Free Web NovelChapter 280: Chapter 177: Clouded Leopards in Cangshan?
"Meow~!"
’You little glutton, all you think about is eating!’
Xiaojiu couldn’t stand it any longer. He leaped down from the stone block, landed precisely on Leopard’s broad back, and swatted him on the head with a paw.
Leopard let out a whimper, shrinking his neck resentfully. He hid behind Hu Zi, peeking out with only half his head, his eyes fixed pitifully on Yang Qi.
Amused by his furry kids, Yang Qi reached out and patted each of them on the head.
"Don’t worry. There’s plenty to eat."
Surrounded by his furry kids, he walked into the small courtyard and shut the door behind him.
He went inside and turned on the lights.
Yang Qi put down his small bag, sat on the living room sofa, and poured himself a glass of cool water, sipping it slowly.
Xiaojiu hopped onto the arm of the sofa and lay down gracefully.
Bai Wan lay down at his feet.
Hu Zi and Leopard settled down on the rug beside the sofa, one to the left and one to the right, keeping him company in silence.
After resting for a moment, Yang Qi got up and walked into the kitchen.
He took out some Spirit Rice from his Hundred Pouches Belt, placed it in the rice cooker, added the right amount of water, and set the timer.
While waiting for the Spirit Rice Porridge to cook, he went out to the backyard.
He skillfully set up the Demon Extermination Array.
He flipped the switch. Faint, blue-violet sparks of electricity occasionally flickered across the mesh screen.
Soon, a faint crackling sound began to fill the air.
[Contribution Points +1]
[Contribution Points +1]
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Listening to the rewarding background noise, Yang Qi nodded in satisfaction and went back inside.
The light fragrance of the Spirit Rice Porridge was already wafting from the kitchen.
He waited a while longer for the porridge to finish cooking, then let it cool down naturally.
When it felt about right, Yang Qi took out five bowls and divided the Spirit Rice Porridge evenly among them.
"Dinner’s ready."
The moment he spoke, the four furry kids immediately gathered around their bowls and began to eat happily.
Yang Qi also sat at the small dining table, slowly eating his own bowl.
As the Spirit Rice went down, it transformed into trickles of warmth that nourished his meridians and dispelled his fatigue.
After the meal, he cleaned up the dishes. Yang Qi then went upstairs and took a hot shower.
He changed into loose-fitting loungewear and walked into the meditation room he had specially set up for cultivation.
He sat cross-legged on a cattail mat.
Drawing on the Spiritual Qi gathered by the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array, he silently activated the fourth-level Mental Method of the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique. His breathing grew long and rhythmic as his mind sank into his Dantian and Qi Sea, guiding his Magical Power to circulate through his meridians for a full cycle...
...
While Yang Qi was immersed in his cultivation and tranquility returned to the small courtyard, a different scene was unfolding. On the border of the White Tower and Lvliu Districts, inside a fashionably decorated KTV private room, the lights were dim, the singing was boisterous, and the air was thick with smoke.
A party had just transitioned from a raucous sing-along to a phase of casual chatter and drinking.
The coffee table was cluttered with beer bottles, fruit platters, and snacks.
At the core of one group was Tang Bin, the captain of the city’s mountaineering association’s mountain rescue team, along with two of his key team members, Ah Sheng and Xiaochen.
The others were friends of Tang Bin, some of whom were in the outdoor equipment business, while others were white-collar office workers.
At that moment, a trendy young man wearing a luxury watch was excitedly boasting about a new "treasure" he had acquired.
"...I’m telling you, this Napoleon of mine is a purebred! The cattery imported the line from overseas, both parents have papers. I had to pull some strings and spent this much to bring him home!"
He held up two fingers, signaling a jaw-dropping price.
A young follower who had come with him quickly pulled up a photo on his phone and showed it to everyone.
The photo showed a long-haired cat with a sweet face and fluffy fur.
Several of the women present gasped in amazement, making the trendy man even more smug.
Ah Sheng, the rescue team member, was a bit tipsy. Looking at the photo and listening to the bragging, he felt an inexplicable sense of defiance and couldn’t help but mutter, "What’s so great about a pet cat? No matter how expensive, it’s still just a cat. It’s not like it’s a Clouded Cat..."
His voice wasn’t loud, but in a lull between songs and the subsiding chatter, the trendy man still heard him.
The trendy man’s eyebrow shot up. He turned to Ah Sheng, his tone carrying a hint of condescending mockery.
"Buddy, what’s that supposed to mean? A Clouded Cat? That’s a protected species. Can a private citizen even own one? Not unless you open a Zoo and get all the right permits."
"Besides, where are you going to find a wild Clouded Cat in all of Donghua, or even the entire Handong Province? Let alone see one."
Provoked by his words and fueled by the alcohol, Ah Sheng blurted out.
"Who says? There are some on Cangshan, and they’re Clouded Leopards! Way rarer than Clouded Cats! And there are two..."
"Ah Sheng!" A sharp, low shout suddenly rang out.
Sitting next to Ah Sheng, Tang Bin’s expression changed. He slapped Ah Sheng hard on the thigh—it wasn’t a light tap—and shot him a stern glare, forcefully cutting him off.
The slap jolted Ah Sheng, sobering him up considerably. His face went pale as he realized he had let something slip. He quickly shut his mouth, his gaze flickering away evasively.
But the trendy man’s interest was piqued. He leaned forward and pressed.
"What did you just say? Clouded Leopards? There are Clouded Leopards on Cangshan? Bro, are you serious? Have you seen them with your own eyes?"
The mockery in his eyes was gone, replaced by a gleam that was a mixture of curiosity, scrutiny, and even a faint trace of excitement.
’This is bad,’ Tang Bin thought. He immediately jumped in, plastering a smile on his face as he raised his glass. "Young Master Wang, don’t listen to his nonsense. The kid’s drunk and just likes to brag. We go to Cangshan all the time. What Clouded Leopards?"
"Ah Sheng probably saw things in the dark and mistook some big wildcat for a leopard. Come on, Young Master Wang, let me toast you. This one’s on me, as an apology for him."
As he spoke, Tang Bin nudged Ah Sheng with his foot under the table.
Ah Sheng caught on and quickly grabbed a half-empty beer bottle, tilting his head back and acting drunk.
"Who... Who’s drunk? Don’t talk nonsense, Brother Bin. I’m... I’m totally sober! Come on, Young Master Wang, if you’re my bro, chug this with me!"
He was trying to use a drinking challenge to change the subject and cover up his gaffe.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, chug it!"
"Ah Sheng can really hold his liquor!"
The other friends at the table, who didn’t know what was going on, also started cheering them on, and the atmosphere seemed to liven up again.
Only the trendy man, "Young Master Wang," remained thoughtful. He looked at the flushed, deliberately loud Ah Sheng, then glanced at Tang Bin, who was smiling, but whose eyes held a strange glint...
