“Wait!”
Shen Mingqing, walking at the front, suddenly raised his hand with a serious expression.
Everyone immediately stopped, not daring to make a sound.
Shen Mingqing turned his head slightly, as if sniffing the scents carried by the wind.
Duan Zheng had made himself a wooden spear. Seeing Shen Mingqing’s gesture, he half-crouched and moved forward.
The others remained in place, with the young men subtly forming a protective circle around Zhao Nuan and Yan’er.
Shen Mingqing and Duan Zheng crept forward in a low crouch. When they finally saw what was lying in front of the brick kiln, they gasped sharply.
A large bear lay sprawled on the ground, sleeping spread-eagled like a black fur blanket.
The fact that the bear could sleep so openly indicated this was its territory and no other beasts posed a threat to it – which was good news.
The bad news was that the bear was enormous.
Even lying collapsed on the ground without standing up, it was terrifying enough.
The two quietly retreated and signaled everyone to quietly retrace their steps.
Back at the mountain peak, Zhao Nuan frowned deeply upon hearing the description.
Blind bears were even more dangerous than tigers, and they could climb trees and knock them down.
Shen Mingqing also looked worried: “Judging from the droppings we found last time, there should be a smaller one too. This is a major threat. We won’t feel safe living on this mountain unless we eliminate it.”
Predators’ territories usually spanned several mountains, and he had never encountered one despite visiting this mountain multiple times.
This bear was probably attracted by the warmth of the brick kiln. Although it would leave when the kiln cooled down, it still posed a danger.
“Let’s set a trap.”
Zhao Nuan bit her lower lip: “It should leave when the brick kiln cools down. Then we can go set the trap and fire the kiln while waiting for it.”
Moving away wasn’t an option, so this was the only solution.
The simplest trap was digging a pit and placing sharpened wooden sticks inside.
So everyone began collecting sticks as thick as a child’s arm and sharpening them with daggers.
The dagger Zhao Nuan had bought earlier with twenty taels of silver proved its worth. By afternoon, they had prepared a pile of sharp spikes.
The trouble was digging the trap – it needed to be on the bear’s regular path, and they had to work quickly.
Fortunately, the bear was indeed gone the next day. Everyone swiftly opened the kiln, removed the fired bricks, and stacked them neatly to the side.
The red bricks weren’t perfectly uniform, but their crisp clinking sound indicated they were well-fired.
However, no one was in the mood to celebrate, only sighing at the sight of the flattened brick blanks.
Finally, Zhao Nuan decided to dig the trap right at the kiln entrance. Digging it along the path might cause someone to accidentally step into it.
Another batch of brick blanks was loaded into the kiln, filled with firewood, leaving only one ignition hole.
Then everyone took turns digging. Based on the bear’s size, they needed to dig at least two meters deep and two meters wide.
If it wasn’t deep enough, the falling force wouldn’t be sufficient to penetrate the bear’s body. If it wasn’t wide enough, they feared it might climb out by gripping the edges.
This was a major project. They lit many torches around the area to prevent the bear from suddenly appearing, and over a dozen people dug continuously for half a day and through the night.
The sharp spikes were inserted upside down, and the opening was covered with branches, weeds, and leaves.
They lit the brick kiln, sealed it after confirming it was burning properly, then quietly retreated.
Knowing there was a bear on the mountain, they didn’t dare tether the three mules and one sheep near the courtyard anymore.
In the mountain courtyard, the night watch changed every two hours, responsible for keeping the bonfire and torches burning.
Because of this threat, the usually cheerful youths had grown somewhat silent.
They had whispered among themselves that these past few days had been the happiest they had ever experienced in their lives.
They didn’t have to worry about being whipped by government runners; as long as they worked hard, they could eat their fill.
Sister Zhao was very gentle, unlike the noble ladies in the city.
Uncle Duan might seem fierce, but he was actually soft-hearted beneath his tough exterior.
They were all praying, praying that the traps would kill the big bear.
The heavy and tense atmosphere persisted until the third night, by which time Zhao Nuan and the others had finished digging the foundation.
“Roar!~~~~”
A furious roar pierced the sky, startling birds into flight in the dark forest, leaves rustling as they fell.
“Ow-woo~” Zhou Ningyu was startled and let out a little howl in response.
No one laughed this time; the little one’s big eyes darted around nervously.
One roar after another echoed through the silent night, sounding especially terrifying.
Even in the distant Suizhou City, the lights in the houses went out one by one.
Everyone quickly gathered together, forming a circle, weapons held outward.
Eyes fixed unblinkingly on their respective directions, ears perked up for any sound.
The worst-case scenario would be if the cub fell into a trap and the big bear went on a rampage for revenge.
Zhao Nuan’s heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of her throat.
In such a situation, every breath felt drawn-out and eternal, and even Shen Mingqing’s forehead was beaded with fine sweat.
After what felt like an eternity, the roars from the mountainside gradually weakened.
Duan Zheng let out a heavy breath, only then realizing his palms were sweaty from gripping his spear.
After waiting a while longer, Shen Mingqing said he wanted to go check.
“No,” Zhao Nuan disagreed. “It’s nighttime. Walking in the mountains is dangerous enough, let alone going to check on a blind bear.”
As Shen Mingqing listened to her, a strange feeling rose in his heart.
Still, he insisted on going.
“The commotion earlier was so loud, it must have startled other animals. Animals are sensitive to the smell of blood. I’m afraid that after eliminating one threat, another might come.”
Duan Zheng, hearing this, pondered for a moment and nodded. “Mingqing makes a good point. If it’s not dead and we miss this chance, what if it escapes?”
The youths, being at an impulsive age, all chimed in, urging Zhao Nuan not to worry too much.
Seeing this, Zhao Nuan had no choice but to agree.
However, she insisted that the younger ones stay behind and not take the risk.
She also brought out cleavers and axes, making sure everyone had a weapon.
Still uneasy, Zhao Nuan prepared two torches, gritted her teeth as she took out the oil jar, and soaked the torches thoroughly.
“Wild animals fear fire. If you’re in danger, light the oil torches immediately—it should scare them away.”
Shen Mingqing didn’t stop her and added, “Be careful too. Keep the bonfire burning bright; don’t worry about wasting firewood.”
With Shen Mingqing leading the way and Duan Zheng bringing up the rear, five youths in the middle, the group headed toward the mountainside.
Zhao Nuan gathered the two youngest children and the seven other younger boys close to her, ordering them not to step outside the fence.
Fortunately, due to all the foot traffic over the past few days, the path to the brick kiln was clear of tall grass, and they made their way relatively smoothly by torchlight.
Dozens of meters away from the brick kiln, everyone heard heavy panting.
They immediately lightened their footsteps, each watching a different direction as they advanced slowly.
“Owwwooo~”
This howl, like a mountain gale, actually made the treetops tremble.
But Duan Zheng wasn’t frightened—instead, his voice carried a hint of excitement.
“It’s warning us. The sound is unsteady, like an arrow at the end of its flight.”
Xiao Si, who loved asking questions the most, asked him: “Uncle Duan, how do you know?”
Duan Zheng chuckled: “Back when the old and new imperial powers were changing hands, I rushed back to the capital with the Marquis. To avoid detection, we traveled exclusively through deep mountains and old forests. We’ve killed not just blind bears, but giant tigers and pythons as thick as a man’s thigh.”