Chapter 69: Who's Right

Because it had been a year since they last visited, the cave was filled with dust and cobwebs, appearing rather dirty.

The warriors briefly cleaned it up.

Litu spread a piece of animal skin on the ground for Ye Xi to sit on.

Ye Xi, now accustomed to such treatment in the tribe, sat down without any objections.

The other warriors weren't able to rest yet; they began to process the game they had caught that day.

They dissected the prey, discarded the entrails, and drained the blood, trying to reduce the weight of the carcasses as much as possible to carry more back.

The cave soon filled with the smell of blood.

Outside, the sky grew increasingly overcast with dark clouds, and thunder rumbled ominously.

Soon after, heavy rain began to pour down.

A muddy, fishy smell permeated the air.

The warriors washed the dissected game in the rain to remove as much of the blood smell as possible to avoid attracting predators on the way back.

Litu found a large stone pot in a corner of the cave, washed it in the rain, and filled it halfway with rainwater. After setting up a simple stone stove near the fire, he began to cook a meat soup.

The bubbling of the pot and the aroma of the meat filled the cave.

Using roughly carved wooden bowls, each warrior filled a bowl with hot soup and drank noisily.

After hunting for so long, they were all hungry and thirsty, and the soup greatly comforted them.

As the thunderstorm continued outside and they relaxed in the cave, they chatted casually.

"How's Xiaote? Did the leopards eat it?" Ye Xi asked Pu Tai, recalling the moment they were chased by the leopard pack and had to climb trees for safety. Xiaote, being large and unable to climb, had been left behind, and Ye Xi worried about it.

Xiaote was Pu Tai's battle pet, and he could sense whether it was alive.

Pu Tai shook his head, "I can feel that it's still alive. The leopards were after us, not specifically Xiaote."

"Why did the leopard pack attack us?" Ye Xi was puzzled. There were easier targets, so why had they chosen them so persistently and even tried to cross the ravine to reach them?

Pu Tai sighed, "Last year, our hunting team accidentally killed their leader. It seems they were seeking revenge. I didn't expect them to hold a grudge like this; Dahong even fell off the cliff because of it."

Ye Xi's mood darkened at the memory of the warrior who had fallen while clutching a leopard.

"Don't feel too bad. It's common for warriors to get injured or even die during hunts," Pu Tai tried to comfort him.

"If I could shoot two arrows at once, maybe he wouldn't have had to die."

"It's not your fault, Ye Xi."

Ye Xi smiled weakly and didn't respond, but he resolved to practice his archery when he returned. If a similar situation arose, he wouldn't be helpless.

Pu Tai, sensing Ye Xi's continued guilt, paused before adding, "Have you noticed that there are very few older warriors in the tribe?"

Ye Xi was taken aback. Indeed, he hadn't seen many warriors over fifty, and those over sixty could be counted on one hand.

"They…?"

"Warrior mortality is really high," Pu Tai sighed heavily. "Especially for a small tribe like ours."

He looked outside the cave at the dangerous jungle now obscured by the rain, "This forest is too dangerous; there are countless fearsome predators lurking within. Even becoming a warrior isn't enough to ensure safety. That's why the chief was so against you becoming a warrior."

"Don't be too upset. Dahong might have survived today, but he would have died in five or ten years anyway."

"And me, I don't know how long I'll live or how much game I can hunt for the tribe." Pu Tai's voice was tinged with melancholy.

Ye Xi reassured him, "That won't happen, Uncle Pu. You'll live a long time."

Pu Tai laughed heartily, "Kid, you always seem so mature, I didn't expect you to say something so naive."

Ye Xi frowned, ready to argue.

"Listen," Pu Tai continued seriously, "This world is too dangerous."

"Just like the attack today; if anything had gone slightly differently, our entire hunting team might have perished right there."

"Do you think today was an anomaly? It's not. This is the daily life of a warrior."

"You probably felt unfairly treated when we didn't let you join the hunt, right?"

"That's because you're all still too inexperienced. If an accident happened, you wouldn't be able to react in time, and you'd likely end up dead. Only when you're more familiar with the rules of the jungle and can use your skills proficiently will I be confident enough to let you hunt."

"Especially you, Ye Xi, your potential could make you a fourth or even fifth-level warrior. I can't afford to lose you, do you understand?"

Ye Xi nodded silently after a moment of thought.

After a while, he looked up, "A weapon must be forged through hardship."

Pu Tai was taken aback.

"Isn't a warrior supposed to grow from near-death experiences? If I'm never exposed to danger, how can I hope to break through to become a fourth or even fifth-level warrior?"

Pu Tai opened his mouth to argue but found no words.

He knew from personal experience that his own advancement had come during a life-threatening moment against a giant ape.

Looking at Ye Xi's youthful but determined face, Pu Tai repeated to himself, "A weapon must be forged." After a long pause, he conceded, "Perhaps you're right."

Preserving every warrior had been crucial for the tribe; they treated them like fragile birds, rarely letting them leave the nest. Perhaps this overprotectiveness was why the tribe had only two second-level warriors.

What was the right approach?

Conflicted, Pu Tai stood up abruptly and walked to the cave entrance, staring out at the rain.

Ye Xi joined him, looking out at the rain-drenched landscape.

They watched as huge earthworms reveled in the storm, the soil upheaved like small hills, their thick bodies burrowing through the mud.

"What are those?" Ye Xi gasped in shock.

"They're giant earthworms, harmless and eat only insects," Pu Tai explained calmly, used to the sight.

Ye Xi tried to accept the reality of prehistoric-sized earthworms as the clouds overhead promised no quick end to the storm.

Pu Tai, watching the dark sky, said regretfully, "It looks like this rain isn't going to stop anyti—" His words were cut off as a flash of white suddenly snatched a warrior cleaning game, dragging him into the forest at terrifying speed.

(End of Chapter)