My 1995 Small Farm.

Just as Chen Ling finished tidying up the east wing, laid out the clean white sheets that Wang Susu had found, and wiped the small table he had prepared to use to treat the wound with liquor, he heard a series of hurried footsteps and shouts coming from outside the courtyard.

"Uncle Fugui! Is Uncle Fugui home?"

It was Chen Yuqiang's voice, filled with obvious anxiety.

Chen Ling responded and put down what she was holding to go out and greet him: "I'm here, Yuqiang. What's wrong? You seem flustered."

Chen Yuqiang and Chen Ze ran into the yard, panting. Chen Ze was carrying a straw net bag, which seemed to contain something.

"Uncle Fugui, two of the geese you let roam freely by the river have died!" Chen Yuqiang wiped his sweat and said urgently.

"Huh? Two of them died? Tell me slowly, what happened?"

Chen Ling was taken aback. Geese are not to be trifled with. Even eagles rarely catch geese unless they are migrating.

"I don't know what happened, it's like it was harmed by something!" Chen Ze picked up the net in his hand.

Chen Ling then saw clearly that the net contained the carcasses of two adult geese, their necks drooping at an unnatural angle, their feathers disheveled, and stained with mud and darkened bloodstains.

Most noticeably, both geese had several small holes near their backs on their necks, and the surrounding feathers were soaked in blood and matted. The wounds were small, but they looked eerie.

Hearing the noise, Wang Susu came out of the house and saw the dead goose. She exclaimed, "Oh no! What happened? Did a wild cat bite it?"

"It doesn't look like a stray cat."

Chen Ling squatted down and examined the wound carefully, his brows furrowed: "Wildcat bites usually leave tear marks, the wounds wouldn't be this neat and small... This looks more like... it was bitten through by the sharp teeth of something."

He gestured with his hands to indicate the size and spacing of the wounds.

"Look at these teeth marks, they're very small but very deep, they bit right through the neck, a fatal blow."

"If it were a weasel or a fox, the wound would be larger, and they would usually suck blood."

"This wound... is too clean and neat, as if it was specifically designed to kill."

"you do not say!"

Chen Yuqiang: "We also found it eerie! When we found them, the flock of geese was in a mess, and the dead ones were lying in the grassy areas on the riverbank. If Liu Nier and the others hadn't gone to the river to collect snails and found them, we wouldn't have known."

"The key point is!"

Chen Ze added, his face full of confusion: "Haven't Afu and Ashou been hanging around there a lot these past few days? We even saw Ashou lying on the riverbank yesterday afternoon! What kind of creature is so bold as to commit a crime right under the tiger's nose?"

These words enlightened Chen Ling.

Yes, as the "overlords" of this area, Afu and Ashou's aura has a strong deterrent effect on most wild beasts.

Ordinary jackals and foxes would never dare to hunt in areas where they frequently roam, let alone approach flocks of geese that are clearly friendly with humans.

This doesn't make sense.

"Come on, take me to see the scene."

Chen Ling stood up, his expression grave, fearing that something like the "Over-the-Mountain Yellow" might reappear.

"Let's go too!" Xiaoming and Ruirui ran out when they heard the commotion.

"You all stay home and behave," Chen Ling waved his hand and said to Wang Susu. "I'll be right back. Keep an eye on the kids and don't let them run around."

Wang Susu nodded: "Be careful."

Chen Ling followed Chen Yuqiang and the other man quickly toward the riverbank south of the village.

……

The familiar shallows and reed beds along the riverbank now appeared somewhat disheveled.

Instead of leisurely playing and foraging as usual, the flock of geese gathered on a stretch of water a little further from the shore, appearing somewhat alarmed and occasionally letting out a wary "quack quack" call.

Several adult geese on guard stretched their necks and nervously looked around.

The children, including Liu Nier and Xizi, discovered the scene. They were still standing there, their faces pale. When they saw Chen Ling arrive, they seemed to have found their pillar of support and immediately surrounded him.

“Uncle Fugui! Look, it’s right there!” Liu Ni’er pointed to a patch of grass that had been trampled down.

Chen Ling walked over, squatted down, and examined the area carefully.

There were obvious signs of struggle and scattered feathers in the grass, and some messy claw marks on the soil. They were very shallow and small, not much larger than cat paw prints, and their shapes were somewhat peculiar, unlike those of common animals.

He parted the grass and found several relatively clear footprints on the damp mud closer to the water.

The footprints were about the size of the first joint of an adult's thumb, with four toes and sharp claw marks arranged in a certain way...

Chen Ling squinted and gently traced the outline with his finger.

“These footprints…” he pondered, “don’t seem like they came from flying…”

"Uncle Fugui, what is that? Is it the Yellow Mountain Weasel again?" Xizi asked nervously, and the other children held their breath.

Chen Ling shook his head and laughed: "This isn't a Yellow-throated Marten. You've never seen a Yellow-throated Marten. A Yellow-throated Marten looks like a tiger, either a demon or a monster, or a tiger with long yellow fangs. This one... does look a bit like... a Yellow-throated Marten?"

"Yellow-throated marten?" Chen Yuqiang and Chen Ze looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Yes, it's a small, ferocious beast that lives in the forest, a bit bigger than a weasel. It has yellow fur all over its body, and a white throat. It's particularly agile and fierce, and is known as the 'Wolverine.' It often dares to attack animals much larger than itself."

Chen Ling explained, "When you went into the mountains with Brother Xian and the others before, you and Yu Qiang were working outside, so you probably hadn't seen them before. When they saw Afu and Ashou, they didn't run away, but instead observed and looked around."

"Yellow-throated martens are bold and fierce, and they often live in groups."

"If it's them, they might indeed be less afraid of the tiger's lingering scent, especially when they're not around here with Afu and Ashou."

"But we've never heard of this thing before. Could it have come from the Qinling Mountains?" Chen Ze scratched his head.

Just because it didn't exist before doesn't mean it doesn't exist now.

Chen Ling stood up and looked at the lush green forest in the distance: "There are more things in the mountains these past two years. Some things that were not seen before may have spread out of the old forest."

He walked to the water's edge. When the flock of geese saw him, they seemed to calm down a bit. A few even swam closer to him, honking as if they were complaining.

Chen Lingqing counted the number of geese. Apart from the two dead adult geese, it seemed that... two half-grown sub-adult geese were missing.

It seems the losses extend beyond the two visible individuals.

"Sixth Sister, you all listen up too,"

Chen Ling then told the children, "You must be home before dark these days. Don't linger by the river, understand? This thing can kill geese, and it's just as dangerous for you, little ones."

Seeing Chen Ling's serious expression, the children all nodded obediently.

Chen Ling circled the riverbank again carefully, but found no further valuable clues.

The mysterious attackers came and went without a trace, leaving almost nothing except for a few tiny marks.

By the time we got back to the farm, it was already getting dark.

Wang Susu and her parents were waiting for him to eat; the food was being kept warm in the pot.

"Have you found out what it is?" Wang Susu asked while serving him rice.

"I have a clue; it might be a yellow-throated marten, but I can't be completely sure."

Chen Ling took a bite of rice and then explained the situation and his analysis.

"...These things aren't very big, but they're not easy to deal with. They're agile and fierce, and Afu and Ashou's intimidation might have limited effect on them."

"What can we do then? We can't just watch over the flock of geese every day, can we?" Gao Xiulan said worriedly.

Chen Ling laughed upon hearing this, "This thing is most afraid of aerial intimidation. Afu and Ashou are kings on the ground, they can't manage too much. We need to call Ertuzi back."

"Er Tuzi?"

"That's right! Baldy has good eyesight and flies high. With it watching from the sky, it's hard for anything to get close!" "Mm."

Chen Ling nodded: "Er Tu Zi, with his two henchmen, patrols a wide area, which is perfect for dealing with these small creatures."

I'll whistle several times tomorrow morning to lure them back from Yangtougou.

Speaking of tomorrow...

Chen Ling remembered the maggots again and quickly finished her meal in a few bites: "You guys eat first, I'll go prepare something else."

He returned to the makeshift "treatment room" and his consciousness sank into a deep abyss.

A batch of maggots that were previously cultivated have hatched. They are plump and white, wriggling on specific medicinal residues, and are very active.

He carefully took out a portion, wrapped it in clean, damp leaves from the cave, and prepared to use it the next day.

At the same time, some herbs that help reduce inflammation and promote tissue regeneration were taken out, ground into powder, and kept for later use.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Ling got up.

He first went to check on the goose nests over the greenhouse. After resting overnight, the flock of geese seemed to have calmed down.

But you could still tell he was still shaken.

Chen Ling felt a little relieved. After having a simple breakfast at home, he said to Wang Susu, "I'm going into the mountains to deliver a message to Er Tu Zi. I should be back before noon."

If... if the people from Hong Kong Island arrive first, tell them to stay home and rest. Tell them you have some urgent business and will be back soon.

"Okay, go ahead, be careful on the road."

Wang Susu helped him straighten his collar.

Chen Ling whistled, and Heiwa and Xiaojin immediately jumped out of their doghouse, wagging their tails excitedly.

He thought for a moment and decided not to bring Ah Fu and Ah Shou. The two tigers would be too conspicuous and might disturb the forest.

A man and two dogs walked along a familiar mountain path into the depths of the mountains.

The air in the mountain forest was exceptionally fresh in the early morning, dewdrops rolled on the grass, and birdsong rose and fell.

As Chen Ling walked through the mountains, he blew his eagle whistle.

This is specifically for summoning falcons.

Even from a distance, Er Tuzi could hear it; it traveled even further than the pigeon whistles hanging on pigeons.

Furthermore, Er Tuzi is no ordinary person; he understands what someone means just by hearing a noise.

Halfway there, as they passed through a pine forest, Heiwa and Xiaojin suddenly stopped, their ears perked up, and they made low "woofing" sounds as they warily looked at the dense forest to their side.

Chen Ling also stopped immediately and stared intently.

The forest clearing was a mess, with many feathers scattered around. Judging from their color and size, they looked like those of pheasants or quails.

In the center of the open space, the carcass of a pheasant lay there, its neck cleanly severed, the wound... strikingly similar to the wound on the goose Chen Ling had seen yesterday!
Chen Ling felt a chill run down his spine and crouched down to examine the area closely.

Besides pheasant feathers and footprints, there were also several small but clear claw prints at the scene, exactly the same as those seen on the muddy riverbank yesterday!
It really is this thing!

It actually ran into the mountains so far from the village?
It seems their activity range is quite large.

Moreover, judging from the scene, it was eating here.

This suggests that its nest or usual activity area may not be far from here.

Chen Ling signaled Heiwa and Xiaojin to split up and carefully search the surrounding area.

Soon, Little Gold let out a soft bark from under a bush.

Chen Ling walked over, parted the bushes, and discovered a hidden entrance to a cave. The entrance was only the size of a bowl, with smooth surroundings and obvious signs of entry and exit. A few fine yellow hairs were scattered around the entrance.

“Found your hideout…” Chen Ling’s eyes sharpened.

He did not act rashly, as these small predators are often very alert, and there is likely more than one of them.

He needs two bald men to deal with them.

He noted the location and continued towards the mountain lake.

The closer you get to the mountain lake, the heavier the moisture in the air becomes, and the denser and louder the birdsong becomes.

When he pushed aside the last obstructing branch and saw the lake, like an emerald embedded in the mountains, the scene before him made him slightly stunned.

On the clear lake surface, seven or eight red-crowned cranes were gracefully strolling and foraging for food.

On a prominent rock in the middle of the lake, a familiar figure stands proudly.

It's definitely Baldy!
"Good heavens, why did you sneak back like this..." Chen Ling laughed when he saw his falcon.

It seemed even more magnificent than before, its feathers gleaming with a black-gold metallic sheen in the morning light, its sharp eyes scanning the lake like a king surveying his territory.

Its two eagle accomplices circled and kept watch in the air not far away.

Seemingly sensing Chen Ling's arrival, Er Tu Zi turned his head, his gaze fixed on Chen Ling's direction, and then let out a high-pitched shriek!
"Wow—!"

The sound echoed through the valley, filled with intimacy.

Chen Ling smiled and waved at it.

Er Tu Zi immediately spread his huge wings, leaped down from the rock, and glided towards Chen Ling, creating a gust of wind as he landed steadily beside Chen Ling, gently rubbing his hard beak against Chen Ling's shoes.

"Wow, you're living the high life in Yangtougou!"

Chen Ling smiled and stroked its smooth feathers: "Something happened at home, and we need you to go back and keep things in order."

The bald man tilted his head, seemingly understanding, and let out another short chirp.

It used its beak to preen the feathers under its wings, then raised its head and looked in the direction Chen Ling had come from, which was the pine forest where the mysterious beast's tracks had been discovered.

"Come on, let me show you the way. From now on, that area, and the riverbank south of the village, will all be your patrol area!"

Chen Ling flicked his arm, and the two bald men took to the air again, circling once and giving a commanding cry. The two eagles immediately joined them.

The three birds of prey formed a formation and flew in the direction Chen Ling had indicated.

Heiwa and Xiaojin also shouted excitedly twice and led the way.

With Er Tuzi's aerial reconnaissance, things became much simpler.

When Chen Ling returned to the pine forest with the dog, Er Tu Zi was circling low in the sky, his sharp eyes fixed on the entrance to the earthen cave.

Chen Ling did not approach, but only watched from a distance.

Suddenly, Er Tuzi swooped down and, with lightning speed, dug a hole in the soil near the entrance with his claws before quickly pulling himself up.

Just as Er Tuzi pulled up, a yellow figure darted out of the cave as fast as lightning.

The creature was large and covered in brownish-yellow fur.

It wasn't a yellow-throated marten...

It was something that looked like a small leopard.

It is extremely agile, and as soon as it emerges from the cave, it tries to burrow into the dense forest next to it.

But Er Tu Zi seemed to have anticipated this. With an elegant turn in the air, he swooped down again, the wind pressure generated by his huge wings almost knocking him over!

At the same time, two other eagles flanked from the flanks, launching an attack with sharp cries. (End of Chapter)