Chapter Sixty-Three: Chased Madly by a Bear

Gathered around the campfire, Xiao Ding and Mu Yiyi chatted for more than half an hour. The more they talked, the more familiar they became, and the more they found themselves in accord. During the day, they had spent most of their time listening to Fan Sanpang’s endless stories of martial world legends, barely speaking themselves. Now, with the night deep and silent, the two of them found their conversation thoroughly enjoyable.

Through their exchange, Xiao Ding learned that Mu Hong was actually Mu Yiyi’s distant uncle, who had always treated her kindly since childhood. Xiao Ding also discovered that Mu Yiyi was an optimistic and cheerful girl, easy to get along with.

Later, seeing the late hour, Xiao Ding urged Mu Yiyi to rest early, lest she grow overly tired. On watch until the latter half of the night, Xiao Ding added more dry branches to the fire, causing it to blaze brighter. Though Mei Ruoxue had warned them that the giant bear they encountered was not afraid of fire, Xiao Ding believed that most beasts still feared it deeply.

Then, Xiao Ding woke Fan Sanpang, and settled himself against a giant stone, gradually drifting into sleep.

Whether by coincidence or by the workings of his unlucky fate, Xiao Ding had barely closed his eyes and fallen asleep when he suddenly heard Fan Sanpang’s urgent shout: “Everyone wake up, wake up, there’s a giant bear…”

All four were martial artists, their hearing and sight far sharper than ordinary folk. Even in sleep, they remained more alert, and Fan Sanpang’s voice was loud, as he went around rousing each of the three sleeping companions.

Upon rising, they saw a giant bear, lumbering toward them, glancing about and sniffing the air every few steps.

Xiao Ding saw that this bear was far larger and stronger than the female bear he had hunted last time. Clearly, this was a male.

Such a bear Xiao Ding dared not confront directly; he remembered well the trouble he’d encountered before.

The other three, seeing such a massive beast, were equally apprehensive.

At that moment, the bear seemed to catch their scent, and charged straight toward them.

“Run!” Xiao Ding shouted, turning on his heel and fleeing. He knew well the speed of a giant bear.

Fan Sanpang tried to climb a tree, but Xiao Ding grabbed him and barked, “Bears can climb trees too!”

Stunned, Fan Sanpang, Mu Hong, and Mu Yiyi quickly employed their skills and ran along with Xiao Ding.

Had Xiao Ding not had experience from the last time he was chased by a bear, he might have thought to climb a tree to escape. But this time, he dared not count on such luck.

Even if they scattered and climbed different trees, whichever tree the bear chose to attack would mean disaster—a prospect Xiao Ding did not wish to see.

The giant bear, seeing the group flee, assumed they feared it and pursued with all its might.

They ran a long distance, yet still could not shake the bear.

Xiao Ding saw the situation growing dire—human strength would eventually fail, while the bear’s endurance was far greater.

So, as he ran, Xiao Ding called out, “I think we’d better split up, otherwise none of us will escape danger…”

“I suppose that’s the only option…” Mu Hong, who had spoken little along the way, finally opened his mouth. Being older, his brow was already beaded with sweat.

“Then let me and Fan Sanpang go together, and you two take another path. How about that?” Xiao Ding suggested.

“Very well, let’s do that,” Mu Hong agreed.

“When dawn comes, if we each find that giant stone, let’s meet there. If not, we must leave it to fate. You two, take extra care; if necessary, find your way down the mountain as soon as possible…” Xiao Ding advised.

“Thank you, young hero, for your concern! We’ll go on ahead…” With that, Mu Hong took Mu Yiyi and headed off in another direction.

Xiao Ding and Fan Sanpang ran forward for a while, then glanced back—the giant bear was chasing after them!

“Fan Sanpang, my friend, look, the bear is after us. Why don’t you go negotiate with it, see if you can convince it to stop?” Xiao Ding teased as they ran.

“Brother Xiao Ding, at a time like this, you’re still joking. Come up with something! How do we shake this bear?” Fan Sanpang replied with a bitter face.

“What can I do? At this point, one of us will have to feed the bear. Why don’t you, being a couple years older, noble and skilled, stop and fight the bear? If you win, great; if not, you’ll have died heroically to save your brother. Don’t worry, I’ll honor your memorial tablet every morning and night…”

“Xiao Ding—do you believe I’ll smack you? Why don’t you fight the bear yourself?” Fan Sanpang’s face was as bitter as if he’d swallowed a handful of gall.

“If you don’t wish to go, then we must leave it to fate. Let’s split up; whichever one the bear pursues, it’s a matter of luck…” Xiao Ding finally stated his decision.

“Alright, let’s do that.” Fan Sanpang didn’t wait for Xiao Ding’s reply before turning and running off in another direction.

“Hey…” Xiao Ding started to say something, but saw that the bear ignored Fan Sanpang and continued chasing him.

“Oh, you stupid bear, don’t chase me! Go after that short fellow, he’s fat and has more meat…” Xiao Ding cried out, inwardly lamenting his misfortune. Heaven help me! Why was he so unlucky—twice they split up, yet the bear still pursued him. Was it because he was tall and an obvious target?

The darkness of the woods at night slowed his escape. Running further, even with his spiritual energy, Xiao Ding’s brow was slick with sweat, and his breathing grew labored.

What was to be done?

He’d just been chased by a bear days ago, and now the scene repeated—pursued to the point where there was neither escape above nor below. Even when he was a child, fleeing from the neighbor’s dog after stealing melons, he’d never run so desperately!

After another half-stick of incense’s time, Xiao Ding felt his stamina faltering. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the bear caught and devoured him. He needed a plan!

Just as anxiety gripped him, Xiao Ding suddenly noticed a cliff less than five meters ahead. He nearly couldn’t stop in time, almost stepping off the edge.

In a rush, he halted at the brink, barely restraining his forward momentum. Peering down, he saw only darkness—its depth unknown.

The bear was now mere meters away. For it, a couple of lunges would cover the distance. For Xiao Ding, it was the span between jumping off the cliff or becoming bear food.

At that critical instant, Xiao Ding spotted a protruding boulder at the cliff’s edge to his right.

Without thinking, as the bear lunged at him, Xiao Ding sidestepped and leaped, grabbing onto the jutting rock.

The bear never expected Xiao Ding to be so cunning, dodging at the last moment. Its forelegs lost purchase, and its massive body, carried by momentum, tumbled headlong over the cliff…

After a while, a dull echo rose from below.

At that moment, Xiao Ding hung from the cliff’s boulder, his legs dangling in the air, his heart pounding wildly.

If his grip slipped even a little, his fate would mirror that of the bear—falling to his death at the foot of the cliff.