Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Perfect Harmony
Facing this giant, Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King were both utterly tense.
Suddenly, the Black Bear King’s eyes gleamed with ferocity. It raised its massive paw and stamped down toward the man and the wolf.
“Quick, get into the castle!” The Wolf King trembled in terror, urgently shouting.
But just then, the black bear cub let out a roar, its expression anxious.
Qin Feiyang was about to lead the Wolf King to the castle when the Black Bear King abruptly withdrew its paw, and even its intimidating aura subsided.
“What’s going on?” The man and the wolf exchanged bewildered glances.
“My apologies, I misunderstood you,” a resonant voice echoed in their minds.
“Who’s speaking?” Qin Feiyang wondered, astonished.
The Wolf King was equally baffled, scanning the surroundings.
“It’s me,” the Black Bear King said, waving its paw.
“You can speak?” Both were shocked.
“In the past, I killed a human and, by luck, obtained a Beast Spirit Pill,” the Black Bear King explained.
Qin Feiyang suddenly understood.
“I’m truly sorry. I thought you were accomplices who harmed my child. My cub just told me it was you who saved it, and asked me not to hurt you. Please forgive me,” the Black Bear King said apologetically.
“Saved it?” Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King were stunned.
It was true they had killed members of the three major clans, but not for the sake of saving the bear cub.
This cub was far too naive. Had it not realized that, just like those from the three clans, they too had wanted to kill it?
The next moment, Qin Feiyang caught on and nodded. “Yes, yes, we were saving your child.”
“Absolutely!” The Wolf King nodded, righteous and sincere. “We’re kin, after all. When your child is in trouble, how could Brother Wolf stand idly by?”
Qin Feiyang was dumbfounded. Hadn’t the Wolf King just been thinking about eating bear paw? The turnaround was faster than flipping a page.
The Black Bear King suspected nothing and expressed gratitude. “You saved my child. I have no way to repay such kindness. Tell me what you want, and I’ll do my best to grant it.”
The Wolf King chuckled. “No need, really—it was only a small effort.”
“Hypocrite!” Qin Feiyang shot it a contemptuous glance, feeling a pang of guilt. After all, he and the Wolf King had originally intended to kill the bear cub.
Yet now, the Black Bear King wanted to reward them. Wasn’t this repaying evil with virtue?
Who said the nature of beasts must be cruel? In Qin Feiyang’s eyes, this father and son pair were a thousand times better than those pretentious humans.
The bear cub looked at the Wolf King and growled softly.
Qin Feiyang glanced at it in confusion. “What’s it saying?”
“Brother Wolf can’t understand bear language either,” the Wolf King replied sheepishly.
The Black Bear King explained, “My child says it must repay you, no matter what.”
The man and the wolf exchanged embarrassed looks. If this kept up, they’d want to crawl into a hole from shame.
After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Feiyang clenched his teeth and said to the Black Bear King, “Senior, I won’t pretend. To be honest, I entered Black Bear Mountain for hunting.”
“Hunting?” The Black Bear King was taken aback. “Is it for the annual hunting tournament in Black Bear City?”
“You know about it, Senior?” Qin Feiyang was surprised.
“I’ve lived here for decades. Of course I know. So, you weren’t actually saving my child—you wanted to hunt it!”
As it finished, the Black Bear King’s eyes grew menacing once more.
Qin Feiyang’s pupils contracted.
He had hoped the Black Bear King would help him hunt powerful beasts, ensuring his victory. But unexpectedly, the Black Bear King not only knew about the hunting contest but was also incredibly sharp, deducing his intentions from just the word “hunt.”
What now? Denying it wouldn’t work.
The Wolf King glanced at Qin Feiyang, eyes flashing, and hurriedly said, “Black Bear King, I swear on my wolf honor that Little Qin never intended to hunt your child.”
“In human eyes, my child is the most valuable trophy. Do you think your word alone is enough for me to believe?” The Black Bear King glared at them, hostility rising.
“We don’t deny your child’s value. Those in Black Bear City covet it, which is why they’re so desperate to hunt it,” the Wolf King said. “But Little Qin is different.
“Ever since childhood, he’s had a bear by his side. It was just an ordinary bear, but they grew up together, like brothers.
“That’s why he has a special affection for bears.
“I can tell you with absolute certainty: he can ruthlessly hunt any beast, but he would never hunt a bear!”
The Wolf King spun a tale, delivering it with stirring emotion, as if it were true.
“Really?” The Black Bear King eyed him doubtfully.
“Absolutely. That’s why I befriended him,” the Wolf King vowed.
“Where is that bear now?” the Black Bear King asked.
The Wolf King sighed deeply, sorrowful. “In the winter two years ago, it ventured deep into the mountains to find food for Little Qin. Days passed with no sign. When Little Qin finally found it, there was only a cold corpse.”
“How did it die?” The Black Bear King’s gaze softened, evidently believing the story.
“It was bitten by a Crane-Headed Snake. At the time, Little Qin hadn’t started cultivating, but he bravely sought vengeance against the snake.
“In the end, he killed the snake, but was bitten himself. That was when I found him. Seeing his loyalty and courage, I saved him. Gradually, we became friends.”
The Wolf King told the story mournfully, his large eyes misting with tears.
Qin Feiyang stared at the Wolf King, amazed by its storytelling skill. Such sorrowful tone and grief-stricken eyes—had he not known it was fabricated, even he would have believed it.
The Wolf King then turned to Qin Feiyang. “Little Qin, I’m sorry for making you recall these painful memories,” he said, giving him a subtle wink.
Qin Feiyang caught on, blinking as he forced out two tears, his face full of grief. He shook his head, cooperating perfectly. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s my fault for not being strong enough to protect it.”
The Wolf King said, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Brother Wolf believes that if it had a spirit in heaven, it would wish for you to live happily.”
The man and the wolf’s duet moved even the Black Bear King to tears.
Looking at Qin Feiyang, it said regretfully, “Human, I’m sorry. I misunderstood you again. I solemnly apologize.”
“It’s all right. You were only protecting your child. I understand,” Qin Feiyang replied.
“Not only loyal and righteous, but generous and understanding. I admire you greatly. Here, I’ll give you the corpses of several Martial Lord-level beasts. With these, you’ll surely win the championship,” the Black Bear King said, opening its mouth and tossing a spatial bag to Qin Feiyang.
Qin Feiyang caught the bag, momentarily stunned. “Senior…”
“No refusals! It’s my token of appreciation. If you won’t accept, you’re insulting me,” the Black Bear King declared.
Qin Feiyang hesitated, but inwardly rejoiced. At last, he took a deep breath and bowed. “Thank you, Senior.”
“No need for thanks. If you ever run into trouble, just come find me in Black Bear Mountain,” the Black Bear King laughed.
“I certainly will.” Qin Feiyang smiled.
Who would have thought, through such a twist of fate, he’d become friends with the king of beasts in Black Bear Mountain? If word got out, no one would believe it.
“Well then, I’ll take my child to heal. You shouldn’t linger in Black Bear Mountain any longer,” the Black Bear King said meaningfully.
Qin Feiyang’s pupils contracted. He nodded. “Understood.”
The Black Bear King cradled its cub and swiftly disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King both breathed a sigh of relief.
“That was close—we nearly died,” the Wolf King muttered, then asked, “Little Qin, what did it mean by not lingering in Black Bear Mountain? Is something about to happen?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The cub almost died. As a father, it won’t let this go. Before dawn, I expect a terrifying beast tide to erupt in Black Bear Mountain,” Qin Feiyang replied.
The Wolf King was stunned, panic rising. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here!”
The man and the wolf spun around and fled toward the outskirts.
On the way, Qin Feiyang checked the spatial bag and found several beast corpses inside—five in total. Though dead, traces of their terrifying aura lingered, revealing their immense strength in life.
The Wolf King chuckled. “Not only did we escape disaster, we received a great gift. This trip was worth it. My only regret is not tasting bear paw. Little Qin, you owe your escape to my cleverness—when will you fulfill Brother Wolf’s wish?”
“There’ll be a chance someday,” Qin Feiyang said, smiling.
The black bear father and son of Black Bear Mountain could not be harmed, for he could not betray their kindness. Besides, he wasn’t strong enough.
Still, he owed the Wolf King thanks. Without its quick thinking, he would still be cowering in the castle like a turtle.
The Wolf King said, “Look, there’s fire ahead.”
Qin Feiyang composed himself and looked up. Sure enough, about a hundred meters away, clusters of firelight glimmered, surrounded by vague silhouettes.