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The summer sun was shining brightly at noon, and two dirty and scarred orcs appeared in front of the Vine Tribe.

The guards thought that the orcs were some lost orcs from a tribe that was in trouble and had accidentally walked into the territory of the Vine Tribe. Seeing the two orcs getting closer and closer, they thought they wanted to join the Vine Tribe.

However, these two orcs either had broken legs or broken arms, so the priest could not accept them.

The guards held their stone spears horizontally and shouted, "This is the Vine Tribe, don't get any closer."

"It's us! It's us!" Hu Mu pushed back the hair that covered his face and said excitedly, "Xiong San and Xiong Si, it's me and Lang Wu who are back!"

The voice sounded familiar, and Xiong San and Xiong Si looked at each other in disbelief. It wasn't that they didn't believe that the person in front of them was a member of the Vine Tribe, but they didn't believe that he could come back alive after being swept away by the flood for so many days.

"Where are your faces? Fox Five has been out looking for you all day, and there has been no sound for so long." Xiong Si put away his stone spear and went forward to check the injuries on the two men. From a distance, it seemed that they were seriously injured.

Xiong Si looked at the two of them, his expression somewhat stiff, "What's wrong with you?"

Foxwood smiled sadly, "I didn't come back before because I was recovering from my injuries. Both Langwu and I were too seriously injured to come back. We came back when both of us could walk a little. If only one of us went, we would be eaten by wild beasts halfway through the journey, as we are doing now."

Xiong Si didn't say anything. Xiong San happened to come over and heard Hu Mu's words. She glanced at the two of them and didn't ask any more questions but said in a muffled voice: "Go see the priest quickly."

"Okay." Hu Mu held Lang Wu's arm with one hand, so that Lang Wu had a foothold to help him walk.

Xiong San and Xiong Si stood there, looking unhappy. Xiong Si frowned and asked, "One has a broken leg and a blind eye, and the other has a broken hand. Do you think the priest will allow them to stay in the tribe?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Unless the orcs leave on their own, no tribe will drive them out." Xiong San tightly grasped the stone spear and stood back to his position. "Those who cannot be hunted will be sent to the big caves by each tribe to live with the elderly and children. They will not be driven out of the tribe."

Xiong Si's brows were still furrowed, but they were much better than before. Although there was nothing to eat in the cave, it was better than going out and being eaten by wild beasts.

Seeing that Xiong Si still had an uncomfortable expression on his face, Xiong San couldn't help but speak again: "Don't mention that the tribe has meat to share in the big cave. Fox Five is an orc warrior in the tribe and a member of the hunting team. He has enough meat to keep his parents from starving to death. Why are you worrying about it?"

"I'm not worried. I just feel that such a powerful orc warrior can only gather with the elderly and children and stay in the big cave every day. It's a bit sad to think about it." Xiong San explained.

"What's so sad about it? Every tribe is like this." Xiong Si said indifferently, "Now there are no cannibals anymore, and we don't have to worry about being sent to be slaughtered when we are about to die of old age. This is already good enough."

Xiong San thought about it and said, "You're right, it's already very good."

Fox Five came back from the hunt with the hunting team when Xiong Three called out to him, "Fox Five! Fox Five! Over here!"

Fox Five, who was carrying a sheep on his shoulder, turned around for a long time before he saw Bear Three. "What do you want me to do?"

"Your father and mother are back! They went to see the priest a long time ago, and they are probably back in the cave now." Even though the priest said he would no longer look for the orcs washed away by the flood, Fox Five would still go out to look for them after hunting. They all saw it, and now that his father and mother had finally returned, Xiong San wanted to tell Fox Five the good news as soon as possible.

Fox Five was stunned for a moment after hearing this. When he realized what was happening, he ran away carrying the sheep, causing the hunting team leader to shout from behind: "Little fox, leave the sheep behind! We will share the meat later!"

With a bang, the sheep was thrown to the ground. Fox Five continued to run forward and said anxiously, "I'm in a hurry to see my parents, so I won't send it back. Captain, come and get it yourself!"

Everyone in the hunting team couldn't help but laugh and joked, "This kid is already an orc warrior in the hunting team, but he still clings to his parents all day long like a baby who hasn't been weaned."

"Who said it wasn't? But the flood has been over for so many days. Why did Foxwood and Wolf Five come back only now? Bear Three and Bear Four, you guys have been watching them, right? How are they doing?"

Xiong San and Xiong Si sighed and told the hunting team about the injuries of Hu Mu and Hu Mu. After they finished speaking, there was silence. Finally, it was the leader of the hunting team, Lang Ye, who said, "Don't stand here, go in and divide the meat."

"Father and mother!" Fox Five's cheerful voice spread into the cave, and the orcs with numb faces inside finally showed some emotion. Fox Wood touched the corner of his eyes and responded, "Cub!"

When Fox Five heard the voice he had been thinking about day and night, he ran faster and jumped into the cave. The joy that emanated from his body almost drowned him.

He rushed towards his mother, but the moment he touched her arms, his whole body froze. When he saw that his mother's left arm was empty, it was like falling from midsummer into winter.

Fox Five turned his attention to his father again. His father was very powerful and was the fastest in the entire hunting team when hunting.

But now, the lower part of his father's left leg is gone, and one of his sharp eyes, which could scare anyone at a glance, is also blind.

Fox Five felt as if he was pushed into a freezing icy lake in the dead of winter. He was so cold that he couldn't breathe.

how so…

At this moment, Fox Five's mind was in a mess, he thought about everything and nothing at the same time. Suddenly, a clear picture emerged in his mind, which was the scene of the mountain tribe he saw near the wood tribe that day.

Fox Five gradually calmed down and thought, "It's okay. The old people and children in the mountain tribe are all living well."

Although his father and mother had broken their hands and feet, they were still orc warriors and were much stronger than the elderly and children. They would be able to live well in the future.

"Father and mother, I will try my best to hunt more prey for you in the future." Fox Five pretended to be calm and asked, "Has the priest told you what to do in the future? I think mother can go to the guard team. Father, your legs are not good, but it is easier to walk in beast form than in human form. Although you can't hunt, it's also OK for father to go to the guard team in beast form..."

"Kid, we went to see the priest after we came back today. The priest wanted us to live in the big cave tomorrow. Father and mother can't join the guard team, and at most they can follow the gathering team." Hu Mu interrupted Hu Wu softly. After she finished speaking, she looked at her kid carefully, fearing that he would be too sad to bear it.

Fox Five was stunned for a moment, then after he understood what he meant, he forced out a laugh that was uglier than crying, "Ah... the priest said to go to the Big Cave. That's fine too. The elderly and children are so valued in the tribe, and your parents will definitely live well even if they go to the Big Cave. I will bring meat to visit you every day in the future."

Are the elderly and children valued by the tribe? Foxwood and Wolf Five looked at each other. They wondered if they were so sad that they had gone stupid. How could the elderly and children be valued by the tribe?

Fox Five's mind was in a mess, and he had no idea what he was saying. In his mind, there were images of the old people and children of the Mountain Tribe laughing and talking, and there were images of the old people and children of the Vine Tribe who were injured and died of starvation and disease. He couldn't tell which happened in the Vine Tribe and which happened in the Mountain Tribe.

It can also be understood that when he knew that his parents were going to the big cave, he subconsciously convinced himself that the laughter and joy in the mountain tribe were happening in the vine tribe.

Because Fox Five simply couldn't bear the thought of his parents dying of illness or starvation in the cave on any ordinary dark night.

Obviously his father and mother have returned, why is he still so sad...

——

"We can't wait any longer, the fire sacrifice must be held tonight." Fujimu walked back and forth in the cave with a wooden stick. He seemed to have thought of something, so he squatted in the corner of the cave, dug out a stone jar, and took out a handful of dry leaves from it.

"Before starting the fire, light the magic leaves and throw them into the cave. The smoke from the burning magic leaves can make the orcs unconscious for a short period of time."

A large number of leaves were stuffed into the arms of the tribe leader Mao Teng, and his brows knitted subconsciously, "So urgent? We haven't notified the tribe members yet, let's wait a few more days."

Fujiki glanced at Mao Teng and snorted, "What's the point of delaying for two days? Don't they have to die? If you haven't notified them yet, notify them now, but don't make it public. Find a few strong people to set the fire and block the cave entrance with boulders as soon as possible."

"When you notify them, call Fox Wood and Wolf Five over as well. Don't tell them it's a fire sacrifice. Just tell them to stay in the big cave tonight and go out to collect tomorrow morning." Fujiki said expressionlessly and sat back on the animal skin.

"Why did Foxwood and Wolf Five also have to be sacrificed by fire? Although they were injured, their orc level is still there..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Mao Teng was interrupted by Fujiki, who snorted coldly, "They are still at the orc level, and their appetites are still there. In the hunting team, no orc can compare to these two except Lang Ye. Do you think they are really hungry and will listen to you?"

"How does the priest know that they can't?" Mao Teng roared, unable to control the volume.

"What are you shouting about?" Fujiki looked at the cave entrance sharply. Seeing nothing unusual, he lowered his voice and scolded, "Even if they are obedient, I can't afford the risk! The Vine Tribe must not experience another blow. This time, I want to eliminate all the hidden dangers in advance."

The last flood was his biggest mistake. He did not listen to the advice of the Wood Tribe priest, causing the Vine Tribe to suffer heavy losses. Now, he had to rely on himself to ensure that the Vine Tribe continued to move forward safely.

He will never make the same mistake a second time.

Fujiki looked at Mao Teng with a determined gaze and said word by word: "I do this for the good of the tribe."

Mao Teng was stunned by the horrifying emotion in those eyes. He felt something was wrong. But all along, "obeying the priest in everything" was a rule that could not be removed from his body.

He closed his eyes weakly, then turned around and did as Fujiki said.

"Lu Shi, get up, the clan leader wants to talk to you."

Lu Shi rubbed his sore eyes and tried to open them quickly. His mind was not clear at the moment and he did not realize why the chief wanted him to do anything so late. He just did what he was told. When he ran out of the cave, he found that several orcs were already standing outside.

Lu Shi then realized that, apart from him, there was no one else in the hunting team. Those few people were all high-ranking members of the guard team.

The evening breeze was cool, and Lu Shi followed the wind for a while before he began to regain consciousness. At this time, he heard the tribe leader in the team say, "I asked you to come here to perform the fire sacrifice according to the priest's order."

In the following time, Lu Shi felt that he understood every word, but he had no way of understanding the meaning when they were put together into a sentence.

"Does the priest intend to let Foxwood and Wolf Five burn to death along with the old people and children in the big cave?"

Lu Shi didn't know what he said, he just knew that everyone was looking at him.

Mao Teng did not give a clear answer. After sending someone to call Foxwood and Wolf Five, he said, "Let's go."

Lu Shiyi followed the team absentmindedly, and when he reached the cave, Fox Five's parents had already entered. He was arranged to be the last one, and watched as the tribe leader lit the enchantment leaf with fire and threw it into the cave, and the orcs in front began to push the boulder, but Lu Shi's hands and feet suddenly became weak.

The dull sound of the boulder moving was like thunder exploding beside my ears. Lu Shiyi dodged and transformed directly into a human form and ran towards Fox Wu's cave.

Lu Shi made quite a noise, and the orcs who were pushing the boulder noticed it and quickly looked towards Mao Teng.

Before the beastmen could speak, Mao Teng said, "Don't worry about other things. Push it quickly. Don't let Foxwood and Wolf Five find out. I'm going to find Deer Ten."

Lu Shiyi ran all the way to Fox Five's cave. Fox Five was originally unable to sleep because he was sad that his parents left in the middle of the night. However, his mood had been too fluctuating today, and he lay there with his eyes closed, and now he began to feel sleepy.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he was awakened by the sound of fast running outside. He sat up to see what was going on, and saw Lu Shi rushing in.

For some reason, Fox Five's heart was beating rapidly, and he didn't even dare to ask Lu Shi why he came here in the middle of the night.

"Fox Five." Lu Shi said quickly, "The night the injured old man and the child died, you asked me if all tribes were like this. I told you yes. Now, I want to tell you no, not the Mu tribe."

Fox Five widened his eyes and looked at Lu Ten.

"I would wait for you to leave every day and stand there for a while. I saw that day that every old man and child working in the Wood Tribe was treated the same as the orc warriors."

"The priest wants to burn all the orcs in the big cave to death, including your father and mother." Lu Shi did not continue to say more. He pulled Hu Wu up and said anxiously: "Go to the Wood Tribe and ask their priest for help. Ask him to take the orcs in the big cave to the Wood Tribe and become members of the Wood Tribe in the future. This is the only way to save them."

Fox Five's first reaction was to rush to the big hole, but Lu Ten stopped him, "I'm over there, go quickly, you're faster than me."

"Yes, I can run very fast." Fox Five finally regained some sanity, and after transforming, he ran forward desperately. Bear Three and Bear Four, who were guarding in front of the tribe, felt a gust of wind rushing out of the tribe.

"Was it Fox Five who just ran away?" asked Xiong San.

"Probably. He's the fastest red fox in the tribe."

Xiong San was puzzled and asked, "Why is he running out so fast so late at night? Isn't he staying with his father and mother?"

Xiong Si shook his head, "I don't know, let's ask him when he comes back."

The leaf had been burning for a while, and it was time to light it. But because their leader had gone to look for Lu Shi and had not yet returned, the orcs guarding the cave did not dare to light the fire without orders.

Lu Shi wanted to wake up the other orcs, but he was not sure if they would really disobey the priest's order to stop the fire sacrifice. He gave up waking up the other orcs and ran back to the cave.

The orcs guarding the cave saw an elk rushing towards them without hesitation, and they quickly dodged to the side. The orc who was almost knocked away by the elk's horns looked frightened, "Lu Shi, are you crazy?"

Lu Shi stopped, dust rising from the ground. He protected the big hole behind him and looked straight ahead. "I won't let you hold a fire sacrifice."

"What's the point if you don't allow it? Do you think we want to? If you have the ability, go and convince the priest!"

"Get out of the way! The chief is following you. If you come back now, the chief will probably come back soon. You are blocking the way and delaying things. Aren't you afraid that the chief will beat you?"

Did the tribe leader go with him? Lu Shi was very confused. He didn't see the tribe leader during his trip, and he didn't even sense his presence.

Fujiki kept an eye on the movements in the big cave, but there was no sign of Mao Teng reporting that the fire had been lit.

Thinking of Mao Teng's attitude towards the fire festival, Fujiki felt a little worried. He stood up and walked towards the big hole with the support of a wooden stick.