The cypress crashed down where Li Chang'an had just been standing, raising a cloud of snowy mist. Snow splashed over them, and it took quite a while for everything to settle.
Hu Xiaotian walked over to the fallen black bear, which lay like a small mountain, and gave it a hard kick. Once he was certain it was dead, he grabbed its left paw and rolled it over, then pulled the greatsword out of its chest.
Li Chang'an staggered over to the Snow Eagle and gathered it into his arms. "Snowy! Snowy!" he cried through his tears. After the blow it had taken from the black bear, the Snow Eagle clearly had no chance of surviving. Its once-brilliant eyes could no longer even open. Looking at the dying bird, Li Chang'an was overcome with grief. "Snowy..." The Snow Eagle gave a few mournful cries beside his ear, as though delivering its last words, and Li Chang'an nodded as his tears flowed.
Hu Xiaotian and Zhan Peng exchanged a glance. Neither could understand the conversation between the man and the bird, and neither knew how to comfort Li Chang'an.
As Li Chang'an felt the Snow Eagle's body gradually grow cold in his arms, he finally accepted the truth. He rose unsteadily, drew a dagger from his waist, and walked toward the dead black bear. Throwing himself onto it, he raised the dagger and stabbed frantically into its body. With his white hair flying and his face livid, he looked utterly terrifying. Even Zhan Peng, a hunter, could hardly bear to watch. Hu Xiaotian sighed inwardly. A perfectly good bear hide had been ruined by Li Chang'an.
After venting his rage, Li Chang'an was utterly exhausted. He sank helplessly into the snow and said despondently, "Thank you both for saving my life."