The Survival of the Wild Tribe

58

Although Lu Zhan confidently claimed that the flame ants wouldn't follow the tribe, Luo Zhen still didn't dare to be careless. The next day, he asked Lu Zhan to accompany him to the river at the foot of the mountain and gathered a handful of dried-up ones. He revived the old Polygonum vulgare, ground it into powder, and sprinkled it along the periphery of the ice city wall. With no snow in the past two days, there was no risk of the powder being covered.

He also sprinkled a circle of spicy polygonum powder around the wooden house. The clever flame ants that stole the fish had managed to disappear into the snow after taking the grilled fish out of the house. They wouldn't leave a trace unless the snow was removed.

The spicy Polygonum smell was unbearable to humans. Hopefully, it would prove effective against these unusual ants. The ants that could embarrass Lu Zhan were surely not the typical ones Luo Zhen had encountered before.

The weather had been favorable for the past two days. The arrow towers on the city wall only needed their pillars frozen with ice. However, the wall's height made it windy, and the arrow towers, ventilated on all sides to leave room for attack, could only accommodate soldiers. Other than those on patrol, the towers were temporarily idle after construction.

An open space had been cleared in front of the wooden house for tribe members to train. Since Luo Zhen's passionate speech, even the delicate women were beginning to venture outside. They came to the open space to practice archery.

Luo Zhen's archery method was slowly being refined through practice and memory. While he didn't possess many techniques to teach, others practiced archery with the intent to aim. They seemed to have a natural instinct for combat. Luo Zhen simply advised them on what to pay attention to. Through practice, they could develop their own archery styles, and their accuracy with the bow and arrow was improving, even surpassing Luo Zhen's technique.

"Let's give it a try now," Luo Zhen said eagerly after warming up, looking at Lu Zhan, who was squatting nearby watching.

"A contest?" Lu Zhan asked.

"It's just a friendly spar," Luo Zhen replied. He wore a fitting animal skin suit for sport, but it wasn't as comfortable as regular clothing. Despite the slight itchiness against his skin, Luo Zhen had grown accustomed to it over time.

"I don't fight with regular folks," Lu Zhan declined.

"It's not a real fight, just a test. No transforming or using full strength until someone yields. If you don't want to spar with me, I'll go find Heifu," Luo Zhen said, glancing around for Heifu's presence. If Lu Zhan couldn't be swayed, maybe he'd spar with Heifu instead. Could Heifu withstand Lu Zhan's blows? Who would cook for Lu Zhan if he got hurt?

"Hmph, fine. But don't blame me if you get hurt," Lu Zhan warned.

Seeing Lu Zhan agree, Luo Zhen smiled and both assumed their stances.

Fighting wasn't new to Luo Zhen. Despite being a good-natured kid, he had joined a Taekwondo club in college, though his busy schedule often kept him away. Nonetheless, he'd attended enough practical sessions to have a decent fighting stance, simple enough to be recognized by outsiders.

Lu Zhan had observed Luo Zhen's peculiar postures before, but he hadn't realized they were boxing moves. It wasn't practical to use such moves against beasts, so Lu Zhan hadn't paid much attention. However, seeing Luo Zhen adopt the same stance now piqued his interest.

Military sports boxing focused on boxing techniques, while Taekwondo emphasized kicking skills. Though Luo Zhen might have had the upper hand against regular thugs, Lu Zhan was no ordinary foe. Trained to fight beasts, Lu Zhan aimed to deliver lethal blows without flourish.

Initially, Lu Zhan refrained from fighting back, observing how Luo Zhen would engage. Whip kicks and punches aimed at areas of insufficient strength were easily countered by Lu Zhan's immovable stance.

However, the orc's body was tougher than a regular person's. Luo Zhen's first kick felt like kicking a solid iron plate.

Rubbing the spot where Luo Zhen had kicked him, Lu Zhan was surprised by the strength in the seemingly delicate blow.

Unexpectedly, Luo Zhen changed tactics, clenching his fist and swinging directly at Lu Zhan's face.

Reacting swiftly, Lu Zhan blocked the punch and aimed his sharp nails at Luo Zhen's throat, pulling back just in time to avoid injuring him.

Surprised by the swift end to the spar, Luo Zhen examined his reddened hand.

"What were you trying to achieve?" Lu Zhan asked with interest. Despite Luo Zhen's lesser strength, his combat instincts showed potential effectiveness against orcs.

After a brief discussion, Luo Zhen realized his training had mainly strengthened his body, a bit disheartening. He acknowledged the limitation, "Strengthening the body, primarily."

"Want to go again?" Lu Zhan inquired.

Luo Zhen shook his head. There was little point in continuing. Their strength gap was too significant, and Lu Zhan's fighting style wasn't conducive to comparison.

Disappointed by the outcome, Luo Zhen sighed. His strength might not match the orcs', but he wouldn't easily give up. Despite this setback, he could still wield weapons, requiring a strong body.

"Great Witch, mother **** wants to see you," Ahua interjected, running over through the snow with her short legs.

"What's the matter?" Luo Zhen asked as he picked up the little girl. He applied some fish oil to her face, alleviating the dryness, and bundled her up in a fiery red animal skin coat.

"Mrs. Gan said the clothes you requested are ready."

The little girl enjoyed being carried by Luo Zhen, occasionally even riding on his shoulders. Her father had never done anything like this, though he was initially apprehensive. A Hua found it novel and fun.

"Ah, they're done?"

The clothes Luo Zhen had Ganma make weren't the typical animal skins used for warmth, but armor crafted from the giant anaconda skin Lu Zhan had slain before winter.

Giant anaconda skin was tough and hard to tan. Luo Zhen was curious about its defensive properties. He expected his mother-in-law to take some time, but she'd finished sooner than anticipated.

With Lu Zhan in tow, Luo Zhen collected the little girl and headed to his mother-in-law's house. Besides him, the house accommodated her foster children, orc warrior Hei Kun, and Hei Kun's companion Acao and daughter Ahua.

Inside, the mother-in-law and Acao awaited. Seeing Luo Zhen, the mother-in-law, her smile somewhat strained, beckoned him over, "The armor you requested is ready. Come see if it meets your approval."

Inspecting the armor, Luo Zhen found it plain but sturdy. Made from giant anaconda skin, it felt cold to the touch yet smooth. Compared to the usual animal skins, it was significantly lighter.

"Try it on," Luo Zhen urged Lu Zhan.

Taking off his animal skins, Lu Zhan donned the armor

. It was a bit snug, but it fit well enough.

Luo Zhen tested the armor's durability with a punch, satisfied with its hardness. "Mother, please make more armor from the giant scorpion skin, following the same design as I previously instructed."

Though tanning the giant scorpion skin was challenging, Luo Zhen intended to fashion armor for several children and women in the tribe.

"Alright, I'll have them ready in a few days," the mother-in-law agreed. She was pleased with the armors, knowing they would offer better protection against beasts.

"Great Witch, the wild cabbage you had me plant earlier has survived. Do you want to take some back?" Acao approached with two pots of plants.

Growing vegetables indoors during this season wasn't easy, but Acao had taken good care of the plants. Though they looked somewhat withered, they were still alive.