The Survival of the Wild Tribe

112

"Interested?" The man tilted his head to glance at the boy with heavy pupils, then smirked, revealing a slightly bloodthirsty smile. "Would you like to see it?"

The boy with heavy pupils shook his head. "It's just a few mud walls. No matter how it's built, its defense ability is limited. Let's hurry. The man is very cunning. If we're late, we'll be left behind."

The man tugged the rope attached to the riding beast's saddle, urging it to turn a corner and start descending the mountain. "His tribe is nearby. Once we catch a Panther Orc, won't we find him?"

"There's nothing in such a wilderness. I don't know why that adult chose to return," muttered another soldier.

"Didn't it mean the adult's child is still in the original tribe? If we find the adult's child first, then the adult will come back obediently," another soldier chimed in.

The boy with double pupils cast a faint glance at him, silencing the two soldiers quickly. But the man burst into laughter, the sound even startling the snow on a nearby dead tree.

"The purpose of our outing this time is to 'persuade' the adults to return," the boy emphasized the word 'persuade'. "Don't let the adults catch wind of your plan to harm his son. Even the Great Witch won't be able to save you."

Thinking of the adult's warrior prowess, both soldiers couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear. They promptly nodded in agreement, refraining from further conversation. With reverence, they followed the boy Chongtong and departed from the mountain, leaving behind only a few orderly footprints in the snow, quickly covered by falling snowflakes.

As winter passed, the snow ceased for only a few days. The city wall was nearly obscured by snow, with only its upper mud-brick portion visible above the snow line. The sturdy stone foundation underneath remained hidden. Although the mud brick wall had weathered summer storms and showed some signs of damage, the villagers who had been busy constructing houses had yet to find time for repairs. Some poorly cured mud bricks displayed minor chipping, but this had little impact on the defensive capability of the wall itself. At most, it gave the wall a slightly weathered appearance.

Shan Qi shifted from his beast form to human form, his forehead glistening with sweat after the battle. It took him a few breaths before he could slip on his coat. He turned, gaze fixed on a particular mountain surrounded by peaks. The soldiers of the Shanjia tribe had poor eyesight, unable to discern anything beyond the vast expanse of white snowy mountains.

Frowning, Shan Qi wondered if it was just his imagination. Why did he constantly feel like he was being watched?

"Brother Qi, shall we continue?" Shan Yan approached, panting. Since Shan Qi regained consciousness, he had been confined to the house for quite some time. Gradually, he regained some strength and could transform into a beast. However, his strength paled in comparison to the Shanjia tribe's former top warrior, let alone a small orc like Shan Yan.

Initially, there were concerns that Shan Qi might struggle to accept such a setback, but his face showed no signs of self-pity or depression. Instead, he actively sought out Shan Yan, who had relatively more free time, to train with him. Though his strength had yet to recover even half of its peak, it was a significant improvement from when he first woke up.

Shan Qi owed his survival and recovery to the perseverance of his fellow tribesmen. Determined to protect the tribe and their newfound settlement, he aimed to regain his strength as quickly as possible.

"Let's go, let's continue," Shan Qi dismissed his doubts, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His slightly slender figure, now covered in tough scales, betrayed his hard-fought battles.