Chapter 720
Battle, Or Die
Could fearsome beasts have fire seeds?
Of course!
The King Stoneworm and the Bat Leader’s existence proved this fact. Shao Xuan knew from those two creatures that fearsome beasts could also have fire seeds. He even told the other Flaming Horns about this. That was why Gui Ze and the others weren’t shocked when they heard about this. However, this was the first time they ever heard about a fearsome beast swallowing a human tribe’s fire seed.
Even if Gui He and the others weren’t too interested in this matter, they wanted to find out what was going on. They wanted to know how the Di Mountain people could solve this problem and counterattack under these circumstances.
Should they approach the fish and battle it or use other methods?
He Bian was frustrated. He had been guarding against the Di Fish, but the Di Mountain people’s belief had lasted for tens of thousands of years. The traditional thinking that was formed across generations was crumbling in front of him. Of course, this was not easy to take in. At least He Bian strong enough mentally, or he wouldn’t be able to stay calm after knowing this.
Most tribesmen rarely questioned things such as faith and inheritance. These were things handed down to them by their ancestors. They wouldn’t even dare to doubt it, much less disagree or remove it. This was why the Di Mountain tribesmen did not dare speculate despite having observed unusual occurrences. In the world of tribesmen, it was too hard a choice to make.
Even the Flaming Horns knew this wasn’t something they could do right away. Shao Xuan had once joked about it. If the Flaming Horn ancestors said there was one moon in the sky, the Flaming Horns would all believe it too.
What about the things they saw with their own eyes?
Many times, seeing the truth with their own eyes might not work against their ancestors’ authority. This was just the way tribes worked. Even if it was the truth, the process of acceptance had to take time.
The Di Mountain tribe had to face this dilemma today because they encountered too many problems throughout this entire process.
“How could a place have two rulers at the same time?” the child’s voice carried unmistakable sarcasm.
The Di Mountain tribe’s ancestors probably had plans to coexist with the Di Fish, but time could only prove that this was too naive an idea. Even if those were just fish, they were fish with the fire seed’s power. Fearsome beasts were not necessarily stupid. They could very possibly be more cunning than most people. They could even be smart and have great ambition, thinking way further than most tribesmen. Now, they were trying to engulf the Di Mountain’s fire seed.
They had to pay a huge price if they wanted to merge two different fire seeds. They had to sacrifice the time and effort of generations of tribesmen. This was a price most tribes weren’t willing to pay. If they had the energy, they’d instead expand their territory and fight for more resources. However, those fishes did it. They were slowly devouring this fire seed that did not belong to them and making its power their own.
“Then... What should we do?” He Bian’s mouth trembled as he spoke.
He didn’t know if it was hatred or fear. He was disgusted that the Di Fish actually did this to them, but at the same time, he was also afraid that their tribe might disappear from this world.
Most tribes thought that their tribe wouldn’t exist if their fire seed were taken away from them.
“Dian Dian, what should we do? If we can’t find the solution here in the Flaming Horn tribe, should we keep travelling upstream?” He Bian asked nervously.
“We don’t need to go upstream,” Dian Dian continued to speak in a calm voice as she played with the fish in the stone fish tank. “If we can’t find the solution here, we’re heading back.”
“Hea–head back?! Then what about you?! Your situation is...” He Bian looked at the person in the stone fish tank. He couldn’t finish his sentence.
The person in the stone fish tank turned her head and looked in He Bian’s direction. Her gaze did not carry any signs of worry. She was unexpectedly calm and unemotional.
“We head back, and I will carve some things on a seashell. You guys can bring it back and show it to the rest of our tribe. Tell them that between us the Di Mountain tribe and the Di Fish, there is only one solution. Battle, or die!”
Even the shaman would have a hard time convincing everyone in the Di Mountain tribe.
“Dian Dian... You and the shaman...” He Bian was startled by the child in the stone fish tank. He was not slow like the others, being brighter than the rest.
He Bian’s strength was not the most outstanding in the Di Mountain tribe, and he was mischievous during his childhood years, but in the end, he was appointed chief by the shaman. The only reason was that his mind wasn’t as inflexible as the others, and he knew how to contemplate and make judgements on right and wrong. Maybe he couldn’t meet the shaman’s expectations, but at least he was the best amongst the rest of their tribe.
Perhaps the shaman already anticipated this day to arrive when he chose He Bian as the chief.
“The shaman said that we could find a solution to this problem if we head up the Flaming River. Is this...true?” He Bian’s voice trembled even more as he spoke.
Dian Dian smiled. The sores on her face were already so festered that her smile could hardly be noticed, but from her eyes, they could tell that she was smiling. Dian Dian thought to herself, ‘The shaman made the right decision indeed. It was already very fortunate that they were able to get to this stage.’
He Bian couldn’t control the trembles in his voice when he noticed Dian Dian’s reaction. His entire body was shaking. If there never was a solution to this problem.....
“The shaman mentioned a solution. At least this much is true, but we can’t be sure now, so this leaves us with one final choice.”
The first part of Dian Dian’s sentence sounded relaxed, but the second part sounded like a death sentence.
He Bian could already guess what she meant by “one final choice”.
Perhaps Dian Dian was never hopeful about going back alive this time. That was probably why she was so calm all this time.
This was a matter that concerned their entire tribe. They couldn’t put all of their hope in one solution. If this solution couldn’t work, they had to have at least a second option prepared.
The only choice they had besides the other solutions was battle. This was the final and most hopeless choice.
But if they were to battle, the school of Di Fish would not go easy on them. They had been feeding on the Di Mountain tribesmen’s bodies. Even if most of the people they ate before were dead, they were still Di Mountain people.
What should the Di Mountain tribe do under the menace of the Di Fish?
Their fire seed was already trapped and bound to the Di Fish’s fire seed. There was no way they could migrate, and if they were to go to battle with most of the other Di Mountain tribesmen hesitating to fight, would they even have a chance to win?
Many times, what they needed most was a twist in thought, time, and bloodshed. Bloodshed had the most significant effect and could trigger many people, especially when this matter concerned something deeply engraved in every Di Mountain tribesmen’s heart. If they didn’t pay the price in blood, the others might not be able to wake from this false reality.
All of the people who came with Dian Dian this time were specially picked by the shaman, so they were trustworthy. If there was truly no cure, Dian Dian would not live much longer. If they head back now, she would only become a useless carcass. He Bian and the others would bring Dian Dian’s dead body back with her carvings on the shell, announcing to the other tribesmen that this was the solution to this problem.
Perhaps this could wake them up from their stubborn beliefs and shake their faith. At least those people wouldn’t be a drag on them if they decided to fight.
Dian Dian had a high ranking in the Di Mountain tribe. She was considered by most to be second to the shaman. If she gave up her life for this cause, it would definitely trigger some of these people and shake their firm beliefs.
This was just the way shamans typically did things. They liked to solve problems with their mind, knowledge, and faith.
He Bian was already choking with tears. He didn’t know what to say. His accent thickened with emotion so Shao Xuan couldn’t understand what he was trying to say.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Shao Xuan suddenly coughed and broke the silence. “I don’t know how to extract the other totemic energy because they are already tightly bound to each other. You might be able to sense it within you too. This is extremely hard to do, and if you try to force it, you might even endanger your own lives. However, have you guys tried engulfing the Di Fish’s fire seed instead?”