Master Meow - Chapter 3 - Pickley the Pet Hunter

Chapter 3: Pickley the Pet Hunter

Pickley was a professional pet hunter. He used to wander around the outer area of the Falling Star Forest all year round in search of animals. Relying on his keen eyesight and hearing, he could catch one or two valuable animals almost every month. However, even then those animals he caught and sold were only enough for him to maintain his basic life and nothing more.

But he was still satisfied with that.

Pickley was a lone wolf who had been expelled from the wolf tribe after all. Therefore, he had nothing to fall on and could only live through relying on his pet hunting.

Pickley would hunt down pets daily, digging traps and setting up hunting nets all around the forest. However, normally, no animal would step onto the trap when he had just installed it. Typically, he would wait for a while before his trap was set off.

So, when he heard the movement of the hunting net right now, he instantly became excited. Such a stupid prey was extremely rare.

However, when he saw the prey that got caught by his net, he was deeply puzzled.

He carefully flipped the unconscious animal up and down with his paws, looked at it carefully, and sniffed it again.

Pickley was pretty sure that he had never seen or heard animals that looked similar to this one. Not in the Falling Star Forest, nor in the entire giant rock star. As he looked closely, he felt that it looked a bit like a hairless monkey. But this monkey had no tail, no sharp claws, or even sharp teeth. Also, the skin was smooth and delicate, and the body was small.

It might be a degenerated monkey or mutated monkey turning it into a hairless monkey. He thought, having never seen nor imagined something like this could exist.

But, since mutant pets were more popular because of their unique characteristics compared to the regular pets, Pickley became enthusiastic. He spouted a breath of excitement from his nose, then it rubbed the ground hard using his claws.

Sent!

This animal was precious enough to be sent to the Masta Auction House for a large price.

When he thought of the large sum of money he would get, he couldn’t help but salivate. So, without further consideration, he hooked the ragged hairless monkey by its ragged clothes and threw it on his back. Then he quickly ran back toward his den.

And since the forest was the source of its income, Pickley chose to live closeby, on a huge rock cave just outside the Falling Star Forest. Therefore, he had chosen a rock cave that was in a rather high location as his den.

Meanwhile Lu Qiu, who was piggy-backed until they entered the cave, slowly regained her consciousness. She felt a strong smell in front of her face that stunned her, making her awareness return in an instant. But when she spotted it was a wolf, who was carrying her, she fainted again.

At that time, Pickley was taking the smallest cage out of the huge stack of cages before carefully putting the unconscious Lu Qiu in.

After confirming that she couldn’t run away, he stopped checking the cage and went to the side of the cave. He then opened the rusty iron box and took out a bottle of medicine from there.

He needed to dress up the pet neatly and cleanly, free from any wounds on its body. That way he would be able to sell it at an even higher price. After all, those nobles were very picky with their purchase.

The sharp claws directly tore the clothes that wrapped in Lu Qiu’s body. Pickley couldn’t help but sigh. This hairless monkey was wrapped with layers of clothes and not only that, the style was weird as well. He was confused about why it would need such things.

But when he thought over its hairless state, he started to understand a little.

Ah, it can’t resist the cold, so that’s why it wore so many clothes.

Thus, he considerately let a few short pieces of underwear be for her. So, she wouldn’t freeze to death. Then, he applied the liquid medicine properly to the wounds on her body with a distressed face.

These medicines could cure the wounds instantly, but they were very expensive. It took him a month of hard work to buy them once. But this little guy had too many injuries. All the scars and bruises from face to feet would make him unable to sell it at a high price. So, while feeling heartache in his heart, he reluctantly and carefully applied the medicine. All for the sake of selling her at a high price.

After waiting for about ten minutes, all the wounds and the bluish-purple bruises on Lu Qiu’s skin disappeared without a trace, revealing her white and smooth skin.

Pickley then excitedly opened his device on his wrist and looked at the display. He chose the video camera function and began to shoot at this precious new prey left and right.

During the shooting, he used his claws to lift Lu Qiu’s lips from time to time, revealing the degraded canine teeth. The teeth were neat, clean, and harmless. Then he aimed at the weak hands and feet that were trapped under his paw.

After he had finished shooting, he sent the video to the person who was in charge of the Masta auction house through the device. Then, he used his paw to close the holographic screen in front of him from the thin air.

“Mr. Ruth, I caught a rare top-notch hairless monkey mutant. Please check out its appearance and see whether it could bring sensation for the auction house.”

However, as he nervously and expectantly waited for the Masta Auction House’s reply, a loud noise could be heard coming from outside the cave. And then, the whole cave shook violently.

Pickley’s expression changed at that, and he immediately turned off the display. He then went out to the cave’s mouth.

He didn’t know since when, but there were suddenly ten jackals in front of his den.

These jackals were much smaller than Pickley in size, but he could see from his standpoint that they were also close to four meters big.

And two of the strong ones were constantly tackling the boulder with their bodies. It made the part connected to the rock below start to shake under their impact. And soon, the clicking sound of the slowly breaking rock could be heard.

Pickley arched his back, fur raised, and bared his teeth as he yelled: “Pot1 [javascript:void(0)]1Originally 布特 (Bù tè). I translate it into Pot referencing from 波尔布特 (Bō ěr Bù tè) or Pol Pot (1925-1998), Cambodian communist leader., we have always kept the well water away from the river2 [javascript:void(0)]2井水不犯河水 (Jǐngshuǐ bú fàn héshuǐ) The idiom means ‘each other does not have relations and influence.’ It is a metaphor that one should mind his own business; stay out of things that don’t concern you.. What do you mean by doing this? Don’t bully people too much.”

He bluffed, trying to look like he’s going to call his companion. However, his eyes were fixed down on the ground, looking for his chance.

After all, though the jackals were smaller in size than the wolves, they were more flexible and powerful. Still, there was a little hope of winning this fight alone, despite the fact it would be badly wounded after dealing with a group of enemies.

Pickley cursed in his heart. I had clearly avoided other animal territories when I chose to come to this den here, but why are they coming over? Besides, I have never offended anyone. So, why are they doing this right now?

The jackal called Pot suddenly opened his mouth and laughed happily. His face resembled a big dog, making it look funny. “Did you ever think this day would come when you sold my cub?”

Pickley groaned inwardly, how could he refuse the order when someone paid for it. He began to plan the route of escape in his mind. Now he could only escape through the heart of the Falling Star Forest.

But as he was about to leave, his device flashed, and Ruth responded to him.

“Where are you? Bring that hairless monkey to the auction house. Earl Wells took a fancy. Currently, he is waiting to buy it. Quickly send the kid! He has always been very generous with his money.”

Pickley wanted to escape, but when he heard this news a sudden ecstasy surged in his heart. However, it instantly disappeared when he thought over his current situation.

Right now, I am not even sure how I could save my own life, don’t even mention how I will deliver it to you!

However, while his brain was operating at high speed, the cave had already begun to collapse under the violent attack of the two jackals. And soon, the lime water began to pour out, filling the cave.

Seeing this, Pickley stepped back before he opened his mouth, biting the cage between his teeth. Then, he brought Lu Qiu, who had not yet woken up, with him within his mouth and ran.

There was only a crack on the rock at the entrance. So, he forcibly broke into the crack with his body and jumped out.

Seeing him run away, Pot raised his head in exasperation and howled: “Chase him!”

With that order, the group of jackals followed Pickley like a sharp arrow.

1Originally 布特 (Bù tè). I translate it into Pot referencing from 波尔布特 (Bō ěr Bù tè) or Pol Pot (1925-1998), Cambodian communist leader.

2 井水不犯河水 (Jǐngshuǐ bú fàn héshuǐ)
The idiom means ‘each other does not have relations and influence.’ It is a metaphor that one should mind his own business; stay out of things that don’t concern you.