Chapter 343 Water Crisis
The bear orc spoke first, his voice filled with anger: "Chief, he stole my water! I had been secretly saving some undrinkable water for my partner these days, and he stole it!"
The leopard beastman immediately retorted: "You're talking nonsense! I found that water myself! What makes you say it's yours?"
The bear orc roared, "You're lying! I saw you pouring water from my pitcher with my own eyes!"
The leopard orc sneered: "What evidence do you have? Just your words?"
Seeing that the two were about to fight again, Xia Yueke quickly stepped forward:
"Stop arguing! The tribe's water supply is so tight right now, and you're still fighting among yourselves. Do you want everyone to die of thirst?"
The two orcs were stunned by Xia Yueke's words, then lowered their heads and stopped talking.
The old patriarch sighed, his tone heavy:
"Now is not the time to argue. We must unite to get through this crisis."
He turned and looked at Xia Yueke and the other female orcs:
"Since only females can enter the mountain stream, you will go and fetch water. I will send a few male orcs to protect you outside and ensure your safety."
Hearing this, the female beastmen showed an embarrassment on their faces and began to complain in a low voice.
"The path to this mountain stream is long and difficult to walk. It takes a lot of energy to fetch water every time, and I'm so tired when I come back that I can't even straighten my back."
"Also, the water in the mountain streams is getting less and less, and it takes longer and longer to find water. The water we can get is simply not enough for everyone."
"What if we encounter any danger? Even if there are male beastmen protecting us outside, they may not be able to arrive in time if something happens."
Xia Yueke felt very uncomfortable listening to everyone's complaints, but she knew that she had to boost everyone's morale at this moment.
She raised her voice and spoke loudly, "I know everyone is having a hard time and is very scared. But think about it, the young and old in the tribe are waiting for us to bring back water. We are their hope for survival! The mountain path is difficult to navigate, so we support each other; water is hard to find, so we spend more time. We are here to protect our families and our tribe! For them, we will definitely do it!"
Mia also stood up and said firmly: "For the tribe, we are willing to take risks."
The other female orcs were infected by Xia Yueke's words and agreed, expressing their willingness to go.
Qian Jingyao said, "Father, Coco's other companions and I are all quite strong and can protect these females. You can just send a few higher-level beastmen to help carry water."
The old patriarch nodded without objection.
Xia Yueke looked at An An and Dun Dun, her heart filled with worry. She knew that this water-collecting mission was fraught with danger, but she had no choice.
She squatted down and gently touched the heads of the two cubs: "The mother beast is going out for a while, you have to be good and listen to the father beast Qingyan, understand?"
The cubs' skin became dry and cracked due to lack of water, their lips were cracked and bleeding, and even their crying voices became hoarse and weak.
-An An and Dun Dun are no longer as lively as before. They lie listlessly in the shade all day long, too lazy to even wag their tails.
After hearing what Xia Yueke said, they raised their heads weakly, nodded, and then lay down on the ground again.
A trace of heartache flashed in Xia Yueke's eyes, and she decided that this could not go on any longer. She must find the place the patriarch mentioned as soon as possible.
Qing Yan on the side was unhappy, "Yue, why do I always have to take care of the cub? I also want to be with you."
Xia Yueke quickly patted Qingyan's shoulder and said, "Qingyan, just take care of the cubs. Think about it, aren't they important?"
Qingyan nodded.
"Then this mission is also important, isn't it? This isn't a joke. This is a heavy responsibility entrusted to you. Only you can accomplish it brilliantly and impress me!"
Qing Yan was flattered by Xia Yueke's praise, "That's right, Yue, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of the cub, you guys go!"
That's how it's settled.
The orcs had no choice but to embark on a longer and more difficult journey to get water.
At the first light of dawn, the female orcs carried their worn-out water jugs and led their cubs towards the distant mountain stream.
Xia Yueke and her companions were also among them. She had a frown on her face, her eyes were full of worry, and she walked hurriedly.
The water in the mountain stream is decreasing rapidly, and many places have dried up, leaving only bare rocks, emitting scorching heat under the scorching sun.
After walking for a long time, they finally arrived at the stream that the patriarch had mentioned.
After arriving at the stream, the female beastmen did not take time to rest and immediately dispersed to look for water.
Xia Yueke and Mia were in a team. They searched carefully along the dry riverbed, not missing any corner where water might be hidden.
Xia Yueke squatted down and reached out to feel between the cracks in the rocks. Suddenly, a lot of water gradually emerged from the cracks, but the water column was very small, not as much water as they had imagined.
But this news was enough to cheer up Xia Yueke.
Just now, when she saw the drought scene from outside, she was about to collapse.
"Mia, come here! There seems to be water here!" she shouted excitedly.
Mia ran over quickly, and together they worked hard to move the stone. A thin stream of water seeped out from the cracks in the stone.
They hurriedly took out their pitchers and carefully collected water, but the flow was too slow and it took a long time to fill a pitcher.
The situation for other female orcs is not optimistic either. In some places, only a few drops of water can be found, which is not enough to meet the needs of the tribe.
Everyone's faces began to turn ugly, and Xia Yueke knew that they probably wouldn't be able to hold out here for much longer.
"Everyone, cheer up first. Let's bring the water back to the tribe before making a decision! No matter what, our cubs are still waiting!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the females came to their senses and stopped sobbing. Instead, they worked harder to fill their water pitchers.
After filling their water jars, the female orcs hurried back to the tribe under the escort of the male orcs.
Along the way, everyone was silent and full of worry, knowing that the water they brought back was just a drop in the bucket.
When we returned to the tribe, the old chief and his tribesmen were already waiting in the open space.
Seeing the water being brought back safely, a glimmer of hope ignited in everyone's eyes, but when they learned that the amount of water was so little, they fell into deep despair.
At night, the tribe was filled with a depressing atmosphere. The cubs cried faintly. The adults sat together, discussing countermeasures, but they still had no idea.
The drought not only caused a shortage of water, but also led to a significant reduction in prey.
The wild animals in the forest fled and migrated to wetter places.
Qian Jingyao and Long Xiaoyu often took the orcs of the hunting team out hunting, but the wild beasts migrated one by one, and they rarely found any traces of the wild beasts.
Often return empty-handed.
The fatigue and loss on their faces were clearly visible. The tribe's food reserves were dwindling like sand in an hourglass, and they were in a tense situation.
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