12: Chapter 12 Broken Mountain Range

The Beast Control Bureau official vehicle drove out of the town center, accelerating northward along a slightly narrow but smoothly paved rural road.

Outside the window, neat rows of roadside trees and streets receded rapidly. As the morning mist dissipated, the distant Duanshan Mountains revealed a clearer silhouette, stretching across the horizon like a silent, dark-green wall of giants.

Inside the car, Zhang Zhi kept an eye on the road while providing Lin Chen, who was in the passenger seat, with a detailed briefing on the situation they had just been notified about.

"The one who reported it is Old Wang, a farmer who does ecological planting on the north side of town."

"He said on the phone that several acres of his land near the shelterbelt buffer zone were ravaged this morning. Judging by the tracks and residual scent, it was likely done by a wild beast. The losses are significant."

"A wild beast?"

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Lin Chen looked thoughtful.

Although Qinglan City was right next to the Duanshan Mountains, which were home to countless wild beasts, he had grown up in the city and rarely had the chance to encounter a real wild beast.

"Yeah."

Zhang Zhi tilted his chin toward the continuous, deep-green mountain range to the north through the car window.

"See, our Qingyang Town is one of the closest towns to the Duanshan Mountains. Living at the foot of the mountains, dealing with the beasts from up there is almost a daily occurrence."

There wasn't much tension in his tone; instead, it was filled with the nonchalance of someone who had seen it all before.

"There's always friction, especially in winter when food is scarce in the mountains. Some curious or starving fellows will occasionally wander down to take a look."

He shifted his tone and reassured him, "But the buffer zone between the city and the mountains is constantly patrolled day and night by professional teams, and warning devices have been set up. Large-scale conflicts are impossible."

"This time, it's likely just a confused beast that accidentally wandered in."

Lin Chen nodded thoughtfully, his gaze turning once more to the majestic mountains in the distance.

"In cases like this, how do we usually handle it?" Lin Chen suddenly asked.

Zhang Zhi smiled, his expression becoming a bit more serious. "First, of course, is to find it, then assess its danger level and status."

"If it's not aggressive and just lost its way, we guide it back to the Duanshan Mountains."

"If it's injured or showing clear signs of aggression, we need to contain it first to prevent further harm to the public."

"After that, depending on the situation, we'll hand it over to a nearby Wild Beast Rescue Station for observation or send it to a Beast Behavior Education Center for some 'lessons.'"

"Of course, the worst-case scenario..."

He paused slightly, his expression solemn. "If we encounter a malicious individual that is extremely aggressive, impossible to communicate with, and poses an immediate and serious threat to public safety, then we are permitted to use all necessary means, including..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but Lin Chen understood the meaning behind the unspoken words.

"Gagu?"

The Flame Claw Beast sitting beside him tilted its head, its eyes full of confusion.

Why couldn't it understand?

The little fellow didn't seem to like staying in the Beast Taming Space all the time, so Lin Chen simply let it stay outside to breathe some fresh air.

The official vehicle turned off the main road and onto a narrower gravel fork.

The view ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a vast, flat, and neatly organized field.

The fields were divided into tidy squares, planted with various crops; some were blooming with tiny, scattered flowers, while others had already borne green fruits.

Several farmhouses with white walls and gray tiles were scattered among the fields, with the occasional sound of alert barking.

At the end of his vision, the Duanshan Mountains seemed almost within reach. The towering peaks were covered in vegetation so dense it was nearly black-green, and when the wind blew, the sea of trees billowed.

The car stopped by the side of the road.

A middle-aged man wearing faded blue overalls, his face deeply lined with wrinkles like ravines, was already waiting there, his face full of anxiety.

Seeing Zhang Zhi and Lin Chen get out of the car, he immediately jogged over to meet them.

"Officer Zhang! You're finally here!"

"Uncle Wang, don't worry, take your time. This is Xiao Lin, a newcomer to our bureau."

Zhang Zhi waved his hand, signaling him to calm down. "Take us directly to the scene."

"Ah, okay, okay, this way!"

Uncle Wang nodded hurriedly, turning to lead the two along the field ridge toward the deeper part of the farm.

After walking through a patch of well-growing crops for about ten minutes, a scene of devastation appeared before them.

This was a vegetable plot about half an acre in size. The originally neat ridges had been trampled into a mess, the green leafy vegetables had been gnawed down to stumps, and fruits were scattered all over the ground, covered in mud.

On the ground, besides the messy animal footprints, there were clear signs of dragging and rolling, mixed with the juice of crushed fruits and vegetables, emitting a strange, slightly fermented smell.

"Look! Officer Zhang, look at this!"

Uncle Wang pointed at the wreckage, heartbroken, his voice trembling. "Before dawn this morning, when I came over to water the plants, I found it like this. This... this must have been done by a beast from the mountains!"

Zhang Zhi didn't say anything. He narrowed his eyes and carefully surveyed the chaotic scene.

He crouched down, pinched a bit of soil with his fingers, then looked closely at the shape and depth of the footprints, even picking up a half-eaten leaf to observe the bite marks.

Lin Chen followed his lead, but with his lack of experience, he could see almost no useful clues.

The Flame Claw Beast looked at its Beast Tamer, then also crouched down and approached the field, pretending to observe.

As it watched, its attention gradually drifted, eventually being drawn to some ants carrying vegetable leaves in the field.

It scratched its head. "Gagu?"

Lin Chen laughed in spite of himself. "Let's not cause trouble for Brother Zhang."

Zhang Zhi stood up, slapped the dirt off his hands, and said in a steady tone:

"I think I know what's going on."

Having said that, he first looked at Uncle Wang.

"Uncle Wang, don't worry too much. Since we're here, we'll do our best to resolve this and minimize your losses."

"According to the rules, for property damage caused by this kind of incident, you can take our police record and damage assessment report to the relevant departments in town to apply for some compensation. It might not be much, but it's something."

At the word "compensation," Uncle Wang's expression softened slightly, and he thanked him repeatedly.

Zhang Zhi then turned to Lin Chen, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Ah Chen, when did you contract your beast?"

"Do you have any prior combat experience? How much do you know?"

Lin Chen answered truthfully, "I just completed the formal contract the day before yesterday. I only know some theoretical knowledge about combat; I haven't experienced it formally yet."

He knew that in a situation where actual combat might occur, accurately assessing one's own abilities was very important.

Zhang Zhi nodded in understanding, then his expression turned solemn as a surge of mental energy suddenly erupted from his body.

A brilliant light quickly condensed beside him, and a canine beast with a shoulder height nearly reaching an adult's knee and a sleek, powerful build appeared out of thin air on the field ridge.

This beast was covered in short, blue-gray fur that shimmered like satin in the sunlight. Its limbs were long and powerful, its upright ears twitched slightly, and there was a circle of white patterns around its neck that looked like a whirlpool of wind.

Most striking were its amber eyes, sharp and agile.

Basic information about this beast immediately surfaced in Lin Chen's mind.

Species Name: Qinglan Hunting Dog

Attribute: Wind

Species Grade: High Extraordinary

The Qinglan Hunting Dog is a native beast of Qinglan City, known for its keen sense of smell, long-lasting endurance, and excellent tracking abilities. It is a commonly used working beast for patrol teams.

"Zhuifeng, find the direction it left in and its most recent tracks."

Zhang Zhi pointed at the messy vegetable plot and gave the command.

The Qinglan Hunting Dog named Zhuifeng gave a low "woo" and immediately stepped forward with light, agile steps.

It didn't rashly step into the most heavily damaged central area, but started from the edge instead. Lowering its head, its moist nose twitched slightly as it carefully distinguished the countless lingering scents in the air, on the soil, and among the vegetation.

The Qinglan Hunting Dog appeared extremely focused, its ears twitching from time to time as it caught the sound of the wind and subtle noises in the distance.

Suddenly, it snapped its head up, first glancing at Zhang Zhi, then without hesitation, it let out a few short barks toward the northern side of the vegetable plot.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

"Found it! Follow it!"

Zhang Zhi's eyes sharpened, and he immediately set off.

The Qinglan Hunting Dog dashed out like an arrow from a bow, its blue-gray figure weaving nimbly through the ridges and gaps between crops like a swift, agile breeze.

"Gagu..."

The Flame Claw Beast looked at the agile Qinglan Hunting Dog, then at the messy vegetable plot, its eyes full of confusion.

Why couldn't it smell any other scents?

Why couldn't it find any clues?

Weeds brushed against their pant legs, and the field ridges were somewhat slippery.

The Qinglan Hunting Dog was fast, but it would stop from time to time to reconfirm the direction, ensuring they hadn't lost the trail.

It led the two men and the Flame Claw Beast gradually away from the open farmland toward the edge of a wasteland overgrown with messy shrubs and sparse trees.

From their running perspective, the distant Duanshan Mountains appeared increasingly majestic and imminent.