Chapter 4 of 10

Chapter 4

13 min read3,212 words

In the primitive tribes of the wilderness, most people probably did not understand what a spy was, let alone what an undercover agent was. But Lishuqing was clear about it; it required the cultivation of a loyal confidant who had taken a death oath to be sent to infiltrate another force, and it could never be a newborn infant.

A child's future development depends on the environment in which he grows up and the beliefs he is exposed to from a young age. Even if this child was not of the Qingshui clan's bloodline, if he was raised here, he would naturally be considered a member of the Qingshui clan. Since there was no clue in the deduction, Lishuqing just watched—she was very curious about how this woman would handle the infant.

The woman's expression was hesitant, clearly indicating that her location or identity made it impossible or inconvenient for her to take in the infant, and she had no experience with such matters. After a while, the woman flew high into the sky with the infant, looking at the continuous mountains in the wilderness, where other tribes of various sizes were scattered.

With one hand holding the infant and the other placing the white bamboo-like magical tool to her lips, she blew a melodious divine sound, which could also serve as a flute. The flute's tune was graceful and clear, and gradually, the surrounding mountains echoed with the chirping of birds, many of which spread their wings and flew around the woman, dancing in the air.

Suddenly, the flute's tune changed, becoming higher and higher until it became inaudible. It was not that the flute's sound had disappeared, but that the pitch was too high for ordinary ears to hear. The woman also cast a spell to protect the infant in her arms, shielding him from the impact of this strange divine sound.

The birds flying around the woman seemed to be driven by the sound, suddenly flapping their wings and flying towards the distant mountains. Soon, the mountains echoed with the roars of beasts. The woman was actually casting a spell to command the birds and beasts. Seeing this, Lishuqing became even more suspicious that she was a master who had cultivated the Swallow Form Technique. Although many secret techniques could achieve this, the Swallow Form Technique was undoubtedly the most effective.

...

About ten miles away from the valley where the Qingshui clan settled, there was another tribe's village on a high mountain. Ten miles might be a short distance on a plain, but in the rugged wilderness, it was a long and dangerous journey. This tribe lived on a gentle slope by a spring, surrounded by dense forests, and not far from the village was a deep, bottomless cliff.

Their village was also built with stone walls, and the total number of men, women, and children was about four hundred. Although they could not compare to the Qingshui clan, they were still one of the more prosperous tribes in the area. Due to the mountain barriers, the people here did not hear the shouts and cries from the Qingshui clan's settlement that night, nor did they see the flames.

The rugged mountains could block sound and sight, but they could not stop the wind blowing at high altitudes. The smoke and dust from the Qingshui clan's fort being burned by the fire rose with the ascending air currents and spread to the surrounding highlands. The next day, the village could smell a faint, smoky odor carried by the wind.

The chief climbed to a high place to look far away and saw smoke rising from a distant mountain, in the direction of the Qingshui clan's fort. His first reaction was not that the Qingshui clan had been wiped out, but that a forest fire had occurred nearby. However, the place where the forest fire seemed to be was far away, separated by several valleys, and the steep mountains made it difficult for the fire to spread widely. The chief was not worried that it would affect the village, but he told the people about it and reminded them to stay indoors, especially not to go in that direction.

The next morning, a group of colorful birds suddenly flew over the village, and soon after, someone shouted, "Look, there are muntjacs!"

Several muntjacs ran through the forest in panic, which were the favorite prey of the villagers. Muntjac meat was not only delicious but also rich in fat, which could be rendered into oil, and the muntjac skin was soft and comfortable. Some people picked up weapons to hunt the muntjacs, while more people said to the chief, "Let's go to the forest fire and see. It should have gone out by now. If we don't go, other tribes will take advantage."

After each forest fire, many wild animals' bodies were often left behind, some even half-cooked, having been lost in the smoke and flames, dying from suffocation, burning, or falling.

But forest fires were not to be taken lightly. Sometimes the wind could blow burning grass and trees to distant areas, causing larger fires. If unburned grass and trees were blown by the wind and reignited, it could trap people in the fire. Once the smoke spread, it would obscure vision, and in the rugged mountains, being trapped in a fire was very dangerous.

The chief climbed to a high place again and confirmed that no more smoke was rising from the distant mountains. He then gathered the strong men of the village and set out. They carried weapons and more bags to carry various prey. The muntjacs running past the village excited them, suggesting that there should be a herd of muntjacs in the fire area.

They had grown up in the mountains and walked the rugged and steep paths with ease, following the route to the Qingshui clan's settlement outside the mountains. However, they did not find any burned forests along the way. By mid-afternoon, someone asked the chief, "Chief, what's going on? Did you see it wrong?"

Another person said, "How could the chief be wrong? I can even smell the smoke from a distance."

Another person said, "It's getting late. If we go any further, we won't be able to return to the village before dark."

The chief's name was Ruoshan, and the villagers called him Chief. He held a bone staff and a long knife at his waist, looking at the sky and pondering, "We've come this far, and it's just a short distance to the Qingshui clan's fort. Let's go there and spend the night, and we can buy some things we need."

A villager said, "It's strange. We saw the smoke from the forest fire and the muntjacs running past the village, but we haven't seen any animals on the way."

Ruoshan said, "I also feel something is off. We usually see animals on this path, and with a forest fire nearby, the animals should be running this way. Let's go a bit further and see."

The Qingshui clan's fort was the most prosperous place in the wilderness. For many tribes, coming out of the high mountains and dense forests to this open valley was like entering a "world outside the mountains," a place many had never left. This was the most prosperous and thriving place they had ever seen.

When this group of people emerged from the forest and entered the flat valley, they all stared in shock, some dropping the things they were holding. The once prosperous Qingshui clan's fort had turned into ruins, with only half-destroyed buildings left, and the surroundings were eerily quiet, with not a single person in sight!

It turned out that the smoke the chief saw yesterday was not from a forest fire but from the Qingshui clan's fort being burned. But where were the Qingshui clan's people? Even if there was a fire, there was water nearby, and it would not have been allowed to spread and destroy the entire fort. Even if the entire fort was destroyed, it was impossible for no one to escape.

Ruoshan was the first to react, holding his bone staff in his left hand and drawing his long knife with his right, he ordered, "Something big has happened here. We don't know where everyone has gone. Let's go and see. ... Bozhuang, Zhongzhuang, you two stay by my side, everyone follow me, and be ready with your weapons. The situation is very strange!"

Bozhuang and Zhongzhuang were brothers and the strongest warriors in the tribe. Chief Ruoshan was shocked and wanted to understand what had happened to the Qingshui clan. He had an extraordinary keen sense and could sense the unusually intense and tragic aura left in the ruins, as if a terrifying tragedy had just occurred.

Under Ruoshan's lead, they cautiously entered the ruins. The ground was covered with scattered ashes and charred wood, making a strange cracking sound under their feet. They checked the half-collapsed houses but found no one, not even a single corpse. Bozhuang, puzzled, said, "There's no one in the houses, and there's no sign of any attempt to put out the fire. Everything is untouched. Where did the Qingshui clan go?"

Ruoshan did not speak, stopping and shivering inexplicably. He asked the villagers to step back, raised his bone staff, closed his eyes, and cast a spell. A gentle wind rose from the ground, and the ashes swirled around the tip of the bone staff. Suddenly, Ruoshan's forehead veins bulged, and he opened his eyes as if greatly shocked. The wind stopped, and the ashes fell to the ground.

Shuzhuang asked, "Chief, what did you find? Where did everyone go?"

When Ruoshan spoke again, his voice was hoarse, "They didn't go anywhere. They were all burned to death, leaving no trace. This wasn't a fire; it was arson, and the Qingshui clan was wiped out." He had already sensed that the ashes contained the remains of burned bodies, scattered throughout the ruins.

It was hard to imagine that the powerful Qingshui tribe had been silently and completely destroyed, leaving no bodies behind. Someone asked in a trembling voice, "Who did this? A ghost or a monster?"

Ruoshan shook his head, "It was people, many people! No tribe in this area could wipe out the Qingshui clan. They must have come from far away, all very powerful, and they surrounded and ambushed the fort." There were still marks of sword and axe cuts on many charred pieces of wood in the village, indicating a fierce battle. They also found many footprints of people wearing shoes outside the village, which was unusual since the locals usually did not wear shoes, and even if they did, they were not the same kind of shoes.

The villagers were stunned, not knowing what to say. The world beyond the mountains, a tribe powerful enough to wipe out the Qingshui clan in one night, was beyond their imagination! A gentle breeze blew, and the ashes on the ground rose and landed on their feet, making the ruins under the sunlight seem eerily terrifying, causing many to shiver.

At this moment, someone suddenly pointed to the center of the fort and shouted, "Look, what's that!"

Everyone followed his finger and saw a tiger lying on the half-collapsed altar. The tiger was different from the usual ones, with pure white fur and crimson stripes, looking beautiful and elegant, a rare Lipstick Tiger. Everyone, including Ruoshan, had never seen such a creature before. The Lipstick Tiger was startled by the crowd and stood up, looking back at them.

The crowd did not move, forming a half-circle defensive formation around Chief Ruoshan, spears raised and bows drawn, ready for battle. The tiger on the altar was a Lipstick Tiger, with pure white fur and crimson stripes, looking beautiful and elegant. Everyone, including Ruoshan, had never seen such a creature before. The Lipstick Tiger was startled by the crowd and stood up, looking back at them.

The crowd did not move, forming a half-circle defensive formation around Chief Ruoshan, spears raised and bows drawn