Chapter Fifty-Six: Bear One and Bear Two

The long, shrill cry of an eagle pierced through the soldiers’ cheers. The White-headed Eagle King hovered high above, calling out to Lu Hu, his voice rising and falling in sharp, drawn-out tones.

“Brother White-head, what have you discovered?” Lu Hu covered Quan Pearl’s ears and let out an eagle’s cry himself, so piercing that it nearly shattered the soldiers’ eardrums.

“There’s a herd of wild horses outside the woods, my friend. The lead stallion is extraordinary—faster than a bear, more agile than a rabbit.”

“Are you kidding me, Brother White-head? Bears are clumsy as can be; how fast could they possibly run? And horses are so big—how could one be more nimble than a rabbit?”

“My goodness, don’t underestimate bears. They may seem slow and awkward, but when they really get moving, they’re faster than horses. And this stallion—his agility truly surpasses a rabbit’s. If you don’t believe me, come up here and see for yourself.”

A bear faster than a horse? If only there were internet in this world—he could check it in seconds on his phone, as he had in his previous life. But the White-headed Eagle King spent his days soaring above, nothing on the ground escaped his sharp eyes. He wouldn’t lie.

This horse must be something remarkable...

“Brother White-head, where is the horse now?”

“Follow my instructions. Turn wherever I tell you. Start by heading to your left.”

Lu Hu took the lead, threading his way through the woods according to the White-headed Eagle King’s guidance.

“Careful now, you’re almost there. The stallion is cunning—don’t scare him off,” the Eagle King warned from above.

Lu Hu raised his hand as a signal and reined in his horse. The whole group came to a halt.

“Mei Yu, Kesi, you and the guards wait here. Don’t make any noise. There’s a fine horse ahead—I’ll go fetch it.”

No sooner had Lu Hu spoken than Yakexi turned to the guards behind her. “Pass it on: Stay where you are, rein in your horses, not a sound.”

“One by one, pass it down. Stay put, rein in your mounts, and don’t make a single noise,” the guard relayed the order further back.

“Pearl, you wait here with your sister and be good. I’ll bring back the horse for you to play with,” Lu Hu said.

Quan Pearl’s face showed her reluctance; she pouted her lips and nodded with difficulty.

Lu Hu dismounted and tossed Quan Pearl a flying kiss, then bent his knees and sprang onto a tall tree.

My inner strength has advanced so much—how much longer must I train before I can break free from the pull of the Blue Star planet...

Thinking this, he swung from a thick branch like a gorilla, then leaped to another tree.

After a dozen wild leaps, he saw the herd of wild horses.

In a patch of wild meadow among the trees, more than ten wild horses pawed through the snow, searching for grass beneath. These horses were much larger and sturdier than domesticated ones, their coats thick and long on their heads, necks, and bodies.

Such fur provided excellent protection.

It was easy to spot the stallion.

Taller and stronger than the others, his coat was a glorious golden hue, the thick, long yellow hair making him look especially noble and elegant.

Lu Hu’s sharp eyes caught the golden horse digging up and eating an old mountain ginseng root.

No wonder he was so magnificent—he was feasting on rare supplements every day!

Suddenly, the golden horse raised his head, alert and scanning his surroundings.

Perched high on a branch, Lu Hu saw through the gaps in the forest two bears charging toward the meadow.

They must have escaped from the hunting ring.

The golden horse’s hearing was exceptional. He watched the bears’ direction warily.

“Two bears are coming. Protect the foals, and let’s work together to drive them off,” the golden horse neighed.

The wild horses quickly formed a circle, heads inward, rumps outward, enclosing three foals at the center.

Only the golden horse stood outside the ring, legs bent, glaring fiercely toward the source of the noise.

The two bears burst out of the woods and spotted the herd.

Damn it, the whole family was slaughtered by those ruthless riders. It took all their strength to escape, and now you lot are blocking the way—will you never let up?

The bears ran, panting, drooling, their vision swimming with gold stars. They couldn’t see clearly, mistaking the wild horses for another hunting party.

“Brother, what now?” the smaller bear asked.

“What else? Fight to the death! Take them down!” the larger bear roared, his eyes bloodshot, launching a wild charge.

The golden horse remained calm, blocking the big bear’s path.

He raised a dinner-plate-sized hoof and delivered a beautiful flying kick, smashing squarely into the big bear’s upper lip.

The blow was powerful and solid. The big bear staggered back several steps before regaining his footing.

His mouth was full of blood, his upper lip split, resembling a rabbit’s.

“Damn you, dirty horse, striking my lips with your black hoof!” The big bear ignored the wind whistling through his torn mouth and cursed loudly. His temper exploded as he rushed forward, blood spraying from his mouth.

As he closed in on the golden horse, he sized up the distance, then stood upright and swung his hefty paw at the horse’s head.

The big bear was used to smashing rocks and trees, his iron palm technique formidable.

Just as his paw was about to connect, the golden horse slipped aside with a nimble sidestep, easily dodging the deadly blow.

The big bear’s force threw him off balance, and he tumbled headlong to the ground.

“My goodness, this golden horse moves like a boxer—his deft dodges rival the champion Ali,” Lu Hu praised silently from his perch.

The big bear had barely gotten up when the golden horse twisted his body and lashed out with both hind legs. One hoof struck the bear’s jaw, the other hammered his chest.

“Thud!” The big bear was knocked out cold, his eyes rolling back as he waited for the referee’s count.

Referee, please call the numbers slowly—play, spit, death, resurrection—let me recover a bit.

If you could count from one to eight over the course of a day, that would be perfect. I could just lie here and enjoy a sweet sleep.

When I wake up, I’ll raise my paw and declare victory—how glorious that would be.

But the golden horse gave him no such chance. He unleashed a barrage of rapid spring kicks, making the bear’s head buzz, wishing desperately that his coach would throw in the towel.

Surrender? Too late. Admit defeat? Too late. Begging for mercy? Please, just stop.

But the golden horse didn’t fight by the rules; he had no concern for martial virtue. Suddenly, he stomped mercilessly between the big bear’s legs.

“Aaargh!” The big bear howled in agony, instantly neutered, stripped of his masculine pride.

Meanwhile:

The other bear—Bear Two—circled the ring, admiring the horses’ rumps one by one.

He picked a target and lunged, only to be kicked away by a pair of powerful hind legs.

He tried several more times, but each attempt ended with him being booted away, leaving his face bruised and swollen, his fangs loosened.

Bear Two licked his shaky front tooth, rage blazing in his heart.

Damn it, how am I supposed to eat hard food now?

With my face kicked into this mess, even soft food will be hard to swallow.

You forced me into this—don’t blame me for being shameless!

One of his eyes had taken a hit, streaming tears, red and swollen.

He squinted angrily, scanning for the roundest, softest rump among the herd.

Finally spotting his target, he lunged, hot mouth against cold rump.

The wild mare, experienced in motherhood and skilled at splitting her legs, launched a twin flying kick, sending Bear Two tumbling through the air.