This Old Man is the Black Bear Spirit!

After finishing the writing.

Chen Guan looked at the little girl with anticipation.

"Ah...?"

Xiao Qing looked at these crooked, distorted characters, but she couldn't understand a single one.

Because she had been murdered by bandits before she could even learn to read, and then hidden away by them in this dilapidated temple.

(You don't know how to read?)

Chen Guan wiped away the previous name and wrote another line.

But after finishing, Chen Guan felt like he had written it for nothing.

Since she didn't know how to read, she certainly wouldn't be able to understand this.

"Big Brother Black Bear, I don't know how to read..."

Although Xiao Qing was illiterate, she still knew that these highly patterned strokes were called "words."

And while she looked a bit dazed, she wasn't stupid.

When she realized at this moment that Big Brother Black Bear could read and understand human speech, she said with joy and admiration:

"Big Brother Black Bear, you're so amazing! You can actually read! Xiao Qing doesn't know how!"

"Roar." Chen Guan nodded, indicating he understood now.

Wouldn't it be better if everyone spoke human language and wrote human words?

Even though one was a bear and the other was a ghost.

But both had been human in their past lives.

"Big Brother Black Bear, what are you doing here?"

After her initial joy, Xiao Qing asked like a curious baby.

This was also the thing she had been most concerned about from the very beginning.

And then, communication broke down again.

Because Chen Guan didn't know how to answer.

One must remember, this girl named Xiao Qing could not read.

Helpless, Chen Guan pointed toward the eerie wing room in the rain behind the courtyard and mimed a gesture of closing his eyes to sleep.

Seeing this, Xiao Qing tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying with some trepidation:

"Big Brother Black Bear... are you... are you checking to see if anyone is staying here...

And then... eating them while they sleep?"

What the hell? What kind of thought process does this little girl have?

When Chen Guan heard this answer, a wave of exasperation rushed straight to his head. He hadn't expected Xiao Qing to come up with such a response.

But thinking about it carefully.

In her eyes, he was likely a "demonized black bear."

So, a monster eating people didn't seem entirely out of place.

Whoosh—

Wrong was wrong.

Chen Guan shook his head to deny her claim, then performed the action again, using a stone as a pillow behind his head.

And to prevent her from saying something like, "Is Big Brother Black Bear going to smash them to death first before eating them?"

Chen Guan also acted out sleeping on his side, lying flat on his back, and pulling up a blanket.

Xiao Qing watched in confusion for a while, then understood and realized she had misunderstood Big Brother Black Bear.

"So..."

She clapped her hands happily. Although she was ethereal and her clapping made no sound, her tone was joyful.

"So Big Brother Black Bear is a good bear!"

Good bear, my foot... Chen Guan didn't know what to say.

Because he was indeed a bear.

That was an undeniable fact.

If I weren't a bear, that group of "constable brothers" this afternoon wouldn't have chased me like madmen, risking their lives to catch me.

Chen Guan felt quite speechless.

But he also knew that if he weren't a bear, he wouldn't have been able to take revenge for his past life so quickly.

Even though one of them had managed to escape in the end.

However, he had heard the words "Little Liuzi Town."

The constables and the bandit leader were both over there.

In the days that followed.

Aside from hunting near the dilapidated temple, Chen Guan did not venture any further.

Firstly, there might be constables and martial arts experts searching for him outside.

Running around too much would only increase the risk of exposure.

Deep forests and old woods were not safe either.

Secondly, he wanted to learn more about Xiao Qing and ask about the affairs of this world.

Finally.

Seven days passed.

Chen Guan had exchanged nearly ten thousand sentences with her.

Using a process of elimination through nods and shakes of the head.

After filtering out 99.9% of useless information and guesses.

Chen Guan finally learned of Xiao Qing's background.

She had lost her parents to war at a young age and was snatched by a brothel that intended to raise her as a courtesan.

As it happened, a chivalrous hero saw the injustice and saved her.

But on the road as the hero took her away.

They encountered the hero's martial arts enemies at this very temple.

The hero died, and she died as well.

Her body was discarded here carelessly.

The hero's body, however, was carried away by his enemies.

This happened ten years ago.

As for how Xiao Qing became a ghost, Chen Guan did not know, and neither did she.

But she mentioned that before the locust tree outside was struck dead by heavenly lightning, it would exhale a very comfortable "black wind."

Chen Guan knew she was referring to "yin energy."

Of course, whether it was truly yin energy or not was just a definition he had set for himself.

Finally.

He collected as much of the viscous liquid from the pool as possible using lotus leaves and stored it in the back room of the temple.

This was to ensure that if it didn't rain for several months and there were no thunderstorms to soak the locust tree.

Chen Guan would still be able to see Xiao Qing.

She was the only person he could talk to now.

Another five days passed.

One mile outside the dilapidated temple.

Chen Guan sat under a tree in the forest, devouring a raw wild boar.

If one ignored the blood staining his mouth, he looked like he was enjoying a truly delicious meal from afar.

"Awoo~"

"Grrr..."

At the same time.

Nearby, several wolves and scavengers drooled as they stared at Chen Guan's prey.

But despite their hunger, none of them dared to make a move.

Because Chen Guan's size was simply too massive.

Even while sitting down to eat, he stood five feet tall.

"Caw, caw..." Some crow-like birds in the trees flapped their wings anxiously, watching Chen Guan eat.

They were all waiting for this "king of the forest" to finish, so they could take their turns in the food chain to enjoy the leftovers.

"Stuffed..."

Chen Guan finished his meal, his massive frame rising with a heavy thud.

In an instant, the animals instinctively retreated a few steps.

"Roar!" Finding them amusing, Chen Guan let out another roar, feigning a chase as he took a few steps toward them.

"Woo-woo-woo~" They let out sounds of supplication, tucking their tails between their legs as they fled into the distance.

"Haha, I'm stuffed. I'll leave the rest to you lot."

A distinctly human-like smile appeared on Chen Guan's bear face.

Though it looked somewhat eerie, it was indeed a smile.

Still smiling, Chen Guan looked toward the dilapidated temple, preparing to head back.

Over these past ten-plus days.

Chen Guan had spent his days foraging and his nights returning here.

Through the training of the hunt.

Beyond becoming more familiar with ursine hunting methods.

His own innate talents had also gained a fair amount of proficiency.

Currently, it was [Primary Ursine Strength: 251/1000].

He had about 10% more strength than before.

Roughly thirteen hundred jin or so.

If Chen Guan were to ram that wall again now, it wouldn't just crack; he would knock it down in a single blow.

I am stronger now...

Chen Guan quite enjoyed this tangible progress.

Lost in thought.

As he neared the dilapidated temple.

Xiao Qing was standing at the entrance to welcome him.

"Brother Black Bear, you're back!"

Seeing Brother Black Bear return, Xiao Qing's worries instantly vanished, replaced by a happy smile.

Every time Chen Guan went out, she would be very worried.

She feared that something might happen to him.

But because she was tethered to the corpse, she could not stray too far, or she would have followed Chen Guan.

"Roar..."

Seeing his little sister there to greet him, Chen Guan waved a bear paw.

By now.

Chen Guan had grown accustomed to living in the dilapidated temple, and accustomed to having a chirpy little ghost girl by his side when he "returned home."

Yet, deep down, he felt a strange sensation.

"People always say that the paths of the living and the dead are different. When I was reincarnated and hunted by constables, I felt the paths of man and bear were different, too. But here I am, a giant bear, living together with this little ghost?"

Chen Guan found it quite amusing.

Having a chirpy little sister by his side who worried about his hunting was actually quite nice.

Most importantly, this little sister—perhaps because she was a ghost, or perhaps because she was so young—didn't require any tangible sustenance.

Even for meals, she could sustain herself simply by breathing in yin energy.

Chen Guan felt she was quite wonderful.

However, Chen Guan did not know that Xiao Qing felt Brother Black Bear was even better, as he stayed with her constantly and never cared that she was a ghost.

That night.

After finishing another chat with the chirpy Xiao Qing.

Seeing that it was getting late.

Chen Guan left the dilapidated temple, preparing to return to the wing room in the backyard to rest.

Although a bear and a ghost were both unconventional beings, there was still a distinction between male and female.

"Rest well, Brother!" Seeing her brother leave, Xiao Qing leaned against the doorway and called out to Chen Guan's retreating back.

"Roar!"

Chen Guan replied with a sound, the general meaning being goodnight.

Tap-tap—

He arrived at the wing room.

This place was quite cluttered as well.

But the dust-covered spiderwebs had all been cleared away.

Chen Guan slowly lay down on the stone bed and glanced once more at the wooden bucket beneath the head of the bed.

A little less than half of the viscous liquid inside had been used.

After scanning it a few times.

Chen Guan untied a thick vine from his body and soaked one end in the bucket, letting its branches absorb the liquid.

During the day.

Chen Guan would always take the vine with him when he went out, occasionally wiping it over his eyes to keep his Yin-Yang Eyes active, checking the forest for any ghostly anomalies.

"Brother! Brother! Are you resting?"

Just as Chen Guan was lost in thought, Xiao Qing, who was always bouncing around, called out to him from the doorway.

At the same time, Xiao Qing's voice was not loud; rather, it was a soft, tentative inquiry.

If her brother were asleep, she felt she shouldn't disturb him.

However, Chen Guan was an unconventional bear with keen hearing, so he could hear her.

"Hrr-rumble..."

Chen Guan chose to feign sleep; otherwise, this little girl would truly chatter away with him all night long.

But what started as feigned sleep.

Chen Guan had been training and grinding every day, so once he closed his eyes, he drifted off to sleep before he knew it.

Late at night.

Inside the dilapidated temple.

"When will Xiao Qing be able to leave 'Xiao Qing'?"

Xiao Qing was staring blankly at her own corpse, wishing to leave quickly.

If she could, she wouldn't be all alone in the temple during the day, but could instead follow Brother Black Bear outside to play.

But for now, whenever she tried to move away from her corpse and the temple grounds, she felt a sense of "tearing" and "attraction."

She didn't understand it.

But she knew that as long as she breathed in the black wind from the locust tree every day, she could slowly weaken this tearing sensation.

"One day, I will get out!"

Xiao Qing was full of anticipation for this, happily floating back and forth in the temple.

From time to time, she would float to the doorway, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed at the side room where Brother Black Bear was.

Chen Guan was the only "person" who could see her after she had condensed her soul.

This made her feel that she was not alone.

However, while Xiao Qing was occasionally floating about and glancing at Chen Guan from time to time.

Tap-tap.

Footsteps sounded from outside the temple gate.

A Taoist priest in his forties, dressed in robes, cast his gaze directly at Xiao Qing inside the temple.

"Fate! It is fate!"

The moment the Taoist saw Xiao Qing, he felt no fear at all. Instead, with a wave of his hand, a strange gust of wind swept toward Xiao Qing, pinning her before the stone statue.

"I intended to stay here for the night, but I never expected to encounter a newborn ghost."

The Taoist revealed a greedy expression.

"With such beauty, she could be refined into my ghost slave..."

The Taoist's heart was stirred. Ignoring Xiao Qing's terror, he drew a celadon longsword from his waist.

"Speak. Will you come with this poor Taoist, or shall I strike you down with one blow?"

"Brother..." Xiao Qing was terrified, instinctively calling out for her brother.

"Brother?" The Taoist looked puzzled.

At the same time.

Inside the side room.

In his groggy state, Chen Guan didn't know if he was dreaming or if the sound was real, but he vaguely heard the voice of a man referring to himself as "this poor Taoist."

He also faintly heard his sister's cry.

And in the next second.

While Chen Guan was still lost in the haze of sleep.

"Brother!"

Xiao Qing's panicked, uneasy voice rang out even more clearly.

Hearing the cry for help, Chen Guan snapped his eyes open and vaulted up from the bed.

"You Taoist, you court death!"

Thud—

As Chen Guan's massive frame squeezed through the chamber door, he broke into a violent sprint, his broad paws thundering against the bluestone floor.

"Who's there?"

Hearing the commotion, the Taoist instinctively turned his gaze toward the backyard.

Under the bright moonlight.

In an instant, he saw Chen Guan's furious, eerily human-like face.

"A ghost calls it brother? Could this bear be a demon?!"

The Taoist was horrified, freezing in place as all other thoughts vanished from his mind.

"ROAR!"

But in the moment he faltered.

Chen Guan had already charged into the temple, bracing his body and pouring every ounce of strength into a massive bear paw that swung down like a crushing gale toward the Taoist's head!

Facing a life-or-death crisis.

The Taoist barely managed to regain his senses, but in his panic, he could not dodge in time; he could only hold his sword horizontally above him for defense while twisting his body as much as possible.

Crash—

Yet, the moment the bear paw made contact with the sword.

The blade in the Taoist's hand shattered, his right collarbone caved in significantly, and his body was sent flying sideways by the sheer force of the blow.