Chapter 63: Blood‑Veined Bear Eyes! The Mountain King

"Fire!" Lu Qingshan's voice cracked like spring thunder, issuing a decisive command!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three muffled gunshots exploded almost simultaneously!

Lu Qingshan, Zhao Dazhi, and Liu Fugui's old hunting rifles simultaneously spewed angry tongues of flame, the scorching iron‑sand pellets tearing the air.

Carrying everyone's hope, they charged straight at the bear the size of a small mountain.

However, the expected scene of the black bear collapsing to the ground never occurred.

The black bear's hide was rough and its flesh thick; its black fur resembled steel needles, and its fat layer was astonishingly dense.

Three handfuls of iron sand struck its massive body, yet it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, only splashing a few drops of blood and a handful of flying black hair!

The black bear's huge frame paused only briefly, then let out an even more deafening, furious roar!

"Aaa—!"

The howl was filled with provoked ferocity; its already savage little eyes instantly turned blood‑red, and its speed only increased.

The massive bear paw, wielding ten thousand pounds of force, slammed hard onto a bowl‑diameter wooden stake used to block the ditch entrance.

"Crack!"

The sturdy wooden stake snapped on impact, splintering wood chips that scattered, fragile as rotten wood!

"Er Zhuang! Move quickly!"

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes bulged, he let out a roar, and together with Zhao Er Zhuang and the others rolled and scrambled to both sides to evade.

The proud sticks and hunting forks they wielded were nothing but child's play before this true forest ruler!

The black bear, like an out‑of‑control heavy tank, rammed through the hastily set up blockade line of the villagers.

Its massive body, bearing a foul, rancid gust, surged straight into the Dead Ditch packed with prey!

"It's... over..."

Liu Fugui's complexion turned as pale as paper, his legs trembled like a sieve, his hunting rifle nearly slipped from his grasp, and he muttered to himself.

The other villagers in the ditch were even more terrified, some of the timid already collapsed on the ground.

When the black bear entered the Dead Ditch, the thick, blood‑soaked scent completely ignited its ferocity.

It temporarily ignored the humans it deemed weak; with a swing of its massive paw, a Wild Boar weighing over a hundred jin was easily flung like a torn sack several meters away!

Immediately, it lowered its massive head and began greedily tearing the prey on the ground; the sound of bones cracking and flesh being chewed was crystal clear, making one's teeth ache and heart freeze.

The depth inside the Dead Ditch was relatively open, which also meant the black bear now had a larger range of movement.

It faced away from the ditch entrance, seemingly famished, temporarily disregarding the humans behind it, fully immersed in the feast of flesh.

The four hunting dogs that arrived only dared to bark wildly at a distance from the massive black bear, never daring to approach.

"Brother Qing Shan! What... what do we do? The gun... the gun can't pierce, and neither people nor dogs can get close!"

Zhao Fei, sweating profusely, found his bow and arrow useless against this rough‑skinned, thick‑fleshed beast, his voice trembling with sobs.

Lu Qingshan's face was as calm as water, yet his gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed on the black bear devouring its meal.

Mountain Wild Heart clearly told him that this black bear's fur, fat, and bones were unusually resilient.

Ordinary hunting rifles' iron‑sand pellets can only cause fatal damage if they precisely hit soft vital spots like the eyes or nasal cavity; otherwise, they rarely do.

And hitting those spots while it rampages is as hard as scaling the heavens!

He noticed that although the black bear was feasting wildly, its keen large ears and massive nose still twitched alertly.

Occasionally it would violently swivel half its head, its eyes flashing with a faint glow as they swept toward the crowd at the ditch entrance.

It wasn't completely letting its guard down; it merely deemed these humans temporarily non‑threatening.

"We can't let it stay peacefully in the ditch!"

Lu Qingshan's mind raced; if the black bear ate its fill here and even made this a temporary den,

then this Dead Ditch would truly become a forbidden zone for Shanwan Village, and no one could ever approach again.

Moreover, letting it gorge here would only invite more unknown trouble.

His mind raced, and Mountain Wild Heart continuously sensed the black bear's emotional fluctuations, physical condition, and every subtle change in the surrounding environment.

Where is the black bear's weakness?

How can we subdue this forest ruler under such absolute disadvantage?

Suddenly, he thought of the black bear's habits.

Although they are ferocious, they are also relatively cautious, preferring solitude and possessing a strong territorial urge.

Furthermore, they are highly sensitive to sudden, massive noises and unpredictable danger, easily startled.

"Fugui! How many Homemade Grenades do you still have on you?"

Lu Qingshan's gaze hardened, and he asked in a low voice.

Liu Fugui was startled by the sudden question, trembling and stammering.

"There... there are three... three left! All tucked in my waist!"

He had taken extra ones to boost his courage and send signals.

"Good!"

A flash of resolve crossed Lu Qingshan's eyes.

"Uncle Dazhi, you immediately take a few brave and careful brothers and loop around the slope to the other end of the Dead Ditch."

"Make as much noise as possible—bang on trees, shout loudly, and draw the black bear's attention that way!"

"Qing Shan, this is too dangerous! What if..." Zhao Dazhi's face changed, and he said anxiously.

"Trust me!"

Lu Qingshan's gaze was as steadfast as iron, leaving no room for doubt.

"This is our only chance! Fugui, come with me; we'll strike from this side of the ditch entrance!"

"I... I... I'll go with you!"

Although Liu Fugui's teeth were chattering from fear, seeing Lu Qingshan's resolute, "either succeed or die trying" expression.

Thinking of his younger siblings back home and the whole village's expectations, he gritted his teeth hard and actually agreed.

"Tiezhu! Erzhuang! You few guard this side; once the black bear is startled, rush to the ditch mouth—even if we have to fill it with our lives, we must stop it for a moment!"

Lu Qingshan turned and roared loudly at Zhao Tiezhu, Zhao Er Zhuang and the others guarding behind the broken barrier at the ditch mouth.

"Don't worry, Brother Qing Shan! Even if we die, we'll trip it up!" Zhao Tiezhu's eyes were blood‑red, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the stick bulged, and he replied in a hoarse voice.

The other men also wore expressions of mortal resolve.

Zhao Dazhi no longer hesitated; he immediately picked a few usually clever villagers, and carefully, using trees and rocks for cover along the slope, tried to circle to the other end of the Dead Ditch.

Lu Qingshan then brought Liu Fugui, crouching low like a agile leopard, and silently approached the ditch mouth while the black bear was busy tearing at its prey.

Each step felt like treading on a blade's edge; the black bear's low growls and the bone‑chilling tearing sounds echoed constantly in their ears, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood and fishiness.

Liu Fugui's face turned ashen from fright, his body trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind; if not for Lu Qingshan's steady figure always leading ahead, he would have already collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

The two held their breath and slowly crept to within less than thirty meters of the black bear at the ditch's edge.

The black bear's massive, hill‑like back swayed inside the ditch, greedily enjoying this unexpected feast.

"Fugui, give me two of the homemade grenades."

Lu Qingshan lowered his voice, as if whispering.

Liu Fugui trembled as he took two oil‑wrapped homemade grenades from his waist and handed them over shakily.

Lu Qingshan took the heavy homemade grenades, drew a deep breath.

He was going to take a gamble!

He was betting on the black bear's instinctive fear of unknown loud noises, betting that in its panic it would choose the most direct, unobstructed escape route—

namely, the ditch mouth they were facing.

"Ready!"

Lu Qingshan shouted low, clutching the two homemade grenades tightly in one hand while the other had already felt for the flint and steel.

At that moment, at the other end of the Dead Ditch, Zhao Dazhi and the others finally produced a huge noise!

They struck tree trunks with stones, shouting and yelling with all their strength, the sound reverberating through the valley.

The black bear, indeed, was startled while eating!

It jerked its blood‑stained huge head up, let out an annoyed low growl, and its alert, fierce eyes swept toward the direction of the sound.

"Now!"

Light burst in Lu Qingshan's eyes; seizing this rare opportunity, he struck the flint, the fuse ignited instantly, spitting out a "hiss‑hiss" spark!

He swung his arm hard; the two homemade grenades whistled sharply, tracing a precise arc and landing squarely a few meters behind the black bear deep inside the ditch.

The black bear seemed to sense the threat from another direction; its huge body twisted violently, about to react.

Boom—!

The two homemade grenades exploded simultaneously inside the narrow Dead Ditch!

Although the power of the homemade explosive could not compare with real explosives, in this relatively confined terrain its ear‑splitting roar and sudden burst of fire, light and smoke were still terrifying!

The black bear was completely enraged and terrified by this sudden roar and shock!

Its massive body shuddered violently, letting out a howl filled with terror and rage.

Survival instinct made it instantly abandon the prey before it and choose to flee from the explosion and unknown threat—

straight toward the ditch mouth where Lu Qingshan and the others were!

"Here it comes! It's coming!"

A flash of cold light passed through Lu Qingshan's eyes; he bellowed loudly!

That black bear went mad, its speed astonishing, moving on all fours like a black lightning bolt, bringing a stench of blood and gore as it madly charged toward the ditch mouth!

"Fugui! Shoot! Shoot its eyes! Shoot its head!"

Lu Qingshan shouted hoarsely, simultaneously raising his hunting rifle; the perception of Mountain Wild Heart reached its peak at this moment!

Liu Fugui had already been scared witless, but hearing Lu Qingshan's command‑like roar, he almost reflexively raised his hunting rifle, not bothering to aim, and pulled the trigger wildly at the ever‑closer huge black shadow!

Bang!

The bullet whistled out, unknown where it struck the black bear—perhaps just a graze—but the close‑range gunfire again stimulated the already frenzied black bear.

Lu Qingshan, however, was a hundred times calmer than him!

Under the super‑strong perception of Mountain Wild Heart, the black bear's charging trajectory, every tiny movement, even its eyes that appeared especially fragile amid fury and terror, were clearly presented in his mind!

He did not deliberately aim; instead, relying on a near‑instinctive prediction and the super‑strong locking ability on moving targets granted by Mountain Wild Heart,

he steadily pointed the gun muzzle at a predicted point ahead of the black bear's charging direction.

Bang!

Another gunshot!

At the instant the black bear's huge head was about to burst out of the ditch mouth, Lu Qingshan's shot—an iron sand pellet condensed with all his focus and strength—like it had eyes, accurately and fiercely slammed into the black bear's raised left eye!

"Ooooh—!"

A mournful cry so extreme it seemed impossible for a beast to make suddenly rang through the whole valley!

The black bear's mountain‑sized massive body, as if struck hard by an invisible giant hammer, lurched forward and collapsed onto the ground.

Its huge inertia plowed a deep trench several meters long in the snow; blood mixed with brain matter gushed from its collapsed left eye socket!

It writhed in pain, its huge paws flailing wildly in the air, smashing the surrounding snow, rubble and low bushes into a mess.

A wild beast, especially a mountain king, awakened from hibernation and wounded, often erupts with the most terrifying ferocity!