Chapter 29 A Trail of Dust and Falling Rocks

The rescue station was situated at an elevation of around 1,600 meters, while the place Little Deng mentioned was almost at 2,500 meters.

The higher the elevation, the shorter the vegetation, and the sparser the vegetation became.

Last year, the rescue station had installed some infrared cameras at this location, but they weren't particularly lucky, as a couple of wild boars fighting had smashed one.

They had been talking about installing them all year, but hadn't gotten around to it. This patrol was a good opportunity to check and repair any equipment that needed maintenance.

The colleagues from the technical department didn't come to the rescue station but went straight up the mountain after getting the coordinates.

They had just left when Yin Li, who had been escorting Zhao Manman up the mountain for photography, came down carrying her on his back.

"What happened?" Chen Ying and Little Deng were talking in the yard when they saw the two of them and quickly ran over to help receive the person.

"The mountain path was slippery, she insisted on climbing the rock face and took a tumble."

Yin Li explained with a dark face.

"You guys check on her foot first, I'm going to change my clothes."

As if discarding a hot potato, Yin Li put down Zhao Manman, turned around, and went upstairs with his backpack.

Zhao Manman's eyes were a bit red and she stubbornly pursed her lips, saying nothing.

Seeing that the atmosphere between the two wasn't quite right, Little Deng didn't dare to breathe a word, made the excuse of going to check on the protective net, and ran off.

"What happened? Why is Ali so angry?"

Chen Ying's scrutinizing gaze turned towards Zhao Manman.

He was familiar with Yin Li's temper. Although Ali didn't like dealing with girls, he always completed any task given to him very well.

Since he had agreed to accompany Zhao Manman up the mountain to take photographs, he wouldn't have let Zhao Manman get injured.

"I just wanted to take better pictures and didn't listen to his advice... I know I've been a burden on him, and it's been tough for him to carry me down the mountain, but it's not like I did it on purpose."

Zhao Manman felt wronged too. She didn't get injured for herself; she just wanted to take better pictures to promote this place.

Chen Ying didn't know what to say, always feeling that something was off about Zhao Manman's words, but couldn't pinpoint what specifically was wrong, so he fell silent.

Fortunately, Zhao Manman's ankle was just a sprained muscle; a couple of injections and some medication with a day of application would suffice.

Yin Li, after showering and changing his clothes, came down and didn't even glance at Zhao Manman.

"Little Deng said they spotted a black bear in Huaqiu Valley? Should I go take a look?"

"No need, you don't have to go. You just came down from the mountain, take a good rest for a couple of days. I plan to take Leopard Sister for a walk, you stay at the station to help feed the little leopard."

Leopard Sister's injuries had healed quite well, and what followed was adaptive recovery training.

Going to Huaqiu Valley and back would cover about fifteen kilometers. This distance might be difficult for others, but Chen Ying was long accustomed to mountain paths; he could easily cover a dozen kilometers.

Moreover, the area next to Huaqiu Valley was Leopard Sister's territory. Having not returned for so long, he didn't know if it had been occupied by someone else.

Leopard Sister got very excited, shaking her fur vigorously, and then turned and affectionately rubbed Chen Ying's thigh with a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Zhao Manman's face looked a bit unsightly as she watched Chen Ying walk up the mountain with Leopard Sister.

As a lively and beautiful woman, couldn't he take the opportunity to impress her and win her favor while she was injured and couldn't move?

She had never seen such a wooden man.

Yin Li was one, Chen Ying another, both plunged her mood to rock bottom.

Chen Ying, who would rather guess what Leopard Sister was thinking than take a guess at Zhao Manman's thoughts, quickly disappeared at the end of the mountain road.

Little Deng sat in the office assisting his master and stole several glances at Zhao Manman on the sly.

"What's up, you fancy that girl?"

"Not at all. I know my place, she's out of my league. I'm just curious whether she likes Older Brother Yin Li or Brother Ying more."

Master Zhao snorted derisively and did not take up the thread of conversation.

"Alright, learn this — this is how you tie it properly so it stays put. Next time we patrol the mountains, I'll take you further out. Later on, you'll have to go on your own down one of the valleys."

"I got it, Master. Don't worry, I won't let you down."

Master Zhao had not been a Forest Patrol Officer for very long, but he had been a hunter for much longer. He was as comfortable in the mountains as he was in his own home.

"Did you learn how to shoot and edit videos from Duanmu and Dr. Xia? Next time you go out, you can bring your phone and a power bank; capture lots of nice videos of wildlife and landscapes. Later, you can edit them and send them to the publicity department of the Forestry Bureau. They said they'd pay for any footage they use. Your family still has a younger sister who needs money for college."

Master Zhao rambled on, advising Little Deng and steering his thoughts away from Zhao Manman.

Chen Ying was rushing through the wilderness with Leopard Sister, heading straight for Huaqiu Valley.

On the way, Leopard Sister even caught a small roe deer.

Although he felt sorry for the little roe deer, Chen understood that it was an essential part of the ecological chain. He had to refuse Leopard Sister's offer and let her eat her fill.

Upon reaching Huaqiu Valley, he did not encounter any colleagues from the technical department.

Next to the tree where the infrared camera had been installed before, Chen saw the newly installed infrared video camera.

Compared to the previous one, this camera was smaller and more sensitive.

Its small size meant it was less likely to become an object of curiosity for the wildlife, and therefore less likely to be damaged.

Chen observed the direction in which the infrared camera was pointed. Nearby was a river valley water source. The terrain here was slightly flatter, a drinking spot chosen by many animals.

He didn't pay much attention to the camera; his main purpose was to walk Leopard Sister and, incidentally, to figure out the black bear's movements.

If he could find Black Bear's honeycomb, he wouldn't mind taking some delicious honey back to treat Mendun'er.

Once in Huaqiu Valley, Leopard Sister seemed restless and eager to patrol her territory. After sticking by Chen's side briefly, Leopard Sister swiftly leapt into the forest and out of sight.

Chen knew Leopard Sister wouldn't abandon her cubs, and this patrol was likely to ensure her territory was still safe.

Soon she would be leading her cubs back into the wild. It would be best to clear any threats to them beforehand.

Walking along the valley for about three hundred meters, he still did not see any sign of the black bear.

Just as Chen was about to return without success, he suddenly heard the call of monkeys.

The sound seemed familiar. Listen again?

He waited for a few minutes, the sounds growing nearer.

Chen concealed himself and took out his binoculars to scan the area.

Sure enough, on the opposite hillside, he spotted movement.

The troop of monkeys numbered at least seventy or eighty, if not fifty.

Judging by their fur shining golden in the sunlight, he knew these had to be a troop of golden snub-nosed monkeys.

These beautiful creatures usually lived in one large colony, but each colony was typically divided into several smaller family groups.

This troop seemed to consist of at least two or three family groups.

He wondered what creature had incurred their wrath, as being attacked by so many monkeys surely was not a pleasant experience.

As he pondered, he saw something tumbling down the hill with a rumble.

Dust and stones trailed in its wake until, with a "thud," it landed in the stream at the bottom of the valley.