As the winter ended, some rafts and boats started sailing on the river. But most of them were from the wanderers and the slaves living here. The traveling teams had not set off yet.
Shao Xuan did not see the slave owner this time. Yan Shuo said the slave owner called Shi Shu hadn’t come back since he had headed out for somewhere in the winter. No one knew when he would return, but he had ordered several senior slaves to control the other slaves so the slaves here didn’t dare to be lazy. These days you could see the slaves being busy.
Meanwhile, Shao Xuan, Yan Zhi and the others fixed the docked boat.
The boat was still there. It wasn’t stolen, though no slaves guarded it. When it snowed, no one was willing to sail. When it stopped snowing, some who planned to steal the boat gave up this idea because they saw Shao Xuan.
“We set out tomorrow.” Shao Xuan said.
“OK, we’re ready.” Yan Shuo said excitedly.
Yan Shuo and his family would leave with Shao Xuan, and their house would be given to their friends here. Since Shao Xuan came here last year, he became a big deterrent to the others. And with the increase of strength, Yan Shuo had formed a group among the wanderers. Among them, some were the good friends of Yan Shuo, but they couldn’t leave with him.
Thus, Yan Shuo gave his house to those who had helped him overcome difficulties. Getting the consent of Shao Xuan, he told them that the Flaming Horns tribe would move to the central region. After it moved there, they could live around the tribe.
Originally they expected to be sad because of Yan Shuo’s departure. But on hearing Yan Shuo’s words, they became very happy. That was good news for them. With hope, they had more motivation to live.
They just had to wait for several years. Perhaps they would receive good news in only one or two years.
Everything was ready. Shao Xuan gave the prey thrown down by Chacha to Yan Shuo, and said, “Rest properly tonight, we will leave tomorrow.”
Night fell. With the end of winter, some animals became active at night again, so the wanderers didn’t dare to go out and all stayed at home.
“Shao Xuan, what are looking at?” Jiao Wu asked, while holding a roast and eating.
Shao Xuan looked away from the view outside the window, shut the window, and said, “If I guessed correctly, tonight the tribe will hold the annual ritual ceremony.”
Hearing Shao Xuan’s words, those enjoying the roast or drinking soup stopped to look at Shao Xuan.
“Ri..ritual, what is that?” Yan Zhi asked as he held back his excitement.
“On this day, everyone in the tribe goes to the fire pit to participate in the ritual ceremony. The totem warriors wear clothes and accessories made of their most proud hunt. Everyone paints the tribe’s totem patterns on their face...”
Shao Xuan told them about the annual ritual ceremony.
Everyone sitting next to the fire was listening carefully, and their eyes reflected the flames of the fire so their eyes looked bright. Even the kid held in Yan Shuo’s arms listened carefully, but no one knew how much he understood.
While talking, Shao Xuan felt the totem changing in his mind.
“The fire pit’s Three Flames, the first begins.” Shao Xuan pointed to his face, rolled up the sleeves of his animal skin coat, and showed his totem patterns that appeared.
Besides Shao Xuan, all five here, except Yan Shuo’s wife and his children, showed totem patterns on their faces. Their patterns were not as clear as those of Shao Xuan. But they did exist.
“Every year, the qualified children can awaken their power on this day. After we go back, little Yan Nian also needs to do so.” Shao Xuan said.
Yan Nian, Yan Shuo’s daughter, didn’t grow as well as those in the tribe, but it didn’t matter, because she would become healthier after she returned.
They were told to have a proper rest tonight, but none went to bed early. Yan Shuo, Yan Zhi and the others thought about Shao Xuan’s words all night. They were too excited to fall asleep, even after closing their eyes. The next morning, they were still energetic.
Yan Shuo’s friends from the wanderer area came to say farewell to him.
After walking to the boat with his child in his arms, Yan Shuo looked back to the people standing on the bank, “Go back. Wait for good news.”
Taking the paddles passed by Yan Zhi, Yan Shuo rowed the boat and looked at the place where he had lived for many years. In the place ruled by slave owners there were more and more houses, and bigger and bigger houses were built there. This year, many wanderers went there to work. They looked forward to getting promoted from the bottom to more important positions. The wanderer area didn’t change and looked the same. Some left and some came. Some houses collapsed, and some new houses were built. In the river next to the wanderer area and the place ruled by the slave owners, countless wanderers and slaves were buried there. Some died of sickness, and some were killed.
It suddenly occurred to Yan Zhi that a wanderer sitting in a daze in front of his door had told him something when he had first come to this place.
At that time, the wanderer took a bone knife polished by himself, pointed to the river and said, “Every day, some die here. They are thrown into the river, and eaten by fish. And then the wanderers catch the fish and eat it. There were some who were more unfortunate. They would’ve like to have been thrown into the river, but were eaten by humans instead. Their bones used to make bone swords, which were taken all over the place and used to hunt...”
Yan Shuo couldn’t remember the face of the wanderer, he only remembered that person was seriously injured when hunting in the mountain. After he came back, he tied a stone to himself and jumped into the river.
It was difficult to survive and make a living, and only those who did so understood.
Yan Shuo looked back and saw those who were still standing on the bank. They were also looking at the boat. They were envious of Yan Shuo, and at the same time, they were also looking forward to hearing the news of his tribe. Perhaps that day would be the beginning of their new life.
He vigorously paddled forwards, looked at those who stood on the bank, and shouted: “Stay alive!”
“Yes!” Their voices called out from the bank.
Jiao Wu also had the intention to shout, but he was stared at by Yan Zhi, so he could only hold himself back.
Above the green river, a boat carrying nine people moved forward with the sound of paddles.
On the boat, there were wooden shields, which would be used if they were attacked by those on the riverbanks.
Yan Shuo’s wife and his children were protected in the middle of the boat.
In the sky, Chacha paid much attention to the situation below. If he found anything unusual, he would alert Shao Xuan.
Shao Xuan still remembered this river, he remembered the last time he was here. The experienced travelers had told him their experiences here. They had told him which river passages flowed more rapidly, which were more dangerous, and where small tribes lived. Shao Xuan had also told Yan Zhi and the others about this so that they would not panic.
It was the first time for the two children to leave the wanderer area where they had lived since birth, so both were curiously looking at the scenery on both sides. But the adults didn’t feel as relaxed, because Shao Xuan had told them to stay vigilant.
The third day after leaving the river fork, Shao Xuan saw the symbol of the Pu tribe.
“The Pu tribe.” Shao Xuan said and pointed to the pattern drawn on the prominent rock on the hill near the river.
At the edge of the Pu tribe there were some totem warriors patrolling. They didn’t remember Shao Xuan, but when Shao Xuan mentioned what happened last year they recalled seeing him.
Seeing that Shao Xuan’s group posed no threat, one of the warriors said: “Follow me, I will take you to see Fan Ning.”
The winter had ended, so the temperature rose. The traveling team also began to prepare for the first travel of the year. There were several traveling teams. Fan Ning was telling others to tell his team members about this year’s traveling plan. Hearing someone calling him from behind, he turned around and saw Shao Xuan.
Fan Ning still remembered Shao Xuan, but he still showed indifference on his face.
Shao Xuan didn’t care about his attitude, for he had always looked indifferent.
After talking with several familiar men around him, he followed the guide of some people in the Pu tribe to look for Yu.
It was the first time Yan Zhi and the others had ever entered a tribe, and it was not their own tribe. Surrounded by the totem warrior, they felt very nervous.
Some members of the Pu tribe near them looked at them with contempt, while others totally ignored them. They knew they had nothing good to exchange with them at the first glance. They would not trade with them, so naturally they had a bad attitude.
When there were few people around them, Jiao Wu could not help but whisper to his brother, “Their eyes are so big.”
He had intended to say something else, but he was stared at by Yan Zhi.
As it was warmer, the people of the Pu tribe began to hold some frog activities. Yan Zhi and the others tried not to touch those frogs, because Shao Xuan had told them before they came here, although the frogs looked very fat and very delicious.
However, those who knew Shao Xuan were clear that this guy owned many good things that were brought from the central region.
“Will the trade start in two days?” Shao Xuan looked at the houses around him and asked the people next to him.
Many people in the surrounding area had begun to set their things down, which showed that the people of the Pu tribe had started trading.
“Oh, Shao Xuan, the people of the Luo tribe will come today to trade. You can see what you can trade for.” The man said.
When he saw Yu’s house, Shao Xuan thanked the man, game a piece of dried meat to him, and said, “Thank you.”
The smell of meat shocked him, for he did not expect that he could get a reward because of leading the way. He grinned and looked around. When no one noticed him, he quickly stuffed it into his animal skin bag. He did not want to let others know he got a reward to avoid being robbed.
This time, Yu did not intend to go with the traveling team. When Shao Xuan arrived there, he was still sleeping in his small house.
Shao Xuan’s visit pleased Yu. He knew Shao Xuan wanted to get some frog poison, so he made various kinds of frog poison and poisonous stingers in front of Yan Zhi and the others who were curious. He also dug out some of his grandfather’s private buried things.
“These things were made by my grandfather last year. If it is kept for too long, it will no longer be effective. I give it to you.” Yu said with clear conscience, and didn’t worry that his old grandfather would be furious if he knew about this.
“Thanks.”
At this time, some people not far from them became active.
“Perhaps the people of the Luo tribe are coming here. You can get some fishing nets from them. Their fishing nets are very good, but I don’t know what their nets are made of.”
“Alright, I’ll go and have a look for now.”
After Shao Xuan left, Yu yawned and intended to continue to sleep.
“Who came here just now? Hey, where is my frog poison? I planned to use it to trade for something with the people of the Luo tribe.” The old man had come back.
“Grandpa, do you know the Flaming Horns tribe?” Yu asked.
“No idea. It sounds a bit familiar. Where is my frog poison?”
“Shao Xuan is a member of the Flaming Horns tribe.”
“Well, where is my frog poison?”
“Last year, when I went out with the traveling team, I saw Shao Xuan defeat a person of the Thousand Faces tribe.”
“Oh, I remember you said that before. My frog poison?”
They began to have a dialogue of the deaf, which happened once a day.
The Luo tribe left an impression on Shao Xuan because of its special nets. They used very a thin material to weave their nets, and that material was made from some kind of processed plant.
Shao Xuan traded for a fishing net and also several fish skin coats.
Fish skin coats were very common in the Luo tribe. It was different from the animal skin coats of other tribes.
Their tribe was surrounded by three rivers, and they could catch fish in two of those rivers. They used the most primitive tools and the most common materials to make clothes which covered their bodies and kept them warm.
Every tribe, including the Luo tribe and the Pu tribe, had experienced countless ups and downs. Each tribe developed unique skills in its unique history to survive and develop. Even if had not even touched the more advanced civilization and culture of the central region, they had still entered the threshold of civilization, but it took them a longer time.
Civilization and skills were the results of hard life.
Compared to the trade in the central region, the trade here was more profitable. No wonder the people of the Pu tribe always liked to travel far.
Yan Zhi and the others had learned a lot thanks to following Shao Xuan.
After staying in the Pu tribe for the night, early in the morning of the next day, Shao Xuan took the boat and headed for the Drumming tribe with Yan Zhi and the others.
The closer they got to the Drumming tribe, the more nervous Yan Zhi and the others became. Although Shao Xuan had told them that the crocodiles in that tribe were special, they still could not help but feel nervous. They kept recalling the bloody event.
“The Drumming tribe is there.” Shao Xuan looked at the river in the front and said.
Yan Zhi and the others became even more nervous, and they kept glancing over the river from time to time.
Huaaa~~!
A figure jumped out of the water. When he dropped down, he stood on the water.
Soon, Yan Zhi and the others saw a ferocious head covered with some hard skin and a pair of extremely sharp eyes, that revealed gradually, under the feet of the man.
Behind them, pairs of yellow and brown eyes appeared, also revealing huge jaws...
Besides Shao Xuan, everyone looked pale.
The man was a patrolling warrior of this tribe. Different from those of the Pu tribe, the warriors here remembered Shao Xuan.
“Hey, it is you.” The warrior said with enthusiasm and familiarity, but his facial expression made Yan Zhi and the others feel nervous, and always feel like he was very cruel.
Hearing Shao Xuan’s intention, the warrior led Shao Xuan with enthusiasm to the tribe. But when he laughed, his face looked even crueller.
When walking, Shao Xuan heard the shout which others could not hear.
That little guy was shouting. Last year when he saw it, it was only a fragile little crocodile.
In the pond in front of him, a figure and a pair of dark brown eyes appeared. Although it grew bigger, Shao Xuan could recognize it at the first glance.
“Little Yan Nian, come here. Brother will introduce you to a crocodile.”