Chapter 63.1

Since the park opened at 7 AM, the other staff members had already gone to bed. Mu Ling didn’t wake them for help. Instead, she had Brother Wei take the three new animal keepers to set up their dormitory rooms while she, Brother Xiang, and Fass went to settle the three war beasts.

The war beasts were restless in their cages. Feifan and Lieyan were managing better – though they’d been away for half a year, they could still detect the familiar scent of Bi Ke Forest. But Ji Xiang was struggling badly. This place was completely foreign to it, and its damage values were already dangerously high, nearly 100%. The unfamiliar animal scents everywhere made it panic, repeatedly scratching at its cage and displaying aggressive crouching behavior.

Mu Ling hurried over to comfort it, reaching into the cage to stroke it while softly coaxing, “Be good, Ji Xiang, don’t fuss. Sister is right here with you.”

With Mu Ling and the white fox nearby, the leopard seemed to calm somewhat. At this point, it recognized only Mu Ling and Lingren. It pressed its body against the cage’s edge to feel Mu Ling’s warmth through the bars.

Brother Xiang frowned at the sight. “The situation isn’t better than when Moonlight first arrived.”

Mu Ling nodded. “It’s very ill. None of these three can go to the animal dormitory yet – we’ll take them to the veterinary station for isolation first.”

As she spoke, she led Brother Xiang and Fass toward the veterinary station, each person pushing one cage.

Meanwhile, in the glass house, a golden tiger sleeping on soft cushions suddenly opened its brownish-green eyes. Those green eyes gleamed dangerously yet mesmerizingly in the dim night light.

Qilin suddenly stood and walked slowly to the edge of the glass house, sitting there quietly to watch the distant group pass by.

After they had gone and some time had passed, Lightning, who had been sleeping against Qilin, suddenly noticed its absence. It stretched lazily and stood up. Upon seeing Qilin, it walked over.

Just as Lightning reached Qilin’s side and was about to lick it, it suddenly sensed something. It immediately stretched its neck forward and pressed its nose against the glass edge, sniffing intensely.

After just a couple of sniffs, Lightning’s eyes brightened dramatically. It charged toward the door and began pawing at it.

The door wouldn’t budge – the security measures had already been upgraded to deal with this little troublemaker who loved opening doors itself!

“Roar!” The black panther grew frustrated, growling at the door in anger!

Lightning’s cries woke the other animals in the dormitory. Qingjiao stood up as well. The animal dormitory was designed to block sounds and smells – otherwise, with strangers outside every day, the animals would be terribly uncomfortable.

But this isolation wasn’t completely effective. A wolf’s sense of smell was even keener than a leopard’s. Suddenly, Qingjiao caught a scent and immediately walked toward Lightning, its thick tail swishing.

Lightning jumped up to open the door again, but it still wouldn’t open.

Meanwhile, Tayun flew down from the tree branch that had been nearly stripped bare by magic. It landed on Qingjiao’s back and tilted its head, watching Lightning’s attempts.

Lightning licked its nose and tried a third time to open the door.

Its persistent behavior suddenly made the other animals sense something.

Tayun flew into the air at this point, flapping its wings, and used its sharp beak to peck at a small red button at the very top of the door.

As soon as it pecked, the red button turned green.

When Lightning tried to open the door again, there was a “click” and it finally opened…

–

After Mu Ling and the others pushed the three cages to the vet station entrance, they couldn’t get them through the door. Mu Ling asked Brother Xiang and Fass to step back while she released Ji Xiang first.

Once out, Ji Xiang immediately stood alert by Mu Ling’s side, its nose twitching as it sniffed its surroundings.

Mu Ling stroked its neck, comforting it: “Good, follow sister inside.”

As Mu Ling led the leopard inside, when they reached the ward area, the leopard suddenly stopped. Meanwhile, Lingren in Mu Ling’s arms raised its upper body, sniffing toward the ward area from afar.

Since they were back, Mu Ling decided to let Lingren down.

Finally free of her burden, Mu Ling sighed in relief and massaged her back and waist, muttering: “I must have developed abs by now!”

Once released, Lingren darted into the ward area, making “ga ga” calls toward the inside.

Mu Ling coaxed the leopard to continue forward. The leopard finally ventured in, but as soon as it entered, it saw a huge bear staring at it from across the room!

The leopard froze instantly.

In the food chain, bears eat leopards!

The white bear, however, was overjoyed to see Mu Ling. It quickly stood up, placing both front paws on the cage bars, calling out eagerly: “Roar! Roar!”

After calling twice, it jumped down and began searching for its food bowl. Finding it, it quickly picked it up to show Mu Ling, turning around and around in its cage with excitement.

Lingren had been barking at Moonlight’s door for a while, but today the white bear seemed uninterested in arguing. When Lingren tired of barking, it turned and entered its own cage to find water.

Moonlight’s endearing behavior instantly melted Mu Ling’s heart. She quickly stepped forward, opened the cage, went in, and hugged the tail-wagging white bear.

“Grr, grr…” Moonlight made whimpering sounds, nuzzling into Mu Ling’s embrace. It forcefully pushed its bowl into her hands, then brought its teddy bear to give her too – offering all its precious possessions, thinking this would make her stay.

Mu Ling was on the verge of tears as she hugged the white bear and sobbed: “Moonlight! My dear Moonlight! Light!”

Fass was still outside waiting for the director to take in Feifan and Lieyan. After waiting for a while with no sign of her, he heard what sounded like crying.

Fass froze, his pupils trembling in shock as he turned to look at Brother Xiang.

Xiang Bie pressed his temples hard and glanced at Fass, warning: “You didn’t hear anything, you didn’t see anything.”

Fass: “…”

You’re a founding member, whatever you say goes…

Mu Ling was genuinely crying, with tears actually falling. After wiping her tears on Moonlight’s fur, she noticed that although Moonlight hadn’t had its external wounds treated for several days and only took oral medicine, thanks to Dr. Burey’’s proper care, new fur had started growing on some of the bare patches.

Mu Ling touched the new fur growth, feeling deeply relieved. She sniffled again and stroked Moonlight’s big forehead: “Sister will go find a ward for your brother Ji Xiang first, wait for me, okay?”

As Mu Ling stood to leave, the white bear quickly grabbed its teddy bear and followed.

Since the white bear was used to moving freely in the vet station, Mu Ling didn’t confine it.

However, Ji Xiang was already frightened enough, and when this bear approached, it immediately roared in fear: “Roar! Roar!”

The white bear paused, looking at Mu Ling, then at the leopard, before retreating back to its cage, quietly carrying its teddy bear.

The bear’s retreat made the leopard relax. Mu Ling then opened the nearest A1 ward cage, and the leopard quickly rushed in, shrinking into a corner.

Mu Ling closed the door, smiling: “It’s okay, Ji Xiang, don’t be afraid. This way Moonlight can’t harm you.”

Mu Ling went back outside to receive Feifan and Lieyan. Moonlight hurriedly pattered after her, following behind.

When Feifan and Lieyan saw a bear emerge, they were stunned too. Feifan managed better, still trying to confirm the bear’s scent, sensing something somehow familiar.

But Lieyan panicked completely, scrambling around its cage and chattering with bared teeth.

Mu Ling had to intervene: “Moonlight, stand over there, yes, go sit there.”

Moonlight obediently followed Mu Ling’s instructions, sitting in the corner and watching her.

Mu Ling then opened Feifan and Lieyan’s cages.

As soon as Lieyan got out, it immediately jumped onto Feifan’s back, warily watching the giant bear with wide eyes.

Mu Ling blocked its view and extended her hand toward Feifan.

The intelligent baboon hesitated briefly but ultimately placed its little furry hand in Mu Ling’s palm.

Mu Ling smiled and led Feifan toward the ward.

Lieyan, now a full-grown monkey, though smaller than Feifan, kept standing on Feifan’s back, making it difficult for Feifan to move.

So Mu Ling bent down to take Lieyan, carrying it herself.

Lieyan then switched to hugging Mu Ling’s neck, baring its teeth at the white bear from over her shoulder.

Since Mu Ling had shared a cabin with the three war beasts on the starship for ten hours, and B-class war beasts were naturally easier to befriend and care for than S-class ones, Lieyan allowed Mu Ling to carry it.

After entering the ward, Mu Ling put Feifan in B2 ward next to Lingren, and Lieyan in B3 ward.

This made the layout:

A1: Ji Xiang, A2: empty, A3: empty, A4: Moonlight

B1: Lingren, B2: Feifan, B3: Lieyan, B4: empty

Mu Ling thought for a moment, then went out to call Brother Xiang, asking him to help move Moonlight’s things to A3 and bring a set of bedding to A2.

Mu Ling explained: “This way I’ll have Moonlight on my left, Ji Xiang on my right, and Lingren, Feifan, and Lieyan across from me. I’ll sleep here for these few days. Ji Xiang and Lieyan aren’t quite adjusted yet, and Moonlight misses me so much. I’ll keep them company for a few nights.”

Xiang Bie looked at the animals and had no objections, but said: “Don’t just focus on them, while you have time, go see Qi…”

“Ahhhh!”

Before he could finish saying “lin,” Fass’s scream suddenly came from outside.

Mu Ling jumped in surprise and ran outside, but after just two steps, a black figure suddenly pounced on her.

The next second, Mu Ling was knocked down by the huge black panther. She landed on her bottom, and suddenly had two black paws on her shoulders as Lightning, apparently thinking it was as small as a raccoon, hugged her head directly.

“Ouch…” Mu Ling was nearly crushed. She fell backward, lying flat on the ground.

From her position near the A1 ward, Ji Xiang was terrified, thinking Mu Ling had been killed!

It rushed to the door, fiercely roaring at the black panther: “Roar! Roar!”

Across the way, Feifan also bared its teeth and violently shook its cage, while Lieyan screamed in fear, chattering frantically.

As for Lingren, although it had never formally met the black panther, it recognized the scent – one that often lingered on Mu Ling – so it remained relatively calm, though it still called out twice: “Ga– Ga–“

Only Moonlight, accustomed to such scenes, showed no reaction at all.