Shen Xiaoyan no longer dazed, quickened her pace and joined the fight.
Zheng Wei had seen Shen Xiaoyan approaching earlier, but he was fully engaged with the bear and hadn't spoken. Now, seeing Shen Xiaoyan rush forward, Zheng Wei was both angry, annoyed, and worried. He exclaimed, "Didn't I tell you to stay put? Who told you to come over?"
Shen Xiaoyan kicked the old bear in the belly, putting all her strength into it. The old bear was sent flying several meters and landed directly in the snow. Shen Xiaoyan then looked at Zheng Wei and said, "I was worried about you. Besides, I'm strong and I've trained with you. I definitely won't hold you back."
Stumped by Shen Xiaoyan's answer, Zheng Wei was momentarily speechless. He knew everything Shen Xiaoyan had said was true and that with her by his side, he would have an easier time and end the fight much sooner. However, he didn't want Shen Xiaoyan to be in danger. Even though she had the ability to protect herself, he wished for her to always be safe.
Seeing his expression, Shen Xiaoyan knew what he was thinking. But it wasn't the right time for a discussion, so she didn't say anything more.
Zheng Wei clearly felt the same way. For a moment, they coordinated with exceptional默契, exchanging punches and kicks, leaving the over two-meter-tall old bear with no ability to fight back.
Since neither of them had brought any hunting gear when they set out, only a small short knife each for self-defense, the fight dragged on for quite some time.
Finally, Zheng Wei plunged his short knife into the old bear's chest, and the bear fell straight down. Having been battered by the two of them, the old bear was already at its last breath, fueled only by its rage. Now, with Zheng Wei's short knife in its chest, even though it hadn't hit the heart, it could no longer get up.
Watching the old bear slowly lose its life, Zheng Wei strode over to Shen Xiaoyan and pulled her into his arms. After a few seconds, Zheng Wei quickly released her and examined her from head to toe. Only when he was sure Shen Xiaoyan was unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Mimi is truly naughty. It seems I'll have to punish her severely," Zheng Wei said with a stern face.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan's face flushed even more. How could she not recall Zheng Wei saying the same thing last night? Suppressing her shyness, Shen Xiaoyan said, "Do you know how capable I am now? From now on, I can fight alongside you."
Zheng Wei was momentarily stunned by Shen Xiaoyan's words. Fight alongside him? Seeing Zheng Wei's peculiar expression, Shen Xiaoyan couldn't help but feel confused. She hadn't said anything out of the ordinary, so why was he reacting like this?
"What's wrong?" Shen Xiaoyan asked, gently shaking Zheng Wei's hand.
Zheng Wei snapped back to reality. Looking at the woman in front of him, her face full of concern, he felt a warmth in his heart. His gaze towards Shen Xiaoyan became even gentler, filled with affection. "Yes, Mimi is the most capable. She can fight alongside me."
Shen Xiaoyan was surprised, and then she pulled Zheng Wei to look at the old bear. Why did she feel like Zheng Wei's words held a deeper meaning?
"Is this bear very valuable?" Shen Xiaoyan examined the old bear and then asked Zheng Wei.
Zheng Wei chuckled. This little woman's mind was always on money. He answered seriously, "Yes, it's worth quite a lot."
Shen Xiaoyan nodded. That was good. Their time and effort hadn't been wasted.
Luo Luo and Hua Diandian hadn't participated in the recent fight. The former was unable to, and the latter had been instructed by Shen Xiaoyan not to. Both were now squatting on the side, watching the old bear. However, Hua Diandian seemed somewhat distracted, turning its head to look around from time to time.
Shen Xiaoyan knew it was worried about its parents. She said to Zheng Wei, "Let's go back."
Zheng Wei nodded. He hadn't forgotten about the two injured leopards either. So, Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoyan each grabbed a bear paw, taking their spoils of war with them.
When they arrived at the cave entrance again, with the snowdrift no longer blocking the view, they could directly see the two leopards huddled together, resting with their eyes closed. Zheng Wei noticed the bandages on the leopards' bodies. Judging by the fabric, he knew they were definitely Shen Xiaoyan's inner garments. He smiled at Shen Xiaoyan without saying much. He couldn't help but lament inwardly, "Indeed, she's a woman. Her compassion is boundless, saving even fierce beasts like leopards. But I was also careless to leave her alone with three leopards."
Zheng Wei silently warned himself to never make the same mistake again. When it came to matters concerning the little woman, he could not afford the slightest oversight.
As soon as the two of them stood at the cave entrance, they saw the two large leopards inside suddenly raise their heads. Their sharp, gleaming eyes fixed on them.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyan thought to herself, "They truly are the kings of beasts, always vigilant. I thought they were asleep, but they were actually constantly aware of their surroundings."
"The old bear is dead," Shen Xiaoyan told the two leopards, gesturing towards the dead old bear behind them.
Whether the two leopards truly understood Shen Xiaoyan's words or not, they stood up upon hearing them, walked out of the cave, and paced over to the old bear.
Shen Xiaoyan watched the two large leopards sniff around the old bear's carcass and couldn't help but say, "It's dead. Don't take your anger out on the carcass. I still want to make a blanket from its skin, and it would be bad if it had tooth marks." After saying this, Shen Xiaoyan smiled sheepishly. A hide from such a large old bear was rare, and she had no intention of selling it.
The two leopards sniffed the old bear all over. In the end, they didn't bite it. Instead, they returned to Shen Xiaoyan's side and nudged her head for a while. Shen Xiaoyan didn't understand what they meant, but she guessed it was something akin to gratitude.
"We should go home. You two find a place to rest and recover from your injuries," Shen Xiaoyan said, patting the heads of the two large leopards.
Zheng Wei found this amusing. This woman kept talking to the leopards. Could they understand her?
"Let's go. We've been out for quite some time. Xiao Ming might be worried sick at home," Zheng Wei said.
Shen Xiaoyan thought that was reasonable. So, she and Zheng Wei, each pulling a bear paw, prepared to head down the mountain. However, before she had taken a few steps, she felt something pull at her clothes. Turning around, she saw that Hua Diandian was biting her clothes with its teeth.
"Hua Diandian, what do you want?" Shen Xiaoyan asked, confused. Although she was speaking to Hua Diandian, Shen Xiaoyan's eyes were on Luo Luo, who was squatting nearby.
Luo Luo saw Shen Xiaoyan looking at it and quickly said, "Master, Hua Diandian wants to go down the mountain with us, and so do its parents. They are injured and want to recuperate at our home."