The rain comes from the Xia clan of the forest
"Lan said this wood-gathering trip will be with the rock sheep beastmen. I asked Lan for permission to go, and Lan agreed!" Rock Flower jumped up and down excitedly, tickling Yan Shaofeng.
Yan Shaofeng felt a little dizzy from his swaying, but seeing his energetic appearance made him feel a little happier too.
"You go on every mission outside the area. Aren't you afraid?" Yan Shaofeng asked.
He blinked, then smiled matter-of-factly and said, "I'm scared, but I'm a warrior. The captain said protecting our people is a warrior's responsibility. I want to become a great warrior, eat lots of food, and get praised by the captain and Lan!"
In his first year as an adult, shortly after becoming a member of the gathering team, his clan was attacked by wind beasts. It was the first time he faced a battle between warriors and behemoths, and the first time he realized that life was as light as a raindrop, capable of falling to the ground and disappearing without a trace.
"Actually, I didn't see the clan chief and the others die." Yan Hua stopped walking, sat cross-legged on the lawn, and looked up at the night sky.
There were many stars in the sky, much like raindrops that hadn't yet fallen. Looking at the stars, he said, "The day I encountered the giant beast, I stood there foolishly waiting for it to come. It was Chieftain Mother who gave me a cub and pushed me to the captain's side..."
He paused for a few seconds, lowered his eyes, scratched his head as if a little embarrassed, closed his eyes and smiled, "Then I just kept running and running with the captain, and became a soldier, without ever looking back."
"Actually, I don't remember what happened very well. I only remember a terrifying aura pressing down from behind, and you all leaning against me."
Are you scared?
Of course he was scared. Yan Hua was so scared that he wanted to hide, but he always remembered the cub that his chieftain mother had given him, and Yan Duoyu and the others who were resting next to him.
He can't leave.
He couldn't leave; he could only become a warrior, a warrior to protect his people.
"Yanhua, it's a good thing you didn't look back," Yan Shaofeng said softly, unconsciously touching his still-healing lower back. He never wanted to see Hongyu again in his life, never wanted to see any of his clansmen beheaded in front of him again.
"You turned around?"
Hearing the question in his ear, Yan Shaofeng was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Yes, I turned around."
He heard his teammates call his name, and his teammates said...
"Yan Shaofeng, give me a hand."
He failed to stop his teammates or protect the two cubs beside him; all he could see was red. It was blood splattered from his teammates, the cubs, and Chief Yan Youyan and the others.
The red rain kept falling without stopping.
When will this rain stop?
"It'll stop soon, won't it?" Jiang Yunlan said gently to Yan Duoyu, looking at the drizzle outside the rain shelter.
The rain continued for a while, then gradually dwindled to just a few raindrops falling.
The rain that started last night stopped in the morning. It was the first time the newborn animals in the tribe had experienced rain, and Jiang Yunlan was worried about them, so as soon as the rain stopped, she took 022 to the feeding area.
As dawn broke, most of the beastmen were still asleep. Jiang Yunlan walked into the feeding area and hardly encountered any beastmen, only seeing the beastmen on night watch.
"Lan, the eggs and the baby animals are doing well," 022 whispered as it floated back onto Lan's shoulder after checking on them.
Jiang Yunlan was delighted to learn that none of them had been cold, and quietly led 022 away. Once all the animals in the eggs had hatched and the feeding area could reliably supply meat, the canteen should be finished by then.
She couldn't help but miss rice and noodles, and turned to 022, saying, "The food these days is too monotonous. I wish we could find wheat and rice. I haven't had rice in so long."
She was from the South, and this was the first time she hadn't eaten rice for so long.
“We’ll find it, Lan,” 022 said. It had already remembered that Lan wanted to eat rice.
“Yes, we haven’t finished exploring this planet yet. Maybe we’ll find them somewhere.” Jiang Yunlan said, when suddenly she heard arguing.
The sound was coming from the temporary accommodations in the breeding area.
"But you are a warrior, and warriors must never evade the hunt. Have you forgotten what Chief Mother said!" Yan Dahe's emotions fluctuated greatly, and his voice involuntarily became sharp.
Who doesn't want to be a soldier anymore?
The information revealed in those words intrigued Jiang Yunlan. After a moment's hesitation, she decisively joined 022 in squatting outside the door to eavesdrop.
"I know. Once my injuries are healed... once my injuries are healed, I will go back." Yan Shaofeng said with difficulty, his voice was very soft, and he sounded weak.
"Does Yan Shaofeng not want to be a soldier anymore?" She was a little confused, and before she could think about it further, she heard Yan Dahe say angrily in a trembling voice.
“But your injury is clearly healed enough to go to training, yet you haven’t attended a single training session arranged by your elder mother! You’re deliberately avoiding training; you simply don’t want to go back!”
"You're just a coward who's afraid of wild beasts and avoids battle!"
"I...I...I hate you!"
Jiang Yunlan was startled by what she heard and instinctively stood up. She saw Yan Dahe push open the door and run away. Looking in the direction Yan Dahe left, she patted 022 on the shoulder, signaling 022 to follow, and then turned and went back into the house.
Inside the house, a bewildered Yan Shaofeng saw Lan's figure appear and involuntarily took a step back, wanting to run away. But Lan was standing right at the door, and he couldn't escape.
He hung his head, his ears and tail drooping, as if he were ready to be judged.
“I heard your conversation inside the room just now.”
Jiang Yunlan followed 022 to find Yan Dahe, who was hiding and picking grass. She bent down and approached her. "I know why Yan Shaofeng doesn't want to be a warrior. It's because he saw the wind beast killing his people. You're afraid to face wild beasts and can't unleash your full strength when facing them. That's probably why."
Once you fight a beast, you'll recall the scene you witnessed that day.
“Lan…” Yan Dahe looked up at Lan, his dejected expression exactly the same as Yan Shaofeng’s.
"Why would you think I'd dislike you if I knew about this?" Jiang Yunlan asked, voicing the same question she had asked Yan Shaofeng.
Because I am a soldier.
"A warrior must not evade the hunt."
The two leopard-like beastmen gave the same answer.
Yan Dahe lowered his head, his hands unconsciously tugging at the grass on the ground. "Only the weak will run away from the hunt. The weak will be shunned by the clan, and I don't want to be hated by Lan and Chang Amu."
"Lan, do you hate me now?" Yan Shaofeng asked.
"I won't hate you," Jiang Yunlan said to the sad leopard beastman.
But I'm afraid of wild beasts; I can't be a warrior.
"But I'm afraid of wild beasts, so I can't be a warrior."
The same words struck Jiang Yunlan. She opened her arms and hugged the leopard beastman who was holding back tears, gently stroking him. "I won't hate you. Even if you can't become a warrior, I will still love you."
"Is it the same if I can't bring food back to the clan?"
[Is it the same if I can't protect the clan?]
"The leopard-beastman asked."
“Yes, the same,” Jiang Yunlan said.
She looked at the leopard-man before her and said firmly, "It's not your fault that you can't fight, nor is it your fault that you're afraid to face wild beasts. You're just sick. Just as the body can get sick, so can the mind."
“You are not weak, you did nothing wrong, you are just sick.”
Jiang Yunlan didn't know how to comfort the leopard beastmen who were blaming themselves for being unable to fight. Their memories of their people dying, their fear of wild beasts, weren't because they were weak.
Regardless of the era, whether one is an orc or a human, a wounded soul will cause illness.
It is absolutely outrageous to demand that someone whose wound has been torn open not cry out in pain.
The wounds of the heart are different from those of the body; they are never easy to heal. Yet, there are always people who cannot understand why others' hearts are wounded, and they will unintentionally or maliciously reopen those wounds, asking in a very incomprehensible tone why the wounded person cries out in pain.
“Listen carefully,” Jiang Yunlan said gently, looking at the crying leopard beastman, “No matter who blames you because you are sick, don’t doubt yourself.”
"You are fine. The fault lies not with you, but with the people who criticize you."
"Lan, will my illness get better? I still want to be a warrior, I want to be an orc who can protect everyone." Yan Dahe wiped away his tears and asked in a sobbing voice.
"Yes, it will get better. You're already trying to overcome it, aren't you? I believe you can do it," Jiang Yunlan said softly.
She remembered Yan Dahe saying he wanted to raise the eggs of wild beasts, and she remembered Yan Dahe trying to suppress his fear to approach the animals.
Yan Dahe nodded haphazardly, sniffed, and said, "I didn't want to say that to Yan Shaofeng just now. I know he's not weak; he was injured and bedridden for a long time because he protected Yan Hua. I don't dislike him either; he's my favorite older brother, and also my most powerful older brother."
"It was me who was afraid of wild beasts, and it was me who avoided battle. Those were the words I should have said to myself. I didn't even join the hunting party, but he did. I was just too angry; we're too similar, and I couldn't help but lose my temper with him."
"Actually, I didn't want to be angry with him..."
Jiang Yunlan released her head, squatted down and looked her in the eye, "Then you must explain to him properly, apologize to him, and tell him that you didn't think that way."
"Then tell him that he's your favorite."
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