Chapter 042: Those Who Oppose Me Shall Perish

By midday, the animal enclosure in the Han tribe was completed. Luo Chong herded the twelve antelopes into the pen and began enticing the elephant calves inside with sweet roots from the man-eating tree. Qubing also tried to feed the elephants, delightedly laughing as one of them gobbled the treat straight from his hand.

"What are they called?" Qubing asked innocently, looking up at Luo Chong.

"They are called elephants. They have gray skin, big tusks, and long trunks they can use like hands. They eat plants," explained Luo Chong as he fed another elephant.

"Do they have names? I'm Qubing; what are their names?"

Luo Chong scratched his head, "Hmm, I haven't named them yet. Why don't you give them names?"

"Really? I can name them? Then this one is Rourou (Fleshy)," Qubing said excitedly, jumping up and down.

Luo Chong smiled wryly at the apt yet comical name, "Alright, we'll call the female Rourou. What about the male?"

"Let's call him Huishan (Grey Mountain), because he's gray and big like a mountain, and he's even bigger than Rourou," Qubing suggested, patting the large leg of Huishan, who responded with a trumpeting sound that startled Qubing.

Just then, Luo Chong noticed the distressed antelopes approaching, two of which were dragging their dead companions. Each dead antelope bore several long spears, unlike those used by the Han tribe.

"An attack? Why haven't the woodcutters returned? Could they have all perished?" Luo Chong feared the worst. He scooped up Qubing and ran towards the cave, shouting for everyone to arm themselves and secure the children.

Cripple, hearing the alert, was the first to react. He gathered the men working nearby and sent them to inform those gathering grass and others scattered around.

Luo Chong placed Qubing inside the cave, took his golden spear and bow, and gathered over 200 arrows. The children, women, and the elderly quickly armed themselves and prepared to defend the cave under Luo Chong's orders.

Luo Chong's mind raced with concern for his hunters. He strapped two bundles of arrows to Huishan's neck, mounted the elephant, and followed the bloody trail left by the antelopes. Rourou, not wanting to be left behind, grabbed a couple of sweet roots and followed suit.

The makeshift cavalry sped westward. Before long, they encountered the woodcutting team led by Big Tree, who were unharmed and armed with golden axes.

"What happened? Did you encounter the enemy?" Luo Chong asked, relieved to see them safe.

"It was Xieding's tribe, the ones we traded pottery with," Big Tree explained through Beast Tooth, who proudly recounted, "They attacked us first, killed our antelopes, and then we fought back, killing… um… many of them." He held up seven fingers to indicate the number of enemies killed.

Luo Chong processed this information, dismayed yet resolved. "They dared to attack our tribe? We will not let this stand. Every threat to our tribe, human or antelope, must be met with a definitive response."

Gathering his warriors, Luo Chong led them back towards Xieding's tribe. Upon arrival, they found the entrance to the cave blocked by a large stone, with only small gaps through which fearful eyes peeked out.

Luo Chong's presence, commanding atop an elephant and armed with imposing weaponry, made a clear statement. He aimed an arrow through one of the gaps, striking Xieding directly in the eye in a fatal shot, which quelled any thoughts of resistance from within the cave.

Luo Chong's decisive action, coupled with his formidable appearance and the display of power, shocked Xieding's tribe into submission. His swift and ruthless handling of the threat reinforced his leadership and the inviolability of his tribe, ensuring peace through strength and deterring future aggression.