90: Chapter 82: Great Calamity Imminent 90: Chapter 82: Great Calamity Imminent Below Stone Mountain, in the courtyard outside the bamboo house, Chi Shao is planting herbs.
Ever since the hydraulic dicine grinding device was invented, she doesn’t have to spend so much ti and effort pounding dicine, freeing up ti to do other things.
A piece of land in the courtyard has been cleared for a herbal field.
All the bamboo roots, tree roots, and gravel in the soil are cleared away.
Chi Shao intends to plant so rare herbs there for easy access when needed.
Suddenly, Chi Shao feels a sense of unease, as if sothing big is about to happen.
“The Old Witch said that after gaining Witch Power, sotis one could foresee fortune or disaster.
Is there a calamity about to happen?”
The more Chi Shao thinks about it, the more she senses sothing is wrong.
She puts down the Bone Plow and rushes into the bamboo house.
Standing by the fire pit, facing the dancing flas, she solemnly begins chanting ancient incantations: “ㄓㄌㄡㄤㄞ…”
These were divination spells passed down by the Old Witch when teaching her witch doctor skills, used to predict the fortunes more accurately through divination.
As the spell is chanted, the flas in the fire pit shoot up significantly and start to dance in an inexplicable rhythm.
Most of Chi Shao’s Witch Power gathers in her eyes.
If soone were present, they would see her eyes shimring like glass, emitting a faint glow.
Once the incantation ends, Chi Shao fixates her gaze on the flas, seeing a dynamic image within them.
It is a swarm of grim bird-beaked mosquitoes, followed by many warriors from the Mosquito Tribe.
As Chi Shao tries to see more clearly, the image in the flas disappears.
She lets out a muffled groan, and a trickle of blood seeps from the corner of her mouth.
Although divination can predict fortunes, it can have a backlash on oneself; the bigger the event, the more severe the backlash.
The Old Witch once sternly warned her not to casually divine major matters like the future of the tribe.
But Chi Shao doesn’t heed such warnings now.
Wiping the blood from her mouth, she hastily runs out of the bamboo house to find Jiang Xuan.
At this mont, Jiang Xuan is leading people to dig channels, which can be used to irrigate the fields during droughts and drain rain quickly, essential for crop cultivation.
“Chief, Chief…”
Chi Shao runs hurriedly to Jiang Xuan’s side.
At this mont, Jiang Xuan is digging soil, covered in mud.
“What’s going on?”
Jiang Xuan has rarely seen Chi Shao so flustered; she has always been more composed than most people.
“The Mosquito Tribe is coming again, and in great numbers!”
Chi Shao’s words make everyone tense, including Jiang Xuan.
The Divine Vine has descended into slumber, the Old Witch has departed, and if the Mosquito Tribe launches a large-scale attack, what can they use to withstand it?
Jiang Xuan leaps from the half-dug channel, shouting, “Everyone return to the bamboo house imdiately!”
In an instant, the entire Vine Tribe, whether warriors or wanderers, puts down their tasks, grabs their tools, and rushes back.
Jiang Xuan roughly washes his hands, then grabs the Bone Plow and follows Chi Shao back, asking, “What exactly is going on?”
Chi Shao hasn’t left the tribe for so ti, the warriors guarding haven’t issued a warning, and the bird-beaked mosquitoes haven’t appeared.
How did Chi Shao know the Mosquito Tribe was coming?
Of course, Jiang Xuan knows that Chi Shao wouldn’t joke about such things during major incidents.
Chi Shao urgently explains: “I learned divination from the Old Witch.
Today, while working, I suddenly felt a palpitation, so I tried using the flas for divination.”
“I saw in the flas the Mosquito Tribe’s bird-beaked mosquitoes and a large number of warriors headed this way.”
Fire Divination is an extrely ancient and mysterious divination thod.
There are other thods like Water Divination, Bone Burning Divination, Turtle Shell Divination, etc.
Jiang Xuan doesn’t know exactly how reliable this thod of divination is, but now the Vine Tribe has lost the protection of the Divine Vine, becoming very vulnerable.
Even if this is just a false alarm, Jiang Xuan must anticipate all scenarios, for the Vine Tribe cannot afford to gamble.
What to do?
Jiang Xuan walks while racking his brain for a plan.
The current situation is exceedingly difficult; even if all warriors of the Vine Tribe fight to death, they cannot withstand the Mosquito Tribe’s assault.
External forces cannot be relied upon anymore because there is no power left to borrow, only their own power remains.
Hiding in underground holes won’t last long because last ti they fled from there, they were discovered by the Mosquito Tribe.
Those bird-beaked mosquitoes are extrely sensitive to human scent and heat sources, and the warriors of the Mosquito Tribe aren’t easy opponents.
Jiang Xuan feels his heart sinking gradually; the entire Vine Tribe suddenly stands on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall into oblivion with a single push.
Could it be that the tribe, just embarking on the right path, is about to be easily wiped out?
The laboriously built tribe facing such a fate is sothing Jiang Xuan simply cannot accept.
In truth, Jiang Xuan could abandon the tribe, take Chi Shao, Gou Teng, Shi Qiu, and Nan Xing with him, and escape; they are all two-color warriors, and the chance to run is high.
But doing so would an everyone else dies, the current possessions of the Vine Tribe would be seized by the Mosquito Tribe, and they themselves might be caught.
Is there a way for everyone to survive and minimize the losses?
Jiang Xuan can’t think of a solution for now, nor can Chi Shao, and others are left fretting.
Soon, the crowd returns to the bamboo house, where Jiang Xuan gathers everyone in the open space, his heart in turmoil.
“The Mosquito Tribe is coming!”
Jiang Xuan’s words prompt an uproar among everyone.
Including Gan Song and others, who also heard of the Vine Tribe’s grievances with the Mosquito Tribe, even seeing those bones hanging from trees.
“Now, everyone stash grain, tools, and important items in the underground cave, then, use the fastest speed to seal and hide the entrance.”
Gan Song couldn’t help but ask: “Chief, after hiding, then what?”
Jiang Xuan gazes at Gan Song, grits his teeth, and says, “Run!”
Gan Song anxiously responds: “But… what about the things we planted…”
“No ti for that!” Jiang Xuan says, “Save your life first, besides, the crops haven’t yielded yet, Mosquito Tribe might not touch them.”
Gan Song clenches his sole fist, veins bulging on his arm.
These crops are his labor, he wishes he could stay to fight the Mosquito Tribe.
Da Jiao, in charge of breeding, urgently asks: “Chief, can we take the animals we’re breeding with us?”
Jiang Xuan shakes his head, “If we bring those animals, we won’t be able to escape.”
Da Jiao falls silent, feeling like his heart is bleeding, yet there is no redy.
Jiang Xuan comforts him: “Whether it’s crops or animals we’re breeding, we can resow and breed again, but if people are gone, then everything is lost.”
This statent is not only comforting others but also consoling himself.
However, Jiang Xuan hasn’t voiced another thought: given so many people, how many can escape remains uncertain.
“Alright, don’t have much ti, everyone quickly hide the items, make sure to securely hide the underground cave entrance, then run.”
Despite imnse reluctance and frustration, there’s no other choice.
Everyone follows Jiang Xuan’s instructions, stashing most important items into the underground cave, sealing its entrance, and camouflaging it.
Whether the Mosquito Tribe can find the cave, whether they might excavate and take the items inside cannot be concerned with now.
Soon, most things that needed hiding are stored away.
Da Jiao clenches his teeth, and after consulting Jiang Xuan, he releases all the animals not yet fully trained.
Da Jiao prefers these animals return to the wild rather than be seized by the Mosquito Tribe!
The group simply takes so food and weapons, then gathers together, ready to flee.
At this mont, Jiang Xuan remains agonizingly pondering a way to save everyone, his head feeling like it’s about to explode.
He has a gut feeling that this crisis can certainly be overco; it’s just that within such a short ti, he hasn’t figured out the solution.
Reviews
All reviews (0)