Chapter 51 Instinctive Defense

Seeing the sharp blade slice into its skin, there seemed to be no reaction at first, but when fresh blood began to ooze out, its massive body in the water still gave a slight quiver. Naturally, this startled me so much that I almost dropped the knife into the river.

However, as the cut likely severed a blood vessel, a large amount of blood gushed out from the wound, tumbling along with the flowing current and being instantly diluted and washed away by the river. Seeing that it truly made no further movement, my heart finally settled.

In the mainland, people also farm these creatures for their meat and bile. I even once had the opportunity to watch a coastal chef personally cook bear paws. Although there was no such equipment here, I skillfully and boldly cut straight along the perimeter of the wound.

Next, through a series of practiced motions, I used the knife to sever the tendons in its four paws. This was an instinctive reaction of a butcher to prevent large beasts from fighting back. Of course, it showed no further reaction; even when subsequent cuts were made, no large amount of blood came out anymore. Presumably, the wound on its neck had quickly drained all the blood from its body.

Because back in the countryside people often slaughtered dogs and occasionally went into the mountains to hunt large game, I had witnessed such things before. Therefore, although not entirely professional, I successfully removed the black bear's four paws along with their lower limbs using the knife, without taking too much effort.

To be honest, I really wanted to take all the meat with me. After all, normally this meat would definitely be edible. But I knew that was unrealistic; it had been stung to death by wild bees. Even with its thick hide and dense fur, the venom of these wild bees must have penetrated into its skin and bloodstream.

I could only take the lighter parts first and try them out after bringing them back temporarily. Without any hesitation, I used the knife to slice open its abdominal cavity. Having had the experience of helping slaughter pigs during the Lunar New Year, and with the washing of the river water, no bloody odor was left behind.

I successfully harvested the black bear's heart—I dared not take anything else—and carefully stored it along with the gallbladder.

Afterward, I tied up the four bear paws securely, fetched a few large stones, and pressed the remaining carcass of the black bear directly into the river water. It was placed not far from the bank, against a prominent rock in the current, on the leeward side of the flow.

Although I couldn't take everything with me right now, I figured that because the river water was so cold, the meat of the black bear would likely not spoil easily in the water. If the meat proved edible once brought back, I would have found a great source of food, and it wouldn't be too late to come back for it then.

A mix of trepidation and excitement lingered in my chest. Perhaps because I had finally relaxed after resting by the water for a while, my whole body began to ache all over again. Fortunately, having been thoroughly washed clean by the water, and seeing no more wild bees approaching, I let out a long breath of relief.

After steadying my emotions, I had no choice but to gather my things and continue my journey back.

Because I knew I had been out for quite a while, Qu Xiang and the others would undoubtedly be worried about how I was doing.

However, I still walked a stretch of the way directly in the river. Because I couldn't be sure if that swarm of wild bees might still sense anything. Besides, the appearance of this black bear undoubtedly told me one thing: this place was extremely unsafe, and wild beasts were already present.

Brother Wen had once said this was their territory, but the appearance of a black bear here was clearly somewhat abnormal. As I understood it, black bears usually did not travel alone; if it truly had companions, and one of them caught the scent that I had slain its peer, I feared it would be very difficult for me to survive.

Yet this time, I seemed lucky once more, for as I walked carefully along the way, I encountered no further danger. But carrying the heavy bear paws, coupled with the fact that I hadn't eaten anything, I walked slowly and with great difficulty, dragging my feet.

Of course, I was also afraid of unexpected surprises; whether it was wild beasts or human presence, I believed both were entirely possible. Therefore, even though my body was extremely exhausted, the thought of Qu Xiang and the others waiting for me made me grit my teeth and persist.

Though very tired at the moment, I had to return, because I believed Qu Xiang would definitely be waiting for me. I had never felt such a strong sensation before, but I don't know why, after going through a series of events, I suddenly discovered that having companions was truly a wonderful thing.

Keeping an eye on the scenery along the river to identify my location, I pressed on in that direction. Not long after, I felt that I was getting close to the spot, and a brief wave of excitement stirred in my heart. But right at that moment, I suddenly heard a wave of unsettling noises!

My guard went up instantly, accompanied by a deep sense of unease. Driven by the instinct for self-protection, I quickly stepped back into the water along the riverbank. Even before sensing imminent danger, I cautiously watched the direction from which the sound came, and then carefully retrieved the bear paws, tying them to the branches of the aquatic weeds along the bank.

Feeling that there were no other unusual movements, I cautiously crept closer, then lowered my body and peered stealthily through the gaps in the trees toward our campsite with utmost vigilance.

Though I hadn't seen anything yet, I actually heard someone crying and shouting over there.

My heart tightened intensely. Could something have happened to Qu Xiang and the others?

However, because my line of sight was temporarily blocked by a large tree trunk, I couldn't see the situation clearly. I didn't know if someone was attacking or if something else had happened. Terrified that these people might discover me, I exercised extreme caution.

I hadn't even been able to tell what kind of voices those were. But because the sounds were intermittent and at a distance, I finally risked sticking my head out to get a clear view of the situation. Extending my line of sight along the base of the tree toward the source of the noise, I found myself in a rather awkward dilemma between laughter and tears.

I had no idea what time it was exactly, but I knew I had been gone for quite a while. Looking over from a distance, I realized it was a false alarm. It turned out that no one had occupied my territory, nor had they been taken hostage; rather, it seemed that Huang Jianfen had finally woken up.

I was quite startled, but after observing for a while and confirming that no outsiders were present, I knew it was real! Therefore, after weighing my options, I called out to Qu Xiang.

"A-Jing is back!" Sure enough, Qu Xiang called out with a hint of pleasant surprise and quickly slid down from the tree. Recognizing my voice, she wore a rare smile and ran directly toward me at a fast pace.

"A-Jing! A-Jing! You're back! A-Fen has woken up, she's awake, ...!" Even before she could clearly see my condition, whether out of joyful surprise at Huang Jianfen's recovery or genuine relief at my return, she came running over to greet me with pure happiness!