Too Bitter

Chapter 2: So Bitter

Ning Xuan remained still for several breaths, like a lifeless sculpture.

The next moment, he felt his heart clench.

Fortunately, he had experienced transmigration before, and several possibilities flashed through his mind, such as "dream within a dream" or "seeing a ghost."

His limbs turned cold, but his mind began to work.

'If this is a repeat of the previous scene, that Bear Demon will likely only appear at dawn, so I should descend the mountain overnight. But if it's not a repeat, or if I wasn't hidden well enough and the Bear Demon discovered me.'

Ning Xuan recalled the agony of being gnawed alive.

Those who haven't been gnawed by a bear from the feet up could never comprehend the maddening pain.

'How can there be demons? Why do things like demons exist?!'

Ning Xuan clutched his hair in anguish.

He wanted to cry.

He had transmigrated sixteen years ago, lived in Star River County for sixteen years, sought martial arts, begged for immortality, but never discovered anything extraordinary. As for demons, he hadn't even heard of them.

And that kind of pain, he absolutely, absolutely did not want to experience it again.

'Calm down, calm down. Since it's happened, I need to find a solution.'

Ning Xuan forced himself to calm down, not to be swayed by this fear.

He had to choose a more accurate path to escape.

He recalled the terrain of the Manor.

In front of the Manor was a wide platform, with mountain paths on either side. The left path was paved with stone steps and was quite broad. The right path had simply had the weeds and trees cleared, making it somewhat narrow.

But whether left or right, both sides were dense, dark forests. If a fierce beast were hiding within, his rash descent would be suicide.

Behind the Manor, it backed onto a cliff. His master bedroom was built right on the cliff's edge. Opening the window offered a breathtaking view of majestic mountains and vast seas of clouds, truly a feast for the eyes.

Ning Xuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an idea.

He tiptoed through the Manor, checking for danger. Finding none, he quickly entered the storeroom, retrieved a thick hemp rope and a rather large wooden bucket. Gritting his teeth, he spent considerable time fashioning a makeshift basket.

After testing its sturdiness, he quickly washed himself, changed into clean, odorless clothes, and then threw two pieces of his sweat-scented clothing onto the mountain paths in front of the Manor, and tossed his sweat-reeking boots far down the mountain path.

Having done this, he quickly returned, rubbed himself repeatedly with dirt and leaves, and took a dagger from the guards' room. He then cut some branches with lush green leaves.

Afterward, he went to the back of the Manor, found an old tree, tied the basket to it, and lowered it down bit by bit. He didn't lower it too deep, to avoid being unable to climb back out.

He tested it a few times, then climbed into the basket himself, placing the green branches around him and on top of his head.

This was the best plan he could think of.

He didn't need to escape.

He just needed to survive until dawn.

Hoo.

Hoo.

The cold wind was bone-chilling.

He remained motionless in the basket, waiting anxiously.

The sky slowly brightened.

Ning Xuan clearly saw the blazing sun rise between the peaks.

The pale sunlight was like the eye of some terrifying giant, slowly opening.

He softened his breathing, suppressed his heartbeat, and tried to think of Xiao Jie's fair thighs and her snow-mountain-like breasts to distract himself from the fear in his heart.

The sun climbed higher and higher.

The mist on the cliff also lit up.

Ning Xuan felt a sense of calm.

Suddenly, he felt a drop of rain fall from above.

Plink.

The rain landed to the left of his nose, then quickly trickled down.

He smelled the scent of the rain.

Fishy!

Extremely fishy!

Immensely fishy!

He slowly tilted his head back, only to see a black bear, about ten feet tall, lying at the cliff's edge, looking down at him.

Upon meeting his gaze, the Bear Demon showed a mocking smile, then extended its claw and grabbed the hemp rope of the basket.

Utter despair appeared in Ning Xuan's eyes.

The next moment, he gritted his teeth and gripped the dagger.

This dagger was taken from the guards' quarters; he had used it to cut branches earlier.

Now, he pointed the dagger at the hemp rope, pressed down and cut, then began to saw frantically.

The dagger was fast.

The hemp rope snapped almost instantly.

As he fell with the basket toward the bottom of the cliff, he actually felt a sense of relief. As long as he wasn't eaten alive by that Bear Demon, he'd rather die from the fall!

He opened his eyes, watching the cliff rapidly recede below him, and the Bear Demon on the cliff above.

Bang!

Ning Xuan felt as if he had passed through something.

Then, he landed.

But the expected searing pain didn't come, because he... was back in the Manor.

The moment he broke through some boundary, he was automatically teleported back to the Manor, onto his own bed, along with the basket, as if caught in a ghost wall.

Just then, a thumping sound came from afar. The sound was incredibly fast, growing faster and faster. At first, it was like distant drumbeats, but it quickly became thunder roaring in his ears, "Thump, thump, thump!" so loud his eardrums felt like they would shatter.

He looked in horror, seeing smoke and dust rising in the distance, hearing the sounds of houses collapsing one after another. As he scrambled to his feet, he saw the wall of his bedroom being smashed open by a colossal figure.

Heavy panting, a foul, fishy stench, accompanied by a massive shadow, several yards wide, reappeared in his vision.

"It's been a while since I've eaten a human," the Bear Demon grinned ferociously.

Ning Xuan's Adam's apple bobbed. He suddenly stood up, trembling, gripping the dagger, and charged forward, sobbing uncontrollably, roaring, "Die!!"

Bang!

He was knocked down by the Bear Demon.

The Bear Demon seemed to enjoy such a spirited prey. It didn't even take Ning Xuan's dagger, but let him weakly saw at its thick, armor-like hide, then began to eat slowly and elegantly.

"Wuwuwu!"

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

"It hurts!"

"So painful!"

Tears and snot streaming down his face, Ning Xuan arched his body and sprang up.

Bang!

He sprang up, then pressed down again.

The wooden planks of the bed let out a muffled thud.

He panted heavily, and after a long while, he finally calmed down.

The gauze curtain hung silently, his bedding was already soaked with tears, the wall reflected the moonlight, the pine trees rustled outside the window. Everything... was so tranquil.

"Xiao Jie," he called out, his voice hoarse. As expected, the beautiful girl who always answered his calls didn't respond, because she wasn't here at all.

Had he... fallen into a nightmare akin to reincarnation? Or perhaps some kind of alternative Avici hell?

During his last death, he had actually tested many things.

For example, he absolutely could not leave this Manor.

"Maybe, maybe there's a way out? Maybe I'm just looking for the wrong exit."

Ning Xuan got up abruptly. He quickly put on his shoes, and with practiced ease, picked up the dagger from the guards' room. This time, he also took a long saber.

He ran madly towards the front of the Manor.

He ran down the wide mountain path on the left.

After barely ten steps, he felt as if he had crashed into something. In the next instant, the scenery changed, and he was back in his bedroom.

He ran out again, heading down the dirt mountain path to the right.

Still after about ten steps, the scenery before his eyes shifted instantly, and he was back in his bedroom again.

He frantically tried every direction to leave the Manor. He passed through gaps in the trees, he jumped off the cliff from various angles.

He tried more than a hundred times, but without exception, as soon as he left the Manor even a little, he would be sent back as if caught in a ghost wall.

Until...

The sky brightened once more.

The scorching sun, with its pale white light, pressed down upon the silent, dead Manor.

The young man, dagger in his left hand and saber in his right, stood alone in the courtyard, disheveled, bathed in sunlight.

He lowered his head, squinting, but his eyes were no longer those of a pampered young master; they held the glint of blood and madness.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the wind.

The wind began to blow.

The wind came from behind him.

He spun around abruptly, brandishing his dagger and long saber, and roared as he charged at the Bear Demon!

Bang!

He was sent flying.

He was pinned beneath the Bear Demon.

The Bear Demon sat with its back to him and began to gnaw on his leg.

He frantically hacked at the Bear Demon's spine with his saber and dagger, but this only seemed to excite it further.

Unimaginable pain washed over him in waves.

"So bitter."