Chapter 24: The First Hunt (Part Two)

Chapter 24: The First Hunt (Part Two)

The Black Mountain Tiger refused to back down and lunged forward, raising its sharp claws to strike at the Jungle Bear.

A heavy thud resounded as flesh collided; the Jungle Bear’s paw landed squarely on the tiger’s head. Hiding behind a large tree, Li Hongshen could clearly see the tiger’s skull distort, its nose crushed and bloody—just the sight of it made him wince with imagined pain.

At the same time, the Black Mountain Tiger’s claws raked deep bloody furrows across the Jungle Bear’s body. Neither side seemed to gain the upper hand.

After its initial attack failed, the Black Mountain Tiger retreated a few steps before pouncing onto the Jungle Bear again, trying to pin it beneath its weight. The Jungle Bear, unwilling to yield, swung its massive paws, managing to fend off the tiger’s snapping jaws, though it suffered a few more gashes in the process.

After several exchanges, the Jungle Bear was clearly at a disadvantage. It panted heavily, blood dripping from its wounds onto the forest floor, yet it stubbornly guarded the entrance to its den, making no move to escape.

The Black Mountain Tiger, though faring somewhat better, was far from unscathed. Its left foreleg, battered by several of the bear’s powerful blows, now caused it to limp as it circled its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. Its face and body bore several fresh claw marks.

Yet the Black Mountain Tiger did not abandon the hunt. It limped around the Jungle Bear, biding its time.

Suddenly, a young beast’s roar sounded from within the tree hollow. Instantly, the Black Mountain Tiger erupted into action, charging swiftly at the Jungle Bear.

The Jungle Bear let out another roar, reared up, and attempted its previous maneuver. This time, however, it failed to parry the tiger’s assault. It managed only to bite down on the tiger’s outstretched paw, leaving its own throat exposed.

The Black Mountain Tiger seized its chance, clamping its jaws down hard and pressing the Jungle Bear to the ground. Gradually, the bear’s cries faded; its body went limp and finally stilled.

Only then did the Black Mountain Tiger relax its grip, shaking its head until the bear’s throat tore open. It staggered to its feet, opened its jaws, and roared triumphantly, proclaiming its dominance to the forest.

But its victory was short-lived. Several sharp arrows interrupted its roar—one pierced its body, another sank deep into its eye, and a third lodged in its throat. At that moment, Li Hongshen and his party burst from their hiding place behind the trees.

With its nose mangled by the Jungle Bear’s claws, the Black Mountain Tiger’s sense of smell was dulled, leaving it unaware of their approach. Before it could react, several long spears impaled its body, ending its life before it could enjoy the spoils of victory. The mighty Black Mountain Tiger became Li Hongshen’s prize.

“Sever their heads, dig out the blood crystals, and let’s get out of here. Quick, don’t waste time.”

Li Hongshen chose not to skin, butcher, or debone the carcasses. Together, these two giant beasts weighed several tons. Without warriors of the first rank, hauling them back would be a Herculean task—and staying too long risked attacks from other ferocious beasts. It was simply too dangerous.

The aura of violence here would linger for a few days, but other predators might come to scavenge. Li Hongshen decided to take only the most valuable blood crystals and leave the rest.

“Chieftain, we found Jungle Bear cubs here.”

Li Li emerged from the tree hollow, dragging out two Jungle Bear cubs nearly as tall as a person, and asked what should be done.

No wonder the Jungle Bear had defended the den so fiercely—her cubs were inside.

And it explained why the Black Mountain Tiger dared confront the Jungle Bear so brazenly; it had taken advantage of a mother bear encumbered by her young, knowing she’d be less mobile. In the end, Li Hongshen reaped the benefit.

“Kill them all. See if there are blood crystals in their skulls.”

Li Hongshen was utterly cold-blooded, with no intention of bringing the cubs back as pets. With only two, breeding wasn’t feasible. They were of little use; only a dead Jungle Bear was a good Jungle Bear.

“We found them, Chieftain! We’ve got the blood crystals you wanted!”

“Good. Give them to me. Let’s go.”

The hunt yielded a total of two and a half blood crystals: one from the Jungle Bear, one from the Black Mountain Tiger, and a half-sized one from a Jungle Bear cub.

Li Hongshen wasn’t sure if the half-crystal would count as a full share, but he decided to test it back at camp.

With the blood crystals in hand, Li Hongshen led his party out of the beast-infested forest, retracing their marked path without pause, heading straight for Phoenix Roost Valley.

The journey out was much quicker than the way in. No longer needing to scout, blaze trails, or leave marks, they followed the prepared path and returned swiftly.

On the evening of the second day, they arrived safely at the valley’s entrance.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

In the dimming light, the patrol team failed to recognize Li Hongshen and his party at first—but it didn’t matter.

“It’s us! Coo-coo-coo, coo, coo—”

Li Li let out a series of rhythmic phoenix-chicken calls, their prearranged signal.

“It’s the chieftain! The chieftain’s back! The chieftain’s back!” The patrol dropped their guard, hurriedly opened the newly-constructed palisade gate, and welcomed them in.

Li Hongshen had ordered the gate’s construction before their departure; it was half-finished then, but now stood complete—a testament to their building speed.

The gate was meant to keep wild beasts from wandering into camp at night, and to prepare for potential conflicts with rival chieftains in the future.

Though Li Hongshen believed in peace and prosperity, he never neglected prudent preparations.

Back in camp, he could finally breathe easy. Traversing the Endless Wilds was mentally exhausting; there was no room for relaxation, vigilance was essential at every moment.

After washing up, Li Hongshen went straight to rest. Before sleeping, he instructed Li Li and Li Zhong to prepare for the next day: they would be promoted to the first rank by opening the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth.

Early the next morning, after washing up and donning an elegant linen robe, Li Hongshen walked to the altar, where the people were already gathering.

Two days ago, they had witnessed the founding of their tribe here; today, they would witness the advancement of Li Li and the others.

Li Hongshen ascended the altar once more, raising the two and a half blood crystals high and communing with the Heart of the Chieftain. When he opened his eyes again, he summoned Li Li, Li Zhong, and a brave hunter named Li Tianhua to the altar.

He placed a blood crystal on each of their chests, instructing them to hold it in place with their hands.

Stepping down from the altar to face the crowd, he addressed the three:

“Awaken, my warriors.”

This embarrassingly dramatic command was something Li Hongshen had learned from a school forum. The veterans there claimed it increased the chance of successfully opening the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth, while also boosting morale and authority.

A silvery light enveloped the three warriors on the altar, while the blood crystals pressed to their chests glowed crimson from within their fingers.

The three began to roar in pain, their bodies growing faint and wreathed in blood mist.

(End of Chapter)