Chapter 49: The Strange Naya

Naya led Bear Big and Bear Two through the forest toward the Golden Deer Antlers. Along the way, the group wandered among the hills and streams, laughing and playing together. Bear Big and Bear Two looked at the innocent young girl before them, unable to associate her with the kidnapping of Su He. They even felt certain there must be some misunderstanding.

But Bald Strong was different. He always sensed something was off about Naya. Every time he asked her about Su He, a flicker of danger and caution flashed in her eyes—something Bald Strong keenly noticed.

“Naya, I think when Su He said he wanted to stay in the forest, he was probably joking. After all, he loves freedom. So when he comes back, we should bring him with us,” Bald Strong said.

At his words, Naya’s body trembled, and she nearly reached for the bow and arrow strapped to her back, aiming it at his face. “How could that be? He’s told me many times. This is his wish. As his friends, you should support him, not oppose him.”

Something was wrong—terribly wrong. Before, when Su He was mentioned, she had only been slightly wary. But now, when they talked about taking him away, her tone turned to a warning. Bald Strong was finally certain—the note they had found was no forgery.

“Do you know when Su He will return?”

“Hmm, it should be just when you’re about to leave.”

Bald Strong’s mouth twitched. He thought, *Damn it. You can’t even lie properly. We don’t even know when we’re leaving, but Su He supposedly does. Isn’t that just a blatant sign that you’re hiding something?*

Naya seemed to realize she had said too much. Her mouth opened slightly, but she said nothing. She felt no need to explain further. Even if they knew she had kidnapped Su He, what could they do? They couldn’t defeat her anyway.

Su He: *Heh, do you know why this place is called “Bear Territory”? Even if a steel trap fell from the sky, it would belong to the three bears.*

Seeing Bear Big and Bear Two still not reacting, Naya hurriedly changed the subject. “Alright, let’s not talk about your friend for now. It’s getting late. I’ll take you to find a place to stay.”

She was beginning to dislike Bald Strong. Without him, these two bears would be easy to handle. But this guy kept pestering her with questions, driving her crazy. Yet, they were here to protect the Golden Deer Antlers, and they were also bargaining chips in her deal with Su He.

After a while, Naya led them through the woods to a giant flower bud. Seeing the group still entranced by the beauty, she said, “Tonight, you’ll rest here. Tomorrow, we’ll head to the Golden Deer Antlers to stop those villains.”

She turned to leave, but Bald Strong’s voice stopped her.

“Wait, Naya, aren’t you going to rest here with us?”

“That guy again,” Naya gritted her teeth and turned back, forcing a smile. “Haha, no need. I’m going to patrol the forest, see if any bad guys are following us. You all should rest. I’m leaving first.”

Before she could finish, Bald Strong interrupted firmly, “That won’t do. If you’re going, we go together. There’s no way we’ll let you go alone. We’re resting here.”

In truth, he thought she was up to something sneaky by sneaking out at night.

“Right, right, Naya, we want to go too. Bear Two and I are strong; we can help you a lot.”

Nearby, the little robot Iron, unnoticed by the group, waved its tiny mechanical arms and shouted, “Hey, don’t forget about me! I’m very smart and can play a key role in the team!”

Naya looked at those willing to risk everything for her and felt her eyelids twitch. Her head was about to explode. *Are you all crazy? Help me? How exactly? By watching me and Su He do embarrassing things in bed and cheering us on?*

“This is the most important night for Su He and me. Don’t you understand that a spring night is worth a thousand gold? If I miss this, who knows when the next chance will come.”

She made up her mind: no one would stop her tonight.

“That’s enough. Thanks for your kindness, but the forest at night is very dangerous. You don’t know your way around. If you accidentally fall into danger, how can you protect the Golden Deer Antlers? Instead of getting all fired up now, better prepare for tomorrow’s battle.”

Before the others could respond, she leapt out of the flower bud and dashed into the night forest.

Bear Two watched Naya’s brave retreat, tears welling up. “Naya really... ah, I’m crying for real now, boohoo.”

Before Bear Two could cry for long, a heavy flying kick struck his face.

“Hey, damn it, Bald Strong, why did you hit me?”

“Bear Two, have you been eating too much honey? Your brain’s full of crap. Naya is clearly trying to shake us off to do something else.”

Bear Big looked at Bald Strong, puzzled. “What are you talking about, Bald Strong? What do you mean by ‘deliberately shaking us off’?”

“Have you forgotten the note Su He left us this morning?”

“That must be a misunderstanding. Naya looks so innocent and adorable; she wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Seeing Bear Big and Bear Two already brainwashed, Bald Strong clenched his fists and roared loudly, “You two jungle bumpkins, country hicks, big fools!”

His booming voice echoed through the entire forest.

Meanwhile, Naya was swiftly running through the woods toward home, breaking down the locked door with a single palm.

Door: *Alright, alright, you like to play rough, huh? Wait here, I’ll get some money from the kitchen.*

Seeing Su He awakened by the loud noise, Naya licked her lips and smiled at him.

“Brother Su He, let’s get started quickly.”

“Wait, Naya, give me that stone so I can recover. Otherwise, I can’t transform.”

“Alright.”

She took the spirit stone from around her neck and slammed it onto the ground with all her strength. The stone was hard and didn’t shatter.

She hit it twice, then brought a large rock from outside to assist.

“Eighty, eighty, eighty!”

After a while, Su He looked at the shattered spirit stones scattered on the ground and knelt down. His hands trembled as he tried to reach out to touch them, but Naya was quick and snatched them all up, putting them in her pocket.

“No! No! Fuck you, fuck you, grandmother!”