Xiong Liliang is a black bear spirit cultivated in the deep mountains and forests. Still, after becoming a spirit, he fails to overcome his tribulation and collapses on the mountain in his original form.
In a daze, he struggled to open his eyes and saw several humans surrounding him. These humans held saws, and there were bloody bear paws in their hands.
“Roar—” Weak roars were drowned out by the excited discussions of the humans.
He had no strength, even weaker than after the failed tribulation.
It seemed that the humans injected something into his body, causing his will and energy to rapidly dissipate. He felt terrible—headache, pain in his hands, and chest pain. He wanted to swat those humans to death, but this body was too heavy, and he couldn’t control anything.
Humans liked to eat bear paws.
As the thick fur was peeled away, the exposed bones and flesh resembled human hands. It looked like a human hand that had been chopped in half.
Transformed monsters could take on human forms, and amidst the chaos, Xiong Liliang suddenly thought that if he could restore his demonic power, turning the severed half of the bear paw into a human hand, would those humans still dare to indulge in their feast?
Can I?
Can’t I?
… How could he know?
The cold serrated edge landed on his right hand, a numb and dull pain drifting in a distant place, while the squeaky cutting sound vividly echoed in his ears.
Scalding blood fell onto his enraged eyeball, and all he could see was a vivid red, every human face tainted with the hue of guilt. Xiong Liliang stared at them with widened, almost furious eyes. Just as the saw was about to cut through the fur, a pair of clean shoes appeared in Xiong Liliang’s field of vision.
An elegant man, holding an umbrella, let out a soft sigh.
…
“Mr. Bai saved me.” Xiong Liliang respectfully bowed to Bai Yinhao, then straightened up and continued, “At that time, Mr. Bai was looking for Mr. Chi. When Mr. Chi left, there happened to be a torrential rain in the mountains, and his footprints were easily washed away by the rain.”
“Mr. Bai saved me but missed the best opportunity to find Mr. Chi,” Xiong Liliang expressed remorse, “It’s all my fault.”
“Alright, alright, there’s no need to argue about right or wrong in these matters.” Grandpa Su, leaning on his cane, walked to Xiong Liliang’s side and held onto the remaining right hand.
The empty left sleeve, the gruesome scar on the right wrist, and the hatred in Xiong Liliang’s eyes, all displayed his unwillingness and resentment.
Xiong Liliang was much taller than Grandpa Su, so it took some effort for Grandpa Su to lift his head. The weather-beaten eyes quietly stared at Xiong Liliang.
“He’s still a child.” Grandpa Su sighed in this way. He led Xiong Liliang to sit on the sofa, a space that could easily accommodate two people.
Xiong Liliang, with long limbs, nervously folded his legs on the sofa, looking quite constrained.
“Liliang, does the wound still hurt now?” Grandpa Su asked softly.
Xiong Liliang’s gaze fell on the fruit plate on the table. He silently shook his head and then spoke, “Mr. Bai gave me Lingquan Water for healing. My injuries have already healed.”
Grandpa Su sighed deeply, placing the cane aside and sitting beside Xiong Liliang. He held Xiong Liliang’s hand, saying, “The physical wounds on your hand may not hurt anymore, but what about the wounds in your heart?”
Xiong Liliang tightly pursed his lips.
“Do you hate humans?” Grandpa Su looked at Xiong Liliang and whispered, “I also hate poachers.”
“They are not really human; they have no hearts,” Grandpa Su’s aged voice carried a slight tremor. The tremor was intertwined with the strings of his heart and every emotional fluctuation within him was reflected in the subtle changes in tone.
Xiong Liliang’s remaining right hand slowly clenched into a fist.
“But we can’t deny the entire race because of individual actions,” Grandpa Su patted Xiong Liliang’s hand. “Don’t they often say a single mouse dropping can spoil a pot of porridge?”
“The human race, due to their large population, has many bad individuals.”
“I used to hate humans too. Especially detested them,” Grandpa Su reminisced. “Some humans like to throw coins into the sea, calling them wish coins. Before I became enlightened, I unknowingly swallowed quite a few coins. One coin got stuck in my throat, almost causing my demise.”
“In the end, it was humans who saved me.” Grandpa Su touched his wrinkled neck with his hand. “They helped remove the coin, and the process seemed quite painful. I still remember; at that time, there was a little girl who started crying.”
“A very small human girl, seemingly around your age,” Grandpa Su looked at Xiong Liliang, gently gazing at him. “You’re both still children.”
“So, having experienced so little and met so few people, you see, if this is the path of life,” Grandpa Su gestured a long line in the air, “you’re still on this side of the starting point.”
“In the future, you’ll encounter more and more humans, both good and bad. Some are exceptionally bad, involved in ivory and rhino horn poaching. Others, however, are exceptionally good,” Grandpa Su whispered. “There are humans you might not know about; they work tirelessly in the conservation of animals, even with low pay.”
“They are like silent and noble warriors.”
“Liliang, as you continue on this path, you’ll encounter many bad people, but you’ll also meet many good ones.” Grandpa Su reached out his weathered hand, gently stroking Xiong Liliang’s forehead. “I’ve been rambling on so much; I don’t know if you’re getting tired of it.”
Xiong Liliang lowered his head, using his forehead against Grandpa Su’s palm, then gently, in a childlike manner, nuzzled against it. He said, “No.”
“In this world, there are many monsters who’ve had experiences similar to yours,” Grandpa Su asked, “Do you have a spirit certificate?”
Xiong Liliang shook his head.
“You need to apply for a training class, get a spirit certificate, and then I’ll take you to an organization. There, monsters are dedicated to protecting animals and combating evildoers, just like Black Cat Sheriff.” Grandpa Su carefully observed Xiong Liliang and then smiled, “You seem unfamiliar with human society, so the training you have to undergo will take quite a long time.”
“You have to study hard, understand?”
The tall Xiong Liliang obediently nodded.
The snail babies on the side also nodded solemnly, their little antennae swaying conspicuously. Grandpa Su deliberately asked, “Why are you nodding?”
The snail babies looked at each other, then covered their mouths and burst into laughter. Chi Yu reached out and quietly pointed to Chi Yi, blinking at Grandpa Su, implying that it was all Chi Yi’s mischief.
Chi Yi, the little friend, stayed in the center of the colorful small shells, completely unaware that he had been betrayed by his teammates. He was quietly chatting with Chi Lin, saying, “It’s like the bear in ‘Kumamu’.”
Children’s moods change quickly; they can go from sadness to laughter in an instant.
Chi Yi, the little friend, was just feeling very sad, almost on the verge of tears, immersed in sorrow. However, after discovering the resemblance between Xiong Liliang and the animated character, all his troubles were thrown aside, and he only wanted to share this significant discovery with everyone.
However, the downside of having too many siblings is that the same joy needs to be shared six times. Starting with Chi Jin, Chi Yi began to share the discovery, lowering his voice like an underground worker to avoid being heard by the adults.
By the time he reached Chi Yue, Chi Yi was already exhausted, with his little antennae drooping. Finally, when talking with Chi Lin, Chi Yi’s throat was dry, but he didn’t notice the sudden silence in the air.
“Wow—really looks alike.” Chi Lin, who also dropped out of the loop, exclaimed in amazement. He and Chi Yi turned their little heads, meeting the varied expressions of the adults.
Chi Yi: “…”
“What’s all this fuss about?” Grandpa Su frowned, but there was an unmistakable indulgence in his eyes. “Do I need to put a lock on your mouth?”
Chi Yi quickly shook his head, swaying his little head like a tambourine.
“Come over and apologize to Uncle Xiong.” Grandpa Su beckoned to Chi Yi, who hurriedly ran up with his short little legs, stopping just in front of the sofa.
Xiong Liliang still remembered the fearful gaze Chi Yi cast upon him, so he instinctively leaned backward, afraid of startling Chi Yi.
Little did he expect that the small figure in front of him not only wasn’t afraid but also sweetly approached him. Those bright and shiny big eyes were filled with curiosity and affection. “Uncle Xiong, hello.”
“I’m Chi Yi, and I want to apologize to you because I just told them—” Chi Yi began, turning around and pointing emphatically at Jin, Yu, Jue, Yue, Chen, and Lin, resolutely assigning seats.
“—that you look like Brother Xiong.” Chi Yi clasped his hands together, speaking softly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry, okay? We all really like Brother Xiong, and we didn’t mean to make fun of you.”
Xiong Liliang, who dwelled in the deep mountains, was momentarily stunned, hesitantly asking, “Brother Xiong… What is it?”
At this point, the colorful little figures in front burst into giggles, their eyes curving into small crescents.
“Brother Xiong is a bear from an animated series~ It’s a very enjoyable show, even though it’s made by humans. Many monster babies watch it too!” The little figures cheerfully introduced.
At that moment, Xiong Liliang suddenly found himself liking humans a bit because they created “Brother Xiong” and made the snail babies not fear him anymore.
Xiong Liliang saw Chi Yi and the little group laughing together, then carrying a reddish little shell on his back and sporting a rosy face, he, under the encouraging gaze of the snail babies, took small steps towards Bai Yinhao.
Chi Yi took out a small handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped away the tears from Bai Yinhao’s eyes. In reality, Bai Yinhao’s eyes were only slightly red, but Chi Yi, the clever little mischief-maker, had a set way of doing things. Even comforting someone required a beautifully crafted surface.
So, he tiptoed and wiped away the tears for Bai Yinhao, who was half-crouched on the ground. Then, he opened his arms, somewhat shyly, and hugged Bai Yinhao’s neck.
“Dad Bai, I don’t blame you anymore. You saved Uncle Xiong, that’s why you couldn’t find us in time,” Chi Yi whispered quietly into Bai Yinhao’s ear, “I’ve decided, I’ll be called Chi Yan from now on.”
“The name Chi Yan sounds really nice.”
Author’s note:
[Pressing hands together, saying to the cute and lovely little angels: Please subscribe, love you all~]
Little angel: Hey, where’s the sweetness today!
Author: [Frowning] [Mischievous smile] This is a custom-made little theater candy for you.
Short skit:
Bai Tang: Mwah~
Su Siyuan: Mwah… mwah…
Bai Tang: Mwah mwah~
Su Siyuan: Mwah… mwah… mwah… mwah…
Bai Tang: Mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah!
Su Siyuan: [Hugs] [Covers mouth] Mwah…
Bai Tang: … Mwah [Blushing]
