The Flame Dragon Tribe was located at the foot of a forested mountain, on relatively flat ground.
In the mountain forest to the west of the tribe, the horned girl moved ahead cautiously to clear the way, while Su Bai followed behind her, pushing his perception to the limit as he tried to sense any hidden dangers.
"Crack!"
Yanhua strained as she chopped through a branch with her stone knife. Her ears twitched slightly, listening for any sounds that might indicate a beast had been startled.
"Do you know the way? Do you know where the chieftain is?" Su Bai looked at the horned girl's back, his gaze briefly sweeping over her curved hips, wondering whether she had a tail.
After all, fox-eared girls had tails. A horned girl ought to have one too, right? But it was hidden beneath her animal-skin skirt, and he felt too embarrassed to ask Yanhua directly.
"I know. They should be over at the gathering grounds. That place is the safest," Yanhua replied casually.
"The gathering grounds—are there plenty of things to eat there?" Su Bai asked curiously.
"Not much. It's almost been picked clean. In a few days, we'll have to look for a new gathering area," Yanhua said, shaking her head with a sigh.
The people of the tribe were completely unfamiliar with this mountain forest. Unlike the forest near their ancestral land, which generations of tribespeople had explored—knowing where food could be found, where plants flowered and bore fruit, and which places were dangerous—this place was entirely new.
They had only been here a little over ten days, far from enough time to become familiar with the forest.
"It'll get better in the future," Su Bai could only say that much, though inwardly he was already considering whether the tribe should relocate to a more resource-rich area to develop.
"Mmm." Yanhua nodded firmly.
The farther they went into the forest, the denser the trees became. If Yanhua hadn't been familiar with the terrain, Su Bai might have gotten lost very quickly on his own.
Half an hour later—
"Stop," Yanhua said in a low voice, slightly crouching as her red eyes fixed on the area ahead.
"It's fine. It's a person," Su Bai said, his mental perception already sensing a figure sprinting toward them.
"…" Yanhua frowned, clearly unconvinced.
"Crack, crack…"
Three seconds later, a person wearing animal-skin clothing burst into view, running at full speed.
"It really is a person." Yanhua was a little surprised and shot an astonished glance at Su Bai.
She waved at the runner and called out in a clear voice, "Black Fang, why are you running so fast?"
"Huh? Yanhua?" Black Fang hurried over.
When he got closer and saw Su Bai, he shouted in shock, "Shaman, why are you here?!"
"I came to take a look at the water source," Su Bai said, studying the man in front of him. On Black Fang's forehead was a pair of three-inch-long black horns, his open mouth revealed sharp teeth, and his pupils were brown.
Only then did Su Bai remember—this was the person who had spoken to him when he first woke up and had led him outside the main tent.
"Shaman, this place is too dangerous. I'll take you back to the tribe," Black Fang said urgently.
He shot an unhappy glare at the horned girl. How dare she bring the shaman into the forest? Even if she was the chieftain's daughter, she would be punished by the tribe.
"…" Yanhua shrank her neck slightly, pouting in grievance. Her red eyes flicked toward Su Bai as if to say: Hurry up and explain.
Catching her look, Su Bai explained, "Don't blame her. I asked to come."
"Shaman, please return to the tribe first. It's too dangerous nearby," Black Fang urged.
"What are you in such a hurry for?" Su Bai changed the subject. He had finally come out—there was no way he was going straight back now.
"Huh? Oh—right, I almost forgot something important."
Black Fang suddenly reacted and said anxiously, "Shaman, did you bring the shaman bone talisman? A Totem Warrior has been injured."
"I didn't bring it with me," Su Bai said with a frown, shaking his head. He had gone out on a whim to look at the water source and hadn't thought to carry the talisman.
"Who's injured?" Yanhua asked urgently.
"Maimang. He was scratched by a ferocious beast," Black Fang replied in a low voice.
"How serious is it? Is it far from here?" Su Bai asked quickly.
Totem Warriors only used the shaman bone talisman when they were badly injured. If it were just a minor wound, they wouldn't care at all.
"It's very serious. His stomach was torn open. They're on their way back to the tribe from behind us," Black Fang said anxiously.
He wanted to carry the shaman and run back to the tribe, but he didn't dare be so disrespectful.
"Take me there. I know healing witchcraft," Su Bai said sternly, issuing the order.
Totem Warriors were already few in number. Losing another one now would only make things worse.
He hadn't yet put his healing spell into practice. This injured person was the perfect chance to test its actual effectiveness.
"Shaman, you've learned witchcraft?" Black Fang was stunned. Hadn't the chieftain said it would take at least thirty days for a shaman to master even one spell?
Then he hesitated. Taking the shaman deeper into the forest was far too dangerous. If anything happened to him, Black Fang would become the tribe's greatest sinner.
"If we keep delaying, the injured person will be in even more danger," Su Bai snapped impatiently. Why were people in this primitive society all so stubborn, clinging rigidly to fixed ideas?
"Alright," Black Fang said through gritted teeth.
Having made his decision, he immediately took the lead. Any branches blocking the way were cut aside with his stone knife, and his speed was far faster than when Yanhua had been leading.
"Crack, crack…"
Yanhua and Su Bai had to break into a run just to keep up with Black Fang.
"So this is a Totem Warrior… His physical strength is incredible—at least five times that of an ordinary person," Su Bai muttered to himself.
He was beginning to understand just how formidable Totem Warriors were, and he couldn't help wondering whether he, too, might awaken a totem and become a part-time Totem Warrior.
After all, every man harbored at least a little desire to be a warrior.
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