"Yuanliang, Yuanliang, wake up!"
A slightly cold hand gently patted the unconscious boy's cheek.
After several struggles, the boy's will finally awoke slowly. As soon as he opened his eyes, he was dazzled by the golden light shining through the canopy of the towering tree. He couldn't help but raise his hand to shield his eyes, but this simple action aggravated his wounds.
The boy, called "Yuanliang," had a low pain tolerance and was convulsing in pain, but the pain also helped him regain consciousness quickly. He bent his elbow against the ground, and the boy who had woken him up reached out to help Yuanliang get up and lean against the tree trunk.
Yuan Liang looked around in confusion.
This place was a dense forest that seemed to stretch endlessly, and what horrified him even more were the abnormal-looking plants nearby. Some were brightly colored and mottled, a mix of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, clearly highly poisonous; some looked like vines, but their hanging leaves were metallic "knives"; some appeared normal, but their trunks were so thick that even seven or eight strong men couldn't wrap their arms around them…
Most importantly, they can actually move!
Yuan Liang was momentarily stunned, then suddenly recalled his memories before he fell into a coma.
He traveled with his friends.
Upon reaching this point, they happened upon a scene where the mountain mist seemed to flow backwards across the sky, and the undulating mountains appeared to be shimmering with rosy light. They found the scenery incredibly beautiful and decided to enter the mountains late at night to watch the sunrise. In order to take a shortcut, they did not choose the normal mountain path. This decision led them astray. Not only did they get lost, but they were also ambushed by something without any warning and lost consciousness.
When I woke up again, the scenery around me had changed drastically.
They were clearly in a valley before they lost consciousness.
Why did I wake up in an unfamiliar dense forest?
After a moment of stunned silence, Yuan Liang cleared his mind and, disregarding everything else, immediately asked his companion, "Are you alright?"
His companion said, "It's just a fall."
He woke up before Yuan Liang and checked their injuries. Judging from the wounds, they were caused by falling from a height, which, for a scholar with literary energy protecting his body, was only a superficial injury. Circulating literary energy to nourish his entire body would greatly reduce the pain.
"It's good that we're not hurt. We don't know who ambushed us..." Yuan Liang slowly stood up, leaning against the tree trunk. He looked down and checked his belongings. His accessories, sword, money pouch, and even their respective chests were all there. The attackers weren't after money.
It's strange that they neither wanted money nor took their lives.
His companion shook his head and said, "We didn't notice anything unusual at the time."
They didn't even know who had attacked them.
Yuanliang slung the box over his shoulder, drew his sword from his waist, and told his companion to follow behind him, "This place looks strange. Don't disturb these plants if you can. See if you can find an exit to leave this place. You follow me and keep an eye on your surroundings."
His companion also drew his sword.
The two boys walked from high sunrise to sunset, but the dense forest seemed endless. No matter which direction they went, whether walking, running, or using incantations, they couldn't find their way out. They wondered if some kind of incantation array was nearby disrupting their senses, and tried every method they knew to solve it, but the forest remained unchanged. And now, darkness was approaching.
After nightfall, no one knew what dangers lurked in the dense forest.
Yuanliang and his companions were anxious but helpless.
Surely they won't be trapped here to die?
Just then, his companion's eyes suddenly sharpened.
A flash of sword light appeared in his hand, piercing a nearby vine with a soft "whoosh." The vine, struck, emitted a howl that was neither human nor ghostly. Yuan Liang raised his hand to stop him from thrusting a second sword: "These plants are strange..."
His companion looked at the wildly twisting vines with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
With a wave of his hand, several barriers of literary energy appeared in front of him and Yuan Liang. His long sword was ready to defend against any enemy. He said decisively, "Since we can't get out anyway, we might as well try to start with these things and burn them all to ashes!"
It was clear that these plants seemed to be "alive".
As Yuan Liang searched for a path, he remained constantly wary of the strange plants, feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching them. Each time they returned empty-handed, the plants seemed to react with a hint of schadenfreude, as if watching a spectacle.
They are trapped here; someone must be causing trouble in the shadows!
If these plants were a medium through which someone controlled their movements, then they might as well destroy them all and see if they could force out the person hiding behind the scenes. Unexpectedly, what happened next was beyond their expectations, leaving them still in a daze when they were brought out.
"You two outsiders have some nerve! Not only did you trespass on our ancestral graves, but you also threatened to scatter the ashes!"
Yuan Liang and the other man hurriedly explained the cause and effect.
They didn't intentionally do anything to people's ancestral graves.
Not long after their companion wounded the vines with his sword, a burly young man dressed in a completely different style appeared, glaring at them with a fierce look, as if he wanted to skin them alive. In the end, he didn't make a move, but simply said in an unfriendly tone, "Follow me!"
Yuanliang and his companion exchanged a glance and followed the boy.
The unfamiliar boy had long, shiny black hair, which was braided into many delicate little braids. His face and neck were painted with brightly colored patterns that looked like totems with a long history, which made his eyes even more bright and outstanding.
After hearing the explanation, the boy's anger subsided slightly.
He said, “You should speak to the high priest.”
The young man from another tribe led two outsiders who had accidentally wandered in back to their tribe's territory. The entrance to the territory was extremely well hidden, and Yuan Liang and the other man were brought in blindfolded by the young man. The moment the blindfold was removed, the idyllic paradise unfolded before their eyes like a painting.
In the dense vegetation, the outlines of the buildings can be vaguely seen.
Neat fields could be seen in the distance, with several busy figures on them. Few outsiders ventured here, and when a local tribesman passing by saw the boy leading two strangers, his eyes gleamed with curiosity: "A-Nian, who are these two handsome young men?"
The boy's strikingly handsome face remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on Yuan Liang and his companion. Even when answering the clansmen, he didn't look away: "I don't know, just some strangers who wandered in by mistake."
"Shall we go see the High Priest?"
The boy nodded: "Mm."
If the high priest found anything wrong, he would kill the two of them.
The high priest's house wasn't far, and the boy arrived quickly. The coldness on his face melted away like ice and snow, replaced by a bright smile. He stood on tiptoe and peeked into the open door: "Priest, I've brought two strangers with me."
"Yes, let them in."
An old, kind voice came from inside the house.
The foreign youth turned his head, his smile vanishing and replaced by a cold expression: "Outsider, come in. The high priest has some questions for you."
Yuanliang and his companions were nervous.
But I also know that circumstances are beyond my control, so I can only do as they say.
The high priest was a white-haired, hunched-over, yet gentle and kind old man, and the room was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance. Seeing Yuan Liang and his companion enter, he gestured for them not to be nervous and to sit down and talk. Though it was called a questioning, it was merely a series of basic inquiries.
Yuanliang: "My surname is Qi, my given name is Shan, and my courtesy name is Yuanliang."
Companion: "My surname is Tan, my given name is Qu, and my courtesy name is Lezheng."
The high priest smiled, his eyes narrowing. "I have investigated your matter thoroughly. The responsibility for your accidental entry does not lie with you; it was all due to our ancestor's mischief that implicated you. Were you frightened?"
The two teenagers opposite them didn't understand what it meant, but they knew that the people who attacked them were the "ancestors" of this group of aliens.
Tan Qu was not one to suffer a loss, and immediately thought of getting up to question him, but Qi Shan beside him raised his hand and pressed him down: "I wasn't scared, but Le Zheng and I were injured when we fell. I wonder if your place has any medicine to treat our injuries?"
Qi Shan remembered that Tan Qu had taken the fall for her before she fainted, and that Le Zheng's injuries were probably more serious than her own. If she could use the medicine, he could recover faster and wouldn't be left with any hidden injuries. The High Priest readily agreed to the request and even brought out the best medicine.
The two verified their identities.
When they came out of the high priest's house, the alien youth, Anian, who had previously been cold to them, smiled warmly. The old priest came out leaning on a strange wooden staff and greeted Anian: "Anian, please settle your two distinguished guests down and help them recover from their injuries."
Young A-Nian agreed, "Leave this to me."
There is no place for outsiders to stay here.
The young man, Anian, then took them back to his home.
His family was similar to that of other members of his clan.
When the three arrived, a man and a woman were drying herbs in the courtyard. The woman and man resembled Anian, and anyone with eyes could tell at a glance that the three were related. Tan Qu guessed that the man and woman must be Anian's parents, until Anian shouted at the top of her lungs and ran over excitedly: "Mother, Uncle, I'm back!"
The woman was indeed the boy's mother, but the man was his uncle. According to Anian, besides his mother and uncle, there was also his grandmother who went out to visit her old friends and wouldn't return home for at least ten days to half a month. The family consisted of four people, but Anian's father was not among them.
Tan and Qu did not want to ask further questions.
They were afraid that the questions they asked would touch on the boy's sore spots.
Ah Nian's uncle wasn't as strikingly handsome as his nephew, but he was still quite good-looking, with a small, delicate black mole on his forehead that made him easily recognizable. Seeing his nephew's makeup, the uncle's smile broadened: "Good lad, you've got some skills!"
This makeup isn't something you can just apply casually.
We must win first place at today's singing competition.
The uncle pounded the boy's chest: "You've really made us proud!"
“Of course! I have the best voice in the clan. If it weren’t for that sudden… humph, I could have won back the mask.” Anian deliberately spoke vaguely in the middle, but Tan and Qu knew he was referring to them. “But it’s the same if we win again tomorrow.”
These foreigners were happy to entertain friendly strangers who posed no danger, and Uncle Anian immediately turned around and grabbed two sheep. After looking at the size of the two sheep, he grabbed a third: "Sister, come and give me a hand."
Ah Nian tidied up a temporary guest room.
As night fell, the aroma of roasting meat wafted from the bonfire in the courtyard.
Anian's mother also stewed a large pot of fragrant mutton soup.
Uncle Anian warmly invited, "Eat, eat, eat! You're all about the same age as Anian, so your appetites should be similar. Don't be shy here, make yourself at home. Can you drink alcohol? Would you like some homemade rice wine?"
Ah Nian was busy running around.
She refused to remove her makeup.
Uncle Anian said, "Don't worry about him. He'll brag about winning a face mask from the beginning of the year to the end. Knowing his temperament, he'd probably still refuse to take a bath even if his body was covered in grime. He's so slovenly."
Ah Nian grinned: "Who said that?"
He washes himself every three days.
After three rounds of roasted whole lamb, the atmosphere became much more relaxed, unlike the awkwardness before. After bowls of rice wine, they exchanged names. Tan Qu took the initiative to introduce himself, introducing himself as Qu Tan.
Qi Shan paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Shan Qi."
The main character is someone who doesn't have a real name.
Ah Nian muttered, "The names of outsiders are really hard to pronounce."
Tan and Qu settled down there, with Qi Shan keeping Tan Qu company as he recovered from his injuries. The small town had only a few hundred inhabitants, and the news of two outsiders arriving spread like wildfire overnight. Every household brought them many nourishing items.
Besides delivering the gifts, they also wanted to see what outsiders were like.
Both of them looked very young.
Qi Shan had a gentle and refined appearance, with a natural smile playing on his lips. While his looks weren't exceptionally handsome, he possessed a charm that instantly won people over. This young man's temperament mirrored his appearance; he was remarkably patient with the Gongxi people who had come to join the fun.
I spent most of the day playing with the children.
Ah Nian clicked his tongue and said, "These girls and boys, who usually avoid you like the plague, are so docile and frightening in your hands."
They were all not to be trifled with.
Qi Shan, however, did not think it was that exaggerated.
It's normal for kids to be a little mischievous.
Compared to Qi Shan, Tan Qu was more aloof, not very talkative, and had a cold demeanor. He also had a slightly chubby baby face and round, almond-shaped eyes. Even when he tried to widen his eyes and project an aloof and unapproachable aura, his appearance made him seem less convincing.
Instead of scaring people away, it actually evoked pity...
They are as endearing and pitiful as cats.
He thought that after a couple of days, these people's curiosity about outsiders would subside, but not only that, Tan Qu was still asleep when he was awakened by loud and penetrating singing outside. He opened the window and saw several pretty young girls waving at him outside the courtyard.
"A-Nian, are you coming to the competition?"
"I have new makeup today."
I heard thumping footsteps coming from next door.
"New makeup? Come on, Mamas, wait a moment!"
A moment later, Ah Nian turned back and invited, "Ah Qu, do you and Ah Shan want to come and play together?"
Tan and Qu had learned about the singing competition beforehand.
They are quite interested in the customs of other ethnic groups.
Qi Shan readily agreed: "Of course I'll go."
Tan Qu didn't even have a chance to say no.
They were carried away by two people, one on each side.
The competition was held on a cliff in the tribe's territory.
As for why it's a cliff?
"It sounds great when you sing, with a strong echo! It carries far!"
Tan Qu, the injured patient, decided to sit among the group of teenagers as a judge, adhering to the principle of "since I'm already here." He had just sat down, about to enjoy A Nian's self-proclaimed "voice kissed by God," when—his injury worsened.
Because it starts with some really catchy lyrics.
[Tonight, my son will go to my home.]
[Enjoying the night without leaving the hotel]
As for the tune?
The tune is everywhere, but it's just not in tune.
He stared at Ah Nian's new makeup with a dark expression.
"A voice kissed by God, are you sure?"
Ah Nian pointed to her makeup: "Is this fake?"
Tan Qu: "..."
Qi Shan quickly tried to smooth things over by faking a cough.
——
The Gongxi tribe's song festival is held once a year, lasting seven days. Only those who win first place each day can receive a unique face decoration. Each face decoration is different! According to tribal records, no one has ever won seven face decorations in a row.
Whoever accomplishes this feat will be recorded in the clan annals!
This is a joyous occasion that will bring glory to our family!
The above is the information that Qi Shan extracted from the child. Tan Qu looked pale and resentful as she looked at him: "It's better not to hold this kind of concert... It's a long story."
That sounds awful!
It was nothing short of torture.
The next day, someone else came looking for Ah Nian.
Qi Shan and his companion were also among those invited.
Tan Qu clutched the blanket, refusing to get up. His slightly chubby face was filled with anger as he declared firmly, "Even if I die, even if I die here, I will never live again—"
"I've heard that, in addition to the makeup and mask, the prize for today's winner is a piece of rare meteorite iron, an excellent material for forging swords."
Tan Qu came from a poor background, and his sword was ordinary.
He had always wanted to find a good piece of material to seriously forge a weapon.
Tan Qu threw back the covers: "...Oh my god!"
His song naturally didn't suit the aesthetics of the Gongxi tribe, but the girl who won first place knew his request and generously offered him the meteorite iron. Tan Qu, however, disliked owing favors and insisted on buying it with silver, a sentiment echoed by the girl.
Until Qi Shan secretly sent a telepathic message to Tan Qu.
Tell Tan Qu the approximate value of this meteorite.
That's something my friends couldn't afford even half of over ten years.
Tan Qu: "..."
Just then, a pretty face approached; it was another young woman present: "Grandpa wants to forge a sword? Perfect, I know a little about that."
Faced with such enthusiasm, Tan Qu couldn't refuse the kindness.
After much thought, not wanting to accept the gift for nothing, he suggested that he paint their portraits as a way of repaying them. He was a skilled painter, especially adept at portraiture.
Tan Qu earnestly wanted to give back in some way.
As it turned out, he was somewhat naive.
The next morning, someone sang towards his window, singing the same songs that Anian had sung at the song festival the day before. They had stayed with the Gongxi people for a few days and knew a little about their customs. These songs had special meanings outside of the song festival.
Tan Qu: "..."
Qi Shan: "..."
The two teenagers felt something was amiss, but could still accept it.
That evening, Tan Qu heard unusual noises outside.
Holding their breath and on high alert, they waited and waited until a familiar head appeared outside the window—it was the Gongxi woman from the daytime.
Tan Qu breathed a sigh of relief: "Why is the young lady here?"
The young woman said, "Of course, I'd like to invite a handsome young man."
Qi Shan, who was sleeping in a cubicle, came over when she heard the noise.
Curious: "A concert in the middle of the night?"
The young woman covered her mouth and giggled, her bright eyes revealing a look that the two men couldn't understand: "No, I just came to ask if Grandpa needs someone for his bed? The moon is so full tonight."
Tan Qu's baby face cracked.
Qi Shan was also stunned and stood there dumbfounded.
Tan Qu snapped out of his daze and shouted, "We don't need any!"
The woman sighed with slight regret.
Ah Nian from next door poked his head out to join the fun, adding fuel to the fire. He was quite familiar with this neighbor girl: "No way?"
Tan Qu did not miss this sound.
He snapped, "You still expect it to work?"
Ah Nian pulled his head back and muttered, "This isn't over yet."
Tan and Qu quickly realized what "not over" meant.
Not long after, a head popped up at the window again.
The other person sang two lines of a song.
Tan Qu crossed his arms and sternly rejected the boy in front of him.
The boy left in frustration.
Then it was girls, girls, and gentlemen again...
He rejected seven or eight people in a row.
I've listened to the same off-key song seven or eight times.
Tan Qu felt that his ear was probably seriously injured.
What's wrong with your people?
Seeing that no one else was coming, Tan Qu suddenly pushed open the window.
Ah Nian wasn't asleep, and her voice came through clearly: "It's just like what you see, they like you guys."
Tan Qu: "..."
This liking is unnecessary.
He and Qi Shan were afraid something might happen in the middle of the night, so neither of them dared to sleep deeply. Anian, a martial artist with astonishing talent and courage, naturally didn't miss their changes in aura. The next day, he even came over and asked, "You two are really interesting. You slept with your eyes open last night?"
Tan Qu: "..."
After that night's rejection, things went normally for the next few days.
Tan Qu breathed a sigh of relief and began preparing the portrait carefully.
When Tan Qu returned after finishing his painting, he saw Anian holding a familiar painting and looking at it with great interest. Tan Qu's scalp tingled instantly.
"A-Nian!"
Ah Nian put down the scroll and looked over.
He shrugged. "I didn't peek. Look, these little rascals were playing around and knocked the house down. Your trunk got buried, and I was cleaning it up when I accidentally saw it..."
Tan Qu's face turned pale and then flushed.
Seeing the children hanging upside down in the corner, I knew Ah Nian wasn't lying, but I still felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Ah Nian may seem rough around the edges, but he is actually very thoughtful.
He said, "It's a good painting."
Tan Qu glared at him fiercely.
Ah Nian said sincerely, "It's really well drawn, a masterpiece. It has both composition and movement, but those strange and odd poses look awkward. No human could do those. It shows that the artist's knowledge is very limited."
Tan Qu: "...You're quite something?"
Anian said, "I practice the virginity-preserving skill to avoid lust."
Tan Qu retorted, unconvinced: "Then what did you say?"
They actually mocked his lack of knowledge!
Do you know how much money he makes from these paintings?
Ah Nian tilted his head, his little braid sliding along with it: "However, I am a martial artist with great courage, how could I not understand the human body? The Way of Yellow and Red is also the Way of Human Relationships and Nature, which I must learn."
Clearly, Tan Qu hadn't studied it and relied entirely on his imagination.
Tan Qu: "..."
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Tan Qu's injuries were healed.
The newly forged sword is also ready.
It's perfect as a parting gift.
However, their last night with the Gongxi tribe was not peaceful, because another girl appeared outside the window singing and expressing her love. This girl had only recently returned to the tribe's territory, supposedly to find the father of her child, but her progress was not ideal, and she returned disappointed in the end.
Alas, yet another unfortunate woman betrayed by a heartless lover.
"I don't ask for sexual pleasure, I just want a child."
Qi Shan paused for a moment, then retracted his previous remarks.
He's not some kind of fertility god, so what are you asking him for?
This woman was clearly not as easy to talk to as the previous ones. Seeing that Qi Shan refused repeatedly, she decided to force the issue.
Knock, knock, knock—someone was knocking on the window.
Ah Nian's voice came in: "You've gone too far."
The voice was not as smiling and friendly as usual; it was more like the chilling sound of a first encounter in the dense forest. Only then did the woman, who had been warned, give up.
Ah Nian: "I'll see you off."
I know my own people well.
Not every member of the Gongxi tribe is friendly to outsiders; some are rather extreme and forceful in their methods. Keeping the two outsiders around could easily lead to trouble. Since they were already planning to leave after dawn, a few hours earlier wouldn't make a difference.
The route the two took when they left was different from the route they took when they came.
Ahead lies a mountain path.
Turning around, they couldn't see Ah Nian who had come to see them off.
It's as if all these days have been a dream.
A night breeze blew by, sending a shiver down my spine.
The two looked back one last time before heading down the mountain home.
However, when bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can cause problems.
The terrain was unfamiliar, and the two had no idea how to get out, until—the night wind brought the roars of wild beasts from the mountains.
In the distance, a series of eerie green lights appeared.
Their greedy gazes seemed to devour people alive!
They had no idea when they had entered the wolf pack's territory.
Qi Shan and Tan Qu, perfectly in sync, shouted: "Run—"
|ω`)
I'll post 4,000 words first, and then I'll add the rest using my stylist (it's finished).
The supplementary content is free of charge.
PS: Today I saw someone in the group asking about the side story, so I wrote a chapter about the younger generation. Plus, I was on a seven-hour high-speed train journey today (five hours without a seat), so my brain really wasn't ready to focus on the main storyline. I wrote a side story to take a break.
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