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When the soldiers on patrol hurried over, they only saw two severely injured men on the ground. One of them passed out after the bird pecked him. They didn’t know if he was still alive.
After fixing the broken fence, the Lu tribesmen turned back to take a few more glances at the bird. The Flaming Horn’s bird was already back in his nest. Initially they thought this bird might mistreat their dumb birds, but now they knew. This bird was not hostile to their birds at all and even protected them. See? Didn’t he just catch two bird thieves?
No one in the forest dared to make a move again that night, probably because the two thieves were caught.
The next day, the well-rested Flaming Horns walked out of the Lu tribe. The Lu tribesmen provided them with food, but they also brought some fearsome beast jerky of their own. Fearsome beast jerky could give them more energy. After replenishing their energy, they didn’t get to work right away. Shao Xuan told them his plan already. There would be enough time for them to rest and recharge while digesting the food. This resting period was for them to power up the energy within their bodies and make sure they were in their best conditions later.
The Lu chief Bai Xing was already up early that morning. He was curious how the Flaming Horns were going to deal with those people in the forest.
Dian Fa and the other Thousand Masks were still in the Lu tribe and had not left. One reason was that they were waiting for the Lu tribe’s final decision. Secondly, they also wanted to watch the Flaming Horns’ next move.
Shao Xuan stretched his arms and looked up into the sky. Cha Cha had already finished hunting and was already flying in circles in the sky. Shao Xuan blew a whistle and he flew down immediately.
Hopping onto the eagle’s back, they lifted off the ground. As they ascended, Shao Xuan’s vision grew wider and he could see far into the woods.
After inhaling deeply, Shao Xuan shouted loudly, “Listen up, all of you in the forest. By noon, only Flaming Horns are allowed to remain in the forest. Everyone else must leave by then. If you don’t, we’ll kill all of you!”
His voice thundered across the forest like the roar of a fearsome beast.
Shao Xuan made sure to shout the same message again in the language used on the other side to make sure these people understood what he said.
Gan Qie was already a part of the Flaming Horn tribe, so this statement was technically correct.
His voice reached far and wide and the echoes slowly faded as it reached the mountains.
In the forest, many began to grumble and all of them reacted differently to this message.
“Hmph! How arrogant!”
“What tribe is the Flaming Horn tribe again?”
“When’s noon?”
“Or else they’ll kill all of us? Can they even kill us? Hahaha!”
Meanwhile.
In the forest, Wu He and some others were chatting with some old friends who came from the other side. When they heard this message, they immediately dropped the food in their hands and ran away.
“My Chang Le brothers, why are you guys running?” the person who was boasting to Wu He and the others asked when he saw their reactions.
“If you don’t, you’ll really die!” Wu He blew a sharp whistle and waited for his long-winged birds to arrive. As soon as their birds arrived, they would immediately escape from the forest. No matter how much they wanted to watch the commotion, they had to stay far away and make sure they were not involved, or else they would be in big trouble if the Flaming Horns got the wrong idea.
They weren’t afraid of any other Flaming Horns, only Shao Xuan, and he was the person who shouted this message. Hearing this, they suddenly recalled the painful sensation they felt back then when they were slapped down by the giant hand in the sky.
Those friends of theirs were surprised when they saw the Chang Le’s reactions. It was as if they saw their deadliest enemies.
“When did the Chang Le’s become such cowards?” someone asked doubtfully. Didn’t they used to enjoy watching drama?
“Leader, what should we do?” someone turned around and asked his leader. This was the person who was talking with Wu He just now.
Their leader thought deeply for a moment and then said, “Let’s wait and see for now. If something doesn’t seem right later, we will leave immediately.” Even though the Chang Le’s were known for their love for drama, they were also very alert and sensitive to dangers. It didn’t seem at all like Wu He and the others were putting on an act.
As he thought about this, his brows knitted with concern. It hadn’t been long since they arrived on this continent, so they weren’t familiar with the Flaming Horn tribe. However, since this concerned their lives, they were going to take it seriously. They came here to exploit the benefits, not to lose their lives.
After Shao Xuan shouted his message, he looked for a spot to rest. The Lu tribesmen all looked at him with widened eyes.
“Is it really okay to yell it out to them so directly?” a Lu elder whispered. It was clear he didn’t agree with what Shao Xuan did. There are many other methods to get rid of these people in the forest. They could’ve been less direct with their message. The Flaming Horns were too uncivilised and barbaric.
Dian Fa also felt that these Flaming Horns were out of their minds. Did they really think this was their territory? It was clear that those people in the forest came here long enough and knew everything about the forest. The Flaming Horns had just arrived the day before and weren’t even that familiar with the forest. Obviously the Flaming Horns were at a disadvantage.
Yan Jiu wanted to ask Shao Xuan what his plan was and wondered if the Flaming Horns thought about changing their minds. However, seeing how Shao Xuan was resting on the side and how the other Flaming Horns seemed to have no objections, he could only sigh while he waited. He was still very concerned about this plan.
The sun was slowly rising above their heads and their shadows shortened as the sun rose.
Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked up at the sun. He got up to his feet and motioned for the others to rise.
“It’s time!”
The Flaming Horns were all prepared and energetic. On Shao Xuan’s command, they all headed out of the Lu tribe together.
At the boundary, some Lu tribesmen were already pulling the gates open for the Flaming Horns to exit. They watched the Flaming Horns curiously. Were these people really planning to head straight into the forest like this?
As soon as he stepped out of the boundary line, Shao Xuan summoned the totemic energy in his body. This energy was like boiled water within his body, immediately bubbling to the surface. Totemic lines surfaced and red flames covered his body.
Suddenly, everyone behind Shao Xuan began to transform in the same way.
Two, three, five, ten, hundred,...
From far away, these similar totemic lines and flames made them seem connected as a group.
It was as if someone lit a match and threw it into a pot of hot boiling oil. Instantly this pot erupted like a volcano. Their fighting spirit was ignited and this strong energy was constantly rising and spreading across the land.
“The fire... fire seed’s senergy!” the Lu shaman was shocked at the sight. He was invited to the Flaming Horn Grand Feast back then and something similar happened back then too. Even though this was not his first time seeing this, he was still taken aback.
This was the power of the fire seed!
Even if the Flaming Horns no longer had a primitive fire seed, their fire seed’s energy and its innate powers lived on within their bodies. This energy was like a spark within them, ready to start a destructive fire any time.
“For Flaming Horn! Kill!”
At the word “kill”, Shao Xuan stomped his feet on the ground violently.
There was a loud bam. The ground did not split open but a strong energy was sent downwards. This energy travelled so far that even the two stones at the Lu tribe’s gates were shaking. The Lu tribesmen and Thousand Masks tribesmen all trembled as the tremors numbed their feet.
The loud stomp was like a thunderous drum, announcing the start of a battle.
“For Flaming Horn! Kill!”
All five hundred warriors repeated this message in a loud roar. The sound waves were so strong that everyone around them felt its pressure. This energy was so strong that even the sun became hotter under their influence. Everyone around felt like their hairs were about to explode.
This was the power of the Flaming Horn fire seed. Its energy immediately engulfed the area all around them and even the Lu tribesmen felt the repulsion.
They were shocked by the fact that these were the same people who were laughing and talking so casually with them the day before. Now, they suddenly became beastlike, with their fangs bared, ready to pounce on their prey!
Bai Xing looked at the Flaming Horns all around him. It all felt like an illusion to him. There were just five hundred totemic warriors here, but it felt like there were a thousand or even more, like the entire Flaming Horn tribe was gathered here. Their roars were so loud!
“This...” the Lu shaman’s eyes widened and his pupils began to dilate. He gasped nervously, “This fire seed’s energy is so strong!” Even their fire seed in their fire pond was feeling a slight repulsion.
Even if they were in battle-mode, their energy shouldn’t be this strong!
A few elders gasped for breath besides the Lu shaman. “Is this the power of a merged fire seed? Don’t they only have five hundred people? How come this energy is so strong?”
Shao Xuan raised his hand and the team immediately split into two. Like tigers and wolves, these warriors dashed towards different directions.
They already knew their advantage. They were not familiar with these grounds, but this was not a forest full of fearsome beasts. They only had to pay attention to those people who were hiding in the dark.
Since they were the ones in the light, why not force them all to come into the light?
Weren’t these people familiar with the grounds? Weren’t they skilled in hiding? Great! We’ll force all of them out of the dark!
The two teams were like two sharp spinning blades cutting across the entire forest.
Each member was like a fearsome beast dashing across the forest, sending trembles down into the ground. They were not trying to hide their strength at all.
As the people in the forest felt the trembles in the ground, they felt like they were hearing the rumbles of a thunderstorm. They began to feel afraid. Some of the people who chose to stay began to regret their decision. Should they leave now, or stay longer? They might be able to make it out alive if the Flaming Horns don’t notice them in this first search.
Many people who thought this way would find out very soon that they didn’t know the Flaming Horns well enough.
Boom! Crack!
A branch five wingspans wide broke in half when a Flaming Horn warrior hopped onto it. Half of the tree flew up into the air at a Flaming Horn’s kick.
Even the trees are falling, let’s see where you guys can hide!
To another tree?
Go ahead! Let’s see if you can run faster than us!
The bits of sunlight passing through the branches were reflected in their axes. Their sharp blades whistled through the air as this reflected light travelling rapidly across the forest grounds.
“These damned Flaming Horns!”
Before the heavy branches fell to the ground, countless figures were forced to come into the light.
Waves of arrows were shot across the forest, splitting the air as they flew to their targets.
The warriors immediately chased after these people with their blades, axes, spears, and hammers.
Amidst the chaos, the team of Flaming Horns worked efficiently, each knowing their duty. Some were in charge of chasing and scaring these people out of the dark. This group of warriors was like a pack of wolves chasing after deer. Another group was in charge of launching attacks in the wide open field while a third group hid and waited for the perfect chance to launch secret attacks.
Imitation is an innate skill in humans. Their ancestors learned how to hunt in the forest from observing predators and imitating their actions. These predators hunted using different methods and the tribesmen also learned these same methods from them. After learning these skills, they improved the techniques and perfected it for their own use.
The Flaming Horn tribe could actually live a well-off life by feeding off the taxed goods in the trading point and the plants and animals they owned. They had more than enough to feed their entire tribe, but they never stopped hunting. That was why they were able to stay in shape and were ready for battle anytime.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of a bowstring rang across the distance.
Every arrow pierced through the air and landed on the targets that were forced out of the shadows. Some of these arrows were used to force their enemies into the light while others prevented them from taking any steps in a direction they pursued. The final kind of arrow was the type that intended death.
These arrows landed rapidly across the forest and puffed up all the grass and dust from the ground.
A person who was forced to come to the light ran as tears flowed from his eyes. The ground was shaking, but he still managed to hold the hilt of his sword tightly. He was about to turn and cut at his enemy when his sword clashed with another. The person behind this sword was so strong that he felt like he was about to be blasted away the next moment, but with a sudden clink, his blade snapped.
There was not enough time for him to react. The sword that came in contact with his own split his blade in half and was not affected by the collision. It didn’t stop and slashed at the person’s throat. The person tried to dodge the blade, but there was no use. It was too fast.
Poof!
Blood sprayed out from the person’s neck. He took two shaky steps forward and fell to his knees, the broken sword still in his hands. His face was full of terror and regret.
Shao Xuan never turned back to look at this person. He continued to advance, and the other Flaming Horn warriors also followed tightly behind him. They ran so fast that the air current forced the people who were in front of them to fall backwards.
The people who fell to the ground looked up helplessly at those murderous figures as they hopped above their dying bodies. They felt a deep regret for not leaving after hearing the warning that morning. If they had left back then, they wouldn’t have died like this. Their visions slowly dimmed. It was already too late. They knew that those who were still hiding in the woods would face the same fate they did. If they were able to go back in time, they would have stayed far away as soon as they heard the words “Flaming Horn”. All of these temptations meant nothing compared to their own lives.
The Flaming Horn warriors didn’t turn back to look at those who were dying. They didn’t care at all what these people thought at the brink of their deaths. The only thing these warriors had in their minds were to kill those who were still in the forest.
The bloody stench in the forest grew thicker and the wind carried this smell farther into the distance.
Those who stayed behind waited nervously as these warriors approached them. Even their bones were trembling now. Could they make it out alive if they escaped now?
Far away, some scavenger birds smelled the blood and were flying over.
In the Lu tribe, those who were watching by the wooden fence observed the massacre as their faces twitched. In the woods, an uprooted tree would fly up into the sky once in a while.
Back in the days when the Flaming Horn tribe still lived in Fearsome Beast Forest, Yan Jiu was often assigned to the task of delivering young beasts to the Flaming Horn tribe, but he had never seen them in battle mode even once. To be exact, he had never seen them hunt before. This was too brutal!
The current Lu chief Bai Xing watched with a bewildered expression as the Flaming Horns slaughtered the masses.
Smelling the scent of blood in the air, the Lu shaman suddenly recalled something written in their ancestor’s handwritten notes about the Flaming Horns. That was a thousand years ago, but even now, after a thousand years, the Flaming Horns could still be characterized by the same description.
Efficient. Violent.