Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1148 Tribe

Though the Firestone Tribe were valiant, the Blackwood Tribe outnumbered them, and their weapons were heavier. Gradually, the Firestones began to lose strength and were gradually losing ground. Ah Shan, his leg bruised by a stone axe, was forced to sit on the ground, supported by a stone spear. As the Blackwood Tribe disappeared into the depths of the dark forest, the Firestones, like a heavy burden had been lifted, collapsed to the ground and gasped for air. But before long, Lie struggled to his feet, wiped the sweat and dirt from his face, and said in a hoarse but powerful voice, "Everyone, don't rest! First, remove the rocks blocking the water and let the water flow downstream!" The tribesmen immediately rose to their feet, even with bruised arms and scratched legs, and no one complained. Ah Yan supported Lie and followed the crowd toward the riverbed. The rocks and branches previously piled by the Blackwood Tribe were half a man's height, and the largest stones required the combined efforts of two or three strong men to move. A Yan and A Shu worked together, bent over, hugging a medium-sized rock. Shouting "one, two, three," they managed to move it to the edge of the riverbed. The sun gradually rose overhead, scorching their scalps. The tribesmen's hides, soaked with sweat, clung to their bodies. The old tribe leader, Shi, wasn't idle either. Though too old to lift large rocks, he directed everyone from the side: "First, clear the branches in the middle to allow the water to flow more freely! Be careful not to get hit by the rocks!" After about an hour, the riverbed was mostly cleared of rocks and branches. As the first stream of clear water slowly flowed downstream, the tribesmen cheered. Several young members even jumped into the shallows, scooping up the water and drinking it in huge gulps. The cool water, flowing down their throats, instantly dispelled all fatigue. A Yan also walked over, squatting by the river, and scooping up the water with both hands. The water, with its earthy fragrance, tasted exceptionally sweet. He turned to look at his mother, He, who was standing not far away, smiling at him with tears in her eyes. Over the next few days, the Firestone Tribe's camp became exceptionally busy. The women woke up early every day, boiled herbs, and bandaged the injured tribesmen. Lao Cao was the most knowledgeable about herbs in the tribe. Every day, he would take several young women to the Black Forest to collect herbs. Upon returning, he would teach them how to distinguish between mugwort for stopping bleeding, dandelion for reducing inflammation, and Angelica dahurica for relieving pain. Ah Yan's father, Lie, had a deep wound on his arm. Every day, He would use boiled herbal water to clean the wound, then apply crushed herbs and bandage it with clean animal skin. Although Lie grimaced in pain, he never uttered a word, and every day he would force himself to check the camp's defenses—they were afraid that the Blackwood Tribe would return for revenge. After all, the Blackwood Tribe had suffered a great loss this time and would certainly not let it go. The men were busy reinforcing the camp. They cut sturdy logs from the Black Forest and erected a wooden fence around their camp. The tops of the fences were sharpened to resemble a row of teeth, keeping out wild animals and enemies. Ah Yan would join the hunting party every day to hunt in the hunting grounds. After the last battle, the wild animals seemed to have dwindled considerably, and they often had to travel long distances to find prey. Fortunately, Ah Yan's archery skills were improving. Once, he even shot a deer on his own. Although small, it was enough to feed several families in the tribe. After each hunt, the tribesmen would gather around to listen to their stories of the hunt, and the atmosphere in the camp gradually shifted from the tension of the hunt to a relaxed one. But soon, the weather changed. One evening, the clear sky suddenly became overcast, and a light rain began to fall. At first, no one paid much attention, considering the Black Forest's rainy season was approaching. But unexpectedly, the rain continued for days, getting heavier and heavier, with no sign of stopping. The incessant rain made the Black Forest exceptionally damp. The dirt in the camp had turned to mud, and every step meant sinking half a foot in. The tribe's hide tents began to leak, dripping through the cracks onto the hay on the ground, soaking it completely. At night, everyone huddled in the corners of their tents, trying to avoid the leaks, but the rain still soaked their clothes and hair. To make matters worse, many of the tribe members caught cold. At first, it was just coughs and runny noses, but then more and more people developed fevers, unable to even walk. Lao Cao busied himself brewing herbs for the sick, but they were running low. He urged everyone to drink plenty of hot water and stay warm. Ah Yan, watching the tribe members lying in their tents coughing, felt anxious. He went to help Lao Cao gather herbs every day, but they were hard to find during the rain, and many were washed away by the rain. Ah Yan stood at the tent door, watching the incessant rain outside, his brow furrowed. Rainwater streamed down the edge of the tent, forming a curtain of water. The dark forest in the distance was shrouded in rain, only a hazy shadow could be seen. A thought suddenly occurred to him: If the rain continued, would the river upstream rise? If the river rose, the camp, located on a sunny slope, though high, would be in danger if a flood washed down, and the tribe would be in danger. Just as Ah Yan was lost in thought, the rain suddenly stopped. The sun peeked out from behind dark clouds, its golden rays reflecting off the wet ground with dazzling light. Ah Yan stepped out of the tent with surprise and took a deep breath. The air was filled with the fresh fragrance of earth after the rain, and the smell of grass and leaves, especially refreshing. He looked up at the dark forest and saw that the leaves were washed shiny by the rain, and the emerald green leaves were still dappled with crystal water droplets. The wind blew the water droplets down the leaves, making a dripping sound as they fell to the ground. The mud on the ground also began to dry up slowly, and some tender green sprouts emerged from the soil, looking full of vitality. Ah Yan squatted down and gently touched the new sprouts, and the worry in his heart gradually dissipated. "Ah Yan! The chief is looking for you!" Ah Shu's voice came from the distance. Ah Yan quickly stood up, patted the mud on his animal skin skirt, and ran towards the tent of the old chief Shi. After all, just a few days ago, the Black Wood Tribe had a big fight with them, robbed their water source, and left them almost without water to drink. Ah Yan frowned and said doubtfully: "But Chief, they fought with us before, wanted to steal our water, and even wanted to harm us. Why should we worry about them?" Shi sighed, picked up a dry branch, and gently fiddled with the flames in the fire pit: "Ah Yan, you have to know that the people of the Black Wood Tribe just want to survive.