Mountain Looting: Targeted by a Leopard at the Start
Chapter 186 - 185 This task isn’t a must-do!

Chapter 186: Chapter 185 This task isn’t a must-do!

The target appeared in Xu Yang’s field of vision.

It was a massively built male elk, its two antlers branching out, each spike resembling a nail rake.

"Damn, such a fierce elk?"

Xu Yang couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

The drone flew towards the direction of the elk to capture footage.

The online viewers were especially excited to see the majestic elk.

The elk was larger than the Sika Deer and appeared even more domineering.

They lack the spots of the Sika Deer and give off a more aggressive feel.

Even the leopard lurking nearby wouldn’t dare to confront it head-on if it weren’t for the chance of a surprise attack.

"It’s an elk, there’s quite a number of elks in the forest."

"Elks differ from Sika Deer; besides breeding season, when they live with the females, elks are solitary creatures for the rest of the time, whereas Sika Deer like to live in herds."

"This guy is fierce."

"Everyone, look at those antlers full of spikes."

"The antlers of the Sika Deer are more for displaying their size and charm. Moreover, for better running and jumping in the forest, their antlers tend to be lighter."

"Elk antlers are genuinely for fighting, built to withstand contests for territory and mating rights; they are very sturdy."

Standing behind a tree, Xu Yang watched the elk searching for grass to eat, providing commentary.

The elk first made a round, clearing away the snow with its hooves.

Then it turned back to look for grass in the places it had uncovered.

This was a smart method.

It was for this reason that herdsmen still took their sheep out in winter, knowing that the sheep would trample the snow to find grass.

In contrast, cattle were much more demanding.

The herdsmen had to sweep away the snow themselves to reveal the grass underneath before the cattle would slowly head over to eat.

After all, cattle are valuable and must be well looked after.

Xu Yang continued to observe the elk.

The photo-taking task appeared simple, but was actually quite difficult.

In terms of offensive power, this creature surpassed even wild boars.

Wild boars couldn’t match its size.

The elk was enormous, almost as large as an adult steed, paired with two large, spiked antlers.

If one were to be struck by it, it would almost certainly be game over.

"It seems... the task isn’t mandatory."

Xu Yang thought to himself.

The atmosphere in the live stream room was lively.

[Such a big deer, so beautiful!]

[Seeing animals in a snowy world feels great, it’s like another world altogether!]

[So cool! This big guy looks amazing!]

[Old Xu, can you keep it?]

As soon as Xu Yang filmed an animal, someone would ask if it could be kept.

Seeing the comments, Xu Yang replied:

"Elks can indeed be raised, and there are people who breed them."

"Moreover, the bred elks are bigger and tend to be more docile."

"But elks are hard to raise, they consume a lot and offer little return, so more people choose to raise Sika Deer."

"Here in the Northeast, we have plenty of land, so there are many people engaged in farming and breeding, all sorts of things."

"There was even someone who bred crocodiles before."

Xu Yang’s words left the viewers slightly shocked.

What? Breeding crocodiles?

That was just outrageous!

The elk also caught sight of Xu Yang, it showed no emotion, just a curious look.

Xu Yang was already figuring out how to take a selfie with it.

Approaching directly was definitely not an option, as the elk might charge at him if it saw him getting too close.

This creature seemed a bit dangerous.

Some tactics were necessary.

Xu Yang was very familiar with animal behavior.

The elk’s diet was diverse, including tender grass, leaves, fruits, vegetables, and moss—they ate them all.

In this icy and snowy season, the elk was surely troubled by the search for food.

For this mountain trip, Xu Yang had brought plenty of good stuff in his bag.

Like several bottles of milk, a bag of raw meat, and some vegetables and apples.

Before, he went to the mountains to look for mountain products; now he was there to see if any animals needed help.

And incidentally to feed them.

In winter, life is hard for animals, so help if you can.

When he drove to the foot of the mountain, he saw a fox asking for food and even fed them some beef jerky.

He had to feed them anyway.

This elk was indeed large, with a robust form and towering antlers.

In the snowy world, it rather seemed like a mini-boss.

As the viewers marveled at the elk’s robustness, Xu Yang set his backpack down and began rummaging through it.

Then, under the watchful eyes of all, Xu Yang fished out a fresh large carrot.

The carrot was exceptionally tender and seemed somewhat out of season in this wintry time.

"We have many greenhouses here, so we’re not short of vegetables; I got this from exchanging with someone else’s greenhouse."

"Swapped a bag of Dragon Fruit for a good bunch."

Xu Yang explained to the viewers.

[Old Xu, are you performing magic? How did you pull out a carrot?]

[He’s got the mood to eat carrots?]

[He’s going to feed the elk, isn’t he!]

[For real, meeting such a big wild elk and not running for your life? Those antlers are frightening! Is this host really that brave?]

[Is it your first day watching his live stream? He dares to feed wild tigers!]

The comments began to surge.

Xu Yang did indeed plan to feed the elk with carrots.

The best way to take a selfie with the elk was to have it come over on its own.

After all, the elk would feel unthreatened this way.

If Xu Yang approached, there was really no telling what might happen.

Xu Yang moved closer to the elk until he was about five meters away from it before he stopped.

He stopped because he saw the elk take a half step back, ready to guard itself.

Then Xu Yang didn’t get any closer, he just grabbed the carrot and stretched out his hand, offering it forward.

This scene was still quite shocking.

A young man faced a robust and sturdy stag, and just like that, he walked up to feed it.

[Why do I feel like the deer is going to charge at him any second now?]

[Elk: Foolish! If I bump you, the carrot is mine too!]

[Old Xu, stay calm!]

The online viewers once again tried to persuade him.

At this moment, the elk noticed the carrot in Xu Yang’s hand.

It looked at Xu Yang, gauging the threat he posed to it.

Animals are very smart.

The bigger the animal, the smarter it generally is.

This scene had been seen many times before.

Feeding with a milk bottle, holding berries to feed the fat bird.

Xu Yang always dared to do these things, and he always succeeded.

The elk’s footsteps moved as it inched closer to Xu Yang.

As it got closer, everyone had a clearer view of the elk’s stature.

The elk looked even bigger.

Its symmetrical antlers were all pointing forward, looking sturdy and deadly.

Its thick fur appeared immensely heavy.

Compared to the nimble Sika Deer, this thing was practically a lethal weapon.

Seeing the elk approach, Xu Yang remained composed.

Because there was no sign of aggression in the elk’s eyes.

Animals can disguise their shape but not their emotions.

Their eyes reveal a lot.

Liking is liking, anger is anger.

If there’s no desire to attack in the elk’s eyes, then it’s safe.

[Here it comes, it’s really coming over!]

[Old Xu, you’re pulling this stunt again!]

[Really not afraid of death!]

[Sure enough, whether Changbai Mountain is chaotic or not, Old Xu calls the shots!]

The netizens were instantly anxious.

They watched the scene with a slight horror.

Fearing the elk might do something outrageous.

Not until the elk casually walked to Xu Yang’s side, reached out its head, and bit down on the carrot did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Xu Yang also took this opportunity to turn his back to the elk, then he lifted his phone, switched to the camera, and pressed the capture button.

In the photo, he was smiling faintly, and the elk was happily tasting the carrot.

The scene amidst the ice and snow looked very heartwarming.

Seeing this, the netizens were both envious and impressed.

[He’s actually in the mood for a selfie!]

[Hahaha, that’s you all right! So bold!]

[He’s doing everything I want to do but don’t dare to!]

[Such a boss!]

After Xu Yang fed the elk the carrot, seeing that it hadn’t left, he took out an apple for it.

All of these items were fresh, making the elk delightfully happy.

It bit the apple into pieces and began chewing continuously, the apple crunching "crackle, crackle", turning into juice inside its stomach.

The elk’s tail began to shake.

[Treasure Hunting Task completed.]

[Reward acquired: Deer Antler Slices*10]

The System’s voice appeared in Xu Yang’s mind.

The task was successfully completed, and it wasn’t that difficult.

It seemed a bit dangerous, but as long as it was handled properly, the majority of animals were quite docile.

After the elk finished the apple, it looked at Xu Yang again.

"The last one, for you. That’s it,"

"We’ll talk again later," Xu Yang said with a smile as he took out another apple to give to it.

He stretched out his hand and patted the elk’s head; the animal did not resist.

Xu Yang smiled faintly.

Taming animals is sometimes quite simple, just feed them.

However, you do have to watch the animal’s reaction - some animals allow you to feed them but not touch them, others let you touch them freely.

The elk was clearly the latter.

"This guy looks quite big up close."

"Its fur is so thick, no wonder it can withstand the winter."

Xu Yang looked at the elk and remarked.

"You all might not understand the temperature here, now is when it’s still considered warm."

"If it gets colder, it’ll be minus 40 degrees, and phones will freeze and shut down."

"My drone can’t even fly."

"That’s why I can live stream now. In another month, it might be hard to even enter the mountains to live stream," Xu Yang explained.

Hearing Xu Yang’s words, everyone got a clear impression of the cold in the North.

You only hear about phones shutting down due to overheating, not from being frozen.

How cold must that be!

But it’s all normal here.

In the Northern winters, cars are covered in ice; many people simply don’t drive.

Everything is frozen inside and out.

Truly a world of ice and snow.

Only with crowded tourist spots and well-arranged heating facilities can this situation be avoided.

Seeing that Xu Yang had no more food, the elk sluggishly walked away.

Elks are powerful, hence they live on their own.

In winter, they can manage very comfortably by themselves.

Watching its departing figure, Xu Yang wrapped his down jacket tighter around himself and sighed,

"It’s better to wear thicker clothes."

"Only animals like elk and Purple Mink with especially thick fur can move around freely in this weather."

"Surviving in Changbai Mountain without some skill is really not easy."

After that, Xu Yang changed directions and quickened his pace to leave.