Chapter 18: The Tyrant’s “Fourth Brother” is Too Out of Character

The journey through the wilderness was nothing like being at home. Inside the cave, the group was divided by gender—women on one side, men on the other—each spreading out their own bedding on the ground.

The elderly, weak, women, and children stayed deeper inside, while the strong young men took the outer area, also taking turns to stand guard through the night.

Only Xia Mo found herself in an awkward predicament—neither fully a man nor a woman in their eyes. After thinking it over, she chose a small rock cavity opposite the others.

“Hey, where are you going?”

Xiao Jingyuan had just finished laying out his bedding when he saw Xia Mo, supporting herself with a stick, heading outside.

Wasn’t she injured? She had been struggling to walk the entire way, yet instead of resting properly, she was running around again.

She was really a handful.

“None of your business. Go to sleep.”

Xia Mo walked forward without hesitation.

She had her eye on a cave near the entrance—it was only about half a person’s height, requiring her to crawl inside. From the outside, it looked just big enough to fit one person, though she wouldn’t be able to stand up straight.

Still, that was better than squeezing in with a bunch of men on the ground.

Using both hands and feet, she climbed into the cave and discovered that, though it looked small from the outside, the inside was unexpectedly spacious.

Beyond the narrow entrance, several connected chambers extended deeper in. She couldn’t see into the furthest ones, but the nearest one seemed roomy enough to accommodate four or five people.

The surrounding rock was smooth and clean—wait… smooth and clean?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a deep, guttural growl echoed through the cave.

A bear’s roar.

The sheer force of the sound at such close range made Xia Mo’s scalp go numb. Without hesitation, she retreated into her convenience store space.

A bear?! She had crawled right into a bear’s den!

Her heart pounded wildly.

Lifting her gaze, she looked at the last scene frozen on the ceiling of her store space—the pair of titanium-like glowing bear eyes reflecting the firelight from outside. Judging by the distance between them, this bear was no small creature.

The villagers had clearly heard the commotion, and many were turning their heads curiously in her direction.

But help was too far away to be of any use.

What to do? She had to find a way to save herself.

The best weapon in her convenience store was the watermelon knife, but a bear’s thick hide and muscles wouldn’t be easily injured by it. Even if she could land a hit, it wouldn’t be enough to save her life.

Her gaze swept around her store’s inventory—plungers, mosquito zappers, fire extinguishers, even honey.

All things that worked in cartoons, but in reality, none of them could save her from becoming a bear’s midnight snack.

Xia Mo glanced at the height of the cave entrance and clenched her teeth. She had to go for the option that maximized her survival chances, even if it meant getting a little hurt.

She grabbed nothing, tucked her head in, and rolled straight out of the cave entrance, tumbling onto the ground before swiftly rolling further away.

“Fourth Brother.”

The voice from across the way was clear and cool, filled with concern.

Only Xia Mo knew just how out of character that “Fourth Brother” sounded in this moment.

The bear, now enraged, let out a furious roar and leaped from the cave, charging straight toward the group of villagers.

Meanwhile, Xia Mo, hidden below the cave, managed to escape unscathed.

But she felt no relief. A massive black bear charging into a crowd was no joke. Without a second thought, she reentered her convenience store space.

Assessing the situation, she hesitated for only a moment before pulling out her half-meter-long watermelon knife.

“Quick, scatter!”

“Get the torches!”

“Hand me the bow—”

The crowd erupted into action.

After facing multiple dangers along their journey, the villagers were no longer as easily panicked as before. The elderly and children instinctively retreated while the young men prepared for battle.

Wild animals feared fire, and this bear was no exception.

A group of grown men surrounded the bear, holding torches in one hand and whatever weapons they could find in the other—machetes, wooden poles, shovels, and hoes.

Only the hunters had reliable weapons—bows and arrows.

Behind them, Xia Mo and Xiao Jingyuan each held a watermelon knife.

“Give me the knife. Go back.”

Xia Mo: “…”

She was getting bossed around by a half-grown kid.

Patting her chest, she declared, “I’m an adult man too! I’m still your elder!”

“Tsk. Aren’t you injured? Lift your coat, let me see if the wound’s reopened.”

Xia Mo: “…”

Xiao Jingyuan snatched the knife from her hands with a cold expression. “Step back.”

His young face carried an imposing air, a hint of regal authority flickering in his gaze.

Faced with the pain of her period cramps, Xia Mo quietly retreated to the women’s protective circle.

The black bear roared at the crowd, torn between its fear of fire and its aggression.

Surrounded on all sides with no escape, it howled furiously.

Xiao Jingyuan set his watermelon knife down and took a bow from one of the hunters, swiftly nocking two arrows.

The hunter was startled. “Little Five—”

Xiao Jingyuan looked at him. “What?”

The hunter met his gaze and felt an inexplicable pressure from this half-grown youth.

Reluctantly, he retracted his hand. “We have limited arrows. Don’t waste them.”

Xiao Jingyuan didn’t respond. He pulled back the bowstring, aimed for the perfect moment, and let both arrows fly—straight toward the bear’s eyes.

Both arrows hit their mark, blinding the bear in an instant.

The villagers were dumbstruck.

Kids these days were this skilled?! He was putting grown men to shame.

They realized they could no longer treat him as just a child.

The hunter knew that an injured bear would become even more dangerous. He urgently shouted, “Quick! Finish it off in one go!”

Everyone rushed forward, attacking the bear with hoes, wooden poles, and watermelon knives.

Soon, the black bear was bloodied and twitching on the ground.

Seeing that they had managed to hunt a bear on their very first night, excitement surged through the villagers.

Their exhaustion vanished, replaced by exhilaration.

Even the initial fear of the bear was gone.

Old Zhou, brimming with excitement, called out, “Hurry! Bleed it while it’s still warm. Get a basin!”

“Get the fire going! Set up the pot!”

“Thank goodness Dr. Xia spotted it first. If that bear had ambushed us, we would’ve been in real trouble!”

The villagers eagerly built up the fire, preparing to butcher the bear, too excited to sleep.

Meanwhile, Xia Mo silently climbed back into her cave.

Taking out a flashlight, she inspected the area. There were signs of the bear’s past habitation and a rather unpleasant smell.

She chose the furthest chamber from where the bear used to rest as her sleeping spot.

The ground was relatively even. She pulled out several large floor mats from her convenience store space and stacked them into a makeshift bed.

She used a big roll of paper as a pillow, but for blankets, the best she could find was a tablecloth.

She had bought a cotton quilt with Xiao Jingyuan back in town, but it was still with him. She’d have to climb down to get it later.

Right now, her stomach ached too much. She drank a few sips of hot water, deciding to rest for a bit before retrieving it.

Just then, a shadow blocked the firelight at the cave entrance.

Looking up, Xia Mo saw Xiao Jingyuan stepping inside.