You Plan To Kill Me With Meng? - Chapter 46.2

Do you still want to continue tracking them?

This was a worrying choice because everyone knew that these five lions were going to die.

Unless a miracle occurs.

However, the never quite peaceful prairie wouldn’t be kind to these five lion cubs.

The camera tracked them for two more days, and unsurprisingly, the record of the Norman Family, spanning over two decades, came to an end with these sub-adult male lions lying exhausted on the grass.

This would be the last scene people would witness of the Norman Family.

It’s a very sorrowful, yet helpless situation.

The once famed family now met its ruin. The Norman Family fans would be disheartened to know this news.

The photographer couldn’t bear to take pictures of their lifeless bodies. As night fell on this brutal grassland, the crew left this sorrowful place.

It is noteworthy that the lionesses showed great wisdom and the direction they chose for the lion cubs to escape was an area where no one took charge.

Neighboring lion prides were busy fighting and no one noticed this place. Or, perhaps they did, but didn’t have the time or attention to spare.

It was not only the lionesses who sacrificed themselves that were smart though. Equally smart was Alexander, who migrated from the Arctic.

Yes, it’s a bit exhilarating – that unbelievable prophecy turned out to be true.

Opening his eyes for the first time, Qiao Qixi found that he has now become a sub-adult male lion.

He was muscular and strong, about three years old, appearing to have left the lion pride for not more than half a year.

Now he wandered alone on the prairie, adjacent to the pride he used to be a part of. Thanks to the friendly nature of the lionesses, he could occasionally return to share meals and drinks when he first arrived.

However, being a freeloader was not well-received anywhere.

After mooching off the lion pride’s meals for two days, Qiao Qixi felt that he had to be independent and self-reliant. Otherwise, how would he have the strength and ability to search for Odis.

Qiao Qixi, who had resolved not to freeload, started contemplating the art of hunting.

“…..” Oops, his mind went completely blank.

Missing genetic memories was such a frustrating thing. You must pretty much start over everything again.

At this time, an earnest line echoed in Qiao Qixi’s mind: I have watched so many prairie documentaries, yet I can’t navigate this life well.

However, that was not a big problem. He may not have the genetic knowledge of hunting for lions, but he has experience of hunting as a polar bear.

Basically, he was already seasoned survivor in the wild.

Besides, Qiao Qixi could feel that his five senses were very keen. Just like when he was a polar bear, he could distinctly smell prey and danger even from a few kilometers away. Combining this with human intelligence, hunting here is not difficult for Qiao Qixi.

It could even be said to be a plug-in on this grassland. After all, no one was as leisurely living as him, wandering around alone.

The most dangerous part of a hunt was not the actual time of hunting, but after the hunt is successful, when the smell of blood attracts large number of predators looking for a share.

Take the example of the notorious hyena packs. As long as there are at least three of them, they are not afraid of a confrontation with a sub-adult male lion.

As for animals like vultures, they were not a threat.

Qiao Qixi usually hunts small herbivores, eats them quickly and leaves.

This lion with polar bear habits prefers hunting food before the rain, because the rain can wash away the bloodstains and mask its scent, preventing it from spreading.

This way, he can take the prey back to his sleeping place and enjoy it leisurely.

Qiao Qixi had a slightly overweight highland gazelle in his mouth. It was an unexpected catch. Originally, he intended to catch an impala because there was too much meat for him to finish alone, and impalas were just the right size.

Life is full of surprises. This highland gazelle stepped into his trap, leaving Qiao Qixi no choice but to take advantage of the situation and bite it to death.

Braving the rain to take a shortcut back to his den, Qiao Qixi saw a group of lion cubs in the grass, looking half-dead from being drenched in the rain.

Qiao Qixi simply glanced at them and continued on his way. Why bother saving them?

Survival of the fittest, life and death are fated.

This is the cruel reality of the animal kingdom.

Well, it’s a different story if you want to raise them though.

Qiao Qixi has always wanted to raise a little bear and now an opportunity presented itself. It was a litter of orphaned lion cubs.

Hehehehehe.

Fate is a strange thing. Qiao Qixi couldn’t raise a bear cub in the Arctic but was about to raise lion cubs in the grasslands.

Qiao Qixi turned back and carried the little lions back to his den one by one.

At this time, he missed Xaio Huang. If Xiao Huang was there, he could take two at a time.

Xiao Huang: ???, I’m retired, thank you very much!

Qiao Qixi’s den was located beneath a rocky hill, in a concave spot that provided good shelter from the rain. Additionally, Qiao Qixi had dug a drainage trench in front of it, ensuring that the den remained dry.

There were a total of five lion cubs, and when Qiao Qixi helped them lick their bodies, he discovered all five were male lions.

They were all less than a year old and still had spots on their bodies, indicating their young age.

They had definitely been weaned, as their milk teeth were growing well.

What surprised Qiao Qixi was that among the five lion cubs, there was one white lion. He looked the smallest and thinnest, confirming the rumors on the grassland that the chances of survival for white lions were very low.

If it weren’t for a miracle, this white lion would have met its end.

In fact, not just the white lion, the survival rate of all lion cubs was very low, with an 80% mortality rate.

So, despite the seemingly lively presence of lion cubs in a pride, very few actually made it to adulthood.

Of course, those that did survive were considered elite.

Qiao Qixi licked the lion cubs clean and found that despite their weakness, they still had a strong will to survive. He tore open the flesh of the gazelle and chewed some small pieces for them to eat.

The lion cubs, on the verge of fainting from hunger, struggled to get up and eat when they smelled the bloody scent.

Qiao Qixi looked at the weakest white lion and was a bit worried that it might not hold on, so he showed some favoritism and provided him with special attention.

Fortunately, this little white lion could still open his mouth to swallow. With the force-feeding, he managed to eat some small pieces of meat.

This feeding session lasted for a long time.

Once the young male lions had regained some strength, they positioned themselves next to the food and began eating on their own. Despite their eagerness, they remained somewhat cautious, as if they were worried that the unfamiliar male lion might harm them.

Avoiding unfamiliar male lions was an instinct that young lions were born with.

However, the temptation of food was too great, and these hungry young male lions couldn’t bear to leave. So, they continued to eat with a mix of vigilance and eagerness, transitioning from initial unease to later devouring the food.

The whole process lasted only about 10 minutes.

Qiao Qixi paid no attention to them and focused on feeding the white lion, which had lost its ability to move.

After approximately feeding the white lion, Qiao Qixi curled its slightly chilled body in his arms for warmth.

While the fate of the white lion was uncertain, if he managed to survive, it would undoubtedly become a remarkable figure on the grassland.

Qiao Qixi was quite optimistic; he hoped to raise all the young male lions in this litter, even though he knew it would be a challenging outcome to achieve.

There had been a legendary story on the grassland where two fierce lionesses successfully raised eight cubs, guiding them to independence. This was truly a legend, an unparalleled achievement.

Qiao Qixi licked the weak white lion in his arms and couldn’t help but dream of creating a new record—if a male lion managed to raise five cubs.

At that moment, the white lion in Qiao Qixi’s arms opened its eyes. The weakened lion’s first sensation was the unfamiliar scent of a male lion.

Fear, anxiety, vigilance, and various emotions flooded the young white lion’s mind.

He should have immediately struggled to leave, but the warmth of the embrace felt like returning to its mother’s arms—a memory it had rarely experienced in his childhood but vividly remembered.

Indeed, compared to the other brothers, the white lion had probably received very little attention, and some might have been bitten to death shortly after birth.

Qiao Qixi lowered his head and found that the young male lion in his arms had already opened his eyes at some point. At this moment, he was staring at him intently.

His eyes were quite beautiful.

Qiao Qixi: “Hello, little lion, are you surprised?”

These young male lions in this litter all had good looks. Their features are very handsome, and besides this white lion, the other four have yellow fur. I can imagine that they will grow light brown fur when they become adults. Of course, they haven’t grown it yet; these young sub-adults still look quite cute.

Qiao Qixi chewed some gazelle meat, and the white lion, driven by a strong will to survive, accepted the feeding.

It had no choice.

The unfamiliar male lion’s motherly behavior made the white lion gradually reduce his fear of the male lion while increasing his curiosity.

Encountering a rare feast, the other four young male lions ate desperately until their bellies were round. Then, reluctantly abandoning the remaining gazelle, they quickly cleaned their paws and faces.

The four brothers squeezed into a corner, their youthful faces filled with fear and unease.

And they were exhausted.

Their anxious eyes were not just filled with fear; there was more drowsiness.

Everyone knew they should leave as soon as possible, but looking at the unfamiliar male lion, the young lions were afraid but still stayed in this den full of male lion scent.

Because they knew the outside world was not safer than this place.

The brothers tasted the long-lost feeling of a full stomach and warmth here, causing the young male lions with limited survival experience to be caught in conflicting emotions.

None of the four chose to leave.

After all, a life of wandering and precariousness was so nerve-wracking. They cherished the brief sense of security, finally unable to resist lying down and falling asleep.

Once one fell asleep, it would make the others, and finally, less than 20 minutes later, the four young male lions were huddled together, all fast asleep.

The white lion, who had eaten intermittently, finally tilted his head and fell asleep between Qiao Qixi’s paws.