Chapter 035: Homecoming and the Stubborn Beasts

"Enough already, I'm home!"

"Damn it, just go away, please, I truly can't afford to keep you," Luo Chong lamented with a sob. He nudged the two beasts on their rears, but they ignored him completely—well, not entirely, as they swished their tails a few times before continuing to munch on the grass with their snouts.

"This is it… I'm really going to lose it."

Luo Chong moved in front of them, aimed a punch at one's eyes, but before his fist could land… damn it, the fearful beast met his gaze with such innocent, big eyes. It didn't flinch at the incoming punch, instead looking so pitiful, nearly bursting into tears…

"Fine, have it your way, I just can't bring myself to hit a child."

Turning away to leave, Luo Chong was taken aback as one of the beasts handed him a bunch of grass with its trunk, its big, innocent eyes fluttering—clearly saying, 'Here, try some, it's delicious.'

"Heh, alright, good kid, you eat it. I don't eat this stuff," Luo Chong said with a grimace that was uglier than a cry, as he reluctantly took the grass and stuffed it back into the creature's mouth.

"Hurry and pack up, we're leaving soon." Determined to ditch these persistent nuisances, Luo Chong gritted his teeth.

After organizing their supplies and getting the underfed antelopes back in line, Wuda and Ximen grumbled discontentedly.

Luo Chong slapped them, "Damn it, you weren't complaining when others were stealing your food, why the fuss now? If you're so capable, go and fight them for it."

Once everyone, including the antelopes, had set off towards the river, Luo Chong stayed behind, giving the two fearful elephants a couple more bundles of grass to slowly enjoy, before sprinting away.

Having walked a significant distance, Luo Chong glanced back to see the elephants still grazing and breathed a sigh of relief, wondering how the cannibal tribes of old managed to feed them, given their insatiable hunger.

The group continued westward through the morning and finally reached the old Tree Tribe. The enormous treehouse was still emitting white smoke, though it had turned to ashes. The surrounding trees had survived the blaze, thankfully. With no gasoline available, igniting such massive live trees was a challenging task.

Though feeling a bit melancholic, they had to move on—life waits for no one. So, they pressed forward.

Reaching the Tree Tribe meant the river wasn't far. Twenty more minutes of walking brought them to where Luo Chong once battled the lungfish, though no lungfish were left now.

They had never crossed to the other side of the river, and although they didn't know what awaited them, the natural tree bridge overhead provided a perfect crossing method. Luo Chong had previously attempted this route but fell midway.

However, not everyone was adept at climbing trees, like the Blue Antelopes…

"Leader, how will we get across, and what about the four-legged creatures?" Bucket looked worriedly at the group of antelopes.

"Don't worry, they can swim across on their own. You guys start cutting some long branches," Luo Chong calmly instructed.

Twenty minutes later, to everyone's amazement, Luo Chong had fashioned another fish-skin canoe, securing ropes at both ends.

Big Tree climbed the tree bridge to the river's opposite bank first, then pulled the canoe over by one rope. After loading the antelopes' large baskets into the boat, Big Tree on the far bank pulled the canoe across, unloaded the baskets, and Luo Chong pulled the empty boat back.

In this manner, they ferried one basket and then one person at a time across the not-so-wide river, which was only about 10 meters across. Although tedious, the process was swift.

Eventually, only Luo Chong and the 18 Blue Antelopes were left. To ensure they all crossed obediently, Luo Chong stripped down and swam with each one across the river.

Once the antelopes had shaken dry and were reloaded with baskets, and Luo Chong had redressed, the group continued on their journey.

The scenery on the west bank of the little river was different—no dense Black Iron Trees here, just tall, majestic broadleaf and coniferous forests. The autumn sun warmed the forest, and the relentless autumn wind rustled the leaves, sweeping them from the branches, much to the delight of the ground-foraging pheasants.

With a whoosh…

Luo Chong shot another wild chicken, which Bucket joyfully retrieved, ensuring that following their new leader meant no more worries about food.

As evening approached, the sky grew dim, and the sun was setting.

Xiao Qubing was finishing up fishing with his mother by the river, occasionally glancing northward. Since Luo Chong's departure, he had accompanied his mother here daily, waiting for Luo Chong by the river, where she had told him their leader had gone.

As dusk approached and his mother began packing up the day's catch, disappointment crept into Xiao Qubing's heart—his beloved leader brother hadn't returned yet.

"Mom, has the leader abandoned us?" Xiao Qubing tugged at his mother's skirt, speaking in their tribal dialect.

"No, he's our leader; he won't leave us," his mother reassured him, patting his head with a smile.

Internally, she sighed. Luo Chong was indeed their leader, but to her, he was still just a boy. Having been gone so long, who knew if he was still alive? The outside world was fraught with danger, even for adults.

But these concerns she kept to herself, not wanting to sadden her son.

As she hoisted a pole with two baskets of fish over her shoulder, she cast a worried glance northward. But then, to her astonishment, she saw several figures in the distant woods.

"There are people over there, grab your weapons!"

She suddenly shouted to the north, prompting the fishing women to drop their catch and brandish their spears toward the north, while Xiao Qubing was quickly pulled to safety.

"Mom, it's the leader."

From behind, Xiao Qubing poked his head out, his sharp eyes recognizing the figure leading the group—it was their tribe's leader.

"I'm back, Xiao Qubing," Luo Chong called out joyously as he spotted them, waving his hands.

"Oh…"

Suddenly, two loud elephant trumpets sounded from across the river, drawing everyone's attention.

"Damn it, you're still following me? I'm already home!"

Luo Chong nearly cried out in frustration, having traveled so far only to find he hadn't shaken off the two massive elephants. These were truly insatiable beasts, demanding vast amounts of food daily—as if he owed them from a past life.

The two elephants had stealthily followed Luo Chong from across the river, emerging from the woods upon reaching the Han Tribe. As Luo Chong muttered to himself, praying they wouldn't cross, he forgot one crucial detail: a river eight or nine meters wide couldn't stop elephants—they were born swimmers.

With a couple of loud splashes, both elephants plunged into the river, sending up huge waves, and within seconds, they clambered up the bank on his side, Luo Chong was floored.

The elephants, seemingly upset that Luo Chong had fed them and then abandoned them, had followed him thanks to their keen sense of smell.