be any major problems.
"Waaah..."
The white lion nodded, its eyes filled with ferocity. It had seen the golden eagle yesterday and knew that this creature was not easy to deal with, so it was also on high alert.
Zhuang Rui walked to a spot more than 30 meters above the cliff, secured the rope he carried with him to a rock weighing a thousand pounds, and pulled hard, feeling that it could support his body.
"You two, hide with me while I let the white lion lure the golden eagle..."
Zhuang Rui called to Xiao Xue and the female mastiff, then hid behind the rock. There were some bushes there, so Zhuang Rui was safe from being discovered by the golden eagle while lying down.
"White Lion, whether we succeed or not depends on you..."
Zhuang Rui shouted, then said, "Start!" "Awoooooo..."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, the white lion's roar echoed beside the rock wall. This low growl, almost like ultrasound, had little effect on humans, but to animals with keen hearing, it was as loud as a thunderous drumbeat.
In fact, just as Zhuang Rui's voice rang out, the female eagle had already poked her body out of the cave. When she saw that the white lion seemed to want to climb the rock wall, she immediately flapped her wings and flew high into the air towards the white lion.
Zhuang Rui was confident in the white lion. One had already developed sentience, while the other was just a feathered beast. Zhuang Rui didn't believe the white lion couldn't handle the golden eagle.
Sure enough, as the golden eagle soared into the air and then used the momentum of its high-altitude dive to pounce on the white lion, the white lion nimbly dodged to the side, causing the golden eagle's sharp claws to miss.
Before the golden eagle could take flight, the white lion slapped the edge of its wing, and a few golden feathers drifted down from the eagle's wings.
"Gah!"
After a mournful cry, the golden eagle suddenly took flight. However, having almost suffered a loss, the golden eagle dared not attack rashly again.
"Well done, White Lion!" Zhuang Rui clenched his fist tightly and swung it hard.
Remembering Zhuang Rui's instructions, the white lion made a move to climb the rock wall again, prompting the female eagle to risk swooping down once more.
After the white lion dodged, it did not retaliate. Instead, it roared at the golden eagle in the sky a few times, then turned and ran away into the distance.
Chapter 750 All things in the world have feelings (Part 1)
Seeing the white lion turn and run away, the golden eagle hesitated for a moment. It was worried about the four cubs in the den. Usually, the male eagle would go out to hunt, while it would stay in the den to guard them.
After circling in the sky for a while, the mother eagle ultimately did not chase after the white lion. For her, getting rid of this annoying Tibetan mastiff was enough.
Moreover, the mother eagle, with her keen intuition, could sense that the white lion was not someone to be trifled with, and that the outcome of the fight was uncertain.
"Damn it, why aren't we chasing after them?"
Zhuang Rui was about to stand up and throw the rope down the cliff. He had already fastened the safety belt on the elevator around his waist. However, he did not expect that after circling for a while, the golden eagle would turn around and fly back into the cave. If he went out now, he would definitely be discovered by the mother eagle.
"Woo woo... Awooo!" Fortunately, the clever white lion saw that the golden eagle hadn't followed, so it turned around and ran back, making a move to leap onto the rock wall. This angered the mother eagle, who had just entered the cave. She spread her huge wings and pounced on the white lion.
Despite its large size, the white lion is as agile as an eagle soaring through the sky. After several unsuccessful attempts by the golden eagle, the white lion wobbled away into the distance.
This time, the mother eagle was truly enraged. She decided to drive this persistent Tibetan mastiff far away, out of her territory, before returning.
After circling the edge of the cliff and finding nothing unusual, the mother eagle flapped her wings and chased after the white lion. She knew she couldn't do anything to this big guy, but she could still drive him away.
The white lion was very clever; it went around a mountain ridge, so that unless the mother eagle flew higher than the entire snow mountain, it would no longer be able to see what was happening at its den.
"Haha, little brat, see if you won't fall for it?"
Zhuang Rui stood up triumphantly and gave the golden eagle, which had already disappeared from sight, the middle finger.
In fact, Zhuang Rui didn't know that if a rock hadn't just happened to protrude and block him and Da Xue's view, the golden eagle, with its sharp eyes that could spot the rabbit even at a height of a thousand meters, would have had no chance of escaping the mother eagle's inspection.
Pulling over the tangled rope, Zhuang Rui walked to the top of the cliff, gave it a sharp jerk, and the rope plummeted down the cliff for about fifty or sixty meters.
Speaking of the rope, Zhuang Rui also had to thank Zhao Jun. That kid's family was quite wealthy, and the mountaineering equipment he had acquired was all top-of-the-line. Although this specially made rope was extremely light, it was very strong and could bear a weight of about 800 kilograms, so Zhuang Rui didn't need to worry about safety at all.
Zhuang Rui tugged at the rope on the rock, activated the lifter hanging from his waist, unfastened the buckle, braced his legs against the rock wall, and slowly lowered his body down.
The cave, which served as the nest of two golden eagles, was about 20 meters above the cliff. In just a few minutes, Zhuang Rui fell outside the cave. After finding a foothold, he prepared to climb back into the cave.
Seemingly sensing danger, the golden eagle chicks in the nest emitted hurried, tender chirping sounds.
"Don't be afraid, hehe, you'll live the good life with me from now on..."
Zhuang Rui's smile had the potential to be that of a strange uncle, but he first used his spiritual energy to cleanse the bodies of all the little ones before preparing to climb into the cave.
Nourished by the spiritual energy, the little creatures in the cave all quieted down, which made Zhuang Rui very proud. His spiritual energy was universally appealing, suitable for both men and women, young and old. What Zhuang Rui was now struggling with was how many golden eagle chicks to take with him. He would have them soon, and his previous idea of taking only one had changed.
"Damn it, I'll fucking kill you!" Just after Zhuang Rui stuck one leg into the cave, he realized that he hadn't inherited his grandfather's geologist skills. His ability to estimate was far too poor. This cave, Zhuang Rui actually... couldn't get in. Although the cave entrance was three meters long, it was very narrow, and it was flat and constricted, with a higher top and lower bottom. The golden eagle could bend down and go in, but Zhuang Rui couldn't.
If he insists on going in, he will definitely get stuck inside. At that time, he will probably become a target for the angry golden eagle, and a tragedy will unfold where a national first-class endangered animal attacks and kills a human.