Zhang Yuanmin mustered all his strength and brought the axe down. If this strike had landed, it would have split the Black Bear's head in two.
But as the axe swung, its tip struck the tree, embedding itself just above the den's entrance.
The bottom edge of the axe blade hung just an inch above the back of the Black Bear's head.
It's hard enough to pull an axe out when splitting wood along the grain, let alone when it's buried in a tree.
"Ah! Ah!" Zhang Yuanmin knew this was bad. He yanked with both hands, trying to free the axe, but failed even after two forceful attempts.
But the Black Bear didn't give him a third chance.
The bear was furious now. It dove headfirst, plunging straight down.
The moment Li Erchen saw the bear coming down, he froze in panic, then instinctively twisted around and bolted.
His flight had a dire consequence: he threw off Zhang Yuanmin, who had been standing on him.
THUD!
THUD!
