Chapter Ninety-Four: Brothers in Harmony
“Elder Sister Ling, what do you think that stupid bear is doing?”
“Hungry?”
“Maybe.”
“Come here, Stupid Bear. Young Master is in a good mood today, so this jar of fine nectar honey is yours.”
“No need to thank me.”
Gu Xiaopang, who truly believed the little demon bear before him was begging humans for food because it was starving, said nothing more. He immediately took out a storage pouch, drew from it a jar as large as a head, and casually tossed it toward the little demon bear.
Lately, thanks to beasts, Gu Xiaopang had become unexpectedly wealthy. Whenever he looked at any beast, especially one that meant him no harm and posed no danger, he found it terribly likable.
The little demon bear across from him saw Gu Xiaopang take out the storage pouch, and its eyes shone even brighter. But then it suddenly saw him shove the pouch back into his clothes and throw only the not-quite-large, not-quite-small jar over instead. The scent seemed rather nice, so it instinctively caught it in its great paws.
While it stood there dumbly holding the jar, Gu Xiaopang and the others had already come to its side. Seeing Gu Xiaopang extend a hand without malice, as if he meant to pet it, the little demon bear sprang far away at once.
Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er both smiled, then shook their heads and continued on their way.
But scarcely a dozen breaths later, the two who had already gone some distance ahead suddenly heard a thunderous rumble rising from behind them.
Turning around, they saw the little demon bear from earlier sprinting across the earth, chasing after them.
When they probed farther with their spiritual sense, they found that at the site where they first met, only an empty jar remained, wobbling and spinning on the ground.
“Roar, roar, roar.”
“Damn, Elder Sister Ling, this thing’s appetite is way too big.”
“Little Stupid Bear, that was my last jar. After this, you’re not allowed to chase me anymore.”
With that, Gu Xiaopang casually produced another jar of nectar honey and tossed it to the little demon bear, then prepared to continue on his way in earnest.
“Roar, roar, roar.”
The little demon bear caught the new jar, looked at it, then at Gu Xiaopang, and let out another great roar.
“I already said it was my last jar. I don’t have any more. Oh, right, I do have some grain-repelling pills. Do you want those?”
“Roar, roar, roar.”
“No? Then go play somewhere else. Don’t keep following me.”
“Roar, roar, roar.”
Gu Xiaopang was left with a face full of black lines by the bear’s roars, thinking that after all that noise, what exactly was this stupid little bear trying to say?
“Got it.”
“Master, do you have any skill that lets me understand the speech of spirit beasts?”
“You boy are dense enough. You’ve been in the forest this long, and only now do you think of asking for such a technique?”
“Uh, I’ve been busy running for my life all the way, so it slipped my mind.”
“Whatever you say, you always think you’re right. Such techniques are very simple. I’ll send the method straight into your mind.”
Just as Elder Qin had said, the technique was indeed extremely simple, with very little content. Its main principle was to judge meaning by the patterns of the other side’s voice and breath.
“Roar, roar, roar.”
“What? Little Stupid Bear, you mean you want to rob me and make me hand over my treasures obediently?”
“Roar.”
“Hahaha, now that’s interesting.”
“How about this: Young Master is in a good mood, so I’ll spar with you. Forget the robbery. If you lose, you leave obediently. How about it?”
“Roar.”
“Good. And don’t say I’m bullying you by relying on cultivation. Your Earth Demon Bear line has always been known for formidable physical strength, so today I won’t use spiritual power at all. I’ll only compete with you in bodily strength.”
“Roar, roar, roar.”
“Insulting you? I don’t have that kind of leisure. Since you don’t believe me, let me show you first.”
As he spoke, Gu Xiaopang casually twisted his fingers, and several five-colored spirit dragons suddenly burst from the ground beside the little stupid bear.
Several pits several meters deep appeared in an instant, catching the little stupid bear’s eyes. It subconsciously took two steps back.
“Roar.”
“So that’s a yes? Good. A contest of flesh and blood begins now.”
With that, Gu Xiaopang restrained all the true energy throughout his body. A nameless beast-form martial art, Earth Demon Bear Palm, unfurled in an instant as he charged the little demon bear opposite him.
Seeing the small human before it, with what seemed like the phantom of an Earth Demon Bear rising behind him, the little demon bear’s eyes brightened once more. Howling wildly, it also lifted a pair of enormous bear paws and struck at Gu Xiaopang as he rushed in.
Impact.
Impact.
“Roar.”
“Good power! Little Stupid Bear, let’s keep going!”
After trading blows for several rounds, Gu Xiaopang, whose fleshly body had once again broken through during the grand celebration, only felt his breathing grow a little uneven, yet his eyes began to shine.
On the other side, the little stupid bear’s gaze burned even brighter. It bared its huge mouth, roared, hammered its chest a few times, and then charged at Gu Xiaopang once more.
What had initially been a rather proper exchange of attack and defense, with the air of a master sparring in style, soon turned into a human and a beast locked in a bear hug, rolling and grappling on the ground...
You ram my waist with your head, I drive my knee into your lung; you dare use joint-breaking hands, I dare answer with a foot that splits the mountains and leaves no shadow...
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the human and the beast finally separated, both lying flat on the ground and gasping for breath, heads tilted as they glared furiously at each other.
Bai Ling'er, who had been watching from the side all along, was nearly done in by their rogue-style fighting. She laughed without stopping.
“Little Stupid Bear, rested enough? I’m rested enough. Let’s do it again!”
“Roar!”
Before the words were even finished, the human and beast crashed into one another again. Before long, they were locked together once more, and the earlier scene played out all over again.
...
By the time an hour had passed, neither the human nor the beast had any strength left in their bodies.
Gu Xiaopang lay with his head on the little stupid bear’s thigh, while the bear rested one leg over Gu Xiaopang’s belly...
“Little Stupid Bear, can’t tell from looking, but you’re only at the second rank. Yet your physical strength—tsk—has to be at least that of the third rank, right?”
“If I hadn’t improved again recently, I really might not have been able to beat you this time.”
“Roar!”
“What did you say? You want to take me in as your little brother? Hahaha.”
“Cut it out, old buddy. If anything, you should be the one taking me as your little brother.”
“Didn’t you see that I, a human, was able to spar with you in bodily strength and end up evenly matched? Are you embarrassed? What’s there to be so proud of?”
“Roar.”
“What a beast.”
“Roar.”
“Want another round then?!”
“Roar, roar, roar.”
“Now that’s more like it. Fine, I’ll reluctantly take you as my little brother. Come on, call me Big Brother.”
“Roar.”
“Good boy.”
After this bout of bickering, Gu Xiaopang, whose simple bodily strength had finally recovered a bit, immediately rose to his feet. Two strands of pure wood-element spiritual power were then placed over his own body and over the little stupid bear’s, restoring both to their earlier vigorous state.
“Come, Little Stupid Bear. Young Master is in a good mood today, so I won’t let you call me Big Brother for nothing.”
“This jade talisman was infused with great power by my elder, and it can block a full-force strike no greater than the final stage of the Nascent Soul realm. You must keep it safe.”
“In a while, your Big Brother here will be leaving. This jade talisman may even save your life.”
“Oh, and from now on, don’t go robbing others anymore, understand? If you kick an iron board and get stewed by someone instead, that would be bad.”
“Roar.”
“That’s more like it.”
“Oh, right, Elder Sister Ling, this jade talisman is for you too. Keep it close to your body.”
“No need. When I left the mountain, my sect gave me two.”
“Can good things ever be too many? Take it.”
...
The original man and woman had become two people and one beast, traveling together deeper and deeper into the Endless Forest.
What Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er did not know was that high in the void, a broad-faced, heavy-browed man had concealed his form and been quietly following them all along.
Elder Qin, who had already noticed him and found no malice in his presence, gave no warning.
...