17 Chapter 17
◎A good harvest. ◎
It was nearly nightfall when Tana returned to her new camp, on the border of the Gray Wolf and Black Eagle tribes. The sky was clear, and a dazzling starry sky hung low on the horizon. She didn't rush back to her tent. Instead, she gracefully dismounted and fiddled with the delicate leather armguard on her left elbow. It was a long moment before she heard the cry of a falcon in the sky.
The falcon circled down, landed obediently on her arm guard, and handed over the mailbox.
Tana gently stroked the falcon's fur, fed it a piece of dried meat, and then casually stuffed the falcon into the cage.
The falcon's already round eyes widened, confused. If anyone were present, they would have recognized that this falcon didn't belong to the Canglang Tribe she was currently in, but to Tana's hometown.
Fortunately, the falcon, personally trained since childhood, was in tune with its owner. It remained quietly in its cage for a moment, then simply dozed off. Tana watched her, her eyes narrowed slightly. Her eyes, in fact, bore a striking resemblance to those of this seemingly innocent bird of prey. Standing alone in the deepening darkness, they even reflected a terrifying light.
"Sorry for the long wait." She murmured to herself, lowering her eyes, not knowing to whom she was talking.
A bright bonfire was burning not far away, with firewood added generously. There should have been no wind tonight.
Swish——
*
Burke sat steadily on horseback, holding a bow. The night wind brushed past his ears. He was completely ignited by adrenaline and his expression was fanatical.
The fire at the end of his sight was burning fiercely, and the celebrating figures were swaying. He couldn't help but stretch his arms and draw his bow. The poisoned arrow reflected the faint firelight. He gathered his strength for a moment, then shot forward with unstoppable force, deeply embedded in the ground.
He looked at the ground covered in poisonous thyme and licked his lips like a venomous snake. Behind him, military advisor Hu Shan remained calm and said to Burke, "Captain, our ambush is ready."
"Chief," the personal guard beside him said, unable to conceal his excitement, "Everything is going well, Chief! May the heavens protect us..."
A particularly distinct wisp of smoke rose in the night sky, which was the signal agreed upon with Tana.
Those traitors were still drinking and eating meat with the bastards of the Canglang Tribe, completely unaware that their death was approaching!
A cruel smile appeared on Burke's face. He slowly raised the scimitar in his hand, the blade flashing with a cold light in the moonlight.
"Young men!" His voice trembled slightly with excitement. "For our dead brothers, for the glory of the Black Hawk Tribe! Follow me—"
The warhorse galloped forward, the sound of the wind drowning out the remaining words.
He thought of all the resentment he had endured over the past thirty years and all the humiliation and torture he had endured over the past few months. He almost choked with sobs, his vision blurred by tears, and he decisively swung his scimitar at the nearest figure.
The figure fell silently and swayingly without any resistance. Burke swung his sword several times and trampled the corpse with his horse's hooves, only to find that the touch was wrong.
"It's a trick—"
But it was too late.
The bright arrow light brushed past the horse's hoof and accurately hit the giant earthenware pot that was supposed to be stewing mutton, and a dazzling fire exploded.
"boom--!"
Countless burning pieces of wood and boiling liquids splashed around like flowers scattered by a fairy!
"Not good!" Burke's confidant cried out in surprise.
The shrill neighing of a frightened warhorse instantly resounded through the night sky. Burke's own mount was also startled by the sudden loud noise and the flash of fire, and it jumped up, nearly throwing him to the ground.
Before he could steady himself, a sharp sound of breaking wind came whistling from the darkness in all directions!
Arrows rain down!
Burke looked up in horror, only to see that on the hillside around them, hundreds of torches had been lit densely, surrounding them like an iron barrel!
Helian Xiao? No, why is Helian Xiao here?
A trap, this was a trap from the beginning to the end, Tana is indeed untrustworthy!
Burke's heart instantly sank. He turned around, his gaze piercing through the blaze of fire and arrows, but he didn't see Hu Shan, the calm and composed figure who seemed certain of victory.
Instead, I saw a bunch of ghostly Han faces.
On the high ground outside the encirclement, Tana was calmly lowering a longbow in her hand. It was she who had personally shot the clay pot disguised as one filled with sheep fat and pine resin, detonating the entire trap.
The eyesight of her hawk-like eyes was excellent. She even met Burke's gaze from a distance and shot the horse's leg again.
"Capture Burke alive," she whispered. "Don't let him die. I want him to be conscious and able to speak, otherwise the princess will blame me. Go quickly."
"Don't miss the military advisor either."
The seconded guards were silent as a mouse and hurriedly carried out the order.
She finally breathed a sigh of relief, her hand holding the bow trembling slightly.
Tana hadn't killed anyone herself, but tonight someone was destined to die because of her actions; among them wasn't her blood brother, but there were many compatriots she had known in the past. But she wasn't afraid, instead she savored a bloodthirsty excitement from this instinctive trembling.
*
"So that Hu Shan finally got away." Tana raised her neck, took a long gulp of kumis, and shrugged. "It seems he had planned it all along, but he refused to tell my eldest brother. The guards only found the remains of his clothes."
Li Hengqing pushed a small plate of hawthorn preserves towards her and said with a smile, "That's enough. You must have worked really hard on this. Otherwise, Burke wouldn't have been so easily fooled."
"I also want to thank the princess for giving me this opportunity." Tana threw the preserved fruit into her mouth and blinked. "I heard from Langyue that the princess was still upset that I didn't check the files in time, so I had to rush to apologize."
Li Hengqing nearly choked on a mouthful of honey: "Don't listen to her nonsense."
[Congratulations to the host for successfully merging the Black Hawk Tribe. You have received ten points and the permanent Harvest BUFF, which has automatically taken effect.]
The system in his head spoke at the right moment, and Li Hengqing opened the panel to check. Under the harvest buff, it was clearly noted: [All products in the territory are free from disasters and diseases, environmental requirements are reduced, and production is doubled (can grow).]
Li Hengqing pondered this short line of words several times and felt that he had really picked up a treasure this time.
The harvest season in Silvermoon Valley is about to arrive.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
