Chapter 27: Composed Response

"Damn it, a mother bear with her cubs is coming down the mountain!"

"Did it catch the scent of a human?"

"Am I really going to be eaten by these four as if I were a snack today?"

Zhao Zheng broke out in a cold sweat, but he did not panic or flee. A black bear can run at speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour. Unlike a cheetah, which relies on short bursts of speed, a bear can maintain that pace for up to three kilometers. Even if Zhao Zheng had four legs, he wouldn't be able to outrun it.

Most terrifyingly, unlike felines that go for a quick kill, bears eat their prey alive. You would have to watch as it tears open your abdomen and devours your limbs, leaving you to die in agony.

Play dead? To a starving bear, that makes no difference; it will eat you regardless.

Climb a tree? They are expert climbers and even swim well.

Zhao Zheng gripped his axe tightly, frantically scrolling through the shop interface for a weapon to save his life. Damn it. While the shop was all-encompassing, it lacked firearms. However, although there was no "great equalizer," he spotted a compound bow. In his previous life, he happened to be a member of a shooting club.

He checked the price: 2,200 wen. His balance was exactly 2,300 wen.

Bought!

In an instant, a 45-pound (20.41 kg) beginner’s compound bow and ten high-strength fiberglass arrows appeared in his hands. This entry-level bow was the most lethal weapon he could afford. He forced himself to calm down, hurriedly notched an arrow, and aimed it at the mother bear.

In his past life, he had seen wealthy acquaintances go on organized hunting trips abroad, though he hadn't been rich long enough to experience it himself. This bear must have failed to store enough fat during the summer and autumn, and with the prolonged drought and lack of snow, it hadn't hibernated and was now forced down the mountain.

"It's a black bear—look at the white patch on its chest. It's not a grizzly that can weigh over a thousand pounds!" he reasoned. "If I recall correctly, few adult male black bears exceed two hundred kilograms. This mother bear has been starving for so long; she probably weighs little more than a hundred kilograms."

"Because of their smaller size, they are considered the black sheep of the bear family. Their diet consists mostly of insects and plants, and they rarely hunt animals aggressively. But a starving one is a different story. Even if she's small, she could still kill me twice over. I absolutely cannot turn my back on her..."

Seemingly sensing danger, the lead mother bear stopped and peered at Zhao Zheng. He was less than twenty meters away. Indoor target practice was entirely different from this.

Zhao Zheng’s palms began to sweat. "Go away. I won't kill you. Otherwise, these three cubs won't survive!"

Survival of the fittest aside, Zhao Zheng had no desire to hunt a mother with cubs. Generally, these black bears wouldn't attack humans unless provoked. The bear let out a low growl at the three cubs behind her, then lowered her head, rooting around in the dirt as if eating grass roots.

However, she was inching closer to him step by step. Zhao Zheng sighed inwardly; he knew this was a precursor to a bear attack. It would lower its head, pretending to forage, all while observing you. The moment you let your guard down, it would charge and pounce. Furthermore, this was clearly her territory, and he was an intruder. With three cubs in tow, her aggression was at its peak. Human flesh, rich in salt and fat, held an irresistible temptation for her.

In that split second, she lifted her head and charged at him.

*Twang!*

*Whoosh!*

The arrow became a black blur, piercing dead-center into her belly. The black bear shrieked in pain, spun around, and fled back toward the mountain, leaving the three cubs behind.

"Chase!"

Struck by that arrow, she was a dead bear walking. He grabbed the compound bow and took off in pursuit. Following the blood trail, he ventured deep into Jinji Mountain. About a hundred meters in, he found the mother bear’s carcass under a tree. It took a great deal of effort to pull the arrow out. As for the three cubs, they had long since vanished. Had they stayed, Zhao Zheng would have sent the whole family to their graves.

If it had been a regular woodcutter instead of him, they would have certainly lost their lives today. He felt no remorse for killing the mother bear. In this world, his own life was what mattered most.

*[Ding! Captured wild black bear, weight 210 jin, value 10,050 wen. Deposit or sell?]*

Zhao Zheng frowned. The hide, gallbladder, paws, and bones were all valuable, and that was without counting the meat. He felt the shop was trying to cheat him. He immediately sold the rabbit he had in his inventory, bought a set of knives, and began to butcher the bear.

He didn't even waste the blood, collecting it in a jar to make blood cakes or medicinal wine. Despite the sharpness of the blades, the process took him over an hour. He decided not to sell the hide, intending to tan it for a coat or a sleeping mat. He kept the paws, gallbladder, bones, and reproductive organs for himself.

After removing those parts, the remaining meat weighed about 120 jin, which he sold for 6,000 wen. If he had sold everything, the total value would have exceeded 16,000 wen. The shop was definitely taking advantage of him.

Zhao Zheng curled his lip, but looking at his tripled balance, he couldn't help but feel happy. He had not only earned back the cost of the bow but also secured so many precious items.

"Bears have their own territories. With the mother dead, the immediate area should be safe, but I can't let my guard down. There are tigers on Zhuzui Mountain; they might wander over here to hunt. Hungry tigers often drag hibernating black bears out of their dens..."

Zhao Zheng stretched, ate an egg pancake he’d bought from Zhaodi's stall, chopped two hundred jin of firewood as a reserve, set four traps, and whistled as he headed back. Not far from the village, he retrieved fifty jin of wood from his storage to carry home, afraid of drawing attention if he carried too much.

As he entered the village, several people greeted him. Zhao Zheng limped, feigning exhaustion as he responded.

"Old Zhao, back to Jinji Mountain again?" Xu Dashan asked with a smile as he stepped out of his house.

Zhao Zheng nodded. "Left before dawn. But I can't go to Jinji Mountain anymore."

"Why?" Xu Dashan asked.

"I was chopping wood at the foot of the mountain today and ran into four black bears. I was scared to death," Zhao Zheng said, acting as if he were still shaken. "If I hadn't run fast, I wouldn't have made it back."

"F-four?" Xu Dashan was stunned. "Are you sure it was four?"

Zhao Zheng pulled a bitter face. "I wouldn't dare joke about something like that."

"This is serious." Xu Dashan stopped him and called out to his father, "Dad! Old Zhao says he saw four black bears at Jinji Mountain today!"

Xu Youde’s expression turned grave. "Are you certain?"

Zhao Zheng nodded vigorously. "Certain!"

Xu Youde frowned deeply and sighed. "Dashan, take the gong and go through the village. Tell everyone to stay away from Jinji Mountain for the time being!"