sjar Chapter 311 Ventriloquism Leads to Dragon Meat Soup
Chapter 311 Ventriloquism Leads to Dragon Meat Soup
The falcon, its body trembling from the bullet wound, fell to the ground. Li Ju'an reacted swiftly, pulling a thin rope from his waist and skillfully binding the wounded raptor. Despite its injury, the falcon stubbornly tried to peck at Li Ju'an with its sharp beak, even narrowly missing his fingers several times, and still managing to peck at his hand with its pointed beak—it was incredibly fierce.
The falcon's feathers were stained with blood, still dripping. He watched this aerial overlord, its life force fading, knowing its days were numbered. He sighed, then carefully bound its sharp beak. Having finished, he tossed the falcon into the bamboo basket on his back. A few weak struggles came from inside, followed by silence. The falcon lay there heavily, seemingly exhausted even of its strength to move.
Beside him, Song Desheng spoke with a mocking smile: "Brother Li, haven't you always been saying you wanted to tame an eagle? If you take one back looking like that, do you really think you can tame it?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ju'an gently shook his head, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "This eagle has probably experienced too many storms, and its temperament is very fierce. In its current state, it will definitely be difficult to tame. This eagle is too big, it's already an adult, it can't be tamed."
Old Qian and Old Zhang had connections with Zhao Pao of Yingtun in the past. Years ago, they both tried to capture and tame eagles, hoping to train them to resemble the goshawks Zhao Pao possessed. They dreamed of capturing and taming eagles like Zhao Pao's, thus acquiring hunting falcons. Years passed, and despite numerous attempts, they never succeeded.
That day, a huge falcon appeared before the four of them, its wings fully grown, clearly an adult. Looking at this domineering creature in the sky, Old Qian and Old Zhang exchanged a sigh, their words filled with awe for this wild and untamed beast: "It's too big. It's already an adult, with a big temper and a high spirit. It's very arrogant. If you don't tame it, it will crash to its death."
Great eagles are fierce and proud. If they are not tamed, they would rather perish than submit to humans.
They knew all too well that wild, adult falcons possessed an indomitable pride as strong as steel, willing to pay the ultimate price to defend their freedom and dignity. This pride inspired both awe and a sense of helplessness.
Upon hearing this, a hint of regret flashed in Song Desheng's eyes. He sighed and said, "I thought I could catch an eagle to take back as a hunting falcon. What a pity."
The four of them searched a few more steps forward.
Big Tiger suddenly started sniffing intensely at a patch of bushes, then excitedly trotted forward. Li Ju'an shouted, "Follow him, he's coming to track us down!"
The tiger truly lived up to its reputation as a celestial being; before long, its keen nose led Li Ju'an to a hidden thicket of bushes, where abundant grass seeds and mottled pheasant tracks were concealed.
In the snow-covered winter, the snow is the most faithful recorder; a mere glance at the deep and shallow marks is enough to easily identify the type of pheasant that left them. But in autumn, the air is dry, and all clues on the earth become blurred and difficult to discern. Hunters can only rely on scattered feathers among the withered grass seeds and cracked soil, as well as a few subtle traces, to guess and identify the small animals.
Li Ju'an whispered, "Judging from this, it's a flying dragon."
Those few feathers of the pheasant, carelessly left behind, shimmered in the sunlight with a luster unlike that of an ordinary pheasant; the pheasant's plumage was even more vibrant. Li Ju'an looked up at the high branches of the tree. Besides crouching in the bushes, the pheasant loved to perch on the branches, hiding away.
This thing is incredibly timid. To hunt a wyvern, besides setting traps, you either have to wait for it to fly out and then shoot it. That takes patience.
With a determined look in his eyes, Song Desheng said to Uncle Qian, "Uncle Qian, this flying dragon definitely exists. We need to think of a way to bring it out."
Li Ju'an cupped his hands to his mouth, imitating the cry of a flying dragon. Though the sound came from a human throat, it unexpectedly resembled a pigeon whistle, melodious yet carrying a hint of wildness. Old Zhang nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of approval: "Hey, you lad, you've really imitated it! It's practically indistinguishable from the real thing. If you yelled like that at Old Sun's doorstep, I reckon old man Sun Quande would immediately grab his weapon and chase you all over the village!"
Mentioning Sun Quande, Song Desheng and Li Ju'an couldn't help but exchange a smile, a picture already forming in their minds: Sun Quande and Sun Weimin, holding hunting rifles, rushing out of the yard with tense expressions, genuinely mistaking Feilong for their territory. The two couldn't stop laughing. Learning this ventriloquism would be so impressive; it could be used to amuse anyone.
Li Ju'an continued calling out, taking a deep breath and forcefully exhaling the sound of a pigeon from his chest. The sound echoed in the mountain air, the imitation of a pigeon's call bursting forth from his chest, melodious and vivid.
At first, the sound seemed to be the low murmur of a lone dragon. His skillful technique transformed it, simulating the calls of two or three dragons echoing each other in the dense bushes, like a flock of birds whispering in the branches, holding a lively little gathering.
Old Qian was already feeling a bit sleepy. The midday sun was blazing down on him. He was leaning against a rough tree stump, rifle in hand, his eyelids growing heavy, just about to drift off to sleep. Just then, Li Ju'an's ventriloquism magically transformed from a single dragon's chant into a symphony of dragons dancing together. Old Qian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his eyes instantly lighting up with curiosity and admiration.
A dense chorus of pigeons echoed from the bushes, sounding exactly like the cries of a flying dragon, and a large flock of flying dragons at that.
Li Ju'an carefully displayed his ventriloquism, subtly yet vividly demonstrating his unique skill. Before long, a faint movement arose atop the treetops. Everyone, guns in hand, looked up, their gazes instantly focusing, wide open like copper bells. Sure enough, a lithe figure leaped into view—it was a vibrant, flying dragon!
It exuded a lively energy, and its pair of dark, bright eyes gleamed with a cunning light, tilting its head to peer down.
This "flying dragon," scientifically known as the hazel grouse, is lithe and agile, measuring just over half a foot in length and less than three inches in height. The latter half of its tail feathers resembles a pale blue haze. In this land, the hazel grouse is nicknamed "flying dragon," a name derived from its swift running posture on the ground, and its powerful claws also evoke the image of a dragon.
Song Desheng looked up at the beautiful flying dragon, his mouth slightly open, drool practically dripping from it, and said, "Oh my god, flying dragon soup! Let's hurry up and kill this head, so we can get a spoonful of soup when we get back. It tastes amazing!"