The Survival of the Wild Tribe

110

"The snow hasn't shown any signs of stopping for two days now. With the temperature dropping, Da Wu, do you think these white radishes will survive?" Shan Yi asked anxiously.

Luo Zhen squatted down and inspected a radish leaf. These white radishes had sprouted before the first snowfall, but despite continuing to grow in the greenhouse, the leaves were beginning to wilt, suggesting a visible decline in vitality.

Gently loosening the frozen soil, Luo Zhen uncovered the white rhizomes, unharmed by the cold. These half-finger thick rhizomes, if they stored enough energy to endure winter, could sprout new buds come spring, ensuring their survival, albeit at the expense of fresh radishes this winter.

"I'm not sure," Luo Zhen sighed, shaking his head. "Shan Yi, set aside the fertilization for now and fetch a bucket of water."

"Okay," Shan Yi complied, moving the wooden bucket of animal dung to the corner before fetching water.

Circling among the vegetable plots, Luo Zhen noticed the sparse growth due to the cold weather. Upon Shan Yi's return, he extracted a small bamboo tube containing mashed Tai Sui juice, pouring it into the wooden barrel.

Observing Luo Zhen's actions, Shan Yi refrained from questioning. Each great witch had their secrets, whether herbal remedies or unique healing methods. Shan Yi, once a powerful warrior, had served as protector to the great witch of the Shanjia clan, where such practices were kept discreet.

Likewise, Luo Zhen divulged little about Tai Sui, a vital resource akin to Jing Guo, safeguarded beside his bed. While occasionally required in emergencies, it remained hidden from prying eyes, a testament to the tribe's unspoken trust in Luo Zhen's discretion.

In this era of superstition, such knowledge was revered, though there lingered fear that overindulgence might enrage the beast god, resulting in a retraction of bestowed blessings.

After pouring Tai Sui juice into the bucket, Luo Zhen stirred it with a wooden spoon, then carefully administered a spoonful to the radish roots. In this world, all living beings relied on life energy, with Tai Sui embodying its essence. Though an experimental endeavor, Luo Zhen believed that if the radishes absorbed the life energy from the juice, they could thrive even in the harsh winter conditions.

After pouring a large bucket of water, it turned out that each white radish could only be watered once. Luo Zhen stored away the empty wooden bucket and said to Shan Yi, "Let's leave it at that for today and see how things look tomorrow."

"Okay," Shan Yi responded. Whether it was his imagination or not, the white radishes watered by the great witch seemed more vigorous than when he first saw them.

Exiting the greenhouse, Luo Zhen observed that the morning class in the tribe had ended. Time was measured by a rudimentary sundial in the square, although it wasn't very accurate. Luo Zhen relied on the twelve-hour calculation method. From Shan Yan's window, the sundial was visible in its entirety. However, it was rendered useless on cloudy days or during the night.

As people streamed out of the classroom towards the main entrance, Ah Shui approached Luo Zhen excitedly, exclaiming, "Chief, the leader and the others are back!"

"They're back?" Luo Zhen felt relieved. Lu Zhan had been out hunting for nearly a week, and Luo Zhen couldn't help but worry. Hearing that Lu Zhan had returned filled him with joy. "Let's go and see." He patted Ah Shui's head, took his hand, and followed the crowd towards the gate.

The heavy wooden gate swung open wide, revealing Lu Zhan and Chasing Wind carrying heavy loads. Chasing Wind, upon spotting Luo Zhen, trotted over eagerly, only to be stopped by the catfish beast.

"Why did you hunt so much prey?" Luo Zhen asked, slightly surprised as they approached.

The prey carried wounds from battle, packed in linen bags on the backs of the antler horses. Each antler horse bore at least six or seven bags, providing enough food for the tribe for about a month, excluding Lu Zhan's larger appetite. Since the flame ants began providing nectar, Lu Zhan's food consumption had decreased significantly, a phenomenon reminiscent of when he consumed the giant anaconda heart and Tai Sui.

Suspecting that the flame ant nectar carried life energy, Luo Zhen became concerned about potential side effects. Consulting Lu Ming, the tribe's encyclopedia, he learned about the concept of energy escalation.

Luo Zhen had heard about fighter upgrades before, but since the godmother herself wasn't clear, his understanding of the matter remained vague. However, after listening to Lu Ming's explanation, he finally grasped it. Lu Zhan's previous transformation from half-beastization to full-beastization might be the reason for his upgrade.

In the human world, warriors are categorized into levels one through nine. While there might be more detailed divisions, Lu Ming, who had secluded himself for years, was unaware of them. At least during their time, a level nine human warrior was considered the pinnacle of all creatures.

According to Lu Ming's estimation, Lu Zhan's current strength should be either level 5 or level 6, which was respectable but not exceptional. Human wizards possessed special tools to test warrior levels, but the specifics were unknown to Lu Ming. Legend had it that these tools were provided by the ancient merman tribe.

When Lu Ming mentioned the mermaid tribe, Lu Zhan, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but raise his brows, though he refrained from interrupting to inquire further.

Lu Ming also mentioned the training method endorsed by the goddess, which taught humans how to use and absorb life energy. Legend had it that this method was compiled by one of the most powerful wizards among humans. Since its introduction, the number of advanced human warriors had increased significantly, but it also marked the beginning of disasters for other races.

Lu Ming vividly recalled the battle where many races united to eliminate the ninth-level human warrior. They drove the humans beyond the Beast God Mountain, where numerous obstacles were set up by the beast god in response to prayers from wizards of other races. From then on, no creature could cross the mountain.

After the humans were expelled, the area reverted to barren land. However, many races suffered severe damage during the battle. Some, like the staghorn horse race, sought refuge in the mountains but still faced degeneration. Others, like the mermaid race, vanished entirely, leaving behind only a few elderly individuals. It was unclear if they had gradually disappeared like other races or were hiding in remote places.

Even the humans in the savage land were unaware of the existence of people like them on the other side of the Beast God Mountain. Without the soldier training method for upgrades, they would never produce high-level warriors.

As Lu Ming spoke, his tone remained emotionless, but his eyes betrayed deep sadness that lingered despite the passage of time.

Reflecting on these memories, Luo Zhen glanced at the catfish on Lu Zhan's back. Catching them in winter was no easy feat, as they typically hid in mud under the water during the season.

Lu Zhan smiled and gently pushed away Chasing Wind's head, expressing, "I caught two catfish especially for you. Their meat is sweet and tender in winter, much tastier than in summer." After speaking, he licked his lips, indicating his appreciation for the delicacy. Despite having hunted many beasts, catfish remained his favorite, whether eaten raw or cooked.

It was a pity that these creatures required deep waters to survive and could climb onto shore with their limbs. Keeping them in simple ponds was impossible, leaving Lu Zhan somewhat regretful.