Chapter 18: The Leopard Loses His Dignity Once More

Following the broadcast of the news from the national channel, those who were secretly stirring in the shadows were instantly discouraged from taking action. They could not understand why the people of this nation were so easily incited and yet so united. The reason, in fact, was simple: they did not understand the Soul of Yanhuang.

This nation, with its five-thousand-year heritage, possesses an indescribable and profound sense of national honor embedded in its very bones.

Nights in the Forbidden Land are far more dangerous than the days. Many monsters that only emerge at night to hunt became the stuff of nightmares for many. Almost every hour, reports surfaced of someone being killed by these creatures. Back in reality, several more nations saw their two chosen "lucky ones" meet a tragic end. Although everyone was granted a single chance at resurrection, that opportunity did not keep them alive for long.

The first night of the live broadcast passed amidst wind and rain. The bad news was that within this first night, the representatives of over thirty nations—including the Kyushu Kingdom—had all perished. More than sixty lives were extinguished just like that. If not for the single resurrection chance, the number of nations suffering from this disaster would have been far greater. The global landscape shifted; those nations that lost their representatives became volatile and unstable. It was a tragedy. Whether this tragedy could be prevented depended entirely on the performance of each nation’s chosen representative within the Forbidden Land.

On this day, no one’s heart felt as light as it had the day before; a heavy, somber mood had taken hold. No one could remain relaxed after witnessing the chaos and the corpses strewn across foreign lands. People became far more concerned about the safety of their two representatives, and as for resources, they no longer cared. In just one day, more than thirty nations in the real world had fallen into chaos—a reality more terrifying than any other disaster. Moreover, following the deaths of their representatives, their respective national disasters began: tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes, floods, mudslides, acid rain, droughts, extreme heat, locust swarms, and bitter cold arrived in quick succession. It was a horrific catastrophe, one that could be called an extinction-level event for humanity.

...

Qin Chuan’s Livestream Room:
"Qin Chuan is sleeping so soundly."
"He hasn't woken up yet."
"They probably have no idea what major events happened on the Kyushu planet yesterday."
"Qin Chuan is the most comfortable of all the participants. Using Shen Gongbao’s back as a bed—that soft, warm spot is the only one of its kind in the whole world."
"Because no one else has the conditions Qin Chuan has."
"There’s no comparison, no hurt. I wonder what the other participants would look like if they saw Qin Chuan’s sleeping setup."

...

"Ooh~~"
Qin Chuan opened his eyes, let out a yawn, and looked up at the sky. "It’s already morning?"

...

Netizens were amused by Qin Chuan’s appearance and flooded the screen with messages:
"It’s morning."
"The Sun: I’m out."
"The Blue Sky: Qin Chuan, you’re awake."
"You’ve finally woken up."
"Do you know what happened yesterday?"
"You sleep more comfortably than I do."

"Whack!"
Qin Chuan patted Shen Gongbao’s back and said, "Stop sleeping, wake up."
Shen Gongbao felt innocent; it had been awake for a long time, but didn't dare wake him, so it had just kept lying there. It looked at Qin Chuan, as if asking, "Where to?"

"Whack!"
"This is your territory, you lead the way. I’m not familiar with it," Qin Chuan said with a straight face.
Shen Gongbao: (๑ơ灬ơ)
Audience: (ノ￣ー￣)ノノ(º_ºノ)
"This leopard must have owed Qin Chuan a lot in its past life."
"Qin Chuan, are you trying to laugh me to death?"
"All the tension just disappeared because of him."
"Poor leopard."
"Poor thing +2."

...

Shen Gongbao decided to walk around; it was hungry. Moreover, it had a small thought: it wanted to eat meat. Being a vegetarian was certainly not what a leopard was meant to do.

Shen Gongbao brought Qin Chuan to a dense jungle, having run for nearly half an hour to get there. Qin Chuan didn't care; he had food on Shen Gongbao’s back, didn't need to expend any energy, and didn't even know what hunger felt like.

Shen Gongbao spotted prey, but because Qin Chuan was still on its back, it let out a soft sound.
"Are you in heat?" Qin Chuan complained.
Shen Gongbao pointed ahead.
Qin Chuan looked up, saw a few hopping rabbits, and immediately expressed disdain. "You wouldn't even spare a little white rabbit? Are you even a person?"
Shen Gongbao: I’m not a person, I’m a leopard.
But the leopard didn't dare say this. It was afraid of getting hit.

...

However, Qin Chuan placed his small hand on his chin and said, "I’ll test your strength. Don't disappoint me; catch them all in one go!"
The netizens collectively laughed.
"So much for sparing them? You want to wipe out the whole group of rabbits immediately?"
"Little Qin Chuan’s mood swings are fast."
"Damn, ruthless! But I like it!"
"The enemy reaches the battlefield in five seconds, go!"
"Leopard, let us see your true strength!"

Shen Gongbao nodded; it seemed to have found a shred of its dignity as a leopard. It intended to prove that it wasn't just a mount, but also capable of catching prey.

Qin Chuan didn't get off; he stayed on Shen Gongbao’s back and tugged on its fur, which made the leopard regret its choices—it hurt. Qin Chuan would never admit he was afraid the leopard would run off; he was just "testing" Shen Gongbao’s abilities, that was all.

Shen Gongbao truly displayed the hunting skills of a leopard. It crouched in the tall grass, using the foliage to conceal its body, moving closer and closer to the prey. It was very patient. But Qin Chuan lacked patience and irritably said, "Why are you being such a coward? Why is it taking so much effort for a few rabbits!"

Shen Gongbao had just entered its hunting state, and now, thanks to Qin Chuan’s chatter, it was all ruined. It seemed to blame Qin Chuan, thinking, "Didn't you say you'd let me hunt? Why are you messing it up?"

Qin Chuan didn't care what Shen Gongbao thought. He gave its back a pat and shouted, "Giddy-up!"
Shen Gongbao: ʕ•͡-•ʔ
"Don't just stand there! If you don't chase them now, it'll be too late," Qin Chuan scolded.
Shen Gongbao had no choice but to give chase. Even though it knew this wasn't the right moment to strike, it was no longer up to the leopard. Even the last bit of its hunting dignity had been severely trampled by Qin Chuan.

Ruthless!

However, this seemed to trigger an outburst in Shen Gongbao. Since it couldn't beat Qin Chuan, it took its frustration out on the rabbits, sprinting with all its might. Under this burst of energy, its speed was impressive, and it grew closer and closer to the rabbits.

Qin Chuan rode the charging leopard, creating the illusion of a warrior galloping across a battlefield—except his small stature robbed the scene of its intended majesty, adding a great deal of amusement instead. At least, that was what the audience thought.

"Little guy, keep it up! The next God of War is you."
"Other people’s kids are so weak; only you are the pride of our Yanhuang."
"Starting off riding a leopard—will he be riding a dragon in the future?"
"Highly likely."