Chapter 46: Flying
Kong Zhi planned to take Xia Lu Nong out, but first, they informed Xia Huo Qu.
After a moment of consideration, Xia Huo Qu agreed and reminded them, “Don’t go too far.”
They both promised, and Xia Lu Nong, trying to ease his brother’s worry, emphasized, “We’re just going to the bamboo forest outside the base. There’s no danger there.”
Xia Huo Qu responded, “There are snakes there, like green bamboo vipers.”
Xia Lu Nong shuddered for a second but quickly said, “No problem, Kong Zhi has good eyesight.”
Kong Zhi, standing by, assured him, “I’ll bring him back safely.”
Xia Huo Qu seemed more at ease with Kong Zhi, his expression softening. He added, “If anything happens, just shout. We’re all working near the Great Wall, so we can come to you quickly.”
After saying goodbye to his brother, Xia Lu Nong asked, “Are we heading out now?”
“Wait a bit. We need to stop by Brother Zhang’s place first,” Kong Zhi replied, carrying Xia Lu Nong’s backpack. Glancing around, he led him toward where they lived, explaining, “They have special straps for bird-people.”
Xia Lu Nong was confused. “What’s that?”
“It’s a harness for tying people onto the backs of bird-people,” Kong Zhi explained. “Brother Zhang has a harness I used before that fits me well.”
Xia Lu Nong understood and nodded.
Kong Zhi patted his shoulder, gently pushing him forward. “Let’s go.”
They walked along the main road toward the house where Zhang Shi Hai and the others lived.
Xia Lu Nong had expected to see only a few of the young guys at home, but when they arrived, Zhang Shi Hai was there as well.
Zhang Shi Hai was busy tilling the garden with a hoe. He had created a pile of rocks, roots, and plastic debris that he had dug up.
Xia Lu Nong glanced at the pile, realizing they had been at it for quite a while.
“Kong Zhi?” Zhang Shi Hai noticed him during a break and straightened up, massaging his back. Smiling, he greeted, “Oh, and Xia Little Brother! You’re here! Come inside and have some tea—”
Kong Zhi replied, “No need to fuss. I’m just here to grab my harness.”
“Sure, I’ll get it for you,” Zhang Shi Hai said, lighting a cigarette as he walked inside. “I just cleaned and dried it the other day. Xiao Yun even checked and patched it up for you, so it’s sturdy.”
Xia Lu Nong followed him inside, glancing around at the many things they had. He asked, “Brother Zhang, are you guys staying at the base from now on?”
“Yep, except for a few people, most of us are staying,” Zhang Shi Hai answered as he brought out the black harness. Smiling, he added, “We’ll be base-mates from now on.”
Xia Lu Nong looked at Kong Zhi and said, “That’s great! I was worried you guys might leave.”
That remark was clearly directed at Kong Zhi.
Kong Zhi looked back calmly, his face expressionless.
Zhang Shi Hai, catching the exchange, chuckled, “Are you worried about us or about Kong Zhi? Don’t worry, during the meeting, he voted to stay.”
Xia Lu Nong scratched his head and laughed.
Zhang Shi Hai walked out with them and asked, “Heading out now?”
Kong Zhi nodded. “Yeah, I’m taking him out for a walk.”
“How about you shift back into your animal form, and I’ll show Lu Nong how to use the harness? I’ll also check it over to make sure it’s safe.”
“Alright.”
Without hesitation, Kong Zhi began taking off his clothes in the open yard.
Xia Lu Nong quickly turned his back.
Suddenly, there was the sound of wind and the sharp cry of an eagle. When Xia Lu Nong turned around again, Kong Zhi was gone, replaced by a giant eagle on the ground.
The massive eagle crouched low, its piercing yellow eyes focused on Xia Lu Nong. When he saw Lu Nong looking, the eagle gave a slight nod.
Seeing Kong Zhi in such a majestic form, Xia Lu Nong couldn’t resist gently reaching out to touch his wing.
Zhang Shi Hai chuckled, “So, what do you think? Isn’t Kong Zhi’s beast form impressive?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded enthusiastically, “Very impressive!”
Zhang Shi Hai, feeling a bit proud, said, “Of all the people I know, Kong Zhi is the only beast-person with a golden eagle form.”
Only then did Xia Lu Nong realize that Kong Zhi’s beast form was a golden eagle, one of the most ferocious types of eagles. His eyes widened as he looked closely, admiring the majestic sight.
The more Xia Lulong looked, the more he felt that Kong Zhi’s beast form was incredibly cool. His gaze was filled with admiration.
Zhang Shi Hai tossed part of a long harness onto the back of the giant eagle. Xia Lu Nong noticed that in the center of the harness was a seat-like pad, with four long straps extending from the corners, and even more straps on top of the pad.
Zhang Shi Hai called him over, “Come on, let me show you how to use this harness.”
Xia Lu Nong quickly walked over.
Zhang Shi Hai draped the harness over Kong Zhi’s back, positioning the pad in the center. He wrapped the four straps under the base of Kong Zhi’s wings, crossed them, looped them around his belly, and tied a tight knot back at the pad.
“That’s it. You loop it a few times, and it’s secure. There’s no way it will come loose.”
Xia Lu Nong tugged lightly on the straps, finding them tight and solid.
Zhang Shi Hai helped Xia Lu Nong climb onto Kong Zhi’s back. “Sit on the pad, extend your legs into the loops—yes, just like that. Then pull the loops up, crossing them over your shoulders like a pair of overalls. The left strap goes over the right shoulder, and the right strap over the left.”
Following his instructions, Xia Lu Nong secured himself into the harness.
Once strapped in, he felt tightly fastened, much like the safety gear for riding a pirate ship at an amusement park.
After a thorough check, Zhang Shihai told him, “Alright, you’re all set. Remember to grab onto the feathers on Kong Zhi’s back, and grab a lot of them. Grabbing too few will hurt him.”
Xia Lu Nong quickly took hold, making sure he had a firm grip, and told Kong Zhi, “I’m ready.”
Kong Zhi nodded at Zhang Shi Hai, then took a few running steps before spreading his wings and taking off.
The wind whipped up, making it hard for Xia Lu Nong to keep his eyes open.
Looking down, he saw the base shrinking rapidly below.
From the air, he could see the entire base, the walls, and even the hydropower plant his brother was working on.
Excited, Xia Lu Nong waved energetically at his brother, who looked up and waved back at the sight of the giant eagle in the sky.
Kong Zhi didn’t linger above the base. After reaching a sufficient height, he flapped his wings and flew out of the base.
Flying as a giant eagle was much faster than walking, and within moments, they had reached the edge of the base.
Thrilled, Xia Lu Nong looked down in awe.
The giant eagle flew purposefully. Once outside the base, it dove sharply.
The intense feeling of weightlessness hit Xia Lu Nong, and he squinted, half-lying on Kong Zhi’s back, taking in the view of the sky, the base, the forest below, and the distant ocean—all of which captivated his attention.
The wind roared in his ears, and his heart raced. In that moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of freedom.
“Ah—!” Xia Lulong shouted with excitement.
The giant eagle’s wings paused for a moment before continuing its descent, soon gliding down to a clearing.
Once the eagle landed, Xia Lulong was still a bit dazed. He released his grip on the feathers, rubbed his face, and found his cheeks cool from the wind, like kneading dough.
It was a strange but delightful sensation, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Kree!” The giant eagle squawked, signaling him to get down.
Xia Lulong clumsily fumbled with the straps, finally managing to free himself. He slid down Kong Zhi’s feathers like a slide.
His limbs were stiff from the ride, so he bounced on the spot to loosen up, just as he was about to help Kong Zhi with the straps.
In a flash, the giant eagle transformed back into human form on the ground. Startled, Xia Lu Nong quickly turned his back.
Kong Zhi’s voice came from behind him, “The backpack.”
“Oh!” Xia Lu Nong, without turning around, handed the backpack over.
He heard the sound of zippers, fabric rustling, and footsteps, causing his ears to turn slightly red.
“All done,” Kong Zhi said.
When Xia Lu Nong turned around, Kong Zhi was fully dressed and gathering the harness from the ground.
It was a bit tricky for Kong Zhi to wear the gear in eagle form, as everything had to be tied carefully. However, once he turned back into human form, the large harness naturally fell off.
Xia Lu Nong went over to help, asking shyly, “I didn’t hurt you by grabbing too hard, did I?”
“No,” Kong Zhi replied, then added with a glance, “You’re not that strong.”
“…Oh.”
Kong Zhi slung the large backpack over his shoulder, then took hold of Xia Lu Nong’s hand, saying, “Let’s go. Watch your step.”
Xia Lu Nong’s heart started racing again.
They had already landed, surrounded by dense forest. Though there was a vast blue sky overhead, the trees obscured parts of it, making them feel like frogs peering out from the bottom of a well.
Xia Lu Nong quickly refocused and started paying attention to the ground.
The path was covered in thick weeds and vines.
The vegetation was so dense that the soil was completely hidden, making it impossible to see what was beneath.
The sea of grass stretched endlessly into the distance, giving off an eerie feeling.
Kong Zhi held his hand, broke off a tree branch, and used it to sweep the path ahead. “Listen carefully. If there’s anything moving in the grass, we’ll hear it.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded.
They were close to the forest, and just a few dozen meters ahead, there were patches of bamboo.
Because the bamboo hadn’t been planted by humans, it grew in scattered clumps, not forming a dense grove.
The ground was completely overgrown with weeds, so they moved slowly for safety.
Xia Lu Nong’s heart was pounding as he tightly gripped Kong Zhi’s hand, even sweating from his palms.
In theory, as beastmen, they could indeed hear movements in the bushes.
In reality, there were too many creatures in the dense forest for them to hear them all, and even if they did, they wouldn’t pay special attention to every noise.
Xia Lu Nong shuffled forward step by step, then whispered, “I’m starting to regret this.”
“Regret coming out?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded. “I don’t really want bamboo shoots that much. It’s too dangerous here.”
Kong Zhi glanced back at him and said, “The whole world is dangerous now.”
Xia Lu Nong pursed his lips.
Kong Zhi looked forward again. “The base is indeed safe, but it’s not an infallible fortress.”
Xia Lu Nong stayed quiet.
In a rare moment, Kong Zhi continued, “We’ve experienced so many earthquakes. A major one could happen at any time, and if that happens, we’ll have to leave the safe zone again.”
Xia Lu Nong took a deep breath. “I understand.”
Kong Zhi kept holding his hand as they moved forward, his tone as calm as ever. “As a pure human, you really shouldn’t take such risks. But it’s different for beastmen.”
Xia Lu Nong instinctively turned to look at him.
Kong Zhi gazed into the distance. “Beastmen must reclaim their place as masters of this land, and that requires honing their skills.”
