Chapter 323

“Chirp!”

With a startled screech from the large bird, the wooden spear slid along its wing.

Instantly, the bird was filled with terror, no longer caring about the lynx kitten right beside it.

Then, in panic, the bird rose again, shooting straight into the sky to put distance between itself and Xiao Yi.

Only when it believed itself safe did the bird once more peer down at the lynx kitten on the ground.

Yet it was still trembling, for just a moment ago it had felt the breath of death.

It had been so close—if that flying object had struck true, it would have been certain death.

“Mmm! Mmm!”

At this moment, the lynx kitten also snapped out of its fear and let out two excited cries.

It knew its crisis had passed—for now—and that humans would save it.

As for Xiao Yi, he felt no disappointment at having failed to land a killing blow.

After all, he knew the odds of hitting it were minuscule; driving off the feather-footed kite was success enough.

But as the bird had just dodged past, Xiao Yi had clearly seen what kind of bird had attacked them.

“Two feather-footed kites!”

“Damn it, how did we run into these things?”

Xiao Yi muttered under his breath, surprised to encounter two feather-footed kites here.

Feather-footed kites primarily inhabit regions near the Arctic Circle, though not exclusively—they’re found elsewhere in the world too.

Honestly, Xiao Yi shouldn’t have been too surprised to find one here, since this was the edge of the Arctic, within the feather-footed kite’s hunting range!

But these birds were already considered medium-sized raptors—no wonder they dared target the lynx kitten.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

Meanwhile, the other feather-footed kite had also stirred into action.

As it dove at full speed toward the reindeer herd, it saw their size and abruptly pulled upward.

Clearly, this kite was sensible enough to know it couldn’t lift a reindeer into the air—its talons might even get tangled in the reindeer’s fur.

If its talons got caught in the reindeer’s fur, it would be fatal for the feather-footed kite.

As for the five reindeer, they merely looked up at the large bird that had just glided past overhead.

They had seen such birds before—though only in passing, with no real interaction.

Then, the five reindeer paid no attention to the bird above them; Xiao Yi’s departure had already put them under pressure.

Right now, they were focused entirely on controlling the sled’s descent speed and maintaining their own stability—how could they spare a thought for the bird overhead?

Soon, the two feather-footed kites gathered in the air, let out a cry, and with perfect coordination, dove again toward the lynx kitten.

Both kites understood: the only prey they could now capture and carry off was the sliding lynx kitten.

“Mmm! Mmm!”

Seeing the two feather-footed kites attacking again, the lynx kitten screamed in terror once more.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yi’s livestream chat was in an uproar.

“Holy shit, thank God Xiao Shen fired that spear in time! That was a lifesaver!”

“So close—just a hair’s breadth away! That bird would’ve been shot down.”

“You can always trust Xiao Shen!”

“Anyone recognize this bird? Looks like an eagle—is it an eagle? So fast!”

“It’s a kite, not an eagle. The forehead, crown, and nape are all creamy white or white, marked with dark brown feather shafts. The upperparts are brown or dark brown with pale edges; the wing coverts are brown with a tinge of russet and pale brown edges. This is definitely a feather-footed kite from near the Arctic Circle—a medium-sized raptor.”

“Of course, the real experts are in the comments!”

“Haha, yeah—if no one had pointed it out, I wouldn’t have known kites even existed.”

“Holy crap, again? Can’t these two feather-footed kites just leave my lynx kitten alone?!”

“Danger! Danger! Xiao Shen, hurry and protect it!”

…

…

After Xiao Yi recognized the two birds’ species, someone in the livestream also identified them.

It had to be said—the livestream had many hidden experts; most people never see kites in their lifetime, let alone recognize them.

If Xiao Yi hadn’t studied the Arctic region’s flora and fauna with the production team before the show, he wouldn’t have recognized them either.

But before the lynx kitten could escape danger, viewers saw it face peril again—and instantly erupted in cries of alarm.

As for Xiao Yi, he was already rubbing his temples; he now had only one wooden spear left, and he needed it to steer and maintain balance.

More importantly, both feather-footed kites had fixed their attention entirely on the lynx kitten.

One spear couldn’t scare off two kites at once—especially with his aim still uncertain.

But the two feather-footed kites gave Xiao Yi no time to think—he saw them dive again from above the lynx kitten.

Xiao Yi gritted his teeth and used his wooden spear to accelerate the sled’s slide.

He was now about eighty meters from the lynx kitten. With no other options, he had to gamble on timing.

If he reached the lynx kitten before the kites grabbed it, he could save the little creature.

If the kites got there first, the lynx kitten was on its own.

If he ever got the chance later, he would avenge it.

In the blink of an eye, both Xiao Yi and the two feather-footed kites were racing against time.

The kites knew well: if the human arrived first, they’d lose their plump prey.

Twenty meters… ten meters… six meters…

Just as Xiao Yi was about to reach the lynx kitten and save it—

The lynx kitten sensed Xiao Yi’s proximity. Its terror eased, instantly calming.

Even though the two kites were right above, the lynx kitten trusted that this human would drive off the evil birds and save it—that was its faith in Xiao Yi.

But then, sudden chaos: one of the two kites, both originally diving toward the lynx kitten, suddenly broke off and swooped at the sliding Xiao Yi.

Clearly, the two kites were clever—they coordinated, knowing they couldn’t let Xiao Yi reach the lynx kitten first.

The kite flying toward Xiao Yi glinted with cold light from its talons in the sunlight.

If Xiao Yi were actually caught by those talons, he’d be torn apart.

And the kite’s speed was blinding—like a bolt of lightning.

“Bold!”

Seeing the kite hurtling toward him, Xiao Yi snarled.

But he didn’t want to fight it head-on—if he got caught, he’d be forced to quit the show.

He shifted slightly left, barely dodging the kite’s talons—but in doing so, he left the lynx kitten truly vulnerable.