Chapter 240
Chapter 240
Jiang Yunsui stretched out her arms and was immediately picked up.
An eagle cried overhead. Little Mushroom looked up and saw Milk Tea.
“Milk Tea, where did they go?”
“Si Si, hurry and catch up.”
Ji Si nodded. With Milk Tea guiding them from the sky, he carried Jiang Yunsui through the forest at a run.
“Awooo…”
Jiang Yunsui jolted. She knew that sound. The wolves on the grasslands howled exactly like that!
The howling was accompanied by barking, a sound she knew even better.
When they caught up, they found Zuozuo and Youyou shielding the children behind them as they confronted a wolf pack.
Fortunately, no fighting had begun.
Jiang Yunsui’s heart leaped into her throat.
The wolves glanced at the newcomers, then suddenly turned and left.
“There’s a white wolf. It’s so pretty!”
Amid the drab-gray pack, the white wolf was impossible to miss.
Jiang Yunsui watched until it vanished among the trees.
“They’re following the deer.”
The stockade children sighed in frustration. Now there was no chance of catching the deer. They did not dare compete with a wolf pack for food.
“Let’s go. Time to head back.”
On their return, Milk Tea cried again overhead.
Jiang Yunsui looked up in confusion.
“Milk Tea seems to want us to follow.”
The children immediately grew interested.
“Should we go? Did Milk Tea find something good?”
Whether it had found treasure or not, taking so many children would be too dangerous. Ji Si forcibly escorted them all home.
That evening, Milk Tea returned with a beautiful feather in its beak.
It resembled a peacock feather, but its colors intertwined gold and red.
“What a pretty feather!”
Jiang Yunsui’s eyes lit up. When she held out a hand, Milk Tea dropped the feather into it.
She admired it from every angle.
When Shen Qingzhu returned and saw it, he strode over.
“Where did this feather come from?”
Jiang Yunsui pointed at Milk Tea. “Milk Tea brought it. Why?”
Without answering, Shen Qingzhu studied the feather carefully for a long while.
“This probably came from a Phoenix-Mimic Bird.”
“I’ve gathered more information from the village chief and the others. We now have a clearer idea of what the bird looks like. The chief said his family once owned one of its long tail feathers. It was a beautiful mixture of gold and red, though this one seems to have been shed some time ago.”
That matched the feather in Jiang Yunsui’s hand perfectly.
“Phoenix-Mimic Birds live deep in the mountains. Their favorite food is a plant called the Moonlight Flower. It grows on sheer cliffs, opens only at night beneath the moon, and requires extremely particular conditions.”
At last, they had a lead.
Jiang Yunsui’s eyes sparkled.
“Then we’ll search the mountains tomorrow!”
Shen Qingzhu had the same idea.
“Tomorrow, Milk Tea will take us to where it found the feather.”
Jiang Yunsui hugged Milk Tea’s head and rubbed her face against it.
“Milk Tea, you’re incredible!”
The handsome golden eagle rubbed affectionately against her in return.
The next morning, they hired a hunter from the stockade who dared venture deep into the mountains and set out.
Milk Tea guided them from the sky, while the hunter knew the terrain well. He led them around impassable areas and sometimes along hidden trails that avoided the territories of bears, tigers, and other predators.
They walked an entire day without arriving.
Milk Tea might return quickly after finding a feather, but it flew through the sky. The air offered a straight, unobstructed route.
Travelers on the ground had to cross mountains and streams, climb slopes, make detours, and contend with every kind of terrain.
It was arduous work.
That night, since it did not rain, they simply chose a large tree as their campsite.
Jiang Yunsui crouched outside its shelter to moonbathe.
She fell asleep as she absorbed the moonlight.
She was not particular. As long as she was not in water, she could sleep almost anywhere.
She had even slept in holes in the ground.
The hunter hesitated. “Doctor Shen, aren’t you going to do something about that?”
Shen Qingzhu leaned against the tree trunk and yawned. “Leave her. She won’t catch cold.”
The hunter fell silent. Was catching cold really the issue? Hadn’t they claimed to treasure this daughter? She looked rather freely raised to him.
With two dogs, two enormous roosters, and a golden eagle perched in the tree standing guard, the party felt secure. Those who could sleep did so. Nothing could be done for those who could not.
At dawn, everyone stared in shock.
“Good heavens!”
Several snakes hung dead from the tree above them, including venomous snakes and pythons as thick as a man’s leg.
Their eyes remained open in death.
The golden eagle’s sharp gaze swept the surroundings. This was plainly Milk Tea’s work.
Numerous insects lay scattered nearby-centipedes, spiders, caterpillars, and more-the work of the two roosters.
As for larger creatures that had approached during the night, the mastiffs had frightened them away.
After inspecting the area, the hunter gazed at the two dogs, two roosters, and golden eagle with burning envy.
If he had such capable animals, he would never need to fear spending the night in the deep mountains.
In all his years hunting, this was the first time he had slept so soundly in the wilderness.
“Woof!”
Zuozuo and Youyou left early that morning. When they returned, they carried a wild goat in their mouths.
Jiang Yunsui wiped her face clean with a handkerchief.
Shen Qingzhu stared. “Mutton first thing in the morning?”
The dogs stared back. What else did he expect? They went hunting, not gathering wild vegetables and fruit.
The hunter was consumed with envy.
The goat was not very large, but once butchered, it was enough to feed the entire party.
Fat Chef was absent, though fortunately someone else could cook.
Jiang Yunsui carried back an armful of mushrooms.
“There are lots of fiddlehead ferns over there. Si Si, come pick them with me.”
Before she could run away, Shen Qingzhu hauled her back.
“Why pick fiddleheads? They won’t taste good unless they’re blanched.”
Jiang Yunsui pouted. Fine. She would not go.
After breakfast, everyone continued with renewed energy.
It took Milk Tea only half a day to fly there. On foot, they climbed mountains, crossed water, and encountered wolves and tigers. Fortunately, each danger passed without disaster.
They traveled for five days. Just as they were nearing their destination, Jiang Yunsui accidentally rolled into a ravine.
“I’m fine. I…”
Her childish voice came from below, and she did not sound fine at all.
“Don’t move,” Shen Qingzhu called. “Ji Si, bring her up.”
Jiang Yunsui whimpered. “I twisted my ankle.”
Ji Si carried her up and examined it. Her ankle was indeed sprained and slightly swollen.
As Shen Qingzhu prepared his acupuncture needles, he noticed what she held.
“Where did you get that?”
He stared at the string of vermilion berries clutched in her hand.