The Evolutionary Path of the Lion

Chapter 74 The Investigation Team's Escape Route

A natural, shallow ditch runs along the edge of the main hunting grounds on the east side. During the rainy season, flash floods have eroded the ditch walls, leaving them rough and covered with a layer of grayish-white salt frost. Chunks of soil are swept in by the wind, rolling into the ditch and making a faint rustling sound when they land. In the dry season, the ditch bed narrows into a half-meter-wide crack, so narrow that only a young animal can squeeze through sideways. The survey team had previously circled around the ditch along the northern side, but they clearly didn't know the terrain on the east side as well as Chen Fei did.

Chen Fei licked his dry lips with the tip of his tongue.

Having traversed this hunting ground for so long, he could count the pebbles along the ditch with his eyes closed. This shallow ditch extends eastward for seventy meters before making a sharp bend. At the bend, three acacia trees take root, their crowns adorned with reddish-brown thorns, their leaves gilded golden-red by the setting sun. Their intertwined branches even force the wind to swerve around them, perfectly blocking the view from east to west—a natural visual obstruction. He knew the survey team's habits all too well; when advancing eastward from camp, their formation would unconsciously drift northward, conveniently using that bend as a shield for their left flank.

They thought it was a safe barrier.

Chen Fei knew that it was a dead end. It was easy to get in, but his scent would be trapped inside by the ditch walls and tree canopies and wouldn't be able to escape.

[Host: Chen Fei]

[Identity: Sub-adult male lion]

[Energy Points: 893↑]

The setting sun cast a warm golden hue over the grassland, and the wind carried the scent of grass and the distant pungent smell of pikas.

The survey team will not proceed until the day after tomorrow, giving them a full day for preparation. Chen Fei took a step, his limbs barely making a sound on the grass, and walked slowly along the edge of the ditch.

The first place to deal with was the bend in the shallow ditch. He walked about thirty meters and found a palm-sized pebble in the damp soil inside the bend. He precisely hooked the edge of the pebble with his right forepaw, and with a flick of his knuckles, the pebble, along with the mud, rolled to his feet. He lowered his head, the mane on the side of his neck brushing against the damp soil, leaving a faint, earthy scent in place, like a trace swept by the wind, certainly not the strong, pungent smell of a lion marking its territory.

This amount of scent is not enough to trigger thermal imaging, but if the survey team had odor tracking equipment, their sensitive "nose" would definitely have paused here.

A brief pause is enough.

Even a half-second lapse in concentration would cause the entire formation to linger at the bend for an extra two minutes. And those two minutes would be enough for him to circle around from the other side and lay the groundwork for an encirclement.

Chen Fei mentally reviewed the route again, making sure there were no unnecessary steps, before continuing eastward.

The second location is the meadow beneath the canopy of an acacia tree.

The low tree canopy sliced ​​the slanting sunlight into tiny patches of light, casting a jumbled shadow on the grass. A coolness spread through the shadows, contrasting sharply with the warmth outside. Chen Fei pressed his body even lower, sliding along the ground with his abdomen close to the earth, feeling the density of the grass beneath his feet. It was thick and soft enough that each step would only produce a very slight rustling sound, ensuring he wouldn't give away any trace.

well.

He lay down in the shadows, his front paws unconsciously scratching at the grass roots, the resilient stems brushing against his paw pads. The location of the three acacia trees, the thickness of their trunks, the angles at which their branches stretched out—it was like a map etched into his mind, fixed with perfect precision. His night vision had already been unlocked; no matter what time the survey team set off the day after tomorrow, this place would be his domain.

As I was lying down, a clear rustling sound suddenly came from the grass on the east side, accompanied by the soft sound of grass being crushed.

Chen Fei's ears perked up instantly, like two taut little radars, turning towards the source of the sound.

There was no sense of threat.

The next second, a large, round head emerged from the grass, carrying half a bloody hoof in its mouth, its location unknown. It moved nimbly, its belly gliding along the grass, its head slowly glancing left and right, its round ears flapping as it listened for any sounds. Once it was sure there was no danger, it put the hoof down, buried its head, and began to gnaw on it, its tail still swishing happily behind it, the bits of grass clinging to it falling away with each movement.

Chen Fei stared at it for three seconds, his eyes devoid of emotion.

Big Head was so focused on gnawing that he didn't even bother to lick the blood off his lips.

"..."

Chen Fei withdrew his gaze and continued to observe the structure of the grass beneath the tree canopy, confirming every blind spot where he could hide.

Big Head finally realized something was wrong, and suddenly raised his head to meet Chen Fei's gaze.

It paused for a second, its pupils slightly contracting, then with lightning speed, it used its front paws to push its hoof into the tall grass beside it, not forgetting to cover it with a few dry blades of grass. After doing all this, it stood up nonchalantly, lowered its head, and trotted to Chen Fei's side, lying down next to him. Its gaze was fixed on the distant grassland, pretending to be as serious as he was, observing the terrain, but its ears were still secretly twitching back, watching for the direction where the hoof was hidden.

Chen Fei ignored it.

大头等了一会儿，见没有挨揍的迹象，悄悄把脑袋转回去，眼神瞟向那丛草，舌尖飞快地舔了一下嘴唇，喉咙里还滚出一丝细微的吞咽声。

Chen Fei turned his head and glanced at him indifferently.

Big Head immediately turned his head back, staring straight ahead with a serious expression as if he were carrying out some important mission, even his tail was taut.

The wind swept in from the north across the eastern hunting grounds, rippling the grass into green arcs, the rustling sound carrying eastward along the gully. Chen Fei looked up, following the wind, his nose twitching slightly. The smell of cooking smoke from the survey team's camp drifted in from the northwest, mingled with the acrid smell of burning gas and the aroma of food, coming from just over three kilometers away. The location of the smell hadn't changed at all compared to yesterday; they were still in the same spot.

the day after tomorrow.

He mentally reviewed the survey team's advance rhythm once more. As was customary, the entire team would always depart at 7:45 AM, with the thermal imaging camera set up at the rear and two lightly equipped scouts at the front. He remembered the formation of the last advance on the north side very clearly: Calder was at the very front, Ella followed second, and Morris brought up the rear, always holding a walkie-talkie.

This time, even if they switch to the east side, the formation will most likely remain the same.

Kaller will still be at the forefront.

Chen Fei closed his eyes, and the scene he had observed on the sandstone platform last time clearly appeared in his mind. Kale's leather boots made a dull "click" sound when they stepped on the gravel, and a muffled "plop" sound when they encountered soft grass. His steps were heavy, especially his right foot. When he encountered uncertain terrain, he would reduce his stride by half an inch, but he would never stop. He was the guide, and stopping meant showing his weakness, and he obviously did not like that feeling.

This habit is exactly what he can use.

The arrangement of the air around the bend was enough to make Kall slow down, but he would never stop. The slow but steady pace would naturally cause the formation at the front and rear to spread out, and the gaps between them would be perfectly concealed by the branches of the three acacia trees.

Chen Fei stood up and continued eastward to set up the third location.

Big Head immediately followed, his steps much lighter than before. His left shoulder was slightly hunched, and his left forepaw landed a beat slower than his right when he took a step. The old wound, from last month's fight with the hyenas over food, hadn't fully healed yet, and would twitch slightly if he walked quickly, but it was much better than last week. Chen Fei didn't let him follow, nor did he urge him to leave, letting him follow closely behind.

The third area is a patch of low shrubs located on the eastern edge of the hunting grounds; further east, it extends beyond his core territory. Behind the shrubs is a gentle slope with a clear view from the top, offering a clear view of the open ground about two kilometers to the north.

This is the way out.

It wasn't his way out; it was the investigation team's.

If these hunters venture deep into the hunting grounds without success, they will customarily circle eastward before turning back, and this gentle slope is their only route back to camp. The top of the slope offers a wide view, and they will invariably stop there to set up their cameras for a final scan.

He stopped inside the bushes, his gaze sweeping over the roots of several bushes, and quickly found a slightly low-lying depression.