Super Zoo-Chapter 799 - 778: Into the Mountain

The next morning, while Suming and Nangong Yan were still in their dreams, they could hear the cheering from downstairs, the barks of a Labrador, and the occasional neighs of horses.

After getting dressed and looking down from the balcony, they saw Avitu with an 18th-century carriage, usually seen in movies, parked below, pulled by four black horses with thick furs on their legs, and several lanterns hanging on both sides of the carriage.

Chengcheng was circling around the carriage, shouting and jumping excitedly. She often went to the zoo and was bold with animals, even daring to touch the horses pulling the carriage. The horses were very gentle, occasionally shaking their hooves.

Avitu sat in the driver's seat driving the carriage, with the Labrador, Ashis, obediently sitting next to him, occasionally joining Chengcheng in her calls.

Zhao Yun squatted beside the carriage, studying the patterns on it with great interest.

"Up and at 'em, ready to head out."

Nangong Yan and Suming got up, dressed, took their luggage, and walked out of the room; the door of the neighboring room opened just then, and Su Meng and Hu emerged.

All four young people had faint dark circles under their eyes, looking like they hadn't completely recovered their spirits.

"Hehe..."

"Hehehe..."

A few sheepish laughs and down the stairs they went.

Approaching the carriage, Suming realized it was out of the ordinary. Even as a layperson, one could tell it had some age to it, its patterns ancient yet not without elegance. What was rare was how well it had been maintained.

It might not be an antique, but it was certainly a very rare antique-style piece.

"This probably has a history of around two hundred years. The material used on the main shaft of the carriage might even be older, having undergone thorough repairs and professional maintenance," Zhao Yun commented, observing the carriage without turning his head.

Old Avitu, sitting in the driver's seat, laughed proudly, "How do you like it? This carriage was specially used by Romania's first duke to greet guests. It's already over two hundred and twenty years old by now..."

Everyone was amazed. Nurse Hu, ever direct, asked, "Old man, does that make this an antique? Wow, and it was used by a duke. If you sold it, it'd be worth a lot, huh?"

Zhao Yun translated with a chuckle while Avitu looked puzzled and said, "A carriage is meant to be ridden in. Why would I sell it?"

"If you sold it, you'd be rich and could go buy a big house in a big city, living the good life of the wealthy," Nurse Hu said.

The expression on Avitu's face grew even more bemused as he shook his head, "What's the use of so much money? I'm already living a good life, aren't I?"

"All right, not everyone looks at 'money' the way we do," Suming said with a smile, pulling open the carriage door with metallic patterns, lowering the footstep, and with a wave of his hand, "Ladies first—princesses, please get in!"

"I'll go first!" Chengcheng was the first to jump in, curiously peering around inside the carriage.

One by one, the others followed. There was a faint scent similar to sandalwood in the carriage, probably used for insect repellent. The space was ample; six people, five adults and one child, sat in two rows facing each other without feeling cramped. A kerosene lantern hung from the central ceiling of the carriage, its light could be lit at night to illuminate the inside.

The luggage was secured on the roof of the carriage.

Betweeen the carriage and the driver's seat in front was a curtain. Once pulled aside, one could see the front, and the driver could communicate with the passengers inside. Suming noticed that old Avitu was in the driver's seat, holding an old-fashioned double-barreled shotgun.

The mountains of Romania and those of Huaxia are not quite the same. In Yangchuan City, even the mountains behind the zoo near Qinling seldom have ferocious animals wandering about. However, in the Carpathian Mountains, it is common to encounter a variety of fierce beasts—wolves and bears are a usual sight. The first lesson for visitors going to soak in the mountain hot springs is to learn how to identify bear tracks, avoiding straying into the territory of bears inadvertently. Animals that have lost their way and wandered into human areas are also a common sight in villages at the foothills.

It was a very harmonious state of coexistence. There were no clear rules about whether humans could kill animals, but the local residents generally did not harm animals for profit or entertainment. Animals, for their part, were not very afraid of people.

Of course, such harmony came at a price. In the small Ferrero village, over the past few decades, three or four people had died in the mountains, mostly attacked by wild beasts.

"Woof woof woof..." The barking of a Labrador came from ahead. Old Avitu cracked his whip in the air, producing a sharp 'snap'. The four black horses pulling the carriage neighed loudly, and the carriage trembled slightly as the houses on both sides began to recede slowly.

The horses stepped out in a leisurely pace, pulling the carriage gently forward. Soon, the village was left behind, and the carriage entered the forest of the mountainous region.

Looking out through the glass windows of the carriage, the forest was entirely different from the village. Although peaceful, the village still bore traces of human touch—whether it was the cement slopes marked with zebra crossings and directional arrows, or the air conditioners and utility poles outside the windows of homes, all indicated a modernized environment.

But once inside the forest, all of that disappeared. Towering fir trees surrounded them, and the sound of babbling brooks could be heard not far away. There weren't any prepared paths in the forest; thick layers of fallen leaves carpeted the ground as the carriage wound its way forward between the trees.

After entering the forest, Avitu at the front wrapped himself in a large wool blanket. Perhaps due to the weather and the abundant mist from the hot springs, a thin but visible layer of fog enveloped the woods. It didn't obstruct the view but added a mysterious aura to the forest.

Every so often, the call of an unidentified bird would echo through the woods. The carriage traveled through the mist, as if forest spirits might appear at any moment.

In such an environment, it was impossible to differentiate between east, south, west, and north. If it hadn't been for Avitu, the local guide, leading the way, any outsider would certainly get lost. freewebnoveℓ.com

Fortunately, although the forest environment was secretive, it didn't make one feel fearful, but rather there was a sense of ethereality.

"This is truly a natural environment," Suming, who worked in tourism, could not help but remark. Any natural environment, as soon as it is touched by human development and so-called protection, will inevitably suffer destruction no matter what justifications are given in words.

Perhaps only the Taoyuan Sanctuary was a small exception, because there, under the nourishment of spiritual power and the leadership of two pandas, the animals had begun evolving and showing a tendency to form a society.

Last night, none of them had slept well. The forest was unusually quiet, and thankfully, the carriage hardly jolted as it moved. The gentle vibrations even aided sleep, and after traveling for a while, the passengers leaned against the walls of the carriage and quickly dozed off.

Just at that moment, a frantic barking of Ashis the Labrador suddenly came from ahead.

"Shh..." The carriage jolted violently, and old Avitu pulled tight on the reins, bringing the horses to a halt.