The Clever Black Bear

The words fell.

The head constable lunged forward, outpacing the group of constables as he stepped into the forest first.

Swish, swish—

At that moment, a rustling sound erupted from the thicket in the distance.

Chen Guan did not linger in the face of the barrage of ranged weapons; he ran with decisive speed.

He glanced at the arrows embedded in the nearby trees, buried deep within the wood.

Chen Guan did not believe his own layer of blubber was tougher than those sturdy trunks.

"Still trying to run?"

Seeing this, the head constable took two steps in pursuit before spotting three corpses beneath a tree ahead.

The back of the fat bandit was caved in, a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

The heads of the other two bandits had been completely shattered by immense force, their deaths gruesome.

"A vicious beast killed them..."

The head constable paused briefly at the sight.

Based on their attire, the blood-stained blades dropped from their hands, and the direction the bandit leader had fled earlier, he confirmed within an instant that they were likely the bandit leader's accomplices.

While it was a good thing for them to die as bandits, the fact that a vicious beast was killing—and perhaps even eating—humans was a different matter entirely.

"I've heard that some monsters cultivate by devouring human essence and vitality..."

At this thought, the head constable's heart tightened. He narrowed his eyes and looked toward the few constables running up behind him.

Most of the constables were veterans like him, having seen all manner of tragic scenes.

Faced with this sight, they possessed a certain level of immunity.

However, one newcomer, whose martial arts were decent but whose nerves had yet to be tempered, stumbled to the side and began to retch violently.

"It has already claimed human lives..."

Ignoring him, the head constable crouched beside the corpses and pulled back the sleeves of the dead bandits.

He observed them for a few seconds.

He felt the bandits' thick arms and examined the calluses on their hands, formed from years of wielding blades.

"This beast was able to kill three skilled blade-wielders... its intelligence is already extraordinary; it is no longer a mindless wild animal. Everyone... be careful."

Unconsciously, the head constable's tone had softened; it lacked the "I will kill it today!" bravado he had started with.

Although he was a "great master of the Houtian realm" in the eyes of the bandit leader, in reality, he had only just entered the Houtian realm, possessing a strength of only four or five hundred jin.

Compared to an ordinary person, he was quite formidable.

But compared to a "sentient great bear" with at least a thousand jin of force, he was completely outmatched.

He knew his own limitations.

The head constable felt that he would have to outsmart the black bear monster.

And so, he laid out a plan for his men.

"Shoot while you pursue."

An hour later.

The light of the setting sun had dimmed further.

Crunch, creak~

The damp branches and rotting leaves on the ground groaned under the weight of bear paws.

Chen Guan sprinted on all fours, racing deeper into the forest.

The dense woods served as his obstacles.

Thud—

As he ran, Chen Guan heard the intermittent sound of arrows striking trees behind him.

It seemed these people were determined to sink their teeth into him and would not let go.

"If I stop, they stop.

If I run, they chase.

Is this a war of attrition?"

Chen Guan ran for a few more minutes, and feeling exhausted, he hid behind a large boulder.

The footsteps behind him suddenly ceased, followed shortly by a rustling sound.

They were resting nearby as well.

It was a complete game of cat and mouse; when you rest, I stop.

Both sides maintained an ambiguous distance at all times.

"These people are truly persistent. I wonder how many arrows they have left?"

Chen Guan glanced toward the rear, but he could not see their figures.

During this intermission, everyone tacitly chose to hide.

Seeing that he could not spot them, Chen Guan dared not rush over blindly, only to be met with a potential barrage of arrows.

"Damn it! Even though melee is at a disadvantage against ranged archers, it's not like I can't 'change classes.'

Are they really bullying me just because I'm a short-limbed bear?"

Chen Guan gazed into the distance, peering through the gaps between the trees in the forest.

There was a pile of rubble far ahead.

If the people behind continued to chase, he would equip his weapon and transform into a [Elite Stone-Throwing Black Bear Monster].

Although they had no grudges or enmity, Chen Guan understood that as a bear, his sudden outburst of violence would naturally put the other party on guard.

However, he could not simply surrender either.

Given the differences in their species, it was no longer a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of survival.

Huff, huff.

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Guan ran toward the distant stone pile.

"Chief! It's moving again!"

"Chase!"

"Quick, quick, quick!"

The chief led the constables in pursuit.

He ran.

He chased.

During the pursuit, the constables managed to nock arrows and fire without significantly hindering their speed or running form.

They all possessed a certain level of martial prowess.

Under equal conditions of being unarmed, each of them could handle two to three strong men.

Normally, a bear's stamina is far greater than a human's.

But the chief and his men were martial artists, and their own stamina was far from ordinary.

If this were to truly drag on, it was still unknown who would fall.

Yet, facing the massive black bear ahead, the constables appeared serious and decisive in their pursuit, but in reality, they were quite fearful.

Chen Guan could crush a person's head like a brick smashing a watermelon; one swipe was all it took.

Who wouldn't be afraid?

"Wear it down..."

While running, the chief aimed his bow at the front and instructed his subordinates:

"Do not be greedy for merit or rush forward. We will just follow behind and exhaust its strength."

"Who the hell would be greedy for merit?" The constables truly had no such thoughts.

The chief had misunderstood their loyalty and courage.

Huff, huff.

The chase continued.

They finished running the next hundred meters.

Chen Guan reached the pile of rubble and used it as a stronghold, grabbing a stone the size of a thermos.

A bear's paw could manage some surprisingly nimble grips.

At the same time, this hefty rock felt like a cigarette case filled with pebbles in Chen Guan's massive bear paw, and he tossed it toward the head constable with ease.

"Watch out!"

Against the dim light of the setting sun.

The head constable saw the object flying toward them and pulled a nearby constable aside to dodge.

Thud!

The stone slammed into the tree behind them, shattering the thick bark and leaving a thumb-sized crater.

"Good heavens... if that had hit me, I'd be meeting my ancestors..."

The constable felt a lingering fear and cast a look of gratitude toward the head constable.

The head constable didn't spare him a glance, keeping his eyes fixed on Chen Guan, who had just hidden behind the rocks, guarding against another projectile attack.

Creak, creak~

Several other constables drew their bows and notched arrows, taking cover behind nearby trees.

For a moment, the area fell into silence.

Chen Guan didn't move, so they didn't move.

Several minutes passed.

After weighing his options, the head constable spoke to the men nearby:

"This beast is too intelligent and understands the art of patience; it is not something we can 'slay the demon and claim the merit' for on our own."

"Now, who will return to town to call for more brothers and the martial arts experts from the town?"

The head constable spoke as if asking for a suggestion or a discussion.

But no sooner had he finished than four of the five constables he brought were volunteering to head back.

"Big Brother! The night road in the forest is treacherous; why don't I go back on behalf of the brothers?"

"I'll go! I'll go!"

"Boss! You know I'm the fastest on my feet!"

"Brothers, don't fight over it; let me take the burden and run back..."

They all wanted to leave now, unwilling to tangle with this bizarre black bear any longer.

Because this bear was truly a bit too much like a "human."

Furthermore, venturing deep into the forest was inherently dangerous.

Any normal person would be panicked.

Now that the head constable had laid it out, and his tone revealed his own desire to retreat.

Once the superior's resolve wavered and the backbone of the group collapsed, they naturally all wanted to back out.

The magistrate was right, I still lack refinement in my speech... The head constable realized he had messed up the moment he saw the situation.

He had been too anxious and failed to gauge the situation, completely shattering their morale.

From here on out, even if they continued to track the black bear, it would just be a half-hearted pursuit.

Expecting them to risk their lives was out of the question.

However, the head constable was decisive; he quickly steadied his nerves and sent two young constables back.

Before they left, they handed their remaining arrows over to the head constable.

Rustle, rustle—

Just as the head constable sent his men away.

In the distance, behind the rocks, Chen Guan saw them preparing to call for reinforcements—a move that lacked any sense of fair play—so why would he stay to fight a positional battle?

He continued to run.

But just as he stood up and took two steps.

Chen Guan saw his proficiency levels change.