Meet a Lone Sun Bear

This discovery was too important. Lu Zhe immediately put down the fodder: "Dear, we have to go up and take a look!"

Jiang Yao pointed at the fodder and said, "It looks like Haiyan and Yongqiang haven't had breakfast yet."

"If they're hungry, they'll naturally nibble on some wild grass around the campsite. This discovery is more important now."

"Is it because it's a new water source?"

"That's right!"

"But it's still not very close to the camp, is getting water from there and going to the lake shore that different?"

"The difference is huge. That mountain stream came almost straight down, but this one is different. Because the slope to the northeast is smaller, the path this stream flows down will be affected by the Coriolis force and inertia of the water flow, becoming winding over time."

As he spoke, Lu Zhe pointed in one direction: "See, that place over there. Although it's covered in vegetation, based on the exposed parts, there should be a bend over there. Don't you think it looks closer to our campsite?"

Jiang Yao stood on her toes and looked: "Although it's near, wouldn't it still be very inconvenient to run down to the valley to fetch water?"

"Of course it's inconvenient to fetch water, but we can divert it from north to south and bring it to the campsite, to provide my beloved wife with mountain spring water for washing every day."

Jiang Yao smiled happily: "That would be wonderful, just thinking about it makes me happy!"

"But I'm not sure yet if this plan is feasible, we have to go up there to find out. Let me think... our goal is to find the closest point of the stream to our campsite."

"Hurry, hurry!"

The two started walking upstream along the creek.

The terrain here was exceptionally complex, with tall and short hills and rock forests, as well as slopes and miniature canyons. The stream meandered down hidden among the mountains.

It would be extremely difficult to find if one was not following the stream.

"With so much grass and a stream, how come there are no sheep here?"

"It's highly likely there are some ferocious natives living here that the sheep don't dare approach."

"What natives?"

"Don't know, but bears are a likely possibility."

As he spoke, Lu Zhe smelled something: "Indeed! This way!"

Lu Zhe pulled Jiang Yao's hand and they continued forward, soon hearing loud snoring.

Looking towards the sound, not far from the stream, a small bear was fast asleep on a 1.5 meter high tree branch, hugging a beehive.

Its tongue lolled out long, swaying lightly in the wind like a tie.

It seemed to be having a nice dream.

Sure enough it was a clever bear, nesting by the streamside.

Jiang Yao nodded: "This must be a bear cub, looks about the same size as Guo Er!"

"It may look small, but its temper is anything but! It's already an adult, and is just as dangerous as any other bear."

Jiang Yao realized: "I see, this is the Malayan bear, the kung fu master among bears! It must be the mommy of the first bear we saw!"

"Could be the daddy!"

Lu Zhe stared grimly at the Malayan bear. "Not only is its tongue long, the length and thickness of its canines are among the greatest of bears, with a bite force on par with brown bears. Extremely aggressive, we'd best not provoke it!"

"Should we sneak away then?"

"What are you thinking, we can't just leave such a huge beehive!"

"Didn't you say not to provoke it?"

"I meant not wanting to confront it head-on, not that we can't take the hive. There are still plenty of bees above, who knows if their queen has been eaten. If possible, we could build a beehive box to raise them, and have honey to eat forever after."

Jiang Yao nodded, then worried: "What if it wakes up?"

"Courtesy first, violence only if necessary."

"Use our daggers?"

Lu Zhe shook his head. "If confronted with a Malayan bear in the wild, blades should only be used as a last resort. Your knife may not penetrate its hide, but its jaws can clamp down on your arm, its claws shred your skin just the same. Even if you kill it, the crime would be grave, because if I remember correctly, it does not pose a mortal danger to adults, so a good lawyer would not rule it justifiable self-defense."

"So we're helpless against it?"

Lu Zhe sighed. "Fire or a club!"

"A club?"

"Yes, small body, short attack range! If we had a big enough club, we could strike at its nose with all our might. It would hurt so much that it would cover its face with both front paws, and that's when we'd have a chance."

"Dear, you really know your way around wild animals!"

Lu Zhe pointed at the faint scars on his arm. "All from experience!"

Then, Lu Zhe broke off a tree branch for a club. "Wait here, I'll go get the hive."

"Be careful!"

"I will."

Club in hand, Lu Zhe carefully crept to the tree's base for a closer look at the Malayan bear's tongue.

On the long tongue were three big red bumps, no doubt stings from eating honeybees.

Thick fur protected most of it, but the tongue remained a vulnerable spot.

Lu Zhe carefully extended the club to poke at the beehive!

The bear wasn't holding it too tightly. With little effort, Lu Zhe managed to dislodge the hive and deftly caught it.

"Ding! Obtained Oriental honeybee hive, +1 potential point!"

He noticed quite a few bees still active on the hive, perhaps their queen hadn't been eaten after all.

Just then, Lu Zhe suddenly sensed an unfriendly gaze upon him.

Lifting his head, he saw the Malayan bear had awoken, glaring furiously at the human stealing its honey.

"Rwaa..." It growled, then tumbled down from the tree.

"Thud!" Rather an awkward landing.

But it quickly got back up, and roared at Lu Zhe again, wholly unaffected.

"Lu Zhe, be careful!" Jiang Yao's heart tightened with nervousness.

But Lu Zhe lightly waved a hand. "It's fine, fine, let me talk to it!"

So saying, he gently set the beehive back down.

"Friend, relax. I'm a good guy!"

"Rwaa..." It roared at Lu Zhe again.

Perhaps finding the upright creature too unfamiliar, it did not attack outright, merely rearing up and roaring repeatedly, attempting to drive Lu Zhe out of its territory.

Some ferocious temper it turned out to have!

Show me what you've got!

Yet nothing came.

Lu Zhe chased and clubbed the Malayan bear for a good while. Unable to endure any longer, it let out an angry bellow and fled into the bushes.