Chapter 57: The Black Bear King!

Qin Feiyang's gaze turned cold, and he decisively entered the ancient fortress.

Arrows rained down, their sharpness lethal! The branches were all severed! In an instant, leaves scattered like rain across the area. Dozens of people from the three great families all stared fixedly at the treetops above.

Yet, when the last leaf fell and everything came into view, there was not a soul to be seen—not even a mosquito.

“Didn’t you say he was up there?”

“Where is he?”

Everyone turned to look at the young man in black.

“Sorry, I must have been mistaken. Let’s keep looking,” the black-clad youth replied with an awkward smile, though he was inwardly baffled. He was certain he’d seen sweat dripping—so why was there no one at all?

One after another, the group passed beneath the tree and gradually moved away. Little did they realize that a pair of green, glimmering eyes followed them from behind.

“How odd… Where has Little Qin gone?” the creature muttered. “Ah, the fortress!”

It walked to the base of the tree and whispered, “Little Qin, they’re gone. You can come out now.”

Before the words had faded, Qin Feiyang suddenly appeared out of thin air. He glanced up at the firelight flickering in the forest, his voice tinged with lingering fear. “Thank goodness I ran quickly. Otherwise, I’d have been riddled with arrows.”

“Let’s go and slaughter them all!” the Wolf King growled, its ferocity barely restrained.

“No, no, no,” Qin Feiyang countered. “We can’t waste time on them. We must find the black bear before the three families beat us to it.”

The Wolf King blinked in realization. “You’re right! I nearly forgot about the bear’s paw. Let’s go, let’s go.”

Man and wolf changed direction and set off in pursuit of the black bear. With the Wolf King’s keen nose, Qin Feiyang was confident they wouldn’t lose the trail.

As they followed, the devastation was apparent—trees, stone outcrops, and the ground itself were all severely damaged, clear evidence of the battle between the black bear and the group of youths.

Roar!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After a few dozen breaths, the roars of the black bear and the sounds of fighting were close at hand.

Man and wolf crept forward, crouching atop a massive boulder to observe. The black bear was trapped again, blood staining the earth beneath it; it was now utterly spent. The remaining thirteen young men and women were deathly pale, nearly at their limits as well.

“Thirteen in total, and I have ten arrows left…” Qin Feiyang mused. “White-Eyed Wolf, sneak around to the front. When I’ve fired all my arrows, we’ll encircle them from both sides and finish them off.”

Murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

“Understood,” the Wolf King replied, circling wide to hide in a deep ravine, poised to strike.

Qin Feiyang slipped down from the boulder, stood beside it, and readied three arrows. He drew the bow fully, aimed at three targets, and murmured, “Survival of the fittest—this world is cruel. Do not blame me.”

He released his grip!

The three arrows shot forth like lightning, plunging into the bodies of his chosen victims.

Screams split the night.

“Damn it!”

“Who’s shooting at us?”

“Show yourself!”

The ten survivors, furious, kept one eye on the black bear and scanned their surroundings for the hidden assailant.

Behind the boulder, Qin Feiyang’s eyes gleamed coldly as he nocked three more arrows.

He took a deep breath, spun around, and unleashed the arrows in one fluid motion.

But only two screams followed—the third arrow missed, its target narrowly dodging.

“Too hasty… I wasted an arrow,” Qin Feiyang muttered in frustration. Yet, given the chaos, such mishaps were inevitable.

But just then, two more screams erupted. Qin Feiyang peered out, realizing that the black bear, seizing the confusion, had fought back and killed two more of its attackers.

Now only six remained.

“Direct attacks we can avoid, but we can’t defend against a hidden archer. We must retreat!”

“What? We finally wounded the beast, and now you want to leave?”

“If we stay, we’ll all die! Live to fight another day—don’t dawdle, go! At dawn, we’ll settle the score with that archer.”

Three young men immediately turned to flee, and the other three, seeing this, dared not linger and followed suit.

The black bear made no attempt to pursue—it lacked the strength to move and collapsed in place.

“They’re escaping?” Qin Feiyang frowned tightly. This was not the outcome he’d anticipated.

“Kill as many as I can!” He hardened his resolve, drew three more arrows, and fired at the last three runners.

But all three arrows missed.

“Damn it! If I ever find out who you are…” one of the fugitives shouted in rage.

Qin Feiyang drew his last arrow, but after a moment, lowered his bow and rasped, “Let them go.”

He was speaking to the Wolf King, disguising his voice slightly. Though the six were wounded, anyone who could fight a black bear for so long was at least an eight- or nine-star Martial Master. He was not confident he could kill them all. Better to save his strength and deal with the black bear first.

Qin Feiyang turned his gaze to the black bear and stepped forward—then quickly retreated behind the boulder. It occurred to him that the six might be hiding nearby, watching.

If he revealed himself now, his identity could be exposed, inviting endless vengeance.

After a moment’s thought, he tore off his outer garment and wrapped it around his face before striding out boldly. The Wolf King emerged from the forest behind him.

A torch was burning nearby, illuminating the scene—Qin Feiyang could see the black bear clearly. Killing it now would be easy.

Likewise, the black bear could see Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King. Though it lacked the strength to rise, its eyes still flashed with deadly menace.

“Who is that? Is he traveling with a wolf?”

Indeed, the six had not fled far—they watched from a distance, puzzled by the sight of man and wolf together.

“With a wolf…” one pale youth muttered, the phrase reminding him of something just out of reach.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “I’ve got it! Only one pair fits that description!”

“Who?” the others demanded.

“Qin Feiyang!” he pronounced the name carefully.

Realization struck the five like lightning.

Meanwhile, Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King exchanged a glance and approached the black bear. The Wolf King’s eyes sparkled with anticipation at the thought of tasting bear paw, and drool dripped from its jaws.

But just then, a thunderous roar exploded from the nearby forest, startling the Wolf King so much it staggered.

The ground began to shake with rhythmic, pounding footsteps.

A glimmer of hope appeared in the black bear’s eyes. It forced itself to stand and roared in response.

Man and wolf, however, were shaken to the core. These were footsteps—the approach of a great, unknown beast!

And it was clear from the sound that this creature was not just massive, but also immensely powerful.

“Not good—it’s the Beast King of Black Bear Mountain! Run!” a terrified shout came from the shadows.

Qin Feiyang turned and saw six dark figures racing away through the trees, vanishing in an instant.

“So they were watching,” Qin Feiyang muttered, a chill running down his spine. Thank goodness he’d taken precautions—otherwise, not only would his false identity be exposed, but his true self as well. After all, in all of Black Bear City, he alone dared travel with a wolf.

But now, the real threat struck him: the Beast King of Black Bear Mountain was coming—and the look in the wounded black bear’s eyes proved they were connected.

The footsteps drew closer, the ground trembling beneath Qin Feiyang’s feet.

If ever there was a time to run, it was now!

“White-Eyed Wolf, move!” Qin Feiyang hissed.

The Wolf King cast a longing glance at the black bear, but followed Qin Feiyang in swift retreat.

In less than five breaths, a gigantic figure crashed through the forest, smashing trees and stone aside, and loomed over the wounded black bear.

It was another black bear—but this one was more than ten meters tall, like a living mountain, exuding a terrifying aura.

This was the true sovereign of Black Bear Mountain—the Black Bear King!

Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King looked back, nearly losing their nerve from fright, and fled for their lives.

The wounded black bear whimpered to the Black Bear King, as if explaining what had happened.

Suddenly, the Black Bear King bellowed, pounded its chest, scooped up the wounded bear, and charged after man and wolf.

It moved with such speed that Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King stood no chance of escaping.

In less than five breaths, the Black Bear King blocked their path, then turned and gazed down at them, its eyes—each as large as a basin—glowing with savage fury.

The Wolf King immediately hid behind Qin Feiyang, its eyes wide with terror.

“Uh… this is a misunderstanding… you must believe me…” Qin Feiyang stammered, cold sweat pouring down as he backed away.

Standing before the Black Bear King was like facing a towering, unscalable peak. An indescribable pressure washed over him, making him feel utterly insignificant.

He had truly gotten himself into deep trouble this time.

It was now obvious: the wounded black bear was the Black Bear King’s cub. It was likely that both Black Bear Mountain and Black Bear City were named for this very king.