Chapter 43

Perhaps it was due to the hot spring, but when Xa Yu woke up the next day, she felt refreshed, her vigor completely restored.

As she prepared to leave, Xa Yu felt somewhat reluctant to part with the little hot spring valley.

It wasn’t so much about wanting another soak, but more about the persistent thought of ambushing the black leopard in the hot spring.

The idea of embracing such a big, wet, slippery leopard – what a delightful thought it was!

But stepping back...

Even if it's not a giant black cat, an orange-black or gray-white one would do.

Xa Yu's gaze flitted to the two big cats nearby.

Tigers surely aren’t afraid of water, but as for snow leopards, given their mountainous habitat, they might not be fond of water, though they wouldn’t fear it as a house cat would.

Lu Yinghuai, perceiving Xa Yu’s intentions, slightly raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Would you like to stay here a bit longer?"

Fidgeting, Xa Yu whispered, "Not particularly..."

"So, you want to embrace the leopard in the hot spring?" Lu Yinghuai glanced at Xa Yu with an ordinary tone, "Or maybe try the tiger or snow leopard?"

Startled, Xa Yu swiftly turned to look at Lu Yinghuai.

How did His Highness know about her sneaky hot spring bath with Yuan Yuan last night?!

After a brief pause, Xa Yu asked incredulously, "Last night, was it Your Highness who had Yuan Yuan take me... um, to the hot spring?"

But thinking about it, the only one who knew she was exhausted yesterday was His Highness. Even if Yuan Yuan was smart, he was still just a big cat. How could he know to take her to the hot spring to relax?

"To think that Your Highness can communicate with Yuan Yuan to such an extent... that's amazing." Xa Yu sincerely remarked, her tone full of admiration.

After her exclamation, Xa Yu began enthusiastically promoting the hot spring valley from yesterday: "The hot spring in that valley was incredibly soothing. Your Highness, you should have joined us!"

Joined you?

Lu Yinghuai recalled the spring, which wasn’t spacious enough for a leopard to freely swim about. Memories from the previous night surged, and the marshal adeptly changed the topic: "Let's move on. This reserve is rich in hot spring resources, and there are even larger ones ahead."

"Alright." Xa Yu acknowledged, then activated her holocomputer, "I'll first check the tiger mother’s coordinates for today."

A few days ago, Wei Cheng had shared the location permissions of the tiger mother and the brown bear with Xa Yu. She would occasionally check them to avoid any sudden encounters with them.

The tiger mother was quite far from them, but the brown bear's coordinates were somewhat closer, although still several kilometers away.

The off-road vehicle ascended the snowy mountain, moving forward into a mixed coniferous and broadleaf forest.

This environment is one where both Siberian tigers and brown bears thrive and favor.

In such a forested setting, the winter snow isn't too deep. The dense vegetation is ideal for ambushes, and the herbivores, part of the food chain, have abundant sustenance.

Brown bears, being omnivores, can thrive almost anywhere. Their adaptability is outstanding; they can be spotted in mountain forests and icy deserts. Their omnivorous nature ensures they have a stronger survival capability compared to carnivores like the polar bear.

The hibernation habits of brown bears and snakes aren’t quite the same. The latter hibernate because the cold temperatures of winter hinder their metabolism, but brown bears hibernate to reduce their metabolism during the food-scarce winter months.

If brown bears are in an environment abundant with food, they might either not hibernate or do so only briefly.

Clearly, this particular brown bear wasn't having such a comfortable winter.

Instead of resting peacefully in its den, it’s constantly on the run, chased by a tiger.

"Hmm... They really do move to a different place every day."

Xa Yu observed the tracking points on the holocomputer's display, scratching her head.

Lu Yinghuai had walked to the vehicle's side and called out, "Xa Yu?"

"I'm coming! I'll drive today!" After a rejuvenating soak in the hot spring and a good sleep, Xa Yu felt bursting with energy.

Lu Yinghuai tossed the car keys to Xa Yu and opened the passenger door.

To his surprise, a large orange-black creature curled up on the passenger seat looked up innocently as he approached, not budging an inch.

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

Rushing over, Xa Yu peeked out from behind Lu Yinghuai and upon seeing him being usurped by the "spicy strip" (a nickname), she stifled a chuckle. Circling around to the driver’s seat, she said while trying not to laugh, "I’m starting the car now. Have we settled on who's in the passenger seat today?"

The young tiger didn't make a sound, but its sharp claws were firmly gripped onto the seat cushion, clearly indicating its reluctance to move.

Lu Yinghuai wasn’t upset. He bent over, placing the palm of his right hand on the tiger's head and gently rubbed it, asking, "Are you really not moving?"

Spicy Strip’s tail shot up abruptly, a sense of apprehension making its fur stand on end.

The orange-black large cat hastily scrambled out of the passenger seat. In its hurry, it even rolled over once after its front paws got tangled with its hind legs, before meekly jumping into the back through the door Lu Yinghuai had opened.

Thus, the tussle for the front seat ended abruptly. The young tiger, looking deflated, curled up in the back seat, its ears drooping. It turned its head to snuggle with the snow leopard, ignoring the larger black panther.

The black panther seemed indifferent to the day’s dramas, shutting its eyes, embodying its usual calm and reliability.

As the car moved into the forest, the rustling of leaves piqued the black panther's interest. Its whiskers twitched, and unusually, it stretched its head forward, nudging Xa Yu's arm.

Xa Yu, a bit surprised, responded, "Yuan Yuan, I'm driving. Be good, don’t touch my arm."

The black panther waited patiently until Xa Yu found a convenient spot to park, then pawed at the back door.

Xa Yu understood.

Yuan Yuan finally wanted to get out and stretch his legs.

The high altitudes and barrenness of the snow-capped mountains seemed to weigh on the black panther, making it appear listless during the day.

Lu Yinghuai suggested, "Let's take a break. Want me to drive this afternoon?"

Without being obstinate, Xa Yu agreed, then hopped out of the car and began rummaging through their supplies, deciding on what they should eat for lunch.

After getting out, the young tiger took a moment to stretch and seemed quite accustomed to the surrounding forest.

It was the snow leopard's demeanor, so composed, that made Xa Yu give it several lingering glances.

"What’s the matter?" Lu Yinghuai approached Xa Yu.

Xa Yu placed a finger on her lips, lowering her voice and leaning closer to Lu Yinghuai to whisper, "Well... I’ve read some references claiming that snow leopards are a bit... dopey. But our Snow Bun seems exceptionally intelligent, and there's this cool and dashing vibe about him."

As she spoke, Xa Yu mimicked a gesture and casually added, "He's just like Major Cheng."

Upon hearing the last sentence, a subtle change flickered in Lu Yinghuai's eyes.

Not far away, the snow leopard, with its sharp hearing, overheard Xa Yu and Lu Yinghuai's whispered conversation. The graceful creature, mid-stride, suddenly lost its balance, tumbling onto the ground with a thud.

"Um…" Xa Yu blinked, "What I meant was... even the coolest cats have their clumsy moments. All cats do."

Lu Yinghuai remained noncommittal.

In any case, the black panther would never have such lapses.

Xa Yu then remarked, "Back on the Capital Star, Yuan Yuan once slipped off the back of a sofa too."

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

Having spoken, Xa Yu sensed a sudden silence beside her. Turning to look at Lu Yinghuai, she met his deeply complex gaze, momentarily taken aback, "Hmm? What’s the matter?"

"Nothing," he replied curtly, then produced a table from their space knot, handing her a picnic blanket that lay atop, "Let’s rest here for a bit."

The spot Xa Yu had picked for parking was quite open, with the gentle babble of a stream not too far off—perfect for a midday picnic.

Xa Yu wasn't particularly hungry, but with the proactive thought of preparing food now to eat later when hunger strikes, she busied herself with various tasks.

The black panther and young tiger dashed into the forest, disappearing from view. As the snow leopard hesitated about following, Xa Yu gently tugged its long tail.

"Snow Bun, won’t you stay and help us?"

The snow leopard's hunting skills would be somewhat challenged in this type of forest.

"Meow-ow."

Miss Snow Leopard nuzzled Xa Yu’s hand and then, tail trailing, walked alongside her, occasionally assisting by fetching items with its mouth.

Leaving their vehicle, they approached a nearby stream, cleared an area of pebbles, laid out their picnic blanket, and lit a fire.

According to their computer's forecast, there was no rain or snow expected. As they were only making a brief stop, Xa Yu and Lu Yinghuai opted not to set up a tent.

Seeing Lu Yinghuai extract a small pot from their space knot, Xa Yu suddenly became enthusiastic, raising her hand to say, "Your Highness, I’d like to give it a try!"

Lu Yinghuai's movement paused. He glanced at Xa Yu, then pulled out from their space knot... a pack of instant noodles.

He then took out some vegetables and went to the stream to fetch and filter water.

At first, Xia You was keenly examining that pack of noodles, but as she looked on...

The instructions on it were concise and clear: Boil in water or consume directly.

A twitch appeared at the corner of Xia You's mouth.

Isn't this just... instant noodles?

In the human survival base, instant noodles were considered a never-expiring staple.

However, for this aromatic yet bland-tasting food, Xia You had only one comment:

I'd rather chew on a crystal.

Watching Lu Yinghuai pour water into the heating pot, Xia You hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Your Highness..."

Before Xia You could finish her sentence, Lu Yinghuai stuffed that pack of noodles into his spatial ring and instead took out several fresh-keeping boxes, all filled with vegetables preserved at their peak.

Xia You: "..."

What's with this overwhelming feeling of being outmaneuvered?

Just as Xia You was about to say something, Lu Yinghuai spoke up: "Would you like some shrimp? Uncle Zhou put a box in the supply bag earlier, and they're still alive."

"Yes!" Xia You responded immediately, raising her voice, "I'll take care of it!"

Watching Xia You carrying a box of sea prawns and heading to the water's edge with Snow Leopard to prepare the food, Lu Yinghuai continued with his task.

Sometimes, when a child wants to do something, it's not because they truly desire it, but rather, they want to be involved in activities they couldn't partake in before, to gain a sense of belonging—much like cooking now.

Snow Leopard looked a bit apprehensive about the twitching shrimps in Xia You's hand, staying far away but watching Xia You's movements with eyes full of concern.

As Xia You was processing the shrimps, noticing Snow Leopard's actions, she mischievously decided not to tell him. After a while, she murmured, "Snowy, the tip of your tail is wet."

Snow Leopard immediately jumped in place, his long tail whipping around 360 degrees, sending water droplets flying.

Xia You quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding the splash attack from Snow Leopard.

Seeing Xia You laughing heartily, Miss Snow Leopard meowed in protest, picked up her long tail, and elegantly walked over to a dry spot to sit down.

After finishing with the prawns, Xia You turned around to see Snow Leopard diligently grooming its tail with its paw, even straightening out the butterfly bow on it, letting both bask equally and fairly in the sunlight.

It sun-dried one side before turning to the other.

By the time Snow Leopard had fluffed up into a giant furball from the sunbathing, the Panther and the young Tiger finally returned.

The Panther, having traveled a considerable distance, held a stag in its mouth and with a thud, dropped its prey before seeking a cool spot to rest, panting heavily.

The young Tiger, instead of hunting, brought back a large branch adorned with clusters of red berries.

It approached the table, raised a paw to scrape the table's edge, placing the berries atop, and then emitted a series of grunts towards the focused Lu Yinghuai.

The intent to appease and keep the peace with the elder was exceedingly evident.

Xia You: "Pfft!"

With plenty of time still left, Xia You washed away the scent of shrimp from her hands and sat beside Snow Leopard, extending a hand towards it.

Both were familiar with the healing process. Snow Leopard immediately put down its beloved tail, placing its paw solemnly into Xia You's palm.

The warm, fluffy paw pad met her palm, and Xia You playfully wiggled it before nuzzling the large grey feline's forehead.

Snow Leopard had undergone psychic healing numerous times. Due to the increased gray matter in its body, it required more sessions than other creatures. Each time, the exhaustion and discomfort intensified.

Yet, with each session, Snow Leopard never cried out. It would curl up silently and even as it fainted, its tail remained tightly wrapped in its embrace, its cheek resting against its cherished soft butterfly bow.

After Xia You eradicated the last of the gray matter from Snow Leopard today, she found she still had much psychic energy left. After hesitating, she decided to send thin tendrils of her psychic power into Snow Leopard's brain.

The body's cleansing seemed to positively affect the brain. Snow Leopard's brain was no longer uniformly gray as Xia You initially saw; patches of vivid red had begun to emerge.

This was a promising sign.

Xia You thought to herself.

Then, she delicately and gently made her psychic tendrils touch the outermost gray area in Snow Leopard's brain. The tendrils latched onto the parasitic gray substance and gently pried.

Snow Leopard's body suddenly collapsed, going into instinctive convulsions.

The Panther, unbeknownst to Xia You as to when it approached, extended its sturdy paw, placing it reassuringly on Snow Leopard.

Another panther paw hesitated for a moment before gently patting Snow Leopard's body.

The young Tiger, yawning nearby, curiously approached upon seeing this.

Uncertain of what everyone was up to, it mimicked the Panther's gesture, lifting its paw and ever so gently brushing along the fur on Snow Leopard's back – a touch surprisingly delicate and careful for such a fierce beast.

As Lu Yinghuai recorded the scene on his holographic device, he immediately sent a message to Meng Wenxuan, urging him to rush to the hibernation center to monitor Cheng Zhiyan's condition in real-time.

Based on the previous analysis of other cases, after this treatment, there's a high probability that Cheng Zhiyan's psychic energy would reach awakening levels.

Last night, during Xia You's virtual space combat with Cheng Zhiyan, not just Lu Yinghuai and Meng Wenxuan, but countless researchers from both the research and medical departments had their eyes fixed on their psychic energy levels.

Any abnormal spike from either side would prompt an immediate termination of their mech battle.

What was astonishing was that Cheng Zhiyan, whose psychic energy was supposed to be unstable, managed to sustain an intensive mech combat session under Xia You's unintentional psychic soothe.

Moreover, after the training, Cheng Zhiyan did not fall into a deep sleep but remained mentally clear, albeit in beast form.

Compared to Fan and Xin, Cheng Zhiyan more vividly showcased the uniqueness of Xia You's psychic powers and... his unparalleled healing capabilities.

Lu Yinghuai's eyes deepened in intensity.

A major reason the Emperor approved this mission was due to Lu Jiuzhu's situation in the Snow Mountain Reserve.

Lu Jiuzhu had been in the reserve for too long, her hibernating vital signs dipping perilously close to the critical red zone, having already passed the orange threshold.

Lu Yinghuai himself was on shaky ground; if not for the psychic serum injections, he would constantly be at risk of entering hibernation due to psychic disarray.

His promises and endorsements weren't sufficient to convince the Emperor to approve the psychic awakening trial in such a short time frame, especially before Xia You could truly demonstrate his unique psychic capabilities.

What genuinely swayed the Emperor was the dwindling time left for Lu Jiuzhu.

And this... was also why Lu Yinghuai wagered the time he would've had, for a chance at this expedition to the reserve.

If he was destined to hibernate, then he wanted, at the very least... to bring this ray of hope to his sister.

But after the cases of Fan, Xin, and Cheng Zhiyan, the situation had indeed shifted.

From this live stream, numerous people have taken notice of Xia You. Now, as Xia You returns from the Snow Mountain Reserve, regardless of whether Lu Jiuzhu awakens or not, in the eyes of the Emperor, the military, and the Senate, his importance and role have unmistakably evolved from before.

This was a far better outcome than what Lu Yinghuai had initially anticipated.

Nearby, Xia You, who had once again exhausted his psychic energy, slowly opened his eyes, reaching out to soothe the unconscious snow leopard, and casually stroked the black leopard and the little tiger as well.

Lu Yinghuai expertly retrieved an energy stone from the spatial clasp, holding it in his palm to feed the eager, squirming psychic tendrils that turned toward him, crying out to be fed.

Gently touching the adorable round tendril with his fingertip, Lu Yinghuai suppressed the faint throbbing in his head, keeping his expression unchanged.

Xia You gently placed the snow leopard into a nest cushioned with blankets, taking care to position the butterfly bow on the outside.

This way, when Snowball awakens, her beloved bow will look fresh and beautiful.

Xia You busied himself with dividing deer meat for the two big cats. The little tiger, although not hungry, saw Xia You feed the black leopard and playfully demanded some as well.

With a smile on his face, Xia You fed them simultaneously, his hands moving between the leopard's and the tiger's muzzles.

The black leopard, who previously never indulged the young tiger, simply ate quietly this time. After finishing, he gazed at Xia You until his muzzle was wiped clean, then walked to a shaded spot to lie down.

As Xia You returned to the dining table, a look of concern remained on his face.

"Your Highness, is Yuan Yuan feeling unwell?"

Lu Yinghuai seemed engrossed in a file on his holographic computer. Xia You merely voiced his concerns, not expecting an immediate response.

"Yuan Yuan usually isn't like this. His food seemed tasteless today."

"La Tiao's condition doesn't seem good lately either. He's... well, a bit silly. I'm concerned he's not developing well, and what if he's rejected when we meet the tiger mother?"

"Snowball's brain, though much improved, still felt resistant when I tried to move a few pieces today."

"It seems my psychic level isn't high enough. I need to work harder to improve it."

"Oh, Your Highness, I think I caught a glimpse of a scene earlier. Unlike last time, there seemed to be a mech – white in color. It looked familiar, but the image was too blurred."

"Your Highness, it's been two days since you had any psychic soothing. Maybe I could eat a couple of energy stones tonight to recover and help everyone—"

"No." Lu Yinghuai turned off his screen, smiling at the apologetic boy across from him. "Yuan Yuan is fine, just a bit tired."

"La Tiao is also okay. He's smart, just a bit dull right now."

"Snowball is good too. She seems out of place in the forest. She's grown closer to you these days, but she'll likely return to where she belongs soon."

"All right." Lu Yinghuai patted Xiayu on the head. "Let's eat."

"Oh..."

After her little scheme failed, Xiayu obediently picked up her chopsticks, taking a shrimp and placing it in her bowl.

"Beep beep—"

Both Xiayu and Lu Yinghuai's holographic devices sounded simultaneously. However, it wasn't the familiar notification chime but rather an alert indicating that a monitored target was approaching.

Both of them set down their chopsticks and activated their devices.

A green monitoring dot, which was previously several kilometers away from them on the map, was now steadily approaching them.

Lu Yinghuai's hand touched the button on his armor. The black panther slowly rose, moving beside Xiayu, adopting a protective stance.

Twenty minutes later.

A brown bear slowly poked its head out from the woods.

Adult brown bears are large, ranking among the apex predators on land. Depending on their habitats, their fur varies in shades of black, brown, gray-brown, and even chocolate.

The one appearing before them was robust in size, its fur a milk-chocolate shade. Its muscles bulged, making it resemble a small hillock.

Typically, wild bears, due to their immense size, might seem a bit sluggish.

However, this particular one's fur looked as if it had been meticulously groomed, appearing very clean.

Neither Xiayu nor Lu Yinghuai made a move.

In the face of a large beast with unclear intentions, caution is of the essence.

Sensing a threat, the young tiger lowered its forelimbs, barely revealing its fangs.

Yet, the brown bear seemed to disregard the warning stance of the panther and the tiger. It bypassed the two big cats, moving straight towards the dining table where Xiayu and Lu Yinghuai were seated.

As Xiayu was about to react, Lu Yinghuai perceived something from the bear's demeanor, quickly grabbing Xiayu's hand, squeezing gently.

While brown bears are large, contrary to the common perception that they're sluggish, they're actually quite agile predators. Being omnivores, they can even climb trees to pluck appetizing leaves.

Then, under the watchful eyes of Lu Yinghuai and Xiayu, this uninvited guest rubbed its paws and plopped down next to Xiayu. It looked up at Lu Yinghuai with eyes so full of expectation they seemed ready to overflow.

The little tiger was instantly taken aback, its eyes wide open, unsure of how to react.

The black panther's tail twitched momentarily.

Beside them, the snow leopard, previously resting in its den, slowly opened its eyes. The first thing it saw was the familiar chocolate hue.

Seeing that Lu Yinghuai and Xiayu didn't respond, the brown bear hesitated for a moment and then stretched its paw toward the food on the table.

The next second, the springy snow leopard leapt forward, decisively landing a kick on the bear's head. Using all four paws, she pushed the bear off the table, making it howl and tumble down.

Lu Yinghuai confirmed his suspicions, rubbing his forehead, silently relieved that this was his sister's student, and not his own.

Xiayu snapped back to reality and hurried forward to restrain the snow leopard, called Snowbiscuit.

The brown bear, having been mercilessly attacked by Snowbiscuit, curled up pitifully. With its paws over its head, its eyes still lingered longingly on the dining table.