"No, no, this isn't a toy. Little one, go back to your mother. It's too dangerous out here." Zhou You felt a profound sense of helplessness; this wasn't the time to play.

He tossed a stick into the bushes. The little creature quickly turned to chase it, soon returning with the stick, giving Zhou You a grin, making a purring noise.

Zhou You facepalmed, pointing at the creature, whispering, "You're not a dog. Why do you like playing fetch?" But oh, how adorable!

Who could resist such harmless charm? Zhou You petted its head, scratched its chin, and the little white tiger purred contentedly, rolling over, baring its belly for a belly rub.

"You really make yourself at home." After playing for a while, Zhou You reluctantly pulled his hand back, gently pushing the creature away, "Alright, time for you to go back. We need to move on. Goodbye."

He picked up his belongings and waved at the little white tiger, then turned and ran in the opposite direction.

A sudden cry stopped Zhou You in his tracks. Turning around, he saw a wolf lunging at the little white tiger, causing the small creature to tumble over, looking up in terror at the looming threat.

Setting his things down, Zhou You swiftly dispatched a flurry of leaves towards the wolf, temporarily blinding it. He dashed forward, scooping up the little white tiger and ran.

"Run!" Zhou You sprinted, holding the tiger with one hand and his belongings with the other.

The wolf howled and gave chase, soon calling its pack. Before long, a group of wolves, powerful and swift, were on Zhou You's heels, the force of their chase like a powerful gale.

He felt the looming danger, even with his eyes closed.

"Maybe you should drop the little tiger. I think they're after it."

Zhou You chuckled, "Why should I fear them? This little one is still a cub. Now that I've encountered it, I can't just stand by. I'll find a safe place to set it down. Seems like it's an orphan." The absence of its mother for this long suggested she might have perished.

Chapter 022: I've Been Waiting For It

Zhou You guessed right. The wolves had found a gravely wounded white tiger. They had hoped for an easy prey, but the white tiger, in its final moments, threw its cub to safety and leapt off a cliff.

Beasts discerned the benefits of mutant beast meat in enhancing physical prowess earlier than humans did. The forest's brutalities surpassed the outside world's, with lower-tiered animals occasionally daring to challenge beyond their rank. Encountering a gravely injured predator, a pack of wolves immediately brimmed with excitement.

Unexpectedly, that white tiger displayed profound intelligence. It not only destroyed its own body but also cast its cub away. Having tracked all the way here, they were beaten to it by the humans present – how could they possibly come to terms with this?

"Zhou... Hurry! They're catching up..." Old Qiao had seen many intense scenarios over the years, but being pursued by a vicious wolf pack still had him quaking with fear.

Zhou You tucked the white tiger cub into his jacket and zipped it up. He threw Old Qiao onto his back and quickly scrambled up a tall tree. The wolf pack skidded to a stop below, circling the tree while growling menacingly.

"They're ramming the tree!" Old Qiao exclaimed, clinging to Zhou You's neck.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan," Zhou You replied, climbing further up to a nest that was as large as a treehouse. He'd noticed it from afar earlier, wondering which bird had built such a thing.

The nest was filled with over a dozen eggs. Zhou's eyes lit up, and he swiftly pocketed two of them, hurling the rest at the wolves below. One egg hit a wolf squarely, splattering it with yolk.

"Ha! If you dare, come chase me!" Zhou You leapt from one tree to another. Navigating the treetops might have slowed him down, but the wolves struggled to track him. Anytime he encountered more eggs, he'd toss them below. It didn't take long for the wolves to become utterly enraged, their determination to catch him evident.

Suddenly, a sharp cry echoed from above. Zhou looked up to see a massive black bird circling overhead, its cries filled with restless fury.

"Looks like a Black Kite!" Old Qiao informed Zhou. "From what I've heard, the current avian apex predator is the Golden Roc, a massive and ferocious creature dwelling in the northwest. Here in the south, there are mutated Black and Golden Kites. We once witnessed a mutated Golden Kite battling a two-headed python from a distance; it was a cataclysmic spectacle. We should hide."

But Zhou replied jubilantly, "I've been waiting for this!" He had thrown many eggs in hopes of attracting fierce birds. With the overpowering scent of egg on the wolves, he was confident that these "clueless" birds would locate their targets.

As expected, after circling a few times, the Black Kite locked onto its prey, diving straight down. Zhou You leapt from the tree, fleeing the scene at top speed, while the oblivious wolves continued their pursuit.

With a sharp cry, the Black Kite swooped down, its talons snatching a grey wolf. Taking it high into the sky, the bird then released the dying wolf, letting it plummet to a certain death below.

This sudden turn of events halted the wolf pack. They began retreating, seemingly unsure if they should continue the chase.

The Black Kite dived again, targeting another. The alpha wolf let out a howl, signaling a retreat, but still, another of their members was taken.

This time, the kite dropped its prey right onto the pack. Limbs were torn apart, and blood splattered everywhere, sending the wolves into a terrified shiver.

The alpha wolf howled a command. The remaining pack quickly took cover in the dense forest, moving stealthily. Yet, the smell of egg on them was inescapable. A woodpecker seized an opportunity, diving down and pecking a wolf's eye. But before it could inflict more harm, a powerful paw swatted it down. The alpha wolf bit into its neck, silencing the bird with a few vicious shakes.