Chapter 20: The Bear's Narrow Escape

Luan Yi stood atop a branch over five meters high, surveying the distance from his elevated perch. In the depths of the dense forest, he saw the shrubs trembling—a sign of the bear that Luan Fu and Cai Rong had spoken of. Now, the bear was less than a hundred paces away; through the gaps between the bushes, he could see its true form with startling clarity. It was an adult black bear, over three meters tall, as imposing as a small mountain. Its glossy black fur gleamed, eyes shining like bulbs, exuding a fierce and bloodthirsty aura. Its fangs protruded menacingly, and its cavernous maw was wide enough to swallow a piglet whole. On its massive paws, claws three to five centimeters long gleamed terrifyingly.

Luan Yi glanced at Cai Zhao, who was still struggling to climb the tree nearby, and was so anxious that he nearly lost all composure. He shouted desperately, “Quick, climb up! Cai Rong, at a time like this, what does propriety matter? Help him—support him from below! Hurry, lift him!” The black bear drew closer, bursting through the shrubs, its eyes burning with murderous intent.

Without another thought, Luan Yi slid down from the tree, rushing to Cai Zhao’s side beside Cai Rong. Together, they pushed Cai Zhao upwards, both hands supporting his hips, hoisting him towards safety. Feeling the unexpected touch, Cai Zhao let out a startled cry.

Luan Yi paid him no mind, urging impatiently, “What are you yelling for? Hurry and climb!”

Only then did Cai Zhao realize the imminent danger he was in. He scrambled up, grabbing a branch and clambering onto it with hands and feet.

Luan Yi and Cai Rong watched as Cai Zhao found stability in the tree, finally letting out a breath of relief. But when they turned to observe the bear’s approach, they inhaled sharply in fear.

The bear was astonishingly fast; in that brief moment, it was less than twenty meters away. Seeing only the two of them on the ground, it charged straight at them, blood from its attack on Cai Shen dripping from its jaws, stirring a gust of bloody, putrid air.

Luan Yi’s legs trembled, drained of strength to flee. He thought, this is it—the bear is so close, he couldn't outrun it, nor could he climb the tree in time. He cursed himself for his reckless valor, for playing the hero. Now, his life was about to end here... Would his brief existence in the Han dynasty be extinguished by a bear? No, absolutely not... There were still so many things he had yet to do!

The people in the tree saw Luan Yi trapped and cried out in alarm. Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai, in particular, wanted to leap down and fight the bear, but were restrained by Mao Jie, Xun Yu, and others.

“Let go of me! Let go! Let me save Brother Yi!” Guo Jia shouted desperately.

Xun Yu clung tightly to his armpit, refusing to release him. “Don’t go! You wouldn’t be able to save him—you’d only die in vain!”

“Then I’ll live and die with Brother Yi!” Xi Zhicai declared.

At this critical moment, Luan Yi’s mind was extraordinarily clear. He shouted at Guo Jia and the others to stop their reckless actions, insisting he had a solution. Instantly, memories of popular science from his previous life flashed through his mind—ways to evade a black bear attack.

He shouted at the bewildered Cai Rong below, “Quick! Lie down and play dead!” With that, Luan Yi dropped to the ground.

Guo Jia and the others were stunned—they never imagined that Luan Yi’s solution was to lie motionless on the earth. Unaware of the bear’s habit of avoiding carrion, they thought Luan Yi had lost all hope and was offering himself to the beast.

Cai Rong thought the same. He wanted to live, not “seek death” like Luan Yi, so he broke into a desperate run. After barely four or five steps, the bear caught up with him.

With a mighty leap, the bear knocked Cai Rong down, its jaws opening wide. In a savage twist, blood sprayed, and Cai Rong’s bloody head disappeared into its mouth.

Everyone was terrified out of their wits, screaming uncontrollably. Among them, Cai Zhao’s cries were the most tragic, calling out “Cai Rong, Cai Rong,” as tears flowed like rain.

Lying on the ground, Luan Yi was jolted by the horror, his body trembling uncontrollably. He forced himself to tighten every muscle, minimizing his shivering to avoid attracting the bear’s attention.

The bear tore at Cai Rong for a while, then gradually focused its attention on Luan Yi, strolling leisurely toward him.

The people in the tree cried out again, “Brother Yi, it’s coming for you! Run!”

Luan Yi thought, I know it’s coming without you telling me