The whistle was sharp and shrill, especially piercing at the edge of the empty desert. The men closing in all froze for a moment. The burly leader sneered. "Old bastard, you can't win, so you're blowing a whistle? You think that'll bring reinforcements? Don't tell me you've been scared out of your mind!"
Old Zhou ignored him and blew three more whistles in succession, each more urgent than the last. The burly man grew impatient and waved his hand. "Stop wasting words on them. Get them together and finish this quickly!"
Just then, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance, accompanied by harsh panting. The ground seemed to tremble with each step.
The men all stopped and looked toward the sound. A Black Bear more than two meters tall came running out from behind a dirt slope. It looked exceptionally ferocious—it was a Desert Mo Bear, unique to the edge of the desert.
"Damn it, why is there one of these things here?" The burly man's expression changed. He had spent time in this area and knew how formidable Desert Mo Bears were.
Their hides were thick, their strength immense, and ordinary blades could not hurt them at all. Worse still, these bears held grudges. Once one fixed its sights on you, it was difficult to shake off.
After the Desert Mo Bear ran over, it first glanced at Old Zhou before turning its gaze toward the men, letting out a low, rumbling growl.
Old Zhou seized the chance to shout, "I called this bear here! If you don't want it to tear you to pieces, move aside now!"
The burly man refused to believe him, but before he could speak, the Desert Mo Bear suddenly pounced on the closest man.
The man was scared out of his wits. He