Seeing that Xiong Si still looked distressed, Xiong San couldn't help but speak up again: "Don't even mention that the tribe shares meat in the big cave. Fox Five is an orc warrior in the tribe, and he's part of the hunting team. He has enough meat to keep his father and mother from starving to death. What are you worrying about?"
"I'm not worried, it's just that I feel a little sad that such a powerful orc warrior will only be able to stay with the elderly and children all day except for gathering, and will be stuck in the big cave every day," Xiong San explained.
"What's there to be sad about? Which tribe doesn't go through this?" Xiong Si said nonchalantly. "Now that the cannibals are gone, and we don't have to worry about being sent to be eaten when we're old and dying, it's already very good."
Xiong San thought about it and agreed, "You're right, it's already very good."
Fox Five was stopped by Bear Three as he returned from the hunt with the hunting team, "Fox Five! Fox Five! Over here!"
Fox Five, carrying a sheep on his shoulder, circled around for a while before spotting Xiong San. "What do you want?"
"Your father and mother are back! They went to see the priest a long time ago, and they're probably back in the cave by now." Even though the priest said he would no longer search for the orcs swept away by the flood, Fox Five would still go out to look for them after his hunt. They had all seen this, and now that his father and mother were finally back, Bear Three wanted to tell Fox Five the good news as soon as possible.
Fox Five was stunned for a moment after hearing this. When he came to his senses, he picked up the sheep and ran away, prompting the hunting team leader to shout from behind, "You little fox, leave the sheep behind! We'll have to divide the meat later!"
With a "bang," the sheep was thrown to the ground. Fox Five continued running forward, saying urgently, "I'm in a hurry to see my father and mother, so I won't take it back. Captain, you can come and get it yourself!"
The members of the hunting party couldn't help but laugh, teasing each other, "This little brat is already an orc warrior in the hunting party, but he still clings to his father and mother all day long like an unweaned cub."
"Who says otherwise? But the flood has been over for so many days now, why are Foxwood and Wolf Five only coming back now? Bear Three and Bear Four, have you been watching them? How are they?"
Xiong San and Xiong Si sighed and explained the injuries of Hu Mu and Xiong Si to the hunting team. After they finished speaking, there was silence. Finally, the hunting team leader, Lang Ye, said, "Don't just stand there, let's go inside and divide the meat."
"Father, Mother!" Fox Five's cheerful voice echoed into the cave, finally bringing a flicker of emotion to the otherwise expressionless beastmen inside. Fox Wood touched the corner of his eye and replied, "My little one!"
Upon hearing the voice he had been longing for, Fox Five sped up and dashed into the cave, his overflowing joy almost overwhelming.
He rushed towards his mother, but the moment he touched her arms, his body stiffened. When he saw that his mother's left arm was empty, it felt as if he had fallen from the height of summer into the depths of winter.
Fox Five then turned his gaze to his father, who was very powerful and the fastest in the entire hunting team during hunts.
But now, his father's left leg is gone, and one of his sharp eyes, which would frighten anyone who looked at it, is blind.
Fox Five felt as if he had been pushed into a freezing lake in the dead of winter, his whole body cold and unable to breathe.
how so…
Fox Five's mind was in a whirl; he was thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. Suddenly, a clear image surfaced in his mind: the scene of the mountain tribe he had seen near the Wood Tribe that day.
Fox Five gradually calmed down. It's alright, the old people and children of the mountain tribe can all live well.
Although his father and mother had lost their hands and feet, they were still orc warriors, much stronger than the old people and children. They would live a good life in the future.
"Father, Mother, I promise I'll hunt more game in the future so you can have something to eat." Fox Five asked, feigning composure, "Did the priest tell you what to do next? I think Mother could join the guard team. Father, your legs aren't good, but walking in beast form is easier than in human form. Although you can't hunt, Father, joining the guard team in beast form is..."
“Little one, after we came back today, we went to see the priest. The priest said that we need to go to the big cave to stay tomorrow. Father and Mother can't go to the guard team, at most they can go with the gathering team.” Foxwood gently interrupted Fox Five. After she finished speaking, she looked carefully at her little one, afraid that he would be too sad to bear it.
Fox Five was stunned for a moment, then after understanding what he meant, he forced a smile that was more like a grimace. “Ah… the priest said to go to the Great Cave. That’s fine too. The elderly and children are so valued in the tribe, Father and Mother will definitely be fine even if they go to the Great Cave. I will bring meat to visit you every day from now on.”
Are the elderly and children valued in the tribe? Foxwood and Wolf Five exchanged a glance. Had their little one gone mad with grief? How could the elderly and children possibly be valued in the tribe?
Fox Five's mind was in complete chaos. He had no idea what he was saying. Images of the mountain tribe's elders and children laughing and playing were intertwined with images of the injured elders and children of the vine tribe dying of starvation and disease. He couldn't distinguish which images were from the vine tribe and which were from the mountain tribe.
It can also be understood that when he learned that his father and mother were going to the big cave, he subconsciously tried to convince himself that the laughter and joy of the mountain tribe were happening in the vine tribe.
Because Fox Five simply couldn't bear the thought that his parents would die of illness or starvation in the cave on any ordinary dark night.
Even though his parents have returned, why is he still so sad...?
——
"We can't wait any longer, the fire festival is tonight." Fujiki walked back and forth in the cave, leaning on a wooden stick. As if he had thought of something, he squatted down in the corner of the cave, dug out a stone jar, and took out a handful of dried leaves from it.
"Before lighting the fire, ignite the mist leaves and throw them into the cave. The smoke from the burning mist leaves can knock the orcs unconscious for a short time."
Chief Cat Vine's arms were stuffed with a large handful of bewitching leaves, and his brows furrowed involuntarily. "So soon? The clansmen haven't been notified yet. Let's wait a few more days."
Fujiki glanced at Cat Vine and snorted, "What's the use of dragging this out for two days? Do you think they won't die? If you haven't notified them, notify them now, but don't make a fuss. Just find a few strong men to set the fire and then block the cave entrance with boulders as soon as possible."
"When you notify them, also call Foxwood and Wolf Five over. Don't tell them it's a fire sacrifice; just say they need to stay at the big cave tonight and go out to gather resources first thing tomorrow morning." Tengmu finished speaking expressionlessly and sat back down on the animal skin.
"Why are Foxwood and Wolf Five also being sacrificed to fire? Although they are injured, their orc level is still intact..."
"What nonsense are you spouting!" The words that Cat Vine was about to say were interrupted by Vine Wood, who sneered, "Their orc level is still there, and so is their appetite. Besides Wolf Leaf, no other orc in the hunting party can compare to these two. Do you really think they'd listen to you if they were truly starving?"
"How do the priests know they can't?" Catvine shouted, unable to control his voice.
"What are you shouting for?" Tengmu glanced sharply at the cave entrance, and only lowered his voice to scold when he saw nothing unusual. "Even if they are obedient, I can't afford to gamble! The Tengman tribe absolutely cannot suffer another blow. This time, I will eliminate all potential threats in advance."
The last flood was his biggest mistake; he didn't heed the advice of the Wood Tribe priest, causing the Vine Tribe to suffer a devastating blow. Now, he must rely on himself to ensure the Vine Tribe can move forward safely and steadily.
He will never make the same mistake twice.
Fujiki looked at Catvine with unwavering eyes and said, word by word, "I'm doing this for the good of the tribe."
Catvine was stunned by the terrifying emotion in those eyes, and he realized something was wrong. But the rule of "obeying the priest in everything" was something he could never get rid of.
He closed his eyes weakly, then turned around and did as Fujiki had told him to do.
"Lu Shi, get up. The clan chief wants to see you."
Lu Shi rubbed his sore eyes, trying desperately to open them. His mind was still a bit foggy, and he didn't really think about why the chieftain wanted to see him so late. He just did as he was told after hearing what was said. When he ran out of the cave, he found several orcs already standing outside.
Lu Shi then realized that, apart from him, there was no one else from the hunting team. The others were all high-ranking members of the guard team.
A cool evening breeze blew, and after walking for a while, Lu Shi's consciousness began to return. Just then, he heard the clan leader in the group speak, "I summoned you here to carry out the fire ritual on the priest's orders."
For the next while, Lu Shi felt that he could understand each word, but he couldn't understand the meaning of a sentence as a whole.
"Did the priest intend for Foxwood and Wolf Five to be burned to death along with the old people and children in the cave?"
Lu Shi didn't know what he had said; he only knew that everyone was looking at him.
Cat Vine didn't give a clear answer. After sending someone to call Foxwood and Wolf Five, he said, "Let's go."
Lu Shiyi followed the group absentmindedly. By the time they reached the large cave, Fox Wu's parents had already entered. He was placed last, and as he watched the chieftain light the bewitching leaves and throw them into the cave, the orcs in front began to push the boulder. Lu Shiyi, however, suddenly went limp.
The dull thud of the boulder shifting was like a thunderclap exploding in his ears. In a flash, Lu Shi transformed and dashed towards Hu Wu's cave.
The commotion caused by Lu Shi was quite significant. When the beastmen pushing the boulder noticed it, they immediately looked towards Mao Teng.
Before the beastmen could speak, Cat Vine said, "You don't need to worry about anything else. Just push it along quickly, and don't let Foxwood and Wolf Five find out. I'm going to find Deer Ten."
Lu Shiyi rushed to Fox Wu's cave. Fox Wu was feeling sad because his parents left in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep. However, his mood had been fluctuating too much today, and he was lying with his eyes half-closed, and he was starting to feel sleepy.
Just as I was about to go to sleep, I was woken up by the sound of people running around outside. I sat up to see what was going on when I saw Lu Shi rush in.
For some reason, Fox Five's heart was pounding, and he didn't even dare to ask Lu Shi why he had come here in the middle of the night.
“Fox Five,” Deer Ten said quickly, “The night the injured old man and the child died, you asked me if all tribes were like this, and I told you then that they were. Now, I want to tell you that they are not, not the Wood Tribe.”
Fox Five stared wide-eyed at Deer Ten.
“Every day I would wait for you to leave and stand in that place for a while. That day I saw that every old man and child working in the Wood Tribe was treated the same as the orc warriors.”
"The priest wants to burn all the orcs in the cave to death, including your father and mother." Lu Shi didn't elaborate further. He pulled Hu Wu up and said urgently, "Go to the Wood Tribe and ask their priest for help. Ask him to take the orcs from the cave to the Wood Tribe and make them members of the Wood Tribe. This is the only way to save them."
Fox Five's first reaction was to rush towards the big cave, but Deer Ten stopped him, saying, "I'm on the other side of the big cave. You go quickly; you're faster than me."
"Yes, I can run very fast." Fox Five finally regained a sliver of reason, and after transforming, he ran forward recklessly. Bear Three and Bear Four, who were guarding the front of the tribe, felt a gust of wind rushing out of the tribe.
"Was that Fox Five who just ran out?" Xiong San asked.
"Probably, he's the fastest red fox in the tribe."
Xiong San asked in confusion, "Why is he running out so fast so late? Isn't he going to stay with his parents?"
Xiong Si shook his head. "I don't know. Let's ask him when he gets back."
The leaves had been burning for a while, and it was time to light them. However, because their chieftain hadn't returned from searching for Lu Shi, the beastmen guarding the cave dared not light the fire without orders.
Lu Shi wanted to wake the other beastmen, but he wasn't sure if they would actually disobey the priest's orders and stop the fire ritual. He gave up on waking the other beastmen and ran back to the cave.
The beastmen guarding the cave saw a deer charging towards them recklessly and quickly dodged to the side. One beastman, who was nearly gored by the deer's antlers, looked terrified. "Deer, are you crazy?"
Lu Shi stopped abruptly, raising dust from the ground. He shielded the large hole behind him and stared straight ahead. "I will not allow you to hold the fire ritual."
"What's the use of you not allowing it? Do you think we want it? If you're so capable, go and persuade the priest!"
"Get out of the way! The clan leader was following behind you. Now that you're back, he'll probably be back soon. If you block the way and cause trouble, aren't you afraid the clan leader will beat you up?"
The clan leader went with him? Lu Shi was very puzzled. He didn't see the clan leader on his way there and back, and he couldn't even sense his presence.
Fujiki kept a close eye on the movements at the large hole, but Cat Vine was slow to report that the fire had been lit.
Thinking about Cat Vine's attitude towards the Fire Festival, Vine felt a little uneasy. He stood up, leaned on his wooden stick, and walked towards the large cave.
Chapter 90
2-in-1
The night was utterly silent, the moon hanging high in the sky like a full disc. In its cool light, the orcs on the Wood Tribe's watchtower saw a red figure rushing rapidly towards the tribe. "Be on guard!"
Upon hearing "Alert Zero," the two orcs on the watchtower and the twelve below it all raised their arms and aimed forward.
The orcs on the watchtower are all hand-picked, with excellent eyesight and superb archery skills.
"Whoosh—" The wooden arrows pierced the air, forcefully embedding themselves on either side of the rapidly running orc, a warning to the opponent to stop.
Fox Five was startled by the sudden appearance of this object, and his body instinctively stopped him. He reached out and pulled the thing driven into the ground. The sharp arrowhead seemed to radiate a cold, desolate light in the moonlight, and Fox Five's muddled mind cleared up. Every fur on his body stood on end; he sensed the danger this thing posed, a life-threatening danger.
Fox Five dared not make any more rash moves; he could not die before he saw the priest of the Wood Tribe.
After carefully moving forward a short distance, the chilling sound of the arrow piercing the air rang out again. This time, the wooden arrow pierced the ground just a step in front of Fox Five's feet.
"Take one more step and our bullet will pierce your skull."
Fox Five subconsciously swallowed, his whole body stiffening, but fortunately, at this distance he could faintly hear the shouts of the Wood Tribe orcs.
"I won't do anything to the Wood Tribe, I just want to meet the Wood Tribe priest."
The orc guard frowned and replied, "Our priests can see anyone they want! Get out of here!"
Fox Five had been running at top speed the whole way, and after shouting just now, his head was spinning terribly. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and pleaded, "Please inform them that I am Fox Five from the Vine Tribe. Our priest is going to perform a fire sacrifice to burn my father, mother, and all the old people and children in the cave! Please inform them that if the Wood Tribe priest still refuses to see me, I will leave on my own!"
Upon hearing Fox Five's shout and learning the reason, the orc in the guard frowned even more deeply. After a moment of silence, he continued, "This is a matter for your tribe; our priests cannot interfere!"
Even if the priest of the Vine Tribe kills all his people, the Wood Tribe has no reason to interfere.
Fox Five understood this principle, but he was helpless; only the priests of the Wood Tribe could save those people. Remembering Lu Shi's words, he grasped at a straw and quickly said, "We can help! After we rescue them, they will all be members of the Wood Tribe!"
"That happened after they were rescued. Also, did they tell you themselves that they were willing to become members of the Wood Tribe?"
Fox Five was speechless at the question. No, not a single tribesman had told him they were willing to become a member of the Wood Tribe. From the beginning until now, he had only clung to the faintest possibility of those people surviving, running all the way here without a second thought.