King of the Wilderness

After they bypassed the massive pile of rocks, the view before them suddenly opened up.

A bowl-shaped high mountain meadow, surrounded by mountains, unfolded before their eyes.

A clear stream formed by snowmelt meandered through the center of the meadow, its banks adorned with lush willows and alders standing a little over half a man’s height.

And on the rocky high ground at the edge of the meadow, near the hillside, moved about a dozen white figures, like scattered snow patches.

It’s a herd of Dall sheep!

Their hearts skipped a beat in unison!

They almost simultaneously crouched down slowly, hiding their bodies completely in the shadow of the rocks.

Old George’s movements were the most skillful; he didn’t make any unnecessary moves, quickly and silently adjusting his Leica binoculars to focus sharply, his lens steadily aimed at that peaceful white scene.

”A group of damsels and youngsters,” he mumbled in the lowest voice.

Through the view of the binoculars, the details of the herd were magnified vividly clear.

There were a few strong, muscular adult ewes, alertly surveying their surroundings.

Beside them, a few lively lambs chased and nudged each other, their actions filled with innocence.

On the periphery of the herd were a few young rams, their horns had grown but weren’t curved enough to form a full circle that could be legally hunted; they looked more like young guards of the herd.

”Don’t rush,” Stan equally lowered his voice.

His gaze didn’t linger on the herd below but instead used his binoculars like a comb, thoroughly scanning the higher grounds around the meadow and cliffs inch by inch.

”That old guy must be nearby. The ram king rarely grazes with its family; it would find the best spot from where it can see both them and potential threats from a strategic high point, keeping an eye on everything.”

Old George’s binoculars began to move extremely slowly as well, filled with patience and rhythm, carefully scrutinizing each ridge and suspicious rocky shadow within view.

But several minutes passed, and still nothing was found; those slopes looked just as they had for millennia: only stones and tundra.

Lin Yu’an adopted a completely different observation strategy.

He didn’t aimlessly conduct a broad search but kept his binoculars focused on the herd below, especially on those ewes that appeared oldest and highest in status.

He noticed an extremely subtle detail: those lead ewes would lift their heads after biting a few tender sedges.

Almost every ten seconds, they’d simultaneously raise their heads to the same high point in a fixed direction.

It wasn’t a sweeping gaze of alertness but a look filled with confirmation.

His binoculars moved slowly upward, following the direction where the ewes’ gazes converged.

There, at least a kilometer away from them, was an independent small terrace obscured by several massive rocks.

From that angle, if one didn’t observe carefully, it was just an inconspicuous protrusion on the steep cliff, easily overlooked.

”George, ten o’clock direction, the highest independent rock platform,” Lin Yu’an’s voice was pressed low, but full of undeniable certainty.

Stan and George immediately turned their binoculars quickly towards the position he indicated.

Initially, there was nothing there, only a few bare rocks reflecting a gray-white light in the sun.

Stan was about to speak when Lin Yu’an raised a hand, making a ”wait” gesture.

At that moment, a strong wind howled down from the ridge and swept through the valley, seemingly startling something.

From behind that rock platform emerged a majestic figure, entirely white, significantly larger than any other sheep, walking forward with the composure of a king surveying his dominion.

It strode to the edge of the platform, proudly raising its head, with massive, thick, perfectly spiraled horns, visually striking like the Demon’s Horn in the sunlight!

”My God...” Old George’s breath caught instantly, and his hand holding the binoculars began to tremble slightly!

”It’s him! It’s him! The Ridge Ghost! After all these years, I finally encountered him!”

Stan also stared, dumbfounded, rubbing his eyes in disbelief: ”How... how is this possible? How did you find it? I swept that area several times with my binoculars!”

”I have been watching that group of ewes, especially the leading ones. They unconsciously and periodically look up to the same high spot to confirm safety. Following their line of sight, I locked onto that rock platform.”

”There was a moment when the shadow behind that rock seemed odd, with a bit more curvature than a mere rock shadow, so I guessed something might be hiding there.”

This nearly intuitive observational skill left Stan and George exchanging a glance, both seeing deep awe in each other’s eyes.

They knew that in this hunting operation, Lin Yu’an brought not only youthful vigor but also an innate hunter’s intuition!

”Luck! Kid, you’re our lucky star!” Old George subdued his excitement and vigorously patted Lin Yu’an on the back.