“Come here, brother earth bear!” Gray yelled, “I’m going to eat you!”

A furious roar shook the ground beneath his feet.

A familiar brown mass rolled out of its den. It was the same earth bear that had almost killed him in the past. It was the big boss of the region. It was a juvenile the first time they met but it was now twice the size. It was three times Gray’s height from nose to tail and as wide as a wooden cart. Such a powerful beast would be more than a match for Old Wu’s hunting party but Gray felt confident with the treasure sword in his hands.

The bear gave another roar as if recognizing its enemy. It charged halfway and then stamped both front paws on the ground.

Boom!

A wave of vibrations shot out in all directions. Everything in the vicinity was shaken forcibly. Trees swayed as if about to collapse. Nearby boulders cracked.

But Gray was already prepared.

He leaped into the air just as the earthquake arrived at his feet. He was able to avoid the initial vibrations that were the most powerful. Once he landed, the residual energy only made him a little dizzy. It was no problem at all.

He then charged, sword extended.

The earth bear stood up on its hind legs and brandished its claws that were longer than kitchen knives.

“Roaarrr!”

Gray wasn’t going to be intimidated by those claws now and didn’t slow down.

A heavy paw swiped at his face. He saw it coming and blocked with his left hand. It was strength against strength as both tried to push the other away. Despite the size of the beast, Gray’s arm was still a little stronger.

Woosh!

The bear’s left paw swiped down. Gray contorted his body and kicked it with his right foot.

With both paws blocked, the bear had one last attack. It lunged forward, mouth open, rows of yellow teeth aiming to bite a chunk of human flesh.

Gray grinned viciously. He stabbed forward with the treasure sword. He aimed at the bear’s open mouth. It was impossible to miss.

The sword pierced through its mouth, its brain, and out the back of the skull. It was an instant kill.

The bear fell silently and impacted the ground with a heavy thud.

Gray stood up, shaking from excitement.

“Yes, I’m the strongest!” He shouted.

Today was the first time he had ever successfully hunted a deadly spiritual beast. It was a fully grown and healthy earth bear, a terrifying beast that weighed over five hundred kilograms. It had thick fur that his pickaxe could never penetrate and long curved claws harder than iron that were well suited for digging.

The beast had been an uncomfortable neighbor for the longest time. It was a beast he definitely could not defeat before. Yet with the sword, the whole fight lasted only a few seconds.

Such a deadly beast was extremely prized in the village. Only the most expert hunters dared fight a fully grown bear of any type and they only did so in groups. Xueling’s treasure sword was truly powerful, it instantly turned him into the best hunter in the entire valley!

Gray dragged the massive bear back to the cave triumphantly and called inside. “I’m back, fairy sister. Your sword was amazing and I managed to get us dinner. Can you help me?”

“What do you want me to do?” Her voice drifted out.

“I killed a very large bear and uh… As you know, I’m pretty bad at cooking so… can you cook this for me?”

There was a very long silence until she admitted, “… I don’t know how to cook either.”

“Huh? Really? Women are all great cooks though… Hey!” Gray yelped, dodging the burnt log she threw at his face.

“Who said all women can cook? Stupid! Cook it and stop complaining, I’m hungry.” She yelled out.

“But…”

“Hurry up!”

Gray grumbled to himself as he dragged the bear out to the nearby creek. He did his best to skin and clean the bear while wondering what kind of woman couldn’t cook.

He felt as if his worldview had collapsed and shattered into dust. His newfound wife was lazy, couldn’t cook, and rather violent! What was the point of a wife like this, he wondered? Was it simply to sit there and look pretty and be taken care of like a princess?

He carried the carcass back into the cave and set up a big roasting rack. A fire was started. Soon, the aroma of meat and sizzling fat drifted around the cave before floating out through a small chimney hole that was dug into the ceiling. Both of them were captivated by the smell and watched the bear like hungry wolves.

“Turn the meat!” Xueling said.

“Okay.”

“Turn the meat!” She said again after a while.

“…”

“Turn the meat!”

“I know how to turn, woman!”

Eventually, the meat was cooked enough to eat. Though the outside still ended up burnt, her reminders helped out greatly. He had to admit this roast bear turned out better than any of his past attempts.

He sliced off big chunks with the sword and piled them onto clay plates, one for him and one for her. To celebrate, he even brought out the last of his precious salt and sprinkled it on her plate.

She picked up a piece and unwillingly took a bite. It was still pink and bloody but the flavor was surprisingly good. The meat was tender and fatty, it melted in her mouth without really having to chew. There was only a bit of salt, but it made everything taste ten times better.

“Mmm…” She let out a moan as she savored the meat.

Her hands moved on their own and continued to stuff bear steaks into her mouth.

“Mmmm!”

Gray was distracted from his food by her constant noises.

“You okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine!” She said, trying to hide a blush.

He shrugged and returned to his plate. The pair continued like hungry ghosts, eating as if their lives depended on it.

Spiritual beast meat was very nutritious and it filled him up quickly. When he couldn’t go on anymore, he looked up and was shocked that she was still eating.

“How much do you usually eat?” He asked in alarm. “Do you usually eat so much?”

His heart bled a little. This beast was something he risked his life for and so much was gone already!

“Pfft… no. This earth bear is only an ordinary spiritual beast. It has what I need to heal my spiritual sea but only in small amounts. That’s why I need to eat a lot.” She answered between bites, “If I was at home, I would have higher quality food and I would only need to eat a normal amount.”

“Home… it sounds like you must be very rich.” He wondered, “Since I saved your life, I should get some reward? How much gold do you have?”

“I don’t have any money with me.” She replied.

He almost fell over, “None at all?”

“Why would I, my servants carry the money.”

Gray thought about it and suddenly realized something. He didn’t know anything about her. Curious, he asked her anything he could think of. Some questions she avoided but others she answered readily.

Xueling didn’t reveal too much, only that she was an extremely rich princess that put other rich princesses to shame. She explained that she had ended up like this because of assassins and that she was the only one that managed to escape. When she mentioned the losses she suffered, she had to stop because tears welled up. She turned her face away and tried to hide from his gaze.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“No… it’s okay.” She muttered, “I’m fine…”

“Hey, at least you’re alive…” He said awkwardly, “Look at me, back when I was ten, I starved for eight days. I almost died! But I ended up alright so you’ll be fine.”

She shook her head and wiped her eyes, “Shush, I don’t need a counselor.”

He tilted his head, “Huh? What’s a counselor?”

Xueling sighed in defeat and stared at her plate. She shouldn’t have lost control like that. Her problems were her own. It was impossible for someone like him to help her. They were destined for different worlds. Her melancholy mood returned and she remained silent for a long time.

“When I recover, I will leave and you’ll never see me again.” She whispered, almost to herself.

“…” He was speechless.

He didn’t expect this. He didn’t want her to leave.

“Gray, it’s impossible for us. Don’t think about it anymore. However, I am not an ungrateful person and I’ve already decided on your reward.” She said earnestly, “Tomorrow, I will teach you a powerful cultivation art.”

“Cultivation art? I already have one.” He replied.

“Pfft… you have one? You haven’t even unlocked your spiritual sea yet!”

Gray scratched his head in embarrassment, “Well…”

Xueling asked him about the state of cultivation in the valley and almost fell over. She knew commoners and peasants did not have very good cultivation arts but she didn’t expect it was this bad. Old Li’s art was simply called Flame Palm and required one to absorb spiritual energy from the rising sun every day. It was the most primitive and slowest method that did not incorporate any secret scriptures or knowledge of the human body. At best, it could unlock one’s spiritual sea given ten or so years.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Gray said, “Other people do similarly useless stuff. Some hug trees. Some drink a lot of water all day. Some hit themselves with bricks. It’s kind of dumb.”

She shook her head, “I will teach you. It will be a hundred times better.”

Gray grinned and thanked her.

“Although…” She said, “You’re already incredibly strong and your body is strange. Something like Flame Palm shouldn’t have been the reason.”

“You’re right.” He nodded, “I used to be weak and skinny. Three years ago, I found this cave by accident and I found a treasure inside the mountain. I don’t know what it is or what it does but I grew big and strong.”

He grinned and flexed his arms to show off.

“Can you show me?” She asked.

“Okay!” He stood and gestured to the tunnel that led to complete darkness, “Come on!”

“Wait! I… it still hurts to walk.”

He scratched his head and stood there dumbly.

She sighed. “Come here… now turn around.”

She directed him until he kneeled in front of her. She managed to grab onto his broad shoulders and pull herself up.

“Now… hold my legs up with each hand.” She said, her face turning red.

“Okay…”