PCJ – Chapter 629 Waiting by a Tree for a Rabbit

In the Cultivation Map space, spirit beasts such as mountain-sweeping dogs, black cats, and macaques roamed in groups. Aside from leaving some spirit beasts near Meizi’ao as its protective force, a large number had entered the Cultivation Map. Though their reproduction rate wasn’t fast, over time they had still formed packs.

Since Zhang Jiaohua was going to track down the culprit, he couldn’t rely on his own strength alone. He released all the mountain-sweeping dogs, black cats, and macaques. Led respectively by the mountain-leaping leopard, the fat cat, and the chubby monkey, they quickly took control of all the surrounding mountains near Yingpan Village.

Next, he placed spiritual springs filled with rich spiritual energy in various locations and monitored them closely. If there were indeed spirit beasts in these mountains—or even fierce animals close to that level—they would surely be attracted to these spiritual springs and eventually fall into the trap.

Old man Gu Zhuansheng walked into the mountains behind Yingpan Village with a bamboo basket on his back. The prices of mountain goods had recently doubled, which was good news for him. His son had gone off to work as a migrant laborer. A young man working outside all year could barely save any money. With no savings, there was no hope of finding a wife. In the blink of an eye, his son was nearly thirty and still single. Gu Zhuansheng was so anxious he could stomp his feet. He wished he were ten or twenty years younger so he could go out into the world with his son. Even without much education, he could still do hard labor. No matter how little he earned, he could at least bring something home. Last year, villagers Gu Quansuo, Gu Wenliang, and Gu Chenghe all got wives using the money they earned. This year, they barely stepped outside, focusing entirely on producing heirs.

Gu Zhuansheng had only seen the wives of those three once—on their wedding day. The brides had been practically dragged into the house, completed the ceremony, entered the bridal chamber, and never appeared again. Yet he still envied them. Who cared about beauty? As long as she could bear children, that was enough.

With the rising prices of mountain goods and medicinal herbs, Gu Zhuansheng saw hope. If he could gather more herbs and goods, he could save a decent amount over the year.

As soon as he entered the woods, he noticed something different—it was too quiet. So quiet it felt unsettling. Normally, once you stepped into the forest, you’d hear all kinds of birds chirping, but today it was as if all the birds and insects had vanished.

Still, Gu Zhuansheng didn’t dwell on it. Gathering mountain goods and herbs was the priority. With them, he could make money, and with money, his son could get a wife. That thought alone gave him the determination to risk his life.

To make a living, the people of Yingpan Village had to learn to recognize various herbs and how to process them to increase their value. Suddenly, Gu Zhuansheng spotted a piece of Angelica dahurica (bai zhi) hidden under a shrub. Carefully, he pushed aside the bush, cleared the surrounding weeds, and gently loosened the soil around it with a small hoe. Finally, he extracted the herb intact.

Overjoyed, he cleaned the dirt off the herb, pleased with his harvest, and carefully placed it into his bamboo basket, which was lined with pine needles. Then he began searching for his next target.

He didn’t notice the macaque crouching silently atop a pine tree, curiously watching him, its head tilting from side to side. But the monkey’s main concern wasn’t him—it was whether anything was stirring in the trap.

At the same time, Zhang Jiaohua was also in the forest, sitting under the shade of a tree, chewing on a root of cogon grass. The root was pale and sweet. In autumn, the grass had stored up nutrients for a year. Its leaves above ground had yellowed, but the underground roots were full of sugar. As a child, Zhang Jiaohua had loved digging for these roots beneath thick grass clumps. That nostalgic taste lingered, even if it could never truly bring back the flavor of childhood.

The mountain-leaping leopard lay on the ground with its head resting on Zhang Jiaohua’s calf, appearing like an ordinary village mutt. It also enjoyed the peace and quiet, though it couldn’t understand why Zhang Jiaohua kept chewing on such tasteless roots.

Not far away was a cave. It looked fresh, as if the culprit had recently been active there. So, a bowl of spiritual spring water had been placed at the entrance—its rich energy would be easy for the creature to detect.

Rustle, rustle.

Soft footsteps echoed faintly—seemingly from within the cave.

The mountain-leaping leopard, whose eyes had been half-closed, suddenly snapped to attention. It lifted its head and perked up its ears.

The fat cat stood up and silently approached the source of the sound. It was experienced—its steps made no noise.

The chubby monkey used its front paws to part the branches, revealing a pair of observant eyes.

Zhang Jiaohua continued chewing on the root, savoring the long-lost sweetness.

Not long after, a sharp little head poked out from the cave. Its mouth resembled a rat’s, but it was clearly something else—its head was covered in armored scales. If Zhang Jiaohua had seen it, he would’ve instantly recognized it as a pangolin.

The pangolin was extremely cautious. It popped its head out for just a second, then quickly retracted it. Only after confirming there was no movement outside did it emerge fully. Its entire body was covered in dark, armored plates, like a warrior clad in battle armor. Its claws were sharp as curved blades—its primary tools for digging up ant nests to feed itself.

It was on the verge of evolving into a demonic beast. Once it crossed that threshold, it would become a true lord of the mountain forest. But that final step was exceedingly difficult, blocking countless beasts from ever becoming spirit beasts. This time, however, the pangolin sensed hope. The dense spiritual energy was enough to help it transcend.

As it emerged from the cave, the spiritual energy grew even stronger, driving it to rush blindly toward the source. It didn’t realize it was a trap.

Just a few steps from the cave, a black cat took over the entrance behind it. Then, mountain dogs, black cats, and macaques began slowly encircling the area.

“Zhi zhi!”

Sensing danger, the pangolin cried out anxiously. Instinctively, it turned to flee back into the cave—but barely took a few steps before being knocked flying. It didn’t even see what hit it.

Bang!

The pangolin crashed heavily to the ground. Though it wasn’t seriously injured, the impact left it dazed and dizzy.