The search team of the Red Flower Tribe walked through the mysterious primeval forest. Big Black led the way, with Li Qing and the others following behind. With Big Black by their side, they did not choose the path that the previous hunting team had taken, but instead took a shortcut.
"Big Black is really smart. Such a good dog is rare. Mai Zi probably didn't train it much, but it already understands what I'm saying and knows we're going to Moonstone. It led us to take a shortcut. I thought it would take a lot of effort, but this saved us a lot of time," Li Qing thought with satisfaction.
Li Qing was positioned in the middle of the group, looking around.
This place was nothing like the jungle Li Qing had imagined, filled with venomous snakes and man-eating plants. On the contrary, it could even be described as "birds singing and flowers blooming." Towering trees, ferns, birds flying in the sky, and colorful flowers he couldn't name were everywhere. Li Qing even felt like he had entered a nature reserve.
There were no dangers along the way, nor any frightening creatures like dinosaurs or ferocious beasts. If this place were in modern times, it would be a great tourist destination.
But that's the problem.
The tribespeople can eat raw meat, but these plants… putting aside whether they can fill their stomachs, they dare not even make a definitive judgment on which plants are poisonous and which are not. Even though the shaman is knowledgeable and Cang recognizes some herbs, they are not encyclopedias and cannot name all the plants. These leaves and flowers may seem harmless, but if they cause stomach upset and death, who can bear the responsibility? Moreover, the tribe's situation has not deteriorated to the point of being so desperate as to eat anything. It can only be said that going hunting in the future might be extremely dangerous.
On the other hand, birds flying in the sky are a kind of food, but these days archers are good at shooting people, but shooting birds flying in the sky is extremely difficult.
Perhaps it is precisely in such a "safe" environment that one can truly despair, Li Qing thought to himself.
To see no hope is to be in despair.
The search party spoke very little along the way. They all knew that this was a very serious operation, not a leisurely trip or a hunting trip.
Experienced level 2 warriors like Yong are of great significance to the Red Flower Tribe. With warriors like him, the Red Flower Tribe will have the strength to fight against the Black Wind Tribe.
But now, everything is gone.
“Wheat, you told us about ‘burial’…” Li asked in a low voice, “Where did you hear about this custom? I’ve never heard of it before, and you’ve never mentioned it to me.”
Li Qing had anticipated their question and replied, "When I was seriously injured and preparing to return to my tribe to report the news, I saw an elderly man from another tribe burying a woman about his age. He had just finished his task when he saw me. I was curious and asked him what he was doing. He then told me his story. He said that he and the woman were too old to fight, so they were driven out of their tribe. This forced him to wander with his woman until today, when she died peacefully in his arms."
"He said he didn't want to think about the horrific scene of a woman being torn apart by wild beasts, her flesh gnawed to pieces, leaving only a skeleton. He told me that if he could no longer protect her, then let her rest peacefully in a quiet, safe place."
Li Qing said solemnly, "That's how it is."
Li Qing spoke in a very low voice, but from the moment he began to tell the story, everyone in the search team deliberately shuffled and listened quietly. After Li Qing finished telling the story, everyone remained silent for a long time.
The first to speak was Li.
"...No matter what happens to the Red Flower Tribe in the future, we will never abandon anyone in the tribe!"
Li said to Chu, "When we get back, ask Cang for some herbs to prevent mosquito bites and apply them to the brothers. There won't be any wild beasts in the fields, but there are plenty of insects. We can't let the brothers get bitten by insects."
The herb mentioned by Li is a common medicine in the Red Flower Tribe. It is one of the few herbs that the Red Flower Tribe can talk about properly. The plants and raw materials required for this herb can only be found near the Red Flower Tribe. Even a powerful tribe like the Black Wind Tribe has never heard of or produced this herb.
The herb has a name given by the previous shaman, Cangqi, called "Baiqu". It is a standard item in the tribe. Everyone applies some to their body before going to bed at night, so that even if they sleep outdoors, they don't have to worry about being bitten by mosquitoes.
Chu nodded, not feeling it was a waste to use the Hundred Chariots on the dead.
...
They continued their journey in silence, and led by Big Black, they soon arrived at Moonstone.
The exact person who named it Moonstone is unknown, but even Li Qing had to admire that person's high level of naming skills.
It is called the Moonstone because the rock, which is about ten meters high, looks like a crescent moon at night. When the moonlight shines on the rock at night, it emits a beautiful white glow, which is very beautiful and gives people a mysterious feeling.
But this place, which exudes a mysterious beauty, now carries a hint of bloodshed.
Dozens of corpses lay scattered on the ground, riddled with arrows and devoid of life. Their blood had dried. Several vultures flew around in the sky, seemingly ready to pounce, but they abandoned the idea when they saw people appear.
A foul, even horrifying, stench of blood filled the air, assaulting the search team.
Despite the unpleasant smell, no one instinctively covered their noses at the sight of such a horrific scene.
Including Li Qing, they simply stared silently at the corpses scattered on the ground, and no one spoke.
The scene before him brought back Li Qing's memories of when Mai Zi was ambushed.
At that moment, everything happened suddenly. The soldier closest to the wheat was the first to be killed, followed by a hail of arrows.
The sudden attack did not cause the warriors to collapse. They reacted quickly and launched a counterattack against the Blackwind tribe, who held an absolute geographical advantage.
However, the Black Wind Tribe members, standing atop the Moonstone and high above, seemed to handle the Red Flower Tribe's counterattack with ease. It appeared to be a premeditated ambush, well-prepared and seizing the initiative. Soon, the disadvantages of both sides widened further.
...
Li Qing rubbed his temples. His memory was frozen on the moment when Yong pushed him back to the tribe to report the news. Unconsciously, Li Qing's eyes were already a little moist.
Wheat and Yong weren't very close, but Yong was willing to withstand heavy and merciless attacks for Wheat, or rather, for the tribe.
Li Qing clenched his fists.
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