HLM – Chapter 226 The Crown Princes Patrol the Land

Zhuang Ding latched onto the Bull Demon King’s neck and clung to its muscular body like a gecko. Its four limbs held on tightly, doing nothing else—just biting down hard.

“Moo—moo—!” The Bull Demon King raised its neck and let out a hoarse roar. Its hooves scratched at the ground, trying to stand, but it could only struggle—it simply couldn’t get up.

Wang Bo’s heart clenched. “Sh*t, did that bull break something in the fall?”

Bowen explained, “No, Zhuang Ding got it! He bit down on its windpipe. It can’t breathe properly now, can’t absorb enough oxygen to convert into energy. In other words, as long as Zhuang Ding doesn’t let go, it’ll eventually suffocate!”

Wang Bo asked in confusion, “Didn’t it just moo a second ago?”

“Yeah, but that moo used up the last of the air in its lungs. That’s just a reflex—they all do that when they’re knocked over.”

Ian chimed in, “If you watch nature documentaries, you’ll see lions, leopards, and hyenas in Africa do the same thing—clamp down on a wild buffalo’s throat to kill it.”

“Zhuang Ding is incredible! He actually knows such a lethal move!”

“That’s the nature of a mastiff, man! That’s what it is! Who is he? The most ferocious mastiff in the world!”

Zhuang Ding’s mouth clamped down ruthlessly under the Bull Demon King’s throat, thick blood dripping from the corners of his jaws—it was Simmental bull blood. The bull’s windpipe was blocked off.

Facing death, the once-raging Bull Demon King finally gave in. It turned over weakly, exposing its belly. The fierce gleam in its eyes was gone.

Wang Bo whistled. Upon hearing the signal, Zhuang Ding slowly got up from the Bull Demon King, leapt backward with his mouth open, and let out a series of ferocious barks: “Woof! Woof! Woof!!!”

The Bull Demon King flared its nostrils and heaved its chest, gasping desperately for air. Regaining its strength, it finally stood up, lowered its head dejectedly, and walked back toward the herd, completely ignoring Zhuang Ding’s taunting barks behind it.

Zhuang Ding followed closely, barking persistently. Wherever he barked, the Bull Demon King walked, and the herd naturally followed. Just like that, they were herded back to the ranch without effort.

Once the last cow returned, Zhuang Ding finally closed his mouth, turned to look at Wang Bo, wagged his thick tail vigorously, and lifted his head with an expression of indescribable pride.

Wang Bo was overjoyed. He waved Zhuang Ding over and gave him a rough head rub, saying gleefully, “Good boy! You’re such a good boy! You did amazing, really amazing!”

The cowboys were practically drooling as they looked at Zhuang Ding. “F*ck, this is the legendary King of Dogs! With a dog like that, you can replace ten cowboys!”

But Wang Bo didn’t want Zhuang Ding doing herding work. That’d be wasting his talents. They had the crown princes for that—those guys were up next.

When the six little Rottweilers first arrived, they were still puppies. Two months had passed since then, and with the Heart of the Nest supplying lord energy, plus good food and water every day, they had now grown into half-sized brutes.

Wang Bo returned and brought them to the ranch. “Go on, you little brats—go patrol your territory!”

He’d been careful to train them, and the Heart of the Nest also gradually infused them with lord energy, improving their physique and intelligence. As a result, they were pretty sharp.

Seeing Wang Bo’s gesture, the six chubby-headed brothers happily wagged their tails and bounced a few steps, then took off, chasing one another.

The eldest was the strongest—he always had been. He ran out in front. Just as Wang Bo was about to smile proudly, the rascal suddenly turned and tackled the second prince from behind.

The second prince wasn’t having it. He barked loudly, calling the rest of the brothers to help. The gang teamed up and brought the eldest down, pinning him to the ground.

Zhuang Ding stuck out his tongue in a doggy grin, seemingly mocking them. As their queen mother, she was displeased. She looked at Wang Bo, then ran over with a grim expression and smacked each little rascal down with her big bowl-like paws.

In front of their mother, the princes became obedient. They scrambled up and sat in a neat row, staring wide-eyed at their queen with a “we’re good babies” expression.

Wang Bo took out his phone and snapped a photo. The eldest prince wagged his tail and tried to run over to see what was captured—he was the most curious of the six.

But as soon as he moved, his mother gave him a slap, sending him tumbling several times across the lawn.

Then the queen picked him up by the scruff of the neck. The eldest howled in pain—not like when he was a tiny pup. Now he was half-grown, and too heavy. Getting lifted like that hurt.

She carried him all the way to the sheep pen before letting go. He landed with a thump on the grass. Still, he didn’t mind the pain. He scrambled up, barked a few times, and his dark eyes darted around, clearly cooking up more mischief.

Wang Bo liked the eldest a lot—tough little guy, definitely a good dog.

Each cowboy was assigned a dog. They tossed some salted meat to the pups, who joyfully wagged their tails and gobbled it up until their bellies bulged.

Zhuang Ding grinned too. He didn’t understand what was going on, but seeing his human dad smile made him happy as well.

The salted meat was satisfying, but soon the little Rottweilers got thirsty and ran to the stream to drink. Their bellies swelled even more.

Then the cowboys split up with their dogs—one dog each in the north, south, east, and west, with two left in the center. The six dogs now had separate territories.

And soon, after drinking, came peeing. The cowboys first held them in place to let them pee on the spot. Then, when they were about to go a second time, the cowboys let them go, allowing them to run freely.

The pups sniffed the first puddle, then ran around peeing nearby, marking territory close to their initial spot.

The eldest prince even managed to pee while running. Wang Bo was dumbfounded. “Damn, that’s some talent!”

The reason for all this was simple: the pups were too rowdy when together—they’d only roughhouse and not take herding seriously. By peeing separately, they developed a sense of territory.

There’s no place like your own den. They wouldn’t wander into their brothers’ zones anymore, and would instead guard their own turf dutifully.

A few sheep had wandered out past the northern fence. The second prince, guarding the north, immediately dashed over, barking and nipping to herd them back.

Two sika deer spotted the dogs in the pasture and got spooked. They darted nimbly northeast, toward the Southern Alps. The second prince and the fourth prince, who guarded the eastern flank, coordinated to cut them off and drive them away.