bookrebus Chapter 319 Two Sub-Adult Goshawks Were Stolen
Chapter 319 Two Sub-Adult Goshawks Were Stolen
While the hunters in the village were searching the mountains with great force, Li Ju'an arrived at the foot of the big red pine in Wild Boar Gully. He led his hunting dogs and looked up at the tall cliff. About 60 meters above, there was a pile of rocks on the cliff, and on top of that was an open nest, the nest of a hawk.
In the past, it would take him a long time to hang the hook on the cliff face, then tie the hook and rope around his waist and climb up the steep slope of the cliff with his feet. After climbing up, he would have to find a high slope on the hill to look down at this beautiful open nest.
He tied the rough hemp rope to the hook, swung it gently twice in the air, first lightly placing it on a slightly low protrusion, and then, like a gecko, slowly climbed upwards. Big Tiger, leading a pack of hunting dogs, stood at the foot of the steep slope, their wide-eyed gazes scrutinizing the brave figure climbing.
Faced with this slippery, rocky slope, the hounds' paws proved insufficient, and even those who managed to reach the top were often left battered and bruised. Last time, when Li Ju'an came to survey the nest, Hua Guniang's competitive spirit kicked in, and she insisted on barking at Xiao Gangpao a couple of times, determined to follow closely behind and race up the slope.
The young woman was quite agile, and after a struggle, she finally caught up with Li Ju'an, panting, and they reached the summit together. However, when it was time to descend, she encountered a problem. She was on the cliff face, urgently snorting and panting, making long, thin noises that sounded rather pitiful, leaving one both amused and exasperated.
Thanks to the flower girl's petite stature and wolfhound lineage, she possessed extraordinary courage and nimbly nestled on his back. He untied his two leg wraps, skillfully weaving them into a long rope, which he used to securely fasten the flower girl to his back. Then, he slowly and cautiously pulled on the rough hemp rope, moving step by step down the mountain.
From then on, he strictly forbade his hunting dogs from following him up the mountain. Otherwise, wouldn't he become like the legendary "Pigsy" (Zhu Bajie), who, even with heaven-defying strength, would find it difficult to carry nine "wives" in one go?
This time, Li Ju'an issued a stern warning to the hunting dogs, especially the mixed-breed pups and Flower Girl. Big Tiger seemed to understand its master's intention, and stepped forward to block Flower Girl, its dog eyes fixed on her, as if conveying with its eyes: You little brat, go and kill you.
Li Ju'an chuckled, pulled the hemp rope that was hooked on back with force, and after confirming that the rope was securely fixed, he lifted his foot and leaned back at almost a 90-degree angle, grabbing the rope and climbing up the slope.
The cliffs are towering and very high. In the past, hunters often traversed this area, and they could find traces of wild bee nests on those cliffs.
Those beehives, weathered by decades or even centuries of wind and rain, are layered upon each other, their shapes so unique that they resemble the unfolding leaves of a lingzhi mushroom, arranged in a pleasing, staggered fashion. But only those exceptionally courageous mountain hunters dare to challenge the natural barrier and pluck these treasures from the cliff face.
Now, Li Ju'an, carrying a bamboo basket on his shoulder, embarked alone on this treacherous path leading to the top of the cliff. The cliff stood suspended in mid-air, and every gust of cool wind made his calves tremble involuntarily. He mustered his courage, slowly turned around, and glanced down at the foot of the cliff. This glance made his heart tighten suddenly. This look almost made his calves tremble violently.
Wow, that's tall! It's dazzling to look at.
He quickly adjusted his breathing, steadied himself, and fixed his gaze firmly on the towering red pine tree. He climbed side by side, following the direction of the pine's growth, to the top of the cliff. Standing atop this majestic mountain, the wind whipped his face, bringing an unprecedented sense of exhilaration, and beneath his feet lay the eagle's exposed nest, nestled between heaven and earth.
Compared to last week, the two sub-adult eagles had clearly grown considerably, their feathers becoming more fully developed. One male and one female, although the two eagles had not yet lost their juvenile nature, their eyes already revealed a hint of courage and wildness in the face of this uninvited guest.
The eaglets instinctively spread their tender wings, desperately trying to drive away their powerful foe, their beaks agape in menacing cries. But Li Ju'an was not afraid of these two feathered little eagles. He neither retreated nor avoided them, continuing forward.
The two sub-adult eagles, having yet to experience the dangers of the outside world, tried to retreat until they had nowhere left to go. They had no choice but to muster their courage, flap their wings and try to fly, even having the urge to leap off the cliff. It was just an instinctive escape, and they were thinking of flapping their wings and jumping down.
Li Ju'an glanced at it and understood. This person had learned to fly; as long as they could fly, that was enough.
He put on leather gloves and then carefully stepped on the rocky cliff face to go to the eagle's nest to catch the sub-adult eagles of this age.
He first caught a slightly larger sub-adult goshawk. After catching it, he tied its wings with thin hemp rope. Actually, sometimes it doesn't need to be tied, as goshawks at this age have very poor flying ability, but they still have a wild nature.
He gently reached in and pulled out a slightly larger eagle, holding it by its wings. After a moment's hesitation, he also captured its smaller companion beside it. The two eagles huddled together in the cramped basket, their beaks open, their cries echoing through the valley, sounding exceptionally loud and mournful.
Li Ju'an slowly pulled on the rope tightly attached to the cliff face, carefully lowering himself down the same path. Unfortunately, the weather turned against him, and a light rain began to fall. Compared to the snowflakes falling in winter, this sudden rain only added to his irritation.
Rain not only makes mountain paths muddy and slippery, but it can also trigger mudslides, completely blocking the only route down the old pilgrimage trail.
Dark clouds hung heavy overhead, seemingly about to press down. Li Ju'an thought to himself, the eagle should be heading back to its nest by now. It's already raided the mother eagle's nest; shouldn't it run for its life? There's no way he could be an eagle trafficker.
He took the tarpaulin out of his cloth bag and covered the basket on his back to shelter the two sub-adult eagles from the rain.
Under the dark, heavy clouds and with the rain about to pour down, he hurried toward Wangxing Village. He clasped his hands together in front of his chest and bowed, saying, "Sister Ying, don't blame me. In three to five years, your son will be able to return to the mountains in good health. You must recognize him then, don't turn your back on your own child."
Eagle trainers have a set of rules passed down through generations: eagle training is allowed, as is raiding eagle nests, but hunting eagles must be done together for three to five years before being released back into nature, back into the mountains, and then the eagle training process must be repeated.
It's actually quite simple. Falconers don't train just one eagle, but each time they take it hunting, they only bring the most docile and physically strongest one. Hunting can result in injuries, and hunting eagles can grow old; well-trained eaglets will take their place. More importantly, falconers know that only by releasing the eagles back into the mountains to breed can they find eaglets in the nest every year.