Super Zoo

Chapter 103 : 103: The Bird Thief

The arrival of the little wolf caused quite a disturbance in Whisperwind Pavilion.

Merely in terms of combat strength, the cats and dogs were all stronger than the little wolf. The wolf-dog brothers need not be mentioned, for one slap from them could send the little wolf flying. Even the felines, under Suming's long-term nourishment of spiritual power, had become quite fierce, and could hold their own in a one-on-one skirmish with the little wolf. If Hei himself took action, he could even suppress the little wolf.

As for the alligator gar, snapping turtles, and river dolphins, those were aquatic forces, a different matter entirely.

Yet it was this fuzzy little wolf that, upon appearing, triggered immense wariness in the cats and dogs. The usually feuding wolf-dog brothers and the felines actually set aside their differences and formed a united front, leaning against the wall and growling at the little wolf.

The little wolf cub was not to be outdone, its eyes cold and fierce as it swept over the line of larger opponents, its sharp teeth peeking out from its lips as it prepared to pounce.

The little wolf was naturally wild, fundamentally different from the cats and dogs. That essence of wildness about it instinctively made the cats and dogs feel afraid.

If in the wilderness, they were creatures of entirely separate camps, for predators and prey were not distinguished based on size!

When hunting, the small hunting dogs dared to attack giant black bears and wild boars frenziedly. This is not because the hunting dogs were brave, but rather because they were so terrified that they resorted to almost insane behavior. Animals attack humans often for the same reason.

Humans are the same, when practicing boxing, one's pores open in a flush at the moment of power exertion, the sensation akin to the fright of encountering a ghost on a nocturnal path. When a vertebrate is deeply shocked, the nervous system is stimulated, unleashing potential. The difference is that humans have reason; after being frightened, they may be too scared to attack, whereas animals become even more ferocious.

"Everyone, stay put!"

Suming shouted angrily. His spiritual power swept over both groups like a heavy blanket, serving as a mediator, as he used his spiritual power to connect the cats and dogs with the little wolf.

Spiritual power connected at the most basal and fundamental level of communication, and with Suming in the middle acting as a peacemaker, the tense standoff between the two sides eased considerably.

As with all myths, the story of one Haidong Qing emerging from a hundred thousand divine eagles is largely nonsense; however, the ferocity and rarity of Haidong Qing are true. Among birds of prey, the Haidong Qing has virtually no rival. In fact, owing to its ability to fly, it does not have natural predators in the animal kingdom, besides humans.

During the Qing Dynasty, if anyone caught a white-clawed Haidong Qing, it had to be presented to the Imperial Household Department for the emperor's enjoyment. A single Haidong Qing was worth dozens of taels of silver, sufficient for a common family's needs for several years; even a criminal could achieve amnesty by offering a Haidong Qing.

Several Qing emperors, notorious for their bad poetry, ironically all loved to write poems. Kangxi himself penned, "Of winged insects thrice-a-hundred in sixty, the Haidong Qing is the most divine."

In modern times, due to excessive hunting by humans, the Haidong Qing almost became extinct, especially the white-clawed Haidong Qing, which became even more rare. Thus, before the appearance of the finless porpoise, this white jade Haidong Qing was nearly the most precious of the few animals in the zoo.

When Suming wanted to take away the Haidong Qing, Mr. Peng was initially a bit anxious, but seeing how obediently it perched on Suming's shoulder, he shook his head with a smile and didn't say much more, turning to return to managing the pleasure boats at Shuijun Lake.

It's said that "one in ten survives, rare is the name of eagle". Taming a wild eagle is extremely difficult. After capturing one, you first have to tie up its "feet with tethers" and prevent it from sleeping for days on end, wearing down its wildness, which is known as "waiting out the eagle"; then you proceed through other steps like running it on a leash, and lastly "slimming down", scraping out its intestinal oil to make the bird hungry before it can be tamed. Only after that can you take it out for falconry.

Once tamed, the loyalty of an eagle is quite high. Seeing the Haidong Qing obediently hopping onto Suming's shoulder, Mr. Peng knew that this Haidong Qing had been completely tamed by Suming, and there would be no problem taking it out.

As for how it was tamed, Mr. Peng didn't ask further.

Suming had a way with animals, and this was no longer a secret. Comparing oneself with another in terms of training animals, or always pondering how Suming managed it, is nothing but masochism.

As Suming was about 'to carry' Haidong Qing out, suddenly, a very shrill voice next door erupted, exclaiming, "Thief! Bird thief!"

Suming was startled and looked around; outside the cage, there was nothing but emptiness, not a ghost in sight.

"Idiot, idiot!" a voice blurted out, no more than four or five meters away from Suming.