Once they were sure the bear was asleep, the four men slowly crept backward. Only after putting some distance between themselves and the giant tree did they get up and return to their dugout.
"So, what's the plan? Do we make our move today or tomorrow?"
Zhu Dachun rubbed his face, blew a warm breath into his hands, and spoke with excitement.
Zhou Pao chuckled. "That beast just got back to its den. It's not in a deep sleep yet. Moving now would be too hasty."
"Besides, it's almost dark. Tomorrow would be better. What do you all think?"
"You're the leader. We'll listen to you," Liang Song agreed.
"Tomorrow it is, then."
Zhao Lin wasn't a Hunter by birth, so it wasn't his place to say much. However, he felt Zhou Pao had a point, and he voiced his agreement.
Each of them had brought three days' worth of rations. Since they were going to raid the den tomorrow, there was no need to save food, so they decided to go all out and have a feast.
With nothing to do after eating, the four men took turns reciting the steps of tomorrow's plan, committing them to memory.
Before long, they were all yawning and, one by one, drifted off to sleep.
「The next day.」
The four men woke at nearly the same time. They ate a simple meal, gathered their equipment, and left the dugout.
"Great Mountain Spirit, Old Master Hunter above, please bless our hunt with safety, and grant us success in slaying the bear..."
Before leaving, Zhou Pao, Zhu Dachun, and Liang Song bowed before the idol, muttering prayers.
Zhao Lin, following their custom, also mumbled a few words.
Before raiding the den, they had more preparations to make.
First, they set up tripwires along their escape route.
The wires were tied to iron spikes, which were driven into the frozen ground to secure them on both sides.
They set up five tripwires in total.
Next, they placed eight large animal traps around the giant tree.
Both measures were intended to slow the bear's pursuit and buy them time to escape.
With their preparations complete, the four men tiptoed to the base of the giant tree where the bear was denned up.
In the early morning, the forest was utterly silent, save for the rhythmic snores of the bear coming from the tree hollow.
Zhou Pao took out a long rope with a small iron hammer tied to one end.
He threw the hammer high into the air, wrapping the rope around a thick branch below the hollow. After tugging twice to make sure it was secure, he began climbing the rope.
Once on the branch, Zhou Pao waved at Zhao Lin.
Zhao Lin grabbed the rope and climbed up after him.
Zhou Pao pointed at the tree hollow, then moved closer to the trunk and began climbing, using the rough, protruding parts of the bark for handholds.
Zhao Lin gave his leg a boost, and his nose was hit by a pungent, foul stench.
The smell was coming from the hollow, growing stronger the closer they got.
'This thing didn't just shit in here, did it?' Zhao Lin couldn't help but wonder.
Zhou Pao placed both hands on the edge of the opening and stuck his head inside...
This was to get a clear look at the bear's position and posture inside the hollow, which would determine where to strike with the spear.
A moment later, Zhou Pao pulled his head back out. He was a bit unsteady when he landed on the branch, clearly overwhelmed by the stench.
Zhou Pao took out a piece of chalk, drew a white circle on the side of the trunk, and grinned at Zhao Lin, pointing to his own abdomen.
Zhao Lin understood. Behind that circle was the bear's belly—its most vulnerable and fatal spot.
It was time to act, but the iron spear was still below. Zhao Lin waved to Zhu Dachun and Liang Song on the ground.
Seeing the signal, one of them picked up the iron spear while the other tied a rope around it.
Zhao Lin hauled the rope up, untied the knot, and took hold of the iron spear.
Zhou Pao took a sheepskin pouch out of his pack.
The pouch was filled with the venomous insects they had caught a few days prior. To prevent the cold weather from sending them back into hibernation, Zhou Pao had been keeping it close to his body, using his own warmth to keep them active.
This was it, make or break. Zhao Lin and Zhou Pao silently bumped fists.
Zhao Lin held the iron spear, standing steady on the branch.
He felt no fear. Instead, his blood was boiling with excitement as he replayed the move he had practiced a thousand times in his mind...
Zhou Pao untied the sheepskin pouch, stood on his tiptoes, and dumped its contents—scorpions and centipedes—into the hollow. Then he leaped down, grabbing the rope and sliding all the way to the bottom.
Zhao Lin's arms tensed. He summoned all his strength and thrust the spear forward.
The muscle memory forged through days of hard practice was nearly perfect. Tremendous force drove the spearhead through the outer layer of the trunk at the circle, plunging deep inside.
As the spearhead sank into the tree, Zhao Lin felt a sudden, thick resistance.
He knew he'd hit the bear. He pushed harder, the resistance vanished in an instant, and the iron spear plunged all the way in.
His momentum spent, Zhao Lin didn't hesitate. He let go of the spear, dove off the branch, and grabbed the rope mid-air, swinging far away.
"ROAR..."
An earth-shattering roar erupted from the hollow. Then, with a BOOM, the tree trunk exploded outward from the middle, and a massive body crashed onto the snow.
Zhao Lin and Zhou Pao were already sprinting for their lives. Hearing the noise, they glanced back to see the bear with the iron spear sticking out of its belly, a dozen venomous insects clinging to its head and body, already charging after them.
The bear pulled out the iron spear and tossed it aside. As it ran, it frantically slapped at its body, crushing the biting insects to a pulp.
SNAP!
The bear, not watching its step, trod on one of the traps.
While the trap's sharp teeth couldn't pierce its thick hide, they snagged its foot and slowed it down.
WHOOSH WHOOSH...
With the twang of bowstrings, two long arrows shot by Liang Song and Zhu Dachun struck the bear in quick succession.
One arrow hit the bear square in the forehead, the other struck beside its nose, near its eye.
The arrows were coated in poison and tipped with barbs. The bear howled in pain, bent down, and snapped the trap in half. Ignoring Zhao Lin and Zhou Pao, it turned and charged toward Liang Song and Zhu Dachun.
For many long years, this bear had been the overlord of the forest. It had never suffered such a grievous attack.
It flew into a frenzy. Despite its severe injuries and dragging a wounded leg, its running speed was no less than that of a galloping horse.
Seeing the bear charging them, Zhu Dachun and Liang Song each threw a trap in its path and turned to run.
Having already been caught once, the bear saw the objects flying toward it and dodged. Both traps missed.
Of the five tripwires, only two had any effect. The bear's leg caught on the ropes, causing it to stumble, but it was barely slowed.
Zhao Lin was secretly astonished. Everything had gone according to plan, perhaps even more perfectly than planned, but the bear's ferocity was beyond anything they had anticipated.
"Run around the trees!"
Seeing the two were about to be caught, Zhou Pao shouted at the top of his lungs.
Liang Song and Zhu Dachun knew not to run in a straight line. They weaved between the large trees of the forest as the bear, roaring, swatted aside the trees blocking its path.
Tree after tree toppled. Zhu Dachun couldn't dodge in time and was struck in the back by a falling trunk, sending him sprawling forward.
"Cousin!"
Liang Song saw Zhu Dachun fall. He turned back, grabbed his arm, and pulled with all his might, but found he was pinned tightly by the trunk and couldn't be moved.
"Quick, go..."
Zhu Dachun had only managed to get out two words before he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the snow in front of him red.
Without even blinking, Liang Song wrapped his arms around the trunk, trying to lift it aside, but he couldn't budge it at all.
The sound of heavy footfalls reached his ears. Liang Song looked up to see the bloodshot eyes of the bear as it closed in. He knew it was too late to run. Gritting his teeth, he drew the hunting knife from his belt.
"Come on, you damn beast!"
WHOOSH...
Just then, an axe flew past Liang Song's head, followed by another...
The first missed. The second and third also missed. The fourth, however, struck the bear squarely on the nose.
The bear staggered and then collapsed with a thud, its body slamming hard into the snow.
"What are you staring at? Run!" Zhou Pao's shout came from nearby.
Liang Song turned to see Zhao Lin at his side. With one hand, Zhao Lin lifted the massive tree trunk, and with the other, he dragged Zhu Dachun out from under it.
It was Zhao Lin who had thrown the axes. Seeing the two in danger, he had taken out his throwing axes and hurled them at the bear.
His aim wasn't good. The first three had all missed; the fourth had luckily struck the bear on the nose.
A bear's nose is full of nerves and is its most sensitive spot. A heavy blow there can cause it to fall in agony or even pass out.
Seeing the bear struggling to get back up, Liang Song knew time was short. He was about to help Zhao Lin, but then he saw him snatch up Zhu Dachun and dash away, covering a hundred feet in an instant.
Liang Song scrambled to follow. They ran for more than a mile without stopping. When he looked back and saw the bear wasn't following, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.