Translated by Sunyancai
The Shaman gave Shao Xuan a pack of herbs which could help with health recovery, but also allowed him to get the herbs for healing injuries. He told Shao Xuan to go to Ta’s place one day before the hunting trip to get them.
It was not a large pack, but there were quite a few kinds of herbs that were extremely hard to find. So Shao Xuan did not get much, but according to the Shaman, it was ten days’ dosage.
If he returned safely, he would still have further opportunities, even if he got kicked out from the advance group and rejoined his former hunting group. Also, he could try to trade for the herbs with the Shaman without being a member of the advance group. However, he decided to wait for the effect of the herbs. Shao Xuan didn’t know whether Old Ke would get better after taking them.
The second hunting team returned at the twenty-first day of the hunting trip, with three warriors badly injured and one being unaccounted for. Being missing meant that he must have died already, and his remains were nowhere to be found.
Apparently this time the hunting team had encountered big trouble, however the game they brought back aroused the people’s excitement. Aside from the relatives of the dead and the injured, all folks from the warriors’ families shouted out loud and cheerfully. They won’t have to worry about the food for the next twenty days.
At dusk, Tuo came to Shao Xuan’s cabin to deliver him a message,
Ah-Xuan, you should go to the team leader’s place to fetch something for the hunting trip tomorrow. We’ll set off the day after tomorrow.
Okay, got it. Thanks!
Tuo did not enter the room, for he had to notify a few other warriors who were on patrol.
Shao Xuan looked outside the window, and found that the night swallows were already quite active at that time. Almost all the people in the mountain foot district returned to their own homes. But unlike the times before, this time some of the kids in mountain foot district got to go on their first hunting trip, naturally they were quite excited. During daylight they were busy with training, while at night, they would just roar their excitement out.
Shao Xuan closed the window and then set out the few stone arrowheads that he crafted today.
It’s said that the advance group would go deeper in the forest to do the hunting, where it would be much more dangerous. However, Shao Xuan had no idea what the difference was exactly. More ferocious beasts? Or something else? Given the game that the advanced force brought back was almost the same kind, Shao Xuan could not see anything special after all.
The next day, Shao Xuan went up to the mountaintop district to Ta’s place, where he met a lot of warriors in the advance group.
Due to the fact that there was no notice in advance, almost all the warriors in the advance group were pretty surprised to see that Shao Xuan would be in their hunting group this time. Some of them also raised their concerns and doubts about the decision, but all oppositions were suppressed and put down by Ta.
After taking that pack of mixed herbs, Shao Xuan was kept there to meet the other warriors in the advance group. However, there was no real conversation, for they still considered Shao Xuan as more of a kid than a warrior. Regarding the strength, Shao Xuan was indeed the weakest, so he just faced their doubts and sneers with a slight smile. No further explanation was made.
On the day that the hunting team was about to set off, Shao Xuan dropped off Caesar at Old Ke’s place.
Facing Old Ke’s concerned look, Shao Xuan clenched his fist,
Believe in me, you can just rest assured.
However, Shao Xuan’s promise cracked Old Ke’s hope, and he was even more worried.
Last time before the kid set off for the hunting trip, he said the exact words of
you rest assured
, but he met the Thorn Black Wind, and then got lost in the mountain after his survival. It’s said that Mai and the others’ faces turned totally pale when they finally found him. What’s more, he was going to tag along with the advance group this time! Didn’t that mean that he would be facing more dangers?
Rest assured? Rest the hell assured!
Seeing Shao Xuan’s back as he climbed up the mountain with the equipment, Old Ke sat in front of his door, with worries and concerns filling up his mind.
It was the same routine as last time, all needed to gather together before setting off, and it was required to sing the song.
When Shao Xuan came back from his first hunting trip, he paid attention to learn the Song of Hunting, so this time he was not pretending to sing it.
The Shaman glimpsed in Shao Xuan’s direction while they were singing, so as to confirm that he was not pretending to sing as he did during last time. The Shaman was quite satisfied.
However, even if the Shaman did not stare at him, Shao Xuan already drew much more attention from people.
All warriors present were standing in the units of their hunting groups. Last time, Shao Xuan was standing beside Lang Ga, while this time, he was standing with Tuo and Keke.
Naturally the other warriors knew Tuo and Keke’s position, and that was why they were so surprised.
That was the advance group! Did the kid Ah-Xuan himself ask to join? Why would the team leader agree on that?!
Certainly, many people were envious of Shao Xuan’s position, especially the newly-recruited warriors. They all awakened at the same batch, but when they were still in training, Shao Xuan had entered the hunting team. Now when, they could finally be recruited into the hunting team, they found that Shao Xuan was already in the advance group! Soon enough, all their jaws seemed to fall down on the ground out of shock.
Even Mao, who was considered as the biggest talent this year, was not brought into the advance group by his own dad, how could Shao Xuan be selected?
The warriors did not know what the team leader was thinking, but it did not stop them from lecturing their own kids. Sai, for instance, got schooled pretty hard by his old man again.
Ah-Fei was not with the team this time. When Shao Xuan came back from the hunting mission, he kicked Ah-Fei’s ass and broke a few of his ribs. Ah-Fei lay in his bed for almost ten days, and when he could finally get out of the door, he was beaten up by Mao. Shao Xuan held back some strength, for he worried that Ah-Fei’s families might mess around with Old Ke, but Mao had his dad and grandpa on his back, hence he was more ruthless. So, with last time’s wounds not completely healed, Ah-Fei was kicked down to the ground again. Now, he was still resting at home. Naturally he was not able to tag along.
People also knew that Ah-Fei started the trouble, so none of them interfered with Shao Xuan and Mao’s revenge.
Also, the team leader requested that Ah-Fei and his father stayed at home, so they could reflect on it.
Even healthy warriors might not be able to tag along with the hunting mission every time, for there were rules about who could go and who couldn’t. All group leaders would report the name list in their hunting group, for the team leader to decide. So whoever couldn’t pass the team leader’s final check had better be calm and stay at home.
What? Not enough food stored?
Then you should starve! No starving meant no lesson learnt!
Being the team leader, Ta already knew that the hunting result of his team was not as good as the other team’s. Of course he would not endure someone ridiculous to hold the team back, and give reasons to other people to make fun of him.
This year, he used Ah-Fei and his father as an example during all hunting missions. With Ah-Fei’s example as a warning, the new warriors tagging along would better behave themselves.
When they walked down along the Path of Glory, the people on both sides were extremely excited, especially those women whose husbands and sons were in the hunting team. They were roaring like hell.
Shao Xuan looked at them, and he felt that those women were competing with their volumes. Some of them even fought each other while yelling. It was such a fine example of the people’s savage characters. In the tribe, there’s a tradition that all problems could be solved by violence.
When they got to the mountain foot area, Shao Xuan spotted Old Ke on Caesar’s back in the crowd. He waved at them, and then left with the hunting team.
With last time’s experiences, it was not hard for Shao Xuan to cope with the pace. When they left the Path of Glory, they started to speed up, and left the tribe’s residential area behind. They ran faster and faster, but no one was left behind. Apparently all the newly-awakened warriors had trained well in the past few days.
When they left the patrolling area of the tribe, Ta told the team to stop and take a break before they enter the woods.
Shao Xuan wondered what he should do later, but after paying attention to Ta’s words for a while, he realized that he had no task at all. The others all had their tasks assigned, and it was pretty clear who was about to handle which direction after they entered the forests. However, Shao Xuan had one thing to do, which was being at Ta’s side and not be a burden.
Shao Xuan acknowledged the fact that he was not as strong as the others, so he just glimpsed at those who laughed at him for
still needing the protection
without refuting any of them.
Tuo kicked on those who were laughing at Shao Xuan. The team leader was distributing assignments to other group leaders and paid no attention to their side, so some of the warriors became bolder. If no one stopped them, they might cross the line.
Just ignore them. Perhaps you will beat them after about a decade.
Tuo consoled him.
It doesn’t matter.
Shao Xuan looked at the few people who were still sneering, and then turned to Tuo,
Is the advance group going to hunt for ferocious beasts that are more fierce and vicious?
Tuo was stunned at the question, and then said something profound,
Who told you that the things that we hunt for are all beasts or ferocious beasts?
