Chapter 100

As the hunters and Ali arrived, Lin Bei still led them to catch elephants. Yesterday's luck was a bit lacking, as they only caught three, but in total, they had already caught ten elephants. There were only eleven elephants left in the Elephant Valley, and as for the white elephant, Lin Bei still hadn't seen it. This irresponsible leader of the elephant herd was indeed rare, but fortunately, because the white elephant hadn't returned, the herd didn't dare to leave, making the capture process go quite smoothly.

The hunters were already familiar with the routine, so the time passed very quickly. Today, they caught four elephants, and by the time they returned from the Elephant Valley, it was not even three o'clock in the afternoon.

Upon their return, Wang Laicai greeted Lin Bei and the others and informed Lin Bei that the headman and the teacher had gone to the county.

"Alright, Wang Laicai, send the long-nosed beasts back to Xishan Township. Cui Lan, you can rest. I'll go for a walk myself." After giving these instructions, Lin Bei went to the forest outside, circling around the school.

Lin Bei wanted to take this time to set up a breeding farm.

By the time An Zhongzhi recruited the laborers, although the Zhen family could transport some grain, the meat would definitely have to come from Fushan. The meat for over three thousand people was a huge number. Lin Bei could certainly go into the mountains to catch it, but without restraint, by the time the road was completed, there would probably be no animals left in the Fushan area. This was not what Lin Bei wanted to see, so setting up a breeding farm was inevitable.

"In the early stages, the breeding farm can raise mountain chickens and wild rabbits, and then gradually add more. Therefore, the terrain and environment of the breeding farm must suit the habits of these two animals."

What kind of environment do wild rabbits and mountain chickens need to live better and reproduce faster? This can be referenced from domestic chickens and rabbits, but there will definitely be some adjustments needed. However, abundant grass is a must.

"There should be plenty of shrubs, as mountain chickens prefer shrubs, which can also protect them from predators like eagles. There should be some rocks for wild rabbits to dig burrows. Since it's a breeding farm, a certain area must be enclosed. Therefore, the terrain of a valley or canyon would be more suitable. Additionally, there must be a water source, or at least some areas that are quite damp to facilitate the growth of wild grass."

As Lin Bei climbed, he sketched out a rough plan for the breeding farm in his mind. This kind of natural breeding farm has many limitations, but it also has many benefits. As long as the area is well-defined, planting some wild trees and grasses inside will naturally allow the animals to settle in without too much worry. However, the limitations are significant. Since it is in the forest, if the number of animals in a certain area increases, it will also attract many carnivores. If not managed properly, the animals in the breeding farm might all become prey to wild beasts, making all the effort in vain.

"Still, a canyon or valley would be better. Once it reaches a certain scale, some watchtowers can be built around it, and a few night watchmen can be hired to manage it. Small disturbances can be ignored, but larger predators like wolves or weasels must be driven away."

With the goal set, it was easier to proceed. Lin Bei then mainly observed valleys or longer canyons, such as those formed below cliffs. Although there were many valleys and canyons, none met Lin Bei's requirements, as the breeding farm needed to be large. The Elephant Valley was large, but it was still far from enough. Lin Bei felt that a valley or canyon of at least several hundred thousand square meters would be barely suitable. The larger, the better, but such places were indeed rare.

Thus, for the rest of the afternoon, Lin Bei wandered through the forest, not finding any suitable terrain, but he did see many good things.

First, Lin Bei discovered many caves in a small valley. After observation, he saw a large group of badgers, which were excellent animals.

Badgers are omnivores, eating both plants and small animals, and they can catch mice, but they don't eat mountain chickens or wild rabbits. Since they are burrowers, they love digging holes in the mountains, so they can coexist with mountain chickens and wild rabbits. Additionally, badgers are quite fierce and can resist weasels, so Lin Bei decided to add them to the list of animals to be raised in the breeding farm.

Moreover, Lin Bei discovered a medicinal herb, Sanqi (Panax notoginseng). There were quite a few of these herbs. According to Lin Bei's knowledge, Sanqi is an excellent herb for replenishing and generating blood, often praised as the best for blood replenishment, just as ginseng is the best for qi replenishment. If a wound is bleeding, applying some Sanqi powder can quickly stop the bleeding. Sanqi is one of the herbs listed in Yunnan Baiyao.

"With Shenggucao (Herba Siegesbeckiae) in front and Sanqi behind, external injuries are no longer a concern." Lin Bei was very happy. It's said that deep mountains are rich in medicinal herbs, and it seems to be true. Even with Lin Bei's limited knowledge, he had already discovered several herbs. If a doctor were to come, they would definitely return with a full load.

Finally, Lin Bei found the trail of a group of wild mountain goats. By the hoof prints and droppings, Lin Bei could confirm that there were about fifty of them. They had run deep into the forest. Lin Bei tracked them for several miles and then stopped, guessing that they were heading towards the large mountains deep in the forest. After all, the higher parts of the mountains have fewer trees but plenty of shrubs, and the terrain is open, making it very suitable for these herbivores that rely on running to avoid being preyed upon by wild beasts.

Lin Bei was now on top of a small canyon. He had been tracking the wild mountain goats and heard the cries of animals from below the canyon. Upon closer inspection, he saw nothing.

The canyon below was only about ten meters deep and not very large, somewhat eerie, with exceptionally lush vegetation. Generally, if there were no snakes, rabbits and mountain chickens would love such a place. However, after a careful look, Lin Bei found the canyon to be eerily silent, with no movement except for the earlier cries, which puzzled him.

Sliding down the rock wall, Lin Bei used his tail to part the vegetation, which was about a meter tall. There were no signs of snakes or even mountain rats. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as a clear pond appeared before him.

The clear pond was hidden by the vegetation and would not have been noticed without parting the grass. The pond's opening was not large, only about half a meter in diameter, and the water was a deep green, making it impossible to see how deep it was. The water did not overflow, but there were a few small ripples, formed when Lin Bei parted the grass.

"This clear pond seems to have the feeling of 'when the mountains and waters seem to have no way out, there is a village with willows and flowers in the distance.'"

As Lin Bei was looking at the pond, a fine whirlpool suddenly appeared in the water, startling him. The whirlpool grew larger and more intense.

"There's something in there!" Lin Bei thought, quickly trying to move his head away. At that moment, a head emerged from the pond, a bright red one, lunging at Lin Bei with a fierce and aggressive bite. The head had fine, sharp teeth, and it was a large, bright red python.

PS: This is the hundredth chapter of my third book, so I'm celebrating a bit.