Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Hunting Injury_1
Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Hunting Injury_1
Zhao Erhu seized the opportunity to strike at the bear’s head, but he underestimated the toughness of the bear’s hide; a full-force blow only managed to cut the bear’s skin, and although blood flowed freely, it didn’t inflict a fatal injury. Instead, it enraged the bear, which countered with a paw, flipping Zhao Erhu several meters away. Zhao Erhu spat out a mouthful of blood. Yet the bear did not let him be, its animalistic instinct ruthlessly compelling it to tear apart this human who had hurt and provoked it for no reason.
After being hit by the bear, Zhao Erhu calmed down and suddenly remembered what his young wife had said before he left: she and the children depended on him to return safely. This recollection sobered him from his greedy and hotheaded state, making him realize he had indeed acted rashly.
If he were to risk his life for Silver and something happened to him, what would his young wife and children do? While he was still alive, his aunt and the people at the old Zhao Family house dared to bully them; if something were to happen to him, they’d probably be bullied even worse. But by now, there was no opportunity for regret. The bear, incited by his previous attack, fought more fiercely, attacking him without regard to its own safety. The disparity in strength between him and the bear was huge, with little chance of him winning even if he fought with all his might. He could only try his best to dodge while looking for a chance to escape.
Zhao Erhu was chased by the bear, running and dodging. Within moments, his body was covered in wounds, but luckily none too severe, allowing him to keep up the chase with the bear until they reached a hillside. The loose soil and his closeness to the edge caused him to accidentally roll down the slope, hitting his head on a rock on the way down, adding injury upon injury. Nevertheless, he was finally out of the bear’s reach.
Ignoring the wounds on his body and head, Zhao Erhu, fearing the bear’s return, tore a strip of cloth from his clothing to bind his head wound. He then got up and fled. After running a considerable distance and looking back, he saw, to his shock, that another bear had joined the first one at the hillside. It appeared to be a male and a female pair, roaring in anger, seemingly venting their wrath at not being able to catch the person who had harmed them.
Zhao Erhu felt cold sweat on his forehead, thankful that he had run fast and hadn’t foolishly fought to the death with the bear. Otherwise, he feared he would no longer be alive. His steps unsteady, he headed towards the cave where he had stayed the previous night. Along the way, Zhao Erhu reflected on his mistake. He had been too arrogant, overestimating his abilities and daring to attack the bear without properly assessing his own strength, which had led to this lesson. He resolved to be more cautious in the future.
Perhaps due to blood loss, Zhao Erhu felt dizzy by the time he returned to the cave. He forced himself to treat his wounds and apply herbal remedies. As injuries from hunting were common, he always carried some hemostatic and healing herbs with him when he went hunting. This time, the injuries were so numerous that he used up all the herbs he brought with him.
After treating his injuries, Zhao Erhu became very drowsy. Despite struggling to keep his eyes open, he still made a fire and filled his stomach before allowing himself to sleep. In this cold and hungry season, even a healthy person could fall ill if left in the cold all night, let alone him in his current state. If he were to catch a cold now, it would truly be adding insult to injury. Lost in the vast, uninhabited mountains, nobody knew he was here, and no one would come to his rescue. He could rely only on himself.