Hunting the Bear

Sun Hongye fell silent. He Lingchuan continued, "Three days have already passed. I doubt General Ke will send anyone looking for you now." More than two days had elapsed since Sun Hongye was wounded at the foot of Luming Garden, and Ke Jihai had not sent a single messenger to inquire after his condition. Evidently, the great general had not given a second thought to this humble commoner. He Lingchuan was not bothered in the least that he was the young man's second choice. "Taking a broad look at the situation across the realm, any real man who wants to make a name for himself must head either west or north." Sun Hongye looked He Lingchuan over intently. "You are not what the rumors say, Eldest Young Master." "Rumors are nothing but grasping at shadows. You would be a fool to believe them." He Lingchuan stood up. "I will ask you only once: are you coming or not?" "I am!" This time, Sun Hongye did not hesitate. He bowed deeply from the waist. "Greetings, my lord! From this day forth, I am willing to follow by your side and serve you like a dog or horse." "Good, good!" He Lingchuan beamed with delight and helped him up. "I finally have my very first aide!" Behind him, Fixer Liu handed Sun Hongye a bundle that had been prepared well in advance. He Lingchuan waved a hand. "Time waits for no man. Go change quickly." Sun Hongye stepped inside the room and opened the bundle to find three brand-new outfits, a pair of thick boots, and several ingots of gold and silver totaling fifty liang. His new master was truly generous; he had not even lifted a finger yet, and the silver was already in hand. When Sun Hongye emerged in his new attire and boots, He Lingchuan clapped his hands. "Clothes really do make the man. Here, put on this cloak and take a stroll down the street. I guarantee you will charm a few young maidens into following you all the way to Xiazhou." The cloak had silk embroidery on the outside and was lined with soft squirrel fur—clearly an expensive piece. Sun Hongye knew He Lingchuan had spent lavishly to show his respect, so he accepted it with an easy mind, and together they boarded the carriage. Upon returning to the inn, He Lingchuan discovered that He Chunhua had an unexpected visitor. Zhu Xiyan and his granddaughter, Zhu Xiu'er, had come to see them off. While Zhu Xiyan conversed warmly with He Chunhua and his wife, Zhu Xiu'er approached He Lingchuan and handed him a peace talisman. "I embroidered this myself. It holds imperial Dilong incense, which is colorless and odorless, but when worn, neither insects nor venomous snakes will dare approach you. Its potency should last sixteen or seventeen months. I have made one for each of you brothers. May you travel safely and have a smooth journey ahead." This was wonderful news; he would no longer have to worry about mosquito bites in the wild forests. He Lingchuan accepted it with a grin, tied it to his waist at once, and praised her exquisite needlework. Only in front of him did Zhu Xiu'er smile without the slightest hint of guardedness. He Lingchuan glanced at Zhu Xiyan, who was standing not far away. "How have things been at the Zhu residence over the past few days?" "Having been away for so long, some ripples were inevitable." Zhu Xiu'er reached up to smooth a lock of hair at her temple. "However, Grandfather dotes on me even more than before. With him around, I will be safe." She paused, then added, "A few days from now, Grandfather also intends to look for a marriage match for me." He Lingchuan looked at her closely. Zhu Xiu'er was glowing, finally radiating the brightness and vigor befitting a woman in her early twenties. It seemed as though the horrors on the shores of Xianling Lake had been buried along with the passing days. She said solemnly to He Lingchuan, "The He family has given me a new life, but you are the one who truly saved me. If there is ever anything I can do to help in the future, you must give me the chance!" He Lingchuan nodded. At that moment, He Chunhua strolled over, offered Zhu Xiu'er a warm greeting, and then lowered his voice. "Someone in the Zhu family is asking around about your past, trying to find out what really happened after you were abducted. They even made inquiries within my own ranks." Zhu Xiu'er's smile did not waver. "Lord He wouldn't happen to know who that person is, would you?" He Chunhua whispered a name. "Just as I expected." Zhu Xiu'er smiled faintly. "I also managed to find a clue. The human traffickers who snatched me back then didn't just pick their target at random." A cold glint flickered in the depths of her lovely eyes. Seven or eight long years of torment had a way of turning a person into either a sheep or a wolf. He Chunhua nodded. "We must be on our way. Be prudent." Zhu Xiu'er curtsied to him. "Thank you, Lord He. I will be careful." He Lingchuan thought to himself that Zhu Xiu'er was not the one who needed to be careful anymore. With fond words exchanged and gifts given, Zhu Xiu'er bid farewell to the He family and helped Zhu Xiyan into their carriage. She waved with a smile toward the He brothers, lowered the window curtain, and the carriage slowly set off. He Chunhua turned to his wife and sons. "It is time for us to depart as well." The luggage was packed, and the carriages stood ready. As Madam Ying and He Yue climbed into their carriage, He Chunhua finally asked He Lingchuan, "Was that youth you brought into the inn the study companion from that other He family?" He Lingchuan grinned broadly. "I saw talent in him, and I happen to want to study a bit. He is my companion now." He Chunhua was taken aback. "He is coming with us?" "Yes. His salary will come out of my allowance." He was just hiring a single hand; he had been confident He Chunhua would not object. A young master of official blood like him would look out of place without seven or eight attendants trailing behind him anyway. "You've already employed a monkey." Adding a full-grown person was no small expense. "All my attendants were left behind in Blackwater City; I don't have anyone useful at my side," He Lingchuan said with an unabashed grin. "So, Father, won't you speak to Mother on my behalf and squeeze out a bit more for my monthly allowance?" "..." "Considering I escaped death by a hair's breadth the night before last and am still covered in wounds?" He Chunhua's cheek twitched. If not for his eldest son, how could the family have survived Dong Rui's ambush? If not for his eldest son, how could he have gained an audience with the King during this trip to Shihuan? Come to think of it, ever since the Sun Fuping incident, this son had changed considerably. Not only was he diligently practicing martial arts, but he was even aiming to study and achieve great deeds. He stared straight at He Lingchuan with a complicated look. Only when his gaze began to make the younger man squirm did he slowly say, "Fine." He Lingchuan quickly changed the subject. "By the way, how did the recruitment order turn out?" "Very well. It was posted for only three days, and more than three hundred and sixty applicants came to interview. It seems the frustrated and unappreciated are as plentiful as river carp." He, Mozhe Jingxuan, and the others had barely found time to eat or change their clothes. "After vetting them, I retained nineteen. They will march north with the Auxiliary Army and be appointed as provincial officials to help me handle civil and military affairs." "Nineteen—that many?" He Lingchuan was slightly surprised. "I thought your standards were higher than that, Old Man." "Having more candidates makes it easier to weed out the weak," He Chunhua said, clapping a hand on his son's shoulder. "Right now, we can only listen to their words. Only later can we observe their governance and scrutinize their deeds." Recruiting at this stage was merely discussing strategies on paper; only when they set foot in the prefecture and tackled practical matters would they know who was a true talent and who was useless deadweight. "Though we did not bind ourselves to convention, I also sent men to look into the backgrounds of those nineteen," He Chunhua added with a smile. "By the time we reach Dunyu, that intelligence should arrive shortly." *** A gentle breeze, a warm sun, and golden fields. The late-summer heat of the autumn tiger had departed from the Chipa Plateau, leaving cool, refreshing breezes drifting across the fields. It was the peak of the farming season, yet not a single soul could be seen in this vast expanse of sorghum; only tall stalks swayed gently in the wind. Soon, rustling sounds arose from within the field, and the sorghum stalks began swaying violently, the commotion advancing from far to near. A figure bolted out, seemingly skimming over the ground, though in reality his flying strides tore up large clods of earth. He had no choice but to run; with a loud crash, a colossal shape burst out of the sorghum field right behind him. It pursued him relentlessly. It was a massive brown bear, at least twice the size of its kin. Standing upright, it would easily exceed fifteen feet, its paws as large as millstones. Its coat was naturally sleek and glossy, and the ground trembled as it ran, its thick folds of fat and fur rippling like waves. Yet now, two fletched arrows and a long spear were embedded in its back and haunches, while several javelins were wedged into its shoulder. Blood dripped down its fur, pooling on the ground below. The agony only stoked its savage fury, driving it to hunt down the human ahead with feral desperation. Though bears had little stamina for long-distance running, they could sprint faster than a horse in short bursts. For a beast of this size, a single stride easily covered four or five of a human's. The unlucky fellow fleeing before it was lean and small, swift as an antelope and exceptionally agile, having narrowly dodged the creature's claws several times. Fortunately, he knew how to weave and dodge; had he run in a straight line, the bear would have overtaken him long ago. Even so, he was walking a razor's edge. Whenever the giant bear closed the distance, it would reach out a paw to swipe at him, eager to rip him open with its five-inch-long grayish claws. If the blow missed, it would pull its paw backward, conjuring a sudden gust of wind out of thin air that dragged the thin man back toward it. This brown bear actually possessed the innate talent to summon wind. Dodging yet another fatal gouge, the thin man yelled at the top of his lungs, "Strike! I can't hold out much longer!" The moment the words left his mouth, two fletched arrows whistled out of the forest, one sinking into the bear's flank and the other into its ribs. The giant beast roared in pain, but it clung to its prey with stubborn fury, its eyes fixed solely on the man ahead. With a ferocious forward lunge, it swept a forepaw across—and finally caught him! He was batted away like a ball, crashing heavily into a large tree before coming to a halt. At the same time, a flash of yellow light erupted from his body as an amulet at his waist shattered. Dazed and seeing stars, the man heard his companions shouting warnings of danger. Focusing his eyes, he saw the giant bear already lunging toward him, the foul reek pouring from its maw nearly washing over his face! There was no time to run. Without a second thought, the thin man rolled over and scrambled up the tree. Having missed its pounce, the bear was blind with rage and threw itself after him, foaming at the mouth with yellowish-green spittle. The tree was immense, its trunk as thick as five or six men embracing, its branches spreading and twisting in every direction. Unable to dodge the boughs, the bear simply charged upward headfirst, snapping whatever branches stood in its path. In such an ascent, the slim runner naturally climbed much faster. Someone below seemed to be bellowing, shouting something like "Don't go any higher!" How could the thin man listen? A gaping, bloody maw was snapping at his heels barely five feet below. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than his grip suddenly gave way with a sharp crack—the branch he was using for leverage snapped. *Disaster!* Plummeting in free fall, the thin man grabbed at two more branches to break his descent, but both snapped in his hands. *It's over.* He inwardly cried out that his life was forfeit. Directly beneath him, the giant bear opened its jaws wide, waiting for the delivery to drop right into its mouth. Yet at that very instant, a long saber flew in from an angle and cleaved into the bear's cheek with a wet thud.