Only after Xiong Yan left did Hu Er ask Hu Yi fearfully: “Is he really going to turn us into meat patties?”
Hu Yi comforted him: “He’s talking nonsense. We haven’t done anything wrong. The tribe chief won’t agree to him doing whatever he wants.”
“Right, Lu Xuan won’t agree either.” Hu Er became more and more excited as he spoke: “I’m going to find Lu Xuan.”
After saying that, he jumped down from the heated ledge, but Hu Yi quickly caught him.
“It’s already dark. If you have something to say, go say it tomorrow.”
Although Hu Er’s mind is slow to react, when he is stubborn, it also gives Hu Yi a headache: “The tribe chief is right next door. Why don’t you go talk to him first?”
Hu Er’s momentum immediately deflated. He got back onto the heated ledge, hung his head, and said: “Then I’ll wait until daylight to go find Lu Xuan.”
This Hu Er was also a bit amusing. Hu Yi’s heart softened, and he stroked Hu Er’s head.
“Don’t worry. That grizzly bear just has a bad temper and was just scaring us for no reason.”
It was too late, so he didn’t go out with him under Xiong Yan’s coercion. As expected, that bad-tempered grizzly bear went crazy on the spot.
“Go to sleep, don’t overthink it. Tomorrow, go help Lu Xuan with the planting.”
“Oh, okay.”
Lu Xuan likes to plant things in the ground. Everyone in the tribe knows that. Now he has even started planting wildflowers.
What difference is there between wildflowers growing outside and growing in front of the house?
Wildflowers can’t be eaten. Although after being arranged by Lu Xuan they look pleasing and much more comfortable, still, they can’t be eaten.
Early the next morning, Hu Er ran all the way to Lu Xuan’s house carrying some roasted taro in his pouch. He just happened to bump into Lu Xuan, who was about to go out.
Hu Er’s eyes lit up, and he began to pour out the words he had held in all night: “Lu Xuan, let me tell you, Xiong Yan is a bad guy.”
“Huh? How is he bad?” Lu Xuan had the feeling of a child tattling to a parent.
“Exactly, I also want to know how I am bad?”
Xiong Yan’s voice came from behind Hu Er, scaring him so much that he covered his mouth and hid behind Lu Xuan. But he was really too tall, cowering behind Lu Xuan only made it more obvious that he was trying to hide.
Xiong Yan, Xiong Qi, Hu Yi, Tian Xuan, and also Ying Fei, they were all together. Lu Xuan asked suspiciously: “You all are…?”
Ying Fei couldn’t wait to stand in front of Lu Xuan and said excitedly: “My injury is much better, thank you.”
Lu Xuan examined his wound, the swollen area had reduced significantly.
“You’re welcome. I’ve just finished brewing the medicinal liquid. Come inside and drink it. After you finish, I’ll help you change the medicine.”
Hu Er was afraid of Xiong Yan. Hearing Lu Xuan say this, he immediately said: “Let me help him change it. I am very good at taking care of wounds.”
Hu Yi called out from behind: “Hu Er, come here. I have something to tell you.”
Hu Er wanted to go over, but to get to Hu Yi’s side he would have to pass by Xiong Yan. He had just tattled to Lu Xuan, and now he didn’t dare face Xiong Yan.
He could only give Hu Yi an apologetic look, then immediately followed behind Lu Xuan into the house.
The others followed into the house one after another. Ying Fei had been shocked last night when he stayed in Hu Er’s room, and now seeing Lu Xuan’s house, he was even more surprised, unable to close his mouth.
Xiong Yue, sitting on the platform with the three cubs, all turned their heads to look at them at the same time, with surprised expressions on their faces.
Ying Fei asked incredulously: “Are the other two houses also like this?”
Lu Xuan smiled and said: “They are all different. You can go take a look when you have time.”
Ying Fei sighed from the bottom of his heart: “Your tribe is really good. Better than any tribe I have ever seen.”
Even worse than a tribe of eleven people, what kind of tribe must that be? Lu Xuan said to himself.
“Hu Er, come here and help Ying Fei change the medicine.”
Since Hu Er was willing, Lu Xuan let him do it. After all, changing the medicine wasn’t difficult.
Hu Er’s face lit up with joy as he said to Ying Fei: “Don’t be afraid. I will be very gentle.”
Ying Fei smiled and said: “Thank you. I’m not afraid of pain.”
Hu Er’s smile became even more sincere. This eagle was a good beastman.
As they began changing the medicine, Lu Xuan came over to the bench area. He sat down on a single chair and asked Tian Xuan: “You all gathered at my place early in the morning, what is this about?”
Xiong Yue on the platform had already gone back to the room with the three cubs. Several sturdy, tall beastmen sat there without speaking. Under this kind of oppressive atmosphere, it was indeed more comfortable to go back to the room.
Tian Xuan was a beat slow before replying: “Actually, it’s nothing much.”
How was he supposed to say it?
“It’s just that we saw Ying Fei yelling that he wanted to find you, and we were afraid he might do something rash in his excitement, so we followed behind him to come and take a look.”
Lu Xuan: …
He looked at the other three beastmen: “You all came for this too?”
Xiong Yan looked at Hu Yi, an unclear smile flashing in his eyes: “I came following him. Who knows what a fox might do?”
These words were rather unpleasant to hear. Lu Xuan looked at Hu Yi, and sure enough, his expression had changed.
“We are all from the same tribe, so of course we work together with one heart to protect the tribe.” Lu Xuan wasn’t very good at lightening the mood, he felt this sentence was extremely dry.
Tian Xuan gave Xiong Yan a warning look. The latter raised his eyebrows and shut his mouth, relaxing his whole body and leaning back against the chair back.
“I have something, I have something.”
Ying Fei, whose medicine had been changed, walked over here with his hand raised.
“Chief Tian Xuan, Healer Lu Xuan, I want to return to the tribe and convince the tribesmen to join the Black Howl Tribe.”
Lu Xuan almost didn’t realize that the Black Howl Tribe was the tribe name he had come up with himself. He gave a light cough: “This… your chief probably wouldn’t agree.”
No matter how small a tribe is, it is still one’s own tribe. Joining another tribe means having to obey other beastmen. This should be quite hard for a chief to accept.
Ying Fei waved his large hand: “That’s not the case at all. Our chief has been trying to find a way to join other tribes, but unfortunately, other tribes find our demands too many and won’t let us join.”
“…” Lu Xuan: “Um… what are your demands?”
Ying Fei said, lacking confidence: “Not abandoning the old, weak, sick, and disabled.”
After saying that, he immediately added: “They can eat less.”
Lu Xuan looked at Tian Xuan: “How about calling Xiong Yuan and the other three over to discuss it?”
Tian Xuan nodded: “I’ll go call them.”
Before long, Xiong Xuan, Xiong Yuan, Xing Chi, Xue Rong, along with Tian Xuan, arrived at Lu Xuan’s room.
Tian Xuan said to Ying Fei: “Tell us about your tribe’s situation in detail.”
Ying Fei looked around at everyone, then said: “Our Eagle tribe all live on high cliffs, and have always been aloof from the world. The reason our chief wants to join other tribes is that our tribe has no healer-priest. Tribesmen with injured wings, whether elderly or in their prime, become useless from then on.”
“The Eagle tribe has always wanted to go to other tribes to learn the art of healer-priests, but they all require large amounts of food and treasures as tribute. Our tribe couldn’t afford it even if we didn’t eat or drink for an entire year.”
Lu Xuan was puzzled: “Your tribe has never had a healer-priest?”
Ying Fei smiled bitterly: “When my adoptive father was little, the tribe had a healer-priest apprentice, but he was injured in a fight with the Black Feather Bird beastmen and died from his injuries. Since then, the tribe has had to rely on itself for injuries and illnesses.”
“Black Feather Bird beastmen?” Lu Xuan’s heart lurched, he thought of that beastman who snatched the meat.
“Are your two tribes together?”
Ying Fei’s eyes were full of disgust: “We both live on high cliffs, but we hunt for ourselves, while they like to use their beastman forms to deceive, then take the opportunity to kill the other party and snatch the prey.”
“They all act in groups, mainly robbing. Whether it’s beastmen or wild animals, they rob them all.”
“Uh, then why don’t they hunt for themselves?”
Lu Xuan was really puzzled. Since they group together to rob, why can’t they hunt together?
“Their beast forms are small and thin, and their human forms are even like cubs, but they can eat a huge amount. Just relying on hunting, they simply can’t get enough to eat.”
So, they can’t even support themselves by their own abilities, so they have to rely on robbing?
Lu Xuan was speechless. What kind of logic is that?
Ying Fei continued: “My wing was injured when they surrounded and attacked me, and then I fell into the river.”
Xiong Xuan then asked: “How many beastmen and sub-beastmen are there in your tribe?”
Ying Fei puffed out his chest and said proudly: “There are eight robust beastmen like me, six sub-beastmen, a total of ten elderly beastmen and sub-beastmen, no cubs, and ten eggs.”
Everyone: …
No wonder other tribes didn’t want them.
Lu Xuan: “‘Like you’ means all have injured wings?”
Ying Fei immediately replied: “Of course not. If a beastman in our tribe injures a wing and cannot fly to hunt, they either jump off a cliff to destroy themselves or leave the tribe. Before I left, there were only three in the tribe with injured wings. I don’t know if they are still alive now.”
Lu Xuan had mixed feelings: “Is your tribe… far?”
As soon as Ying Fei heard this, he thought there was hope, and said with shining eyes: “Not far, not far, it’s right across the big river.”
Tian Xuan looked up at him: “How long does it take to get there?”
Ying Fei thought for a moment, then said: “It would take about ten days of flying.”
Flying?
Xing Chi patted his butt and stood up, preparing to leave: “Then you fly there yourself.”
Ying Fei stared wide-eyed at Tian Xuan: “You agree? You agree to let my tribe join yours?”
The few beastmen and sub-beastmen of the original Bear tribe exchanged a few glances and understood each other’s meaning. They didn’t care about the two fox beastmen, and Xing Chi, who joined last, cared even less.
Tian Xuan replied: “If they won’t do anything that harms the tribe.”
Ying Fei nodded and guaranteed: “Absolutely not.”
“Mm.”
If they can survive and make it here alive, Tian Xuan added in his heart.
Ying Fei watched the departing crowd and sincerely exclaimed: “Your tribe is really good.”
Lu Xuan: …
“When you come, pay attention to hiding. Don’t be discovered by beastmen with ill intentions.”
Ying Fei nodded with a serious expression: “Don’t worry, I understand.”
To be honest, Lu Xuan wasn’t very reassured.
In his heart, Ying Fei’s tribe was just a group of eagles living in caves on a cliff, even more barren and backward than the original owner’s tribe.
No one went out hunting in the morning. Everyone was cultivating the land around the houses. They found that after the weeds around Lu Xuan’s house were cleared and the ground was leveled, it really looked much better.
Lu Xuan carried an armful of red flowers and placed them into wooden vases. These were made by Tian Xuan according to his description, simply four wooden boards glued together with the mucus of ground water snakes, one short and fat, one tall and round, one each of different heights and widths.
Put a medium one on the dining table, the smallest one on the windowsill, and the largest one next to the fireplace.
Inside were inserted carefully arranged bouquets by Lu Xuan, but on the dining table there was only one type of fiery red flower, a bit resembling a rose. Placed there, it added a layer of vitality to the whole house.