Chapter 60

When he got home, Ai Xiaohai couldn't stop thinking about the jade statue of Lady Ai Yu. The three thousand years of spiritual energy contained within it was too tempting, and it was a waste to leave it inside the jade statue. Ai Xiaohai thought for a moment, remembering that he had already experienced a brush with death and had somewhat adapted to the domineering spiritual energy of the jade statue. As long as he could promptly break free from the jade statue, the Dragon Spirit Pearl could slowly digest the energy. All he needed to do was to endure the pain. The more pain he endured, the more he would adapt... Each time he absorbed a bit of the jade statue's spiritual energy, over time, the energy inside the jade statue would eventually be completely absorbed by him. Although this was a clumsy method, it was better than being at a loss... Thinking of this, Ai Xiaohai no longer hesitated. He took out the jade statue, cut his arm, and let the blood drip onto the jade statue. Then, he immediately placed the jade statue on his dantian, preparing to break free from it. However... there was no reaction at all... Indeed, not a trace of the jade statue's spiritual energy leaked out. Ai Xiaohai was puzzled. He picked up the jade statue and found that his blood had not been absorbed by it at all. Strange, could the jade statue also adapt to the destruction caused by human blood? After coming up with this clumsy method, it turned out to be completely ineffective, and Ai Xiaohai's frustration was evident. The damned jade statue! It was like a huge safe in front of him, knowing it was full of treasures but without the password. The snake queen's essence was the same. Ai Xiaohai had found the key to unlock the snake queen's essence by luck, but what about the jade statue? Where was the password to unlock the jade statue's spiritual energy? Had his good luck run out? Ai Xiaohai was not willing to accept this, but what could he do? Feeling frustrated, he decided to go for a walk by the river to clear his mind. Ai Xiaohai had a not-so-secret secret—he was a poor swimmer! Yes, he had learned to swim as a child, but for some reason, he never managed to learn and eventually gave up. Despite his power on land, if he fell into the river, he would be at the mercy of others. The river breeze blew, making him feel comfortable. He took off his shoes, stood in the river barefoot, and felt the coolness from his feet all the way to his heart. Ai Xiaohai had a thought: he could communicate with medium-sized land animals and low-level flying birds, but what about water creatures? He sent out a mental command, but there was no response. Ai Xiaohai was not willing to give up and sent out several more mental commands, but they were like stones thrown into the sea. Still not giving up, he walked forward more than ten steps, and the river water had already reached his thighs. Seeing a fish swimming not far ahead, he sent a mental command directly to the fish. However, the fish felt nothing, flicked its tail, and swam away. Feeling dejected, he realized he had no connection with water at all. "Young man, any problem can be solved, don't do anything foolish!" An old man's urgent voice came from the riverside. Ai Xiaohai was both amused and embarrassed, thinking the old man must have thought he was going to commit suicide. He walked out of the river and said, "Old man, I'm not committing suicide, I'm just taking a look." "Who takes such risks?" The old man relaxed but still scolded him, "The water is deep there. If you fall in, it will be hard to save you." Ai Xiaohai smiled awkwardly, thinking there were still good people in the world. The old man held a radio and chatted with Ai Xiaohai, making the time pass pleasantly. "We have just received news from the city zoo," the radio announced, catching Ai Xiaohai's attention: "A pair of golden eagles from Kazakhstan escaped due to the negligence of the zookeepers. We ask the public to provide any information... It is important to note that golden eagles are fierce and can hunt large prey, especially these Kazakhstan golden eagles, which are precious wild eagles with a wingspan of nearly three meters and are extremely fierce. The public is advised not to attempt to capture them to avoid injury." "Golden eagles, what are they? I've only seen eagles at the zoo," the old man muttered. "Predators, kings of the sky," Ai Xiaohai, who was familiar with golden eagles, explained, "Their talons are lethal. Medium-sized animals and birds are almost all their prey, and even coyotes and wolves cannot escape when they encounter a golden eagle. There is a record of a golden eagle catching fourteen wolves in a single day." "Wow, that's impressive," the old man said in surprise. "Yes, very impressive. The average wingspan of a golden eagle is 2.3 meters, and these two have a wingspan of nearly three meters, making them the best of the golden eagles and the fiercest." Ai Xiaohai was also amazed. "These two golden eagles are likely a male and a female. Once golden eagles choose a mate, they stay together for life. When both appear, even lions and tigers have to run away." The appearance of two wild golden eagles in Xinan was a serious threat. If not careful, one could be injured or even killed. Unfortunately, he couldn't even control ordinary eagles, let alone these fierce kings of the sky. His phone rang, and it was Mu Tou, who sounded almost in tears: "Brother, brother, come quickly, it's terrible. Two huge eagles appeared at the farm, they ate several rabbits and wild chickens, and a dog died. Also, Dongzhi was injured." Eagles? Golden eagles? Ai Xiaohai was shocked. Could the golden eagles have flown to his farm? This was a big deal. If golden eagles appeared, even Xiao Qi would be no match, and the animals on his farm would eventually be eaten. He rushed home, grabbed a stack of money, and hailed a taxi to the farm. The driver was initially reluctant, but Ai Xiaohai added 200 yuan to the normal fare, and the driver finally agreed to go. On the way, Ai Xiaohai was worried. Golden eagles sometimes hunt not for food but for exercise or even play. Their play was not a problem, but the animals on his farm were worth money! When he arrived at the farm, he rushed in. Meng Jiagui, Wei Lixia, and Wei Dongzhi saw him and immediately looked to him for leadership, talking all at once. "Calm down, calm down," Ai Xiaohai said, finally managing to stop them. Wei Dongzhi was injured, with blood streaming from his arm. He said he had been scratched by one of the "eagles" while trying to drive them away. The wound was deep, almost to the bone. Meng Jiagui said, "If Dongzhi hadn't pulled back quickly, it would have been worse." Indeed, if the golden eagle had grabbed him firmly, Dongzhi's entire arm would have been useless. Ai Xiaohai told Dongzhi to go to the hospital, but Dongzhi was worried about the farm and refused to go. Ai Xiaohai had no choice but to walk into the farm, where he saw the ground covered in blood. One dog had been completely eviscerated, and its body was mostly gone. Although golden eagles are fierce, their carrying capacity is poor, and they can only carry less than one kilogram. When they catch larger prey, they dismember it on the ground with their sharp, powerful talons, eating the best parts and internal organs first, then dividing the rest into two parts and carrying them back to their roost in batches. Meng Jiagui told Ai Xiaohai that Wei Dongzhi had been injured while trying to protect the dog. The two golden eagles chased away the humans and then ate the dog right in front of them. They also ate two rabbits and a wild chicken. This was too outrageous, too outrageous. Ai Xiaohai was furious. Two birds—golden eagles are birds!—dared to be so brazen on his farm. Where was the face of "King Ai" now? "Where are those two golden eagles?" Ai Xiaohai asked, trying to keep his temper. Meng Jiagui and the Wei brothers now knew that the "eagles" were actually golden eagles: "We don't know. They flew away after eating, and we hope they won't come back." "That's impossible. Golden eagles are not only fierce but also intelligent. They know there is a lot of prey here, so they will definitely come back." Ai Xiaohai thought for a moment. "Mu Tou, Lixia, take Dongzhi to the hospital and make sure he gets proper treatment. I'll handle things here." "Xiaohai, we should leave one person behind. Those birds are too fierce, you can't handle them." Ai Xiaohai shook his head and insisted they all go. After they left, Xiao Qi emerged from a small forest, followed by a limping Peter and a group of his subordinates. Seeing Xiao Qi, Ai Xiaohai was furious: "You can do this? I asked you to protect the farm, and you hid first." "Boss, they are too fierce," Xiao Qi complained. "One might be manageable, but two are too much for me. And they can fly, I don't have wings." How dare he talk back? Ai Xiaohai was about to scold him, but the Turtle Spirit slowly emerged from the forest: "Your Majesty, this is not Xiao Qi's fault. I have seen golden eagles in the primeval forest. They are extremely fierce. I remember one year when two golden eagles, a male and a female, caught a jungle wolf. A leopard tried to drive them away and take the prey, which enraged the golden eagles. I still can't forget how the leopard was torn apart by the golden eagles. And those golden eagles were not as large as the ones here today." Ai Xiaohai was also shocked. It seemed the combat ability of golden eagles was even stronger than he had imagined. A leopard, which was smaller than the golden eagles on his farm, had no chance to escape. Xiao Qi was right; they could fly, which was a huge advantage. What could he do? Grow wings? Ai Xiaohai was unsure if he could handle the golden eagles.