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Chapter 18 — The Bear at the Gate
The Dangerous Neighbor
Night fell over Meng Village. The wind howled, carrying the biting cold of the deep winter.
Inside the Long family hut, the fire crackled warmly. But the atmosphere was heavy.
Su Lan sat by the crib, looking anxious. "Tan... the Village Elder declared us Outcasts. If we run out of salt or firewood, no one will trade with us. If bandits come, the village guards won't open the gate for us."
Long Tan sharpened his heavy iron saber by the firelight. Scrape. Scrape.
"A neighbor who hates you is more dangerous than a bandit," Long Tan said calmly. "Bandits attack once and leave. A hateful neighbor watches your house every day. They wait for you to leave so they can attack your wife."
He looked at Su Lan seriously.
"I cannot allow the whole village to be my enemy. It is too dangerous for you and Hao."
"So... will you pay the 10 silver compensation?" Su Lan asked, terrified he would give up their fortune.
"No," Long Tan's eyes shone with a cold light. "I won't pay them. I will make them beg me."
Su Lan was confused. Before she could ask, a sound drifted in from outside.
It wasn't the wind.
It was a low, vibrating growl that shook the snow off the roof.
The Blood Trail
Outside, the village was quiet. The guards were huddled by the fire, complaining about the cold.
They didn't notice the smell at first.
When Zhou Gou and the hunters had returned earlier, they were bleeding. They had walked all the way from the forest to the village, dripping blood on the snow.
They thought the snow would cover it. They were wrong.
Deep in the forest, the Iron-Hide Bear had healed from the minor scratches the hunters gave it. It was hungry. It was angry. And it had a nose that could smell a drop of blood from miles away.
It followed the red trail.
CRASH!
The heavy wooden gate of the village—made of thick logs—splintered inward.
The guards screamed as a massive black shape burst through the wreckage.
It was a monster. Standing on its hind legs, it was three meters tall. Its fur looked like steel wire. Its eyes glowed red.
The Panic
"BEAR! IT'S THE BEAR!"
The shout woke the entire village.
Men grabbed pitchforks and torches. Women grabbed their children.
"Where are the hunters?" someone screamed. "Where is Zhou Gou? He said he trapped it!"
But Zhou Gou wasn't trapping anything.
At the sight of the beast, Zhou Gou (who was already injured) pissed his pants. He scrambled backward, hiding behind a water trough.
"I can't!" Zhou Gou whimpered. "My leg! My leg is broken!"
The other village hunters were just as useless. They fired a few arrows.
Tink. Tink.
The arrows hit the bear's chest and bounced off harmlessly. The "Iron-Hide" wasn't just a name. Ordinary iron arrows couldn't pierce its defense.
The Bear roared—a sound wave that shattered nearby windows. It swiped its paw.
BAM.
A village guard was thrown ten meters into the air. He crashed into a wall, coughing blood. His chest was caved in.
"Run! We can't kill it!"
Panic exploded. The villagers realized the terrifying truth: The Zhou hunters were liars. They were weak. They couldn't protect anyone.
The Waiting Game
Inside the hut, Su Lan jumped up. "Tan! The bear is here! It's killing people!"
Long Tan stood up. He walked to the window and peered out through a crack.
He saw the chaos. He saw the Bear smashing a grain storehouse. He saw women running and screaming.
He gripped his saber... but he didn't open the door.
"Tan?" Su Lan asked, trembling. "Aren't you going?"
"Not yet," Long Tan whispered.
"But... people are getting hurt."
"I know," Long Tan said, his voice hard as stone. "But if I go out now, while they still have hope, they will say the bear was weak. They will say I got lucky. They will still hate me tomorrow."
He watched a group of villagers try to fight the bear with spears, only to be tossed aside like dolls.
"They need to feel Despair," Long Tan said. "They need to realize that without me, they are dead. Only then will they stop being my enemy."
It was cruel. It was ruthless. But in this world, kindness without power was just weakness. Long Tan needed to secure his family's safety forever.
The Breaking Point
Outside, the situation turned into a slaughter.
The Bear cornered a group of villagers near the village square. Among them was the Village Elder.
The Elder waved his cane, terrified. "Zhou Gou! Do something! You are the Hunt Leader!"
Zhou Gou was curled up in a ball in the mud, crying. "It's a monster! We can't kill it! Run!"
The Bear stepped forward, drool dripping from its jaws. It raised a paw the size of a shield, ready to crush the Elder and the women behind him.
"Help!" the Elder screamed, his dignity gone. "Someone save us!"
"Gods, please!"
The villagers were crying. They looked at the useless hunters, then at the dark sky. There was no hope. They were going to die in the snow.
The Door Opens
CREAAAAK.
The sound of a heavy door opening cut through the screams.
Every head turned.
From the hut at the edge of the square—the hut of the "Outcast"—a figure stepped out.
Long Tan.
He didn't run. He walked.
He wore a simple tunic, his arms bare to the winter cold. In his right hand, he dragged a heavy Heavy Iron Saber (bought from the city). The tip of the blade carved a line in the snow behind him.
Scrape... Scrape...
He walked past the hiding Zhou Gou. He didn't even look at him.
He walked past the trembling villagers.
He stopped between the Bear and the Elder.
The Bear stopped growling. It looked at this new tiny human. It smelled something different on him. It smelled the blood of the Alpha Wolf. It smelled... a predator.
Long Tan lifted his saber. He stood straight, his 465 Jin of strength coiling in his legs.
"You are noisy," Long Tan said to the Bear.
Then, he turned his head slightly to look at the terrified Village Elder behind him.
"You called me an Outcast today," Long Tan said calmly. "Do you still want me to leave?"
The Elder shook his head frantically, tears freezing on his face. "No! Save us! Tan, please!"
"Remember this moment," Long Tan said.
He turned back to the beast.
ROAR!
The Bear charged.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE]
Long Tan has entered the chat! 🔥
He waited for the perfect moment. Now the "Outcast" is their only hope.
Next Chapter: The One-Shot Kill. (Or maybe two shots?)
Long Tan vs. The Iron-Hide Bear.
👉 Add to Library! Don't miss the fight! 📚
💎 Drop a Power Stone to sharpen Long Tan's blade! ⚔️