This wasn’t the typical cry of a night bird. The sound had a strange, piercing quality that carried with exceptional clarity through the silent, dark mountain forest.

Everyone was instantly on alert. Beams from their flashlights swept in unison toward the source of the sound.

There, on a horizontal branch of a tall pine tree, a slender figure had silently appeared at some point. Its feathers were primarily grayish-brown, dotted with dark markings.

It had a large, round head with a distinct facial disc. Its pair of big, round eyes, which faintly reflected the light in the darkness, were curiously watching Yang Qi and his party.

"It’s an owl."

Tang Bin identified it, looking a little puzzled.

It wasn’t strange for an owl to be active at night, but this one seemed unusually close. And that call just now hadn’t sounded like a typical cry for hunting or a warning.

Deng Lei also glanced at the owl that had suddenly appeared, then instinctively looked over at Yang Qi.

He knew that Yang Qi shared an inexplicable rapport with animals.

"It’s not looking for me."

Yang Qi replied instinctively.

The words had barely left his mouth when he perked up, adding excitedly, "But I can go have a chat with it!"

"Chat with an owl?"

Tang Bin and the several rescue team members were stunned. Their faces were masks of astonishment and disbelief.

’Negotiate with a wild owl?’

’This sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale.’

Deng Lei, however, was quick to react. He recalled Yang Qi’s incredible yet consistently effective "animal communication" skills. A spark of excitement flashed in his eyes as he lowered his voice and asked with a thrill of his own,

"Advisor Yang, do you mean... you can ask this owl to help find the missing students?"

"That’s right."

Yang Qi gave a curt nod, his gaze still fixed on the Eagle Owl perched quietly on the branch.

Tang Bin and the others exchanged glances, the skepticism in their eyes practically overflowing.

’Ask an owl for help finding people?’

’It wasn’t that owls weren’t capable.’

’As apex nocturnal predators, owls possess top-tier night vision, hearing, and flight capabilities. In theory, they certainly had the potential to spot and track targets on the ground.’

’But that wasn’t the real issue!’

’The real question was, why would it help you?’

’Could it even understand complex human intent?’

’Would it know what a "person" was, let alone who to look for?’

’And how would it relay information back?’

This completely transcended their conventional understanding of animal behavior.

To them, this was even more unbelievable than the Beaked Eagle delivering a message earlier. At least the Beaked Eagle was trained by Yang Qi. This was just a completely, thoroughly wild owl!

Yang Qi paid no mind to the shifting expressions and hesitant looks on the faces of Tang Bin and the others.

He activated his Basic Spirit Communication Technique, tilted his head toward the night sky, and called out in a uniquely rhythmic tone.

"Qi Zai! You can head home now!"

From the top of a large tree about a hundred meters away, a somewhat deep, clear cry answered him.

Immediately, the sound of powerful wings slicing through the air followed. Qi Zai’s massive form rose from the canopy, circled once in the air, and then flew steadily in the direction of the Zoo, quickly vanishing into the darkness.

"HOO-HOO-OO~~"

The owl on the branch had clearly heard the Beaked Eagle’s departure, but it showed no fear, nor did it fly away. Instead, it swiveled its iconic large head, glancing in the direction Qi Zai had disappeared before letting out a few low, inscrutable calls.

"Wait here for a moment. I’m going to go have a ’chat’ with it."

Yang Qi said to Deng Lei, Tang Bin, and the others, then started walking at an unhurried pace toward the tree where the owl was perched.

Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard tried to follow, but Yang Qi stopped them, ordering them to stay and wait.

Though reluctant, the three dogs obeyed and sat down, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on Yang Qi’s back and the unfamiliar bird of prey not far away.

"Is... is he really going to ’negotiate’ with an owl?"

A young rescue team member behind Tang Bin couldn’t help but mutter, feeling that the whole scene was utterly absurd, no matter how he looked at it.

Deng Lei and the two remaining Forest Police officers, however, held their breath. Their eyes showed a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, and a strange thread of excitement.

Whether it would work or not, the very idea and act of "recruiting a wild owl to help find people" was legendary in itself—and perfectly in "Advisor Yang’s style"!

They had all seen or heard of Yang Qi’s "miraculous" abilities, and now, a flicker of hope ignited within them.

Yang Qi approached at a steady pace.

The Eagle Owl in the tree still didn’t fly away. It just swiveled its head nimbly, its round eyes like two small lanterns in the dark, curiously observing this approaching "Two-legged Beast" whose presence felt oddly comforting.

As Yang Qi drew near the base of the tree, a low rumble came from its throat. Its wings fluttered slightly, as if in caution, but its posture was more inquisitive than alarmed.

Yang Qi stopped about three or four meters from the tree.

[Untamed "Dark Night Demon Owl" detected. Host may lure it back to the Sect to acquire contribution points.]

’Dark Night Demon Owl?’

’A fitting name.’

Yang Qi thought to himself. With his back to Deng Lei, Tang Bin, and the others, he cleverly used his body to block their view. With a mere thought, he retrieved a whole block of Vitality Nutrient Cream from his Hundred Pouches Belt. The cream exuded an indescribable scent that was utterly alluring to beasts.

Pretending to be beckoning the owl, he held the paste—which was fatally attractive to any animal—in his palm and slowly extended his hand.

The powerful, tempting aroma of the Vitality Nutrient Cream, combined with the natural Ten Thousand Beasts Affinity aura radiating from Yang Qi, created a wondrous chemical reaction in an instant.