Chapter 29: The Master Black Bear

Ji Wu's reflexes were nothing short of swift. Unfortunately, Xu Yuan stood as if his feet had taken root in the earth; no matter how Ji Wu tugged with all his might, the man did not budge an inch.

As the gale from the onrushing giant black bear swept over them, Ji Wu instinctively shut his eyes, unable to bear watching what was to come. He waited several heartbeats, but the anticipated screams and warmth of blood did not descend upon him. When he opened his eyes, he saw the black bear embracing Mr. Xu, its fearsome visage transformed by a look of pure delight. It extended a deep red tongue, intent on licking Mr. Xu’s face.

Naturally, the attempt failed. Xu Yuan extended a single finger, and the bear’s massive head, eager to approach, met an immovable obstacle and could not come any closer, no matter how it strained.

“Woof, woof,” the black bear called, then, settling for second best, began licking Mr. Xu’s fingers. All its previous menace had vanished; it was the very portrait of a fawning, sycophantic bear.

“Did it startle you?” Xu Yuan turned his head to ask.

“Ah, ha ha ha...” Ji Wu laughed awkwardly. Heaven bear witness, he had always believed Mr. Xu to be a transcendent being, but when the black bear charged, instinct had overtaken thought. After all, the oppressive presence of a giant bear thundering toward you is not something many ever experience.

“This is...” Ji Yun, for his part, looked little better—his face awash with astonishment, his eyes flickering with uncertainty and strangeness.

“Lie down, be good.” Xu Yuan lifted his palm, and the giant bear obediently settled on all fours, allowing him to stroke its head. If not for its formidable size, it would have seemed positively docile.

But the black bear, though it lay to receive affection, grew restless almost immediately, beginning to whimper and moan, its cries both aggrieved and plaintive—though, coming from such a creature, the sound was more like muffled thunder from deep within its chest. Had Ji Wu not witnessed it himself, he would never have believed that such a towering beast could make such a sound.

“Have you no shame, bear? All you think about is food,” Xu Yuan scolded, looking at the crestfallen black bear sprawled on the ground.

The bear grew even more pitiful, rolling about Xu Yuan in the dirt, sending stones and dust flying, whining ceaselessly, both paws tugging at Xu Yuan’s sleeve and giving it a shake—yet, of course, nothing fell out. Its cries became all the more mournful and piercing.

“Behave. I’ll fix you something tasty in a bit,” Xu Yuan said, glaring at the bear—it was truly a disgrace to its kind.

At once, the black bear scrambled to its feet and sat obediently before Xu Yuan, not moving a muscle.

With the bear finally settled, Xu Yuan found time to converse with Ji Yun. “So, what do you think of this master?”

“This black bear... it can’t be the one I know, can it?” Ji Yun’s face took on a peculiar expression.

Years ago, when he, Cai Shulan, and his father were escorting goods, they encountered an incident that nearly spelled the end of the Ji Escort Agency. Back then, he was still young, and Cai Shulan had not yet conceived; naturally, he accompanied his father to learn the trade. The cargo that journey was syrup and honey—highly valuable goods. Fortunately, the Ji Escort Agency had prepared well, sending all their best men, and the roads were safer then; they met with little trouble. Even bandits and highwaymen in the forest weren’t fools—seeing such a formidable force, they kept well away.

Just as Ji Yun thought the journey would be uneventful and the goods safely delivered, a black bear charged out on a mountain path. Though not as massive as the one before him now, it still towered over any ordinary man. It did not attack people, but went straight for the crates, smashing one open and devouring the contents with wild abandon.

Naturally, the men tried to drive it off with sticks, but even when the sticks broke, the bear paid no heed, continuing to feast as if being tickled. Someone resorted to blades, but the bear swatted him several meters away and kept on eating.

They could neither best it nor hold it back, and as the Ji Escort Agency faced ruin over their lost cargo, they encountered Xu Yuan. With a single kick, he sent the helpless bear flying, rolling it several times across the ground.

Though the loss was grave and the agency was greatly weakened, fortunately, no lives were lost, and they managed to carry on.

Ji Yun had never forgotten that incident, but he had never imagined that, after more than a decade—and with his father now gone—he would meet this bear again.

And this bear had grown even bigger!

“It’s the same one—the consummate glutton,” Xu Yuan confirmed with a nod.

“So the ‘master’ you spoke of... is this?” Ji Yun’s expression was truly a sight to behold. He had wondered why a master, recognized by Mr. Xu, would be satisfied with nothing but food and shelter. Only now did he realize—the “master” wasn’t even human!

“Don’t be fooled by its appetite. Its strength is beyond doubt.”

As he spoke, Xu Yuan picked up a stone the size of a fist and tossed it to the black bear.

“Woof?” The bear blinked its great black eyes.

“Crush it,” Xu Yuan told him.

Hearing this, the bear clapped its paws together with a mighty force, twisting them back and forth. When it opened them again, the stone was gone, replaced by a handful of fine sand-like fragments, nestled in paws nearly as large as a human head.

A sharp intake of breath sounded from Ji Yun and Ji Wu in unison. Such brute strength was beyond anything human. If it could crush a stone with such ease, what would it do to a person? The thought was too dreadful to contemplate.

“Mr. Xu, is this black bear a spirit? Or a demon?” Ji Wu, hiding behind Xu Yuan, asked in astonishment.

“I’m not sure,” Xu Yuan replied, shaking his head. He’d met the bear when it was already grown, and since it couldn’t speak, he had no way of knowing its origins. But one thing was certain: this was no ordinary black bear. Its size, its strength, its intelligence—all were exceptional.

Perhaps, among the myriad creatures of the world, some anomalies would arise. That was why Xu Yuan occasionally brought it food—though of different species, perhaps they were, in their own way, fellow sufferers.

In the boundless forests, there was no other bear like it; just as in the celestial palaces, there was no other man like Xu Yuan. Perhaps, on this bear, some valuable clues could be found.

Yet the time Xu Yuan could spend among mortals was all too limited; entrusting the bear to someone reliable seemed the best course.

Ji Yun gave a wry smile. “This bear is certainly strong enough, but Mr. Xu, if you can keep it in line, how could we hope to do the same?”