Chapter 66

When Lin Bei left the Elephant Valley, he carefully noted down the location. Yes, Lin Bei had given this place a name, calling it Elephant Valley. The distance between Elephant Valley and Dragon Pool was about forty miles, making them neighbors in a sense, though this neighbor seemed a bit unfriendly. However, Lin Bei thought that he had intruded into someone else's home uninvited, so how could he expect a warm welcome?

Then Lin Bei remembered he still had important matters to attend to. An Zhongzhi and the others were probably waiting anxiously, so he hurried back.

The hunters' camp was still quite far away, and Lin Bei heard the heavy breathing and roars of animals. Having lived in the forest for a long time, Lin Bei knew that this sound must belong to some large carnivorous animal, but it didn't seem to be a tiger or a leopard.

Lin Bei's heart tightened. Had the hunters encountered some danger? He quickly sped up, and as he passed the trees, he deliberately made loud noises to attract the attention of both the animals and the hunters.

"Sir, is it you?" An Zhongzhi's voice, filled with shock, echoed.

Lin Bei couldn't speak, so he only stood tall to make it easier for the hunters to see him. At the same time, Lin Bei saw what animal was making the roar.

There were three animals, each about the size of a clouded leopard, with a similar body shape. However, they didn't look like clouded leopards at all. They had faces like bears, fluffy fur, and tails like dogs. A name flashed through Lin Bei's mind: bear dogs.

Wild bear dogs were not like pet breeds like the Shih Tzu; they were true apex predators. Their claws and canine teeth gave them the ability to hunt large animals, and their long tails helped them maintain balance while running at high speeds, making them excellent hunters. They also seemed to have inherited the strength of bears and the intelligence of dogs, excelling in teamwork. If they encountered fierce animals like tigers or lions during a hunt, the bear dogs wouldn't retreat. One bear dog would provoke the tiger or lion, leading it away, while the others captured the prey. The bear dog that led the tiger or lion away would inevitably be killed by the enraged predator.

These creatures were almost perfect hunters in nature, but their characteristics destined them to be second-rate predators in the jungle. In single combat, they couldn't match tigers, lions, or leopards, and in terms of numbers, the few bear dogs that worked together couldn't compete with wolves or jackals.

Lin Bei had once seen a documentary about bear dogs. In Asia, bear dogs faced tough conditions, but they later migrated to North America, where they dominated the ecosystem, leading to the extinction of many species, including the giant hyena and the terror pig. Some even speculated that the saber-toothed tiger in North America was indirectly driven to extinction by bear dogs.

Lin Bei was somewhat surprised to see bear dogs here. After all, there were already many fierce animals around, and the Asian elephants were not to be provoked. The jackal pack, though unknown in location, was large and led by One-Eyed Jack, putting the bear dogs at a disadvantage. Additionally, Lin Bei, a top predator, was already established at Dragon Pool, so the bear dogs should have stayed away from this dangerous environment. However, seeing the three bear dogs' emaciated bellies, Lin Bei instantly understood. It was all about food. These three bear dogs had clearly wandered from elsewhere and were attracted by the smell of the hunters' roasted meat. Hungry animals were fearless, especially bear dogs, which dared to provoke even tigers and lions. They certainly weren't afraid of humans.

Seeing Lin Bei's massive form, An Zhongzhi and the hunters felt a surge of security. An Zhongzhi shouted, "Sir, Ping San was bitten by a bear dog."

Earlier, they had been roasting meat, tired and hungry, and since Lin Bei had just left, they hadn't assigned anyone to keep watch. This oversight led to one of the hunters being injured. A hungry bear dog suddenly leaped out and bit Ping San's neck. Although Ping San managed to dodge, his shoulder was torn, and he was now unconscious.

The appearance of blood made the three bear dogs even more frenzied. The hunters hadn't brought bows and arrows, and An Zhongzhi was a liability, so they could only defend themselves. Fortunately, the bear dogs were wary of the hunters' knives, allowing them to hold out until Lin Bei returned.

Hearing that a hunter was injured, Lin Bei was enraged. Wasn't this a slap in his face? He charged forward.

One bear dog separated from the group, barking wildly to attract Lin Bei's attention. This tactic was effective against less intelligent creatures, as animals were highly sensitive to provocation. However, it was ineffective against Lin Bei. He swung his tail, striking the bear dog. The bear dog leaped to avoid it, and Lin Bei ignored it, charging at the other two bear dogs. Using his massive size, he rammed into them.

One bear dog bared its teeth, which were extremely long. It was undeterred and lunged at Lin Bei's head. Lin Bei swung his head, and the snake head collided with the bear dog's head. Although the bear dog was strong, it was no match for Lin Bei. Its sharp teeth only penetrated Lin Bei's snake scales by an inch before being knocked away. The bear dog flew into a tree with a thud and landed on the ground, twitching for a moment before lying still.

The remaining two bear dogs, though hungry, recognized the threat of death. The massive creature before them was not an opponent they could match. They roared at Lin Bei and then pounced on the dead bear dog, eating their own kind, which was quite normal for them, even if the dead bear dog had been a recent ally.

Lin Bei couldn't let them do this and charged at them, swinging his tail. The bear dogs leaped, their speed was quite fast, and they managed to avoid being hit. However, seeing that Lin Bei was claiming the body, they realized they couldn't win and let out a mournful roar before fleeing into the forest.

Seeing the bear dogs finally leave, An Zhongzhi and the hunters breathed a sigh of relief, especially An Zhongzhi. As the head of the village, he had rarely entered the forest, but he had heard of hunters being killed by wild animals. Although he had seen the dead and heard the stories, nothing compared to witnessing it firsthand. This experience had opened his eyes. Even with so many people present, someone had still been injured. If the bear dogs had attacked him, his neck would have been bitten off.

"Sir, come and see Ping San. He doesn't look good," a hunter shouted.

An Zhongzhi shuddered and rushed over with Lin Bei. Ping San's condition was indeed dire. The muscles on his left shoulder were almost completely torn, extending to his elbow, leaving only bone. Although he was wrapped in cloth, blood still gushed out. The saliva from the bear dog's mouth contained a toxin that caused the wound to continue bleeding.

In this situation, even modern medical conditions would require major surgery and blood transfusions. However, there were no such means here, so the hunters were helpless. They could only tear more of their hemp clothes to bind Ping San's wound, hoping it would help.

One hunter suddenly burst into tears. This hunter was also surnamed Ping and was related to Ping San. "Sir, please save San. Ping Ba will bow to you."

The other hunters and An Zhongzhi all looked at Lin Bei, hoping that this "sir" truly had magical powers to bring the dead back to life.

Lin Bei's mind raced, thinking of ways to save Ping San, but unfortunately, he knew little about medicine. "Um, can bone-healing grass help?"

Lin Bei could only think of bone-healing grass. He remembered that Cui Dalang's injuries were similar to Ping San's, and he had recovered after taking bone-healing grass. Lin Bei decided to try, hoping for the best.

"Perhaps, we've heard of bone-healing grass," the hunters replied.

"Then I'll go get some bone-healing grass. An Zhongzhi, take off your clothes and use them to bandage Ping San, making sure he doesn't bleed anymore."

Lin Bei quickly wrote this down and then shot off into the forest, not only to find bone-healing grass but also some herbs to stop the bleeding and replenish blood.

PS: Thanks again to Qiqing Liuyu and Bie Bi Jie Ku for their donations. Are you a sister? You're a good person.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends