Marked on the map left by Huang Ye, the traveling team gathering place was a wasteland. Probably the weather reason that it rarely rained here, so the vegetation on the mountain was not as dense as that in the ferocious beast forest. So that the ferocious beast, as well as the giant beasts, were rare.
No one thought that such a wasteland could be the gathering place of the traveling team. And if no one showed the way, it would be difficult to find its accurate location.
At the top of one of the hills, there were several wooden houses and thatched houses. At the moment, in front of those houses, some people dressed differently were looking around in the grassland.
“What now?” Huang Ye walked out of a bamboo house and asked a middle-aged man standing outside.
“The people of the Longboat tribe have just arrived, and the rest, including the Tian Shan tribe and the Hui tribe.” Said the man.
“How about the Flaming Horn tribe?” Asked Huang Ye.
“The Flaming Horn tribe?” The man even forgot which the Flaming Horn tribe was. It took him a few seconds to remember it, and then he suddenly smiled lightly, “They joined the traveling for the first time, so maybe they get lost.”
“The Flaming Horn tribe doesn’t have the guide.” Another person came over and said.
Those were the people who had participated in many travelings. Although they wouldn’t join in it every time, every one of them would take a turn to guide the team every few years, so each one of them would be an experienced elder in the end and would guide the junior of the tribe to travel. If all of the members were young soldiers who participated in this traveling team for the first time, no one knew if they can find the destination or how many people will die. It even was most likely to be completely annihilated.
“I heard that the Flaming Horn will send three people over this time. I wonder if they can survive,” said one man.
“It’s an unknown that if they can find this place on time, not to mention if they can survive.”
While they were in discussion, someone near them shouted, “Here they come!”
In the air, two flying dots appeared.
“The Hui tribe? Or the Tian Shan tribe?” Only these two tribes would come by the bird.
No one could recognize who they were at once. But when these two flying dots flew closer, someone said, “They are the Tian Shan people.”
“How do you know that?” A young warrior who joined the traveling team for the first time was puzzled.
“Their birds are different. The birds’ bellies of the Tian Shan tribe are white, while the Hui tribe’s birds are not.” One man of the Feather tribe answered. Even though it was the first time for him to participate in the traveling, he had learned about the birds of various tribes. Therefore, it’s easy to identify who they were, according to their birds’ physical characteristics.
“It really is the Tian Shan tribe.”
These two figures in the air flew closer and closer and rushed straight toward their direction.
The sound of vigorously flapping wings came.
Dust and gravel were blown away with a rush. Strong claws fell on the rocky ground, leaving deep claw marks easily.
They were two huge eagles, which were about five meters high and looked much bigger when they stretched their wings, standing on the ground with closed wings. The upper parts of their bodies were covered with dark brown feathers, with some different shades of patterns on the feathers looked a little miscellaneous, while the feathers on their abdomens were pure white, without any other color. Because on their heads were a few short and hard crests, as if they had horns at first glance, they were also known as Horn Eagles.
As a kind of giant birds among flying birds, only a few birds were able to match it, such as Giant Mountain Eagle.
The front part of Horn Eagle’s sharp beak was hook-shaped, with strong claws and sharp nails which could crush the skulls of their preys easily. It was strong and looked fierce, especially when it stared at you with standing hair on its head, looking like a fierce monster. Some young warriors met Horn Eagle’s eyes in the air, swallowing. It was really ferocious.
There were five people standing next to each Horn Eagle, with a large bow on everyone’s back and three long feathers on their heads.
Looking at the ten people who walk toward them, Huang Ye smiled and greeted the team leader who was about the same age. Then Huan Ye asked what happened and if everything went smoothly during their journey.
As for the Feather people, including Gu Zhi and Hong Xi, they didn’t like the Tian Shan people and wore unpleasant looks.
But those people from other tribes, especially some young warriors, stared at the two eagles of the Tian Shan tribe and greatly admired their mount. Because they had to come here by either climbing mountains or taking a detour, while the Tian Shan people could arrive directly by birds. How convenient and cool it was!
The Tian Shan people didn’t care the hostile eye expressions around. But for the people who looked at them with envy, they smiled back smugly.
Soon after the Tian Shan tribe’s arrival, the Hui people also arrived. As before, they came by two Giant Mountain Eagles, but this time they only had nine people.
“Everyone is here now? Have a short break now, then start off today? Or to prepare for another two days?” The middle-aged man of the Tian Shan tribe glanced around and said.
“Let’s rest for two more days. What’s more, the Flaming people haven’t arrived yet,” said Huang Ye.
“Is there any other tribe coming? The Flaming tribe?” Hearing the name, the people of the Tian Shan tribe changed their countenances, looking at each other. Then they quirked up the corners of their mouths and smiled a little ghastly.
“Does the Flaming tribe also join our traveling team this time? No guides?” The Hui people frowned, looking at the Tian Shan people with worry.
“It is the first time for them to join the team, sure enough, no guides.” said someone.
Without a guide, it was very hard to find the gathering place.
“Then wait for two days. After two days, if the Flaming people still don’t appear, we have to set off first.” said the Tian Shan people.
The other tribes had no objections. Two days were the last chance for the Flaming Horn tribe. If the three people of the Flaming Horn tribe didn’t appear after two days, the team wouldn’t wait for them.
Two days later.
In the morning, everyone on the top of the mountain came out of the house, looked at the rising sun, and packed up for the departure.
People of the Hui tribe looked at the distance and shook their head with a sigh.
Hong Xi and Qu Ce couldn’t do anything. Even if they wanted to wait for the Flaming Horn tribe, there was no chance now.
People from the Mang tribe, the Eight Limbs tribe, the Hui tribe, the Tian Shan tribe, the Feather tribe, the Thousand Masks tribe, the Longboat tribe, and some other small central tribes formed a group of nearly 100 people, walking down the hill. As they approached the mountainside, there were several hawks crying in the air, which included the Mountain Eagles of the Hui tribe, and the Horn Eagles of the Tian Shan tribe.
“They’re coming!” said someone of the Hui tribe.
In the sky, a figure smaller than the other four appeared. With a loud eagle sound, it swooped down toward the team. When it passed the team, three men jumped down.
It was Shao Xuan and the other two members.
“Finally we catch up. Sorry, we come for the first time and thus be late.” Shao Xuan said to a few people he knew among the elder ones. He did not pay attention to the malicious sight from others.
Huang Ye nodded, “I’m glad you finally catch up with us. Are you ready for the traveling?”
“No problem,” replied Shao Xuan.
Without rest, Shao Xuan and the other two went down the mountain with the team.
During the downhill process, Shao Xuan observed the team and found that the undercurrent in the team was not as harmonious as the surface.
Finding a chance, Shao Xuan warned Tuo and Lei to be wary of the surrounding people and to be on guard.
Although Tuo and Lei had always been on the alert, since they had been in the hunting team of the tribe before, so they were used to teamwork, and in addition, Huang Ye had told them that the team was a united team and all people were partners, so they let their guard down and even chatted with the people of other tribes. But since Shao Xuan had reminded them to be careful, they were on the alert. Especially be on guard against the people from the Tian Shan.
Knowing Tuo and Lei was in a quandary, Shao Xuan didn’t say much but just gave some notices to them. “Never take it for granted that all the people who died were killed by the slaves and the slaves’ master.”
Not being killed by outsiders, and the ferocious beast was rare here, then… only could be killed by insiders!
Of course, all were in the same team though, everyone was from different tribes, so anyone of other tribes could be an ‘outsider’. Looking carefully, those people always were close to their own tribes, and every tribe kept each other at a distance.
After leaving the gathering place, the traveling team proceeded to the one direction, the direction where Shao Xuan had never gone.
One day later, on the way, they saw a long queue with more than 200 slaves.
The long vines tied the slaves together, and next to the queue, some people held the whip. Those were slaves of a higher rank.