Chapter Nineteen: A Narrow Escape from Death

Amidst the terrifying roar, the massive body of the One-Eyed Black Gale crashed heavily from the tree trunk to the ground. In its solitary eye and the socket, an arrow from a crossbow remained, with only the fletching exposed!

From the moment the One-Eyed Black Gale began climbing the tree, Zhao Hengyi had been waiting for a single chance—a chance to strike that one remaining eye!

This beast, far larger and fiercer than any other black bear, could never be killed with a mere hand crossbow alone.

To claw his way back from the jaws of death, to escape the trap set by this king of the mountain forest, hitting its only eye was the one and only chance!

Yet this cunning brute, even against an expert archer like Wang Dahu, would never expose its solitary eye in a direct confrontation.

Therefore, from the moment he was targeted by the One-Eyed Black Gale, Zhao Hengyi had been waiting for this rarest of opportunities.

Such a chance was hard won, bought with the very lives of Wang Dahu, Wang Erhu, and Old Wu, who had gambled everything for it.

Fortunately, Zhao Hengyi did not let this moment slip away!

The giant beast’s body crashed to the ground. The arrow, fired from close range, had sunk deep into its eye socket; by rights, it should have pulped the brain within its massive skull. And yet, as if spawned from the primordial wilds, the beast did not die immediately!

Its dreadful roar made the entire forest tremble; countless animals fled in terror, the king’s dying howl shattering their courage.

Wang Dahu, Wang Erhu, and Old Wu hurried to encircle the beast, but dared not draw near.

A behemoth that could stand as tall as two men was terrifying in its death throes; one blow from its massive forepaw would smash a skull to pieces, brains splattering.

The crossbow bolt, almost entirely embedded in the One-Eyed Black Gale’s remaining eye, spelled certain death for the monster. All they needed was to wait and their unimaginable victory would be assured.

But suddenly, the blinded beast, in its final moments, went berserk. It lashed out wildly, all its frenzied attacks pounding against the very tree where Zhao Hengyi had hidden.

Perhaps that last arrow had drained all of Zhao Hengyi’s strength and spirit—his guard dropped, and as the tree shook violently, he fell!

The three, who had been waiting to reap their victory, cried out in alarm. If Zhao Hengyi were caught by the dying One-Eyed Black Gale now, he would be torn apart in an instant.

When he hit the ground, Zhao Hengyi struck a hard stone—an agonizing pain surged through his right arm. Was it broken?

Pain that would have been unbearable for most people swept through him; the shock from the fall made it hard even to breathe.

Yet, even in this dire strait, as Wang Dahu and the others sank into despair, Zhao Hengyi, gritting his teeth in silence, dragged his possibly fractured arm and rolled quickly down the gentle slope, escaping the beast’s reach.

He survived!

The three rushed to him in a flurry, pulling at Zhao Hengyi’s clothes and dragging their grimacing master farther away, finally reaching safety.

With one last desperate howl, and the sound of splintering wood, the One-Eyed Black Gale—tyrant of Mount Daqing for years—collapsed with a thunderous crash, silent forevermore.

In its final moments, the giant beast even snapped the tree where Zhao Hengyi had hidden.

The four survivors gasped for breath, Old Wu’s legs giving out so that he sat heavily on the ground.

Wang Dahu, seasoned by battle, was drenched in sweat, nearly faint from the ordeal.

Zhao Hengyi, moments ago the very image of stoic bravery, now clutched his injured arm and cried out in pain—a stark contrast to his former self.

Only Wang Erhu’s eyes shone brightly, quietly watching his master with a trace of amusement, as if he’d discovered something interesting. Yet the clever youth said nothing more, instead nimbly climbing the tree to rescue the three little girls who sat, stunned with fear.

Miao Ruochang and Miao Ruoyi, doll-like twins, were sobbing uncontrollably. Even in their terror, they crowded around their brother-in-law, clutching tightly at his clothes.

“It’s all our fault, brother-in-law. Ruochang will never come up the mountain to dig worms again!”

“Does it hurt, brother-in-law? Let me blow on it for you!”

The two girls, still trembling with fear, forgot their terror when they saw Zhao Hengyi holding his arm and crying in pain; their big eyes now held only worry for him.

Zhao Hengyi mustered a crooked smile through gritted teeth, “I’ll be fine. Just a couple days’ rest at home and I’ll be good as new. Don’t worry, Ruochang, Ruoyi—your brother-in-law is sturdy!”

He realized the girls had come here to dig worms for him, to help build his chicken farm. Any lingering blame in his heart melted away instantly.

Pulling the two little ones close with his left arm, Zhao Hengyi did his best to comfort the sisters.

Ruochang and Ruoyi were twins, nearly identical, except Ruochang, the elder, had a small beauty mark at the left corner of her mouth, while her sister Ruoyi’s was on the right.

Looking at these thoughtful, nearly identical girls, Zhao Hengyi felt that this brush with death had been worthwhile.

Fortunately, Wang Dahu checked his arm—no fracture, just a large, painful bruise.

The villagers came rushing out—first the hunters and old soldiers, then Miao Xiaoyu and her sisters, weeping with relief.

Only when they reached the site did everyone see just how enormous the king of the forest truly was.

The corpse of the One-Eyed Black Gale lay silently, a black mountain on the forest floor, wordlessly proclaiming the courage of Zhao Hengyi.

Seeing her husband’s injured arm, Miao Xiaoyu could not stop crying. She wanted to scold Ruochang and Ruoyi, but the two girls were shielded in their brother-in-law’s embrace.

Xiaohua, who had been digging worms with the twins, was also sobbing in her grandmother’s arms, nearly gasping for breath.

For eight- or nine-year-old children, this brush with death was too cruel.

The village chief, supported by two young hunters, arrived breathing heavily. Without a word, he kicked Wang Dahu, Wang Erhu, and Old Wu each in turn.

“Fools! Why didn’t you stop Hengyi on the road?”

The three, who had risked their lives to save Zhao Hengyi and the little girls, hung their heads and dared not defend themselves.

Indeed, with Wang Erhu and Old Wu’s speed, they could have caught up to Zhao Hengyi and stopped him before he left the village.

Just as Zhao Hengyi was about to intercede for them, a new commotion arose from the forest.

A group appeared, dressed in hunting garb, longbows on their backs, long knives in hand, and over a dozen hounds at their sides.

The unique stench of the One-Eyed Black Gale made the hounds tense and excited; ignoring their masters’ commands, they barked madly around the massive corpse.

The old soldiers and hunters quietly readied their hand crossbows, loading them with swift, practiced hands.

“Zhang Can? What are you doing here? My lord, you’ve come as well?”