The Survival of the Wild Tribe

77

Although Luo Zhen had promised to fall in love with Lu Zhan first, for someone who had never experienced love before, love seemed like nothing more than eating, shopping, and watching movies. However, Lu Zhan was not a girl, and this was a primitive setting. In this world, all the conventional ways of expressing love were rendered useless.

Throughout the winter, Luo Zhen had been incredibly busy. Teaching the tribe's people and recalling useful memories from his mind to apply in this world, such as weaving and making traps, consumed a significant portion of his mental energy.

It wasn't clear to Luo Zhan whether they weren't yet partners or if they simply didn't know how to interact with each other intimately, but there hadn't been much closeness between them. Apart from holding hands, they hadn't even kissed.

Despite being described as lovers falling in love, Luo Zhen felt that their relationship might be purer than that of brothers.

When Luo Zhen understood the significance of Xueguo, he was taken aback by Lu Zhan's actions. He hadn't expected the other party to have considered such things in advance and to act on them so quickly.

However, upon seeing how relieved Lu Zhan was when Luo Zhen expressed his disinterest in having children, Luo Zhen felt guilty for not sharing the same desire. He understood the importance of children to the tribe in this world. It was rare for Lu Zhan to give up on the idea just because Luo Zhen didn't want it.

Luo Zhen knew that raising children in this primitive setting would be incredibly challenging. Instead of focusing on such unrealistic matters, he preferred to dedicate his energy to building the tribe. Even if he did have children in the future, he didn't want them to be born in such a backward and primitive place.

Luo Zhen's ability to identify plants proved to be very useful. In just a few days, he managed to fill his vegetable field with wild vegetables. He even enlisted Lu Zhan's soldiers to help him dig up several green pear and berry trees. Though these fruit trees might not bear fruit this year, they would eventually provide a stable source of food.

As the weather gradually warmed up, the ice city wall melted completely, and the surrounding snow water flowed into the fish pond through a newly dug waterway. Although the fish pond couldn't be completely filled, it was deep enough to support some fish.

The process of making mud bricks had also begun. Adding some mud glue made the bricks much harder than expected, but they took longer to dry. It typically took five to seven days for them to dry completely. Additionally, if they encountered rain and couldn't collect the bricks in time, they would have to be demolished and redone, as rain-soaked bricks were softer than the rest.

Making mud bricks turned out to be more complicated than imagined. Luo Zhen aimed to build all the houses in the tribe with mud bricks, so construction wouldn't begin until the first batch of bricks had dried successfully.

The basin felt like a paradise. As long as they stayed within its bounds, people from the outside wouldn't intrude. The Riyao tribe and their party were gradually settling in, bringing a temporary peace to the area.

With the return of migrating animals, the basin, after a quiet winter, began to teem with life. The animals here weren't very fearful of humans, and some even ventured into the vegetable field to drink water from the fish pond.

In order to protect their vegetable plots, Luo Zhen and his team erected a wooden fence and set up lasso traps in the vicinity. The increasing presence of animals necessitated these measures.

The insects and beasts in the grass occasionally made noises, and once the leaves sprouted, they grew quickly. In just over half a month, the once-bare trees had become lush, providing excellent cover.

Wearing a ring of dry grass on his head, Lu Zhan quietly approached the corner of the bamboo forest. He scanned the cave at the foot of the mountain and observed that the orc warriors guarding it hadn't left their posts. After looking around, he whispered, "How's it looking?"

"The cave's location is too conspicuous. Many large carnivorous beasts in the vicinity have their eyes on it, but most of them are solitary hunters. They're probably holding off because of the soldiers inside," I reported what I had observed over the past two days.

The two lay down, draped in freshly peeled animal skins, blending into their surroundings. The skins hadn't been tanned, but they masked their scent, preventing nearby beasts from detecting them.

Lu Zhan nodded. "I found wolf droppings nearby."

"Wolves are eyeing this place?" I was surprised. While individual wolves might not pose a significant threat, their pack hunting capabilities were formidable. Many tribes struggled with wolves every winter.

"It's not winter yet. There are plenty of animals and food around. The wolves might not risk attacking just yet," Lu Zhan shook his head, then instructed, "You keep watch here. This tribe can't stay here for long. See where they withdraw to."

"Alright. Hei Kun is up in the fig tree ahead. He has a better vantage point and can see more clearly than we can here."

Lu Zhan patted me on the shoulder before quietly stepping back, intending to check on Hei Kun's observations again.

They had only started monitoring the cave tribe's movements in the last two days and hadn't gathered much information yet. Lu Zhan had also briefed Hei Kun before returning to the tribe.

Riding a stag-horned horse, Luo Zhen returned to the tribe, discussing the mud-brick houses with Hei Ya. The basin was lush with vegetation, but there were no established roads, making the stag-horned horse's footing unstable. Luo Zhen needed both hands to grip its antlers firmly to stay seated.

"These mud bricks are almost dried out. We can build a road from the tribe to the Riyao River, so the stag-horned horses can help transport the bricks," Luo Zhen suggested. With a properly constructed road, the warriors wouldn't have to shuttle between the tribe and the river, allowing the antler horses to do the heavy lifting.

"Did you clear the weeds from the road?" Hei Ya's understanding of roads was still based on paths trodden over time. Luo Zhen had mentioned paving a road with mud bricks when they were building the wooden houses. Although there was now a walkable path between the two houses, the resilient weeds had already begun to reclaim it.

"Yes," Luo Zhen confirmed. "We cleared the taller weeds blocking the way. Once we have some free time, we can attempt to pave the road directly with mud bricks. It'll make walking much easier."

As they approached the tribe's gate, they spotted a familiar figure running towards them from a distance. The person's speed was impressive, and Luo Zhen could see them clearly after a few strides.

"Luo Zhen, get me a torch ready!" Lu Zhan shouted before plunging into the Riyao River.

Luo Zhen was taken aback by Lu Zhan's sudden actions. Although they were still some distance apart, Luo Zhen heard Lu Zhan's request clearly. There was no time to ponder why Lu Zhan needed a torch in broad daylight. He quickly dismounted from the stag-horned horse, retrieved a torch from his backpack, and lit it with a flint.

Then, he hurried back to the riverside with Hei Ya.

Lu Zhan dove into the water, as if engaged in a struggle. He churned the water vigorously, causing nearby fish to scatter. The once-clear river became murky.

From afar, Luo Zhen couldn't see Lu Zhan's actions clearly. As Lu Zhan remained submerged for an extended period, Luo Zhen couldn't help but feel anxious. Hei Ya, already transformed into a massive black panther, charged towards the riverbank and emitted a roar.

Water erupted from the river, carrying with it a faint smell of blood and a reddish tinge. Lu Zhan emerged from the water, his wet hair clinging to his face, which bore several small wounds. His shirt had been torn off, revealing his muscular physique marred with numerous bite marks and cuts.

Despite the injuries, Lu Zhan stood tall, though he trembled slightly. He waved off Hei Ya's concern and urged him to act quickly.

With determination, Hei Ya stepped forward and, without hesitation, wielded the burning torch behind Lu Zhan. In addition to the faint smell of blood, Luo Zhen detected the scent of searing flesh.

"What are you doing?" Luo Zhen yelled, grabbing Hei Ya's arm to stop him. But as he glanced behind Lu Zhan, his eyes widened in shock.