The dead, thousand-year-old Old Tree looked very strange. What was strange was that the tree did not harmonize with the surrounding environment. Although it was not the dead of winter, the early snowfall had turned the entire forest into a silver-white world. Only near this large tree was there no accumulated snow, and the Tree hollow was piled high with precious matsutake mushrooms and various preserved berries. When I first saw the large Hole in the trunk, I thought it was a Bear cave, but upon getting closer, I didn't smell the foul, fishy odor, which made me suspicious.
Just as I was about to ask Yanzi why there was no snow near this Withered tree's hollow, Yanzi saw I was about to speak and quickly waved her hands at me: "Keep your voice down, this is indeed a Bear cave. Although the Human Bear is stupid, it is good at building its nest, unlike the nests of ordinary bears which are stinking, damp, and overwhelmingly fishy." Because it was warm inside the Bear cave, there was no snow around the Old tree. The snowless area around the Withered tree hollow, piled with so many matsutake mushrooms, clearly indicated it was a Bear's den. Seeing Yanzi had determined the Bear cave's location, I dared not speak. I made a gesture, pointing to a nearby grass nest, and the three of us quietly crept over, preparing the gear for hunting the bear.
Hunting a Human Bear in the mountains is the most dangerous undertaking. It requires the spirit and courage to directly face a Man-eating Bear. The reason Hunters usually don't dare to bother a Human Bear is not because they lack courage. It's just that they live off the mountain, and hunting is entirely for survival. Trapping Foxes or shooting rabbits can also make a living; why risk doing something that puts one's life on the line? It's truly not worth taking such a risk.
Now we were about to adventure to hunt the bear. The plan had been discussed; it followed the old method passed down by the ancestors of mountain Hunters. Hunters refer to all trapping techniques using the word "trap" in their names. The "Fur Wontons" trap for Foxes and Yellow Weasels is called the "Wonton Trap"; trapping a bear with sticky buns is called the "Sticky Trap." Although the snow hadn't melted, the mountain climate wasn't too cold. The large quantity of Yellow Millet Flour Sticky Bean Buns we carried into the mountains were wrapped tightly in warm dog-fur mats and hadn't frozen, which saved us some unnecessary trouble.
I took out several Birch Wood Sleeves and handed them to Fatty, saying to him, "Comrade Fatty, the time for the organization to test you has arrived. You go ahead." Fatty quickly declined: "Actually, looking back at your performance in various historical periods, and considering your objective conditions, you are much more suited to complete this arduous yet glorious mission. I think you should go, Old Hu, I will cover you from behind."
Yanzi said, "Stop arguing. One person can't handle this job. Fatty is thick-skinned and strong, suitable for being bait. Hu Zi has a steady hand; he will find an opportunity to strike by the Tree hollow with me holding an axe. Remember, don't panic, and when you strike, you absolutely cannot hold back; you must finish it off. If the situation turns bad, we run. When running for our lives, we must never run straight..."
We were in the grass nest far from the Bear cave, discussing how to proceed, when halfway through our conversation, we felt the Red Pine behind us shake violently twice. I quickly turned to look. In the Deep mountains and old forest, there was nothing around but grass and trees. But the tree was indeed shaking slightly. Was there an Earthquake? Just as I was thinking this, the large Red Pine shook fiercely again, and the pine needles and accumulated snow hanging on the branches fell down in a flurry, as if some huge object on the tree was stirring restlessly.
Looking up, it was astonishing. It turned out a massive, long-haired Human Bear was lying on the Red Pine. It lowered its head and was looking at us with blood-red eyes. The red eyes, coupled with its long arms and sharp claws, all indicated its identity: this was the most terrifying of the Human Bears, the "Man-eating Bear." Mountain people Legend says that after a Human Bear consumes human brain matter, its eyes turn red, and then it desires nothing else but to eat human flesh all day long. In reality, Human Bears with completely red eyes become twice as savage and ferocious as usual due to the chaotic weather and seasons.
The Human Bear clung tightly to the trunk with both arms at the treetop. The Red Pine, requiring several people to encircle it, trembled under the weight of the bear's body. The Human Bear probably intended to slide down the tree directly, but mountain Human Bears know how to climb up but not how to climb down; they can only climb up and then fall straight down by letting go. Usually, it climbs to the treetop like this and then falls, over and over. This is a form of entertainment for it, and it also allows it to practice its robust brute strength and toughen its thick hide.
We were stunned by this sight. Earlier, we had only paid attention to the Movement in the Withered tree's Bear cave. Who would have thought that although it had snowed in the mountains, the seasons were disordered, and the Human Bear hadn't entered hibernation in its cave day and night. But the Human Bear suddenly spotted people under the tree, eager to taste human brain matter. In its haste, it seemed to have forgotten how to descend, constantly shaking the treetop while holding on.
Although the Red Pine was thick, it couldn't withstand the Human Bear's thrashing. After shaking a few times, it cracked with a "kacha-cha" sound. The three of us finally Came back to our senses from the shock and hurriedly scattered to evade. We saw the Human Bear fall heavily to the ground wrapped in pine branches. The accumulated snow on the ground was kicked up into a vast white mist. Although the Human Bear had tough skin and thick flesh, the fall from the tree, scratched and pierced by the branches and pine needles, caused it considerable pain. A roar erupted, shaking the pine forest.
We were wearing very thick clothes, making our movements exceptionally clumsy. We rolled on the ground to dodge the broken pine tree, and the Tools we prepared for hunting the bear scattered everywhere. The Human Bear, fierce by nature, was unharmed by falling from a height while clutching the Red Pine branch. It fiercely stood up and lunged at Fatty, who was closest to it.
Fatty was completely unprepared, facing the giant Man-eating Bear head-on. His usual fearless spirit of "embracing the five continents and surveying the whole world" had completely vanished. In the snow, he just wanted to run away, rolling and crawling. In his Flustered state, before he could take a single step, he fell again onto the snow.
When he managed to get up again, the Human Bear was already upon him, swinging a claw down. Fatty's padded jacket on his back was shredded. Fortunately, in his panic, he remembered the technique for hunting bears and casually grabbed the Birch Wood Sleeve that had rolled near him. But as soon as he turned around, he was immediately pinned down by the Human Bear. Once the Human Bear pinned a person, it immediately squinted its eyes happily. The next habitual action it was about to perform was to lick the person's head with its Tongue full of Barbs, intending to suck the Living person's brain fluid and blood.
Some Hunters say that the Human Bear does this not because it craves human blood and brains, but because it thinks humans look so beautiful—their skin so smooth and glossy—so it smiles and extends its Tongue to lick. Regardless of its motive, any Living person licked by it is guaranteed to be done for. Seeing Fatty in danger, I grabbed the Hunting Fork from the ground and prepared to rush forward to save him.
At this moment, Yanzi also climbed up from the snow. Seeing the Human Bear had wrapped Fatty up, she quickly shouted a reminder: "Quickly use the Birch Wood Sleeve to escape!" Fatty was embraced by the Human Bear, in so much pain his bones felt like they were breaking. He saw the Human Bear squinting its eyes and opening its mouth, its Tongue licking toward him. He was almost choked to death by the foul smell from its mouth. But he also knew clearly that at this moment of life and death, he couldn't worry about the stench or the pain. He quickly blocked the Birch Wood Sleeve between his head and the Human Bear's Tongue. The Human Bear's hot, large Tongue immediately licked the wooden sleeve, and a large piece of bark was instantly stripped off by its Tongue. Fatty took the opportunity to push, shoving the entire Birch Wood Sleeve into the Human Bear's embrace, and managed to Escape.