Inside the medicinal herb processing plant, as several people carried in the animals they had poached from the protected area, the scene within the workshop became clear.
From the outside, the workshop looked like a legitimate medicinal herb processing plant, with its production lines filled with herbs collected from the mountains.
Even from a distance, a strong medicinal aroma wafted through the air.
However, as they moved deeper inside, the medicinal scent soon disappeared, replaced by a pungent stench.
Amidst this stench, there was the smell of decaying flesh and other bodily waste.
Yet, faced with such a foul odor, the people who had just entered did not even flinch, as if they were already accustomed to it.
After they passed through a steel door, a scene resembling hell appeared before their eyes.
In the back half of the workshop, nearly a hundred iron cages of various sizes were scattered about.
The source of the stench they had just smelled was these cages, covered in grime and rust.
Visibly, large amounts of blood and wastewater flowed out from beneath the cages, eventually converging into a murky stream that led to the factory's drainage outlet.
Some cages were empty, but the vast majority still held animals with vacant expressions.
There were musk deer used for musk, pangolins for their scales, pythons for their gallbladders, and even a South China tiger whose purpose was unknown.
In addition, there were black bears trapped in iron vests, unable to move, with tubes connected to their mouths and lower abdomen.
Here, they had completely lost their freedom and control over their own bodies, exploited like a mine.
Only when all their utility had been squeezed dry would they be allowed to close their eyes.
Yet, in such circumstances, the people inside the workshop chatted and laughed.
"I heard two bear farms in the Northeast were raided recently, and their more than 20 bears were rescued."
"I saw that news. They're really beasts. They extract five times a day. We're much more considerate, only four times a day."
"The main thing is we don't have to raise them; we just catch them in the mountains."
"Their raids are good for us. I reckon the price of bear gall will rise again before the year ends. It could reach 10 yuan per milliliter."
"10 yuan per milliliter! Brother-in-law, isn't bear gall more expensive than gold? Why don't we water it down a bit?"
As soon as the flat-headed man finished speaking, the man in the military coat beside him slapped him across the face.
"Why are you like your sister, with short hair and short vision? Can we do business like that?"
"What do I always tell you? The most important thing in business is credibility. If you do that, how can our Senbao brand grow bigger and stronger?"
"Besides, do we need to water it down? We can just extract five times a day."
"Right, aren't there a few new arrivals? Hurry up and give them the medicine, then make the incisions. Don't waste them."
"Yes, brother-in-law!"
...
And just as these men were discussing how to extract greater value from the animals in the workshop, a plump little field mouse had, at some point, hidden itself beside an iron cage.
Its pair of shiny little eyes quietly observed everything that was happening inside the workshop.
"These guys are really beasts. Even beasts are better than them."
Outside the workshop, through the shared vision and hearing of the field mouse, Yang Lin saw everything that was happening inside.
From the animals' plight to the men's words and actions.
He had never imagined that the human heart could be so terrifying, especially after witnessing the fate of the animals in the cages.
What kind of heartlessness would it take to do such things?
Seeing that they were about to begin their work on the newly arrived animals, Yang Lin could wait no longer.
Although he had already reported the exact location to the forest police, the place was too remote. By the time they arrived, the bodies of those black bears would likely have already been cut open.
With this thought, he immediately activated his ability as the Son of the Forest once more.
In an instant, the mountain forests within a five-hundred-kilometer radius were under his control. At this moment, he transformed into the will of the forest again.
The next second, a commotion arose from various parts of the mountains and forests.
Concurrently, the people inside the workshop tranquilized the five black bears by injection.
Afterwards, they skillfully put on the iron vests.
Once the iron vests were on, no matter how much strength they had, they could not break free.
Just as the men, clad in white lab coats, were preparing to cut open the black bears, the commotion from outside the workshop instantly interrupted their progress.
"Old Third, what's happening outside? Why is it so noisy?"
"I don't know. Probably an earthquake."
"Brother-in-law, shouldn't we retreat first? Our lives are more important."
As soon as the flat-headed man spoke, he was kicked in the backside.
"Retreat my foot! Get out there and see what's happening!"
As the man in the military coat finished speaking, the flat-headed man turned and ran towards the outside of the workshop.
However, as soon as he reached the outside of the workshop, the scene before his eyes made it difficult for him to move.
The next second, a slightly trembling voice came from his mouth.
"Pigs, brother-in-law..."
"You dare call me a pig."
"So many pigs, so many wild boars!"
As he spoke, the flat-headed man, with a look of tears, ran out of the workshop without looking back.
Seeing the flat-headed man flee inexplicably, the remaining people inside the workshop hurried out.
RUMBLE!
As soon as the men reached the entrance of the workshop, the surrounding courtyard walls collapsed in unison.
In their terrified gaze, plump wild boars, one after another, surged out from the surrounding forests.
The brick and stone courtyard walls were like paper against these wild boars, collapsing in no time.
And besides the wild boars, a large army of other wild animals was mixed among them.
Leopards, mountain goats, black bears, pythons, and even tigers.
At a glance, the line of animals seemed endless.
At this moment, these animals, as if gone mad, collectively charged towards the area where their workshop was located.
Just as the thought of escape crossed the men's minds, the flat-headed man, who had run out first, was butted back by a large wild boar, crashing directly into the metal siding, creating a large dent.
Before they could even recover from their shock, they were already surrounded by the animal army.
Before they could even utter a scream, the men were already beaten unconscious by pain.
However, before they lost consciousness, they vaguely saw a human figure standing on a treetop directly in front of the workshop.
As the men were continuously trampled into unconsciousness by the animals, the workshop behind them, a symbol of sin and bloodshed, was soon rammed down by the animals.