Chapter 113

Wind whipped sand and gravel against his face, the drone's lens stretching his upright figure into a long shadow.

At this moment, the live stream's viewer count had long surpassed three hundred thousand; under this two-day surge in popularity, viewership had stabilized between two hundred and thirty thousand.

The daily gift income alone was a terrifying sum.

The comment section was densely packed, generating countless comments every second.

Qin Yun walked while speaking: "Getting water in the desert really only comes down to a few methods. One is the distillation method I used yesterday—friends who watched my Da Xing'an Ridge stream should remember it. With the right tools, you can use the day-night temperature difference to condense pure water."

"But I don't have suitable materials now; relying solely on temperature difference makes collection nearly impossible. Yesterday, I could do it because there was a basic water source."

Qin Yun stopped, looked left—there stretched an endless expanse of yellow sand, sharply distinct from the Gobi desert where he stood.

"The second method is through plants. Desert plants generally store water; you can dig up their roots and chew the stems to extract moisture. But this method seems unfeasible right now."

Although the Gobi desert had some vegetation, very little met his needs.

"The third method is through animals and insects—like sand foxes, lizards, mosquitoes. Following them will likely lead you to water. Alternatively, look for palm-shaped depressions—high on all sides, low in the center—where hidden water might exist."

After speaking, he opened his water flask and took a sip.

At this point, the water in the umbrella cloth was gone, leaving only about three hundred milliliters in his canteen.

Before finding water, he dared not drink deeply, striving to remain restrained. Looking out, the vast Gobi desert was filled only with fine sand and gravel; wind swept across the ground, offering not a trace of green.

Though the temperature wasn't high now, the wind never ceased, constantly draining his body heat and moisture.

His lips were even cracked and peeling, with fine grains of sand clinging to the corners of his mouth.

"If Qin Ye wore ancient costume, he'd look like a wuxia movie hero—so cool."

"With Qin Ye's looks, he should go act in movies."

"I'm licking the screen—I don't even like watching live streams, but I watch Qin Ye's every day."

"Just got my layoff pay, so I'm gifting Qin Ye 2950, keeping fifty for this month's living expenses."

"666, you're a troll—why keep fifty? Proves you don't care enough."

"Damn, I got mad, and I just got mad."

Looking at these comments, Qin Yun laughed and sighed.

"No need to spend money on gifts—just liking my stream makes me happy."

Seeing Qin Yun say this, a netizen commented:

"Qin Ye, don't underestimate people—I'm not the poor kid I used to be. I'm this year's poor kid."

"Guy above, do you even hear what you're saying?"

"Holy shit, that killed me."

The comment section was lively, the desert cruel—he occasionally glanced at comments, occasionally replied to a few, and time passed without boredom.

After another hour or so, he decided to find a place to rest briefly.

Ahead, among the gravel, he suddenly spotted something strange.

He strode forward, the lens zooming in—everyone saw a clear trail of hoof prints on the ground.

"See these hoof prints? Pointed, small, three-pronged—what animal do you think it is?"

"No need to guess—it's clearly a sheep."

"Qin Ye, are you taking us for fools?"

"I know sheep hoof prints when I see them."

Qin Yun chuckled, crouched down, and lightly touched the edge of the hoof prints—his fingertip brushed a faint dampness.

"Correct—it's a sheep. Specifically, a Tibetan argali's footprints."

Qin Yun stood up, searched again, and indeed found several more footprints: "The Tibetan argali, also called the big-horned sheep, is a drought-resistant animal. In China, it's mainly distributed in Tibet, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Xinjiang. Usually, Tibetan argali don't appear deep in uninhabited zones—they live in transitional zones between deserts and grasslands. This environment isn't suitable for them."

"I suspect this argali lost its way and wandered here unknowingly."

As he spoke, his expression froze—he noticed the footprints had suddenly deepened, and ahead appeared another mark: Claw prints.

He quickly observed: the argali's footprints had grown heavier and more spaced apart—meaning the argali was running.

"Look everyone—this argali is being hunted."

Qin Yun moved forward, following the tracks, walking for a full fifteen minutes—the prints hadn't faded.

"Guess what predator is chasing it?"

"Can't guess—Qin Ye, tell us!"

"Could it be wolves? Maybe your old enemy."

"I looked up Tibetan argali—they're big. Small carnivores can't hunt them. I'm guessing desert wolf too."

Qin Yun glanced at the comments and smiled: "You're wrong this time. The predator chasing this argali isn't a desert wolf—it's a dhole."

"Dhole? Isn't that just a wolf? Qin Ye's joking."

"Dhole-wolf, dhole-wolf—aren't they the same thing?"

"666, wolf-dog—aren't they the same too?"

Qin Yun crouched down, examining a mark distinct from the argali's footprints: "Dhole is dhole. Wolf is wolf. One is Canis aureus, the other is Canis lupus—different. Though both look similar and are known for pack hunting, they have clear differences."

"First, dhales are smaller—body length around 85 to 130 cm. Wolves reach 100 to 220 cm. Like the big male wolf I encountered yesterday—over two meters long."

"Also, dhales have reddish-brown backs, while wolves are usually gray-yellow or dark brown-black—darker overall."

As he finished speaking, a piercing sheep cry echoed from a depression several hundred meters ahead. He instantly rose, gripping his bow tightly.

"Something's happening—let's go see." Qin Yun crouched low, using piles of rubble for cover, advancing swiftly.

After walking about a hundred meters, he knelt and launched his secondary drone, planning to first use its footage to assess the situation, avoiding being forced into action.

Remember, both dholes and Tibetan argali are nationally protected animals—especially dholes, classified as Level One protected. He dared not kill them. The argali is also an internationally Level Two protected wild animal—he couldn't eat it either.

Unless his life was in immediate danger, triggering an emergency exemption clause.

As the drone rose and drifted closer to the depression, the screen showed an adult Tibetan argali circling helplessly, emitting shrill "baa" cries, its hind legs drenched in blood, while three reddish-brown dholes circled nearby, baring their teeth, waiting for the right moment.

This bharal is quite large—much bigger than the jackals surrounding it.

Sheep are stupid animals, and they graze; faced with predators like jackals, they have no idea how to fight back.

What will Brother Qin do?

These jackals are a Class One protected species. If Brother Qin kills one, the police will show up in the desert tomorrow and take him away.

Hahaha, just imagining it's funny—Brother Qin is fighting for survival, and suddenly two fully armed police officers descend from the sky, hahaha.

Qin Yun's lips twitched: "You're right—sheep are fools. But against three jackals, it can't escape; it'll just wear itself out. Remember, this isn't its home—it wandered in by accident. The jackals didn't. So unless something unexpected happens, it's dead."

Watching the screen, Qin Yun moved.

More than twenty seconds later, he appeared at the edge of the depression, looking down.

On the sandy ground not far away, three slender jackals with reddish-brown fur came into view. The bharal was bulky, its coat gray-brown, blending into the surrounding desert terrain; its thick, curved horns looked solid.

But its movements were unusually slow, pausing frequently as it turned, appearing especially Clumsy and heavy.

The lead jackal was slightly larger, drool dripping from its mouth, eyes blood-red, fangs bared; its claws scraped deep grooves into the sand as it repeatedly lunged at the bharal's rear, forcing the bharal to retreat step by step, emitting frantic, desperate bleats.

The other two jackals circled to the bharal's flanks, launching sudden attacks, giving it not a single moment to catch its breath.

The bharal's hind legs were already wounded; dark red blood dripped onto the sand and was instantly absorbed, leaving behind dark stains.

"Brothers, although the bharal is a drought-resistant animal, it needs to drink water every day. Most importantly, this bharal is pregnant—it needs even more water. So this bharal will be my best helper in finding water."

"666, Immortal Qin Yun interfered with the karmic bond between the bharal and the jackals."

"Jackal: You're so high and mighty, you're so great, I'm just being unreasonable, right?"

"We're screwed—those few wolves were easily killed by Brother Qin; these jackals will probably be two swings of the knife."

"If Brother Qin dares to kill it, I'll gift him ten Carnivals."

"Feng Liu Jie gifted the streamer ten Carnivals—Brother Qin, stay safe."

"…"

Qin Yun gave a slight nod: "Thank you for your gifts. Someone's wrong—I'm not afraid to act against the jackals; it's just that I, Qin Mou, am in the prime of my life. How could I spend it behind bars?"

"Damn, that twist came out of nowhere."

"If you're scared, you're scared. A real man just goes for it."

"Go on, Brother Qin! What are you afraid of? We'll visit you during holidays."

"Damn it, you're all no good."

Qin Yun's eyelids flickered; his Heavy attention returned to the battlefield. The bharal was currently his best chance to find water—he absolutely couldn't let it be killed by the jackals.

Without hesitation, he yanked an arrow from his bow's quiver, his fingers gripping the shaft, his gaze instantly locking onto the back of the lead jackal. With a slight pull, the bowstring drew taut.

"Shhh—!"

The arrow shot through the air with a sharp whistle, striking precisely beside the lead jackal's paw, kicking up a puff of sand and grazing its claw.

The jackal was startled by the sudden noise, freezing mid-motion. It turned its head sharply, its gaze fixed tightly on Qin Yun's direction, throat rumbling with a low, vicious growl, its fur bristling.

The other two jackals instantly halted their attacks and turned toward Qin Yun, their blood-red eyes blazing with aggression.

Yet even so, the bharal did not attempt to flee—it simply collapsed onto the ground, bleating weakly, still panting.

Qin Yun's arrow had disrupted the three jackals' hunt. He then slid down the depression directly to a spot ten meters from the jackals. He swiftly nocked another arrow, drew the bowstring taut again, and aimed straight at the lead jackal's eye, his voice thundering.

"Go!"

The jackals, perhaps encountering a human for the first time, were visibly startled by Qin Yun's booming voice; fear flickered in their eyes.

In size, Qin Yun loomed large; the jackals' instincts also told them this strange creature carried a threat.

But to give up such a hard-won meal so easily left them unwilling. The lead jackal growled several times, cautiously stepping forward, its sharp claws scraping a harsh sound across the sand—as if taunting.

Seeing this, Qin Yun tossed his bow aside and charged forward.

His speed was swift—he closed the distance to the lead jackal in the blink of an eye, then reached out and slapped it hard across the face.

"Pam—!"

The jackal was stunned.

"Jackal: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"

"Damn, he just gave it a massive slap—Brother Qin isn't human."

"This jackal looks dazed, hahaha—first time in jackal history being slapped."