Landlord in the Arctic

It hurriedly turned around and scurried back into its cage.

It let out a hoarse cry at Feng Mountain and shook its head.

As if to say, ’It’s too cold out here!’

"You don’t even have any feathers on your head, of course you’re cold!" Feng Mountain couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle at the vulture. "You stay in the cage for now. I’ll find you a hat to wear later."

Then, he turned and walked to the parrots’ cage.

He hadn’t used the Beast Taming Technique on these parrots. If he just let them out, their natural instincts would have them flying out of sight in minutes, and they would most likely freeze to death in the icy wilderness.

Feng Mountain saw a feed box hanging outside the cage. He grabbed a handful of grain, placed it in his palm, and activated the Beast Taming Technique, infusing the power into the grain before extending his hand into the cage.

The moment the parrots saw the food, they became instantly excited.

They fluttered over, flapping their wings, and gripped the bars of the cage tightly with their claws.

They scrambled to eat the grain infused with the Beast Taming Technique.

Because there were many parrots and a limited amount of grain, the power of the Beast Taming Technique could only be divided among them, so the effect wasn’t as pronounced as it had been on the tigers.

But even so, the parrots could still basically follow Feng Mountain’s commands.

"Go on, get some air. Don’t fly off. You have to come back later." After speaking, Feng Mountain opened the cage door.

With a great FLUTTER, the parrots flew out through the truck’s trailer.

They had been cooped up in the narrow space for too long.

The moment they flew out of the trailer, they scattered in mid-air like a handful of colorful confetti.

By now, Yves and Ma Wei were already numb to scenes like this.

Just a moment ago, the tigers had been so affectionate toward their boss, with no intention of harming him.

In comparison, these parrots were obviously much less of a threat, so it was hardly surprising.

Old Tom was equally stunned. The turn of events was completely unexpected; he never thought this would be the outcome.

Suddenly, he remembered something Jeff had once said offhandedly.

Feng is a messenger of the Spirit of All Things.

When his gout had flared up, causing excruciating pain, it was Feng who had cured him with a miraculous spell. Perhaps this explanation could account for all these magical phenomena.

Feng Mountain leaped nimbly from the trailer and returned to Snow’s side, a smug smile playing on his lips.

"So, what do you think? Now do you believe I can lead them across the Tundra and back to the Crown Territory?"

"Alright, you win!" Snow shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile, "It’s a good thing I’m the one in charge of this adoption project. Anyone else would have never agreed to something so crazy."

Feng Mountain laughed heartily, throwing an arm around Snow’s shoulder and turning to look at Old Tom.

"Go find that cowardly driver. We’re leaving immediately. There’s a lot of work waiting for me back in the Crown Territory."

"I hear and obey your divine oracle!" Old Tom deliberately struck a charlatan’s pose, spreading his hands theatrically before taking a deep bow.

His comical appearance made Feng Mountain burst out laughing.

After a thorough search of the school grounds, the group finally found the driver shivering in a gap between two shipping container homes.

After a great deal of persuasion, the driver finally agreed to continue the trip.

Feng Mountain then ordered all the animals back into the trailer.

Like well-trained soldiers, the tigers obediently lined up in an orderly queue and leaped into the trailer one by one.

Immediately after, the parrots followed, fluttering their wings and flying into the trailer as well.

Feng Mountain stroked his chin, his eyes scanning the tigers. He looked at Snow with confusion. "Has the rescue center been having trouble lately? I feel like the tigers have gotten a lot thinner."

Snow quickly shook his head, repeatedly denying it.

"No, not at all! Ever since you made that huge donation, the director has been paying special attention to these tigers. He even added an extra meal for them every day."

"The vet gave them a full checkup, too. They look thinner because their fat has been converted into muscle, so their build has changed a bit. But in reality, not only have their vitals not declined, they’ve actually improved significantly. They’re in better physical condition than before."

"Alright, in that case, let’s get going!" As Feng Mountain spoke, he saw Tom pull up next to the truck in a Pickup Truck.

In the bed of the Pickup Truck were two brand-new snowmobiles, their metallic surfaces gleaming under the lights.

The group climbed into their vehicles, and the convoy slowly drove out of the flight school.

The vehicles proceeded smoothly along the road, soon entering Polaris Town before getting directly onto the AK-2 Highway.

The state of Alaska is vast, and its transportation network relies primarily on a few key highways.

Among them, three main highways are particularly crucial: the AK-1 Highway, the AK-2 Highway, and the AK-3 Highway.

These three highways are like major arteries, connecting Alaska’s primary transportation hubs. They link important cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks, as well as the Tok Land Port near the Canadian border, providing vital support for the movement of people and goods throughout the state.

And now, the convoy was setting out from Polaris Town on a journey totaling 576.8 kilometers.

First, they had to travel along the AK-2 Highway.

After some distance, they would stop in Levingood Town.

After that, the convoy would have to turn onto Highway 11. And this wasn’t just any Highway 11—it was the infamous Dalton Death Highway, one of the ten most dangerous roads in the world.

The convoy proceeded slowly along the AK-2 Highway.

As the city’s silhouette gradually faded behind them, the stunningly desolate landscape of Alaska unfolded before their eyes in its entirety.

The polar night descended, making the vast, boundless land feel like a corner forgotten by time.

As far as the eye could see, rolling mountain ranges resembled silent, slumbering beasts, grim and majestic.

The perennial snow on their peaks was like the white hair of an ancient elder, looking down upon the silent land with a weathered gaze.

The highway was a lonely ribbon, winding its way across the wasteland and disappearing without end where heaven and earth met.

The surroundings were sparsely populated, with only a few abandoned wooden cabins occasionally breaking the view.

They teetered on the verge of collapse under the constant erosion of wind and snow, as if they could be swallowed by the merciless wilderness at any moment.

In this desolate expanse, it seemed as if everything was frozen. Only the howling wind, like the wailing of the earth itself, echoed long across the open plains.

Even this highway, which was supposed to be a major transportation artery, was exceptionally deserted. The tracks of other vehicles were rarely seen.

Occasionally, a beam of headlights would struggle to pierce through the swirling snow.

The faint light seemed so lonely in the vast darkness.

It was like a single point of struggling hope in this barren world, flickering in the endless dark, liable to be extinguished at any moment.

This scene stirred a strange sense of melancholy in Feng Mountain’s heart for no reason.

He gazed quietly out the window, his thoughts seeming to drift away with the sound of the wind.

This vast and silent land was like a silent history book, telling of nature’s power and magnificence, while also making Feng Mountain deeply feel the smallness and solitude of humanity.

Before the majestic and irresistible power of nature, all past clamor and prosperity seemed like fleeting smoke, silently erased, leaving only endless emptiness and desolation.

Feng Mountain couldn’t help but think of his experiences in the Crown Territory.

Against the backdrop of this desolation, his struggles and aspirations now seemed tinged with a bit of confusion and sorrow.

At this moment, it was as if he were in a corner forgotten by the world. An indescribable desolation, like a rising tide, surged through his heart, and for a long time, he couldn’t pull himself free.

Suddenly, without any warning, a deafening blast of heavy metal music erupted inside the truck.

The music’s intense rhythm was like a furiously roaring beast, its unstoppable force instantly shattering the sorrowful silence that had filled the cabin.

The driving drum beat, like a heavy hammer, pounded the air again and again, as if trying to jolt the entire world from its slumber.

The shrill sound of the guitar was like sharp bolts of lightning, tearing wantonly through the limited space of the small cabin.

The noise made Feng Mountain’s ears ring.

It violently dragged his thoughts out of their melancholic depths.

...