Chapter 69: Confused Foxes (Requesting Follow and Monthly Votes)

Spirit beasts are extremely dangerous, especially those dominant ones with territorial instincts.

The young man, here, added a touch of wistfulness as he continued:

“Understanding the danger of spirit beasts is the first lesson in truly knowing them.”

“The second lesson concerns their origin. To be honest, we don’t know how spirit beasts are born—we can only deduce from blood analysis reports that certain gene sequences in them differ from ordinary humans.”

“The birth of a spirit beast is a genetic mutation, a miracle of nature, something unreplicable and utterly unpredictable.”

To quell Chen Zhi’s curiosity and better fulfill the confidentiality agreement.

The young man was very patient, explaining to Chen Zhi basic knowledge about spirit beasts.

As the young man said, the birth of spirit beasts is a gene-sequence mutation—unreplicable and unpredictable; no one knows which wild beast in the mountains will mutate.

There are actually quite a few ordinary civilians in Xia Country who have witnessed spirit beasts.

The department in charge has developed a highly standardized procedure, shifting from strict suppression of all spirit-beast-related information to controlled dissemination.

Pure prohibition sometimes backfires.

Proper public education and understanding are what truly deter reckless individuals from acting on their wild ideas.

There was once a case where a witness to a spirit-beast incident, after personally seeing one and signing a confidentiality agreement,

spent his days obsessively pondering it—thinking while at work, thinking after work, even thinking while washing his feet.

Eventually, his clever mind concluded that the world must be undergoing a Qi revival.

The incident occurred in Xia North District; the man brought food straight into the mountains, captured foxes, and took all the female foxes home to care for them properly.

He daydreamed endlessly about foxes repaying kindness, eventually even sneaking into Luoshan Scenic Area to steal one of Hu San’s ancestral spirit foxes to keep at home.

When the case broke, investigators were stunned—the man had captured over thirty female foxes.

Moreover, every fox’s neck bore a wish tag inscribed with the man’s identity and phone number.

He even regularly organized the female foxes to watch videos about gratitude and repayment.

No one knows whether any of those foxes gave birth to a spirit beast.

But the Xia North subspecies of red foxes truly suffered a great misfortune—their population was already small, and this man captured over thirty females, causing part of the population to miss an entire breeding season.

The foxes had dug their dens, yet found no suitable females to mate with, pacing frantically in circles.

…………

Back in the single room at the city bureau.

The young man from the Anquan Bureau clarified to Chen Zhi the origin and dangers of spirit beasts.

“If you encounter any creature suspected to be a spirit beast, do not hesitate—notify us immediately,” the young man said with a smiling summary.

Chen Zhi’s eyes narrowed slightly; the young man opposite had explained the origin and danger of spirit beasts as if telling a story, even poking fun at some humorous cases.

But Chen Zhi was no little girl—his storytelling was indeed captivating and amusing.

Yet he revealed not a single key point.

“May I ask your surname, sir?”

Chen Zhi thought for a moment and asked the young man.

“No need for formalities, Miss Chen, just call me Comrade Fang,” said the young man from the Anquan Bureau, Fang Zhijie.

“Mm.”

Chen Zhi’s expression turned serious. “Comrade Fang, right? My background must already be familiar to you, correct?”

Fang Zhijie gave a slight nod in response.

“Then, as a zoologist, beyond curiosity about spirit beasts, I’m even more curious about one thing: what do you do with the creatures you capture and label as spirit beasts?”

“I don’t know about other spirit beasts, but I’m certain the giant crocodile in the Pet Paradise is the Han Yu crocodile—long declared extinct in Xia Country.”

“The Crocodile Ode mentions it; it was also the main culprit behind crocodile plagues in southern Xia.”

Chen Zhi said grimly: “Did you kill it?”

“I personally don’t know the whereabouts of spirit beasts, but I can make this guarantee to Miss Chen.”

“I have my five insurances and two funds—but spirit beasts, after medical checks, live in villas with maids, treated like pandas,” Fang Zhijie said.

“They’re simply not allowed to be exhibited publicly due to their danger.”

“At least in Xia Country, every spirit beast is a precious asset—under our protection, none will meet an unnatural end.”

Chen Zhi looked at Fang Zhijie, paused thoughtfully, then shook her head. “Thank you, Comrade Fang, for your answers. I now have a basic understanding of spirit beasts.”

“Miss Chen, no need to thank us—it’s our duty. It’s we who should apologize for the loss and fright your spirit beast caused.”

Fang Zhijie smiled politely.

In truth, Chen Zhi still had one small question she wanted to ask Fang Zhijie.

But she didn’t press further—because even if she asked, she’d get no answer.

She had already learned what she needed to know.

After being recovered, spirit beasts are not subjected to harmless disposal—they’re guaranteed a comfortable life.

That means, even if Fu Li Lao Ye’s secret were exposed, he’d face no consequences.

Chen Zhi’s deep-seated doubt stemmed precisely from this treatment of spirit beasts.

Though she didn’t know whether it was a saltwater crocodile, a Han Yu crocodile, or some other creature, the fact remained: a spirit beast in the Changle River had caused three deaths.

Under wildlife protection law, even the rarest animal that has injured a human must be humanely disposed of.

Otherwise, one injury leads to another.

Chen Zhi’s question about the crocodile was, in essence, a trap to extract information.

First, to find out how they treat spirit beasts.

Second, to inquire on Fu Li Lao Ye’s behalf about his future living conditions.

Hmm.

But after extracting the information, Chen Zhi wondered: why are spirit beasts treated so exceptionally?

They must serve some purpose—otherwise, a project that only consumes resources without output would be criticized in scientific circles, leading to cancellation.

But what purpose do spirit beasts serve?

No need to guess—Fang Zhijie won’t say.

“Phew. Zoologists are such a pain.”

Fang Zhijie stepped out of the room, wiping nonexistent sweat from his forehead—he held no great impression of zoologists or botanists.

They pretend not to be curious, but once back home, they immediately launch new projects—or cloak their inquiries under lofty moral banners to pry information from you.

“Miss Chen was manageable; the next lady will be the real challenge,” said the security bureau expert with a strange expression. “That witness is a true, in every sense, young lady.”

A middle-aged man in a suit and glasses smiled and greeted Fang Zhijie’s group.

“Hello, I’m Miss Lin’s lawyer. This gentleman beside me is from the city—”

Fang Zhijie scratched his head, gritted his teeth, and entered another single room.

Why was Lin Ying on Changping Mountain? According to her and the driver’s statements, it was simple: Lin’s daughter suffered severe depression; the village was too noisy for rest, so they came hiking.

Whether the statement was plausible didn’t matter much.

What mattered was that Lin Ying herself reported the incident, fully cooperated with their work, and even contacted the Anquan Bureau.

Lin Ying comes from a true century-old clan; though they live overseas, their roots remain in the homeland.

Given the Lin family’s overseas influence, they must know about spirit beasts.

Fang Zhijie took a deep breath, face set with resolve, and entered Lin Ying’s room, preparing for a tough battle.

…………

What happened at the Public Security Bureau currently has little to do with An Sheng, but with Lin Ying’s return, he should learn something about spirit beasts.

And now,

An Sheng sneaked out of the business vehicle, carrying the uneaten snacks and his phone back home in his mouth.

Though it was past twelve, Yu Xueqing’s house still glowed brightly—indeed, the entire village was lit up; some villagers still sat in their courtyards drinking tea and chatting.

Because of the brat who blew up cow dung.

Some residents of Jiule City had returned to the village to chat with relatives and hadn’t gone to bed yet.

An Sheng sneaked home; Yu Zhenghong and Chen Peipei were still sitting in the living room.

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(End of Chapter)