Chapter 175
Chapter 175 – The man wearing a mask
Translated by Joycelyn
Once again setting out, the team had expanded. Other than the people from the Pu tribe, there were members of other travel teams from the other tribes joining in.
It became more lively after the expansion of the travel team. Shao Xuan could also listen in to quite a lot of gossip and rumours from the other tribes, and during break time, he would also go around asking for information about certain stuff.
A few days later, Shao Xuan had a rough, but greater understanding of the situation on this side of the river.
Shao Xuan had also started drafting a new map of the area. The one that the ancestors had left behind could not be used anymore. After thousands of years, towering mountains became flat plains, while flat plains became rivers; the changes from time were too huge. The territories and spreading of the tribes had also gone through enormous changes as well. Shao Xuan would take the updated map back to his tribe so that they would not struggle when the time came for them to cross the river.
At this moment, a traveller with expansive experiences was talking with Shao Xuan, telling him about all the knowledge he had gained from what he had seen and heard during his life.
“At first, we weren’t using this path, but used another. But then, one year, a tribal war happened over there, and it has still not settled, therefore we are temporarily taking this route now. The other path is a lot wider than this one, and it even has two colours! There is a tribe beside that river, the rafts they make are amazing, their rafts are the most durable ones that I have ever seen! If we could have such rafts, how nice would it be.” That person reminisced, his eyes filled with the colour of envy.
In the forest, not too far away from the deer, some birds flew out. Probably due to the deer’s run and collapse having startled them.
“What’s wrong with those birds?“ Yu did not quite understand, he thought it over, then helplessly said: “You’re not thinking of eating those birds? Although those birds are considered very small, but they are not easy to catch. With this deer, why would you still want to eat those birds for?”
Shao Xuan silently looked at Yu for a few seconds, and said: ”Those are scavenging birds.”
“Scavenging birds?”
“They eat corpses.” Shao Xuan pointed over to that side. “The amount is not litle.”
Those birds were startled over the actions of the deer, but Shao Xuan believed that was only part of the reason, there were a lot more that did not take off. And those that became startled had quickly returned as well.
If there weren’t any food luring them, why else would they stay on the ground?
Yu showed a face of realisation and quickly held his blow dart. He couldn’t bother about the deer anymore, he only cared about his little life. Eating can be left for later.
Due to the change of direction of the wind, when they arrived here, they had not smelled anything weird. Added to the fact that there were many flowers blooming near the river bank, thus the scent of flowers was overflowing, disrupting their sense of smell, therefore they did not realise anything wrong.
“Go over and check it out?” Yu asked.
Yu didn’t wait for Shao Xuan’s reply and took out his stone knife he had on him and walked over.
Shao Xuan scanned the surroundings, temporarily not seeing anybody, then followed on.
Closing in to that area, due to the dense trees, they still could not see the situation upfront. But with every step closer, Shao Xuan could smell something bad in the air.
Other than that, there was the movements of the scavenging birds. Probably because there were too many snatching for food, they would most likely start fighting among each other.
Carefully pulling apart the branches blocking their way, Shao Xuan could then see the origin of the strange smell.
Dead people, many of them. Compared to the ones floating on the river, there were a lot more here. And with no river to wash it away, the ground was overflowing with blood red stains.
What they were wearing was similar to what the poeple in the river were wearing, they were apparently from the same tribe. With this type of scene, obviously it could be seen that they were slaughtered.
“These people…”
Yu was about to say something, but then he saw an arm moving within the pile of corpses.
“There’s still someone alive!?”
Hearing Yu’s voice, the person squashed under the human pile pushed the dead bodies above him aside, revealing a blood smeared face, his body only had one wound, but it was still fatal. The others also had similar scars that killed them.
The birds having a meal on the ground, due to sensing that there was someone alive, called out and flew away. But there were also some who were greedy and decided to remain on the ground.
“Save….save me!” That person did not bother about the surrounding birds’ pecks and crawled towards Yu and Shao Xuan
Yu creased his eyebrows and took a step back. One, he did not recognise these people; two, he did not want to involve himself in a tribe battle. He was only a traveller, not here to find trouble.
“Let’s leave…..”Yu had not finished talking, before he heard a whizzing sound.
Puchi!
The person crawling over to Shao Xuan was pierced through with a spear, which immediately broke his breath.
Shao Xuan’s sight turned in a certain direction. There, on a tree, was someone standing.
A man wearing a mask.