Chapter 4

Huo Ya’s shouts were harsh and unpleasant, like a rooster crowing, causing Gao Feng’s brows to furrow slightly. He truly disliked this crude and simple fellow.

Slowly getting up and pushing open the door, he looked at the familiar red sky. His heart was no longer lost or disheartened, nor was it anxious or uneasy. His mood soared, and he suddenly had a strong desire to see the world beyond the walls. However, his good mood was instantly shattered by Huo Ya’s wide, yellow, front-tooth-missing grin.

The entire tribe knew that today was the most important day for the attendants. Whenever they saw Gao Feng and Huo Ya, they would nod at them, whether with good or bad intentions. Huo Ya would proudly puff out his chest, feeling like a significant person at this moment, even though he had previously thought about becoming Gao Feng’s personal slave if he failed the test. Now, it seemed as if the aura of a tribal warrior had already fallen upon him.

Huo Ya’s excited state did not affect Gao Feng. Compared to before, he could now accept the things around him with a calmer mind, no longer rejecting them as he used to. However, Gao Feng did not feel affection for this place. Looking at the large, muscular she-cats exposing their chests to him, he felt as if he were walking among fierce beasts.

Leaving aside the two front teeth missing, the cunning yet lecherous Huo Ya, Gao Feng was truly a fine young man. His handsome appearance, compared to the coarse tribal warriors, was as appealing as a vanilla ice cream. Women are always more emotional than men and have a keen eye for beauty. Staring at Gao Feng’s cold, handsome face, they really wanted to devour the young boy whole.

Amid the countless probing gazes of the middle-aged slave women, Gao Feng felt a chill in the scorching air and quickened his steps, eager to leave these women with strange looks. Huo Ya, on the other hand, leered greedily at every middle-aged woman’s chest, drooling despite their lack of modesty. It was unclear if he had a lifelong craving for milk.

Suddenly, a small figure collided with Gao Feng’s chest. Though not yet an adult, Gao Feng was as solid as a stone, sending the small figure flying and landing on the ground. Huo Ya cursed loudly, “Trying to die, are you? Delaying Three Claws’ important matters, even flaying and dismembering you wouldn’t be enough...”

“Enough, we’re running late...” Gao Feng held back Huo Ya, who was about to strike, glanced at the dirty little slave curled on the ground, and left with the grumbling Huo Ya. Huo Ya, however, was not satisfied and continued to complain about the slave, mainly because the slave’s collision with Gao Feng might bring bad luck.

At this moment, Gao Feng did not show any impatience. He couldn’t help but recall the timid yet pure eyes of the little slave, the first time he had seen such pure eyes on a wild person. In the Black Claw tribe, the slaves had vacant and numb eyes, the warriors were wild and violent, the women were greedy, and even the children were fierce. Only this little slave was different.

“By the way, I heard that the warrior distributing weapons is Kui Tu. Kui Tu is Big Claw’s cousin. The Great Elder is dead, and many tribal warriors are on Big Claw’s side. This time, it might not go smoothly. It’s all that little brat’s fault. If something happens, I’ll beat her to death...”

Huo Ya’s face changed as he muttered his concerns, causing Gao Feng’s brows to furrow slightly.

Huo Ya was the person he knew best since arriving here. Huo Ya’s mouth was never idle, and he had provided Gao Feng with a lot of information, including the relationship between Big Claw’s mother and Kui Tu. Kui Tu was the Great Elder’s son, and the warriors of the Great Elder’s lineage generally supported Big Claw as the leader. This was the root of Big Claw’s bullying of Three Claws in the past. Among the three direct descendants, only Three Claws had an unknown background and no mother.

“If you’re afraid of being implicated, you can leave. I want to see how Kui Tu dares to make things difficult for me.” Gao Feng was no longer the lost and aimless person he was yesterday. With familiar weapons, the resilience to endure pain, and a strange ability different from ordinary people, he had enough confidence.

“Ha, who doesn’t know that I’m with Three Claws? You’re Black Claw’s son; they can’t possibly make things difficult for you, right?” Huo Ya spoke confidently, but the worry in his eyes did not dissipate. The Black Claw tribe was complex, and some things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface.

Gao Feng stroked the warm grip of the gun in his pocket, squinted his eyes, and quickened his pace. When they reached the place where the attendants received their equipment, over a hundred young men had gathered. Some had already received their equipment and weapons, and the sight of the eager young men with their weapons made Huo Ya’s worries vanish. He rushed over, eager to get his hands on his own equipment.

At this moment, Big Claw, dressed in full leather armor, walked up to Gao Feng, proudly displaying the heart guard on his chest, made of over a dozen small triangular black scales. Seeing the heart guard, Gao Feng’s eyes turned cold. These scales were the hardest on the Sand Beast’s forehead, known as Beast Horns, a valuable item that could be used as currency. Huo Ya had often talked about wanting to buy a slave with Beast Horns.

Over a dozen Beast Horns were a significant fortune, and many of the young men envied Big Claw, whispering to each other with various feelings of dissatisfaction and helplessness. Showing off was always a child’s game. Gao Feng looked Big Claw up and down, nodded as if admiring a peacock, making Big Claw even more proud. He looked up at the sky, preparing to give his poor brother some insincere words of encouragement.

When he looked down, the space in front of him was empty, with only a few grains of sand. Gao Feng had disappeared. Huo Ya, clutching his armor and spear like a treasure, searched for a while and found Gao Feng squatting in front of a crooked, ugly willow tree at the edge of the area.

Gao Feng had not gone to collect his weapons. He was bare-chested, his muscles slightly defined, looking up at the willow tree’s gnarled branches. His left hand twitched uncontrollably.

“Three Claws, use these weapons first. I’ll go get another set. Kui Tu, that bastard, has already prepared a set of discarded armor, which can be pierced by a finger. What a waste of that Fang Blade. To get back at you, he ground the entire blade flat, not even able to kill a Sand Rat. It’s a shame he was willing to do that...”

Huo Ya grinned, his voice still unpleasant, but Gao Feng no longer felt repulsed. Regardless of Huo Ya’s character, how lecherous and unhygienic he was, he was at least loyal. Gao Feng raised his hand to pat Huo Ya’s shoulder, and Huo Ya squinted his eyes, swaying his arms, ready to accept Gao Feng’s encouragement. However, seeing the greasy stains on Huo Ya’s arms, Gao Feng’s scalp tingled, and he lacked the courage to pat him. Instead, he patted the armor and weapons in Huo Ya’s arms and said:

“Who am I? I’m Three Claws. Kui Tu’s tricks won’t work on me...” Huo Ya stared at the spirited Gao Feng, his mouth agape, and after a moment, he stammered, “Three Claws, you’ve changed, you’re different from before...”

“It’s not me who has changed, but the world...” Suddenly, Gao Feng’s eyes became deep and distant, with a hint of solemnity. Even though he had not fully regained himself, he was no longer lost. At this moment, Huo Ya opened his mouth, revealing his yellow teeth, and stammered, “S... S... Sandstorm!”

“Sandstorm? What sandstorm?” Gao Feng was confused, but he saw all the attendants panic and rush towards the surrounding houses. He turned around and saw a layer of something added to the crimson sky, like rolling dark clouds sweeping towards them. In the middle of the dark clouds, there were countless small black dots swirling. The next moment, the metal alarm on the wall sounded throughout the tribe.

“Run!!!” Huo Ya’s terrified scream was off-key, but Gao Feng understood. Without a word, he turned and ran towards his residence. After a few steps, Huo Ya, carrying a pile of equipment, ran past him like a sprinter. The fact that the lazy Huo Ya was forced to run so fast showed that the sandstorm was no ordinary event. Gao Feng’s heart sank, and he sped up, followed by a dozen or so young attendants.

Three Claws’ body was strong and powerful, with explosive strength. Each stride covered a surprising distance.

More astonishing was their speed. The attendants, trained from a young age to be the backbone of the warriors, ran like a whirlwind through the narrow streets. The houses around them closed their doors and windows, with only fearful eyes peeking through the cracks.

Gao Feng’s brain was slightly oxygen-deprived as he ran, and his body could adapt, but his mind could not. A feeling of nausea spread through his heart. Huo Ya also slowed down, showing signs of exhaustion. At this moment, a young attendant suddenly pushed Gao Feng, surpassing him and running forward. Suddenly, a whistling sound was heard, and a rock the size of a human head fell from the sky like a cannonball, smashing into the wall next to Gao Feng and shattering into countless pieces.

Dozens of rock fragments flew in all directions like bullets. In that instant, Gao Feng instinctively threw himself to the ground, narrowly avoiding the flying fragments, as if dodging a shell on a battlefield. The young men in front of and behind him, however, did not know to lie down and were instantly caught in the shower of rock fragments, resulting in a series of screams.