You are a cat demon

The bear demon's eyes gleamed with hunger, drool dripped from the corners of its mouth, and a sinister smile appeared on its ugly face, as if mocking the overestimation of the hunting dogs who were trying to fight a losing battle.

It scratched its chest, let out a fierce roar, and then pounced on all fours towards the hunting dogs.

Even the most well-trained hunting dogs, even the bravest and most fearless hunting dogs, would almost all be so frightened that their limbs would go weak and they would gasp for breath as if the end of the world were approaching when they saw a bear demon the size of a small mountain pressing down on them. Those in better condition would instinctively run away as soon as possible, thinking that they might still be able to escape now.

However, behind them are their most cherished owners.

The hunters haven't completely escaped the bear demon's sight yet, relying entirely on their hounds to distract it. If the hounds were to slip away now, the hunters' whereabouts would be completely exposed. Humans are far slower and clumsier than hounds. Although the humans have guns, the bear demon's hide is thick and tough; ordinary hunting rifles would hardly inflict fatal damage and would only enrage it. Humans would undoubtedly become easier prey, and without a doubt, the bear demon would then turn its hungry gaze upon them.

This thrilling and exciting scene almost made you anxious, but then you noticed that Village Chief Zhang Qingshan stayed at the back of the group, seemingly not in a hurry to escape. He was alone, and on the surface, he seemed to be trying to cover the rear.

You're worried that he might do something foolish, but then you suddenly remember his faint smile from earlier, and it's like you've taken a reassuring pill.

The bear demon launched its attack, lunging first at the large black dog standing at the front line, its bear paw, as big as a washbasin, slapping at the dog's head.

If you were hit by this slap, you would at least have half your head shaved off, or worse, die on the spot.

The big black dog lived up to its reputation as a hero among dogs. Fearless in the face of danger, just as the bear's paw was about to land on its face, it nimbly twisted its waist and slipped under the bear demon's armpit.

If it were an ordinary hunting dog, having narrowly escaped a bear's paw, it would surely have been terrified and its soul would have fled its home. To have its life almost claimed by the Grim Reaper's scythe, to have its name nearly crossed out by the King of Hell—it was truly a close call! Having survived such a calamity, now that the door to life has opened for it, it should run faster than a frightened rabbit, and ideally, go back and burn incense for its ancestors.

But the big black dog didn't follow the usual path. After dodging the bear demon's attack, it didn't immediately run away. Instead, it turned around, and before the bear demon could react, it jumped onto its back and bit its ear.

This is undoubtedly the act of a moth drawn to a flame.

The big black dog only lightly nibbled, seemingly not intending to bite off the bear demon's ear. It merely left a shallow tooth mark around the earlobe, without even drawing a few drops of blood. But it was clear that the bear demon was enraged.

It roared, but instead of using its paws to slap the big black dog on its back (because the dog's arms were too short to reach), it stood upright on its hind legs and fell backward, attempting to crush the big black dog into a meat patty.

Fortunately, the big black dog was quick-witted and jumped down in time. The bear demon missed its target, its massive body crashing to the ground with a deafening roar, startling a flock of birds into flight through the forest.

After the big black dog jumped off the bear demon's back, it began to run in the exact opposite direction from the hunters' retreat route, barking provocatively as it ran.

The bear demon naturally wouldn't let it go. It scrambled to its feet and chased after it without a second thought.

The big black dog deliberately adjusted its speed. It ran faster when the bear demon was hot on its heels, and slowed down when the bear demon seemed about to turn back to retaliate against the other hounds. It looked as if the bear demon could easily pounce and bite its bushy tail. This perfect distance, neither too close nor too far, tempted the single-minded bear demon, making it unwilling to give up.

The big black dog led the bear demon into a birch forest.

The densely growing birch trees severely hindered the bear demon's massive body from moving. It would crash into a tree almost every one or two steps, and the enormous force would snap the birch trees, which were as thick as a bowl, in half at waist height, filling the air with a fragrant smell of wood chips.

The big black dog, however, had a clear advantage in the terrain. It deliberately circled around the bear demon in the birch forest, and several times it even dared to run up to a position almost within the bear demon's reach. If it got any closer, the bear demon would probably slap it to death. The bear demon really wanted to slap it like a fly, but every time it raised its paw, it was blocked by the obstructing birch trees. The dog missed, and instead, it snapped one tree after another.

Seeing their leader, the big black dog, gain the upper hand, the other hunting dogs' morale soared. The power of a good example is immense; they too began to imitate the big black dog, running and leaping about in the birch forest, distracting the bear demon and helping it out. Of course, except for the little hunting dog, who had deserted and must have already fled far away with the hunters.

Just now, your attention was entirely focused on the big black dog that risked its life, and you didn't pay attention to the situation of Village Chief Zhang Qingshan and the others. You thought that since they were out of danger, the hunting dogs' mission was successfully completed, and it was time for them to retreat.

The problem is that the reason each dog was safe and sound was entirely due to this birch forest. However, the birch forest was not very large to begin with, and after the bear demon's chaotic rampage, most of the forest was quickly swept away, leaving few trees and fewer and fewer obstacles to use.

Gradually, the hunting dogs grew tired, but the bear demon still seemed to have inexhaustible strength, its enormous paws still swung with tremendous force. The most dangerous time was when the bear paw almost grazed the back of the large black dog, who was clearly exhausted.

If this continues, it won't be long before the balance of power tilts in favor of the bear demon, and the first to suffer will be some of the weaker hunting dogs.

The bear demon probably knew it was about to reap a sumptuous dog meat feast, and its eyes gleamed with excitement as it eagerly opened its mouth to bite the nearest hunting dog—

"boom--"

As soon as the gunshot rang out, the bear demon's body jolted and it collapsed to the ground with a thud. You could see that half of the bear demon's mouth had been blown off, and its head was covered in blood, which was quite horrifying.

What's going on?

"Black Panther!"

As if answering your question, Village Chief Zhang Qingshan emerged from the bushes not far away, his hunting rifle still emitting wisps of smoke. He lightly flicked away the leaves stuck to his clothes and walked towards the large black dog that was panting heavily with its tongue lolling out.

You immediately concluded that the one who shot and killed the bear demon at the critical moment was Village Chief Zhang Qingshan.

too weird.

Ordinary hunting rifles couldn't even scratch the bear demon. Could it be that Village Chief Zhang Qingshan's hunting rifle had been modified to be almost as powerful as a demon-slaying weapon? Or was it a problem with the bullets? And why did he wait until all the hunting dogs were exhausted and foaming at the mouth before firing? He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would joke around or show off with his own and other people's dogs' lives. Maybe his technique for taking down the bear demon required certain conditions to be effective, and he needed the hunting dogs to buy time. But…

You really weren't paying attention to him at all, so you have no idea what he did while all your attention was focused on the bear demon.

In any case, thankfully, no one and not a single dog was injured under the fierce attack of the bear demon, which can be considered a remarkable achievement.

Oh wait, maybe one of the dogs will get hurt.

I wonder if that little beagle that deserted will be kicked to death by its heartless owner.

"Black Panther, how are you? Are you alright?"

Village Chief Zhang Qingshan stroked the big black dog from head to toe, carefully inspecting it, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that his beloved dog hadn't lost a single hair.

The owner's care is the best reward for a dog. In the blink of an eye, the big black dog seemed to be full of energy, its tail wagging like a propeller, showing no signs of its previous exhaustion. To reassure its owner, it gently licked its cheek and placed its paw lightly on the back of its owner's hand.

What a heartwarming scene!

You felt you had to go back quickly, otherwise if Village Chief Zhang Qingshan found out you were missing, he would worry himself to death. It's better to avoid causing him any trouble.

Unexpectedly, just as you climbed down the tree and were about to sneak back to your backpack, Village Chief Zhang Qingshan, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, suddenly turned around and startled you. Before you could react, you received a hard slap across the face.

Do you know how much damage a big punch can do to a kitten?

"You damn cat! Where have you been?!"

Wasn't it all to save him?

You're innocent!