It's Not Like I Haven't Ridden You Before (continued)

--That human smells so good.

"Mmm..."

--I really want to eat it, it must be delicious.

"Mmm..."

--Just one bite, just one bite is enough.

Lou Yu couldn't understand fox language, but he could read their eyes. The foxes were whimpering and staring straight at him, no different from the mutated monsters that had tried to eat him before.

Lou Yu frowned subconsciously.

He was about to turn his head to look at the Snow Bird when he caught a glimpse of Red Fox not far from him suddenly lunging forward, its killing intent palpable.

"Chirp!" Tao Qiu rushed forward at top speed to block Lou Yu, preventing him from using his superpower.

The Red Fox stopped in front of Tao Qiu, who looked at him with displeasure. "Chirp chirp?"

--what you up to?

The Red Fox said indifferently, "Hmm?"

--Didn't you say yesterday that you wouldn't interfere in the fight between humans and mutated monsters, and would just watch the show?

Snow Bird: "Chirp chirp? Chirp chirp, chirp chirp, chirp chirp"

"Can the situations be the same? He's someone I brought to pick up materials, he's one of my men. If you want to fight him, then you'd better beat me first."

The Red Fox met Tao Qiu's angry gaze, took a step back, and said, "Ugh."

--Just kidding, don't be angry.

The Snow Bird glared at him and then chirped.

--Don't make such nonsensical jokes in the future.

After saying that, Tao Qiu turned to the side, lowered her head, and gently kissed Lou Yu twice.

Although he couldn't understand the words, Lou Yu understood what he meant.

The matter is resolved, don't be afraid.

Lou Yu smiled and nodded.

Red Fox watched the interaction between the two, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

I have a feeling that this bird and this person aren't just ordinary acquaintances.

He said, "Mmm..."

--I won't go forward, but to prevent him from smuggling weapons, I'll have a fox search him. If you're worried, you can keep an eye on him yourself.

As he spoke, the Gray Fox emerged from behind the Red Fox, its eyes fixed warily on Lou Yu.

The Red Fox's request was within reasonable limits, so Tao Qiu stepped aside, glanced at the Gray Fox, then at Lou Yu, and chirped.

"You want to search me?" Lou Yu understood perfectly.

Tao Qiu nodded.

Lou Yu believed that with the Snow Bird around, the foxes wouldn't dare to harm him openly. So he put down and opened his toolbox, spreading his arms wide to show that he was indeed not carrying any lethal weapons.

Besides the three items Tao Qiu had seen earlier, there was also a cell phone in the box—to take photos and leave a record later.

Although the researchers could determine through testing whether what Lou Yu brought back was from a high-level mutated fox or not, they still needed to carefully complete the procedures to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

Tao Qiu knew the purpose of all the tools in the box, so he explained them to Red Fox. At the same time, Gray Fox circled around Lou Yu, sniffing to see if he was carrying any firearms, one of the most powerful weapons humans could use against mutated monsters.

Not smelling any guns, Gray Fox started jumping around, biting and tugging at clothes, trying to find a dagger or something similar.

With the Snow Bird watching nearby, the Gray Fox didn't dare go too far. After confirming there was no danger, it honestly told the Red Fox.

The Red Fox nodded and said to the Snow Bird, "Mmm."

--Let's go.

He turned and walked forward first, and Lou Yu packed up his toolbox and followed with Snow Bird.

The murmurings of the Fox Clan came from behind.

--It's a pity we can't eat it.

--Why is the Snow Bird protecting him so much? Could it be that it wants to keep it for itself?

--That's possible. If I had such delicious prey, I'd prefer to enjoy it all to myself.

Perhaps it was a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for Lou Yu. After entering the forest, the Red Fox switched from walking to running, and it was quite fast at that.

The mutated monster was larger than a human, and Red Fox was familiar with the area, so he initially kept his distance from Lou Yu and Tao Qiu.

Tao Qiu wanted to carry Lou Yu on his back, but Lou Yu shook his head and refused. He carried the toolbox, but his running speed was not slow at all, and he gradually caught up with Red Fox.

As a soldier who frequently goes out on missions, Lou Yu almost always got full marks in wilderness training exercises when he was a recruit. In addition, he now has the added advantage of his superpowers. Even when he was injured, he could outrun mutated wolves, let alone today when he is at his peak.

Upon discovering that Lou Yu could actually keep up with him, Red Fox's eyes first showed surprise, followed by deep apprehension.

He knew that anyone who dared to venture deep into the mutated monster's territory to collect materials with the Snow Bird must at least be one of the best among humans, but this person was far more powerful than he had imagined.

For a moment, the Red Fox even felt murderous intent, but when he thought of how much the Snow Bird cared about this human, and when he thought about how he still needed to exchange fruit with the Snow Bird, he could only forcibly suppress the thought in his heart.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the tung tree.

The old fox and the White Fox were already waiting there.

Lou Yu had only seen the old fox in the base's records before. The records said that it hated humans, had a vicious personality, and would play with humans like a cat playing with a mouse before eating them. It was also cunning and treacherous, and had escaped human traps many times.

The document contains a photo of an old fox standing atop a city wall, his body covered in wounds and blood, with bits of bone and flesh still clinging to his mouth. His eyes are fierce and sinister, and under the moonlight, he looks like a demon crawling out of hell.

That photo left a deep impression on Lou Yu, so much so that when he saw the fox in front of him, which was as tall as a small mountain yet exceptionally calm and composed, Lou Yu felt that apart from its appearance, the two were completely different foxes.

Is it that time has eroded the madness, or is it a carefully crafted disguise?

Lou Yu's mind was in turmoil, but he remained calm and composed on the surface.

His face was flushed from running so fast, his breathing was a little heavy, and his aura was stronger.

The old fox lowered his eyes to look at Lou Yu, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in them.

This human is different from other humans.

The White Fox also smelled Lou Yu's scent. She suppressed her hunting instincts and simply moved closer to the Red Fox.

Tao Qiu, seemingly oblivious to the subtle atmosphere, proactively called out to the old fox, "Chirp, chirp, chirp?"

--We just met yesterday, so there's no need for pleasantries. Are you currently in a state of emergency? Perhaps you could have this human draw your blood and trim some hair?

The old fox turned its gaze to the Snow Bird, its voice low and soft. "Mmm-woo-woo."

--Of course, please feel free to do so.

The old fox lay prone on the ground, looking utterly innocent and harmless.

Lou Yu took out his phone first, and after Tao Qiu helped him get Old Fox's permission, he stood back and took a full-body photo of Old Fox.

Afterwards, following the doctoral students' impromptu instruction, he located the spot, drew a vial of blood, and cut off two tufts of hair to put in a bag.

When Red Fox saw the syringe filled with the old chieftain's blood, he couldn't help but bare his teeth. But before Tao Qiu could do anything, the old fox scolded him, and Red Fox had no choice but to swallow his dissatisfaction.

After carefully placing all the materials into the box, Lou Yu signaled to Tao Qiu that it was ready.

Tao Qiu immediately called out to the old fox and the others, "Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

--Now that we've received the goods, we won't bother you any longer. You can come to my place to pick up the fruit tomorrow.

After Tao Qiu finished speaking, he was about to leave with Lou Yu when the old fox suddenly stood up and called them back.

"Mmm?"

--Can I see this photo taken by this human?

The old clan chief had some understanding of human civilization and roughly understood what taking a photo meant.

"Chirp." Tao Qiu pointed at the old fox from a distance with her beak, then drew a rectangle on the ground with her paw, and then drew an eye next to the rectangle.

He expressed himself quite clearly, so Lou Yu immediately understood, "He wants to see the photos I just took?"

Tao Qiu nodded. "Chirp."

Lou Yu didn't hesitate. He quickly took out his phone, displayed the photo from earlier, and handed it to the old fox.

Because the phone was too small for the old fox, he had to get very close to see it clearly, so when he buried his head, it looked like he was about to devour Lou Yu.

The old fox was not only terrifying in aura, but his sheer size alone was enough to instill fear and awe.

If it were someone with a weaker constitution, they would probably have collapsed to the ground in fear.

Lou Yu remained calm throughout, even when the old fox's fur nearly covered him; he simply brushed aside the fur on his face to allow himself to breathe normally.

The old fox hadn't looked in a mirror in a long time. Partly because there weren't suitable conditions for it on the mountain, and partly because he was also escaping the fact that time was passing.

But upon seeing the photo, he had to admit that he had indeed grown old and no longer possessed the vigor and spirit of his youth.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death—if he were still that ordinary little fox, at the mercy of others, he would have no other thought than to survive. But after gaining sentience, he experienced immense joy and understood that death is simply disappearing from this world.

To be honest, if he hadn't gotten this disease, his fear and resentment towards death would definitely be much more severe than it is now. But after enduring the torment of the illness, all he wants is relief.

The old fox stood up, stepped back, and politely thanked Lou Yu.

In truth, the old fox still loathed and hated humans; if he so desired, he could kill the person before him on the spot.

As for the Snow Bird, we can just kill it.

But even if both the Snow Bird and this human die, what's the point?

It's pointless.

The Red Fox saw Tao Qiu and Lou Yu off, while the White Fox stood beside the old fox, watching the three figures gradually disappear into the distance.

The White Fox said, "Mmm."

--This human's scent is different from other humans.

The old fox-like man, with dark, brooding eyes, whimpered, "Mmm..."