Chapter 19
This Elephant-Headed Lakecaller Beast weighed no less than a ton. Ling Cheng’en’s plan was to butcher it on the spot, take only the valuable parts they could carry, and leave the rest behind.
But Wu Zhuo refused outright.
“Lakecaller Beasts are incredibly hard to catch, and there aren’t many of them around. Even their organs taste amazing. They’re a very rare water-type magical beast. We have to take the whole thing back.”
The last time a warrior from the tribe caught a Lakecaller Beast had been two years ago.
Back then, he’d only received a little over twenty pounds of its meat. The taste was so unforgettable that he still remembered it to this day. Now that he finally had the chance to eat his fill, there was no way he would let it go.
Ling Cheng’en looked at the greedy Wu Zhuo and pointed at the massive beast.
“And how exactly do you plan on carrying that thing back? Can you even lift it?”
“I absolutely can.”
After a quick calculation, Wu Zhuo immediately transformed into his Golden-Crested Giant Eagle form. Spreading his wings several meters wide, he turned toward Yu Shaochen, who stood stiffly nearby like a wooden post.
“Can you make some sturdy vines to tie it up?”
Yu Shaochen thought for a moment before placing both front paws on the ground.
Within five meters, all the surrounding weeds suddenly withered. A giant green sprout burst through the earth and grew rapidly before their eyes.
The vine stretched over ten meters long before finally stopping.
Turning back to Ling Cheng’en, he asked,
“Could you cut it from the root?”
Ling Cheng’en glanced at the vine, which was nearly as thick as her waist, walked over, and simply ripped it out of the ground with brute force.
Yu Shaochen touched the vine lightly.
The severed vine immediately came to life like a giant serpent, wrapping itself tightly around the Lakecaller Beast. Its ends even tied themselves into a firm knot.
“Give it a try. This is Green Delusion Thousand-Pound Vine. It can lift over a thousand pounds.”
Yu Shaochen quickly retreated a few steps.
If Wu Zhuo couldn’t lift it and accidentally flung the beast at him, he wouldn’t even have time to run.
Hooking his talons into the vine, Wu Zhuo began furiously flapping his wings and struggled upward into the sky.
Ling Cheng’en reacted instantly. She grabbed the swaying Yu Shaochen and sprinted far away.
Only after confirming they were out of range of the violent gusts generated by Wu Zhuo’s wings did she stop and look back at the foolish bird.
Under Wu Zhuo’s desperate effort, the thousand-pound Lakecaller Beast finally rose off the ground.
Its long fish tail dragged through the grass, carving a deep trench behind it.
Unfortunately, Wu Zhuo didn’t get very far before his body suddenly dropped.
A thunderous crash echoed across the plain.
The Lakecaller Beast slammed back into the ground.
Wu Zhuo landed face-first beside it.
Holding the little panda under one arm, Ling Cheng’en shook her head helplessly.
“What Golden-Crested Giant Eagle? This brat’s just a giant idiot. I already told him it wouldn’t work.”
Even if Wu Zhuo could pull something that heavy, he still couldn’t carry her and all their luggage.
And flying back from Kule Lake to Stone Forest Tribe took about an hour.
Along the way they would inevitably encounter other flying beastmen and birds.
Without her protection, he’d become a giant target.
Some wandering beastman would beat him up within minutes and steal the Lakecaller Beast she’d worked so hard to catch.
Just as Ling Cheng’en leisurely headed toward the crash site, a massive shadow swept across her head.
She and Yu Shaochen both looked up at the same time.
A giant azure bird glided overhead.
Their expressions froze.
“Is that… a Moonfeather Azure Crane?”
Yu Shaochen stared uncertainly at the elegant giant bird.
“Are they warriors from Cold Mountain Tribe?”
“Probably.”
Ling Cheng’en wasn’t entirely sure.
The leader among them had a familiar aura.
When she’d gone looking for huanglian herbs yesterday, that fellow had been perched in a nearby tree watching her.
More than ten azure birds descended beside the dazed Wu Zhuo.
The leading crane lowered its long beak and nudged the Golden-Crested Giant Eagle lying on the ground.
“Need help?”
Wu Zhuo climbed onto the Lakecaller Beast’s back and glared up at the crane, whose beast form stood two meters taller than his own.
His sharp eagle eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“You can help. But you’re not getting any of the Lakecaller Beast.”
Bai Qingyu used his beak to shove him off the beast.
Then he kicked him in the rear.
“If you’re asking for help, at least act like you’re asking. Keep talking like that and you’ll get beaten up.”
Wu Zhuo wasn’t capable of defeating Bai Qingyu.
Bai Qingyu was a Level Nine water-element beastman and one of the strongest males in Cold Mountain Tribe.
Since he could also fly, even Chief Ling Xiao wouldn’t necessarily gain an advantage against him in battle.
Wu Zhuo could only act tough with his mouth.
After getting kicked, he didn’t even dare peck back.
Ling Cheng’en carried the little panda tucked beneath her arm, brushed aside the tall grass, and walked past the two cranes toward the Lakecaller Beast.
She turned to look at the male beastman whom the original owner of this body had chased after for years.
To be fair…
The original owner’s taste really wasn’t bad.
Among all these Moonfeather Azure Cranes, the leader was by far the most distinctive.
Not only was he noticeably larger, but his feathers were also more beautiful and lustrous.
He practically radiated immortal-like elegance.
He really did resemble the legendary celestial cranes of myth.
No wonder…
Ling Cheng’en allowed herself a few extra glances before forcing herself to look away.
With her right hand she grabbed the hopping and bouncing Wu Zhuo—the “ground chicken” version of the mighty eagle—and looked up at the tall crane.
“Thank you for the help. Just leave it on the stone beach outside my house.”
Bai Qingyu lowered his pale yellow beak slightly.
His iris, the color of red sweet flag flowers, briefly settled on Ling Cheng’en.
Then he let out a clear cry.
Two giant cranes stepped forward, grabbed the vine, and with a few beats of their enormous wings lifted the Lakecaller Beast effortlessly into the air.
Compared to Wu Zhuo, who had looked like a dead dog moments earlier…
Well.
Not laughing was already the greatest respect she could show her subordinate.
With a single flap of his wings, Bai Qingyu stirred up a powerful gust that sent Ling Cheng’en’s half-dried hair flying.
His long legs pushed lightly against the ground.
The next instant, he soared gracefully into the sky.
The other cranes followed behind him.
Within moments they had formed a neat flying formation overhead.
Wu Zhuo watched the cranes disappear into the sky and struggled free from Ling Cheng’en’s grasp.
He loaded the two non-flyers onto his back, grabbed the nearby baggage in his beak, and beat his wings furiously in an attempt to catch up.
Unfortunately…
He failed.
The Moonfeather Azure Cranes were simply too large.
Their wings were enormous.
They effortlessly outpaced an immature eagle chick like him.
No matter how desperately he flapped, he couldn’t close the distance.
“Big Sis En, I’ve failed you!”
Wu Zhuo wailed dejectedly as the cranes disappeared farther and farther away.
Ling Cheng’en looked at him blankly.
“Failed me how?”
“I’m too useless. I can’t catch up to Bai Qingyu.”
“Otherwise you’d be able to look at him a few more times.”
Ling Cheng’en: “…”
Wow.
Thanks so much.
Thankfully this dumb bird couldn’t catch up.
Otherwise, if she and the beautiful crane young chief ended up hunting together at Kule Lake…
Just imagining it was enough to predict what ridiculous rumors would spread afterward.
Keeping a blank expression, Ling Cheng’en sighed inwardly.
She had completely forgotten about Husband Number Three, who was still sitting on her lap.
Yu Shaochen raised a paw and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen across his nose.
Then he quietly asked,
“Wife… do you like the young chief of Cold Mountain Tribe?”
Wu Zhuo immediately turned around, eager for gossip.
“You only figured that out now?”
“Across the entire Northern Beast Plains, who doesn’t know that my Sister En has been chasing Bai Qingyu relentlessly? Totally devoted, completely smitten—”
Unable to endure the public execution any longer, Ling Cheng’en punched him in the back of the head.
“Shut up, you chatterbox bird.”
Wu Zhuo indignantly closed his beak.
But he was still extremely unconvinced.
Today’s Sister En was really in a terrible mood!
