Chapter 64: Hunting for the Bear

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As the title suggests.

Chen Yu was making his way through the woods.

The dense forest concealed all traces. Beneath the shadows, sunlight sifted gently through the branches and leaves, scattering only in sparse patches. Perhaps because it was still early, the vegetation was steeped in heavy moisture, and traces of dew could be vaguely seen clinging to the shrubs at his feet.

One man, one saber, and two lengths of coarse cloth.

Chen Yu stepped over dead branches and fallen leaves, his curved saber held before his chest. A long strip of cloth was wrapped around his waist, enclosing several tender-yellow objects.

Round, with dry skins and a faint, pleasant fragrance.

They had been made from flour ground from yellow-skinned millet. This time, he had added none of the usual juices or ingredients—only a sprinkling of salt, without even a sauce. He had mixed the dough, steamed several pieces, and brought them along as provisions.

Today, he had to find that black bear.

He would not rest until he did.

…

Three days earlier.

Chen Yu had gone to weed the medicinal plot. He harvested all the green shoots that had sprouted from seeds scattered by the previous crop of spring millet, gathered them into a basket, and carried them to the pond, where he tossed two handfuls into the water for the fish.

Crucian carp generally did not eat grass, but when hunger drove them hard enough, they would force themselves to try it.

These shoots, however, bore tender little buds and were filled with rich, fragrant juices when bitten open. The few fish that had not ended up in the cooking pot were thrilled, darting back and forth in excitement.

Seeing them eat so eagerly, Chen Yu could not help smiling. After watching for a while, he raised a hand and waved.

Jade-white radiance flowed across his palm. His five fingers slowly curled together, as though an invisible hand were taking shape in the air. In the next instant, the surface of the pond sank inward. The fattest silver crucian, which had eaten the most, was enclosed in a sphere of water and gently lifted upward.

Splash!

The sudden change in its surroundings sent the fish into a panic. Forgetting the spring-millet shoots at its mouth, it thrashed its tail and swam frantically up and down.

The sphere of water was crystal clear. Under the sunlight, it was almost breathtaking.

Crash!

In the end, Chen Yu still failed to bring it into his hand. The fish broke free, and the sphere burst apart.

The splash that poured back into the pond sent the other fish scattering in all directions.

Chen Yu rubbed his nose and looked at his right hand. The white radiance had already faded completely. More than that, when he spread his mental power over the arm, he discovered that every acupoint throughout it was empty. The qi stored within had been completely drained.

All that, for a display lasting less than ten breaths.

Water Sphere Technique.

Well, it could only be used in a place with water, and the water could not be more than half a zhang away. Otherwise, the qi could not draw it over.

Yet even with all these flaws, none of them could erase the fact that this spell truly existed.

It might look unimpressive, but if he took it down the mountain, people might well mistake him for an immortal or celestial deity descended into the mortal world.

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Of course, Chen Yu himself was still far from satisfied. It was simply too useless—even watering plants with it was more trouble than it was worth.

Still, with practice and further exploration, it might yet become a proper art. Over the past few days, he had already begun writing down the Divine Summoning Technique, the Inner Nourishment Breathing Technique, and some of his experiences cultivating and tasting spirit plants.

In the last of these, he had even specially recorded the names of Brother Chicken and the Gluttonous Fawn, so that their contributions would not be forgotten.

“This meridian is carrying more qi than necessary. Once the acupoints are opened, the acupoints near the main vessel on the right side alone should be enough to supply it.”

Half seated on a stone and leaning against the rock wall, he immersed himself in his own world, recalling the entire process of casting the spell as observed through his mental power.

The Water Sphere Technique was, after all, merely a sphere of water. It could not yet be called a true spell and still required refinement. There was no telling how long that process would take, but Chen Yu had confidence in himself. He had decided to develop it further so that, in the future, he could simply wave a hand while watering the plants instead of laboriously drawing water and splashing it about.

It would save both time and effort.

Within his body, the breathing technique circulated. Qi was quickly transferred from the remaining acupoints, refilling the depleted channels. In only a short while, his arm had returned to full strength.

Just as he continued testing the practical application of water manipulation, a miserable deer cry came from the front of the courtyard, interrupting him.

The foolish deer had gotten into trouble again.

It was hardly surprising. The foolish deer was far too unruly, and it seemed to be developing a habit of treating Cloud Crane Abbey as a refuge. During the day, it was often nowhere to be seen, but whenever trouble came knocking, it ran straight here.

Without the slightest trace of embarrassment.

Fortunately, the mutant peach tree had undergone some changes over the past few days. In particular, after Chen Yu had worked some measures into the first tree, the foolish deer could no longer reach anything edible even after the fence had been removed.

His thoughts turning, he gathered his qi and strode forward, both hands clasped behind his back. With a single step, he crossed more than a zhang. After several successive leaps, he vanished from sight.

When he reached the front of the courtyard, he found, just as expected, a chestnut-red shape curled up before the gate, trembling violently. Every so often, it lowered its head to lick the wounds on its back; at other times, it raised its head toward the abbey and bleated twice.

It had clearly become an expert at this.

“…”

It truly was a creature that could never let anyone rest easy.

For some inexplicable reason, Chen Yu felt as though he were dealing with a wayward junior. He hurried to the fawn’s side. Upon seeing a familiar face, the Gluttonous Fawn bleated a greeting, then immediately went beneath the peach tree, intending to eat a few blossoms to calm its nerves.

Huh? The ring of wooden fencing was gone!

The little deer was delighted. It had been too preoccupied with fleeing to notice until now. At once, its dark eyes shone brightly, filled with the crystalline light of appetite.

Heh.

Nearby, Chen Yu did not bother to look any longer. The fence had been removed because it was no longer necessary—the peach tree was bare. Where would there be any blossoms left?

Besides, a ring of patterns wound around the trunk. When the fawn approached, the markings were touched, and a faint white vapor surged outward before seeping back into the wood. As though some mechanism had been triggered, the peach tree suddenly stirred.

Its branches lashed like whips, its tender leaves flashed like blades, and it struck without warning.

Smack!

It did not hurt, but the fawn was thoroughly frightened. It staggered backward in panic, its eyes wide with disbelief. This was the very tree it had been plucking bare for more than a month—how had it suddenly become so violent today?

Meanwhile, Chen Yu had already stepped into the woods.

As expected, it was that black bear again.

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Perhaps out of instinctive caution, it had left long before he appeared and had not pursued the fawn.

What had the foolish deer done to provoke it this time?

He examined the wound. It was shallow. The fawn’s cries had been pitiful enough, but compared with the first few encounters, the injury was far less severe.

He glanced at the Gluttonous Fawn, which was still cautiously testing its luck against the peach tree, and his expression shifted slightly. The deer’s behavior was much more agile than before.

It had gained a little wisdom—not intelligence, for it was plainly as foolish and greedy as ever.

At last, the little deer confirmed that the previous strike had merely been an accident. Since the peach tree remained motionless, it hurried closer and poked out its head. Under Chen Yu’s speechless gaze, it took a twig into its mouth and began chewing slowly.

“…”

With dark lines gathering across his forehead, Chen Yu walked to the peach tree. Two days earlier, it had drawn its blossoms back into the branches. Under his mental power, he could see bud after bud forming, each one nurturing the spirit peaches he had been longing for.

Unlike ordinary peach trees, these peach trees, catalyzed by spiritual energy, bore their fruit within the branches themselves. Whether the fruit would split the branches and fall once it grew large and ripened remained unknown.

In any case, he could not let this foolish deer destroy them.

He pushed the fawn away, then slapped the trunk.

Qi surged from his palm and poured into the tree. A ring of altered grain now encircled the trunk, storing a certain amount of qi within its structure. Whenever it was touched, the stored energy stimulated the branches, causing the peach tree to lash out.

It was not particularly useful, but it was good enough to frighten the deer.

Unfortunately, the effect could not last. The tree needed to be replenished with qi every day. Chen Yu was now wondering whether he should wrap a band of iron around the trunk. Metal could hold considerably more qi.

But then activating the mechanism would become a problem.

“It seems the fence is still necessary after all.”

He shook his head. Who could have known that this foolish deer would be so greedy that it would even eat the branches?

…

Returning to the present, in the days since then, the black bear had appeared repeatedly, though always some distance from the abbey. It seemed to be waiting for an opportunity. Only yesterday, it had disturbed the chicken coop and torn open one corner before Brother Chicken arrived in time to block it.

The two had fought for more than ten exchanges, and Brother Chicken had nearly become food for the black brute.

In the end, Chen Yu followed its tracks and even used his mental power to examine the traces around him. He had no intention of letting the bear continue to roam freely across Mount Azure Terrace. Even if he could not kill it outright, he would at least teach it a harsh enough lesson that it would never dare trespass again.

Wild beasts were sometimes like that: they remembered both what fed them and what hurt them.

They remembered wherever delicious food could be found, as the Gluttonous Fawn did. Likewise, if they repeatedly encountered setbacks in the same place, their instincts would make them reluctant to enter that territory again.

With this thought in mind, Chen Yu strode into the mountains in search of the bear’s tracks.

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