The Survival of the Wild Tribe

Chapter 27

"Lu Zhan and I are both fine," Luo Zhen replied, the wind whipping cold rain against his face, forcing him to half-squint to see the man standing in front of him.

He remembered this person was called Black Fire. On the first day Luo Zhen arrived at the Black Panther tribe, he witnessed Black Fire fighting another orc warrior for Zimu Guo.

Black Fire glanced into the tent, noticing Lu Zhan curled up on the slate bed. He frowned slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction crossing his face. As a half-orc, shouldn't he be patrolling the tribe at this time? And how could his body be weaker than his ordinary partner's? Would such a person be a burden to the tribe? Furthermore, if he couldn't take care of his partner, why have one in the first place?

"Has his injury not healed yet?" Black Fire inquired.

Luo Zhen shook his head. "It was almost healed before, but after the rain these past two days, he said the wound started hurting again, so he's been lying in bed to recuperate."

"Yeah," Black Fire nodded, understanding the pain wounds can cause in rainy weather from his experience with wounded soldiers.

"Lately, the rain in the tribe hasn't drained, and the water on the other side of the Heihe River keeps rising. You should be prepared to evacuate at any time."

"Evacuate?"

Thinking Luo Zhen, a newcomer to the tribe, might not be familiar with the surroundings, Black Fire wiped rain from his face and stepped away from the tent's entrance. Pointing behind the tent, he said, "Head straight this way, and you'll find a relatively high soil mound about half a day's journey. The fierce beasts in that area haven't returned yet. We can seek shelter there from the rain."

Luo Zhen stood in the rain, trying to peer in the direction Black Fire indicated, but the heavy rain obscured his view.

"We'll notify you when it's time to evacuate," Black Fire assured. "Your tent is too far from the tribe center. After the rain, consider moving closer and rebuilding your tent. A half-orc injured in bed with little self-protection ability and an ordinary person who can't transform into a beast—it's risky living so far from others."

Surprised, Luo Zhen watched Black Fire leave. As he reentered the tent, he changed into dry animal skins and began drying the wet ones by the brazier.

Seeing Black Fire depart, Lu Zhan rose from the bed, picked up animal skins and newly made utensils, and resumed his task of punching holes in the skins.

Observing Lu Zhan's industriousness, Luo Zhen sighed inwardly. Despite his weakness in front of others, Lu Zhan proved capable and dependable within their tribe.

A few animal skins had blown off the tent roof last night. Luo Zhen planned to sew them together for added strength. Having observed Luo Zhen's skills, Lu Zhan volunteered for the task.

"Have you ever evacuated due to rain before?" Luo Zhen asked, surveying the damaged vegetable field outside the tent, a result of the wind and rain over the past two days.

Lu Zhan glanced up, recalling. "Twice, but the rain didn't last long. After three or four days, it stopped, and the water subsided."

Luo Zhen examined the tent floor. If they hadn't laid stones beforehand, it would be flooded now, and they'd have to use a stone pot as a brazier.

"Before the rain stops, the hunting team should check in daily," Lu Zhan reminded, handing a pierced animal skin to Luo Zhen.

"I haven't seen Luca for two days," Luo Zhen remarked, feeling guilty about receiving prey from Luca without giving anything in return.

"It's better if he stays away. You should distance yourself from him," Lu Zhan advised cryptically.

Puzzled, Luo Zhen asked, "What do you mean?"

Lu Zhan smiled, "My injury is just an excuse for him to stay. If he continues providing prey, accept it without hesitation."

Luo Zhen regarded Lu Zhan, sometimes perceiving him as overly suspicious, but ultimately trusted his judgment.

The following day, the hunting team's representative was Horn Bamboo. Lu Zhan, though still recovering, appeared in good spirits.

Horn Bamboo left after delivering news that surprised Luo Zhen: Luca was marrying Da Wu's youngest daughter.

"The witch's daughter? Is it Axue?" Luo Zhen asked, surprised.

"No, it's Achun," Lu Zhan interjected. "She was born in spring and is said to be favored by the beast gods. It's surprising the witch agreed to her marrying a half-orc."

Luo Zhen pondered Lu Zhan's words, realizing his keen insights into tribal dynamics.

As the rain persisted, Luo Zhen decided to craft animal skin backpacks for easy evacuation.

"What are you doing? The tent's already reinforced," Lu Zhan questioned as he observed Luo Zhen's activity.

"I'm making backpacks for easier evacuation," Luo Zhen explained, working diligently.

Lu Zhan observed silently, eventually grasping Luo Zhen's intent.

"You're full of ideas, partner," Lu Zhan remarked, affectionately tousling Luo Zhen's hair.

Luo Zhen responded with a playful glare, appreciating Lu Zhan's support and camaraderie.