Chapter Fifty-Two: Another Failed Hunt

Fortunately, it really worked.

By morning, the three little ones were much more energetic than they had been the night before. Little Sister Croc, in particular, devoured two crucian carps in quick succession. Sated, she crawled slowly to Lu Chen's side, rubbing her head against him over and over, even curling her tail around him.

This little girl was getting more and more attached to him.

Lu Chen touched her head with a hint of helplessness, then drew himself closer to her.

Feeling safe enough, Little Sister Croc soon quieted down, letting out a gentle purring sound. She had caught a cold first, and then been badly wounded by the clouded leopard. The entire previous day had been spent in terror and pain. Now, at last, she could get a good night's sleep.

Even in her deep slumber, she smacked her lips from time to time… If one ignored her appearance, she was almost indistinguishable from a human child sleeping.

Once Little Sister Croc was sound asleep, Lu Chen rose quietly.

He let out a few hisses to Croc Boss and Second Croc, instructing them to stay in the cave, then slipped outside himself.

The moment he left the cave entrance, a bone-chilling wind hit him.

This was not a good sign; the temperature was still dropping!

For the warm-blooded creatures of the jungle, a temperature in the teens was quite comfortable. But for three bay crocodile hatchlings not yet fully grown, it was close to the limit of their endurance.

If it continued to fall, they really might freeze to death.

Lu Chen felt an even greater sense of urgency—he couldn’t afford to linger here any longer. Once the little ones' wounds had healed a bit more, he would have to set the migration plan into motion immediately.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lu Chen moved his limbs and slipped into the icy river.

With the dropping temperatures, the fish in the river had become much more sluggish than usual, gathering in dense schools deep among the aquatic plants. Lu Chen had no trouble catching them, swallowing over a dozen catfish in quick succession, finally filling his belly.

Afterward, he caught two more, hanging them atop the trap's lid as bait.

He had rebuilt the pitfall trap just the night before, with the obvious goal of hunting the clouded leopard.

Judging from the leopard’s reactions yesterday, if his own scent lingered near the cave, the creature wouldn’t dare show itself.

So, once he finished everything, Lu Chen disappeared into the surrounding forest.

Soon, he reappeared atop a tall horsetail pine over a hundred meters away. Hidden behind the dense, slender pine needles, he silently watched for any movement around the cave.

His dark, brownish scales blended perfectly with the pine trunk—nature’s camouflage. Even if an animal passed directly below, it would never notice his presence.

What’s more, he was downwind here, so in theory, the clouded leopard shouldn’t be able to catch his scent.

Lu Chen had already decided: if the creature fell into the trap, he would immediately circle around and intercept it.

Two hours slipped by, but the clouded leopard did not appear.

Lu Chen, however, was in no hurry. For bay crocodiles, patience was never in short supply.

In the wild, they could wait an entire day in ambush for prey.

At last, as the afternoon sun leaned westward, a familiar scent drifted through the air.

Soon, he saw a cautious, probing figure in the distance. The creature was extremely wary, only half its head visible while its body remained concealed in the undergrowth—silent and motionless, the very picture of feline cunning and caution.

But for the scent, Lu Chen himself might not have noticed it either.

Seeing his long-awaited enemy finally appear, he flexed his limbs quietly and adjusted his body into the perfect position, ready to strike at any moment.

Yet, less than half a minute after showing itself, the creature suddenly turned and vanished at lightning speed into the depths of the forest.

What on earth? Lu Chen was stunned.

He was sure he hadn’t been discovered.

Could the leopard have feigned an appearance, testing for danger in the area?

They were too far apart—chasing now would be pointless, so he chose to wait patiently.

If the creature determined it was safe, it would almost certainly return.

The sun sank steadily in the west, and the forest grew colder and colder. Lu Chen kept his vigil among the branches all day, his limbs growing numb with chill.

Night fell, but the clouded leopard never returned.

Somewhat frustrated, Lu Chen leapt down from the tree and followed the river back to the cave.

He simply couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong, allowing his adversary to slip away at the last moment.

It was only when he climbed ashore and saw the pitfall trap that he suddenly understood—

He’d overdone it.

After its injury, the clouded leopard had grown even more wary and suspicious. When it noticed new changes around the pitfall, it probably recalled its painful ordeal and fled instantly.

There was no other explanation.

Had he known, he wouldn’t have made that unnecessary move and wasted such a good opportunity.

The next day, still unwilling to give up, Lu Chen kept watch again all day.

Ultimately, he had to admit defeat.

It seemed the creature wouldn’t appear again anytime soon, and his hope of avenging Little Sister Croc had completely come to nothing.

Lu Chen had no time left to waste. Seeing that the three hatchlings were now mostly recovered, he decided to lead them away immediately.

On a clear afternoon, gentle sunlight spilled across the ground, filling the jungle with warmth.

Ripples shimmered on the river’s calm surface as Lu Chen paddled steadily upstream.

Little Sister Croc clung to his broad, thickly armored back, letting out excited sounds from time to time.

Her wounds had not fully healed and couldn’t be exposed to water. For safety’s sake, Lu Chen resolved to carry her the whole way. Having carried Gold Spot before, he managed the journey with practiced stability.

As for Croc Boss and Second Croc, they were not so lucky—they had to trudge along behind.

The hatchlings’ minds couldn’t comprehend the sudden abandonment of their den, but the long-standing authority Lu Chen held left them with no thought of resistance; they simply followed obediently.

Not long after they left, the clouded leopard reappeared near the giant banyan, a nameless light flickering in its beastly eyes.

It let out a low, guttural roar toward the river, a note of unwillingness in the sound.

***

Eep eep! Eep eep!

On a large stone near the riverbank, a plump mountain rat let out sharp, pained squeals. Its tiny bean-like eyes were filled with terror and agony.

It struggled to crawl toward the nearby shrubs, but its body wouldn’t budge.

A closer look revealed its four limbs had been broken; the poor creature could only writhe helplessly atop the stone.

Rustle, rustle…

The noise finally caught the attention of a banded krait.

The snake raised its egg-sized, menacing head, flicking its tongue to taste the scent particles drifting in the air. In no time, it homed in precisely on its target.

Its black-and-yellow banded body slithered quickly through the grass, eyes glinting with excitement.

It seemed that in the next moment, it would enjoy a delicious meal.

Splash!

Suddenly, the calm water nearby erupted with a great splash.

A massive, dark figure burst from the river, soaring more than half a meter into the air—its powerful claws crashing down upon the krait’s head.