Chapter 8

“Hmm? You want to go out?”
Xiong Gui nodded.
Xia Lingze thought for a moment. “Alright, but it’s getting late today. How about tomorrow? Tomorrow, I’ll take you up the mountain to find honey, like I promised you before.”
Xiong Gui’s eyes rolled around, and the corners of his mouth stretched into a wider smile, signaling his agreement.

That night.
Xia Lingze went to bed early as usual.
Guiyi Village had no electricity; the night was pitch black, as if a massive dark cloth had been draped over the sky. There were no city neon lights, no urban clamor, not even the occasional barking dogs or distant calls of cattle and sheep that other villages sometimes had at night. It was as silent as death.
Only Li Xiuniang’s house in the southern part of the village had a candle lit, its flickering light casting a long shadow on the wall, creating an oddly eerie atmosphere.

An old wooden stool bore a woman sitting with a face pale as paper, her jet-black hair loose behind her, giving off a chilling aura. She held a fine silver needle between her lips and skillfully threaded it through fabric.
Though the garment was only half-finished, its general shape was apparent: a white long robe, embroidered with a golden dragon winding gracefully around the waist, its curves evoking clouds and mist. The collar and cuffs were also adorned with exquisite patterns, harmonizing with the golden dragon.
Xia Lingze was about to turn eighteen, and this was Li Xiuniang’s gift for his coming-of-age ceremony.

...
So quiet.
Xiong Gui shrank his bulky body into a corner as if seeking some semblance of safety.
Black Gui Mountain had never been this quiet. Even though it knew it would be punished for disturbing the sleep of others, some insect sounds always filtered through.
He used to find the noise annoying, but now it felt strangely comforting. Alas, he could never go back.

Just as Xiong Gui was lost in these reflections, a sudden pain struck his head, as if something had hit him.
Just as he was about to lose his temper, he recalled his current precarious situation; his anger was quickly replaced by fear. Like a thief caught red-handed, he hurriedly closed his eyes and played dead.
The territorial instinct of a Great Gui was strong. Though no one understood why the Great Guis in this Gui Domain lived so densely packed without fighting, each still had its own territory—its home. Xiong Gui stayed in Xia Lingze’s courtyard, and any other Gui who wanted to attack would have to consider Xia Lingze’s retaliation.
—Xiong Gui still couldn’t believe the apparent harmony among the Great Guis was genuine. It was definitely a facade.
Moreover, he had already been threatened twice! Even a fool could see something was wrong in this Gui Domain. It was as if the Great Guis were suppressed by an even more terrifying force, which was why they hadn’t erupted in battle.
Shuddering at this thought, Xiong Gui realized the restricted area was truly forbidding and bizarre.

“Hey.”

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Sure enough, here it comes!
Xiong Gui buried his head in his arms, pretending not to hear.
“I know you’re not asleep. I have a bad temper. If you keep playing dead, you might really die.” A voice filled with murderous intent came softly from ahead.
Xiong Gui froze, and after an intense internal struggle, he finally understood his place—The Great Guis might refrain from attacking out of respect for Xia Lingze, but even if they fought secretly, what could Xia Lingze do? Would he fight to the death for him?
Trembling, Xiong Gui lifted his head. A small figure stood outside the courtyard, its skin an unnatural pale blue-white, wet all over, dripping water steadily. Its eye sockets were hollow, lacking eyeballs, and water plants clung to it like snakes.

One glance.
The air stiffened, and an overwhelming pressure gripped his throat like invisible hands, making it hard to breathe, suffocating him gradually.
Xiong Gui trembled as he stood up and obediently walked outside.
He considered waking Xia Lingze, but this home didn’t only have Xia Lingze; there was another terrifying Great Gui who wasn’t as friendly as Xia Lingze. Its gaze seemed as if it wanted to devour him. If he made noise, the likelihood of waking Xia Lingze was far less than waking this hostile Great Gui.
Ertan was somewhat satisfied with Xiong Gui’s sensible behavior. Disdainfully eyeing the shivering bear, he beckoned with a finger.
“Come with me.”

...

To avoid waking Xia Lingze, Ertan took some distance, stopping at the village gate. The eerie figure revealed its true form, arms crossed, chin raised. “Lingze said you know how to do the shaking flower hand. Show me.”
Xiong Gui: “?”
What shaking flower hand? He didn’t understand!
Seeing Xiong Gui remain motionless, Ertan grew annoyed. “What, you look down on me?”
How dare he!
Xiong Gui twitched his face, attempting to recall the hand movement Xia Lingze called the shaking flower hand and tried to imitate it.
Ertan’s gaze turned increasingly disdainful.
“What is that? Is that supposed to be flower hand?”
Xiong Gui: I don’t know either! Besides, I never said this was flower hand. I was trying to warn that devil about the forbidden zone!
“Sigh, Lingze is just inexperienced. I thought a bear actually could do flower hand. Almost thought it was a spirit, scared me.”
Xiong Gui: “...”
“Alright, I’ll ask you—do you want to leave this place? Or are you planning to stick with Lingze?”

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“Roar!”
Hearing “leave,” Xiong Gui excitedly nodded. Hearing “stick with the devil,” he shook his head frantically.
Ertan’s expression darkened. “You’re nodding and shaking at the same time—what does that mean? You want both?”
Xiong Gui was stunned, then shook his head vigorously to indicate otherwise, pointing with his fingers toward the village outskirts to show he wanted to leave.
Ertan’s face softened a bit. Suddenly noticing Xiong Gui’s gesture was amusing—two fingers stretched straight, claws curled inward, resembling a hand gun—he laughed, “You’re still a rapping bear.”
Xiong Gui was confused: “I don’t get the ‘simi da’—so does this mean I can go?”
Ertan, self-proclaimed 10G surfing master, began to see Xiong Gui in a new light. His murderous intent waned, and he patted the bear’s... leg. “You’re pretty interesting. I was going to slaughter you—fine, I’ll escort you out. You’re too weak; a lone bear can’t make it.”
Xiong Gui, realizing he’d narrowly escaped death, was deeply moved. Remembering the candy Xia Lingze had given him but he threw away, he got a clever idea.
If he could get along well with the Great Guis, it would be all gain and no pain. Otherwise... maybe pledge allegiance to a sect?
Naive Xiong Gui did not realize the gravity of this decision—he was sealing his own fate.
After Ertan escorted Xiong Gui out of the white mist and was about to return, Xiong Gui suddenly grabbed him, signaling him to follow.
Ertan thought, “Well, why not? Let’s see what this rapping bear wants.”
Then, the rapping bear, who was as trendy as Ertan himself, led him over three mountain ridges and presented a “treasure”... a candy?
The scent, the packaging—
“Where did you get this?” Ertan asked calmly.
Xiong Gui patted his chest and made a series of gestures.
Ertan nodded, and the moisture in the surrounding air suddenly surged to an alarming level.
“Lingze never gave me candy... This candy was made by the Long Gui. He wouldn’t even eat it himself, but Lingze turned around and gave it to you. You should thank me; at least I’m straightforward. If it were the Long Gui... haha, you’d be turned into a puppet, suffering endless torment and pain.”
Xiong Gui never understood why a simple candy could cost him his life.
Encased in a water bubble like a stomach digesting its contents, it writhed a few times before shrinking to the size of a marble. Ertan opened his mouth, the small water ball flew inside, and he closed his mouth, humming a pop song as he turned and headed home.

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