At dusk, the sun sank toward the west.
"The hunting party is back!"
An excited howl rang out across the entire tribe.
"They're fast," Su Bai said. Hearing the shout, he lifted the tent flap and stepped outside, only to see many people sprinting wildly toward the mountains.
Yan Hua had appeared beside him at some point. She asked calmly, "How was your rest?"
"…!" Su Bai was startled. When he realized it was the cow-horned girl, he couldn't help complaining,
"Do you make no sound when you walk?"
"Moving without sound is a basic quality of a warrior," Yan Hua said, the corner of her lips lifting slightly.
"What are they all rushing out for?" Su Bai changed the subject. After all, he hadn't officially inherited the Shaman position yet.
"To welcome the hunting party's return. Want to go see?" A flash of fervor passed through Yan Hua's red eyes.
"Let's go," Su Bai nodded.
The two walked toward the edge of the camp. From afar, they could already see a crowd gathered along a path, shorter people standing on tiptoe to look ahead.
"They're coming!" someone shouted loudly.
The news that Su Bai was the Shaman's successor had long spread through the tribe. When people saw him approach, they automatically made way, forming a clear path.
"…." Yan Hua raised an eyebrow and quietly followed behind Su Bai to the front of the crowd.
From a distance, Su Bai could see trees shaking, as if some enormous creature were advancing. The people around him widened their eyes, fists clenched, ready to cheer.
A few minutes later, six powerful figures appeared in everyone's view, each carrying beasts two to three times their own size. It looked like ants hauling massive loads.
"Wow! That's amazing—so much prey again!" the children cheered.
"Hiss! That's a red-fur boar, right?" the youths cried out in admiration.
"That's great, the children won't go hungry," the women said in relief.
"Good… everyone made it back safely," the elders said, finally putting their worries to rest.
...
Su Bai stood quietly to the side, observing everyone's reactions and listening to the discussions, gaining a clearer picture of the Flame Dragon Tribe's situation.
He leaned toward the cow-horned girl and asked in a low voice,
"Is the tribe really short on food?"
"Yes. Very short," Yan Hua nodded. Her red eyes burned as she stared at the massive beasts, imagining herself one day returning from the hunt as a Totem Warrior.
"You really want to hunt?" Su Bai could clearly see the longing in her eyes.
"Of course. That represents glory," Yan Hua said, straightening her chest.
"Can you tell me about the tribe's food situation?" Su Bai rubbed his stomach—he hadn't eaten all day.
"The tribe lacks food badly. Most of the meat goes to Totem Warriors. A small portion goes to trainee warriors and children."
Yan Hua lowered her brows slightly, then continued,
"Women and elders only get meat occasionally. Most of the time, they gather wild fruits to eat."
"How long will this batch of prey last?" Su Bai asked, watching the hunting party draw closer.
"We won't eat all of it. About half will be eaten, and the rest will be dried into jerky for storage," Yan Hua shook her head.
"Do you gather many wild fruits?" Su Bai asked.
"Not much. We only gather nearby. Places too far away are dangerous—we can't let them go," Yan Hua answered patiently.
Su Bai now had a rough understanding of the Flame Dragon Tribe's food sources. He continued,
"Do you farm? Raise animals?"
"Farm? What's that? And why raise animals?" Yan Hua looked at the fair-skinned man strangely.
"We can barely feed ourselves."
"Uh…" Su Bai was left speechless.
Especially under the cow-horned girl's look, he almost laughed in exasperation. How was he supposed to explain it? Raise a pig to show her? It would probably get slaughtered and eaten overnight.
"Thud, thud, thud—"
A wave of fishy stench hit them as a towering figure approached.
Su Bai frowned and looked up, seeing a filthy face—features hard to make out—but a pair of striking purple eyes stood out. The man was at least 1.9 meters tall, with several crooked-necked wild chickens hanging from his waist, clearly killed by having their necks twisted.
"Bang!"
The man dropped his prey and asked curiously,
"Yan Hua, who's this? Don't tell me he's the partner you picked?"
"Of course not!" Yan Hua's face flushed bright red as she shouted,
"Uncle Cang Shi, don't talk nonsense!"
"Oh? He's not?" Cang Shi blinked.
He knew his niece well. Yan Hua wasn't easy to get along with—boys her age had been beaten into submission and didn't even dare stand near her.
"His name is Su Bai. He's the Shaman's successor," Yan Hua rolled her eyes and quickly explained.
Cang Shi's eyes widened in delight.
"That's great! We've finally found a successor!"
"Hello," Su Bai nodded politely.
"You're too weak—eat more meat," Cang Shi said, swiftly yanking a wild chicken from his waist and stuffing it into Su Bai's arms.
"Uh—" Su Bai hurriedly caught it. Before he could say anything, the other hunters squeezed over.
"Where's the Shaman's successor? Let me see."
"Don't push! I want a look too."
...
Several dirty faces crowded in. Cang Shi was pushed to the back, and soon Su Bai found himself holding an unfamiliar rabbit and three wild chickens.
"If it's not enough, come find me."
"The tribe's future depends on you."
"Once we finish processing the beast meat, I'll have someone bring you some."
"Where are you staying? Come eat at my tent tonight?"
...
Warmth—overwhelming warmth.
Either stuffing meat into his arms or inviting him over.
If Su Bai hadn't repeatedly declined, he might already have been carried straight into someone's tent.
"Thud, thud, thud—"
The hunting party carried their prey deeper into the camp, with women rushing forward to help.
"Phew…" Su Bai let out a breath and turned to Yan Hua, who was smiling faintly.
"Are they always this enthusiastic?"
"You're overthinking it," Yan Hua replied, quickly wiping the smile away as she reached out and took two of the wild chickens from Su Bai's arms.
"Let's go back," Su Bai said, turning toward the camp.
A subtle pressure settled in his heart—his understanding of how important the Shaman was to the tribe had just been refreshed once again.
Yan Hua frowned slightly as she watched the slender figure ahead of her.
Somehow… he seemed a bit more upright than before.