Chapter 22

Xunbao Shu closed its eyes in despair, silently thinking: Master, I'm done for!

I, the little mouse, haven't married yet; I, the little mouse, haven't had a chubby baby; I, the little mouse, am unwilling!!!

At that moment, Dahei turned its head, looked, and immediately barked wildly; Ling Yue, who was admiring the scenery, was startled, she patted its head to calm it down, then took a closer look—Xunbao Shu was in mortal danger!

Ling Yue immediately shouted: "Hoe, spare the mouse!"

The villagers shuddered, instinctively stopping their movements; Xunbao Shu dragged its paralyzed legs backward, leaving a long grass stalk on the ground.

The moment it saw Ling Yue, it could no longer hold back and cried out with an "Ah": "I, the little mouse, just now almost didn't make it!"

Ling Yue held it in her hands; the soft, fluffy Xunbao Shu was completely unlike the gray rats of rural towns, its whole body gleaming with golden threads, like a little sun.

At this moment, it was sobbing, hiccuping.

Ling Yue pressed her lips tightly shut, wanting to laugh but daring not to.

She lifted her thick lashes, glanced at the villagers staring at her in shock, and explained: "Sorry, this mouse is mine; she's not an ordinary rat, she's a pet mouse."

The villagers clicked their tongues in amazement, looking at her as if to say: "City folks, their hobbies are just special!"

Ling Yue felt a headache, but because of this, she learned that there was a small village at the mountain's base, where every household ran a farmstead or a small inn.

Perfect, Ling Yue had found a place to play, but before that, she needed to fetch the book first.

Ling Yue thought, and her gaze unconsciously fell upon the endless mountains.

When no one was around, she held the Feng Shui turtle and slowly walked upstream along the creek; finally, at a high little slope, clusters of small wildflowers bloomed around, the creek babbled, and the setting was tranquil.

The Feng Shui turtle's eyes lit up: "This is the place!"

"My nest."

It felt a bit envious, after all it had lived there for a while; it immediately crawled over, and Dahei also caught the familiar scent, though only a faint trace remained due to the passage of time.

Dahei, excited, charged straight toward the little slope in a sudden rush.

Before Ling Yue could stop it, she heard a "wah-woo" and the mighty black-backed dog thudded, getting stuck!

Half of its body was inside, half outside, accompanied by Dahei's anxious cries for help, its butt wiggling back and forth, the scene was quite comical.

"Ga-ga-ga!" the crow perched on the tree laughed until it couldn't close its beak.

The Feng Shui turtle shook its head: "Eh ya ya, Dahei, you're too reckless."

In the end, everyone pulled the dog out together, only to see Dahei tightly gripping a large package in its mouth, its tail wagging like a little fan: "Master, master! I found it!"

Ling Yue happily rubbed the dog's head, then suddenly paused, opened her palm, and there was a handful of dirt.

Can this dog still be kept?

She blinked, and Dahei gave a silly grin—really a goofy dog, and also somewhat endearingly lovable.

Ling Yue crouched down and discovered the package was tightly wrapped in cowhide paper; the Feng Shui turtle beside her sighed: "This guy, back when he tied it up, nearly got me killed."

Ling Yue opened it to find blue thread-bound books, seven or eight of them, ranging from traditional to simplified characters; from the paper one could tell they were from different eras, likely the Feng Shui turtle's notes from various periods.

Upon opening, Ling Yue was stunned—it was unexpectedly simple, she could hardly believe it. Conversely, the Feng Shui turtle, hearing Ling Yue's words, was somewhat doubtful; those books contained all its lifetime learning, they certainly weren't simple.

Ling Yue didn't dwell on it, "I Can Hear Animal Voices 【Live】", she noted the URL m. 1., collected the books, and took the small animals up the mountain to play and walk; even a passing little reptile made Dahei extremely excited.

However, it had just taken a bath, its ears twitched, and it dared not run around recklessly.

As for why, Ling Yue followed behind, smiling at the dog: "Dahei, you're the best behaved, right?"

Dahei tucked its tail: "Yes, QAQ."

Xunbao Shu trailed far behind the Mysterious Cat Queen, unnoticed by anyone; it wagged its tail, creeping closer, until a fluffy paw pad descended from above and pressed down on its eager little belly.

The Mysterious Cat Queen looked down from above, aloof: "Little mouse, behave."

Xunbao Shu: "Hehehe… hehehe…"

It scratched its face; if not for the fluffy fur covering its face, its cheeks would surely be flushed red: "My wife initiated talking to me! My wife touched me!"

All along the way, Xunbao Shu walked light and airy, not knowing how it ended up floating down the mountain.

Ling Yue drove the small animals to the farmstead; from afar she could already smell the rich aroma, and checking the time, it was already eleven o'clock.

Ling Yue: "Let's eat here today, farmhouse stewed chicken or barbecue—tell me what you want and I'll order it!"

Dahei couldn't help but howl a few times from the back seat, its shiny coat shaking: "Oh yeah! Master's the best!"

Whether it was self-serve barbecue or a mixed grill platter, most were outdoors; many tourists were outing here, the scene wasn't noisy but quite joyful.

As Ling Yue laid out the picnic blanket, Xunbao Shu helped eagerly from behind, unable to resist glancing at the proud Mysterious Cat Queen, a mouse-licking heart stirring.

The farmstead offered two options; Ling Yue ordered the specialty stewed chicken and also a self-serve grill, announcing: "Today we'll have grilled meat and mushroom stewed chicken!"

A lone girl with a whole troupe of small animals on an outing drew plenty of attention.

Ling Yue then realized that the scattered groups here were actually couples; she fell silent for a moment, but once the meat arrived, who could still care?

Dig in!

The brought-out plates were already set, offering fresh meat and cooked meat as choices; besides Ling Yue and the Feng Shui turtle, whose food could be seasoned, the other small animals got pet meals.

The oily beef skewers, just entering the mouth, were enthusiastically welcomed by everyone; Xunbao Shu Duo Duo, who had tasted many delicacies, could now pat its belly and guarantee: "Master, the beef you bought for several hundred per pound is not as good as this!"

Ling Yue agreed, nodded, then looked again—the crow was already eagerly eating raw meat, and the Feng Shui turtle master nodded its head, gulping down the fresh red meat strands.

Glancing at the neighboring plate, Ling Yue felt a question mark pop up above her head: "Where's my meat? I grilled such a huge plate of meat!"

Xunbao Shu shifted back, laughing helplessly, completely unable to hide the mountain of beef before the Mysterious Cat Queen.

At that moment, the neighboring couple had been fussing for half a day, ending up dirty-faced, still hadn't gotten a good fire going; the wife regretted courting death by challenging hell mode, while the male companion instinctively asked the person next to him: "Brother, lend me a fire——"

The man felt a handful of fluff, immediately sensed something was off, took a closer look, and a national curse burst out: "Holy shit, who are you?!"

The volume was moderate, the nearby households heard it clearly, and couldn't help but look over.

The male companion was stunned: "This, this is actually a dog, not a person?"

"Ahhh!!" The neighboring couple screamed, hugging each other; the girl hooked her boyfriend's neck, feet off the ground, before daring to poke the equally dumbfounded boyfriend: "Honey, help me rub my eyes—am I seeing things?" He muttered to himself, as if seeing the sun rise in the west: "I saw it too—has this dog become a spirit?"

"Is this a person or a dog? Or a person wearing a dog's skin?"

Ling Yue followed the gaze and met a pair of pitch-black large eyes: "!!!"

Propping up half its body, Da Hei, whose paws were flipping the skewers, seemed to sense something, turned its head and gave her a happy grin; the meat on the grill was still sizzling with oil: "Master, Da Hei grilled meat for you to eat."

Ling Yue instantly recalled that viral image that once swept all the major food-delivery platforms: "I ate your food, and my dog whipped up four dishes and a soup overnight!"

Hiss—

All around were shocked gasps; Ling Yue forced herself to call Da Hei down from the grill, hearing the faint whispers of dog spirits and demons, the corner of her mouth twitching nonstop.

This time, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't wash her clean!

The probing gazes felt like needles in their backs; only after changing rooms did they shake them off. When they left the farmhouse restaurant, each was so stuffed their bellies were round, slumped in their chairs humming and hawing.

Treasure-seeking Mouse: "I'm so full! The beef is really delicious, Da Hei, you agree, right?"

Da Hei nodded, its long fur swaying.

Ling Yue was driving, and just as she was about to turn onto the highway, she suddenly changed direction. Looking at the time displayed on her phone, she said: "We still have a bit of time; let's go check out the cattle farm."

The Treasure-seeking Mouse did a carp's leap, its mung-bean-sized eyes sparkling: "I know, I know! Master, while we were eating, you asked about the beef's source—are you planning to buy beef?"

Ling Yue chuckled: "You're the smart one!"

She was driving an SUV, with a large and spacious rear cargo area; going out for fun, bringing back some local specialties wouldn't be bad. Well, it's definitely not because she's craving them.

According to the boss's description, the yellow-cattle farm was just a few kilometers off the highway, with a big sign; Ling Yue spotted it from afar, pulled over, and glanced inside the car: the feng shui turtle was eating comfortably, now lying down to rest in the car, and the little mice couldn't budge either.

The only one who could come out with her was Da Hei.

Ling Yue held the dog leash: "Da Hei, let's go!"

Da Hei barked loudly, full of spirit!

Ling Yue's idea of buying a cow was nothing major here, but the cattle farm owner was an honest fellow: "You want to buy a cow? At market price, just give me 25,000—don't complain it's too much; my beef is fragrant and tender, all supplied to restaurants."

"And since you want to eat it, pick one—I'll have the butcher slaughter it fresh for you right away."

Ling Yue blinked, startled; she had researched yellow-cattle prices, and seeing the plump, sturdy yellow cattle in the pen, this price was so cheap she could hardly believe it.

That silence, in the boss's eyes, was hesitation; he frowned and said: "We can't lower the price any further, or we'd lose money—we rely on this to make a living."

Ling Yue was snapped back to reality by his words, couldn't help laughing: "Deal!"

As for how to choose, she declined the farm owner's offer and decided to pick one herself in the pen. After carefully observing the surroundings, even being this close there was no odd smell; the boss took very good care of them.

It was the Dongbei corner, where a few workers were repairing the wall; that section seemed to have collapsed.

Ling Yue didn't pay much attention; as soon as she entered the cattle shed, she could hear all kinds of sounds.

"Oh, you're here to buy a cow? Save me—I haven't eaten my fill yet, I don't want to be slaughtered!"

"Hmm, today's feed is a bit prickly, rough and scratchy."

"Pretty lass, why did you come alone? My meat is fragrant—come buy me!"

The nearby cow chewing feed curled her lip: "Don't believe you, you devil! You keep saying there's something growing in your belly, hard as a rock, you can't even eat grass properly—whoever buys you will surely lose out!"

Ling Yue's eyes lit up as she listened; an idea instantly struck her: cow-bezoar!

Cow-bezoar is a medicinal substance, the dried gallstone of cattle, first recorded in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing: "It treats convulsions, chills and fever, and severe mania from excess heat."

As a medicinal ingredient, the most famous preparation containing cow-bezoar is the An Gong Niu Huang Wan, extremely precious and hailed as one of China's Four Great Divine Medicines. Moreover, the An Gong Niu Huang Wan made from natural cow-bezoar has once sold for hundreds of thousands.

Ling Yue wasn't sure, but seeing that this cow was also plump and sturdy, even if it lacked cow-bezoar it didn't matter; she said: "Then this one will do."

The nearby handler answered, leading the cow toward the back.

The old yellow cattle, aware of its fate, wasn't afraid at all—rather, it was delighted: "Finally someone's helped me; my belly feels like there's a stone rattling inside, this old ox's life is worse than death."

Ling Yue relaxed, took Da Hei's leash and headed back, when the dog suddenly barked wildly, warning: "Master! I sense something—there's movement over there!"

Ling Yue looked—sure enough, it was the spot where the wall was being repaired, with several more workers laying bricks; she didn't hesitate, shouting: "You guys get down quick—something's coming!"

The workers were startled, suddenly feeling the ground vibrate; each dropped their tools and ran to the side.

The next moment—a tremendous "Boom—" rang out!

The low wall built of red bricks collapsed instantly; a pair of huge horns burst through, the long-haired wild bull shook its head, its fur unable to conceal its bulging, muscular build.

After bursting through the wall, it bellowed, swinging its hooves, making onlookers feel uneasy: "Little Red, Little Green, Little Flower, I've come back to see you!"

From the cattle pen came the cows' reply: "Big Brother Dali, you've finally come—we've missed you!"

"You damn Dali, did you go up the mountain to fool around with other cows? We're about to die missing you."

"Big Brother Dali, hurry up and take me out—I, I'm pregnant with your calf~" The voice was bashful; it wasn't clear whether it was Little Red, Little Green, or Little Flower.

Upon hearing that, the wild bull instantly flew into a rage, charging toward the pen that had made the sound; the other bulls trembled in fear, being long-domesticated farm cattle, while this wild bull was like a small mountain—completely a big brother to them!

"Oh dear, who will save us? This guy is a lunatic!"

"What? Little Flower's calf isn't mine?"

"Oh, Big Yellow, you just found out? I thought you already knew and just didn't mind."

"I don't care a bit! What have I done to deserve this? This bastard suddenly came down from the mountain, stole my wife and wants to give me a green boo-hoo! Wah-wah-wah, let me live or not—my bovine face is totally lost!"

The sound of such grief and indignation made Ling Yue involuntarily exclaim, "How horrible, horrible, horrible!"

In a short while, the cattle farm was wrecked by the frenzied wild bull.

The farm owner's heart condition, worsened by distress, was about to flare; he finally mustered some men: "Quick, quick, someone get over here and subdue it!"

"Oh dear, my mom! Be careful, don't let it gore your belly!"

"Mom, how is this wild bull so strong? Seven or eight people can't hold it down!"

"Quick, quick, quick—surround it!"

The loud commands mixed with work chants made it quite lively, but the effect had Ling Yue shaking her head; the situation was one-sided, the wild bull went berserk—let alone seven or eight, even a dozen or twenty couldn't subdue it.

The farm owner was anxious as burning, finally looking at the swaying pen about to collapse, people nearly in tears: "What do we do? What can we do?"

The farm owner, speaking, couldn't help but be overcome with sorrow, burying his face in his hands and weeping; seeing him on the verge of collapsing under life's burdens, Ling Yue felt compassion stir: "Maybe I can help you."

The farm owner stared at her in surprise, this lively city lass; of course he didn't believe her, shaking his head: "Miss, why are you still here? You'd better leave—this place is dangerous."

Ling Yue shook her head: "I haven't even told you my job yet—I'm the owner of a pet consultancy shop, and I know a bit of animal language."

Ling Yue shook her head: "I haven't introduced my profession yet; I am the owner of a pet consultation shop, and I know a bit of animal language."

You let them disperse; I'll chat with the wild bull.

The cattle farm owner felt as if he'd heard something like Arabian Nights, but upon meeting Ling Yue's eyes, his heart trembled; given the situation, could it possibly get any worse?!

Damn it!

He immediately evacuated the workers; soon, beside the dilapidated cattle pen, only the frenziedly charging wild bull remained, its two long horns comparable to excavators, having gouged a large hole in the wall.

The cattle farm owner thought she would send a dog to restrain it, but little did he know, Ling Yue walked over alone; the wild bull sensed the stranger's approach, snorted, instantly turned its head, and, flying into a rage, shouted: 'Watch me not smash you to pieces!'

It quickly dug up the ground, its hooves pounding with a thud, then charged forward like an incredibly fierce muscle bomb; seeing this, the cattle farm owner's face turned deathly pale, his intestines regretting green!

What possessed him to actually dare believe a little girl!

The workers were even more terrified, the timid ones closing their eyes, not daring to look.

After a moment, the scene became as if stagnant, a deathly silence.

Everyone looked over curiously.

Upon opening their eyes again, the wild bull actually slammed on the brakes, stopping right before Ling Yue.

Ling Yue released a powerful, overbearing aura of the beast king capable of crushing everything, and said only: 'Kneel down for me!'

The wild bull thumped, dropping to its knees.

It sensed on her the aura of the king of beasts; no matter how frenzied it was, the fear ingrained in its genes was enough to overwhelm everything.

The eager Dahei looked up at its master, its doggy eyes full of stars.

All the workers in the cattle farm sucked in a breath at that thin figure, and after seeing the situation clearly, they gasped even more.

The cattle farm owner was overjoyed: 'Savior! Savior!'

Ling Yue began interrogating the wild bull, asking why it had come here; the wild bull trembled, not daring to stay silent.

Wild cattle and sheep usually travel in herds, but this wild bull was unfortunate; during migration it accidentally got separated, not knowing how long it had run, it actually detoured across the endless mountain range and ended up here.

It immediately discovered this cattle farm, and was instantly drawn to the gentle, adorable cows within, thereafter lingering in the land of tenderness, never wanting to leave.

But the cows were domestic; the wild bull could only cause trouble while trying to get close to the heifers it fancied, so the situation became thus: he'd charge the cattle farm owner, then make up, back and forth for months, until today's big outbreak occurred.

The wild bull snorted: 'Hmph, those soft-bellied bulls don't deserve those cute, pretty heifers; only I have the strength! My mother told me I'm the sole descendant of the bull king in our clan!'

If it hadn't been subdued by Ling Yue, it would have already taken its wives into the mountains.

Upon hearing that, Ling Yue couldn't help but raise her eyebrows: 'You've been wandering the outskirts of the mountains, unaware of the situation; deep in the dense forest, there are many carnivorous beasts.'

It's also that this bull was lucky; otherwise, it would have long been gnawed down to bare bones.

The wild bull looked at her dubiously.

Ling Yue said nothing more.

The cattle farm owner watching nearby couldn't help but speak: 'Ling, Miss Ling, what on earth is going on?!'

He is now completely at a loss; his only hope rests on Ling Yue.