Chapter 1: Returning to the Mountain Village of the Ming Dynasty as a Hunter (1)

The young girl responded with a sound, retreating several steps to hide behind a large tree. At that moment, the black bear let out a few growls towards Shang Yi and began to slowly approach him. Shang Yi reached behind him with his right hand to feel around, but ultimately let go, allowing his hand to drop. He drew a machete from the side of his right calf and swung it in front of him, causing a flash of cold light that emitted a buzzing sound. He then fixed his gaze intently on the black bear.

"You hit it again. Brother Shang, your archery is truly precise," Ye Yaotao exclaimed joyfully as she leaped out from behind him and ran towards the deer that had been struck by the arrow, resembling a cheerful little lark

Ye Yaotian also revealed herself from behind the tree trunk. The young girl was already frightened to the point of losing her color, her voice trembling as she asked, "Brother Shang, did you kill the black bear?" As she spoke, she glanced at the black bear a couple of times but did not dare to approach it.

After a while, once the fresh blood had stopped, Shang Yi finally released his grip, withdrew the crossbow bolt, carefully stored it in the quiver, and stood up

Ye Yaochan shrank back in fear and said, "Brother Shang, please do not intentionally scare me"

Cheng Jindao: "Brother Shang, please tell me how you managed to kill the black bear"

Under normal circumstances, after Shang Yi crouches down, the black bear could easily knock him down. However, at this moment, Shang Yi is leaning against a large tree, and the bear's paws strike the tree trunk, sending wood chips flying everywhere. The bear's paws become embedded in the trunk by several centimeters. Yet, they are blocked by the trunk and cannot pounce down for the time being

The black bear seemed to sense an unusual atmosphere as well, and it halted its steps, watching Shang Yi with considerable vigilance, momentarily daring not to approach.

Upon returning to the village, a commotion immediately ensued. Zhou Shaohuan and a few others had been telling everyone they encountered that Shang Yi had single-handedly killed a bear. Before long, the entire village was aware of this feat. Although the villagers relied on hunting for their livelihood, very few had actually seen a black bear. Consequently, many rushed over to witness the spectacle. As soon as Shang Yi and his companions brought the bear to their doorstep, they were surrounded by a crowd.

Shang Yi's figure flickered as he deftly dodged the black bear's strike. With a swing of the machete in his hand, he carved a wound over twenty centimeters long beneath the bear's left rib, and blood immediately gushed forth.

At this moment, Shang Yi finally got up from the ground, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and was panting heavily. He felt a bit self-deprecating, thinking that he was truly reckless for daring to confront a black bear with a knife.

At that moment, Shang Yi slid down the tree trunk and crouched down.

The black bear was ultimately just a wild beast, and it could not contain its agitation any longer. Suddenly, it stood upright, its entire body expanded, even taller than Shang Yi, and let out a howl as it lunged fiercely at Shang Yi

Shang Yi quickly grabbed a handful of grass and soil from the ground and pressed it against the wound caused by the arrow. Although Shang Yi was not a professional hunter, he had undergone rigorous wilderness survival training and possessed extensive hunting experience. He knew that after capturing prey, it was essential to quickly stop the bleeding to prevent the scent of blood from attracting fierce large carnivores. While Shang Yi was not afraid of any wild beasts, there was no need to seek out that trouble. Moreover, today's harvest was already sufficient; he would not be able to carry another large beast.

Looking at the handgun placed on the table, Shang Yi let out a bitter smile. Why not just shoot the black bear directly? Yet, he still had to take a knife and fight the black bear to the death. If the captain found out, he would surely scold him for not knowing how to write the word "death." However, it seemed that the captain would not be born for nearly four hundred years.

These thoughts flashed through Shang Yi's mind, but he showed no sign of fear. He stepped forward, shielding Ye Yao Yao behind him, and said in a deep voice: "Yao Yao, stay back. I don't want you to get hurt."

Only the weeds parted, and five individuals emerged, all of whom were young men. Shang Yi and Ye Yaozhao finally breathed a sigh of relief, for they recognized these five youths, all from the same village, named Zhou Shaohuan, Tong Dayong, Cheng Jin, Cheng Gang, and Duan Peng. Among them, the oldest, Zhou Shaohuan, was merely twenty years old, while the youngest, Duan Peng, was only fourteen.

Shang Yi chuckled, "Be careful, it might just get up from the ground again"

This strike was indeed a fatal blow, and the black bear let out a roar that shook the heavens and the earth. It swung its paw fiercely twice, leaving the tree trunk scarred and battered, then rolled over on the ground several times before falling lifelessly to the sky.

One person and one beast faced each other like this, and even Ye Yaoyao, who was watching from a distance, couldn't help but hold her breath. Her hand, tightly gripping the hunting fork, was drenched in sweat, and she silently worried for Shang Yi.

Shang Yiping held his breath, raised the crossbow in his hand, aimed, and then pulled the trigger

Upon seeing this, Shang Yi simply instructed Zhou Shaohuan and a few others to place the dead bear in the open space at the entrance, allowing the villagers to have a good look. Having just fought with the black bear, Shang Yi was also smeared with quite a bit of bear blood, so he went inside with Ye Yaozhao to change clothes.

Taking advantage of the moment to catch his breath, Shang Yi, positioned beneath the black bear, gripped his knife with both hands and suddenly thrust it deep into the bear's body until the hilt was buried. He then immediately rolled away on the spot, escaping the bear's control.

Shang Yi's room is quite simple, containing only a bed, two stools, and a small table. Upon returning to the room, Shang Yi took off his outer garment, set down his crossbow and machete, and sat on the stool, taking a few breaths. He then reached behind him, pulled out an object, and placed it on the table; it was a handgun.

Shang Yi, a soldier of the Special Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China in the 21st century

This year marks the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, in the ninth month, corresponding to the Gregorian year 1642

With a whoosh, the crossbow bolt was instantly released, striking the neck of a roe deer that was grazing about forty meters away. The deer, pierced by the arrow, managed to run a few steps in pain before finally collapsing onto the grass with a thud.

The black bear, injured and in pain, roared loudly, its voice echoing through the mountains and forests. Without regard for anything else, it charged fiercely at Shang Yi. Shang Yi dared not confront the black bear head-on; instead, he took advantage of the trees in the forest, dodging left and right, and whenever he saw an opportunity, he would strike the bear with a knife.

Shang Yi merely smiled and said, "I was just lucky; it was actually quite dangerous just now, and I almost lost my life. In the future, if you encounter a black bear, you must not confront it head-on."

Zhou Shaohuan said: "Brother Shang, you are truly impressive. In this area of several hundred miles, I have yet to hear of any hunter being able to kill a black bear"

Shang Yi also smiled and said, "Alright, we have accomplished quite a bit today, let's head back."

At this moment, Ye Yaotian said: "Alright, you all have not seen how exhausted Brother Shang is. It can wait until we return to discuss it. You few have come at just the right time; let's all pitch in and help carry the black bear back together."

But the blood stirred the beastly nature of the black and white bear, making it even more furious as it relentlessly pursued Shang Yi. Where its paws struck, it broke two small trees the thickness of a bowl. After fighting for more than ten minutes, Shang Yi's stamina had also diminished significantly, and his movements were much slower than at the beginning

After narrowly dodging a strike from the black bear, Shang Yi's back pressed against a large tree trunk, which was so thick that two people could not wrap their arms around it. The black bear seemed to understand that Shang Yi had nowhere to retreat, and suddenly stood upright, swinging its powerful paws down towards Shang Yi's head with great force.

At this moment, the deer had not yet completely passed away; its eyes were wide open, and its body twitched intermittently. Shang Yi frowned slightly, set down his crossbow, and drew a dagger from his belt. He made a swift cut across its neck, and the deer suddenly kicked its legs before finally becoming completely still.

Ye Yaochan looked at Shang Yi with admiration and said, "Brother Shang, your archery is truly remarkable; today you have returned with a full load again." She was carrying two wild rabbits and three mountain chickens on her back, and it was evident without asking that they were all the result of Shang Yi's efforts

At that moment, a rustling sound came from the bushes, causing even Shang Yi to change color slightly. If another black bear were to jump out, he would no longer have the strength to fight it. Therefore, his right hand reached behind him, thinking that this time he would truly have to use it.

Shang Yi could not help but be taken aback. Although he had extensive experience in jungle survival and had killed numerous large beasts such as wolves and leopards, he had never hunted a black bear. Moreover, he had heard his instructor mention more than once that the black bear is the most formidable and ferocious beast in the mountains, so much so that even tigers do not dare to provoke them easily. It is said that an adult black bear can weigh over 500 kilograms and can kill an adult bull with a single powerful strike. However, he never imagined that he would encounter a black bear here.

Duan Peng touched the black bear, stuck out his tongue, and said: "What a big fellow, it could at least fit two of me."

After witnessing the scene before them, several individuals were left utterly astonished. Although they were all relatively young, they were experienced hunters. Even the youngest among them, Duan Peng, had begun accompanying adults on hunting trips at the age of twelve, and he naturally understood that an adult black bear would be avoided even by the most seasoned hunters. To their disbelief, however, it was Shang Yi who single-handedly took down the bear. The mere mention of it seemed unbelievable, yet with Shang Yi's knife still embedded in the bear's body, they had no choice but to accept the truth, leading them to admire Shang Yi immensely.

Amidst a burst of laughter, they hurriedly chopped down two small trees, using the ropes they had brought with them to bind the black bear. Joking and chatting, they worked together to carry it down the mountain.

A person and a beast fought for over ten minutes. Although the black bear possessed great strength, its large size ultimately hindered its agility. In its attempts to leap and maneuver, it could not match the nimbleness of Shang Yi. The bear's powerful paws swung wildly, sending small branches and grass flying, yet it failed to land a single hit on Shang Yi. Conversely, amidst the bear's dodging and turning, Shang Yi managed to strike it several times. Although the wounds were not very deep, they bled profusely, staining both the bear and the ground.

Shang Yi calmly put away his crossbow, possessing absolute confidence in his archery skills. Within a range of one hundred meters, such a large target could be said to be hit with perfect accuracy. He also picked up the two yellow goats he had previously shot and walked over to the fallen roe deer.

At that moment, a rustling sound was heard from the branches and underbrush, and suddenly a large black bear charged out from the jungle. This black bear was massive, only about thirty meters away from the two individuals, with a pair of small round bear eyes fixed intently on them