The Trap

"Hiss..."

The cold, beast-like eyes met Qi Liang's, and he stiffened, gasping as he involuntarily sucked in a breath. Every hair on his body stood on end, and a chill seeped through him from the inside out.

Qi Liang shivered, opening his mouth. He tried to speak for a long time, only to realize he couldn't make a sound. Taking a sharp breath, he finally managed to yell at the top of his lungs, "Bear!!"

"Roar!"

Before Zhao Ke could even react, he heard a bear's roar and the sound of something breaking from behind him. He instinctively lunged to the side.

"Bang!"

Dust, dirt, and debris like exploded firecracker remnants hit Zhao Ke, causing a burning pain all over his body. He looked back, and his heart sank.

"The wall... it collapsed!"

This mud house was already old, with many cracks in its walls. Zhao Ke had considered this when they first entered, but he hadn't expected it to actually fall.

"Roar!!"

A deep growl made the expressions of the three people in the room change. Through the dust, a blurry silhouette gradually became clearer.

They hadn't been able to see the bear's appearance clearly in the misty forest earlier. Now, by the light of the oil lamp, they saw its jet-black mane and solid claws. Its sheer massive size alone made Zhao Ke feel a deep sense of oppression.

There was no doubt about it; this was the real Xiong Er. In front of this behemoth, even taking a deep breath felt like a luxury.

Especially its blood-red eyes, staring at the three people in the room, made them feel their skin crawl.

At this moment, Xiong Er's gaze suddenly shifted, its eyes locking onto Chen Jing, who was hiding in the corner.

"Save... save... save me!"

Chen Jing's face turned pale, her muscles freezing. Clutching the fruit knife Zhao Ke had given her, she curled herself up in the corner.

Xiong Er's gaze fell upon the fruit knife in Chen Jing's hand. It lifted its thick snout, sniffing the familiar scent on the fruit knife. Xiong Er's pupils instantly tightened, its eyes fixed on Chen Jing as it slowly bared its sharp fangs. An extreme rage, accompanied by a low growl, poured out.

"Roar!"

Chen Jing saw darkness before her eyes, and a huge black bear paw rapidly enlarged in her pupils.

"Dodge!"

Qi Liang reached out to push her, but his legs were clumsy. Just as he moved, a sudden redness appeared before him. It felt like a basin of hot water had been thrown on his face, and a strong smell of blood washed over him. He wiped his face with his hand, finding it covered in blood.

He then looked at Chen Jing. She was still standing, but half of her head was gone.

"F*** your mother."

Qi Liang's chest tightened. He grabbed the axe from the table and swung it at Xiong Er's head. However, Xiong Er swiped with its forelimbs, sending Qi Liang and the axe flying.

"Clang..."

Qi Liang's vision went black, and he felt like his bones were about to fall apart. Moving slightly, he felt as if his entire body was about to shatter.

It was fortunate he had a sturdy physique; anyone else would have been knocked unconscious by that blow. He shook his head, struggling to get up, but at that moment, the light before his eyes suddenly dimmed.

He looked up and saw Xiong Er's massive body standing upright like a human, its head almost touching the roof beam. Its blood-red eyes held a sinister gleam as it coldly stared down at him.

"Hey! Xiong Er."

Hearing himself called, Xiong Er instinctively looked up. Its beast-like eyes narrowed. Zhao Ke was now holding a bear's head, which he casually tossed into the boiling pot.

"Roar!"

Seeing this, Xiong Er's expression instantly changed. It stopped paying attention to Qi Liang, turned, and lunged towards the stove.

"What are you waiting for, you idiot? Run!"

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Ke grabbed Qi Liang's arm and the axe from the ground, pulling him along as they ran.

Qi Liang's legs were not nimble. Zhao Ke supported him with one arm. After they ran out of the house, they headed directly east.

The sky was just beginning to lighten. They hadn't run far when they heard Xiong Er's low roar from behind them.

"Roar!!"

Even though they couldn't understand the words, they could feel the intense killing intent in the sound. This was followed by the sounds of rapid running and furious roars.

Zhao Ke could even hear the snapping of tree trunks as they were knocked down. Clearly, after seeing the cooked bear carcass in the pot, the creature had gone completely mad.

"Buddy, I can't go on! Give me the axe, you run."

Qi Liang's forehead was covered in sweat. He realized that if they continued, they would both die.

Zhao Ke was stunned. He stared at Qi Liang for a moment, confirming that Qi Liang was speaking sincerely. Zhao Ke's gaze towards Qi Liang became complex.

The reason he had dragged Qi Liang along was to use him as a meat shield at a critical moment, buying himself time to escape.

But now... Zhao Ke's heart wavered. Human nature was inherently complex. While kindness might exist, how many people could truly maintain it consistently? Especially when facing death, all the hidden instincts would erupt.

Just like the female office worker pushing Chen Jing down the steep slope earlier. But Qi Liang's determined look of facing death now made Zhao Ke truly doubt.

"Don't just stand there, let's go!"

Seeing Zhao Ke's inaction, Qi Liang gritted his teeth, snatched the axe from Zhao Ke's hand, pushed Zhao Ke away, and said, "Hurry up and go. You helped me before, this is me repaying you."

Zhao Ke raised an eyebrow. Looking at the stubborn expression on Qi Liang's face, he changed his mind.

"What's your phone number."

"What?" Qi Liang froze.

"What's your phone number!"

"I..."

Before Qi Liang could finish speaking, he heard the sound of rustling bushes from behind. Seeing this, Zhao Ke grabbed Qi Liang's arm and put him on his back without waiting for Qi Liang to speak.

"Let go. If you carry me like this, neither of us will escape."

Seeing this, Qi Liang's expression changed, and he wanted to break free from Zhao Ke's back. However, Zhao Ke's hands were like iron clamps. No matter how Qi Liang struggled for a while, he couldn't break free.

"Shut up."

Carrying Qi Liang on his back, the two of them fumbled eastward. Although the sun had not completely risen, it was at least not as pitch black as before, making it impossible to see the road.

At this moment, Zhao Ke suddenly stopped in his tracks. After surveying his surroundings, he lifted his nose slightly. Upon smelling a faint fragrance in the air, Zhao Ke's eyebrows shot up, and he sniffed carefully, following his nose.

In the damp, cold air, besides the faint fragrance, there was also a strong smell of blood. Glancing around, Zhao Ke suddenly saw a circle of white powder sprinkled on the grass nearby. If one didn't look closely, they probably wouldn't have noticed it.

Putting Qi Liang down from his back, Zhao Ke squatted down and reached into the grass with his hand. As his fingers parted the grass, Zhao Ke's heart skipped a beat, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards. He knew his guess was correct.

"Huh? That guy doesn't seem to be chasing us anymore?"

Qi Liang, standing beside him, listened carefully to the sounds around them. The roaring and heavy footsteps from before had disappeared.

Seeing this, Qi Liang's spirits lifted, and a look of joy appeared on his thin face. "He's not chasing us?"

Hearing Qi Liang's words, Zhao Ke couldn't help but feel a little confused. The two of them weren't running very fast, and with a bear's sense of smell, which was comparable to a hunting dog's, they wouldn't be able to escape Xiong Er's pursuit no matter where they ran.

Yet, they couldn't hear Xiong Er's pursuit now. He glanced at the surrounding bushes, and Zhao Ke thought, "Is he really not chasing us?" However, this thought only flashed through Zhao Ke's mind before he immediately dismissed it.

Although a bear's eyesight is poor, its sense of smell is also very keen, comparable to a hunting dog's. Their scent would not be lost.

Just as Zhao Ke was feeling puzzled, a cold wind suddenly changed direction and blew from the nearby bushes. Zhao Ke lifted his nose and smelled a familiar stench that made his body stiffen. He suddenly looked up.

He saw a pair of blood-red eyes staring at him from the bushes.

"Roar!"

Zhao Ke's face instantly froze. He instinctively jumped back, and a sharp claw emerged from the bushes, carrying a strong smell of blood. In an instant, Zhao Ke even saw some dark red meat fibers clinging to the claw.

With a "Riiip..." sound, Zhao Ke rolled on the ground. Looking down, he saw that the clothes on his chest had been torn into strips, and his chest felt like it was on fire. Four scratch marks began to ooze blood.

Seeing this, Zhao Ke felt a chill run down his spine. If he had been even a step slower, he would have been disemboweled.

He looked again and saw Xiong Er walking out of the bushes. Its black, shiny fur and blood-red eyes were fixed on him. Most bizarrely, its bear face showed a human-like sinister grin.

"Damn it! You're like a ghost, never leaving."

Qi Liang raised his axe in front of his chest, holding it horizontally in front of Zhao Ke, ready for anything. At the same time, he urged Zhao Ke in a low voice, "I'll hold him off. You hurry up and run if you can. Every one that escapes is one."

"Do you think I can outrun this guy?"

Zhao Ke, covering his chest with one hand, got up from the ground. A wry smile appeared on his gaunt face.

"That's better than waiting to die! Didn't you say you believed in me? This is the result of me believing in you!"

Qi Liang turned his head and glared fiercely at Zhao Ke, gesturing for him to leave quickly.

Hearing Qi Liang's roar, Zhao Ke's gaze gradually deepened. He reversed his grip on the heavy black dagger in his palm and said with a cold smile, "You really are a soft-hearted fool."

"You!"

His good intentions were dismissed as being a soft-hearted fool by Zhao Ke. Qi Liang's chest tightened, and he was so angry he couldn't speak, his face turning red.

Ignoring the furious Qi Liang beside him, Zhao Ke turned his gaze to Xiong Er, bent his knees slightly, and said with a cold laugh, "What, your mother's meat, tasted pretty good, didn't it? It was just a bit tough, otherwise..."

"Roar!!"

Before Zhao Ke could finish speaking, Xiong Er's eyes turned red, and it lunged at Zhao Ke and Qi Liang. Its huge, dark body exuded an oppressive aura that made one feel suffocated.

Qi Liang's face turned pale, and his muscles instantly stiffened. He held his breath, watching the charging body. A chill, like a venomous snake, slithered up his spine, making his scalp tingle as if it were about to explode.

"It's over!" This was Qi Liang's last thought.

"Dodge!"

At this moment, Zhao Ke's shout came to Qi Liang's ears. Before he could understand what was happening, Zhao Ke kicked him in the back, sending Qi Liang flying, and at the same time, using the momentum, he leaped and dove to the side.

"Bang! Awooo..."

With a scream and a rumble, behind where Zhao Ke and Qi Liang had been standing, a large pit about 3 meters in diameter appeared.

Zhao Ke got up and walked to the edge of the pit. He saw sharpened bamboo spears planted in the pit. Xiong Er had plunged headfirst into it, its head and body instantly impaled like a honeycomb.

However, what surprised Zhao Ke was not Xiong Er, but that there were two other people at the bottom of the pit.