Chapter 13: What I Saw on the Road
At dawn the next day, the team continued their journey through the morning mist. The terrain became increasingly complex as they headed southeast, with dense forests gradually giving way to rolling hills. Lin Chen noticed that the vegetation was also quietly changing, with more plant species he had never seen before appearing.
"Look, that's the sweet juice vine." Canglan pointed to a dark purple vine clinging to a rock. "Its juice is as sweet as honey, but be careful when collecting it. There are often honey bears guarding the area."
Hong Yan added: "The Liuhe tribe once used the juice of the sweet vine to mix with grains to make a kind of sweet cake, which was eaten during sacrifices."
Lin Chen carefully observed and noted the plant. He noticed that many seemingly ordinary plants had special uses, and that the natural resources of this world were far richer than they appeared.
During his lunch break, Lin Chen experimented with mixing a drink with the sweet vine juice. He added the juice to boiling water and a little sour dried fruit, creating a sweet and sour drink.
"This tastes much better than plain water!" said the young orc Yanshan in surprise, and drank his share in one breath.
After tasting it, Canglan nodded and praised: "You are very good at making use of the gifts of nature."
In the afternoon, the team entered an unfamiliar canyon. The rock walls on either side were towering, making the path narrow and difficult to navigate. Canglan signaled everyone to be on high alert: "This was once the territory of the Stoneclaw Leopard. Although they've rarely been seen in recent years, we still need to be careful."
Before he could finish his words, the orcs scouting ahead suddenly sounded the alarm. Canglan immediately transformed into a wolf and rushed forward, followed closely by Lin Chen and Hong Yan.
At the bend of the canyon, an astonishing scene unfolded before our eyes: an adult rock-clawed leopard was trapped in a pile of fallen rocks, its hind legs were pinned by the rocks, and its two cubs were anxiously circling around their mother.
"Don't get close!" Canglan warned, "The Stoneclaw Leopard is extremely dangerous. Even an injury can be fatal."
But Lin Chen noticed that the look in the mother leopard's eyes was not of ferocity, but of pain and despair. The two cubs were emaciated, and it was obvious that they had been hungry for a long time.
"It needs help." Lin Chen said softly, "Otherwise the cub won't survive."
Hong Yan frowned. "It's too risky. The Stoneclaw Leopard won't appreciate the help and might attack immediately if it breaks free."
Lin Chen thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea: "We can move the stone remotely, then retreat to a safe distance and observe. If it attacks, we will leave; if it doesn't, perhaps we can build trust."
Canglan hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded: "Do as Lin Chen said. But everyone should remain alert and be ready to retreat or fight at any time."
The orcs used long wooden poles as levers to carefully pry the boulder that was pinning the mother leopard. Lin Chen prepared some dried meat and had Canglan swiftly throw it near the cubs in wolf form.
The boulder was finally removed, and the female leopard struggled to stand up, her hind legs clearly injured. Everyone nervously grasped their weapons, ready to respond to possible attacks.
But the mother leopard just looked around cautiously, then lowered her head and gently nudged the cubs, signaling them to eat the jerky. The cubs were extremely hungry and immediately devoured it.
The mother leopard looked in the direction of the humans and growled, but it was not hostile, more like a warning of thanks. Then she slowly retreated into the cave deep in the rock wall with her cub.
"Unbelievable." Hong Yan breathed a sigh of relief. "Stoneclaw leopards usually attack people on sight."
Lin Chen smiled and said, "Maybe it understands that we are helping."
This incident delayed the team for a bit, but no one complained. As they continued forward, Canglan deliberately walked beside Lin Chen: "You always surprise me. Most people in that situation would choose to avoid or kill, but you chose to help."
"All lives deserve respect." Lin Chen replied softly, "Besides, helping others can sometimes bring unexpected rewards."
This was proven true in the late afternoon when the team was searching for a suitable place to stay overnight when the injured female leopard suddenly appeared on a high rock ahead, making a distinctive low growl.
"It's guiding us." Canglan said in surprise, "It seems your kindness has been rewarded."
Following the guidance of the Stone Claw Leopard, the team found a perfect place to spend the night: a hidden cave with a fresh water source, and even a fireproof stone circle left by previous generations at the entrance.
After confirming that they had found the place, the female leopard quietly left, leaving the small group of people to set up camp in amazement.
"This is the smartest beast I've ever seen." Hong Yan sighed as he helped set up the tent. "Maybe it sensed Lin Chen's peculiarity."
In the evening, sitting around the campfire, everyone's conversation turned to the legends and beliefs of their respective tribes.
"The Silver Moon Tribe believes that all things have spirits," Canglan recounted. "Mountains, rivers, trees, even stones have souls. We must respect nature in order to receive its protection."
Hong Yan nodded. "The Liuhe Tribe worships the water god. We believe that rivers are the blood vessels of life, giving life but also taking it away."
Lin Chen shared some modern environmental protection concepts, cleverly packaging them as "faiths of distant tribes": "The tribe I grew up in believed that humans are part of nature, not its masters. We use resources, but we also give back to nature."
These discussions continued late into the night, with team members from different backgrounds exchanging their perspectives and enhancing mutual understanding.
The third day was even more difficult, as they had to cross a swampy area with muddy and difficult paths, hidden puddles, and dangerous swamp creatures.
The straw sandals designed by Lin Chen came in very handy here. The wide soles distributed weight and prevented people from sinking into the mud. He also taught everyone to use long wooden poles to explore the road and mark safe paths.
"Without these preparations, we might have to take a long detour," Canglan admitted, "or someone might get stuck in the swamp."
At noon, they discovered an unusual phenomenon: tiny bubbles were coming out of the water in an area, emitting a special smell.
"It's a sulfur hot spring." Lin Chen said in surprise, "It's very good for treating wounds and skin diseases."
Everyone decided to take a short break and use the hot springs to heal minor injuries from the trip. Lin Chen also instructed everyone to use pottery jars to collect the hot spring water and bring it back to the tribe for research and use.
As they continued walking, Lin Chen noticed that Canglan walked a little awkwardly. After asking him carefully, he found out that he had slightly sprained his ankle when he helped the Stone Claw Leopard yesterday.
"You should have told me earlier." Lin Chen scolded with concern, "You need to bandage it properly after soaking in the hot spring."
Despite Canglan's objections, Lin Chen insisted on checking his ankle, bandaging it carefully, and even made a makeshift cane to share the weight.
"I just have a minor sprain, there's no need to do this." Canglan protested, but the slight redness of his ears showed that he didn't really object to this kind of concern.
Hong Yan was laughing secretly, and after being glared at by Canglan, he pretended to check the map.
In the evening, the team arrived at the designated lakeside campsite. The scenery was beautiful, the lake like a mirror, reflecting the sunset. Various water birds frolicked on the lake, completely unafraid of people.
"This is Swan Lake," Canglan introduced. "It's a neutral resting place for traveling tribes. Hunting and fighting are prohibited."
Lin Chen was stunned by the beauty and was speechless for a long time. On the other side of the lake, another group was already setting up camp, and the totem flags of different tribes were faintly visible.
Hong Yan's expression grew serious. "They're from the Black Rock Tribe. They're known for their toughness, so be careful when dealing with them."
Canglan nodded: "The Black Rock Tribe values strength and respects the strong. As long as we don't show weakness, they won't take the initiative to cause trouble."
The two groups faced each other across the lake, greeting each other but keeping their distance. This was the unwritten rule on the way to the market: try to avoid close contact before arriving at the market to prevent the early disclosure of trade items and information.
After dinner, Lin Chen sat alone by the lake, gazing at the reflection of the starry sky in the water. Although this world was primitive, it possessed a natural and pure beauty that modern society had long lost.
Canglan quietly came to his side and handed him a drink made with hot spring water and sweet juice vine: "Here, the drink you invented."
Lin Chen took the drink and was surprised to find that the cup was carefully carved from a whole piece of wood, with delicate wolf-shaped patterns on the surface.
"This is..."
"I made this while I was on the way." Canglan said casually, but his eyes revealed his seriousness. "It's a tradition of the Silver Moon Tribe to give handmade gifts to important people."
Lin Chen stroked the delicate lines on the wooden cup, a warm feeling welling up in his heart: "Thank you, Canglan. This is very precious."
The two sat side by side by the lake, the moonlight casting a silver glow on the surface. In the distance, faint singing could be heard from the Black Rock Tribe camp, some kind of ancient travel ballad.
"We'll be at the market tomorrow." Canglan said softly, "Are you ready?"
Lin Chen took a deep breath of fresh air, nodded and smiled: "Yes, I'm ready."
No matter what awaited them at the market, Lin Chen knew that this journey had already allowed him to better understand the world and bring him closer to the wolf warrior with silver-gray eyes. And all this was just the beginning.
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