Chapter 28: Other Tribes

Chapter 28 Other Tribes

That day, after two months, Li Hongshen once again donned his ceremonial attire and ascended the altar. The area before the altar had been turned into a plaza, which also served as the tribe’s martial training ground. By day, it was used for drills, food distribution, and the arrangement of affairs; by night, it became a place for gatherings, learning, and the deepening of bonds among the tribespeople.

A flagpole over thirty meters tall stood in the plaza, at whose peak fluttered a crimson flag embroidered with the golden character for “Hong”—the banner of the tribe and its emblem.

The tribespeople stood in ordered lines across the square. Before them stood a row of imposing militia—these were the clansmen about to undergo awakening. A few came from the patrol squad, the rest from the hunting party: ten men and two women, all tall, powerfully built, and well-muscled.

Li Hongshen had selected them a week in advance, instructing them three days prior to prepare themselves. He also assigned Li Li, Li Zhong, and Li Tianhua to guide them, imparting their experiences in awakening.

“Today is an auspicious day,” Li Hongshen announced joyfully, “I am delighted to tell you that we are about to welcome new warriors into our ranks.”

The crowd erupted in cheers at his words. The transformation of Phoenix Roost Valley over the past two months had only deepened Li Hongshen’s prestige; they knew it was he who had led them to a life they had once scarcely dared to imagine.

“Here and now, I wish to thank Li Li, Li Zhong, and Li Tianhua, as well as the entire hunting party. It is they who ventured deep into the wilds, exploring the beast-haunted forests and hunting fierce creatures. Let us cheer for our warriors.”

The three first awakened warriors—Li Li, Li Zhong, and Li Tianhua—stood to the right of the altar. At Li Hongshen’s words of gratitude, they straightened their backs with pride; it was the fruit of two months’ labor.

Li Li wore leather armor that day, a necklace strung with the fangs of savage beasts hanging at his neck—a testament to his hunting prowess. His once-stern face now bore three long scars over his left eye, marks of battle with a fierce beast, his hard-won badge of honor.

Hunting was always a contest of life and death. In the boundless wilds, as you hunted, so too were you hunted—a place where the line between predator and prey could shift in an instant.

Thanks to caution and the many secret methods and guidance provided by Li Hongshen, the hunting party had overcome adversity time and again, though not without cost. Half a month earlier, they were ambushed by a small wolf pack in the forest—eleven wolves in all. The wolf king and two guardians held back Li Li and his companions; the scars on Li Li’s face were left by the wolf king’s claws.

Though they ultimately destroyed the pack, the price was steep: one hunter lost his life, and two others were maimed, forced to return to the tribe and take up new roles as craftsmen.

This sobered Li Hongshen and his fellows. Their earlier string of successes had made them overconfident, believing the wilds not so formidable after all. Now, a mere wolf pack had cost them dearly. Li Hongshen knew well that deeper into the wilds, such small packs would be the least of their worries. On the great grasslands, there were beast tides—hundreds or thousands of wolves led by dire progenitors and wild beasts, sweeping the plains. That was true terror.

So, for half a month, Li Hongshen ordered the hunting party to rest, forbidding further expeditions into the forest. He would first wait for the altar’s spiritual power to recover, then awaken a new batch of warriors to reinforce their ranks.

“Strike up the clan song; let us sing for our heroes!”

To the left of the altar stood the musicians, trained by Li Hongshen himself. One raised a long ox horn upon a wooden frame, blowing forth a primeval, desolate sound. Great drums of wild ox hide thundered, their deep beats quickening the blood; the smaller drums beat out a fierce rhythm.

“Forward, Great Hong! Our steps are firm~
Our edge revealed! None can stand in our way~
Our might resounds in all directions! Our vitality is fierce~
In the face of danger! We fear not hardship~
Against wolf and tiger! We wield the long spear~
Against storm and wave! We stand tall and proud~”

Song finished, Li Hongshen composed himself and looked upon the warriors about to awaken.

“Come forward, my clansmen. With your flesh and blood, become the shield of our people. With your strength, carve out a new future for the tribe.”

Li Li approached, bearing a wooden tray. The twelve warriors mounted the altar. Li Hongshen took blood crystals from the tray, pressing them to each one’s chest.

Then he descended, leaving only those to be awakened atop the altar.

“Awaken, my warriors. Become the guardians of our tribe.”

As the altar blazed with radiance, the twelve were enveloped in scarlet light, just as those before them had been. After a chorus of roars and cries, the crimson glow faded. All twelve had awakened successfully, becoming warriors like Li Li and his peers, though still, none had become spellcasters.

In the gathering hall of the camp, Li Hongshen sat at the head, with Li Li, the chief elder, and others at his side. Their tables were arranged in a square. At the center stood a vast sand table—a map of a hundred-mile radius centered on Phoenix Roost Valley. Upon it were all manner of wooden markers; rivers were denoted by blue planks, hunting grounds like beast forests were marked, as well as the entrance to the Endless Great Mountains and the reception city established by Peng City No. 1 High School.

“Chief,” Li Li reported, “we’ve explored the area before and discovered two other tribes nearby. They look much like us—probably not outlander tribes, but we can’t be sure if they’re the wild tribes you seek.

“One is stronger. We encountered them hunting in the beast forest—a brief skirmish broke out, but we yielded, so there was no loss. Our languages don’t fully align: they understand us, but don’t speak well, and they appear to have retreated from the Endless Great Mountains. The leader wields a very sturdy bone spear, almost metallic; I suspect it’s made from the bone of a second-tier wild beast, but we don’t know whether they have spellcasters. After several observations, we estimated their location: near the beast forest, about thirty kilometers west from our forest outpost.

“The other tribe is weaker. We saw them on our way to the beast forest; they had no clothes, only wrapped themselves in animal hides, wielding stone tools. We know where their settlement is—on encountering them, Li Zhong trailed them all the way back to their tribe.”

Having spoken, Li Li turned to look at Li Zhong.

(End of chapter)