Volume 1, Chapter 6: Picking Herbs

Because the Golden Eagle's caravan needed a large quantity of herbs to make war profits, the hunting team led by Chi Hu Xiu was summoned back to the village. After receiving a large number of trade goods carried by the Golden Eagle, the brave men of Chi Hu Xiu's tribe drank strong liquor and boasted about taking on the task of gathering herbs. Of course, their mission was to serve as guides and bodyguards, while the actual collection of herbs would be done by the specialized pharmacists in the Golden Eagle's caravan.

Lounging on the hill outside the village with Bai, watching the villagers bustling around as they prepared to depart with the caravan, Xia Hou murmured, "Bai, the Golden Eagle's group is finally being cautious. If my father and the others were sent to gather herbs, I'm afraid they would mistake even hemlock for good medicinal herbs." Among the hunters in his village, the medicinal pouches they carried were prepared by the shaman after gathering. But Chi Hu Xiu's group? Their ability to identify herbs in the wild might not even match Xia Hou's.

"Who said people from the mountains and forests are necessarily familiar with everything in the woods?" Xia Hou asked disdainfully, almost scoffing at his own former special forces instructor, "Look, here's a case in point. My father and uncles are rough men; they can tell from a mile away if a deer has urinated, but if you ask them to gather herbs, the whole village will be poisoned."

Bai cracked open his mouth and extended his long tongue, licking at Xia Hou's face. After leaving Xia Hou's face dripping with saliva, Bai excitedly snatched the steel sword beside Xia Hou and danced around wildly. Although not yet fully grown, Bai possessed thousands of pounds of brute strength in his arms. The sword was swung around so wildly that it seemed like a streak of black lightning. Suddenly, with one mistake, the sword slipped from Bai's claws and shot out like a black rainbow 'whoosh', flying more than a hundred feet away.

Bai dashed to retrieve the sword, looking at his own claws, which were not suited for wielding weapons, tears streaming down his face in frustration.

Grabbing the sword, Xia Hou took a deep breath and firmly patted Bai's head, "Why the long face? Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you martial arts, I might even teach you the White Tiger's true techniques, as long as you're willing to practice." Giving Bai's long arms a tug, Xia Hou smiled and said, "With your physique, practicing the Tong Bi Fist is the most suitable."

A PiXiu that had cultivated White Tiger Qi and mastered martial arts? Xia Hou squinted his eyes, imagining the wonderful scene, suddenly shivering all over. Would a Bai like that only be described as a killing machine? Originally, ferrets were kings of the mountains and forests, impervious to blades and spears, possessing boundless strength, and were one of the most difficult beasts to deal with.

At the village entrance, Chi Hu roared loudly, "May the Mountain God, the Water God, and the spirits of our ancestors bless us with a bountiful harvest this time." With a single stroke, he chopped off a pig's head and sprayed its blood all around. The shaman behind him waved a bone staff, emitting a faint green light from his eyes, like ghostly flames. Gusts of yin wind gathered from all around, swirling around the dead pig's body for a while before slowly dissipating.

The people of the tribe cheered, "May the Mountain God, the Water God, and the spirits of our ancestors be satiated and bless us with a bountiful harvest." Four hundred brave warriors of the Chi Hu tribe simultaneously drew their weapons and howled at the sky, their cries ranging from high to low, resembling wails of ghosts, frightening the small animals in the nearby dense forest into a frenzy, and countless birds took flight from the branches, flapping their wings and crying out in the sky.

With a wave of the old golden eagle's hand, he shouted loudly, "Children, let's go. Chi Hu's shaman, I'll come back to drink with you." With that, without even looking back, he led his three hundred subordinates and four hundred Chi Hu tribesmen out of the village in big strides, circling around the village and heading south.

Xia Hou gave a light whistle, lifted his steel sword, and patted Little Bai's head. The man and beast followed closely behind the main group, ignoring the calls from behind, and walked straight ahead.

Hearing his wife's call, Chi Hu Xiu turned his head and suddenly showed a proud smile on his face. He nodded towards Xia Hou, and his steps became a little lighter. After walking a few steps, Chi Hu Xiu began to sing loudly, and then the Chi Hu tribesmen joined in one by one. The singing was grand, and the sound echoed through the mountains and forests. The ten carts in the procession, pulled by horned horses, heard the grand sound and also neighed loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.

After walking for a while, Chi Hu Huohu suddenly turned back, smilingly patted Xia Hou's shoulder, and lifted him up with one hand, throwing him onto the foremost cart. Bai screamed and jumped onto the cart as well, proudly using his two claws to touch the buttocks of the cart's horned horse, frightening the horse so much that it almost collapsed on the ground. This caused another commotion and cursing.

The old golden eagle tightened the white cloth tied to his wrist and smiled at Xia Hou, "Chi Hu's A Yi, you've come too? Hey, brave kid, at such a young age, you dare to follow us to the Cloud Dream!"

Chi Hu Xiu laughed heartily, "Of course, Uncle Golden Eagle, if you don't see whose kid it is, it's my Chi Hu Xiu's kid." He patted his chest proudly.

Xia Hou couldn't be bothered to deal with his boasting father and just looked at the golden eagle, asking him, "Go to the Cloud Dream? Where is the Cloud Dream? Why not gather herbs in the nearby mountains and forests?"

The golden eagle chuckled, "Little kid, Cloud Dream is the Cloud Dream Marsh, the largest water marsh in the south. Hey, there are herbs in the mountains and forests, but there are some rare items that are only found in the marsh. Those are life-saving treasures. Sold to wounded warriors, they can fetch ten times the price."

Chi Hu Huohu gave Xia Hou's head a slap, giggling, "There are fierce beasts in the marsh. A Yi from Brother Chi Hu's family, don't scare yourself into wetting your pants."

The people laughed uproariously, but they didn't mention sending Xia Hou back to the village. In their simple minds, a child who could swing a dozens-pound steel sword to split boulders was already considered an adult. An adult man had the right to take risks to exchange for better life necessities for the village. Scaring himself into wetting his pants was a kind reminder; the beasts in the marsh were much more terrifying than the beasts in the mountains and forests. Even a mountain forest king like a ferret, when not yet an adult, would undoubtedly die if it ran into the marsh.

"Are so many guards needed for the herb gathering team because there are fierce beasts in the marsh?" Xia Hou lay on the cart, looking up at the azure sky, feeling uncertain in his heart. "Cloud Dream Marsh, Cloud Dream Marsh, this name sounds familiar. Cloud Dream, Cloud Dream, is it the Cloud Dream in the Chu region?"

Glancing at Bai, who was drooling profusely while staring at the buttocks of the horned horse in front of him, Xia Hou couldn't help but find it amusing. "Fierce beasts? What exactly qualifies as a fierce beast? Bai is a real fierce beast." After stroking the smooth scales on Bai's back, Xia Hou added in his mind, "At least when he wants meat, he's a real fierce beast."

The group of seven hundred people continued southward for half a month, carefully avoiding two large tribes along the way. Xia Hou saw tribes that were even more "primitive" than his own for the first time. Those people should belong to the category of true primitive barbarians, not tall, but extremely fierce. Standing on a hill and looking at them from afar, one could see their naked bodies agilely moving in and out of the dense forest. They seemed to have no concept of wearing clothes or using weapons.

Chi Hu Xiu, with a large piece of meat in his mouth, mumbled, "These barbarians are the most troublesome. Every time we encounter them during a hunt, it's really unlucky. They want to split half of the prey they see, and if you don't give it to them, they'll come and kill you." Then, he cursed bluntly.

Xia Hou, holding Bai's head, cleaned the fleas off his head and said with narrowed eyes, "Dad, they don't seem that strong."

Chi Hu Xiu immediately flexed his strong arms, and the muscles twitched violently. He proudly said, "Your dad can kill twenty of them by himself!"

On the other side, Chi Hu Huohu said angrily, "But, Brother Xiu, these barbarians come out in groups of thousands to snatch prey at once."

Chi Hu Xiu grinned and patted Xia Hou's head, saying, "Your dad can kill twenty at a time, but if he encounters two hundred, your dad and all his uncles will have to run for their lives."

Xia Hou laughed and genuinely loved these "primitive" people. Anyway, they were his blood relatives for life, and he was Chi Hu Xiu's flesh and blood. Of course, there was also White. Bai, who had been hugged by Xia Hou since he was little, was also like family to him.

Feeling Xia Hou's affectionate touch, White hummed comfortably, resting his head on Xia Hou's thigh, his pair of bloodthirsty eyes staring at the buttocks of the horned horse, saliva dripping continuously.

The journey south continued for three more days, and the wind blowing from the front was already thick with moisture. In their ears, they could hear earth-shaking howls. The faces of the men in the group became serious. "Cloud Dream, Cloud Dream!" This word was repeatedly mentioned by these tough men.

The golden eagle patted Xia Hou's shoulder and laughed loudly, "Chi Hu's little hero, look, after crossing this mountain, we'll reach the Cloud Dream! The largest marsh in the south, the most abundant land!"

Xia Hou jumped off the cart, carrying his steel sword and White, and ran ahead toward the mountain in front. The yellow light in his eyes flowed, and every step he took on the ground was so stable and powerful. The earth felt the pure and genuine earth elemental power emanating from Xia Hou's body and immediately gave him its selfless support. The ground seemed to have elasticity, allowing Xia Hou to take a step of more than ten feet each time, with a stable and heavy posture, as if he were a giant rock thrown by a catapult, exuding an unstoppable momentum.

The middle-aged men around the Golden Eagle, experienced and knowledgeable merchants, applauded as they watched Xia Hou run swiftly through the dense forest. The Golden Eagle, spitting as he spoke, praised, "Xiu, you've got a fine son. When he grows up, he'll surely be the best hero within a thousand miles!" After a moment of hesitation, the Golden Eagle nodded vigorously and added, "If he can follow the shaman to train, he might even become a marquis one day."

Chi Hu Xiu and all the men of the Chi Hu tribe laughed heartily, their laughter simple and genuine. They were delighted by the thought of their child excelling and having a potential future hero among their people.

The air grew increasingly humid ahead, and Xia Hou could faintly sense the surging vitality carried by the wind. With a loud shout, he leaped three zhang (about ten meters) into the air and landed steadily on the highest boulder at the mountain's peak. Everyone in the team behind him saw him and White jump so high and stand so firmly, and they cheered thunderously once more.

Ahead, under the brilliant sunshine, lay Yunmengze!

In a vast expanse of green grass, countless large and small lakes of azure, indigo, and deep purple dotted the landscape. Among the tall grass, which could submerge a person's head, countless flowers bloomed. The flowers, as large as human heads, were as bright as clouds and as vibrant as maidens, spreading layer upon layer. Ahead stretched endless green, azure, indigo, deep purple, and a kaleidoscope of colors. To the left, the same endless array of colors; to the right, again, the same boundless spectrum of hues!

The seemingly boundless grasslands, lakes, and flower fields, painted with vivid colors, extended to the horizon. Estimating the height of the mountain peak where he stood and seeing that the distant horizon was covered with these vibrant, life-filled colors, Xia Hou realized that Yunmengze spanned at least several thousand miles. In his ears, he could hear the heavy rolling of waves carried by the wind, indicating the presence of a vast lake, like a sea, beyond his sight. Indeed, Yunmengze was as vast as clouds and as beautiful as a dream.

Less than five li (about 2.5 kilometers) ahead, a blue lake was filled with countless waterfowl. Their deep red feathers shimmered in the golden sunlight, and their fiery red beaks occasionally pierced the smooth water surface to catch fish.

Millions of large waterfowl floated on the glassy water surface. Moving with the wind, they formed strange symbols on the blue lake. As the wind blew, the symbols changed, occasionally and coincidentally forming shapes similar to simple Chinese characters, which stirred Xia Hou's heart.

A group of malicious giant toothed wolves lurked near the lake, greedily eyeing the waterfowl and the beasts drinking at the lake's edge, calculating the best time to strike.

Several giant saber-toothed tigers and other carnivorous beasts lay lazily by the lake. Occasionally, they lowered their massive heads to lick the lake water with their crimson tongues, only to raise their heads again alertly.

The wind rustled the grass, causing patches of green and red flowers to bow their proud heads, revealing countless wild beasts hidden within. Their dappled fur glistened in the golden sunlight, moving with the breeze.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed across the land. A dark, dense herd of beasts charged recklessly from beyond the horizon. Massive curved horns, robust and powerful bodies, and fierce breaths accompanied their colossal frames, each standing at least three meters high. With tens of thousands in number, this herd possessed a devastating force.

As a result, the countless waterfowl suddenly scattered in all directions. Their feet skimmed across the water's surface, creating countless ripples. A gust of wind swept across the plains, and the waterfowl, like a fiery red cloud, soared high, circling above the lakes and voicing their furious protests against the beast herd.

The giant wolves, saber-toothed tigers, and other groups of wild animals fled in a frenzy. In the face of this dark herd, any smaller group of animals faced certain doom; their only option was to escape. The black herd, like a sweeping black cloud, covered the grasslands, causing birds to fly and beasts to flee in a frantic scramble.

Xia Hou took a deep breath, the abundant earth energy surging within him, and let out a tremendous howl towards the sky: "Ah~~~!"

Such a grand scene stirred his heart profoundly.

The massive howl echoed far and wide. Suddenly, long necks topped with small heads emerged from the distant and nearby lakes. Beneath these long necks were enormous bodies, with necks alone measuring about thirty meters. These giant beasts looked around in astonishment and also let out long cries, their voices resounding like an organ, echoing through the heavens and earth.

These giant beasts had a tremendous impact. The previously arrogant dark herd immediately split into several smaller groups, avoiding the lakes with the giant beasts and running chaotically.

Louder roars came from behind the dark herd. Nearly a hundred enormous creatures, familiar to Xia Hou, spit saliva as they chased relentlessly.

"Tyrannosaurs! My God!" Xia Hou exclaimed. He glanced back at his clansmen driving the horned horses up the mountain, then turned to look at the menacing tyrannosaurs and the sauropods in the lake. Xia Hou almost collapsed on the giant stone. Luckily, he had his steel sword to steady himself.

The tyrannosaurs ran swiftly, catching up with the unfortunate lagging dark beasts in just a few breaths. These apex predators used their massive claws to tear the beasts into pieces, stuffing large, bloody chunks into their mouths. The tyrannosaurs quickly filled themselves with the meat of the dark beasts and then lazily stopped. Astonishingly, the dark herd also stopped, halting less than a hundred meters from the feasting tyrannosaurs. They peacefully drank water and grazed on the green grass.

In the sky, the flock of waterfowl let out loud cries as they slowly circled down. The scattered beasts also began to gather, and it seemed the great marsh was about to return to tranquility.

But suddenly, from the distant clouds, thousands of enormous pterosaurs swooped down. They silently spread their membranous wings and glided in, using their massive jaws and claws to capture their prey with precision. The fiery red waterbirds let out cries of despair, frantically beating their wings in an attempt to escape the brutal massacre.

The pterosaurs screeched triumphantly, seemingly killing for the sheer thrill of it, relentlessly chasing the bird flock into the distance. Along the way, waterbirds fell from the sky, trailing blood, staining the azure, indigo, and deep purple lakes with streaks of crimson. Meanwhile, the beasts on the ground paid no attention to the aerial slaughter. They lounged peacefully in the grass, basking in the sunlight.

Slaughter, peace, death, and life coexisted perfectly in Yunmengze, creating a magnificent tableau.

Xiahou and Bai both had their mouths open in astonishment, unable to utter a word, only able to gasp for air.

Suddenly, Chihu Xiu was at Xiahou's side, gripping his shoulder tightly.

"Ayi, look, this is Yunmeng," Chihu Xiu said, his face full of longing as he gazed at the towering tyrannosaurs, a hint of regret in his voice. "Back then, your dad wanted to hunt one of those. Imagine how impressive it would be if your dad's name was Chihu Zhanlong."

Xiahou stared at Chihu Xiu in surprise. Take down a tyrannosaur alone? His dad certainly had big ambitions.

Chihu Xiu shook his head in resignation. "Zhanlong... Without at least five hundred men working together with weapons, we ordinary warriors can't take him down."

His grip on Xiahou's shoulder tightened as he said loudly, "But, Dad knows there are powerful warriors out there who, at their twelve-year-old coming-of-age ceremony, can hunt even fiercer beasts than the Zhanlong. Ayi, next year, we'll send you to the Wu. You must learn well from him."

Chihu Huohu and several other leaders from the clan gathered around, all encouraging him simultaneously, "Ayi from Chihu's family, our branch of the Chihu clan just lacks a high-level warrior. You must make us proud. If you can become a high-level warrior, it will benefit the entire village."

Xiahou only gazed at the group of tyrannosaurs, now lazily napping in the grass after their feast, and thought, "Killing a tyrannosaur at twelve years old? Maybe I can do it?"

But then he wondered, are there truly people in this world who, at twelve years old, can kill beasts even more formidable than a tyrannosaur? Genetic mutation, perhaps?

Over there, Jindiao had already started calling out, "Xiu, Huo Hu, come over here. Let's gather some herbs along the edge of Yunmengze. Once we've filled up the ten carts, we'll head back."

Several traders gazed longingly into the depths of Yunmengze, their faces filled with desire. "Imagine the treasures that must be hidden in there," one of them murmured.

Xiahou collected his thoughts, gripping his steel sword, and carefully descended the mountain alongside his clansmen. He finally understood that this world was not as simple as he had imagined. Perhaps he should venture beyond the forest sooner rather than later to see how many things in this world could still surprise him. How strong were those warriors that Chihu Xiu and the others spoke of? Could they be stronger than he was in his past life?

The world beyond the forest awaited him.

Gazing at Yunmengze before him, Xiahou's heart brimmed with hopeful anticipation.