Chapter 25: Hatred and Blood
Watching the two men prepare, Chen Jian turned and whispered to Wolfpi, who glanced at the large tree in the distance and nodded.
Then, with a shout, the two runners burst forward at the same time.
Although the man named Civet Cat was extremely thin, his speed was still comparable to that of the warrior from the Stone tribe. Both were bare-chested, a display of raw strength and wild beauty.
The tribespeople had never witnessed such an event. This contest would not only decide who got the deer but also sent a pulse of excitement through the watching crowd, drawing cheers and shouts from all around.
Chen Jian's clansmen gestured and commented among themselves. Some felt they could run faster, while others believed that chasing a deer on foot over such a short distance wasn't a very effective hunting method.
Wolfpi waited for the two men to run a few steps before he drew his bow with all his might, aiming at the large tree.
He had carved this bow himself over the past few nights. It was made of straight elm, thicker and longer than the one he used before. Moreover, thanks to their new stone tools, the craftsmanship was far more refined.
The bowstring hummed as he released it. The arrow, fletched with three goshawk feathers, twisted in the air for a moment before streaking toward the tree like a meteor.
Civet Cat and Squirrel were still some distance from the tree when the sudden sound of something slicing through the air startled them.
Thwack!
The feathered arrow embedded itself deep into the large tree, its tail quivering. The sudden turn of events stunned the people of both tribes.
They had never seen bows and arrows before. They had noticed many of Chen Jian's people carrying strange, bent pieces of wood, but they never imagined they possessed such power and speed.
A human could never outrun a feathered arrow, and Wolfpi had waited until the runners were halfway before shooting.
The people of the two tribes couldn't help but think: what if that had been a deer instead of a tree? No wonder this tribe looked down on a single deer. They had thought it was a boast, but now they saw it was complete sincerity.
They had no need to risk a fight with two other tribes over one animal. Besides, even if it came to a fight, with so many people armed with bows, arrows, and socketed stone spears and axes, how could their tribes possibly compete?
A mix of envy and fear bloomed in the hearts of the two tribes. Even Squirrel and Civet Cat, who had finished their run, touched the feathered arrow stuck in the tree trunk, their faces filled with shock.
Chen Jian's people erupted in a unified shout, roaring Wolfpi's name. Dozens of voices crashed like waves against rock.
With the deterrent of this arrow and the cheer of his clansmen, Chen Jian walked between Shitou and Huaihua. "It seems we have a result," he said. "If both men reached the tree at the same time, then the deer belongs to both tribes, one half for each. Do you agree?"
Shitou and Huaihua glanced at the quivering arrow, then at the warriors standing behind Chen Jian, and nodded. It was an acceptable outcome. What choice did they have?
At their request, the task of butchering the deer fell to Chen Jian. Holding a heavy stone knife, he was surrounded by people from both groups.
He called his own clansmen to help, and they divided the venison into two even halves. The people of the Stone and Huaihua tribes immediately gathered firewood, lit fires, and began to barbecue.
Chen Jian called over the two men who had just run. "You are both very fast, and you are both warriors of your tribes," he said in a solemn tone. "By running this race, you prevented the deaths of your clansmen. You stopped a blood feud that could never be washed away."
Chen Jian reached out, took each man's arm, and brought their palms together in a gesture of goodwill, clasping them firmly.
The two were reluctant at first, but after considering Chen Jian's words, they felt he was right. They had indeed prevented a potential blood feud. In the end, they clasped hands sincerely.
Chen Jian then brought out twenty clay bowls and four clay pots from a wicker basket. He presented them to the two tribes. "This is a gift from our tribe to you. Take it."
The appearance of the round pottery bowls immediately captivated everyone. When they learned the items were for them, all the men, women, and children gathered around.
For primitive tribes, the circle symbolized beauty and goodness. The sun was round, and the full moon was even rounder, but it was nearly impossible to shape stone tools into such a perfect circle.
They didn't know the purpose of these bright red pottery bowls, but they rubbed them ceaselessly, clicking their tongues in amazement and admiration. Several people placed the bowls on their heads, drawing bursts of applause from their tribemates.
On Chen Jian's side, some of his clansmen held back laughter. Smelling the aroma of roasting meat, they decided it was time for their own meal. They put down their wicker baskets, used bone shovels to dig a shallow pit, and set a large clay pot inside it to prepare a fire.
The two tribes watched the actions of Chen Jian's people with curiosity, wondering what they were doing.
Soon, Chen Jian's tribesmen used their clay pots to fetch water from a nearby stream and poured it into the large pot. The other two tribes now understood the purpose of the smaller pots and excitedly copied them, fetching water and placing it beside their own people.
Someone lifted a pot to his lips and took a sip. Though it was just ordinary water, it felt exceptionally sweet. He carefully handed it to another clansman, afraid of breaking it.
However, what surprised them even more was that the clay pots and bowls seemed to have other functions. The tribe opposite them took out some tubers and threw them into the large pot, followed by a piece of white, greasy lard. They added various wild vegetables they had gathered, along with several dozen smashed dried fish and pieces of meat.
After mixing everything, they poured in a white, snow-like powder. Soon, the sound of gurgling stew, along with a complex, fragrant aroma, wafted through the crowd. The people from the two tribes sniffed the air and swallowed hard.
Once the pot of stew was cooked, Chen Jian filled several smaller clay pots using a clay ladle.
"Sister Lancao, take a few of the other women and give this to them. Feed their old people and children."
Lancao and several other women carried the pots over to the two tribes, spoke with their chiefs, and then poured the contents into their new pottery bowls.
Shitou and Huaihua were just as curious as their people. They sniffed the strange food and found its aroma pleasing.
They let the elders of the clan eat first. For these tribesmen, whose teeth were worn down with age, every meal was a painful ordeal. But this time, it was completely different.
The taste, in their opinion, was excellent—savory, but not bitter. The tubers were boiled until they were incredibly soft, and the minced meat, with its faint, pleasant scent, melted in the mouth. Most importantly, they didn't have to chew with great effort, and the warm broth soothed their stomachs.
The portion wasn't large. The old people took a few sips and passed it to the children. The children held the bowls and chewed on the soft meat, taking only small tastes, afraid that others in the tribe wouldn't get to try this amazing food.
After several bowls of the stew had been passed among the clansmen, there was still a large bowl left. Everyone wanted another taste, but everyone was also worried that others hadn't had any.
Huaihua thought for a moment, then used a stone knife to cut off a large piece of roasted venison. She walked over to Chen Jian and said, "This is for you. Give us some more of your food."
Chen Jian smiled. "Alright. Have your people come over and eat with us."
Huaihua put down the venison and returned to speak with her tribe. Her people gathered around, several of them sharing a single pottery bowl, looking with envy at Chen Jian's clansmen, who each had their own.
Chen Jian then walked over to Shitou's people. "Come and eat with us."
Shitou and his clansmen sniffed the fragrant air and looked back at their own elders, who had grown thin over the years because of their worn teeth. They hesitated.
But one man shook his head firmly, stood up, and shouted, "Her clan beat me! We will not eat with them. Our tribe will never associate with her people! We will never let their blood mix with the blood of our children!"
"Do you want to kill them?" Chen Jian asked. "A person cannot be brought back from the dead. Once their blood is on your hands, your tribes will fight forever. The hatred from killing a kinsman can never be erased."
The man didn't answer. He knew the consequences of a death—both tribes would decline—but he couldn't restrain his anger.
Chen Jian turned and shouted to the other side, "Who hit him?"
"I did."
A man stood up from Huaihua's group and walked over without fear, glaring viciously at his accuser.
Chen Jian stepped between them. He picked up two wooden sticks, wrapped one end of each with a thick layer of fiber cloth, and dipped them in wood ash. He handed one to each man.
He touched one man's chest, right where his heart was beating.
"If you stab a stone spear here, a man will die. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Then you can both vent your hatred now. Whoever is struck in the chest is considered dead. Go on."
The two men held the sticks and faced off, falling back on their usual hunting stances. Their clansmen shouted encouragement as the two sticks clashed.
In the end, they struck each other's chests with the wooden sticks at almost the same time, leaving smudges of ash over their hearts.
Both men touched their chests, feeling their hearts pound violently. If these had been stone spears, they would both be dead. They would never see their clansmen again. Though they knew they were alive, the feeling of a narrow escape from death washed over them. The anger they had felt, which seemed so immense before, now felt trivial in comparison.
"Who else wants to vent their anger?" Chen Jian shouted. "Who else holds hatred in their heart? Stand up!"
A long moment passed, but no one moved. From a distance, even Civet Cat and Squirrel looked at each other and smiled.
Chen Jian brought the two fighters' hands together and said to everyone, "Our ancestors shared the same blood. A long time ago, we may have been one clan. The blood of our people should not be shed by our own. From now on, if there is hatred between you, use this method to settle it. If you trust me, you can fight with wooden sticks in my presence, and no one is allowed to hold a grudge after. If this were a stone spear, you would already be dead. Do you want to die?"
The two men who had fought shook their heads. Compared to the anger they had felt, death was far more terrifying.
They felt that Chen Jian was a trustworthy person. If conflicts arose between them in the future, as long as he was present, they could be resolved fairly, without causing their people to bleed.
It was a good method. The loser would understand that in a real blood feud, they would have been the one to die. And the winner, through their victory, could let go of their anger with pride.
Of course, a true blood feud was a different matter. If a clansman was killed by another, no one would use this method.
Shitou walked up to Chen Jian. "What if we have a conflict with other tribes? Will they agree to this?"
"They will," Chen Jian replied. "No one wants to die. They will all agree. You can tell other tribes what happened here today. Tell them that my tribe and I are hospitable and fair. When they have something to fight over, they can find me, and I will give them a just resolution."
"Can you trust me?"
The people of both the Huaihua and Shitou tribes nodded. They all believed this was the best outcome.
"Then let's go to the top of the mountain together," Chen Jian said. "We will tell them what happened here, so they will no longer create blood feuds over trivial matters. Tell them they can come to me to solve their disputes."
It was a crude method, but for these primitive people, it was the most acceptable one. Laws and morals applied within a tribe, but not between them. With this simple ritual, Chen Jian hoped to introduce a new concept of inter-tribal communication.
---