C356 – Strange Old Man
Posted on May 4, 2019 by AzureOrchid92
After leaving the Macca tribe, Shao Xuan also saw other tribes who were out, but he did not join them. Those people were more guarded against Shao Xuan, presumably because they were carrying some goods which they were worried that Shao Xuan would steal.
Shao Xuan has experience traveling. He knew that in the middle of an encounter with strangers, the team would choose to avoid, so he did not go up to them. He stopped at a distance of twenty meters to ask them.
The other side saw Shao Xuan did not come close, so they reluctantly answered his two questions, but then hurried away.
Shao Xuan just asked about the geographical structure of the surrounding area, but the other side’s answer was too brief. Shao Xuan could only relate it to the information he got from the Macca tribe to speculate of the place he should go to.
Here, there were tribes that were also under the jurisdiction of slave owners, but tribesmen and slave owners did not have much contradictory relations. Not like on the other side of the sea where there was always conflict. It was even common for many tribesmen to often trade in the cities under the jurisdiction of the slave owners. The Macca tribe, for example, often has a traveling team to the nearest city, exchanging things for clothes, copper weapons and so on.
Shao Xuan, however, had no intention of going around the slave owners’ turf. What he most wanted to know now was whether the other half of the Flaming Horns tribe was here or not.
If those people’s preferences have not changed, they would probably be more inclined to reside in the forest area, a place where there were especially many fierce beasts. If they went to a place with a lot of people, the animals and beasts would naturally become less, so Shao Xuan planned to go to the mountains where there were fewer people to try his luck.
After asking about the surrounding land structure, Shao Xuan used rope divination once again to determine the position and went to that area. He just got a rough direction, and did not know the exact distance, so he only went straight.
At first, he could see some people in a distance for two days, but gradually, he saw a lot less. The land became desolate. The surrounding mountains widened. He did not know if it was because of the soil, but the growing plants were not lush, and even the stout trees were not much.
When Shao Xuan looked up, he saw the surroundings undulating slightly with desolate mountains, cascading up and down. He did not change course, intending to pass between the valleys, while listening carefully to the movements around him tht were not from the cries of some birds and small beasts. He did not hear other dangerous noises. The birds and beasts cry were more peaceful, and there was no fear in them. The area, relatively speaking, should be counted as safe.
There were the occasional streams flowing through the valley. Shao Xuan had been walking along a set route and direction. When he walked to a stream, he saw someone lying at the water’s edge, his head resting beside the stream while the stream was flowing by. As he rushed to the person’s side, he saw the man’s gray hair unbound in the stream, scattering in the water.
If the other side was already dead, Shao Xuan would not be able to do anything. However, the person was still breathing, albeit a little faint.
After a while, Shao Xuan found that it was an old man with a lot of wrinkles on his face, a little older than how he looked from the back. The person did not have any serious trauma, except for a bone fracture on his right arm. All his other body parts were fine.
The man’s clothes had gone gray and he did not know how much it had been through. The clothes were ragged, only a little bit better than when Shao Xuan first arrived. But the man had several bronze knives. They looked different and were very small, the shape not looking like these were used as a hidden weapon, so he did not know what it’s for. The old man also had a bag wrapped around his waist. The bag was made of animal skins, the leather from a high-level beast, since the skin of an ordinary beast would not be so strong.
After careful scrutiny, Shao Xuan slowly turned the man over and moved him away from the stream.
Calling out also would not wake him, as well as tapping him awake. Seeing that the person would not wake up, Shao Xuan’s vision fell on the animal skin bag on the side at the man’s waist. He reached out to poke it a bit. When the man was lying at the edge of the stream, his uninjured left arm has been protecting it, even when he was turned over, his arm did not leave it. This was an unconscious behavior, indicating that for this person, this skin bag was important.
When Shao Xuan reached for the animal bag and poked it, the person did not wake up, but his muscles on his face twitched.
After poking it again, the man jerked open his eyes. Eyes full of blood, guarded and murderous. He propped himself on the ground with his elbow, quickly moving away from Shao Xuan as he did two rolls. Then, his head hit a big stone on the side, and Shao Xuan listened to the sound of his pain. Why are you so excited?
Fortunately, the man had finally regained consciousness. After a few grunts of pain, the person moved to reach out and touch his hit forehead, but the injury on his right arm hurt. He then moved his left arm that had been protecting the animal skin bag, but after thinking, put it back in its original position to continue to protect the animal skin bag. He let the blood flow on his forehead, as his eyes stared at Shao Xuan, afraid that Shao Xuan would come near.
“Don’t worry, I won’t rob you.” When Shao Xuan saw him like this, he reassured the other man.
At such an old age, without knowing why he fainted by the stream near the water, to just wake up and hit his head on a stone, he had to be feeling strange.
The other man’s posture relaxed a little, but his guard on the bag was still up.
“If I wanted to, I would have robbed you earlier, so why would I wait till now? Besides, even if I wanted to rob you now, can you stop me?” Shao Xuan said.
That’s right. The vigilance on gray-haired old man’s eyes withdrew somewhat. He had just woken up when he felt murderous and retreated, so his brain was still a bit dizzy. Gradually, he got his bearings and finally asked Shao Xuan, “You have meat on you?”
It was a question, but his tone sounded certain.
Shao Xuan reached out and pulled a piece of dried meat out of his bag and threw it over, asking, “How did you faint here?”
The old man hurriedly caught the dried meat Shao Xuan threw over. After smelling it, his eyes showed a little aversion, but his actions did not slow down, quickly taking a few bites while stuttering an inarticulate answer to Shao Xuan question, “Hungry.”
Shao Xuan had first thought it was poisoning or any similar reason. He did not expect the answer was unexpectedly because the man fainted due to hunger.
Quickly, the meat Shao Xuan gave was finished and the old man looked at Shao Xuan again. ” Is there more?”
Shao Xuan pulled out another piece, but did not immediately hand it over, instead asked, “You answer a few questions of mine first, then I will give you the meat in my hand.”
The old man frowned but did not speak. He didn’t look happy.
However, Shao Xuan did not care. He raised his hand and pointed in a direction. “If I go that way, how long would I be able to see a denser forest?”
After hearing Shao Xuan’s question, the old man’s frowning brow loosened. He thought it was going to be a problem, but it turned out to only be this.
“I don’t know, I haven’t been there. I’m here for the first time. However, as far as I know, it’s impossible for you to see a denser forest in at least two days. It’s always the same here,” the old man replied, “This is a famous wasteland. There isn’t even a tribe. You will not see anyone else in two more days if you go there.”
After handing the meat to the old man, Shao Xuan went to the stream to wash his face, then continued on his way. The old man ate the meat and finally regained his spirit. He could also go, but did not have to follow Shao Xuan and meddle with each other’s business.
But when Shao Xuan hadn’t even taken a few steps, the old man’s voice came from behind him.
“Hey, wait a minute! That little brother!”
First, he was guarded against a thief, but now, it’s “little brother” like they were close. The man must have some other intentions when he became so affectionate.
Shao Xuan turned around, his eyes asking the other what’s the matter
The old man climbed up from the ground, looked around, his eyes finally resting in one place. He happily pointed in a direction. “There! That grass with white stripes, you pluck it off for me.”
Listening to this tone, you’d know it was a command, especially with the posture of the person. He took another look at the place the old man was referring to. At almost 90 degrees above ground on the mountain, at least 30 meters high from the ground, there were several half-arm long grass with white stripes growing.
Shao Xuan wanted to turn around when the other man did not seem to realize his tone was not right. Then, Shao Xuan thought about it, and chose to ignore the old man and his tone. Besides, he also wanted to know what those grass with white stripes do anyway.
In such a new and strange place, it was always good to know more.
(?_-;)… I forgot to upload again. Sorry. Came home late last night and had to leave early this morning. But maybe I should just move the upload to Saturdays. I’ll think about it…