Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

He cracked open a window, letting the cool morning breeze rush in.

After about forty minutes of smooth driving, the car entered a relatively remote stretch of road flanked by hills and farmland.

Suddenly, Xiaojiu, who was lounging by the passenger-side window, shot its ears up. Its feline eyes stared sharply at the side of the road ahead as it let out a short, low growl.

[Master, there's a beast on the side of the road up ahead.]

Almost simultaneously, Bai Wan and Leopard in the back seat grew restless, letting out low whimpers and sniffing the air vigorously.

[A strange scent.]

[It's a powerful beast, but it's small?]

'A powerful beast?'

'But small?'

'On the side of the highway?'

Intrigued, Yang Qi immediately slowed down and used the Earth Listening Technique, extending his enhanced auditory perception.

Sure enough!

About two hundred meters ahead on the emergency lane, in the grass just beyond the guardrail, his senses picked up a faint aura. It was tinged with fear and vigilance, carrying the unique signature of a feline predator.

'It's not a cat or a dog.'

'This aura is wilder... rarer.'

Yang Qi immediately turned on his hazard lights and slowly pulled over to the emergency lane, stopping about fifty meters away from the source of the aura.

"You all wait in the car. Don't get out."

Yang Qi instructed his Guardian Beasts before unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

Traffic was sparse on the highway in the early morning.

Yang Qi walked briskly forward.

As he drew closer, he soon spotted it on the weedy, yellow-grassed slope beyond the metal guardrail: a small, tawny, furry little creature, curled up and trembling in a shallow hollow.

Hearing his footsteps, the little creature snapped its head up.

Yang Qi stopped in his tracks.

It had round ears, a broad forehead, and dark markings on its face. Its large, amber eyes were filled with panic, yet also held a vigilance and ferocity that belied its tiny frame.

It opened its mouth to reveal a set of incomplete milk teeth and let out a threatening "HISS— HISS—", trying to make itself look more intimidating.

'It's still just a baby, but that look, that presence…'

'A lion cub!'

'An Asiatic lion cub, at that.'

'Judging by its size, it's probably only two or three months old.'

Yang Qi raised an eyebrow.

'What's a lion cub doing on the side of the highway?'

'It's covered in dirt and bits of grass, and it's damp in places. Looks like it's been struggling out here for a while, and it's all alone...'

'Did it fall off a transport truck?'

'Or is it something else?'

When the lion cub saw Yang Qi stop, its growls grew more urgent. It tried to shrink back, but its hind legs seemed to be bothering it, causing it to stumble.

[Untamed Profound Ice Jade Lion cub detected. Host may bring it back to the sect to earn contribution points.]

"Don't be afraid, little one. I'm not going to hurt you."

Yang Qi used the Basic Spirit Communication Technique as he slowly crouched down, making himself seem smaller and less intimidating. He spoke gently.

"Don't be scared. It's okay, it's okay now."

"..."

The aura of his Ten Thousand Beasts Affinity, combined with the voice echoing in its mind, made the cub's growls falter. A flicker of confusion passed through its large, amber eyes.

'This Two-legged Beast... seems different from the others I've encountered?'

'He's not yelling, not throwing things at me, and I don't feel that scary malice from him.'

But it remained vigilant, its body tense, a low whimper rumbling in its throat.

Yang Qi didn't rush his approach.

He maintained a safe distance, continuing to soothe it while observing its condition.

'Besides a possible sprain or scrape on its hind leg, and being tense and exhausted, I don't see any other obvious external injuries or signs of serious illness.'

'I need to call this in.'

'A lion cub on the loose is too dangerous, both for itself and for anyone nearby.'

With that thought, Yang Qi took out his phone to call the police.

Just then, the roar of an engine sounded from behind him. A large truck thundered past, kicking up a powerful gust of wind and a deafening noise.

The sudden roar startled the lion cub. It flinched, let out a short, terrified yelp, and instinctively tried to burrow deeper into the tall grass.

But its injured leg gave way. It tumbled over, rolling twice and ending up in an even more pathetic state.

"Careful!"

Yang Qi quickly tried to calm it, subconsciously leaning forward as he called out.

The cub had rolled onto a downward slope. It struggled to get up, but the incline was steep and the grass was slick. Injured and frightened, it couldn't get its footing and was about to tumble down the even steeper bank.

Yang Qi decisively used the Verdant Soldier Divine Ability!

The tough weeds and vines beside and beneath the cub sprang to life, shooting up and weaving together to instantly form a soft "cushion barrier" around it.

The barrier halted its downward momentum and gently cradled it, pushing it back slightly.

It all happened in an instant. To any onlooker, it would have simply looked as though the cub had been lucky enough to be stopped by a thick patch of grass.

Still shaken, the lion cub lay in the grassy nest, panting heavily. Its large amber eyes darted from the strangely "friendly" patch of grass to the Two-legged Beast still crouching nearby, his gaze gentle. The vigilance in its eyes finally gave way to a hint of bewildered reliance and a plea for help.

It let out a low, pathetic whimper.

[Scared.]

[Hungry.]

"It's okay, don't be scared. You're safe now."

Soothing the cub, Yang Qi dialed the police and clearly explained the situation, his location, and his discovery of the lion cub.

While waiting for the police to arrive, Yang Qi remained squatting five or six meters away from the cub, continuously soothing it by speaking in a low voice.

He didn't move any closer, nor did he attempt to feed it.