Chapter 2, Friendly Fire

Zheng Haotian opened his mouth, and just as he was about to speak, a series of "gurgling" sounds emanated from his stomach

However, there was no one left behind him to obstruct him, so he fell to the ground on his back, landing heavily, and his back was further scraped by a sharp protrusion on the ground

With Zheng Chenglian's assistance, the little one consecutively consumed two small bowls and still felt unsatisfied; however, Zheng Chenglian was unwilling to give him a third bowl.

At that moment, he smiled slightly and said, "Rest assured, all those black bears have been killed, not a single one managed to escape"

... ... ... ... ... ...

Zheng Haotian blinked a few times and cautiously asked, "Is there anyone in the village... injured"

Soon, this feeling disappeared; however, it seemed that he had regained a bit of strength.

The orb of dim light flickered violently several times, then immediately flew to the unconscious boy, following the trail of blood to the wound, and merged into it

He unexpectedly discovered that ever since he had eaten the meat porridge, his stomach had become warm. This sensation seemed to arise not merely from having filled his stomach. The warmth did not remain confined to his belly; rather, it began to spread throughout his entire body, allowing him to enjoy this cozy warmth.

After stammering a few times, the bewildered youth slowly closed his eyes. Due to excessive blood loss, his body remained quite weak. After receiving a supplement of nutrients, he once again fell into a deep sleep.

He saw it; this was the home he was most familiar with. He lay at the head of the bed, with his chest forward and a book on his back, only turning his head to the side, adopting this strange posture as he lay on the bed

He moved slightly, and immediately a sharp pain surged from his back, causing him to involuntarily let out a cry of agony

A look of relief appeared in his eyes. Before Zheng Haotian woke up, he was naturally extremely worried. However, now that he has awakened and appears to be in good spirits, he naturally feels at ease.

The outdoor curtain was swiftly lifted by someone, and a middle-aged man quickly approached the bedside. He was dressed simply, and his long, ink-dyed eyebrows resembled the feathers of a large wild goose, slanting gracefully at his temples. There was a rare scholarly aura about him, reminiscent of a hunter from a mountain village.

Zheng Haotian blinked his small eyes, and he was very suspicious whether this was his own illusion

Two cries of anguish erupted from the mouths of two young boys, and the younger boy was similarly thrown out.

Haotian, do not move

At this moment, no one is paying attention to the young boy anymore

Has Haotian woken up? A deep voice came from outside the door

Zheng Chenglian gasped, and he said softly: "Xionglang Mountain has not experienced an earthquake for hundreds of years, and this time we happened to encounter it; it can be considered bad luck."

Everyone is engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the black bear, including even the relatively weak women and children

Yu Jiansheng spoke directly: "Cheng Lian, I have already inquired about it. The impact of this earthquake is extensive, affecting an area of several miles. Almost every village has been attacked by wild beasts from the mountains, and many villages have suffered significant losses. In the worst-hit areas, not a single living person has been left behind"

Zheng Chenglian repeatedly waved his hands and said, "The village chief is joking. Weihua faced danger without fear and bravely fought the ferocious bear. If it weren't for his timely intervention, injuring the bear's nose and blinding it, there would surely have been casualties in the village by the time we arrived."

Zheng Haotian nodded cautiously, making a concerted effort to avoid causing pain to his back wound due to excessive movement

Zheng Haotian's eyes rolled around a few times, and only then did he recall what had happened before he lost consciousness

Zheng Haotian responded with a sound, and after watching his father leave the room, his small face gradually took on a somewhat peculiar expression

Yu Jiansheng's face also revealed a relieved smile as he said, "Haotian was injured by my family's Weihua. Fortunately, the good are favored by heaven; otherwise, I would have gone home and beaten that little brat to death"

Yu Jiansheng pointed to the large leather bag he brought and said: "Bear bile and bear paws, I will take them to the city to sell. Everything inside is high-quality bear meat. You should stew it for the child to eat; he has lost too much blood and needs to be properly nourished."

Yu Jiansheng nodded slightly and said, "How is this child Haotian doing?"

Dream

The middle-aged man lying in bed is Zheng Chenglian, the father of the youth. Although he is neither the village chief of Daling Village nor the most powerful hunter in the village, he still holds a considerable position, second only to the village chief Yu Jiansheng.

It is uncertain whether this orb of dim light is a stroke of luck or misfortune; as soon as it emerged from the fissure, it was splattered all over by the blood flowing on the ground

Moments later, the wound on the boy's back stopped bleeding, and his breathing gradually became more stable

When they dealt with the previous black bears, the one with tear-filled eyes was wandering aimlessly in place. It was the strongest and most cunning among all the invading black bears; had it not been for the unfortunate injury to its nose, it would have been very difficult to ensure the safety of all the elderly, weak, and women.

His age and stature were clearly the smallest in the village, and it was also his first experience of such a stormy scene. The villagers intentionally arranged for him to be at the very back of the group. Yet, despite this, when misfortune struck, he still faced the first significant setback of his life

After stammering a few times, Zheng Haotian said: "Father, this meat porridge is really delicious"

In the outer room, Zheng Chenglian has welcomed Yu Jiansheng inside

With a long sigh, Yu Jiansheng sincerely said, "Cheng Lian, this time our village was able to be completely preserved, and a large part of it is thanks to you." He paused for a moment and, with lingering fear, continued, "A total of nineteen black bears fell into the trap, but only thirteen actually charged into the village. If it weren't for this trap, and all the black bears had rushed in, our village would have likely faced utter disaster."

Although the traps designed by Zheng Chenglian are quite sturdy, they are located at the entrance, which inevitably causes some inconvenience to the villagers. There have been many complaints about this in the past, but from now on, no one will ever question or criticize it again

Zheng Haotian had many dreams, and in those strange dreamscapes, he seemed to have experienced a great deal. However, for someone who was only ten years old, these things appeared to be too distant and abstract, making it impossible for him to gain anything from them

A sudden and intense sensation akin to a violent whirlwind swept through the entire body of the young boy, causing a wound of moderate size to open on his back, from which blood flowed profusely, quickly staining the clothes behind him red. Simultaneously, the forceful impact rendered him unconscious immediately.

However, at this moment, his face was filled with a look of concern

The eyes slowly opened, and the vision gradually became clearer from a state of blur.

He is not in serious condition; he has just lost a bit too much blood. However, young people have strong vitality, and as long as he receives proper nourishment, he should be able to recover in no more than a month

Zheng Chenglian laughed heartily and said: "You have been unconscious for a whole day and night, you must be hungry. Aunt Yu has prepared some thin porridge for you, it is warming on the kang, I will bring it to you"

Zheng Haotian blinked repeatedly; although the wound on his back still hurt a lot, nothing in the world could compare to the hunger in his stomach

Zheng Chenglian patted his son's shoulder and said, "You rest for now, I will go meet the village chief"

Soon, Zheng Chenglian brought up a bowl of thin porridge. On the surface of this porridge floated a layer of light yellow oil, exuding an enticing aroma

Zheng Chenglian quickly expressed modesty, casually laughing as he said, "When I initially designed this trap, the villagers found it troublesome. It was your insistence, Village Chief, that led to its construction. You share half the credit for this as well."

Zheng Chenglian's face revealed a satisfied smile; after all, he had such a precious son. Naturally, he was most concerned about the little one's injuries

A tremendous thunderclap resounded, and a massive white light streaked across the sky, illuminating the entire land as if it were broad daylight.

Zheng Chenglian waved his hand and said, "Most people were injured, but fortunately, no one died." His eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and added, "The one with the most serious injuries is you; you were unconscious for a whole day and night, which worried me to death."

For this young man, the entire world has plunged into complete darkness

Zheng Chenglian wiped away some stains from his son's mouth with a warm towel and said: "Although the village suffered considerable losses this time, with even one house being crushed by a black bear, the gains are substantial. Thirty-two black bears represent a significant wealth, equivalent to the village's annual income. This meat porridge is made from bear meat, so if you're hungry, of course, you'll find it delicious"

At that moment, a crack, not too large, suddenly opened beside the unconscious child, and a ball of flickering, strange-colored ghostly light emerged from within.

Yu Jiansheng laughed heartily and said: "Now that they have benefited, no one will dare to complain about this matter in the future"

Father, how are those black bears doing

Amidst the gasps of the crowd, the boy's body flew backward as if propelled, and in that direction, another boy, also holding a stick, stared in astonishment at the scene before him

He placed his hand on the little one's shoulder and said, "You have an injury on your back; you need to rest for a few days. It is best not to move during this time."

Yu Jiansheng recalled the situation at that time, still feeling a lingering fear

However, in just that fleeting moment, the forest once again fell into darkness

Time seemed to stand still at this moment