Transmigrated into Hoh Xil - Chapter 5

Ahahaha!

Thank you for nature’s bounty!

The instant the Tibetan fox was finally shaken loose, I dashed forward, seized it in my jaws, and ran.

The taste of fresh flesh and blood filled my mouth, making saliva flow automatically.

As I imagined Xia’er’s astonished, delighted expression when he saw that I had successfully “hunted” something, even my steps grew lighter.

It hadn’t been difficult at all.

I might have been hopeless at hunting, but my soul still belonged to a human—the species famed for its intelligence.

All I had to do was use my brain.

While the yak lowered its horns and faced me, I quickly realized that the fox caught on its horn obstructed its field of vision and restricted its movements.

In short—its peripheral vision was terrible!

After that, I repeatedly darted into its blind spots to harass it.

The yak grew impatient and tried everything it could until, at last, it flung the fox from its horn.

My objective achieved, I did not linger. I snatched up the fox and fled at top speed.

If I could, I really wanted to post a short video on the spot:

【Unluckily transmigrated into Hoh Xil.

Can’t hunt. Have no survival skills.

But through my own efforts, I successfully obtained my first prey.

I am the greatest little lamb!】

No, wait—the greatest little wolf!

The only pity was that this Tibetan fox seemed a little thin. There wasn’t enough for Xia’er and me to enjoy a proper feast together.

An adult male Tibetan fox weighed no more than five kilograms. Once its thick pelt and bones were excluded, the edible portion was pathetically small.

Maybe… I should give all of it to Xia’er.

I could hold out a little longer.

It took every shred of self-control not to tear into the fox on the spot. With my stomach empty and my head hanging, I trudged back—then suddenly heard a terrible howl!

“Awooo—”

Driven by the westerlies, a bitter north wind swept down from the snowy peaks of the Kunlun Mountains. The wind wailed, carrying the savage scent of predators!

I raised my head. Thanks to the huge number and exceptional sensitivity of my olfactory receptors, I picked a distinct raptor stench out of the complicated mixture of airborne molecules.

Sour rot and rank musk.

Like meat left to putrefy beneath the sun.

I could be fairly certain that the choking odor came from some sort of bird of prey.

Raptors played an indispensable role in the plateau ecosystem.

Those capable of threatening a wolf’s life included the golden eagle, a large predatory raptor; carrion-eaters such as the cinereous vulture and bearded vulture…

and—

the Himalayan griffon!

Oh no.

Was Xia’er in danger?!

At the Sonam Dargye Protection Station in the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve, a group of people hurried into a battered rescue patrol vehicle.

The engine started, belching a cloud of exhaust.

A nervous young man sat in the passenger seat, clutching his seat belt with both hands. “I thought all the wolves in Hoh Xil had gone to beg for food along the highway.”

The others answered with helpless laughter.

“Thanks to ecological protection and anti-poaching measures in recent years, the wild-wolf population in Hoh Xil has been growing steadily and healthily. Those internet-famous begging wolves are still a minority.”

Someone teased him. “You watch a lot of short videos, don’t you, Xiao Li?”

The young man relaxed a little and asked why they were going out. “Are we heading to a rescue now?”

“That’s right. Since you’re online so often, you must have seen the wolf from this area who’s famous across several platforms.”

Xiao Li reacted at once. “Xia’er? The wolf king who’s become famous throughout Hoh Xil!”

A staff member shook his head regretfully. “He isn’t the wolf king anymore. And he’s injured—badly. Nature is cruel, especially in Hoh Xil. Without human intervention, there’s no telling what will happen to him.”

The mention of Xia’er’s injuries weighed heavily on everyone.

The vehicle sped up.

Xiao Li grew agitated. “During the documentary crew’s preliminary research, we spent a great deal of time learning about Xia’er. According to public records, he’s currently the only entirely black wild wolf in Hoh Xil. He’s extremely rare. As wolf king, he had a powerful physique and outstanding leadership ability. He was the pack’s unshakable core. When the documentary was first approved, the whole crew reached a rare unanimous decision to build the filming plan around him. If something happens to Xia’er, all our work will be wasted!”

The person beside him tried to soothe him. “Don’t panic yet. We don’t know exactly what’s happened. We heard Xia’er was injured from hikers who crossed Hoh Xil illegally, and they may have exaggerated. We’re going to assess the situation on-site now.”

Xiao Li was not comforted in the slightest.

Amid the oppressive silence, a jolt made the dormant vehicle radio crackle. A voice followed. “The weather station has just issued a red blizzard warning. Real-time monitoring indicates an extreme snowstorm will arrive in several hours, accompanied by a cold wave and gale-force winds. For the safety of all patrol personnel, ensure you begin your return journey within two hours!”

After they spoke with the head of the protection station over the radio, the atmosphere became even tenser.

The driver murmured, “We don’t have much time…”

The vehicle skirted a muddy stretch and entered open ground.

The view ahead suddenly darkened.

Only a few meters away, several Himalayan griffons crowded around a dying male Tibetan antelope and pecked at it.

Their powerful hooked beaks ripped through its flesh, exposing bright red organs.

The smell of blood spread through the air.

Low, hoarse hisses rose and fell.

The sunset was a murky yellow. Barren mountains wore the darkness of approaching night as sand and stones flew through the air. A thousand peaks stood gray and silent, and the passing of a life lent the moment an indescribable weight.

As they drove past, a ranger could not help glancing back.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained of the male antelope was a bloody, bone-white skeleton.

—Just like Hoh Xil at dusk.