Savage Ancient Bear

At that moment, the Green Wolf carried three mountain chickens in his left paw and two in his right, swaggering straight through the Flame Scorpion King's territory. The Scorpion King did not dare so much as fart, trembling all over and not daring to move.

It was not just him. Nearly all the Sprites basking in the sun and absorbing Golden Particles were the same.

Yet the Green Wolf clearly had no interest in any of them. He strode over and met up with the Gray Fox in a patch of snow less than a hundred meters from where Wang Wu was hiding.

But what shocked Wang Wu even more was that the Green Wolf actually spoke.

"Brother Fox, you have come from afar. I have nothing worthy with which to entertain you, so I could only borrow a few Little Mountain Chickens from under my Great King's rule to make do. I hope Brother Fox will not take offense."

"How could I? Since our last parting, Brother Wolf's bearing has surpassed even that of old. This little brother truly envies you beyond measure. I came to trouble you in such haste this time; it was this little brother who was rash."

The Gray Fox could speak too, and in such an affected, bookish manner that it sounded downright strange.

"Hehe, what are you saying, brother? You and I share a friendship forged in blood. If you had not lent me a hand back then, I would already be a lone ghost beneath the swords of Human Race cultivators. Come, come, these Little Mountain Chickens are Sprites raised for five years. Their meat is tender, their blood essence abundant, and they have been nourished by Spiritual Qi. They are most delicious. Even my Great King enjoys them, so do not stand on ceremony."

"Many thanks, Brother Wolf. I have some fine wine stolen from the Human Race. Let us drink together!"

The Green Wolf and Gray Fox truly did not stand on ceremony. Each clutched a Wild Chicken and tore into it ravenously, taking swigs of wine now and then, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Only after they had swept clean the five Little Mountain Chickens like a raging wind scattering clouds and drained a gourd of wine did the Green Wolf ask again, "Where are you headed, Brother Fox?"

"Ah, do not mention it. I am fleeing disaster. Recently, the Human Race cultivators in Cloud Cauldron City have been clamoring about expanding three thousand li farther into the Western Wilderness within ten years. Though there has been no movement so far, and many fellow cultivators do not quite believe it, Brother Wolf knows me. I often scrape by in Human Race territory and know how formidable they are, so while the matter has yet to surface, I thought it best to stay far from this place of turmoil."

"Such a thing has happened!"

The Green Wolf was astonished. "Have you reported this to your Great King?"

"Of course I reported it upward. But an existence like the Great King sits high above the clouds. This little brother is merely a patrolling wild fox, insignificant and soft-spoken. How could I possibly be qualified to pass judgment on such a matter? In truth, I never even got to see the Great King, so I might as well flee disaster early."

The Gray Fox seemed full and spoke somewhat lazily, though his eyes swept over the surroundings.

"Then would Brother Fox be interested in serving beneath my Great King? This old brother is only a patrolling commander myself, but recommending you for the position of patrolling captain should not be a problem. Besides, we are more than ten thousand li from Cloud Cauldron City. There is no need to fear Human Race cultivators here. Life is peaceful—just patrol the forests and raise a few Sprites. It is carefree beyond words."

The Green Wolf extended the invitation warmly.

"Thank you, Brother. This little brother was thinking the very same thing!" The Gray Fox agreed with astonishing decisiveness.

"Then splendid! Brother Fox, come with me to meet the Great King and obtain a patrolling waist token. From then on, you may travel freely through these three hundred li of mountain forests!"

The Green Wolf was overjoyed.

"Wait!" The Gray Fox suddenly called him back. "Could this be the territory under your patrolling authority, Brother?"

"No. This is the border between two Great Kings' territories. From here southward, beginning with that forest; fifty li eastward across to Black Mountain; thirty li westward to the banks of West River; and fifty li southward to the foot of South Mountain—that is the territory under my authority."

"I also have a Black Eagle Captain and a Yellow Weasel Captain beneath me, each leading a squad of Patrolling Demon Soldiers. Brother, you can become my Wild Fox Captain."

"So that is how it is. Thank you for your support, Brother. But since this is a borderland, this little brother caught the scent of a bear nearby just now. It may be some passing Sprite. Brother, please wait a moment."

With that, the Gray Fox leaped forward and dashed toward a thick patch of snow. After digging a few times, he unearthed a black lump of droppings...

Wang Wu, who had been lying low, cried inwardly that things were bad and cursed himself for being far too careless. Those were the droppings he had left a month ago, flung more than a hundred meters away. He had thought the snow would cover them, so it would not be much of a problem.

Who could have expected that after a whole month, that damned fox would still sniff them out?

My life is over!

Just as Wang Wu was scared out of his wits, the Gray Fox grabbed the black lump, sniffing it again and again. In the end, he could not help licking it once. Damn it!

Then the fellow smacked his lips and tossed it away, saying with some regret, "It was left a month ago. There is nothing fresher nearby."

"If there were fresher ones, within ten days old, this little brother could identify the species. If it were a Savage Ancient Bear, then we would strike it rich."

Hearing this, the Green Wolf laughed. "How could Savage Ancient Bears be so easy to encounter? This was most likely left by those stupid, clumsy patrolling black bears. Under our Great King, there is one Black Bear Commander, two Black Bear Captains, and more than a dozen patrolling bear soldiers. They often muddle across the border. I am used to it."

"But speaking of Savage Ancient Bears, an adult Savage Ancient Bear did cross through last year. The commotion was immense. It seemed to be pursued by a Heaven Realm Great Cultivator from the Human Race. My Great King and several other nearby Great Kings did not even dare show their faces. I did not dare take a single look either, hiding in my cave abode and trembling. In any case, they tossed about for several days until heaven and earth shook, and in the end, they even overturned a mountain within North Mountain Great King's territory."

"Later, that Savage Ancient Bear was ultimately captured. My Great King lamented it for a long time. If we could obtain some Savage Ancient Bear blood essence to use on ordinary mountain bears, black bears, and dog bears, that would be simply incredible!"

As they spoke, the Green Wolf and Gray Fox crossed over the mountain ridge and vanished from sight.

Having narrowly escaped with his life, Wang Wu dared not move recklessly, because the Gray Fox had left behind his wine gourd, as well as half a mountain chicken.

Ordinary Sprites might not have recognized it as a trap, but Wang Wu immediately realized that the Gray Fox had not told the Green Wolf the truth.

He might truly have been unable to identify anything from droppings a month old, but he had certainly become suspicious. That was why he had deliberately set this trap, luring out any possible savage bear.

At this point, Wang Wu could not help feeling fortunate that he had eaten only ice and snow these past days and never any other food. Otherwise, those droppings would have been his greatest flaw and loophole.

He then waited an entire day and another night.

Hunger kept him in a state of extreme torment every moment, but he could only endure. This time, he did not even eat ice and snow. Even as the snow in his hiding pit melted, he did not stir.

Another two days and nights passed. The weather grew warmer and warmer, and aside from a few places on shaded slopes, snow could no longer be seen on the ground.

The snow pit where Wang Wu hid had largely melted away. Mud and dust covered his entire body, but he still lay there without moving, perfectly blocking the collapsed hidden door and tunnel entrance.

Otherwise, the tunnel and cave abode he had dug earlier would immediately be exposed.

Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, the Gray Fox emerged from who knew where. With his hands behind his back, he stood atop the low hill, sweeping every corner of the valley with narrow, cunning eyes. Once, his gaze even passed over Wang Wu's hiding place.

But perhaps there was too much mud on Wang Wu's body, coupled with the natural traces of dust scattered after the snowmelt. He actually managed to deceive him.

At last, the Gray Fox left. A moment later, he crawled out from a Gray Rat's hole and took away his wine gourd. That was right—the half mountain chicken and wine gourd had been carried away as treasures by the Gray Rat Knights over the past two days.

Only then did Wang Wu let out a breath of relief, yet he still did not dare move, afraid that the Gray Fox might pull another feint and return.