Chapter 110

In the height of summer, the heat was so intense that even dragonflies dared only to fly too far from the shade of trees, fearing the sunlight might scorch their wings.

In the dense forest, eight people were moving quickly, also taking shelter under the tree as they advanced.

The sound of breaking twigs under their feet contrasted sharply with the calls of birds and beasts around them.

Mai Mang blinked his eyes, constantly scanning the surroundings with great vigilance, and cautioned, “Everyone be careful.”

It had been three days since they left the Flame Dragon Tribe, and they should reach the Spotted Deer Tribe today.

The leader of this expedition, carrying linen, was Mai Mang, along with three other Totem Warriors: Xi Guo, Shu Feng, and Jue Ye.

Besides the four Totem Warriors, there were also four Warrior Trainees. This trip to the Spotted Deer Tribe could be said to be done with extreme caution.

“How much longer until we reach the Spotted Deer Tribe?” Jue Ye asked, carrying over twenty rolls of linen.

He had a long green lizard tail and a pair of green vertical pupils, with a very slender and tall figure. Now, he was covered in sweat, not because the linen was too heavy, but because they had been travelling all day, and under the scorching sun. Under those conditions, it was hard not to sweat.

“Shu Feng, fly up and take a look, see roughly how much longer it will take,” Mai Mang patiently said.

He was also carrying twenty rolls of linen, walking in the centre of the group. However, his eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings.

“Alright,” Shu Feng nodded. He plucked a large leaf, and with a flap of his wings, flew up into the sky, soaring to a great height to look into the distance.

After more than a minute, he landed back on the ground and said, “It’s just up ahead, but it will take most of the day if we walk.”

He had a pair of brown wings, brown eyes, and a tuft of brown feathers on his ears. He was only wearing a piece of Animal Hide on his lower body, with his upper body bare. His short brown hair was particularly eye-catching.

“We still have to spend most of the day walking? Mai Mang, can we rest for a while? We’re all covered in sweat,” Xi Guo called out from the back of the group.

He had a pair of blue eyes, blue hair, and a layer of light blue scales on the outer side of his arms.

Mai Mang looked up at the sunlight filtering through the leaves and said, “Yeah, let’s rest for a while.”

“Great,” Xi Guo put down the linen and took out his Animal Hide Bag, drinking large gulps.

“You all rest here. I’ll go find some berries and refill your water bags,” Shu Feng suggested.

Mai Mang took off the linen from his back and cautioned, “Go and come back quickly. Make sure to be careful.”

“Got it.” Shu Feng took everyone’s Animal Hide Bags and flew away with a flap of his wings.

Mai Mang stretched and caught his breath, saying, “The weather is so hot.”

*Gulp gulp…* Jue Ye vigorously drank several mouthfuls of water, wiping the water droplets from the corners of his mouth, and said, “I know right? If it weren’t for all this shade, we might have been roasted to death by now.”

Xi Guo looked at the more than sixty rolls of linen on the ground and cheerfully said, “It doesn’t matter if we are under the sun for longer, as long as we can safely bring the linen to the Spotted Deer Tribe, all will be worth it.”

Mai Mang looked at the Animal Hide Scroll in his hand and said, “The things we need to exchange for this time are similar to last time. We should be able to quickly complete this trade.”

“It seems like the Shaman has added one more item this time, called… called Black Stone Nut Juice, right?” Jue Ye guessed.

“I heard it’s something the Shaman absolutely needs. We must get it no matter what,” Mai Mang nodded.

Xi Guo poured water on the scales of his arms and curiously asked, “Is the Shaman going to make new Shaman Bone Tablets?”

He had heard Wa Ming and others talking about Shaman Bone Tablets last time and really wanted to try them for himself. Of course, he still hoped it would be best not to need Shaman Bone Tablets. He was simply marvelling at the Shaman’s speed in making them.

“Probably. Why else would we need the juice of this fruit? It’s not for drinking.” Mai Mang guessed.

Twenty minutes later, Shu Feng, carrying a bunch of berries and several Animal Hide Bags hanging on his body, flapped his wings and landed on the ground.

“Good job. You should rest too.” Mai Mang took the berries from him.

“I took a look around while I was up there. There are no Ferocious Beasts nearby, so you can all rest easy.” Shu Feng folded his wings.

“Great!” Mai Mang was a bit envious of his wings, which made everything so convenient.

After resting for half an hour, everyone shouldered the linen and continued on, aiming to reach the Spotted Deer Tribe before dark.

Four hours later, Mai Mang and his group arrived at the outer region of the Spotted Deer Tribe.

Mai Mang looked at the outer region of the entire Spotted Deer Tribe and softly exclaimed, “It’s a bit different from when the market is open.”

The entire outer region of the Spotted Deer Tribe was surrounded by a circle of Animal Hide Teepees, and they could not see beyond the tall wooden walls.

The Teepees in the outer region were also full of people, similar to the current Flame Dragon Tribe.

“Yes, there aren’t as many people, and weren’t these Teepees uninhabited before?” Shu Feng curiously asked.

When they came before, it was always during the Spotted Deer Market, so naturally they had not seen how it looked normally.

“Well, they’re Teepees. It would be a waste not to use them, right?” Mai Mang said.

“But aren’t these Tribes always inhabited? When the market opens, are they repurposed as stalls?” Jue Ye asked in confusion.

Mai Mang scanned the surroundings and commented, “It should be like that. They most likely compensate them in some way, right?”

“I see that the people living in the outer region are mostly orphans. I guess it is a form of charity for them, I guess,” Xi Guo noticed that the Teepees were full of children.

Mai Mang’s eyes widened slightly and as he said with a small smile, “I suppose that works. At least it’s being used for a good purpose.”

“Let’s hurry. It’s not early anymore. We’ll find a place to rest after we finish trading with them,” Mai Mang urged.

“Yeah. Otherwise, it will be hard to find a place to rest when it gets dark.” Shu Feng nodded.

They walked to the entrance of the Spotted Deer Tribe and explained their purpose to the Totem Warriors guarding the gate.

“You’re here to trade?” the Spotted Deer Tribe’s Totem Warrior asked in confusion.

“Yes, go tell your Shaman. He’ll understand,” Mai Mang said patiently.

The Spotted Deer Tribe’s Totem Warrior looked at the items behind Mai Mang’s group, thought for a moment, and said, “Wait here, I’ll go tell the Chieftain.”

“Alright,” Mai Mang nodded.