24 Making fire (1/2)

”When we were bathing, we were attacked by a huge snake.”

”Pfft, cough cough…” Shou almost spurted into his cup.

”Thankfully, Qing Young Miss killed the snake with one shot.” Hu Cheng Se explained.

”Master Shou, what is the most common animal around here? Do you find snakes here that often?” Hu Cheng Se asked.

Shou was shocked at her sudden question. ”No, we don't find snakes that often. Most of the animals living here are bunnies.”

”That's strange, we didn't encounter any bunnies when we were hunting.” Hu Ye realized the weird phenomenon.

Qing Bo stopped as if he had just realized something. ”Maybe… trafficking...”

”Animal trafficking?” Hu Zi asked. ”Umm.. They take the bunnies living here?”

Hu Zi thought, what kind of people would break the law because of fluffy bunnies?

”No, it must be something else, something bigger, like…” Qing Bo gasped. ”Tiger.”

”Tiger?” Hu Zi tilted her head.

”Tigers around this mountain hunt the nonpoisonous snakes. If the tigers are gone, the snake population will increase and the rabbits will naturally disappear. There are other animals that also hunt snakes along with the tigers, but their breeding is slow and can't match the common snake's pace.”

”Hoo…” Hu Zi intently listened to the explanation.

The common spotted dark green snakes bred easily and might have made up the majority of the animals. It was not good because it disturbed the ecosystem balance. The hungry snakes were almost out of bunnies to hunt and were starting to become aggressive.

Master Shou had stayed in the capital for almost two whole years, only now getting the opportunity to train in this place again.

Shou closed his eyes, trying his best to concentrate. He increased the range of his air sensory and checked everything within a one mile radius. Once he was done, he gasped and asked for water; using air sensors was very tiring and took a lot of energy.

”It's true. I only sensed at most three tigers, when there should have been dozens.” Master Shou sighed, he was out for a moment and his training ground became the breeding ground for traffickers. ”This is grave news. I could not find much trace of trafficking when I used my power. Do you think that they have gone now?”

”Maybe, I think so.” Hu Zi also could not find much.

”The only way to track them now is by investigating.” Qing Bo said. ”The tigers' saber fangs are very valuable, it is no wonder the tigers were hunted down.” Qing Bo looked in the direction of the forest, thinking deeply.

-----

Due to the Qing family's power and influence, Qing Bo pulled some strings and managed to get the city's bureau to send an officer to investigate the trafficking right away. Two weeks later, they caught the traffickers. Qing Bo had not only been the one to devise a plan to lure the traffickers out, he also found solutions on what to do with the goods they gained and ways to restore the ecosystem's balance.

This and all the other things that he previously did for the kingdom at the tender age of sixteen gained him great prestige.