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.
