Chapter 13

Lin Bei fell asleep quickly and woke up just as fast, startled by the sounds around him. Lack of sleep was really frustrating, and although Lin Bei usually had a good temper, he did not tolerate being disturbed during his sleep. After being woken up, he wanted to glare at someone, but then he saw the animals by the water pool and could only smile bitterly. He was now a giant python, not a human, and he was in the forest, so getting a good night's sleep was indeed difficult.

By this time, the sky had already grown dark, almost dusk. For the forest, this was the most active time for animals. Many would come to the water source to drink, and at the same time, various predators would sharpen their claws, ready to hunt. Whether they could kill prey and enjoy a pleasant evening depended on how diligent they were at this time.

The five animals by the water pool surprised Lin Bei, as they were a herd of elephants.

"Small ears, a protrusion at the tip of the nose, these are Asian elephants," Lin Bei muttered. "Could I be in the southwestern part of China? Or perhaps near Vietnam, Laos, or Thailand?"

Asian elephants are quite rare in modern times due to hunting, but in ancient times, they were more numerous. Even the ancestors of elephants, the mammoths, were recorded in ancient times. During the Three Kingdoms period, a famous person named Meng Huo rode a mammoth, who was captured seven times by Zhuge Liang.

So Lin Bei was not surprised to see the herd of elephants. Although Asian elephants often search for food on the grasslands, they do not mind entering the forest. Their appetite is enormous, and they need to spend at least eighteen hours a day eating. Even in ancient China, the grasslands might not have been able to support these elephants, so they moved to the forest. In short, it was all about food.

The five Asian elephants consisted of four adults and one calf. Among them, one was a male, three were females, and one was a calf. The male had tusks, while the females did not. The calf was easy to recognize, being small and likely born not long ago.

The five elephants dominated the water pool, seemingly unaware of Lin Bei above them. The calf was very active, not drinking water obediently but jumping around on the Qinglong stone Lin Bei had moved over, occasionally making 'ang... ang...' sounds, looking very happy. Whether animals or humans, they are always carefree when young, as their parents shield them from the storms of life.

Watching the calf, Lin Bei thought of Lin Rou. When she was two or three years old, she was quite mischievous. Sometimes Lin Bei wanted to discipline her but couldn't bear to. After Lin Rou turned five, although she was still mischievous, she knew how to read his mood. If she did something wrong, she would constantly act cute and beg for forgiveness. Lin Bei's parents loved her like a precious gem, so little Lin Rou, at a young age, learned to use their support to 'bully' Lin Bei, often leaving him in a state of amusement and frustration. Thinking of this, Lin Bei felt very down.

The five elephants had a large appetite, so they drank a lot of water. When Lin Bei woke up, they had just arrived and drank for nearly half an hour, their bellies swelling. A female elephant called to the calf, but the calf seemed not to hear. The female elephant then used her trunk to pick up the calf and slowly led the herd back into the forest. They would not rest at night but continue to forage.

After the herd left, the area became lively again as many animals came to drink water. Three deer slowly walked over from the river, eating the tender grass by the riverbank while vigilantly observing their surroundings. Lin Bei looked at them for a moment and, based on the information in his mind, confirmed that they were water deer.

Water deer often live near water sources, are large in size, and enjoy playing and foraging in the water. They are rare in modern times, and Lin Bei had only seen them once before. This was his second time.

"The natural enemies of water deer are tigers and crocodiles, right? There are probably no crocodiles here, so they have found a good place."

Lin Bei liked deer, as they are generally gentle and have a beautiful physique, making them likable. When the water deer appeared, Lin Bei subconsciously looked around, and his heart sank.

Although he knew the forest was full of animals, he did not expect it to be this crowded. At a glance, Lin Bei saw three predators: a tiger, a leopard, and a lynx.

Everyone is familiar with tigers and leopards, which are well-known predators. The lynx, however, might be less familiar. This wild animal belongs to the cat family and can easily be mistaken for a cat due to its similar appearance.

Lynxes are often called "big cats" by hunters. They are larger than cats but smaller than leopards, yet they are extremely fierce. Even when facing a leopard, they will fight, with a win rate of about 30% for the lynx and 70% for the leopard, showing that lynxes are still quite formidable.

The tiger was on the east side of the river, while the leopard and lynx were on the west side. The three predators seemed not to have noticed each other, focusing instead on the water deer, which were defenseless prey that would provide them with several meals.

"Quack, quack, quack!!" Suddenly, frogs in the river began to call loudly, and soon the sound spread, creating a symphony. These frogs were singing with their lives.

Several snakes began to quietly approach the river. When they reached a certain point, three of them turned back, while two hesitated and continued. One slithered on the ground, and the other on a tree. One was a cobra, and the other a bamboo pit viper, both highly venomous.

"Flap, flap, flap..."

A wild chicken clumsily flew out of a bush, flew a few dozen meters, and landed in the grass by the river, signaling the start of the battle.

The lynx, like a bolt of lightning, leaped down from a tree, moving so fast that it seemed to fly. With a few leaps, it gracefully extended its body in the air. With the final leap, it jumped at least seven meters and pounced into the grass, biting the fat, clumsy chicken's neck and breaking it.

"Roar..."

The leopard had already noticed the lynx when it moved. Because they look similar, they have a deep-seated hatred for each other. The leopard leaped down from another tree and pounced at the lynx.

The sudden movement of the lynx and leopard startled the water deer, which immediately ran away. Lin Bei saw the tiger take a few steps in pursuit but then stop, looking at the direction the lynx and leopard had gone with a melancholic gaze, clearly hating them for disrupting his perfect dinner.

The lynx and leopard had already left, running up the trees. Both were skilled climbers, but the lynx, carrying a chicken, was likely to be caught by the leopard. Lin Bei did not know what would happen next; perhaps one would die, or both would be injured and killed by another predator.

The frog calls did not stop because of these events; instead, they grew louder. These frogs were preparing to mate, a matter more important than anything else, and they were not afraid.

Lin Bei watched the two snakes carefully approach their targets and suddenly felt his skin tighten, a sense of danger rising in his mind. He quickly looked up.

A black dot was circling above Lin Bei, making him laugh. He was watching the tigers and leopards fight, but the real threat was in the sky. Whether it was an eagle or a hawk, Lin Bei said fiercely, "Provoking me? Daring to provoke me? If you have the guts, come down. I can kill you without a stick."