Chapter 233: Bear Woman

　　"Don't worry, we'll look right around here, not far away."

　　Huzi responded and walked out with a flashlight and Jing Jian.

　　There were many trees in the mountains, and soon they returned with a large pile of dry branches and rocks.

　　Zhao Fengchun moved his legs, which were covered in marks, and quickly piled the stones into a circle, placing the dry branches in the middle and lighting them.

　　The warm light of the fire flickered to life.

　　As the flames burned, they dispelled much of the cold.

　　"Having a fire is really different!"

　　Everyone stretched out their hands to warm themselves by the fire, and Xiao Hei dog snuggled up beside Lu Fei's feet.

　　Although they had flashlights and were not short of light, the warmth and sense of security brought by the fire were completely different.

　　Huzi first took an anti-moisture mat from his backpack and laid it on the ground.

　　Everyone sat around the fire.

　　Lu Fei looked at Zhao Fengchun's tattered clothes and found an extra jacket to put on him.

　　Meanwhile, Huzi rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a small pot and several packs of instant noodles, placing them over the campfire to boil water and cook the noodles.

　　Within a few minutes, the aroma had spread everywhere.

　　"Hudi, your bag has everything! No wonder Lu Fei said your bag is important; it's full of food!" Jing Jian couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

　　Zhao Fengchun was dumbfounded.

　　Apart from snacks and drinks, there were even instant noodles? Were these people here for herb gathering or just sightseeing?

　　Once the instant noodles were cooked, Huzi separated a set of stainless steel bowls and served each person a bowl of noodles.

　　"Brother Zhao, don't be shy, eat more! We still have plenty of food!" Huzi patted his heavy backpack with a generous gesture.

　　Tired and hungry, Zhao Fengchun held the steaming hot bowl of instant noodles, nearly in tears.

　　In the deep mountains and old forests, being able to enjoy a steaming hot bowl of instant noodles feels almost unrealistically blissful.

　　For a while, the only sound around the fire was the slurping of noodles.

　　The energy provided by dry rations and hot food is completely different. Jing Jian almost licked his bowl clean.

　　Satisfied and full.

　　Lu Fei patted his belly, still thinking about what Zhao Fengchun had said earlier.

　　"Old Brother Zhao, what's that thing you mentioned that can imitate people?"

　　"We call it the Bear Mother."

　　Zhao Fengchun finished the last sip of soup, wiped his mouth, and replied, "It's a monster that likes to eat people. It can imitate human voices and calls out from the dark, luring people over."

　　"Bear Mother? Is that a blind bear?" Hu Zi stopped collecting the bowls and widened his eyes. "I heard my father say that there were blind bears in the mountains behind our village in the past, and you might encounter them when hunting."

　　"That thing is powerful, weighing several hundred pounds, standing taller than a man. One slap from it, and half your face would be gone!"

　　"It's not a bear. A bear is a wild beast, but Bear Granny is a monster that looks like a bear," Zhao Fengchun waved his hand, and his face looked particularly serious in the firelight.

　　"Bear Granny is covered in fur, tall and strong, almost like a bear, but its face looks very much like an old woman, and it can mimic human speech."

　　"Decades ago, Bear Granny would sneak into our village at night."

　　"This monster was extremely cunning. It would first crouch outside the house to eavesdrop, and then knock on the door. If you asked who it was, it would answer in a voice mimicking a human."

　　"Whoever carelessly opened the door was doomed. They would be dragged into the mountains and eaten, bones and all, with nothing left behind."

　　"Its favorite food was children."

　　"I heard that a few families had children who were too playful and didn't return home when it got dark, and they were taken by Bear Granny. When the adults found them, only their torn and bloodied clothes remained."

　　"When I was a child and I misbehaved by staying up late at night, my father would say that Bear Granny was coming, and that was more effective than anything else."

　　After listening to Zhao Fengchun, everyone felt a chill down their spines.

　　Listening to ghost stories in the deep, old forest gave the experience a unique flavor.

　　The bonfire crackled and burned, casting shadows of the surrounding trees, as if something was hidden in them.

　　"Isn't this just a ghost story to scare children? When I was a kid, my mom told me about the wolf grandmother," Hu Zi said, trying to appear relaxed, waving his hand.

　　"Brother Hu Zi, don't take this lightly," Zhao Fengchun said seriously, "Although the Bear Granny hasn't come into the village for decades, my father said that this monster has a long lifespan and must still be hiding in the mountains."

　　"When staying overnight in the mountains, it's best not to travel alone, or you might easily catch the attention of the Bear Granny."

　　"I originally planned to go down the mountain after catching some ginseng, but unfortunately, I got tangled up by the ghost vines first."

　　After saying this, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.

　　"This kind of monster is probably a bear that has eaten too many people and become a spirit," Lu Fei analyzed. "Humans have spiritual and yang energy, and many animals, after eating human flesh, can lose control and become intelligent and turn into spirits."

　　Then he asked, "Old Brother Zhao, does the Bear Granny have any weaknesses?"

　　"Yes," Zhao Fengchun replied immediately, "It's afraid of boiling water. If you splash it with boiling water, it will get injured and run away. It also fears the sound of thunder. In our village, we used to beat drums and gongs at night before going to sleep."

　　"That's no use; we don't have these things here," Hu Zi said, spreading his hands.

　　"It's fine, as long as we don't get separated, there shouldn't be any major issues! If you see someone waving at you from a dark place, just pretend you didn't see them..." Zhao Fengchun comforted.

　　"Waving?"

　　Jing Jian was taken aback, his eyes moving past everyone to look at a certain place not far away.

　　"Over there, wasn't someone waving?"

　　"What?"

　　Everyone was startled and immediately turned their heads to look in the direction Jing Jian had mentioned.

　　In the pitch-black night, the dense vegetation rustled softly.

　　It was so dark that it was impossible to tell whether the trees were swaying or if there really was a figure waving.

　　"Jian, did you see it wrong?" Hu Zi frowned.

　　"There seemed to be a shadow just now, but now it's gone." Jing Jian stretched his neck, unsure of himself.

　　Lu Fei turned on the flashlight and shone it over there, only to see trees swaying in the wind.

　　"You must have seen wrong, making a big fuss and scaring me!" Hu Zi gave Jing Jian a glance.

　　"Is that so..." Jing Jian scratched his head.

　　"Regardless of whether there is a bear woman or not, we need someone to keep watch, and everyone should take turns sleeping." Lu Fei pulled his gaze back and said seriously.

　　"No problem, I'm not sleepy, I'll take the first watch." Hu Zi patted his sturdy chest.

　　"Alright, I'll keep you company for a while." Lu Fei nodded and turned to look at Zhao Fengchun, "Old Brother Zhao, you're injured, so you don't need to keep watch. Get some rest."

　　"I can still hold on..." Zhao Fengchun felt a bit embarrassed.

　　Jing Jian waved his hand and said, "Just go to sleep. If you don't get enough rest, we'll have to take care of you, which would be more of a burden!"

　　After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent again.

　　"Well... That's true. I feel really bad for causing you trouble." Zhao Fengchun said awkwardly.

　　"Old Zhao, don't take it to heart. He's just like that, with an extra mouth for no reason." Hu Zi slapped Jing Jian on the back.

　　"Shut your stinking mouth and go to sleep!"