"North up, south down, west left, east right."

Amid the howling cold wind, Shi Tou was holding a map carved from a large piece of tree bark. He was muttering the formula taught to him by the Son of God while looking carefully at the map in his hand, and then he was turning around in circles on the spot.

After a while, I finally found the right direction. I faced north and the bark was also facing north. After a while, I finally confirmed the route.

"here."

He pointed with his finger, then put away the map very carefully, and walked first in the direction he had just identified, followed by the eldest brother and others behind him.

Everyone tried hard to walk in the snow, hoping to see the trade team and those familiar people as soon as possible...

In the distance, there was also a group of people walking on the snow. Unlike the eldest brother and his companions who were all young and strong, there were many women, children, and other weak people among this group of people.

This group of people is the trading team of the Qingque tribe, and the Huangguo tribe that followed them.

The team was not moving very fast, on the one hand because the snow was too deep, and on the other hand because they were being held back by the people of the Huangguo tribe.

Most of the people in the Huangguo tribe were weak because they had basically not had enough to eat during the winter.

Walking for a long time, especially in such conditions and weather, was too much for many of them.

Even if there were enough furs and something called "great treasure" by the Son of God for wiping the face, it would not be enough.

Because they themselves are too weak.

According to Mao's original calculations, it would only take five days at most to return to the tribe. However, now, five days have passed, but he has only walked more than half of the way.

Moreover, after walking for a long time, compared with before, the people in the Huangguo tribe became increasingly exhausted and weak, and their walking speed became slower and slower.

At this slow pace, it would probably take at least five days to get back to the tribe.

This is not the most important thing. The most worrying thing is that due to the sudden increase in the number of people in the team and the unlimited length of the journey, the food carried by the team is no longer enough.

If things continue like this, we will run out of food in two days.

But Shang and Mao did not dare to reduce their daily food intake.

Because more and more people in the team are getting weaker, if they reduce their food at this time, I am afraid that many people in the team will freeze to death.

By now, Shang and Mao both regretted bringing people from the Huangguo tribe.

If they had not been dragged down by the Huangguo tribe, they would have been sleeping on the warm kang now, and the food crisis would never have befallen them.

But now...

If these people could be abandoned, given their physical fitness and the leg strength they had developed from long-term walking and business, it would be very easy for them to set off immediately and return to the tribe before running out of food.

Looking back at those people who were following them with tired faces but trying hard to move forward, and looking at them with pleading and expectation, Shang and Mao could never do such a thing.

These people were brought out by them to join their tribe. Although they have not yet drunk the Green Bird wine, they are not much different from the people of the same tribe.

Shang and Mao could not abandon their own people.

"Take some people back first, tell the Son of God, and then bring people to take us home."

If this continues, someone might die. Even if no one dies, we will have to kill deer and dogs to fill our stomachs.

Shang caught up with Mao and told him the solution he had thought of.

"no!"

After hearing Shang's words, Mao was stunned for a moment, then he refused.

When they were attacked by the Tengshe tribe before, he led his people and abandoned the rest of the tribesmen and killed their way away in order to survive.

Until now, whenever he thinks about this incident, he feels very uncomfortable.

Now that a similar situation has occurred again, he will never do something like abandoning his people and leaving them to survive.

"You go back to find the Son of God, I will lead the others behind..."

Mao looked at Shang and said.

At this time, those who stay behind are in the most danger.

Shang also shook his head and said, "No, you are familiar with the road, but I sometimes can't remember the way. You go back first, and I will lead people to follow the footprints you left behind. This way, we won't make mistakes."

Being directionally challenged is a powerful reason. As soon as Shang said this, Mao was speechless.

If Shang led a few people back to report the news, but ended up getting lost in the wind and snow, the loss would be huge for everyone.

Not only might Shang and others who went back to report the news die, but those who stayed behind might also die of starvation and freezing.

"You must be well! Wait for us to come back!"

After a brief dispute, Mao found four people from the Qingque tribe who were faster on their feet, led two deer to carry things, brought some food and fodder, and spoke solemnly to Shang and the others.

Shang and others also nodded solemnly.

"Walk!"

Without any more words, Mao, with the other four members of the trading team, turned around and accelerated towards the direction of the Qingque tribe, gradually widening the distance between them and Shang and the others from the Huangguo tribe, and finally turned into a small black dot and disappeared.

Leader Mao and his men walked very quickly, not daring to delay for a moment, because the sooner they returned to the tribe, the safer Shang and his men would be.

Shang and his friends didn't have much food left. Although Shang said before they left that they could kill deer to eat if there wasn't enough food, Mao knew that Shang would not kill deer unless it was absolutely necessary.

He also didn't want the deer, which had followed them in wind and rain for a long time and helped them a lot, to be killed for meat.

Hurry up and go. Once we get to the tribe and see Shen Zishang, everything will be fine. The people from the Huangguo tribe we bring back will also survive.

Mao kept urging himself as he walked. Even though he was very tired and his ankles were sore, he still didn't dare to slow down a bit...

The sky gradually darkened and the wind slowly picked up, making the already cold weather even colder.

If they were traveling through the snow in the past, Mao would have already asked people to stop and built a snow house to live in.

But now, he had no intention of stopping. He panted, stepped on the thick snow, and trudged forward with difficulty.

"Take a break..."

Some people couldn't stand it anymore and asked to take a break.

"Walk a little further and rest next to the big dead tree in front..."

Mao was so tired that he wanted to lie down directly, but after thinking it over, he decided to walk forward for a distance.

"There...there's a fire there!"

When they reached the big dead tree, they leaned against it and gasped for breath. One person tilted his head and saw a little fire in the dark night. In front of them, slightly to the left, was a shelter.