The Evolutionary Path of the Lion

Chapter 85 Alliance

Kaller ran his fingertips across the rough canvas of the tent, nodded, knelt down to stand up, and bent over to walk out of the tent.

The midday sun poured down like molten gold leaf, pinning his shadow to the sand, shrinking it into a short, thick black line. He stopped at the edge of the camp, his boots crunching over the dry grass clippings. He glanced northwest, the wind of the grassland carrying the scent of dry hay wafting over, tugging at the gray-white thread on his collar, swaying it twice before settling down. He didn't say a word, his hands in his canvas trouser pockets, his fingertips rubbing the metal lighter inside. He stood there for a long time, until the temperature in the wind gradually cooled down.

The evening wind, carrying the feel of sand and gravel, pressed in from the northwest, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.

Chen Fei sat with his knees bent at the northern edge of his landing spot, his front paws resting on his knees. His nose twitched slightly, lifting slightly with the wind. The scent of One-Legged Lion, like a piece of worn-out leather, settled in the grass three kilometers away, steadily moving southeast, just as steady as yesterday. But today, there were two unfamiliar scents in the wind, like two light feathers clinging to One-Legged Lion's back: adult female lions, their strides lighter than One-Legged Lion's, their hoofbeats extremely low, without the slightest gap.

Chen Fei stood up, paced around the center of his landing spot, and lightly swept the ground with the tip of his tail, redefining his position. Sail and the stingy one guarded the western slope, their bodies pressed firmly to the ground; Stray A crouched beside the southeastern bushes, ears flat against his back; Stray B lay in the southwest depression, his gaze sweeping over every swaying blade of grass. Mei Mei was fiddling with a dry shrub branch at the western edge of the bushes. Chen Fei glanced in her direction, and she immediately looked up. Chen Fei tilted his chin northwest, and her ears twitched. She stepped two paces westward through the grass, her front paws landing precisely on the western wing, completely blocking the gap wide enough for half a lion to squeeze through.

Big Head hunched over next to Sair, stretched his neck, peered northwest, twitched his nose rapidly, and his amber eyes gleamed with eager anticipation before turning to Chen Fei.

Chen Fei flicked the tip of his tail at him and tilted his chin slightly to the south.

Big Head pursed his lips, his mouth drooping, and slowly made his way south, his paws scraping against the grass. After five steps, he suddenly turned around, his eyes fixed on Chen Fei. Seeing that Chen Fei showed no sign of changing his mind, his ears drooped, and he let out a soft whimper. He had no choice but to continue dragging his way south, finally collapsing at the edge of the southern grass, his chin resting heavily on his front paws, his tail tip weakly sweeping the ground, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Chen Fei walked back to the north edge, bent his hind legs and sat down, placing his front paws in front of him, his gaze fixed on the northwest direction.

As the one-legged lion led the two lionesses into view, the sunset on the horizon was like spilled blood, sinking along the horizon and pressing down to the lowest point, dyeing the grassland a dark red.

The three lions, with their shoulders level, walk on one leg in the middle, while the two female lions stand on the left and right, their strides perfectly synchronized – a standard patrol formation.

The one-legged creature stopped thirty meters north of its landing spot. Its amber eyes swept across the layout of the area as quickly as the wind brushing against the grass before locking its gaze on Chen Fei. A short, low growl rolled from its throat, a confirmation signal.

Chen Fei stood up, took ten steps forward with his front paws on the grass, and stopped at a distance of twenty meters. He also responded with a low growl, his breath carrying the dry smell of the grassland.

The two lionesses tensed up instantly behind the one-legged lion, their shoulder muscles bulging and their claws slightly extended. Only when they saw that the one-legged lion did not make any alert movements did they slowly relax, and their ears returned to their natural state.

Chen Fei's gaze swept over the two lionesses from head to tail.

The one on the left had darker fur, with three old scars running along the edge of its mane, as if it had been torn open by fangs. Its gait was steady, as if it were nailed to the ground, with each step perfectly centered on its center of gravity, a testament to its experience as a seasoned hunter. The one on the right was younger, with loose skin on its belly and wrinkles from its lactation period, but its eyes were bright. It stood close to the right rear of its single leg, without the slightest sign of panic.

It works.

Chen Fei turned and walked to the south. After taking five steps, he glanced back.

The one-legged creature caught up, its hoof making no sound as it stepped on the grass.

Two lionesses followed closely behind, their strides wide, their hooves crossing the outer boundary of Chen Fei's landing spot, bending and then bouncing the grass.

Joint patrols, the first step, have officially begun.

For the first ten minutes, the two prides walked together, and there was a tense and unfamiliar feeling in the air. Their scents mingled together, like two different kinds of hay mixed together, which felt very raw. Their pace and rhythm were also out of sync. Occasionally, the two lions would go astray, each turning to the side, their paws brushing against the grass to make way, and they would quickly glance at each other out of the corner of their eyes, without saying a word, and continue to move forward.

Chen Fei kept his pace at a moderate level, neither too fast nor too slow, so that both sides could keep up. Occasionally, the tip of his tail would lightly sweep across the ground, adjusting the rhythm of the group.

Walking on one leg diagonally behind him on the right, its compensatory gait on the soft grass was much smoother than on the hard ground. The tall grass covered its hooves, concealing the slight limp when that leg landed, making it almost indistinguishable from its other three legs when viewed from the side. It walked with its nose pressed extremely low, the tip almost touching the ground, stopping every thirty steps to rapidly twitch its nostrils, thoroughly scanning the ground for scent—a patrol posture that left no room for ambiguity.

As the patrol reached the eastern edge of the hunting grounds, the young lioness behind the one-legged lion suddenly stopped.

She pressed her nose to the ground, sniffed twice, then suddenly looked up, her ears turning southeast like radar, her gaze fixed on the grassy waves to the east. Three or four hundred meters away, the fresh scent of a warthog drifted on the wind, carrying the pungent smell of earth and sweat, moving towards the bushes.

The young lioness had her forelegs lowered, her hind legs taut like a fully drawn bow, and her hips slightly raised, a hunting posture ready to pounce at any moment, her tail tip swaying rapidly.

A low growl rolled out from the one-legged man's throat.

The young lioness stiffened for a moment, then slowly straightened her hind legs, stood up again, turned her head away from the prey, drooped her ears, and continued to follow the group forward, though her steps still carried a hint of lingering excitement.

Chen Fei didn't turn back and continued south. The one-legged creature was in control; this wasn't the first time it had suppressed its companion's instincts. Its right forelimb had lost a third of its function, but the leader's judgment remained undiminished.

We've reached the southern edge of the hunting grounds.

The naturally raised earthen ridge, in the dim light, resembled a sleeping giant python, stretching from east to west, forcefully separating the hyena's territory to the south from Chen Fei's hunting ground. The grass on the ridge was blown close to the ground by the wind.

Chen Fei stopped on the north side of the ridge line and tilted his nose slightly southward.