Chapter 304: A New Companion, “No Stealing Robes”
Hummingbird was dumbfounded by Fang Xiaocao’s wild imagination. A wild bear, tamed just by getting beaten up? That sounded ridiculous.
Even if the bear was truly subdued, the one who had beaten it—Taotie—wasn’t here. So why would it submit to them?
Fang Xiaocao disagreed with Hummingbird’s doubts. Bears were smart creatures—they could mimic humans, knock on doors, and even learn to perform tricks. Zoo bears figured out how to beg for food from visitors without being taught.
With that level of intelligence, this black bear was clearly exceptional. It could even kneel and bow. Maybe, just maybe, it was one of those “intelligent creatures” Tom had mentioned.
If her gamble paid off, they’d have a new ally. If not, they were already prepared for a fight—one more bullet wouldn’t make a difference.
Decision made, Fang Xiaocao cautiously approached the bear.
The black bear remained motionless, lowering its head and keeping its eyes averted. It stayed kneeling, as if showing submission. It was an instinctive rule among wild animals—direct eye contact was a challenge, an invitation to fight.
Seeing this, Fang Xiaocao felt more confident. The bear wasn’t making eye contact, which meant it had no intention of attacking.
To confirm her theory, she deliberately locked eyes with the bear.
If it were any ordinary wild beast, it would immediately react with aggression. Even a passive creature would feel provoked.
Fang Xiaocao knew she was taking a risk. Her muscles tensed, and her finger tightened around the gun trigger, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.
But she quickly realized she had been overthinking.
The bear really didn’t want to fight.
No matter how much she stared, it would avoid eye contact. When there was nowhere left to turn, it even used its massive paws to cover its eyes.
Fang Xiaocao burst into laughter.
Behind her, Hummingbird was completely dumbstruck.
This wasn’t normal. Could it be that Taotie had put on a bear suit just to mess with them? This bear’s behavior was too humanlike—it was acting just like Taotie did!
Fang Xiaocao reached out and placed a hand on the bear’s head, gently stroking it like a cat.
The bear’s fur was rough and slightly prickly to the touch, not exactly the most pleasant texture.
Yet, under her touch, the black bear narrowed its eyes in enjoyment, looking just like an oversized canine.
That settled it—this bear was definitely tame.
Patting its head, Fang Xiaocao grinned. “Follow me from now on, and you’ll never go hungry!”
Before she even finished speaking, the black bear’s eyes lit up, and it immediately started bowing again.
For a moment, Fang Xiaocao felt like it was worshiping her like a deity.
“Get up!” she commanded.
The black bear twitched its ears and obediently rose to its feet.
Fang Xiaocao smirked. “How about I give you a name?”
The bear hesitated for a moment, then nodded its massive head.
She had expected the bear to be smart, but this level of comprehension was beyond her imagination. It understood every single word.
“Hmm…” Fang Xiaocao pondered for a while, trying to come up with a fitting name.
The black bear remained seated patiently, quietly waiting.
Suddenly, inspiration struck her.
“I’ve got it!” she exclaimed, dragging out her words to build suspense.
Both Hummingbird and the bear perked up with anticipation.
“From now on, you’ll be called… No Stealing Robes!“
The moment the name left her lips, both Hummingbird and the bear looked completely dumbfounded.
“…Are you serious?” Hummingbird muttered, giving Fang Xiaocao an incredulous look.
“What, you don’t like it?” Fang Xiaocao squinted at the bear.
Hummingbird swore that for the first time in her life, she saw a bear force a smile—a very awkward, very human-like forced smile.
Under Fang Xiaocao’s expectant gaze, the bear hesitated, then nodded its big head, as if reluctantly accepting its fate.
“Good boy!” Fang Xiaocao beamed, ruffling the bear’s head.
“Alright, No Stealing Robes, let’s get out of here!”
Time was running short. Wan Xiaozhou had fainted again.
With No Stealing Robes following behind her, Fang Xiaocao headed toward the exit. Seeing the bear behave so obediently, Hummingbird finally let down her guard.
Hummingbird took out her grappling hook and fired it at a large tree outside the cave. With agile movements, she quickly climbed up.
“Your Highness, tie Xiaozhou to the rope—I’ll pull her up!” Hummingbird called down.
“Got it!” Fang Xiaocao replied.
She secured the rope around Wan Xiaozhou’s tactical belt, locked the buckle, and gave it a firm tug to ensure it wouldn’t come loose.
“She’s ready!” Fang Xiaocao signaled.
Without hesitation, Hummingbird began hauling Wan Xiaozhou up.
As she watched Xiaozhou disappear through the opening, Fang Xiaocao turned to the bear. “No Stealing Robes, can you climb up by yourself?”
The black bear glanced up at the opening, then nodded.
Rising to its hind legs, it grabbed onto the exposed rock edges and began scaling the wall with surprising ease.
Fang Xiaocao stared in disbelief.
“If anyone ever calls bears dumb again, I’ll smack them in the head and donate their brain to No Stealing Robes as a supplement.”
She could no longer take the phrase “dumb bear” seriously.
Just look at No Stealing Robes!
It was strong, smart, and climbed better than most people.
If this bear was considered dumb, then what animals were actually smart?
Watching No Stealing Robes effortlessly climb out, Fang Xiaocao couldn’t help but wonder—had this bear really grown up in the wild?
Or had it escaped from a zoo or a circus?
