Chapter 26: Escaping the Bear's Jaws, the Life-Saving Snow Leopard, and the Delivery of Cubs

Chu Feng felt ashamed of his own thoughts.

He grabbed Wang Wei by the arm. "Don't be reckless!"

The brown bear ahead was gaining speed, charging directly toward the four of them. At that moment, the shadow of death loomed over them. Abandoning Wang Wei? The man had intended to sacrifice himself to save the other three. Perhaps Wang Wei was a bit overbearing, prone to jealousy, and possessed a youthful impulsiveness, but his actions were enough to prove he was a good man. How could he let such a person die right in front of him? There had to be a way; there must be a way.

As they retreated, the brown bear finally realized that the humans before it were merely posturing. Consequently, it accelerated even faster.

"Awoo!"

A familiar silhouette suddenly appeared less than ten meters behind the bear. Was that the snow leopard? At first, Chu Feng hadn't seen it clearly, but when the leopard began to run, it seemed to leave a trail of afterimages in the air. Chu Feng’s heart sank to the bottom. If a brown bear was already enough to wipe them all out, the appearance of a snow leopard completely extinguished any lingering hope of escape.

"Let's fight for it!" These words actually came from Sun Can, the most timid of them all.

"Fine, then let's fight." Chu Feng had never imagined he would have to battle two wild beasts to the death. He unslung the bow from his back and took out a whittled arrow. It was a pity they were wooden arrows; if only the tips were iron, if only there were fletching to provide stability... But there were no "ifs." He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the massive brown bear.

Just as he was about to release it, Chu Feng’s eyes widened in astonishment. The sprinting snow leopard did not target the four of them. Instead, it risked its life to leap onto the bear’s back, sinking its teeth into the creature. The brown bear, despite its thick hide, roared in pain from the claws and the bite.

"ROAR!!!"

The bear's roar echoed across the entire Yulong Mountain range. It was no exaggeration to call it the most powerful predator in the Yulong Mountains. Snow leopards should have detoured upon seeing a brown bear; why would it attack one? Chu Feng had no time to ponder. He knew the opportunity had arrived.

"Run!"

The four changed direction and fled without stopping. No one dared to pause.

Wang Wei was running too slowly, so Chu Feng and Sun Can supported him while Du Cheng pushed from behind. They ran for an unknown amount of time until the sky turned dark. Fortunately, thanks to the sheepskin map and Chu Feng’s sense of direction, they finally made it back to the village before total darkness set in.

Once they descended the mountain, the four finally felt at ease. They looked at each other and smiled; the feeling of surviving a near-death experience was always wonderful. The three of them delivered the oil toads and crayfish they had caught to Chu Feng’s courtyard.

"Brother Feng, I didn't believe what the village chief said before, but after today, I truly believe it. I don't know if Yulong Mountain is cursed, but it is definitely dangerous. This line of work is not for me," Wang Wei said, waving his hand. He had completely given up on becoming a hunter like Chu Feng. Although Du Cheng and Sun Can didn't speak, the look in their eyes suggested they felt the same. The three of them had been truly terrified.

Even Chu Feng, who had been an outdoor streamer for so many years, was shaken to his core, let alone them. Zhou Xiaoxiao hurried out upon hearing the commotion, letting out a long sigh of relief when she saw Chu Feng.

"Husband, are you alright?" Hunting trips usually lasted half a day, and he would return shortly after leaving. Today, however, he had left before dawn and didn't return until it was pitch black.

"Brother Feng, we’ll be going now. We won't disturb you and your wife," the three said, waving as they prepared to leave.

"When are you heading to town? Go with someone else," Chu Feng advised.

"No need, Brother Feng. We trust you; we'll just wait at home." With that, the three returned to their respective homes.

When Zhou Xiaoxiao saw the pile of toads and crayfish, she was startled. These things were rare; some people had never even eaten them in their entire lives. Those who hadn't climbed the mountain were even less familiar with them.

"I know the toads, but are these bugs really edible?" Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, looking at the crayfish hesitantly.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll go to town to buy some tofu, and I'll make you some crayfish tofu." Recalling the delicious taste from his previous life, Chu Feng couldn't help but lick his lips. He didn't plan to sell all the oil toads; he kept some for himself. After cleaning them, he left them out to dry. Once dried, they could be stored for a long time, and dried oil toads had a unique flavor.

Chu Miaomiao and Benben were already asleep, so Chu Feng didn't disturb the little ones. He and Zhou Xiaoxiao hurried to finish cleaning the catch, then prepared to rest.

Lying in bed, Chu Feng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the snow leopard and the brown bear from the mountain. He couldn't understand why the snow leopard had attacked the bear. It was clear that the leopard had saved the four of them, but that didn't make sense. How could wild beasts have their own thoughts? Why would the snow leopard act that way? Did it not know that attacking a brown bear was tantamount to suicide?

"What's wrong?" Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, noticing him tossing and turning.

Chu Feng wanted to speak, but he didn't know how to explain it to her. "It's nothing. Let's get some sleep."

The cleaned toads and crayfish were placed in the woodshed, while the ones that hadn't been processed were kept in the house with some water so they would stay alive for a while; if left outside, they would have turned into ice cubes.

Before dawn, Chu Feng opened his eyes. He had to reach the village entrance early; Zhao Yuxiang should be waiting there. He dumped the four baskets of catch into one for easier transport. When he opened the door, he found that it was snowing again.

Zhou Xiaoxiao was already dressed and busy in the kitchen. Since he wasn't sure if he would be back by noon on this trip to town, she had prepared some rice balls as dry rations. Once everything was ready, Chu Feng pushed open the door.

He hadn't walked more than two steps when he saw something lying by the fence. Instinctively, he grabbed the axe from his basket.

"Get inside!" Chu Feng said to Zhou Xiaoxiao, his voice urgent and serious. She closed the courtyard gate subconsciously, not yet understanding what was happening.

A snow leopard was lying quietly by the fence, panting heavily. Its belly and back bore signs of being mauled, and its body was covered in blood that had long since frozen into ice. It seemed to be waiting for something. Seeing Chu Feng appear, the snow leopard let out a low growl and slowly stood up, carrying something in its mouth as it approached him.

Chu Feng felt goosebumps break out across his back; his scalp went numb. If his hair hadn't been long, every strand would have stood on end. He gripped the axe tightly, watching the leopard approach. This was the first time man and beast had stared at each other from such close range.

Just as Chu Feng prepared to strike, he realized the snow leopard had no intention of attacking. After closing to within a few meters, the leopard dropped what was in its mouth. A tiny creature, whose species he couldn't identify, scrambled about in the snow, letting out a faint, kitten-like mew.

Then, the snow leopard turned and vanished into the wind and snow.