He was prepared to pull back immediately if he got burned, but when his fingertips touched the flames, he didn't feel any burning sensation. This startled Yingxi. Remembering the priest's words that he might be a divine beast warrior with special abilities, he mustered his courage and tried to overcome his fear of fire, stretching his hand forward.
Even as his entire palm was surrounded by the fire, Yingxi felt no discomfort. In fact, the temperature felt by his palm was lower than the temperature felt by his body outside the fire.
Is he really a divine beast warrior?
Yu Ji was happy after his guess was confirmed, but then came worry. He knew he didn't have the ability to awaken a divine beast warrior; Yingxi's ability might only be limited to being immune to fire.
After his initial excitement, Yingxi also considered this issue: if he successfully awakened into a divine beast warrior, his current orc level would certainly not be limited to level seven. Moreover, besides his special abilities, his beast form would also differ from that of ordinary orc warriors.
Every autumn, the tribe holds an awakening ceremony. In addition to awakening the unawakened orcs, the priests also inject crystal energy into the bodies of the already awakened orcs. Sufficient power can directly help the orcs increase their level.
Over the years, Yingxi has neither advanced in rank on his own nor through the power of the crystal energy. He has remained at level seven for a very long time.
Seeing that Yu Ji's expression wasn't good, Yingxi poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. The pottery pot originally contained hot water, but after sitting for a while, the temperature had dropped considerably, making it just the right temperature to drink. "It's already very difficult for an orc to reach level seven, and breaking through to level seven will only be more difficult."
Priest, don't worry about it. Just pretend you don't know. The Feather Tribe is doing quite well now. Aren't we going to send orcs to the Wood Tribe to learn writing in the spring?
The old priest once said, "If a person gains too many good things, sooner or later he will lose what he already has."
Yu Ji sighed, having come to terms with it. There was no use blaming himself for being upset; he simply lacked the ability to awaken a divine beast warrior. He picked up his ceramic cup, took a sip, and said, "The old priest was saying that if you get too much and don't cherish it, you'll lose it sooner or later."
Yingxi scratched his head, thinking to himself, "Isn't it all the same thing?" He knew Yuji wasn't in a good mood, so he didn't dare ask and just kept nodding in agreement.
——
Winter is long, and Shen Nong hibernated for an unknown amount of time. Then one day, the system suddenly popped up a notification: "Host, you asked me to remind you of the New Year's date. According to the calculation, today is New Year's Eve and tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year."
Shen Nong sat up directly from the kang (a heated brick bed), pulled out a table from the bedside, set it up, and took out paper and pen to start writing on the calendar. Because his research on plants and cultivation involved weather, he had studied the solar terms recorded in ancient books. However, since the climate and seasons in the Beast World were completely different from those recorded in ancient books, he could not use the solar terms to mark the planting and harvesting of crops.
Shen Nong first wrote down the months and marked the times, then recalled the planting times of the crops last year. Excluding the crops that he used his superpower to ignore the climate and directly survive the initial stage, the planting and harvesting times of the other crops were marked on this handwritten "calendar".
As Ze brought the food from the kitchen into the house, Shen Nong quickly removed the calendar to prevent it from getting dirty.
Two steaming bowls of shredded pork noodles, topped with eggs. Two round and cute persimmon cakes, covered in frost, sat on a small wooden plate. Shen Nong wanted to eat both, so she took a bite of the savory, hot, and chewy hand-pulled noodles, and a bite of the soft, sweet persimmon cake covered in white frost.
Shen Nong knew that if his teacher and teacher's wife were here, they would definitely scold him for eating like this. He couldn't help but think of his old friends, wondering how his teacher and teacher's wife were doing…
Although the persimmon cakes were quite large, they were still not as plentiful as the noodles. The persimmon cakes were cold in nature and rich in flavor, so I didn't eat too much. There were two persimmon cakes, one for him and one for Ze. After finishing his own, he focused on eating the noodles.
After finishing their noodles, Shen Nong said she needed to go to the food preparation team. It had been snowing heavily for over ten days, but now it seemed to have tired of snowing and was only lightly snowing. Ze pulled out a large, thick oil-paper umbrella from the wooden bucket by the door, intending to go with Shen Nong.
With paper, tung oil, and Shen Jiu, a master carpenter, making an oiled paper umbrella wasn't difficult. Shen Nong had two oiled paper umbrellas in his courtyard. One was the one Ze was holding; it was large enough to shelter two large people, but also incredibly heavy, and was Ze's personal property. The other was smaller, used by Shen Nong, so he could hold it without straining his hands.
Both umbrellas had paintings by Shen Shiyi. The umbrella in Ze's hand had a snowy mountain scene on it, while the small umbrella in Shen Nong's hand had a misty mountain scene on it.
The umbrella they chose was big enough to cover both of them, so Shen Nong didn't take her own small umbrella.
The food preparation team is one of the three teams that the Mu tribe is still busy with, the other two being the military guard team and the livestock team.
The beastmen of the food-making team were overjoyed at Shen Nong's arrival. Team leader Dieyu said she would make a milk and honey drink for Shen Nong, but Shen Nong quickly waved her hand, "I've already eaten, I can't drink milk. How much flour does the food-making team have left?"
Dieyu checks the supplies every day and knows everything about the food preparation team. She gave Shen Nong a number, and he nodded; it was more than he had expected.
After a quick mental estimate, Shen Nong said, "Based on the number of orcs in the tribe, each awakened orc will receive ten dumplings, and each child and elderly person will receive six. Find some skilled people to help with the wrapping. Tonight, all the orcs in the tribe will eat dumplings."
The custom of eating dumplings during the Lunar New Year has not disappeared even in the interstellar era, but most people now consume various flavored nutrient solutions, which are even subject to purchase limits.
Every time people drink dumpling-flavored nutrient solution during the Lunar New Year, they imagine the joyful scene of their ancestors gathering with their families to eat a hot meal of dumplings. Being able to eat real dumplings during the Lunar New Year has become an obsession for interstellar people, and Shen Nong is no exception.
Every time his teacher's wife mentioned it, he and his teacher would promise to study it carefully and try to restore the wheat as soon as possible.
But he's said this year after year, and ancient crops aren't so easy to restore. Now he doesn't even have the right to say it anymore.
——
The snow was falling heavily, the snowflakes so dense that the road ahead was almost invisible. Since the onset of winter, Snake Forest had been incredibly sleepy every day. If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to tell the Ninth Young Master as soon as possible, he would have loved to find a cave to sleep in all winter.
The walls of Beast City stood out starkly against the backdrop of snow and ice. Having seen the walls of the Wood Tribe, Snake Forest didn't find them particularly striking. He simply noticed they weren't as tall or as imposing as the Wood Tribe's walls, giving off a chilling aura that deterred him from approaching.
Snake Forest trembled as he approached the city wall. The orcs guarding the city had already spotted him, but seeing that he was a talent, they hadn't made a move.
"Open the city gates quickly, I want to see the Ninth Young Master." She Lin was freezing, and all he wanted was to get into the city and see the Ninth Young Master as soon as possible.
The orcs guarding the gate stared at Snake Forest for a while, but didn't see any Beast City totem on his face. Instead, they saw totems they had never seen before. The guards were dissatisfied with Snake Forest's attitude. They were the guards of Beast City; which tribe of orcs wouldn't bow and hunch their shoulders and speak with a low laugh when they saw them?
This is some kind of orc who dares to look them in the eye and speak to them in a commanding tone.
However, since this person could claim to have met the Ninth Young Master, he must have some connection with him. One of the beastmen, whose animal hide was noticeably thicker than the others, asked Snake Forest, "Do you have a token from the Ninth Young Master? Only those with the Young Master's token can enter."
There were no tokens in the Snake Forest, and he wasn't a beastman from Beast City, so there was no way he would be given one. He immediately shook his head, "I don't have one, but I was sent out on a mission by the Ninth Young Master."
"The Ninth Young Master sent you out on an errand?" Another orc guarding the gate sneered. "I was sent by the Beast God to guard the gate! What are you talking about without a token?"
As they were speaking, two guard orcs surrounded Snake Forest and took him under control. The orc wearing thick animal hide, after confirming that Snake Forest did not have a token, no longer hesitated and said to the two orcs controlling Snake Forest, "Send him to the lower-class slave quarters; they are always short of people there."
Chapter 109
Ze tribe orcs?
Within two days of the start of winter, the Wood Tribe beastmen, led by Shen Yi, returned from mining iron ore in Wushan. The Seaside Tribe, managed by Shen Er, did not return because three other tribes were still eyeing them covetously, and to prevent these three tribes from having any opportunity to exploit them.
Snowflakes fluttered down, and warm candlelight shone through the glass onto the snow-covered ground. Tonight, the Wood Tribe's food preparation team was bustling with activity, and the large dining hall was packed to capacity.
Some orcs loudly asked the orc serving food for more dumpling soup, while others were stuffing dumplings into their mouths one after another. Still others kept looking at the whole roasted lambs on the six grills by the door; the strong aroma of cumin combined with the numbing and spicy flavor of Sichuan peppercorns made them drool even with dumplings in their mouths.
The orcs had big appetites, so those dumplings were just a taste. The whole roasted lamb was the main dish today, along with various meat pies and seafood. The aroma of the food filled the entire food preparation team, making everyone's mouths water.
Dried persimmons are even rarer than jam because the quantity is so limited. They are usually given as rewards to outstanding orc teams after they are made.
Today is the first New Year's Day since it was set, and Shen Nong is happy, so she distributed all the persimmon cakes. One piece for each person, and there were some left over. Shen Nong didn't keep any for herself, but let the food-making team and the orcs who helped out today share them. They had been busy for so long, so it was only right that they eat more.
Hearing the laughter and chatter inside, Shen Nong looked out the window. The night was silent, and snow was falling softly. Xie sliced the mutton and placed it on Shen Nong's table. "Priest, eat your meat."
Coming to his senses, Shen Nong smelled the aroma of meat, stared at Ze for a while, then reached out and pulled Ze to sit down, "Have dumplings with me."
Although she had eaten dumplings twice since the tribe acquired flour, this was the best she had ever tasted. The dumpling filling was savory and delicious, and she had her loved one by her side and her tribesmen around her. If only Shen Er and the wood tribe beastmen stationed at the seaside tribe could also return for a reunion.
Next year, we must completely resolve the issue with the coastal tribes so that Shen Er and the others can come back and celebrate the New Year together with dumplings.
——
A biting wind howled. Snake Forest was shackled, his hands and feet bound, wearing only a dry, stiff animal hide to protect him from the cold. The orcs escorting him were wrapped in thick animal hides, clearly from a recent hunt; the fur was still soft, and the smell of blood was strong.
The other party seemed dissatisfied with having to walk such a long distance in such cold weather to send a lowly slave to work at the salt fields. Along the way, he constantly beat and scolded She Lin, blaming him for walking too slowly and causing him to suffer in the cold wind.
Snake Forest hadn't eaten for days, and walking barefoot in the snow in this freezing weather was making him almost numb with cold. Even a level seven orc warrior could only conserve his strength to avoid freezing or starving to death. He could only grit his teeth and endure the beatings from the orcs of the Beast City, having no extra strength to fight back.
He walked from day to night, cold and hungry in the snake forest. He didn't know how long he had walked, and every step he took was a test of his willpower.
Suddenly, a fishy smell wafted from ahead. The unfamiliar scent finally brought Snake Forest's mind, which had been frozen and unable to think clearly, back to normal. They had finally arrived.
The wind here was much stronger than it had been along the way, howling incessantly, but Snake Forest could still hear the conversation between the orc escorting him and another orc, who was also bundled up in thick clothes, amidst the wind.
"This is a new beast slave from the lower-class slave quarters. The beastman's level is quite high, so don't feed him too much, or he'll become uncontrollable."
The orcs at the salt field glanced at the snake forest and sneered, "Leave it to me, I guarantee there won't be any problems."
Snake Forest knew that the two orcs were not afraid of him overhearing, and after hearing their conversation, Snake Forest's heart sank to the bottom.
The orcs from the salt field led the snake forest in without uttering a single word along the way.
Snake Forest observed his surroundings closely. At intervals, tall wooden frames stood, each holding a ceramic pot with a fire burning inside. Snake Forest noticed there was no wood inside, yet the fire burned very high, only tilting in the cold wind without extinguishing it. He memorized this strange sight.
After walking for a while, they heard the sound of whipping and the painful howls of orcs ahead. This made Snake Forest dare not look around anymore, but instead concentrate on listening to the sounds coming from ahead.
The orc leading the way noticed the change in Snake Forest, snorted coldly, and quickened his pace. Snake Forest barely kept up, the shackles dragging on the ground, clanking against each other.
The two stopped in front of a door, surrounded by walls made of similarly sized stones, obscuring the view inside from the snake forest. The orc who had led the way knocked on the door, which opened shortly afterward. Upon seeing who it was, the person who opened the door immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Captain."
"Hand this man over to Hu Qing."
After Snake Forest was pushed inside, the door was closed. The orc who opened the door held the thick rope that bound Snake Forest and pulled him inside.
After walking for a short while, Snake Forest discovered that there were more braziers inside than outside. Under the illumination of these countless braziers, Snake Forest could see the scene before him clearly: an endless expanse of white.
The sounds of whipping and wailing that had been heard earlier grew louder. Snake Forest looked at the emaciated orc, who wasn't even wearing animal hide, his naked body covered in bloody welts from the whipping. The whip marks that had been numb with pain suddenly seemed to regain their sensation.
Besides the orcs being beaten, there were countless other orcs pushing "snow" through strange wooden contraptions.
If you are even slightly slow, you will be whipped and verbally abused by the beastmen of the beast city who are wrapped in thick animal hides and guarding behind you.
Snake Forest was suddenly pulled forward by a force, and he turned his gaze back to the orc who had opened the door earlier. Now, he showed no trace of his previous timidity; his eyes gleamed with ferocity as he snarled, "Once you're in the salt field, behave yourself and don't look around!"
This orc was only level three; Snake Forest could easily make him beg for mercy with a single punch. But Snake Forest also knew that even if the orc hadn't awakened his powers, he couldn't attack. Leaving aside the fact that this was Beast City, even the orcs in the salt fields wielding whips were at least level six orc warriors.
If he makes a move today, he won't live to see it.
She Lin endured it again, thinking that as long as he could find a way to contact the Ninth Young Master, he could get out of this hellish place.
Right now, staying alive is the most important thing.
After handing Snake Forest over to Tiger Green, the orc left without lingering. Snake Forest glanced at Tiger Green unintentionally and then dared not look up again. He had only ever seen the ferocity in the other's eyes during the beast tides, on the most ferocious giants.
Snake Forest knew that Tiger Green had been scrutinizing him. The other man's gaze was more chilling than a whip. It was as if the other man would raise his hand and snap his neck at any moment.
Fortunately, it was all Snake Forest's illusion. After watching him for a while, Tiger Green took him to a place and threw the same thing in his hand as the skinny orcs working around him. "This piece of land is yours. If you don't do a good job, you're not allowed to drink soup or sleep."
After uttering those words, Hu Qing showed no further intention of interfering. Completely bewildered, She Lin could only secretly observe the gaunt orc's movements and then mimic them.
The wooden chips pushed up layers of "snow," and only when the snakes nearby realized that it wasn't snow at all, but salt!
In other words, the endless white space inside the stone wall is all salt.
Snake Forest worked all night in shackles, but Tiger Green showed no mercy because he was a novice. Whenever he felt that Snake Forest was moving too slowly, Tiger Green would strike him hard on the back with his whip without hesitation.
The moment the whip lashed his body, Shelin felt as if it were striking his very bones, an excruciating pain that ripped his heart out. Unable to bear it any longer, he instinctively tried to curl up, but what awaited him was even more severe flogging.
——
More than ten days passed, and during these days, Shelin could not sleep for long each day, being forced to work.
Piling salt in the salt fields and shoveling salt are physically demanding jobs. Logically, as a level seven orc warrior, he should be least afraid of physical labor. However, he could only drink half a bowl of tree bark soup each day and had to endure the cold and whipping, so he had no strength left.
He tried to tell Hu Qing that he knew the Ninth Young Master, but in return he was forced to work for three days straight without sleep, without even receiving half a bowl of tree bark soup, and was whipped like raindrops.
Snake Forest could no longer bear it. Through his observation, he discovered that the door would be opened briefly each day when the bark soup was distributed. The beastmen from the beast city who guarded them while they worked would also go into the stone house to eat meat. This was the only chance they had to escape each day.
Getting caught is just a death sentence, which is better than suffering here for who knows how long.
In order to recover and make it easier to escape, She Lin has been working very hard these past few days. Hu Qing couldn't find a reason to beat him, which actually helped She Lin's whip marks heal quite a bit.
That day, while the bark soup was being served at noon, Shelin quietly slipped to the door. He thought he was well hidden, but little did he know that besides the beastmen from the Beast City in the open, there were many more beastmen from the Beast City lurking in the shadows at the salt field.
Snake Forest hadn't even had time to step out the door before he was captured by the orcs of Beast City.