Translator: Exodus Tales
Editor: Exodus Tales
Dusk.
Ye Xi sat cross-legged atop a large wooden pole, watching the sun slowly set while playing around with the weapon in his hand.
The evening afterglow had turned the clouds into a swath of golden-red. As the sun set, flocks of pterosaurs flew across the horizon, back toward their nests. The roars of dinosaurs came from the distant jungle, and Ye Xi could imagine that if he had been standing at the peak of Little Mud Mountain, he would have been able to see dinosaurs raising their heads and crying out at the blood-red sun.
Several days had passed, but the hunting team had not found any salty rocks. Without the material, Ye Xi had no way of producing salt.
“Why did you make the weapon like this?” Courage had walked up at some point and was looking at his weapon.
This weapon had been created by smoothing down a snow-white bone. It was shaped like a spike, but oddly, three grooves through which blood could run down had been carved in it.
Ye Xi looked at Courage and chuckled. “Don’t just focus on how strange it looks. This is an extremely vicious weapon.”
“Oh?” Courage was doubtful. This sort of weapon could be powerful?
“It’s not a saber and not a dagger. What is it?”
“A triangular bayonet… Right, I have to thank you for providing the bone to make this.”
Courage waved his hands. “It’s nothing. It’s not like this bone was from a fiendbeast.”
“A Brontosaurus bone is only a little worse than the bone of a fiendbeast, an excellent material for weapons that is normally hard to find. If you traded it with someone, you definitely could have gotten something good. By giving it to me, you’re losing out on a lot.”
“You solved the tribe’s water shortage, so what does this bone matter?” Courage casually replied.
Ye Xi shook his head. The shaman had already given him the reward for the water. Moreover, it was not Courage’s place to spend so much to reward him. He should have been thanking Courage for hunting the Thorned Terror Beast.
But right now, he needed a weapon, so he could only take the bone and look for another chance to repay him.
“Why do you need a weapon like this?”
“Because I’m joining the fruit-picking team and heading into the jungle in a few days.”
“What did you say?!” Courage’s voice grew louder, and he was clearly startled.
Ye Xi helplessly covered his ears. “Why are you so surprised? I should be strong enough to join the fruit-picking team now.”
That was true, but who was Ye Xi? He was the shaman’s disciple. Courage had never imagined that Ye Xi would join the ordinary people and go to the jungle to pick fruits.
No one would request this of Ye Xi, unless Ye Xi expressed the desire.
Courage’s brow furrowed, and there was a disapproving look on his face. “Ye Xi, you have no idea how dangerous the jungle is. Did you mention wanting to join the fruit-picking team and going into the jungle to the chief?”
Ye Xi nodded. “Not only did the chief agree, the shaman did so as well.”
“What? The two of them both agreed?!”
Courage anxiously paced back and forth, wanting to say that this was really a mess, but as the shaman had made the decision, he couldn’t say anything.
Ye Xi spoke in an even and calm tone. “I know the dangers of the jungle, but I must venture into the jungle again. My teacher, Divine Farmer, granted me knowledge on many treasures. There are many useful but unremarkable plants still buried in this jungle.”
Ye Xi cast his gaze toward the distant jungle.
Courage gradually stopped pacing and joined Ye Xi in looking silently at the jungle.
After a long while, Ye Xi quietly added, “…They can resolve the tribe’s problem when it comes to food, even injuries.”
“Haaaa!” In the end, Courage gave a long sigh.
The shaman and chief had agreed, so what could he say?
Seeing how worried Courage was, Ye Xi felt a hint of warmth. But he needed to go into the jungle. In his heart, he knew that searching for plants was just an excuse. The real reason was that he had a desire to enter the jungle, to adventure amongst the gorgeous primordial trees. This was also the work of that adventurous gene that was buried in his blood in his last life.
No matter how unwilling Courage was, several days later, Ye Xi joined the fruit-picking team.
In the morning, Ye Xi had eaten a sweet potato and a small piece of jerky to ensure that his body had plenty of strength. Before leaving, he inspected his gear, pulling hard on his belt to make sure that the triangular bayonet didn’t drop while he was running.
After all, it was something that could save his life when he was in danger.
At this time, Plate walked over with another Warrior.
Ye Xi thought that Plate was going to tell him to stay safe, and smiled. “It’s fine. I won’t run into any danger.”
Plate: “I know.”
Ye Xi: “?”
“Because we will be going along to protect you.”
Ye Xi was astonished. He didn’t think that he would have personal guards for this trip. “Was it the chief who sent you?”
Plate and the other Warrior exchanged an amused glance. “Of course. Did you really think the chief would be at ease letting you go into the jungle alone?”
Ye Xi felt both helpless and touched as he smiled. “It’s the same route as always. It should be fine as long as we’re a little cautious. The chief is being too careful.”
“You are very important for the tribe, so there is no such thing as being too careful.” The other Warrior smiled, adding, “Right, I still have to thank you for using the three-seven root to save me.”
Only now did Ye Xi recognize who he was. “You’re… Carving!” It was the man who had been heavily injured almost to the point of death by a dinosaur.
Ye Xi looked at his stomach and saw that only a faint scar remained. The recovery ability of Warriors was simply too formidable. He keenly remembered how large a hole had been opened up there.
“I am Carving. I truly must thank you for last time. I really thought I was dead.”
“It was nothing.”
Plate clapped his hands. “Enough. Everyone, the chat ends here. It’s time to set out!” Plate was leading the fruit-picking team this time, and he saw that it was about time to head off.
After half a month, Ye Xi stepped into the jungle once more.
The twelve members of the fruit-picking team formed a sort of defensive circle around Ye Xi, with him in the center. Flanking Ye Xi were Plate and Carving, weapons in hand.
The ferns in this area were not as numerous. They were surrounded mostly by ancient trees that had grown over many years and months.
Ye Xi carefully walked over a gnarled root. These tree roots could rise to as high as his knee, and their surfaces were covered in slippery moss.
“Cheechee, cheechee!” A pleasant and crisp bird cry came from above.
Ye Xi looked up and saw an extremely beautiful bird perched on the branch above him!
This bird was a little larger than a peacock and was almost entirely the color of blue water. Only on its outer edges could one find a ring of light yellow feathers. Its wing feathers and crest feathers were all extremely long, weaving together and hanging down like magnificent tassels.
It tilted its head, its round, jewel-like eyes curiously inspecting them.
“What bird is this? It’s so beautiful!” Ye Xi whispered to Plate, worried that he might scare it away.
Plate glanced at it and absentmindedly said, “It’s called a Longfeather Sparrow. It’s nice to look at, but it has a vicious personality and is very difficult to fight.”
Vicious? Ye Xi looked at its jewel-like eyes.
“Chee!” the Longfeather Sparrow innocently cried out.
He really couldn’t see it.
At this moment, a pack of dragonflies the size of eagles passed by the tree. These dragonflies had red eyes and frighteningly huge pincers. One could tell at a glance that they were not to be messed with.
Flapflap! The Longfeather Sparrow suddenly took to the skies, its magnificent feathers spreading open as it flew at the dragonflies. Its sharp claws firmly seized a dragonfly. The surrounding dragonflies tried to fight back, but the Longfeather Sparrow fearlessly flapped its wings and drove them off.
Truly… the bird did not match its appearance! Ye Xi emotionally sighed.
As they walked, they eventually came across a giant millipede that was twenty-some meters long, slowly crawling along the side of their path.
Such a large millipede! Ye Xi’s hair stood on end.
But despite its savage appearance, it was a herbivore with a docile personality. It normally did not attack humans.
Ye Xi had crammed on knowledge of the jungle wildlife over the last few days, so despite the millipede’s abrupt appearance, he did not jump up in fright.
“Do you want to sit on it for a bit?” Carving asked.
Sit… on the giant millipede?!
Ye Xi licked his dry lips. “It won’t get angry?” Although it was a herbivore, if this large creature got angry, things would get dangerous.
Plate laughed. “It won’t. This is a very wooden fellow. As long as you don’t hurt it, you can ride it around for a while.”
The giant millipede was a light yellow color, and its countless little feet were like oars, constantly rowing and pushing backward in wave after wave.
Sitting on it… seemed to sound rather okay?
“Then let’s sit together.”
Thus, Ye Xi, Plate, and Carving sat on the back of the millipede. Afraid that too much weight might make the centipede resist, the rest did not sit, and walked alongside the millipede.
They really sat on it!
Ye Xi stroked the millipede’s smooth shell, his heartbeat accelerating. He was really sitting on the back of a giant prehistoric insect!
The millipede didn’t seem to notice the three people sitting on its back. It continued to advance forward with a leisurely pace.
So stable! The light yellow shell felt cool and smooth to touch, making for a rather comfortable experience. Now that he was sitting on it, it no longer seemed so savage. On the contrary, it had a simple cuteness about it.
Ye Xi sat cross-legged on the millipede, a gentle breeze caressing him. He leisurely looked around, but he saw no familiar plants.
Eh?
Up ahead was a very familiar plant!